CH 74

Although Assistant Administration Commissioner Cui had taken all of the silver on the public accounts with him when he left, Cui Xie was no longer held back by Xu furen, so for him, it was much easier for him to live in this residence. He returned home with the yiniangs and younger siblings, first changed his clothes to pay his respects to his grandfather and grandmother, and then informed them what had happened while they were sending them off.

Old furen, Song-shi, stared at him without blinking and then called for someone to serve him almond dessert soup [1] as well as some small and exquisite snow-white puff-pastries with multi-nut filling. It did not not seem as if she cared whether her son left or not.

When Cui Xie said that Cui Que had “missed the two elders to the point where he was choked up and couldn’t speak”, she sighed, “With this trip, he will not be able to come back for a few years, I don’t know if the two of us will still be alive by the time he returns.”

Cui Xie had once lost a close relative, hearing this, he grew uncomfortable and comforted: “Grandfather and Grandmother are people with good fortune and definitely be able to see Father….promoted as an official of the Six Ministries again.”

Old furen shook her head and smiled with difficulty: “It is enough for your Grandfather and I to see you studying and making progress in your life. There is no need for any other expectations.”

Although the Old Patriarch of the Cui family was lying paralyzed on the bed, the person was still alert, but when speaking, his grumbling and humming was hard to decipher. Only a person truly close to him like the Old furen would understand. His eyeballs swiveled towards Cui Xie to watch him as he spoke a few words. Old furen Song nodded slowly and asked Zhang mama to fetch the token and keys. She nodded and used her hands to beckon Cui Xie to come over. She pressed Cui Xie to accept them all,and said: “From now on, this family is yours to manage. As the eldest son and grandson, you will need to suffer a bit more and act as the pillar of the family.”

Cui Xie was caught unprepared by this married couple’s trust and in contrast to his previous shameless intention of changing the hands that owned the Cui Residence’s storefronts, this made him feel a little ashamed. Accepting the objects, he said “ Grandma need not worry, I will make it so that everyone can live their days happily.”

The Old Matriarch sensibly replied, “Your father wasn’t able to simplify matters and took away all the money in the public coffers, making things harder for you. Cut and reduce where you need to. Anyone who is dissatisfied, tell them to take it up with me, just let me see who the troublemakers are in this family.”

She had paid no attention to family matters for many years and did not have much silver left in her private savings.. She simply made use of the funds she had set aside for her coffin  and took out 200 taels of silver to help Cui Xie initiate some cash flow. She also ordered Zhang mama to help manage the things in the storehouse and asked the stewards in the outer courtyard as well as the shop managers to audit the accounts. This gave Cui Xie the free hands to reorganize the personnel——If there were those who deliberately bullied him when he was younger, it was fine to send them packing away.

Cui Xie warmly responded in a low voice and sat for a while as he held his Grandfather’s hand. He repeatedly urged the elderly man to properly rest and maintain good health.

After coming out of the main courtyard, Zhang mama asked him: “My Eldest Young Master, where should we start?”

Let’s see what’s for lunch first. There were still two elders, four concubines, three children and a dozen servants left in the family. The matters of food needed for the next several days needed to be handled first.

Zhang mama nodded and led Cui Xie to the big kitchen. The kitchen was currently making food and two of them went in to take a look. There were still a few hundred catties of rice, noodles, grain, glutinous millets, beans, unfinished ham from last year, salt-cured meat, pickled fish and so on left in the jars. There were also some fresh meat, fish, radish, bamboo shoot and fresh greens that had been bought before Cui Que had left, which would be enough to eat for a few days.

The Old Patriarch and Old Matriarch’s money was intended to be saved for their funeral arrangements later on and could not be so rashly used. But, the larger part of the silver in the residence had been used to curry favor with officials thanks to Assistant Commissioner Cui and the silver from the storefronts had also been carried away by him. Silver would not be coming in until next month. Now, it was time to make summer garments and  monthly allotments were coming up. Furthermore, Cui Xie also needed to enter the Imperial College to study….

Now that he had become the Eldest Young Master in charge of the residence, should he use Old furen’s money first or deduct their monthly allotments and money for summer garments first?

The entire family nervously stared at Cui Xie.

He didn’t show any courtesy to the family and first called for people to bring out the list of accounts and land deeds, starting with the two furen’s, Liu-shi’s and Xu-shi’s dowries.

Liu furen’s dowry had been pawned off over the years to pay for family expenses. The remainder was just the bookstore and some jewelry that she had asked Old furen to give to Cui Xie. The servant girls and the rest of the people from the main courtyard that had come with the dowry had been sent away by Xu furen. A few were sent to farmsteads while some had been sold off. At present, there was no one with the surname Liu in this residence.

And Xu furen had painstakingly handled these matters for many years, but she hadn’t landed any benefits: As soon as the case had occurred, all the members from the Xu family had been dismissed by Cui Que. Right now, the Cui Residence’s storefronts and farmsteads employed externally hired servants and now that there were no one named Xu left in the residence, a few households that had been part of the Liu family’s dowry had brought about a reversal of their fortunes and had become stewards of the farmsteads.

However, Xu furen still had a whole main courtyard full of furniture and several large trunks of fabric that had been part of her dowry left in the Cui Residence, in addition to a small courtyard located outside Nanguan District and a farm of more than ten acres in Chengnan. A few days ago, the Xu family’s maternal uncle made a visit and stirred up a racket, precisely demanding Cui Que to return these dowry items.

Cui Laoye was reluctant to part with it, but Young Master Cui did not feel so distressed. He immediately took out the two lands’ deeds and prepared to clear out Xu furen’s dowry. Afterwards, it would be returned to the Xu family.

Zhang mama persuaded him: “Normally, these dowries are to be set aside for Heng-ge, what those from the Xu family are asking for is against reason. If Da-ge just gives it to them like this, I fear that Heng-ge and Laoye will be unhappy when they return. Besides, as soon as the furniture in the courtyard is gone and the entire room will be completely empty, how will Laoye live in it?”

Laoye will not be coming back, who cares how he is going to live.

His thoughts were frank, but Cui Xie kept tactful as he spoke: “I heard about the matter of the Xu family coming over a few days ago to ask for the dowry. Xu furen has already been divorced with Laoye due to the Shuntian Prefecture and if we hold onto these items without returning them, others will say that our Cui family covets Xu-shi’s dowry. Who will care whether Xu-shi has a biological son? If the Xu family really cared for my brother, once he grows up, they will naturally give those items back.”

After all was said and done, Zhang mama was still somewhat reluctant and hesitantly asked, “Or should I ask the Old furen again?”

Cui Xie nodded: “You can go and ask Grandmother. Does our Cui family want to keep an abandoned wife’s dowry or fight against the Xu family in court for a lifetime?”

Zhang mama apprehensively left and after Old furen heard about it, she didn’t even ask anything and ordered her directly: “My grandson is a Little Tertiary Winner, he knows a lot more than us women of the inner courtyard. You can just follow his orders!”

With the Old furen’s support, Cui Xie no longer hesitated and immediately asked Zhang mama to make an inventory of the dowry and ordered Chief Steward, Cui Liangdong, to rent out a large carriage and hire drivers. Once everything was tidied up, the dowry’s inventory list as well as the list of jewelry and silver given to the Jinyiwei was to be sent to the Xu family.

Without these complete sets of dowries, there were only a few solitary, incomplete sets of furniture left over, and they didn’t look very good either. Zhang mama wanted to say something, but hesitated. After thinking that there was just no silver in the public accounts, she simply suggested to Cui Xie: “Eldest Young Master, how about sealing the main courtyard and when Laoye returns, we can arrange for something then?”

Cui Xie firmly replied: “Although my room is not furnished with Suzhou-style furniture inlaid with conch shells and precious metals that came with the Xu family’s dowry, the master courtyard’s furniture is still made of first-rate mahogany wood engraved with fine, delicate designs. Later on, we can send it into Father’s courtyard as a contingency reserve. As for what the younger generation will use, it is not important.” He saw that the storehouse still had some elmwood furniture which was passable to use for the next two days. Later, he would call upon a carpenter and use these furniture as remuneration so it could be exchanged for a set of modern-style furniture. Only then would it be comfortable to use.

When they were making an inventory of Xu furen’s dowry, they had rummaged out quite a few old materials that had accumulated for several years, most of which were satins, silks, a few bolts of Songjian three-shuttle cloth and a lot of top-notch fur pelts. Cui Xie ordered Zhang mama to choose enough material for making the residence’s clothes and bedding for the year. The rest were taken to be appraised at a pawn shop that the Cui Residence was familiar with. It was estimated that every bolt of silk cloth was worth two taels, five taels for each fur pelt and all together, it was worth over a hundred or so taels of silver.

With this money, they could deal with the coming days for now.

At long last, Cui Xie relaxed and instructed Zhang mama to arrange the monthly allotments and clothes. He headed to a small courtyard by himself and asked Song Yan, a young book boy who had just started growing out his hair to wait on him, grinding ink and spreading out paper. He proceeded to write his memorial stating his case.

Last time, he had submitted a memorial requesting for the Emperor to pardon his stepmother. This time, it was to request Chancellor Qiu Jun to allow him to attend the college as a day student.

As he wrote, he couldn’t help but heave a sigh——a student who hasn’t even started college had already requested a leave of absence and now wanted to attend as a day student, just which teacher wouldn’t see it as troublesome?

But, the Imperial College was a fully sealed-off boarding school. Students were only given time to rest every five days. At present, the Cui Residence was destitute and thrown into disorder. Stewards and shopkeepers were feeling anxious, wishing that they could just wrap up their belongings and flee; the elderly grandparents had been ill for many years, the concubines’ social status was inadequate and  his younger sister was only twelve years old….

If he resided at the Imperial College, he could study with peace of mind, but how would this entire residence live?

A man with even a little sense of responsibility could not do that!

He didn’t seem to be aware that he had once again thrown dirt onto Cui Laoye again and early next morning, he tucked the mail into his sleeve and carried his bookbag towards the Imperial College.

Vice Director, Chen Jing, has already recognized him and seeing that the youth had sought him out, he assumed that Cui Xie was reporting back after a period of absence, so he said: “You are here just in time. In the past few days, other tribute students[2] from the other provinces have already arrived. I have helped you pick out a room with other North Zhili students, so as to avoid misunderstanding accents and dialects.”

Cui Xie greeted by raising clasped hands and apologetically explained: “I have troubled da-ren. This student is here to ask the da-ren to pass on a letter to your superior,Chancellor Qiu Jun da-ren. I am requesting that I stay at home and attend school as a day student.”

Chen Jing asked in surprise, “What happened to your family?”

Cui Xie ashamedly clarified: “My Father set off yesterday to take up his new post in Yunnan and there are only elderly, ill grandparents left in the residence, as well as my five-year old  brother and a younger sister who has yet to marry. If this student were to reside in the College, I am afraid that the lives of old and young at home will be difficult.”

Vice Director Cheng could not help but exclaim: “You are only 16-years-old, how could your esteemed Father just…..” According to law, at the age of 16, Cui Xie had already come of age and could be regarded as a man who could look after his paternal grandparents. For Cui Laoye to go out and take up a post, it was indeed reasonable and fair.

But this was someone else’s family affairs, and it hadn’t violated national law, so Chen Jing could not say anything and could only comment: “I will talk to Qiu Jun da-ren on your behalf. You have to take care of your grandparents and look after your young and feeble younger siblings. This is all according to the major principles of human relationships. It may be assumed that Qiu da-ren will empathize with your situation. But your studies should not be delayed. I can pardon you, but the instructors will not be so accommodating.”

Cui Xie breathed a sigh of relief and sincerely replied: “Many thanks to da-ren’s reminder, this student will certainly make great effort in my learning.”

Vice Director Chen helped Cui Xie to apply as a day student on his behalf and then went out to direct a clerk to take Cui Xie to Biyong Hall to take an exam.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial College extended the practice of separate teaching as those in the Yuan Dynasty did, and the students were divided into six different halls according to their level.. New students entering the College needed to first take an exam and was then sorted into the hall corresponding to their level: Those who have mastered the 《Four Books》but not the 《Five Classics》were assigned to three halls: “Righteousness “, “Sublime Ambition” and “Wide Learning”; Those who have mastered the scriptures and are orderly and logical in their writing was assigned to the two halls: “Proper Governance” and “Sincerity”; Those who had mastery of the Classics,  history as well as excellence in the arts and sciences was assigned to the hall of “Natural Accordance”.

In the years of the Hongwu reign, the Imperial College also had a sign-in system. After someone signed in for 700 days, they could be permitted to ascend into the hall of “Natural Accordance”. Nowadays, because the Imperial examinations were the most important part in becoming an official, the students of the Imperial College were not assigned to good positions in the Six Ministries and the requirements for attendance and points were not so strict. Most of the shengyuan in the Imperial College merely treated the place as a springboard and studied hard to prepare for the Imperial examinations.

Cui Xie followed the other sentient beings to the East Lecture Hall to take an exam. After taking a few tiejing and moyi tests[3] based on phrases from the Great Announcement, he was also tasked with writing critical judgment essays, writing an essay responding to a prompt on the Four Books and writing another prompt on the Five Classics. After these evaluations, Cui Xie was assigned to the second-ranked hall, the Hall of “Sincerity”.

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While Cui Xie was experiencing the campus life in Great Ming, the servants in the residence had tidied up Xu furen’s things and sent them back to the Xu Residence.

Several large carriages meandered through half of the capital, dragging a large bed, furniture and chests that was delivered outside of the Xu Residence’s gates. People from several different streets came out to watch the bustling scene.

In the past, the servants of the Cui Residence had to smile and bow obsequiously as they spoke ingratiatingly in low voices to those of the Xu Residence whenever they paid a visit. Now, although they were here to deliver something, their waists and back straightened up and their voices were rough and loud. They rapped loudly on the gates and yelled out: “Our Little Tertiary Winner, Young Master Cui, instructed us to send back the dowry Lady Xu left at home!”

Because of what happened to the Xu family, the Xu clan couldn’t even raise their head in front of others outside the gates and their family’s businesses were quickly going downhill. Hence, the reason for why they sacrificed their face to ask for the dowry back. But to have someone send it back to them and arrive at their gates with such great fanfare, once again bringing up the case with Xu-shi, the Xu clan’s face was completely lost.

Xu Laoye was just about to go out, but because he was afraid of other people’s criticism, he didn’t step out. The people of the Cui residence shouted again “Here is the inventory list of Lady Xu’s dowry, as well as the list of silver taels and jewelry that was given to the Jinyiwei by our Young Master Cui as they escorted her away. Inviting Xu Laoye to verify!”

Neighbors and the people listening outside talked with excitement about the story of “ Xu □□ bullying her stepson and how Cui Xie anshou wrote a memorial to the Emperor stating his case to save his mother”. The crowd’s voices were hardly suppressed and their chattering could be heard clearly across the partitioned courtyard.

The Xu family had dared to quarrel with Cui Que on account of neither party being innocent. When trouble erupted, Cui Que was afraid that his career would be hindered and had to conceal his thoughts. But Cui Xie was an innocent victim in all of this: Xu-shi had personally confessed that she resented the late furen’s son and wanted to seize his birth mother’s dowry for herself; Yet, Cui Xie submitted a petition to the Emperor stating his case in order to save his mother and occupied the high moral character of loyalty and filial piety. If there was disagreement between the two families, it must be the Xu family’s fault.

With Cui Xie returning the dowry like this, not to mention whether the Xu family could marry off their daughters, the entire family need not think of staying in the capital anymore!

Xu Laoye had no alternative but to ask someone to open the gates. Cupping his hands in a fisted salute, he said: “My daughter was married into the Cui family and in life and death, she is now part of the Cui family. The Cui Residence divorced her and she is not my daughter. These things are not my Xu family’s things. This little brother can drag these things back and tell Cui anshou that I was not rigorous enough in teaching my daughter and have let him down. These objects are only a little compensation and we cannot take them!”

After he finished his statement, he wanted to close the gates and go back in, but Cui Liangdong stretched out his neck out the gates and called out: “By all means, Official Registrar Xu must not speak like this. Don’t tell me that it wasn’t the Xu family’s Laoye and others who had come to our Cui Residence to ask for the dowry a few days ago? Our Cui family doesn’t covet this tiny amount of dowry. The Eldest Young Master would rather pawn the household’s furniture to fill up the deficiencies in the Xu Residence’s things. Xu Laoye must carefully check the list, don’t come back to our Cui Residence and make a fuss about missing items!”

Cui Liangdong then had the hired hands remove the family’s furniture and belongings to pile them outside the Xu Residence. He then asked his son to post the written list of items on the wall and left with a raised chin and his chest puffed out.

These days, with the people from the Xu residence making a ruckus at their gates about the dowry, those from the Cui Residence felt like they had to lower their heads in front of everyone else. Even when leaving the residence, they had to take a look to see if there were any neighbors watching out for fun. Now that the Young Master had returned the dowry, even the waists of these servants had been straightened up by three points.

Even if Laoye is not here, these past few days have not been so bad.

Footnotes: