The surname "Cui" is extremely unusual in Jingguo.
There are many families surnamed Cui in Jingguo, but the "Cui family" often mentioned by people in the world only counts on the Cui family in Zhouzhou.
As a famous family that has been passed down for hundreds of years, after several dynasties, the country has changed hands, and many imperial powers have been destroyed and risen again, but the Cui family is still the Cui family, standing on that land without falling, it is indeed more stable than the royal family.
Of course, this is not because the Cui family is strong in military strength and self-respecting, which makes the royal family fearful, but because in the hundreds of years of family inheritance, the Cui family is in Wangzhou and several neighboring states, and even in the hearts of scholars all over the world. Has a very high prestige.
It is easy to destroy a Cui family, but at the same time, it also destroys the hearts of the people, the confidence of the people and officials in the royal family.
Therefore, even decades ago, when Cui's power reached its peak, power was in the hands of the court, and even able to influence the court, the royal family did not take any extreme measures against Cui's.
Of course, since His Majesty came to power, he has intentionally supported the poor family and adopted a strategy of slowly eroding the power of the powerful in the court. In the past twenty years, the influence of the Cui family on the court has been greatly weakened, especially in this period. In the past ten years, the layout of the Cui family in the court for more than ten years has been almost destroyed, and the momentum has long been much worse than before.
However, a lean camel is bigger than a horse, Cui's disciples are all over the world, their reputation among the people is still there, and there is a prostitute who is a noble concubine in the palace. Even if the influence is not as great as before, it should not be underestimated.
What's more, the prince raised by Concubine Cui is the eldest son of the current emperor. According to the etiquette system, after His Royal Highness the King of Shu ascends the throne, the power of the Cui family will surely reach a new peak.
Concubine Cui Gui would appear at Cui's house for a short time every year on her birthday.
This is also one of the few opportunities for some low-level officials to see the beauty of the concubine in the harem. Of course, when the imperial concubine walked over, most of them bowed their heads and saluted, and even this opportunity would be missed.
Therefore, no one noticed that among the crowd, Liu Dayou, the capital commander, lowered his head and raised a small angle, looking at Concubine Cui Gui who was walking slowly with some scrutiny in his eyes.
Then he lowered his head again, moved his lips, but did not make a sound. If someone knows lip language, they can read it naturally. What he said should be... "Damn, it's too far away, I can't see clearly..."
For the concubine's birthday, according to the etiquette system, during the day, there is still a set of cumbersome procedures to go in the palace. It's bright, but standing behind the crowd, it's not difficult to see Concubine Cui's appearance clearly at a distance of more than half a zhang. Did you put on too much makeup powder, are your eyelids single eyelids, etc...
These can't be seen clearly.
County Magistrate Liu thought for a while, then looked at an official standing in front of him.
Although Concubine Cui Gui was born in the Cui family, her identity has changed since she entered the palace, and she has become the principal minister of the Cui family. Therefore, she was supported by the maid, and when she walked in slowly from the outside, the head of the Cui family and The members of the Cui clan stood in front of them respectfully and waited.
Among the crowd, a certain rite minister lowered his head, waiting for Concubine Cui to pass by him, he was still thinking in his heart, he didn't know what this concubine looked like, she didn't dare to raise her head last year, but this year she stood a little forward, I dare not lift...
Just when he was hesitating in his heart, whether he should glance away for a while, suddenly there was a huge force from behind, and he staggered forward.
Plop!
The rite doctor fell to his knees on the ground, and before he could get up, something pressed him from behind, followed by a slightly panicked voice.
"Who, who pushed me just now!"
"Clang!"
Several guards rushed out from behind Concubine Cui Gui, with their swords out of their sheaths, pointing directly at the two people in front, "Who are you!"
His eyes were dazzled by the cold light on the tip of the knife. The ceremonial doctor had just stood up halfway, and then went limp again.
A middle-aged man got up from the ground and said hastily: "I don't know who pushed the officer behind his back just now, and disturbed the empress, please forgive me!"
"What's going on, who are you?"
The Patriarch of the Cui family and everyone in the Cui family hurried over and asked with a gloomy face.
The surrounding officials were also stunned by this incident. Someone recognized the identities of the two men, and there was a whisper of discussion immediately.
"Isn't that Doctor Zhang from the Ministry of Rites?"
"That one, that one seems to be Master Liu, the magistrate of the capital..."
"How did the two of them escape?"
"It was said that someone pushed... Who would do such a boring thing?"
…
Only then did Cui Qingze, the Patriarch of the Cui Family, realize that it was a false alarm. He let go of his hanging heart, frowned, and was about to speak when Cui Guifei's voice came.
"Since there's nothing else to do, let's forget it, let's go in first."
"Thank you, ma'am, ma'am is generous!" County magistrate Liu respectfully stood where he was, and saluted Concubine Cui Gui. When he raised his head, his face was full of gratitude and reverence.
Then he returned to the original place and stood there respectfully.
The imperial concubine is the imperial concubine after all, her eyes are probably the most beautiful he has ever seen - single eyelids.
The Patriarch of the Cui family cast a gloomy glance at County Magistrate Liu and the doctor of the Ministry of Rites, then turned around and stretched out his hand, "My lady, please..."
…
Although today is the imperial concubine's birthday banquet, for most people, they can only glance at the imperial concubine at the moment they bow their heads.
After Concubine Cui and the core members of the Cui family entered the main house, the atmosphere outside began to become lively again.
When fireworks began to bloom in the sky above Cui's mansion, at a table in a certain hall, Yu Dingfeng, the head of the Yu family, smiled and said: "If you want to talk about the fireworks, you have to look at Chen Guogong's mansion. You should learn more from Brother Chen..."
The head of the Cui family smiled, but did not speak.
Chen Chong brought the Chen family's guards to attack Yu's mansion, and even tore down the gate of Yu's mansion. Although the Yu family paid a price to settle the matter afterwards, the relationship between the two families was settled.
Everyone here is an old fox, and everyone knows that Yu Dingfeng's words seem to be compliments, but he actually wants to say that the grand birthday banquet of Miss Chen Jiasan is far less grand than that of Concubine Cui Gui.
The Yu family has made great achievements in the matter of the academy. It can be said that it has hindered the development of the academy with its own efforts, allowing the power of the Cui family and many powerful families to be preserved. Although the Yu family is not as deep-rooted as the Chen family at present, the Yu family It will be a matter of time before the Cui family and His Royal Highness the status of the Chen family surpass the Chen family's achievements.
In fact, Cui Qingze's attitude just now has already faintly shown this tendency.
At the table, Chen Qing showed a trace of displeasure on his face, but Chen Chong seemed to have neither heard nor seen, pointed to a dish in front of him, turned his head and whispered to Zeng Shichun who was sitting next to him: "This dish The food is not bad, Mr. Zeng has a try... "
After Zeng Shichun tasted it, he nodded and said: "It's really good, Mr. Chen might as well try this..."
This scene caused many people who watched to be puzzled.
This second master of the Chen family and this Zeng family have never had any contact except occasionally to discuss important matters together. When did they get so close
…
At a certain table outside the hall, when several young people were pushing cups and changing cups, one of them paused, and suddenly said, "Look, who is that person?"
Everyone's eyes looked over.
"Liu Dayou!"
"It was him!"
"He actually came today!"
Including Young Master Qin, many young sons and gentlemen in Kyoto have suffered a lot at the hands of County Magistrate Liu, and everyone is naturally impressed by him.
Zeng Zijian looked over there suspiciously, and murmured: "Isn't this person always looking forward to Li Yi's leadership, why is he here today? Could it be... he is showing his favor to the Cui family?"
"It's too late to show your friendship now..." Seeing Liu Dayou, someone felt a dull pain in their buttocks during the dinner and said something in a cold voice.
"Xi Xin, it's better for you to go over and find out. If he really wants to show kindness to your Cui family, the past accounts will be treated lightly with him. If he has bad intentions and ulterior motives, today..."
Cui Xixin nodded and stood up with a smile on his face.
This is the Cui family, a small capital order, hehe...
At the banquet in the Cui Mansion, the acquaintances and friends gathered together at the same table, drinking and laughing at the same time, since they belonged to the lineage of the king of Shu, and today they came to participate in the imperial concubine's birthday banquet in person, so there will naturally be no shortage of contacts on weekdays.
There are not many cases where magistrate Liu is alone and drinking in silence.
Of course, precisely because he occupied a table in the corner by himself, no one wanted to join him, and naturally no one could hear the words he whispered while drinking alone.
"Single eyelid, single eyelid, double eyelid..., fuck, what is this..."
"Damn it, if I knew it earlier, if I knew it today, I wouldn't come..."
"Damn it, who will believe this kind of thing?"
"I can't say it, I can't say it now, the Cui family, the Cui family, you..."
"Master Liu..." Cui Xixin came from behind with a wine glass in his hand, and was about to speak with a smile on his face.
"You fucking!"
County magistrate Liu turned his head, with a depressed face, and said impatiently.