Chapter 72
The Imperial edict was sent back to the Northern Administrative Division and Xie Ying commanded people to carry Xu furen to court and asked someone to announce the Imperial decree. Then, people were ordered to get thick rods to carry out punishment.
Xu furen was so anxious that her heart was alarmed and her body leapt in trepidation. She shouted at Xie Ying: "Why are you beating me! Didn't you say the rod could be remitted with payment? I am willing to use my personal money to pay the remittance fee! My maternal family is willing to give me the remittance money!"
Sitting in the hall, Xie Ying indifferently said: "I was talking about the remittance payment available for titled women and furen of military or civilian officials. Before entering the prisons, your title was already stripped, what can you remit? To tell you the truth, you should have been strangled by the neck, but it was your eldest son who presented a petition asking to be tortured on your behalf. The Emperor was touched and gave him a special grace and allowed your family to remit your hanging sentence by payment. The Emperor also authorized your biological son to escort you to Pinghai Garrison in Fujian to be sentenced."
Xu furen began to make a fuss and asked why Cui Xie didn't come to be punished himself. A few of the guardsmen carrying out the punishment began to chortle and Xie Ying narrowed his eyes to say: "We Jinyiwei only listen to the Emperor's orders, it cannot do for a furen to make such a scene. If you have the ability to ask your own son to write a few thousand words of a memorial stating his case, then this official will personally enter the Emperor's palace to present it and see if the Emperor will allow it."
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One had petitioned to take punishment on behalf of his stepmother while the other was going to petition to have the eldest brother take his mother's punishment in her steed. If they dared to send such a memorial up, then Cui Heng would never think of being human anymore.
Xu furen had endured and restrained herself in the prisons all for the sake of her son, how could she be willing to ask her son to send up such a petition and land a reputation of disrespecting his elder brother? She was hoping for her son to become an official in the future and submit a memorial stating his case to shorten her sentence.
With this hope, she didn't dare to continue her outburst and aggrievedly accepted her punishment. Two guardsmen used thick bars to wedge her from either side and didn't even say wish her luck. They fell 100 strokes rather leniently onto her so she could learn her mistakes and make it to Fujian alive in order to serve her sentence. After treading into the Pinghai Garrison, her son's feet also had to come back out.
On one side, the Northern Administrative Division beat Xu furen while on the other side, a Company Commander on Imperial orders came to the Cui Residence to ask for remittance payments. The crime of sending an anonymous notice was strangulation, but it could be remitted on payment of 42 guan. Since copper coins were now valuable, they would rather ask for money. The crime of making false accusations was decreed to have no remittance payment available and they also had to bring Xu-shi's biological son, Cui Heng, to go along as Xu-shi was exiled to Fujian.
Cui Xie was greatly surprised and worriedly asked, "My younger brother is underage and this case has nothing to do with him….."
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Cui Que secretly glared at him: Now you are afraid? Why did you send up that life-threatening memorial then!
He originally wanted to divorce Xu-shi, but after the Jinyiwei's intervention, he was unable to complete the matter, so he intended to just let her die in the Imperial prisons as a wife of the Cui family. With Cui Xie's disturbance, Xu-shi kept her life and now he would have a wife who had been punished for her crimes occupying the position of his wife and how, he even had to compensate with his son who was to be exiled to the barren land of Fujian!
If it were not for the presence of the Jinyiwei, he wanted to discipline this troublemaker of a son!
However, the Jinyiwei's attitude towards Cui Xie was different from others, treating him as courteously as they would for an old court Official as they exposed a smile and spoke: "Young Master xiucai can be at ease, the Emperor has made a decree. The honorable little brother will accompany his birth mother in her exile and will be permitted to return. The people executing the punishment have their own measure of things."
The real murderer was Cui Que, the pernicious one was Xu-shi and this younger brother could be considered at best as a vested interest, but still had to follow this penal sentence and make a trip to Fujian. But, Cui Xie knew that the Great Ming was not the same as modern times, this dynasty paid particular attention to one person implicating the entire family and the principle that sons and daughters were just their parents' accessories….
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If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have petitioned to absolve Xu-shi.
Cui Xie silently swallowed the thoughts in his heart and raised his hands in a cupped fist salute, exclaiming: "My mother and younger brother have never traveled very far. Fujian has high mountains and rivers and there is a lot of miasma. Is it possible for da-ren to allow them to tidy up some necessities for the trip before leaving?"
That Jinyiwei regarded him more highly than the rest and didn't immediately pull the people away and
Even politely said: "This is also human nature. Young Master Cui can feel free to ask someone to pack and there is no need to hurry to exchange copper coins. All is well as long as the amount matches up to the sufficient amount in golden-backed coins, we will just wait here."
While the two were conversing, Cui family servants had already supported the Second Young Master over. Seeing Cui Xie and that Jinyiwei chatting and laughing, his legs softened and with a body full of fear and dread, he finally had a palace to vent, appearing fierce while cowardly at heart as he shouted: "It's you! You hurt my mother on purpose didn't you, you hate us….."
Cui Que was so scared it was like his soul flew away and scattered, promptly calling people to stuff a handkerchief into Cui Heng's mouth. He scolded sharply: "Xu-shi dared to break national law, her crimes were originally enough to warrant her death. If it wasn't for your da-ge presenting a memorial stating his case for an evil creature like you, how could she have had a way to survive! I can only blame myself for being negligent in disciplining you in former days and even managed to indulge a beast who doesn't understand human relationships like you, a beast who even dares to disobey your elder brother!"
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As he cursed, he also sneaked a look at the Jinyiwei. That Company Commander said: "Cui da-ren need not feel anguished, don't you have a good son who is filial and loyal right here? This younger one I will take back to the Northern Administrative Division to discipline him with a few strokes, and he will become more sensible then."
Although Cui da-ren hated this son, he had loved him dearly as well as put him at the bottom of his heart for many years. He could not bear to watch Cui Heng take a beating. Clenching his chest, he turned to return to his courtyard and no longer asked about this matter. In the end, it was Cui Xie who chased after him to ask for the remittance silver and asked for someone to exchange it into copper coins; He also requested that the Old furen arrange for people to tidy up Xu furen's clothes and jewelry as well as wrap up Cui Heng's private ownings; Finally, he even called a carriage for them and asked two servants, a mama and manservant who had previously worked in the furen's courtyard, to accompany them.
He directly entrusted the whole package of jewelry and silver to the Jinyiwei.
The Company Commander smiled: "Young Master is truly a refreshing person, not like some people who tuck even a little bit of silver into their bags for fear that us Jinyiwei will covet their things."
On the side, Cui Heng cried out in anger, wanting to curse Cui Xie for using other people's cheap silver to buy people's hearts. Cui Xie simply refused to acknowledge him and directed his words to that Company Commander: "My younger brother is still young and mother is also a woman, they will be unable to handle the money outside. I cannot follow after them out of the capital, so I will have to request da-ren to watch over the mother and child. As for this silver, also give some odds and ends to the prison guards, lest my mother and brother will squander money early in the morning and upon arriving at their destination, they cannot even find a place to stay.
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The Company Commander replied: "Cui anshou need not be worried, your younger brother does not understand things, and we will be more tolerant of the detainees we transport, on your account."
When the Company Commander returned to hand over the decree, he also sent the silver up and invited Xie Ying to arrange matters. Xie Ying questioned the Cui Residence's state of affairs and after hearing about that sort of bustling noise and lively scene, he couldn't help but sneer a few times and after adding and retracting some things, he concluded the case in the memorial.
Early the next morning, Xu-shi and her son left the capital. Cui Que did not send them off, rather, went to Shuntian Prefecture, the court, to reaffirm his intention of divorce. On the contrary, Cui Xie took the initiative to bring people and carriage outside the city walls to see them off. Regardless of whether the mother and son were happy to see him, he completed his duty as best he could.
According to Emperor Chenghua's previous Imperial edict, with the conclusion of the case, it was time for Cui Xie to enter the palace to have an audience with the Holy One.
He well-behavedly practiced the rituals several times in the Ministry of Rites and Gao taijian personally came to the residence to promulgate the decree and arranged for a palanquin to take him into the palace. After entering the palace, Gao taijian had even arranged for his adopted son to lead him to the audience room. Along the way, his adopted son whispered the proper etiquette when entering the throne room and asked Cui Xie to remember the taboos of the Imperial family and the ceremonial etiquette when having an audience with the Emperor.
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Because Gao gonggong had entrusted him with such a task, this young taijian added a few more words of advice: "In front of the Emperor, by all means, you must not conceal the truth nor can you make false statements. The Emperor disregards that you have that pair of father and mother and only sees that you are a youngster with loyalty and righteousness as well as talent and virtue. It is only because of this he wants you to enter the palace and have a few words with him. My adoptive father, that old man, has already said quite a few kind words on your behalf. If you make a mistake, he will also be implicated."
Cui Xie became even more nervous at his words and decided that before entering the palace hall, he would open the pdf of the notes he had taken the past few days. That way, before talking with the Emperor, he could review the taboos of the Imperial family and calm down a bit.
When he entered the Hall of Martial Valor, he didn't even dare to raise his head. Under the taijian's instructions, he knelt down on the golden bricks and kowtowed to the Emperor and narrated his identity as a Qian'an County xiucai. Emperor Chenghua saw that Cui Xie was wearing a muslin headscarf and a blue, scholarly long gown. This made Cui Xie's complexion seem increasingly like jade and his physique was tall and straight, yet slender. The posture of the salute had been steady, confident and unrestrained, with a prudent and elegant bearing, the Emperor could not help but sigh, "Truly, the gowns manufactured by our ancestors, were made precisely for this type of person to wear."
He disliked speaking in front of outsiders and called for Grand taijian Qin beside him to have someone bring in a chair for Cui Xie. The Grand tajian then ordered Cui Xie to sit and reply to questions: "You are called Cui Xie, how old are you and do you have a courtesy name?"
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Cui Xie had just sat down when he stood back up and respectfully replied with his hands by his side, "Replying to your Majesty, this student is 16 years old this year and after passing the yuanshi, Dai da-ren chose my courtesy name to be Hezhong."
The Emperor softly instructed: "Tell him to sit down and answer."
The attending Qin taijian was a mature and good-natured person, he relayed the order and told Cui Xie to not be so nervous, just sit down and answer. The Emperor had some idea what it meant to be a child prodigy in the Imperial examinations and seeing that Cui Xie was anshou on all three examinations, he asked him what questions he took in the three examinations and how he solved them.
The title of anshou was something Cui Xie had steadily and truly obtained by himself, even if there were some human favor mixed in there, his knowledge was not weaker than others. When Emperor Chenghua had been younger, he encountered changes in the palace, the matters of abdication and studied less, but the taijian who served him were all those who studied with jinshi in the inner study before, and could naturally hear whether it was bad or good. Qin Chang soon gave a few words of praise as he slowly spoke to the Emperor.
Emperor Chenghua nodded and said, "Tell him to compose a poem."
Qin Chang chose the topic of《The Way of the (Good) Emperor is Wide and Straight》and asked Cui Xie to compose a five-character eight-line regulated verse on order of the Emperor.
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This time, Cui Xie really had to kneel and prostrated himself on the floor to respond: "This student does not dare to deceive the Emperor. At the age of fourteen, this student was eager to learn, only learning to write essays and hasn't yet properly learned how to compose verses."
But, no matter how bad he was at poetry, in the presence of the Emperor, he could not just wear him down like he did with the examiners and let the matter pass. Nevertheless, according to the conventions of versification, rhyme and rhythm, he composed a poem: "The Holy way opens for Yao and Shun, virtuous spirit transforms the people. King Wu carries great responsibility, Jizi discusses with the ruler and his ministers…"[1]
This composed poem was simply light-years apart from the two words "child prodigy", but it could be barely considered as a poem. Emperor Chenghua sighed: "It is indeed true, you haven't studied it before. How can there be, a child prodigy, who only knows how to write essays."
Qin Chang protmply asked on behalf of the Emperor: "Didn't that teacher of yours teach you how to compose poems in the past?"
Cui Xie dangled his arms to his sides and said, "When this shengyuan was studying at home, my aptitude was low, and the Teacher had yet to talk about how to write essays on the Classics. But, my father saw that I was gradually getting older and had me return to our ancestral home to prepare for the Imperial examinations. This student was afraid that the time period was too short and invited a Teacher to teach how to write essays. After the last entry-level examination, whether or not I passed, I will start to learn poetry."
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What a good muddled father, he didn't even know the progress of his son's studies and had even dared to have him take the examinations. Luckily, Cui Xie was a child prodigy. If it was someone else, who took the examinations with this type of outrageous education, they wouldn't be able to enter the prefectural school in their lifetime.
Qin Chang couldn't refrain from silently criticizing Official Cui a few words and Emperor Chenghua also shook his head and sighed: "It is the Teacher who was incompetent. Have him, enter the Imperial College, instruct someone to teach him."
Qin taijian hurriedly and loudly transmitted the Emperor's decree, ordering Cui Xie to kneel down to give thanks for the favor. A minor palace attendant would take the oral order and transfer it to the cabinet. From there on, a drafter from the Palace Secretariat would draft up the Imperial order.
Cui Xie reflexively saluted and in his happiness, there was a bit of nervousness mixed in—He had written so many essays in order to pass the county examinations, but just by making up a not very great poem, he had entered the Imperial College? Could it be that the Emperor was particularly fond of poets?
The Emperor liked poets, but he wasn't fond of poets like Cui Xie. After listening to one verse, he did not want to listen to it anymore. He just asked the taijian to ask him, why did he make a memorial stating his case for his stepmother, knowing that she had intentions to harm him?
Now this was a big question that Cui Xie had been preparing for a long time. He replied in an answering voice: "My mother has guilt in this nation and ought to be subject to the laws of the government, this is legal principle; Yet, sons and daughters must be filial towards their parents, this is the heavenly law regarding human relationships. This student does not dare to let personal feelings violate the principle of law, but I also cannot be solely preoccupied with legal principles and forget to attend to heavenly principles. It is impossible to accommodate both principles and could only use one's body on behalf of others."
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Emperor Chenghua inquired, "She has never raised you, you are still willing, to show filial piety?"
Cui Xi replied, "Identity comes first, feelings come second. In the past, Emperor Shun was filial, and had never asked his parents to treat him well first. My mother's crime has been punished according to national law. As a son, how can I pick and choose my family relations as mother and child, to merely regard her as a sinner?"
The Emperor was taciturn for a spell, and then instructed: "Ask him to withdraw, confer a feast."
After departing from the palace and having a meal, the Imperial decree that stated Cui Xie would be admitted to the Imperial College was sent to the Cui Residence.
Cui Que immediately comprehended that the Emperor did not plan to implicate the entire family on account of Xu-shi's crimes, and wanted to give a future for the Cui Residence. With such a son that was favored by the Emperor, in the future, people would begin to talk about his family, and there would be more comments saying Cui Xie had received the Holy One's grace and the things that Xu-shi did would gradually fade away. Besides, if the Emperor wanted to elevate his son up, could the Shuntian Prefecture still suppress him and forbid him to divorce his wife?
Without Xu-shi dragging him down from now on, he could look forward to his prospects in the future!
Sure enough, not long after, the Metropolitan Magistrate of the Shuntian Prefecture granted a divorce between him and Xu-shi. Additionally, the Ministry of Appointments began reconsidering his promotion.
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When Cui Que had asked what his evaluation had been at the large audit at the beginning of the year, it could be considered as not bad. For the next several years, he would be peacefully working as an official outside the capital, and then after waiting for everyone to forget about Xu-shi and have his son do a few more things to gain the Emperor's trust, as a father, he would be promoted to return to the capital.
His heart was filled with hope as he waited until April for the results of the Ministry of Appointments' promotion. This time, his name was finally on the list and he was also promoted up a rank, assigned to be a fourth-rank official. But the location assigned to the official position made his heart turn cold when he saw it—
The Ministry of Appointments, elected by acclamation, claimed that since he had supervised the taxes, grain and military expenditures of the Yunnan bureau and was familiar with population taxation services, he was to be sent to Yunnan's Provincial Administration Commission as an assistant administration commissioner supervising the local population's yellow registers![2]
Footnotes:
Jizi: semi-legendary Chinese Sage who ruled during the Shang dynasty, said to have opposed tyrant Zhou and then ruled ancient Korea in the Zhou dynasty ; King Wu: first king of the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China and was the leader of the forces that overthrew the Shang dynasty. ; Yao: legendary Chinese ruler, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors ; Shun: legendary leader of ancient China, regarded as being the last of the Five Emperors, received the mantle of leadership from Emperor Yao at the age of 53.
Yellow registers: provides basic data for taxation and recruitment for corvee, sort of like a census.
Chapter 73
Oftentimes when an official from the capital was assigned to an unsatisfactory external official position, they would usually delay their departure two or three months. Then, the Ministry of Appointments would naturally exchange if for a closer official position. But just as Cui Que began to wrinkle his brows, and hadn't yet shown his intentions to decline, a director in the Bureau of Appointments asked, "Does Cui da-ren dislike Yunnan for being too remote, and the official rank of fourth-grade is not high enough?"
Naturally, Cui Que disdained this. To be sent to Yunnan was equivalent to having been exiled. As an official in the capital, he should not be sent to the border areas for no reason.
Besides, for land reassessments, it was not a good assignment to be in charge of managing the yellow registers. It would be bitter and weary work, and it was easy to offend powerful families. There were many different tribes and native chieftains. As a feudal official[1], he would be impeded at every turn and unable to do any real things. His position as a supervisor, a Left Assistant Administration Commissioner, was also merely supportive and auxiliary. He wouldn't be in charge of civil administration or educational administration. Even if his son established a library, the political achievements would fall to the Provincial Administration Commision, how much meritorious service could be claimed for himself?
Without political achievements in hand, he wouldn't be easily promoted. Was it possible that he would truly have to endure nine years in Yunnan? He was an orthodox official for ten years and now he was forty-years old, his body was not very strong. Could he still come back intact after nine years in a place like Yunnan?
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He clenched his teeth and said: "It really isn't because I disdain Yunnan's remote location, but I am a person from the Zhili region [2] Based on precedent, I shouldn't have been chosen for an official assignment in Yunnan."
That director laughed: "Da-ren has implicated two cabinet elders to the point of self-impeachment, this is something that is also without precedent. When choosing the assignment, what point is there looking at precedents or not? To be honest, this Assistant Administration Commissioner was something the two Vice Ministers reluctantly vacated after bypassing the rules of selection for the sake of your diligence in the past. If you want to go, then go. If you don't want to, then just keep your official status and idle at home. There is no shortage of Imperial College students and scholars who would love to go."
No matter how bad Yunnan was, he would still be a fourth-rank official. If he didn't go, he would be exempted from his current position and introspect at home while still keeping his official status. No matter which path was chosen, there were no future prospects in sight….
Cui Que came home with the documents in hand, currently worrying about whether he should go when someone from the outer courtyard reported that Xu-shi's younger brother came over to make trouble.
Although the Xu Clan did not have high official postings, there were numerous brothers and son-in-laws. There were a few of them that could pass for as generous, but it would be troublesome if they made a fuss. Nowadays, Cui Xie was currently in Qian'an sweeping the tombs and offering sacrifices for their family's ancestors as well as going through the procedure of transferring his student registration and tidying up family property…without him, the victim of Xu-shi's persecution present, the Xu family would make even more of a fuss to derive benefit. It was possible that they may even threaten to file a lawsuit that Cui Que and Xu-shi had conspired about that library together.
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He gave orders until the household was distraught with anxiety. Finally, he made up his mind and had the steward tidy up the residence and upon Cui Xie's return, he would head to Yunnan.
At this time, Cui Xie was currently at Jiaxiang Station offering sacrifices to his ancestors.
After returning to his hometown, he first went to see County Magistrate Qi and apologized for all the things that had implicated the elder these past few days. County Magistrate Qi did not blame Cui Xie and even generously said: "That Xu-shi is no longer your stepmother, what does her evil actions have to do with you? What's more, the Emperor was wise and the officials were just and fair in judging the case, I have not felt any grievances."
It had not only not adversely affected his promotion, on the contrary, it was a blessing in disguise. He had been marked down by the Ministry of Appointments and there may be opportunities to transfer to the capital in the future. As a jiansheng[3], he was satisfied with just being a magistrate for a lower county. Now, he had vast future prospects as a capital official waiting for him, how could be discontent?
Even his thin and slender stature was "big-hearted and serene"[4] and the wrinkles on his face seemed to have flattened out. A brilliant glow had also been born and the beard had been combed completely. Without any filter, he looked just as good as he did on the cover of the anthology.
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Cui Xie said a few words of congratulations and informed the elder of the Imperial decree ordering him to study at the Imperial College, and that he had came back to transfer his status as a county student to the Imperial college.
The County Magistrate was also overjoyed for him, saying: "Presently, the brilliance of the Emperor has illuminated upon us and could not allow a child prodigy like you remain in such a remote place and be left behind. In the future, you have to be diligent in your studies, relentlessly take the examinations so you have no alternative, but to die as a gongjian[5]."
Cui Xie agreed and answered: "This student is determined to try hard in the Imperial examinations in order to live up to elderly da-ren's great expectations."
Right now, County Magistrate Qi was only waiting for his successor to arrive and then he planned on going to Shandong to take office there. Government affairs were currently not too vexing so he took the initiative to arrange for the transfer of Cui Xie's student registration. Although the county's military instructor and teachers felt it was somewhat of a pity that he could not remain in Qian'an to take the Imperial examinations, however, it was a local achievement that a shengyuan from the county had entered the Imperial College.
Cui Xie organized a banquet and invited the poor, but upright students and officials, who were full of delight as they ate.
After he concluded proper business, he took his personal eunuch attendant back to Jiaxiang Station to pay his respects to his ancestors.
Cui Yuan and Pengyan were still at the temple helping Cui Xie keep watch of the recitation of the Buddhist scriptures. The palace eunuch attendant from the capital was sent by Cui Xie back to the village to prepare dinner and their lodgings. He sat in a lotus position by himself in front of the grave, and burned a few pieces of ritual paper money in front of Liu furen and her original son, telling them: "Xu-shi has been divorced by Official Cui and the crime of trying to harm Cui Xie has already been revealed to the whole world. The Jinyiwei sentenced her to exile at Pinghai Garrison in Fujian and her son is to send her off. I have been admitted into the Imperial College and in the future, I still need to take examinations to become a juren and a jinshi. Just wait until I become an official, I will personally request a title for furen…."
The fire from the ritual paper money eventually extinguished, and he used a twig to flip over the yellow papers, rekindling the fire to burn the incompletely burned parts . Seeing that the ritual paper money had been just about completely turned to ashes, he stood up, bowed with a cupped fist salute and said his farewells: "I may not come here often in the future. During festivals, I will burn incense for you two in the ancestral hall in the capital, please let me give Liu furen a bow in place of your esteemed son."
The winds blowing through the mountains were forceful, whirling to blast the burnt paper ashes into Cui Xie, covering his entire face. He flung his sleeves, treaded over to mount his horse and rode back to stay the night in the village at Jiaxiang Station. The next day, he went to the village to pick up Cui Yuan and his son.
The two had stayed at the temple and seriously kept watch of the monk reciting the Buddhist scriptures. Shopkeeper Ji had even sent a clerk over everyday to consult on the matter of printing the《Diamond Sutra》.
Prior to Cui Xie entering the capital, the young boss and the shopkeeper duo consulted with each other and disseminated quite a few scriptures to pray for blessings. When Cui Xie had arrived at the temple, Cui Yuan saw that he was in perfectly good condition and had even become a jiansheng at the Imperial College, so he prayed "Buddha", "Bodhisattva", "Guan Yu" and the "True Martial Great Emperor" once through and wanted to help him to make a votive offering.
Cui Xie couldn't care less about the beliefs of the people of the Ming Dynasty, and just asked them to use the silver from the public accounts and not use their own money to fill in the deficiencies.
Cui Yuan, replied as if it was a matter of course: "Naturally I will need to spend the Young Master's private coffers. Since I have been released from the Cui Residence, if I spend my money, the Gods and Buddhas will not remember the Young Master's devotion and reverence otherwise."
Cui Xie almost choked from Cui Yuan's words and Pengyan hurriedly brought tea over asking: "Da-ge, will you take father and I to the capital? I still want to follow you to serve you."
Cui Xie faintly shook his head: "You should be thinking of studying hard all day, why are you thinking of serving others? The past few days, I have been in the capital and haven't been able to watch over you. Now that I have the time, it is just right that I ask you: Just what have you studied up to? Don't tell me you read some gifted scholar's newly published pedantic and philistine article again, that doesn't count!"
Pengyan hung his head and unenthusiastically said: "I have been reciting scriptures for you these past few days. Once I return with you to the capital, I'll just read whatever book you read."
Cui Xie replied, "I am entering Imperial College and will live in a dormitory. Only after every five days can I take a rest, what will you study if you come along? Besides, it is inconvenient for you and your father to enter the capital. What if the Laoye or steward sees you opening a shop and accuses you of coveting the Cui Residence's property, what then? It would be better for you two to peacefully live here and wait until I become an official before entering the capital…"
Cui Yuan then reassured: "I might as well stay here, I am familiar with Shopkeeper Ji now and help print more books for the Young Master in the hometown and won't make a botch of things. But Pengyan has always served as your manservant, how about you let him stay to attend to you? In the future, after painting《Three Kindgoms》or any other manuscripts, you will need someone to send it back to Qian'an. Sending them back with someone else is not as good as having it under his meticulous care."
Looking at father and son, Cui Xie almost sighed aloud: "Pengyan is sixteen-years-old this year, you don't teach him to study or be a shopkeeper, do you want to have him be a servant for the rest of his life. As a father, at the very least, you should change his name right?"[6]
Pengyan stood motionlessly in front of him, sticking his neck out in dissatisfaction: "I am not a studious person and can't stand to study as if my life is on the line like you can. Take me back to the capital? I can go to our family's shops in the capital as a clerk and I can gradually learn to be a shopkeeper and in the future, I will open a branch of the Peace of Mind Study in the capital."
Rather than counting on this finicky bun, it was better to count on Shopkeeper Ji to open up the branches from Tongzhou all the way into the capital.
But, after all, Cui Xie couldn't bear to part with this child and throw him away without supervision in Tongzhou. He exhaled a sigh and said: "I cannot take you back to the Cui Residence. If you want to come with me to the capital, you must first rent out a room and I will find you during my breaks."
This kind of fee was too high and there wouldn't be much usefulness by entering the capital. Cui Yuan was somewhat hesitant, but Pengyan came up with an idea and said to himself, "Then I will work as a clerk with Shopkeeper Ji first and during your breaks, I will come to the capital and find you. If you have any new paintings, I will send them home and also visit my father along the way."
Cui Yuan also felt that this method was good and followed suit to persuade Cui Xie: "Which Shopkeeper didn't first start out as a clerk? He is not afraid of hardship or tiredness, nor is he afraid of making a trip outside the hometown, both sides are still his own home. You can give him a proper name and have him properly learn things by becoming a clerk."
If nothing else, Pengyan's name, which was full of the flavor of a bookboy, should be changed.
Cui Xie flipped through《Erya》[7]in his mind and picked out the "Qi" character for him, "Qi" meaning to open or awaken[8]. Cui Yuan had been sold to become a servant of the Cui family as a child and couldn't remember his ancestors' surname and name. From now on, they could start on a new path and erect a new clan, as well as start their own business."
"Cui Qi, Cui Qi…." Cui Yuan and his son read the name several times, extremely satisfied: "This is the name given by the Little Tertiary Winner anshou, in the future when the Young Master becomes the zhuangyuan, the top scorer, after the provincial, metropolitan and palace examinations, the name Cui Qi will be even more valuable. We must write the origins of it into the family's genealogical records!"
En, in order to be included in the genealogy records of Cui Yuan's clan in the future, he had to work hard to become a jinshi!
Cui Xie asked the accompanying palace attendant to keep an eye on the recitations of the Buddhist scriptures and brought the father and son duo to tidy up the luggage so they could say their farewells to Teacher Lin and their neighbors.
Although Teacher LIn was unwilling to part with him, his student had become a shengyuan, and would have resigned from his academy anyways. But he was able to restrain his reluctant feelings and let Cui Xie go after a few words of guidance. Distinguished neighbor Zhao and their entire family had treated him as their blood and when they heard he was leaving, it was painful as losing a real grandson. He sat at the Zhao Residence for an entire afternoon to console them, only saying that there was still a chance to meet during the New Year Festival. Only then did the two elders take a turn for the better and asked servants to make all sorts of food for him to bring with him.
There were also his schoolmates from Teacher Lin's academy and the xiucai who often read at Cui Xie's residence who came to see him. He ate food from farewell feasts for several days, received a lot of poems and also composed two articles, and also sent out countless color-printed books.
The vacation granted to him by the Imperial College was finite, and he had been delayed for ten days and it could not be delayed any longer. Only then did he reluctantly part with everyone and dragged the books gifted to him from Prefect Wei and Assistant Grandpa Liu, the paints Colonel Xie had given him and then he brought Pengyan with him as he returned to the capital.
By the time he had entered the Cui Residence alone, Cui Que had already lost his patience waiting for his return: The Xu Clan harassed him every day and the Ministry of Appointments itched to take back this position of Assistant Administration Commissioner. Cui Que used to disdain Yunnan's remote location, but even Yunnan's inferiority had become a rare hope.
As soon as the eldest son came back, Cui Que hurriedly entrusted him with the family affairs, asked people to pack four or five carriages of luggage and paid the money for the moving papers. Bringing two new concubines and several family members, the wheels wheeled quickly out of the capital, and they began their travels to Yunnan to take up a new post. Cui Xie took the remaining family members to send them outside the city walls. In the rear, there was a large carriage full of abandoned old concubines and their children, the compartment accompanied by piteous weeping and inconsolable sorrow.
After the carriages had entered the forest, Cui Xie went over and consoled them to restrain their tears. The son birthed by Wu-shi began to narrate in a grief-stricken voice: "Laoye took away all the money from the public accounts and only brought those two vixens with him to live a happy and prosperous life, disregarding the life or death of two elders and the rest of us! How are we going to survive the days ahead ah!"
…..
Official Cui, no, Assistant Administration Commissioner Cui was even capable of doing this kind of thing ah. At that time, he only allowed his eldest son to bring 30 taels of silver with him and fend for himself outside, now he has taken away all the money at home, leaving a whole family of old and young in the capital with nothing to eat. Why was Cui Xie not surprised at all?
Cui Xie coldly sneered, softly soothing the females: "Yiniangs, do not cry, with me here, I will not let my younger siblings go hungry. I will go back to the residence to see if there is anything worth selling and have them exchanged for silver. I will dismiss a few useless servants. Once we open a water source and reduce outflow[9], we can survive these times."
He remembered that the Cui Residence had several storefronts so he simply picked one with a good location, he wrote it under Cui Yuan's name and opened a branch of the Peace of Mind Study in the capital.
With him announcing his honest intentions and calculations in supporting his family, a few of the concubines and Second Young Miss , Yun-jie, for whatever reason, it seemed like they had been frightened by him. They immediately shut their mouths and no one dared to weep anymore.
Footnotes:
Liu guan: officials in the Imperial government aka "normal" officials sent to Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi and other provinces inhabited by ethnic minorities during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Zhili: northern administrative region that was directly ruled by the Imperial government of china. In the MIng Dynasty, the North Zhili was composed of Hebei, Henan and Shandong, including the provincial-level municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin. The reserve capital Nanjing was in South Zhili.
Jiansheng: Normally, the title was bestowed on imperial order after the applicants had passed a special examination, yet there were also other methods of obtaining it. University students were therefore divided into the classes of university student by metropolitan examination where one could pass based on imperial grace, inheritance, nepotism, recommendation or even obtaining the title by purchase.
big-hearted and serene (idiom): confident and easygoing.
Gongjian: university student having passed the provincial examination aka university students are students enrolled at the Imperial College.
Note: Pengyan in Mandarin literally means "holding the inkstone" likely named because he was to serve Cui Xie.
Erya: first surviving Chinese dictionary.
Qi: means to open, enlighten or awaken.
li id="fn9″.Open a water source and reduce outflow: increase income and save on spending.
Chapter 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."
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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.
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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….
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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".
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:
Almond dessert soup is actually not made of almonds, but rather from the kernels of apricots/apricot seeds.
Linsheng (廩生, lit. "granary student"), the first class of shengyuan, who were the best performers in the college exam, and got to receive government-issued rations and pay for their academic achievements. The top performers within this class would get accepted into the Imperial Academy as gongsheng (貢生, lit. "tribute student"), who will then be eligible to sit the provincial or even the national exam directly.
Tiejing: a method of Imperial examinations in which the Classics are tested by being presented with phrases from the Classic, and then the examinee has to recite/write down the full paragraph. This examination is passed if one correctly answers five out of ten topics.; Moyi: similar to tiejing, an examiner will bring up a theme dealt with in the Classics and the examinee has to quote literally and verbatim from the original text, yet without commenting on it or explaining it.
Chapter 75
After the entrance examinations concluded, Educational Instructor Zhu Yin asked the clerks to distribute new books to the students, and as well as let them change into a fangjin [1], a complete set of jade-colored round-collared robes well as soft black sash, the entire set making up a jiansheng [2]'s school uniform.
The new students departed towards their assigned residences to change clothes. Although Cui Xie did not board at school, he too followed after the crowd to sneak in, sitting on someone else's bed as he confidently changed his clothes.
His stature had not quite fully matured yet and his shoulders were thin, not quite at the age to fully prop up his clothes. The same sized lanshan fit well on everyone else, but when he put it on, the arranged lapels' hem dragged on the ground, so he was forced to lift up a piece and fold it around his waist, wrapping the gown tightly, coiling the soft sash around his waist several times.
The other jiansheng in the dormitory couldn't refrain from laughing at him: "Such a good fitting zhishen, now that this friend has worn it, it seems to exhibit the demeanor from those of the Wei-Jin dynasties[3]."
Cui Xie took two steps along the side of the bed, first making sure his clothes would not fall apart and that he wouldn't stumble while walking. Only then did he lightly smile at the person, his voice handsomely chanting: "Only great heroes can possibly show their natural colors, and only truly talented scholars live their own way."
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He didn't remember who had said this, but it was a famous remark and it shocked these new students. The middle-aged jiansheng who had taken the lead in the jesting exclaimed: "This youngster is quick-witted, I shouldn't judge people by their appearances." He then asked Cui Xie, "May I venture to ask this friend's rank? Is it guansheng, ensheng, or jujian?
Guansheng referred to the sons of high ranking officials who entered the Imperial College by inheritance; Ensheng referred to those who entered the Imperial College by the Emperor's imperial grace, in many cases, it prioritized the sons of civil and military officials who died in the line of duty; Jujian were those who failed to rank in the three classes in the metropolitan examinations, but was on the secondary list of successful juren [4].
Those who could be sorted into the Hall of Sincerity were those who were experts in Confucian classics and there were practically no li jiansheng that had obtained admission by purchase in the hall. And those who had entered by tribute should be in their thirties or above, even in their forties or fifties.
Just looking at Cui Xie's age, no one thought he was some township recommendee that had been admitted by purchase.
In a subdued voice, Cui Xie spoke: "Cui – mo is an ensheng, but it really isn't due to my father's achievements, it was a favor received by the Emperor's special imperial decree and grace….." Everyone at home was still alive, there was no need for these fellow students to lament his situation.
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All the jiansheng had just entered the capital and took the entrance examinations, so there was not enough information yet. Naturally, they were unaware that Cui Xie was a child prodigy personally favored by the Emperor. They just treated it as a happy occasion bestowed by the Imperial court or some auspicious grace given by the family head.
There were numerous youths all over the Imperial College that were admitted by relatives with meritorious deeds. There were even those who were admitted because they had killed thieves and rendered meritorious service. There were also those that after being looted by the Tatar, fled back to the capital with their horses to offer them up for merit and entered the Imperial College that way…..how they got admitted was not fresh by any means. The crowd didn't ask any further questions, changed their garments, interoperated with each other and went back to continue receiving the Educational Instructor's teachings.
Seeing the new students neatly dressed, their appearances not disgraceful and in good spirits, looking like students of the Imperial College, Zhu Yin nodded slightly and lectured: "The College has strict regulations, not like when you were studying in the county or prefectural schools, where you can go and take a break whenever desired. From now on, from morning to evening, you must exert effort to know the main points of what you are learning. You must write down all that was lectured, what you recited and practiced in the recitation book, as to prepare for the examinations. Ordinarily, students stay here to attend school and are not allowed to play outside at will."
The group of students below replied in obedient tones.
Educational Instructor Zhu added a few more sentences on the topics of discipline and restraint. He then asked the Clerks to bring over four senior scholars to give an introduction to these new students: "These four individuals were the Hall Chiefs who were on duty today. Each of the six halls of Biyong Hall has a Hall Chief and four out of the six will take turns on duty to control you jiansheng. In the future, your calligraphy and recitations will be supervised and examined by these Hall Chiefs. Be sure to arrive in an orderly manner, do not overstep one's authority or make noise. Those who cause a disturbance in class, demonstrate poor calligraphic style or do not recite and explain thoroughly will be punished by the Hall Chiefs."
The punishments administered by the Imperial College were not like the ones in the County and Township schools. Only those who landed themselves in the fourth rank on the two annual examinations received a beating. In comparison, in the Imperial College, if there was a slight violation of the rules, it was possible to be "caned ten times".
The new students shivered in fear at the intensity of these punishments and Educational Instructor Zhu Yin's sinister expression. The four Hall Chiefs had long been used to such a scene and smiled comfortingly in their direction from behind the Educational Instructor's back. They then came over and led the newcomers to the East and West Wings, so as to identify their respective halls.
There were three halls in the East Wing: Natural Accordance, Sincerity and Sublime Ambition, each with eleven classrooms. Among the new students, none of them would be directly admitted into the Hall of Natural Accordance and the majority would be sorted into the Hall of Sincerity or the Hall of Sublime Ambition. Altogether, there were eleven people and the two Hall Chiefs that led the way individually; In addition, there were three or four who had advanced to the next rank purely based on their age, yet could not remember the Confucian classics thoroughly. Hence, they were sent to the West Wing's three halls to start anew with remedial lessons.
Li Zhen, the Hall Chief of the Hall of Sincerity, led the six new students outside of the hall, pointing to the eleven classrooms saying: "In the future, except for the days I am lecturing in the lecture hall, after reporting for roll call early in the morning, just stay in the classroom and study. Daily homework includes writing 200 characters or more, reciting the 《Four Books》,100 words from each scripture, as well as concurrently studying 《The Garden of Persuasions》, 《Law》and《Order》. There are also monthly examinations. One examination will test the meaning of the《Classics》and《Books》and the remaining two examinations will have students pick from the choices of essays in the style of an edict, critical judgements, memorial, and affairs in current policy."
The senior scholars were currently studying in the classroom and seeing newcomers coming over, they stretched out their heads to look outside. Li Zhen waved his hands towards the room. Pointing to an empty classroom, he called the new students in and took out a school timetable for them to copy.
Today was April 13th, a day for reciting, and tomorrow on the 14th was lecture day. The day after tomorrow was the 15th, a day of rest. After they returned, they would recite from memory for two days. Students will then individually study the content from the lectures for a day and then recite from memory from two days again until it was lecture day, and then after two more days of reciting memory, it was time to self-study again…cycling in accordance to this schedule.
If one were to calculate it, it was six days of lectures, eight days of self-studying, fourteen days of recitation and two days of rest. The pace of learning was much more relaxed than that of modern university students.
Cui Xie copied down the timetable and silently heaved a sigh of relief: In the future, he would study at school and do homework. Then, when he went home he could concentrate on painting. The two old and new editions of the 《Three Kingdoms》had halted on the eleventh volume. If he didn't release any new volumes soon, readers would come pounding on the door!
Cui Xie thought that he was sitting quite far back, not making any obvious movements as he boldly walked around for a while. Although his height was inconspicuous, his appearance was eye-catching. Among the row of prefectural nominees in their thirties or forties, a tender 16-year-old ensheng was inserted in the middle. Cui Xie had caught the Hall Chief's attention as soon as he had come in.
Li Zhen was already in his early 40s and his family's sons and nephews were about the same age as Cui Xie. Seeing Cui Xie sighing in a worried manner, it was just like seeing his own son fretting about. He could not refrain and comforted: "Although the Imperial College has a lot of homework, as long as one is diligent, they can be completed. Us Hall Chiefs are also your fellow students and are not instructors. If there are some mistakes and omissions, it is improbable that we will so easily censure you."
Cui Xie blanked for a moment before finally reacting. Li Zhen had misunderstood that Cui Xie disliked the amount of homework assigned. Cui Xie didn't dare to utter the truth, so he obediently lowered his head and answered honestly: "Hall Chief is right, I will definitely study hard to live up to the Holy One's grace."
Hall Chief Li nodded in a gratified manner and headed to another classroom to bring the recitation books for the new students to sign.
The six new students signed the recitation book. Cui Xie's eyes sweeped the pages, generating a new pdf in his mind, the names of nearly 100 students in the Hall of Sincerity were engraved onto it.
He was the last one to sign the recitation book and he handed the book back to the Hall Chief. Li Zhen said: "Since you all are new to the Imperial College, there are bound to be many matters that need to be arranged for. Today, I will not be examining your recitations, you can first return and rest. Tomorrow, get up at exactly maoshi (5-7 am) to attend the Court Academician's lecture on the Five Classics at chenshi ( 7-9 am)."
The six new students rose out of their seats to express their thanks and then departed in a single-file line. Li Zhen flipped open the recitation book to look over their names. Upon seeing the two characters, "Cui Xie" on the last row, he suddenly raised his head and gazed at the group outside the door, nearly standing up from his seat—
Wasn't this the Little Tertiary Winner from the Yongping Prefecture, the child prodigy the Emperor had personally allowed to enroll and study?!
Li Zhen originally thought that a youngster with such a reputation would be somewhat arrogant, but he never expected that Cui Xie was such a feeble and adorable scholar. But what about Cui Xie's scholarship? Could it be compared to that 16-year-old jieyuan[5], Fei Hong, that had entered the college just last month?
Li Zhen was also a native of North Zhili. From the bottom of his heart, he somewhat longed for a gifted scholar from the same province that was better than Jiangxi's Fei jieyuan, who was from the south. However, there was a large discrepancy between North Zhili's and Jiangxi's style of study. Although Cui Xie was a Little Tertiary anshou, in the end, he had only passed the college examinations.. It would make things difficult for him to compare with Fei Hong, who was a juren, having passed the provincial examinations.
He sighed secretly and went back to the classroom to continue studying.
The new students walked out of the Imperial College's gates together, and five of them were heading towards their assigned dormitory. Only Cui Xie had someone waiting for him at the gates. He said his farewells to the rest of the group outside the college gates, raising his hands in a cupped fist salute, "I am a day student, I will have to say my farewells to these friends."
That group of friends watched dumbstruck as Cui Xie walked down the street. They turned around and talked amongst each other: "Isn't he from the same dormitory as us? Why did he just leave by himself?"
"I heard that those with wives dwell in other locations. Perhaps he brought his wife with him to study?"
"Isn't he an ensheng? Naturally, he is different from us tribute students. Maybe he is the son of some noble family and their residence is nearby, so he returns to the residence to live there?"
This group of people were in their thirties and forties. They respectively had families, businesses, sons and nephews, but had been crammed into a single room. Instead a youth in their teens with a family and a business, actually had a residence to lodge in!
Several people looked at Cui Xie enviously from behind, imagining that he was heading back to a scene of "red sleeves adding fragrance during night studies"[6]. Actually, Cui Xie didn't even have half of a red sleeve next to him and returned to a home of middle-aged and elderly people: After returning home, he changed his garments and after visiting his grandparents, the Chief Steward Cui Liangdong, brought him the accounts of the Cui family's three shops in Beijing, as well as the accounts of the two homesteads in the capital's suburbs and Qian'an. He also brought the shopkeepers to await Cui Xie's assignments.
The old homestead in Qian'an had 400 mu of dry land growing wheat and corn, generating an annual income of about 400 or 500 taels; In the suburbs of Beijing, there were 200 mu of paddy fields where rice was grown, as well as 100 mu of cotton fields. This generated an annual income of about 700 or 800 taels. The three shops included a rouge shop, a cloth shop and a shop selling southern goods. They were all purchased by the Cui family after entering Beijing. They were originally not big shops and they supplied revenue for food for the people of the Cui Residence. They earned at most a few hundred silver taels annually.
The shopkeepers of the three shops were all newly promoted people after the people used by Xu furen were dismissed. They were all servants of the Cui family, but didn't take Young Master Cui Xie seriously. When meeting him, they wailed accusingly and sniveled that Laoye had taken all the money and the business would not be able to turn around and was afraid that they wouldn't be able to make enough money to pass over to the residence.
In order to obtain the position of shopkeeper, the three of them did not forget to pass along some good things into the hands of Cui Liangdong and his family. Cui Liangdong specially put in a few words in their defense in front of Cui Xie: "In the past two years, the Young Khan has made several incursions and life in the capital has been uneasy. Many high-ranking da-rens have collapsed and our business is progressively growing faint. These three shops had some unfavorable turnover in the hands of previous stewards and two days ago, Laoye took quite a lot of taels. They have just assumed the role and have not fully taken over the duties yet. It will be even harder to operate. Hoping Young Master can empathize with the difficulties of those below and do not blame them for being unable to run the businesses."
Turning his head, he said to the three shopkeepers: "It may be hard for you, but life in the residence is even more difficult. Now that the residence cannot pay for expenditures, no matter whether your business is light or not , the money for the residence's expenditures must be handed over on a daily basis. Young Master sees that you are all diligent and sensible, and will not dispute with you all over the omissions in the accounts."
The three shopkeepers claimed they were diligent and innocent with all their might, and that anything amiss with the accounts was due to Cui Que or the people from Xu furen. It was because their predecessors weren't careful. When they had assumed their duties, they had made an all-out effort in running the business, not even coveting a single cent. It was just that the shop really had a cash flow problem and it was difficult to see any profit these past few months. They also needed funds from the residence to support the business and it was truly not because they didn't want to hand over the revenue to the residence.
If Cui Xie refused to believe them, refused to allocate funds, they would run with their heads toward the wall to die.
Their quarreling gave Cui Xie a headache. He waved his hands and said: "I won't dispute with you all over what happened when Laoye was still in charge of the household. I also feel disinclined to review the accounts…."
He had been charge of Qian'an's bookstore for the past two years and had managed the accounts cleanly using the triangulation and the four-column method. However, as for the Cui Residence's shops, he did not have the motivation to verify the accounting records or the patience to manage them. He only wanted to know who had made profits and which one had a deficit. He would then replace the unprofitable business with his bookstore. If they were all unable to make profit, he could not convert all of them. He would need to spend a little bit of effort to make a clear channel of income for the Cui Residence.
He threw the accounts away, looked at the three shopkeepers and stated: "Just say how much you can earn this year and how much you can earn next year…..make a five-year plan."
Footnotes:
Fangjin: a type of square-shaped head covering worn by Ming dynasty scholars.
Jiansheng: University student having passed the provincial examination.
Wei-Jin style/demeanor: During this period, intellectuals recognized the brevity of life and invested their emotions in nature as a way to pursue their life ideals. The cultural atmosphere at the time encouraged the return of individuality to nature, valued spiritual freedom and created the appreciation of the unique beauty of personality. It was the most politically chaotic and socially miserable time, but also the most free spiritual in Chinese history.
Juren: successful candidate in the imperial provincial examinations.
Jieyuan: first-placed candidate in the provincial imperial examinations.
The phrase 'red sleeves adding fragrance' is referencing a line from a poem, 'The Immortal of the Magpie Bridge', written by a Song Dynasty poet. It basically refers to a beauty wearing red sleeves attending a scholar during late-night reading sessions. It has very sentimental/romantic connotations.
Chapter 76
A 16-year old boy that did nothing else but study since he was a child, had just returned to the capital from the backwoods and didn't even understand how to take care of the accounts…..to come across such an employer, should they cheat him, cheat him or cheat him?
Without much thought, the three stewards made up their minds.
Cui Dahui, the shopkeeper of the Southern goods store was the most spirited of the bunch, scrambling a step closer than the rest as he stood in front of Cui Xie, his hand resting on his chest as he sighed: "Young Master is unaware, but our Southern goods store has to transport fresh fragrant candy, tea leaves and flowers, the Four Precious Seafoods (abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin and fish maw), ham and dried meats, as well as oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar on a seasonal basis…..If there is no circulating cash, then there will be no fresh commodities to sell. There are also those we hired to use their boats, carriages and horses for transport that are still waiting for us to settle the payments, and those are absolutely payments we cannot be behind in."
He spent tremendous strength to squeeze out a few tear droplets, looking at Cui Xie with old, turbid eyes: "It is not that this old slave is not thinking of the difficulties in the residence, but despite my willing heart, I am powerless. I have to thicken up my old face and request that Young Master allocate some money for us to maintain the store for a year. Next year, there will be less losses and we can slowly revive and make profits after a year or two. At that time, it will be possible to earn two or three hundred silver taels a year."
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Cui Xie silently gave him a negative score—the tears were too fake, the speed of tears shed was extremely slow and when tears couldn't be squeezed out, a stage prop wasn't even prepared in advance, not at all dedicated to one's work.
It was not up to par compared to Cui Xie's expressive display of seriously designing scenes and molding characters. Cui Xie insipidly asked: "How much money is needed for the turnover?"
A hint of shrewdness flashed in Cui Dahui's eyes. Wiping the corners of his eyes, he said: "This old slave knows that the residence is in dire straits, and does not dare to ask for more. As long as the Young Master can pool together two hundred taels, it will be enough. The merchandise in the store is a little outdated, and they need to be replaced with new ones in order to sell well; silver most also be paid to the boatmen chartering the ships as well as for any toll fees; there are also the monthly payments for the store's clerks, as well as the silver needed to organize documents on government's side and mountain pass checkpoints….."
Cui Xie shook his head: "It is too much, it really will not do…."
Cui Dahui was in a hurry to ask for funds and no longer cared about pretending to weep and complain. He moved closer to Cui Xie and unleashed words like a barrage of gunfire, "Young Master must not be unwilling to take out the money upon hearing the amount. It must be kept in mind that this silver has a source and a destination. In order to run the business, one must be sharp and scramble to buy the goods that will sell well. If we are unable to provide good commodities with our own money, who will be willing to buy it?"
Cui Liangdong also persuaded: "This Southern goods store merely has a temporary cash flow problem at the moment. When business is good, four or five hundred taels of silver can be entered into the accounts annually!"
Cui Xie smiled, "When the business is good, four or five hundred taels can be entered into the accounts. When business is bad, one must fork out two hundred taels and lose money instead of making profit. Then why not just close the store and rent out the storefront instead? The old courtyard in Qian'an could be pawned off for one hundred taels and the one in the capital also has a storefront. If it were to be rented out, it would be about two or three hundred taels of silver a year, don't you think?"
This squandering Young Master!
The Southern goods store earned more than just four or five hundred taels a year ah! Even when the Laoye and Xu furen had been in charge of the household, the shopkeeper and accountant had earned so much that the money basins would be overflowing. He had wanted to take advantage of the Young Master's ignorance and put a few more taels back in his pockets. Who knew that this Young Master could be so ignorant, that he didn't even want to run this store anymore!
This time, Cui Dahui was truly angry from the bottom of his heart and he almost pounced over to Cui Xie to shake his shoulder, raising his voice to yell: "There are still goods worth hundreds of silver left in the store. If you rent the store out, you will be bound to sustain some losses. Please reconsider Young Master!"
The Young Master replied impatiently, "Disdain for not having too few goods, you are the one who said they were worthless and you now also are the one saying they are valuable. Which one of your claims should I listen to? I see that you have not made any real achievements, not one bit like a proper shopkeeper."
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Cui Dahui glared at Cui Xie until his eyes were big and round. He opened his mouth to refute.
Cui Xie glanced at him, picked up the account books of the satin shop and beckoned to the shopkeeper, Cui Jinzhi: "Tell me, does this satin shop earn a lot of money?"
Cui Jinzhi had assimilated the bitter lessons of those who spoke before him and calmly said, "Although a lot of profit cannot be made at the moment, the inventory can still be sold for quite a while. The profits earned will be delivered to the south next month to commission for some raw silk muslin, damask and other such light and graceful materials. After reselling the inventory a few times, the shop can be restored to its prime. When it comes to earning money, I'm afraid that it must wait until the end of the year. Not to mention the ones sold and bought in the store, doesn't the household need to tailor new garments for the four different seasons?"
Cui Xie had an indifferent look on his face, no one could tell what he was thinking. After his engrossed daze, he asked Cui Ting, the shopkeeper of the cosmetics shop: "How about your shop? Does it also need to be compensated for losses or not?"
Cui Ting had been waiting for this question for a long time. He hurriedly squeezed out a smile on his face and said, "No loss, no loss! Not only do we not require the residence to subsidize us, we must not tarry in providing the Old furen, the two concubines and the rest of the ladies with cosmetics and silk flower hairpins!"
He looked at Cui Xie's expression, careful to please and boasted vigorously: "The lead powder used in our shop is all imported from Guilin, superior white powder refined by proper Buddhist monks…."
Cui Xie faintly smiled. Cui Ting thought he had struck a favorable chord within Cui Xie's heart and after praising the lead powder, he praised the rouge, saying that the shop's cosmetic rouge was made from genuine white wax secreted from scale insects (Ericerus pela).
Cui Xie pressed on something in the empty air in front and told Cui Ting to stop momentarily. He called Cui Liangdong over and said: "What the three shopkeepers said are reasonable. It is just that I am usually not the person making the decisions. Just hearing you all talk about these things, I cannot discern anything from it. I will hand over these matters for you to take charge of —"
"The household does not have money and cannot support all three shops at the same time. I intend to sell off one in exchange for money in order to survive. As for the remaining two shops, we must look after their future prospects: Whichever one does good, merge all the staff together to run it fully; As for the inferior one, one might as well rent it out for a few years until it stabilizes. Later on, we can analyze if there are any other suitable businesses that can be done."
Cui Dahui's intuition told him that his own shop would be sold first and a fierce look appeared on his face. Secretly clenching his fists, he looked at Cui Xie and said, "Eldest Young Master is still young and cannot understand certain matters just yet. How can people like us just sell our properties? Once we choose this path, the shopkeeper and the clerks below us will be heartbroken, how will any of us happily work for you then! What's more, the Eldest Young Master is young, this household is not to be run by yourself….."
Cui Xie nodded, "This household does not only belong to me, and I will not jump to conclusions after just listening to what you guys have to I mentioned earlier, the five-year plan. Each shop should make one and be as detailed as possible. I will then take it back to the Old Patriarch, Old furen, two older sisters, Third Brother and family's yiniangs to have them take part in evaluating the details comprehensively. Once everyone comes to a consensus, we will decide what stays and what goes."
He saw that this group of people had stunned expressions, so he simply asked a young manservant, Songyan, to grab some pen, ink and draft paper. He then individually wrote down the shop's name and questions about the construction circumstances, address, property or cash held in reserve, amount of personnel, daily customer flow, the shop's yearly income, the shop's condition on loans, payment for goods, personnel salary, accidentally wasted inventory and other such items….he then ordered them to fill in the corresponding information and numbers according to the form and then use it to predict the business operations for the next five years.
The three shopkeepers bitterly grimaced and said, "How can this be done accurately? No one can predict what it will be like in five years. In the case that us subordinates do more or do less, when the moment comes that there are any mishaps with the revenue, we will not be able to shoulder such responsibility."
Cui Xie replied: "What will happen in the future has to do with the future. Right now, I only want you to write a plan. If you refuse to write it, then you must not have the heart to do anything. In that case, you might as well pick a few people who are willing to make the plans and have them take over instead…."
Please don't!
The shopkeepers of the cosmetic and satin shop repeatedly assented: "Don't worry Young Master! We will do it! We will do it!"
Cui Dahui from the Southern goods store wanted to give it another go. Gritting his teeth, he said to Cui Xie, "The Young Master disdains that the Southern goods store is slow in returning profits, but those two shops also rely on the high quality goods that the Southern goods' manpower and boats shuttle back and forth, in order to raise their prestige. If the Eldest Young Master only desires to save money and is unwilling to invest in the travels, then we can only sell some shop-worn goods from the capital, which will not earn much!"
Cui Xie answered: "I am busy with my studies and cannot go to the store personally to take a look. Tomorrow, you all can bring me a few samples of the top-quality goods in each store and I will check the quality."
After saying that, his gaze swept toward the Head Steward and he said insipidly, "Shopkeeper Dahui does not know how to make plans. Find someone to take care of these shopkeeping matters on his behalf. For the blanks on the form that ask for numbers, have the shop's clerks check the inventory. In the future, the figures for the next five years will be calculated according to the previous calculations. It should be written clearly and simply, everyone in the family will read them."
When he had to write their graduation thesis then, they had to write it all by themselves and they even had to go on the CNKI database to check for plagiarism. Who dared to say they were unhappy and that they wanted to stop writing? He had already provided so many key points for the form, yet the others had a problem with their attitude, still dragging on and unwilling to complete the task!
The Head Steward saw that there was a chance for him to meddle with the store's operations and disregarded Cui Dahui's unsightly expression, smiling: "Young Master can rest easy, this subordinate will keep an eye on them and it will be definitely completed properly."
Cui Xie nodded: "No need to rush. Ask the employees in the store to each help out a little bit and you can return the forms to me ten days later."
After putting the asset appraisal assignment in order, he dismissed the steward, shopkeepers and manservant. He then spread out paper and began to paint in his small study.
He had already completed several drafts in the past few days when he had entered the capital, but he had been afraid that Cui Que would find out about it and cause trouble for him, so he hadn't touched the pen at all. He had endured until this Laoye had gone to Yunnan to take office and he didn't want to delay this matter any further. He took out drawing paper that was cut to the same size as《The Six Talents and the Three Kingdoms》. He first used a straightedge to mark out the borders and then traced out the perspective lines for the background, arranging the layout of the furniture according to the perspective lines, first drawing the scene of Official Zhou vomiting blood.
Cui Xie had already drawn this scene countless times in his mind and now that he actually started it, every stroke was finished in one go, and the lines did not need to be modified. Zhou Yu's sorrowful and unresigned expression as he vomited blood and Xiao Qiao's emotional gaze unfolded under his brush. He altered the composition and had Xiao Qiao stand by Zhou Yu's side, reaching out a hand to help support him. The couple's fingertips mutually made contact with each other, yet seemed like their grasped hands were not fully gripped, as to display the feeling of Zhou Yu's dying strength as he approached his end.
This kind of color portrait was easy to color in, simply coating the pigment on, layer by layer on the flat surface. Since he was not in Qian'an anymore, he could not wait for the printed samples to come out and instruct the artisans on how to adjust the colors. Instead, he took another piece of paper and divided it based on the different components used, labeling the colors out on sheets and layers, indicating whether the printed result should be gentle or more robust.
It took nearly twice as much work as usual to make such a portrait. However, if the artisans could print the painting to meet his requirements, without having to send people from Qian'an to deliver samples back and forth for color corrections, it would save a lot of time.
In fact, the best way was to directly move the bookstore to the capital. But, the artisans used in the workshop were all Qian'an locals and he was afraid they would be unwilling to move.
What Cui Xie hoped more now, was to take control of that north to south commerce that the Cui Residence had established, so that he could recruit skilled artisans from the south, purchase suitable engraved printing blocks and construct a flagship store for the Peace of Mind study in the capital. At that time, the three studies in Beijing, Tongzhou and Qian'an would be strung together, which would not only facilitate the transportation of goods, but one could also exchange engraved printing blocks and the speed of printing would also be upgraded.
In the future, more books would be printed and they would be able to sell color-printed books to the south through this familiar and safe trade route. On the trip home, one could bring a few boats full of new books from the south….
The slightly cold night wind blew in from the open window, cooling his mind —the day after tomorrow was a holiday and Cui Qi should be arriving at the Imperial College to pay him a visit. It was useless to continue this train of thought and he drew two more manuscripts for Cui Qi to take back.
As such, borrowing the lights from the candles, he drew the outline draft of Wo Long (Zhuge Liang) Paying a Condolence Call. The next morning, when it was not quite light out yet, he got up and colored it in. Fortunately, everyone in the funeral hall scene was wearing raw white silks and the coloring was not complicated. Even after painting in a couple of layers, it was finished in about two hours.
Today was the day when Cui Xie would officially start attending the college and he needed to be in time for the Court Academician's lecture. He didn't dare to be late, so he headed out of the Residence an hour earlier while mounted on a horse, clopping towards the capital's main streets at the speed of a bicycle. He entered the lecture hall in about the time one would have finished a cup of tea.
The morning lecture was presided over by Fei Yin, the Director of Studies of the Imperial College. The contents of the lecture was discussing the chapters of 《Mencius·Li Lou》. Director Fei was only a few years older than Teacher Lin, but he had been born in Huiyuan. His knowledge was extremely proficient and the teaching level was clearly higher than Teacher Lin by quite a lot. When he lectured, he did not just perform a wooden word-by-word reading of the Confucian scriptures from the Song Dynasty, but instead drew extensive justifications from the scriptures and history. Every character and sentence had its origin and after listening to it, it made people feel that they also had such a wealth of knowledge.
Cui Xie took a stick of handmade wood charcoal and took notes while listening, wishing that he could just copy the lecture word for word. It was a pity that there was no ppt or blackboard in this era. Otherwise, the teacher could write on the board and the students could copy it down below. Wouldn't it save a lot of effort?
Once he became the Imperial College's Chancellor in the future, he would certainly give an order to have blackboards installed in the Imperial College's lecture halls and study classrooms!
Secretly making the vow in his heart, the words written became increasingly more leisurely and the meaning of the scriptures that were recited was only written by using the first and last words in order to represent each sentence. When he wrote down the words he had not learned yet, he severely wished he could just change to a horizontal layout to speed up his notetaking. But, a few of the students sitting beside him were already looking at him and even the Director of Studies had given him two glances. He didn't dare to show off and act special, so he could only continue to write honestly.
Director Fei had talked incessantly all morning and didn't even have a lesson plan in mind. Everything was stored in his mind. No matter how remote the historical material was, he talked about each one with great aplomb. There was absolutely no time for stagnation or contemplation. By the end of his long lecture, his face did not show any signs of weariness. With a flick of his sleeves, he descended from the podium confidently and freely, and dismissed the students.
Naturally, the students did not dare to leave, so they all stood up to send him off. Only a young student followed behind him.
Cui Xie quietly mixed in with the crowd to see him off. Unexpectedly, the Director of Studies suddenly halted as he walked by and took a few glances at Cui Xie's notebook and pen, asking, "That's all you remembered just now? Aren't you worried that solely preoccupying yourself with taking notes will interfere with listening to what my lecture was about?"
Taking notes in class everyday was a good habit for students . Otherwise, how would they know what to memorize before the exam?
He had taken such notes at Teacher Lin's academy before and Teacher Lin hadn't corrected him. He had just followed his habit, but he did not want Director Fei to be unhappy because of this.
He had always been honest in front of teachers, so he lowered his head and explained: "This student's fundamentals are not good. Hearing the Director talk about things I don't know, I wanted to write it down so I can go back and check it slowly. If I do not take the notes, I am afraid I will forget them later."
Director Fei didn't appear to really want to blame Cui Xie. He flipped through the few pages of notes and nodded: "Knowing your own shortcomings, it is good to be ambitious in improving oneself and learning. It is just that by taking such meticulous notes, I am afraid that you will just concentrate on copying. Some things you must listen to, those one must think deeply about will be neglected and one will lose the original meanings explained in the lecture."
Cui Xie repeatedly complied.
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Fei Yin set down the notes and gently said: "If there is something you do not understand, you can just ask the Teaching Assistant assigned to this hall, or, you can come and find me when I am here. No need to be so overly cautious. The books that you do not have at home can be borrowed from Yilun Hall. If you have the will to learn, you should read a few more books, so as to not fail to live up to your young age."
Fei Yin flung his sleeves, sauntering out the hall. The younger student following behind Fei Yin actually halted to look at Cui Xie a few more times, but didn't open his mouth. He just raised his hands in a cupped fist salute and hurriedly caught up with Fei Yin, also exiting the lecture hall.
Chapter 77
That young scholar looked like a high school student, appearing refined and graceful while dressed in slim-fitting green robes. Compared to Director Fei and the surrounding senior jiansheng, the youth appeared all the more young and tender.
Cui Xie could not help giving him a few more side glances and several of the senior students standing beside him discussed in low voices: "That is the 16-year-old jieyuan[1] from Jiangxi. Last year, he passed the provincial level Imperial examinations along with his uncle and the pair traveled to the capital to take the metropolitan examinations. This year, he passed the B list in the metropolitan examinations but refused to return to his hometown and thus entered the Imperial College to study."
A 16-year-old jiyeuan? How young ah! In comparison, how old was Tang Bohu[2] when he had become the jieyuan then?
"A child prodigy ah!" Cui Xie immediately sighed. Suddenly, someone behind him chuckled, "Isn't Cui anshou[3] also a prodigy?"
The other jiansheng that had been commenting about the prodigy from Jiangxi suddenly became aware that a youth a year younger than Fei Hong had exclaimed the other party was a "child prodigy". They all felt like it was quite interesting and laughter broke out as they looked on at Cui Xie..
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Cui Xie subconsciously replied: "It is not the same…." The other was a 16-year old jieyuan and a genuine child prodigy, the real deal. Cui Xie had been in school for more than 18 years and he had been a member of society for more than two years after graduating from university. The need to survive had been prioritized when he had transmigrated and he had no other alternative, but to thicken his face to pretend to be a child prodigy.
He turned his head to glimpse at the person who asked the question. He was an elegant scholar in his thirties or forties and was currently beaming at Cui Xie. That person's clothes was starched and straight and the fangjin[4] was inlaid with jasper gemstones. His waist was embellished with a jade pendant and an embroidered purse, seeming like a person who paid particular attention to such details.
Cui Xie raised his hands in a cupped fist salute: "This gentleman flatters me, I was merely lucky to be selected by the examiner and only after receiving the Emperor's grace, I was able to enter the college. How can I compare with Fei jieyuan who is truly talented and has real ability? I see that this gentleman's bearing is extraordinary and not like a common person. Might I know how to respectfully address this senior?"
The man replied with a salute and said with a grin: "I am not a mister, and am just a student. My surname is Zhang and I only have a single character, Luan, for my name. When the Hall Chief led the six of you over to the classrooms, I caught a glimpse of you, but Cui anshou did not take note of me then, right?
Cui Xie embarrassedly grinned: "I dare not, Zhang xiong can just refer to me by my courtesy name, Hezhong. I entered the Imperial College yesterday and was slightly nervous and didn't dare to look at the fellow seniors in the Hall. I hope the Sirs can forgive me."
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Right now, he was sitting in the area of the lecture hall reserved for students from the Hall of Sincerity and he was fully surrounded by advanced senior shengyuan.
This Senior Zhang was already forty years of age and was considered to be the most senior of the seniors. Based on seniority, he was referred to as the Hall Senior. The other students, to say the least, were for the most part in their 30s. Occasionally, one would find some in their twenties. If they weren't talented and accomplished youths selected by their prefect, then it was because their luck was good and there weren't that many ahead of them on the list. Once they reached the appropriate age, they had been nominated into the College.
Cui Xie greeted everyone in this group and several seniors had also taken a look at his shorthand pencil made out of paper tape wrapped around a slender stick of wood charcoal and notebook, praising him for his ingenuity. In any event, using a normal writing brush to take notes would make it impossible to keep up with the speed that the material was presented. Instead, one was liable to break off one's train of thought. Using a charcoal pencil was much faster. When the nib was about to be grinded flat, one could use a knife to pare down the outer parts of the paper tape and the parts that were usable would be exposed again, making it convenient to use.
Cui Xie replied humbly: "This was something I made strip of wood charcoal is soft and it is easy to discolor the pages after rubbing on it. Hence, when I return home, it is vital that I make a copy of my notes as quickly as possible." It was a pity that despite flipping around the chemistry book, he couldn't find any records that indicated how to make graphite. Otherwise, he could have made a true lead pencil and now that was truly a magical object.
A few of the scholars clicked their tongues in admiration and tried to write a few words on the edge of their own notebook pages, but set down the pencil, shaking their heads and smiling. "It looks convenient seeing you use it, but that is not the case when we use it ourselves. To produce a single sentence, it needs at least a couple of years of hardwork and practice. To have put such mental and physical effort in this sort of small thing, it is no wonder that we have encountered you here today."
Although it was troublesome to use the charcoal sticks, those who read his notes immediately became fond of them. Not only was the content meticulously recorded and the calligraphic style well structured, each regular script character written according to the Yan style of calligraphy was about the size of two gridded boxes.
As they lipped through the pages, one of the college students suddenly cried out involuntarily, reciting: " 'The Director explained that 'Yao and Shun believed laws to be the rule' and also quoted from the《Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals》: 'That is why even if you have a skillful hand but don't want to apply a compass or square, you will not be able to produce a correct square or circle.' My memory of this section is a little fuzzy. Worthy little brother Cui, let me borrow your notes so I can make a copy….."
Not only here, if one continued to flip towards the end, one would read the margin notes regarding the line 'Marquis Jing of Qi's tears flowed forth while he gave his daughter to be married to the prince of Wu' as well as a quote extracted from the《King Helu's Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue》, 'Marquis Jing of Qi's servant girl was taken as a hostage of Wu, because the Crown Prince was betrothed to a daughter of Qi'. These pieces of historical material hadn't been remembered well by this student.
There were omissions in Cui Xie's notes, but this was also true for the others. Everyone was familiar with《Mencius》but historical quotations cited by the Director were rarely recorded down. Only those who had devoted themselves in their learning for many years could pick them out from a vast collection of books and insert them masterfully into the explanation at just the right juncture. The students who listened to the Director include a deluge of heavenly flowers[5] in his lectures could not keep up with what was said so closely. Inevitably, there would be some sentences that were remembered incorrectly or omitted by mistake.
In former days, everyone took very few notes and most of the mistakes and omissions were the parts that the academic instructors had cited extensively from outside sources. Unimportant topics would not be repeated by the teaching assistant reviewing the lecture and one would pass and move on from the ambiguity. Now, according to Cui Xie's notes, one could correct all the parts that they couldn't remember immediately. A few people gathered together at the table, reading the unfamiliar sentences to refresh their memories and fellow students who passed by sporadically stopped after hearing the voices, listening and corroborating with their own notes.
Unwittingly, a ring of people encircled around the desk to take notes and they were so engrossed that they even forgot to eat lunch.
Cui Xie had been totally squeezed to the outside by the group, carrying a small schoolbag as he stubbornly stood near the doorway. He secretly sighed: They deserved to be students of the Imperial College, they really love learning! Compared to those Qian'an gifted scholars who hosted poetry banquets, wine receptions, and library salons, they are much more enlightened! It was not surprising that year after year, the larger part of those who passed the metropolitan examinations were Imperial College students!
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He felt that his method of notetaking was considerably useful. In the afternoon, 《The Book of Poetry》was discussed in the Confucian classics class by Court Academician Lin Dayou. He used the same notetaking method, but this time he didn't dare to be so engrossed in it as last time. He tried to focus on the teacher's face as much as possible, only occasionally glancing at the page to determine he was writing on the right location on the page. Most of the time, he took down notes by feeling out the surface with his hands.
Instructor Lin was not only a Court Academician that had mastered the《The Book of Poetry》, he also served as a Supervisory Deputy for Shengyan Hall.
Cui Xie requests for leave of absences or his request to attend school as a day student were all handled by this man. It could be considered that Cui Xie could pass for a familiar face.
This Supervisory Deputy actually sympathized quite a bit with Cui Xie's circumstances and was not so opposed to Cui Xie taking notes. After class, he instead suggested a few words of advice: "Do not take notes lock, stock and barrel[6]. It is easy to blur the main points. When learning the 《The Book of Poetry》 , it is necessary to analyze the historical narrative and annotations. It is enough to compare with the historical material and subcommentary in the《The Commentary of Zuo》. Nowadays, as for the 《The Commentary of Gongyang》and 《The Commentary of Guiliang》, examiners are stuck between rejecting and accepting the main points in those works. Hence, in the present age, there are fewer scholars who are studying those two two works.[7]"
Cui Xie understood tacitly in a split second—the teacher just drew the big picture!
In the future, when he is taking notes, he would need to bring a few differently colored pencils. While taking notes, he would also take the chance to underline the main points. That way, when reviewing for the examinations, one can strictly memorize the underlined points and pass over the ones that were not underlined.
He could help but remember when he had attended school in his last life. Every student's book in his class was underlined with colorful ballpoint pens and highlighted with fluorescent markers until the books had become gaudy. A smiling expression appeared in his eyes, and his facial features relaxed, his entire face turning bright.
Lin Dayou did not know what the youth was thinking. After hearing his suggestion, Cui Xie suddenly laughed. He thought that the other was overjoyed at having learned something so Lin Dayou shook his head slightly, his lips curling up.
This student was indeed a good seedling.
He was especially fond of students who were eager to learn, so he could not help but advise Cui Xie again: "In a couple days, there will be a review lecture. When the moment comes, it is not necessary to comply with everything I said in my lecture. My lecture prioritized the great truths. Among them, it is mixed with my various insights gained from my explorations in Han, Tang and Song Confucian classics over the years. But you students have not read as many commentaries on Confucian classics and have yet to interpret the works with your own explanations. If you imitate me and try to similarly talk about the great truths, then one will need to repeat today's lesson. It is better to start with phonological exegesis, familiarize oneself with the fundamentals so that one's words have substance."
Cui Xie seriously wrote this down, saw the Court Academician off and then began to complete his daily homework: practicing calligraphy.
It didn't matter if it was a recitation, lecture or review day, one had to finish writing 16 lines with 16 characters each line of model calligraphic scripts. Those whose writing was no good were sent to the Hall Chief to be punished with a "caning of the hand of ten times". Although the supervision within the College was not as strict nowadays and the Hall Chief couldn't bring himself to beat people, the entire class' homework were handed over to the Hall Chiefs for inspection. One would lose face if they wrote poorly.
Cui Xie practiced calligraphy from model scripts with the same enthusiasm and focus he used on examinations. Students he was not very well acquainted with sat in the seats next to him and didn't bother to attend to practicing, simply asking first to borrow his notes to make a copy so that they could return his notes back to him before the end of the school day.
He pushed the notebook with folded pages towards them, generously stating: "Everyone can just take it and borrow it, no need to delay one's regular routine. I have already memorized the contents, so it doesn't matter if I do not have them on hand."
He had a golden cheat, a hard disk, in his head and the notes he had copied down had already been converted into a pdf. When he returned home, he could just copy it down again.
However, those few scholars misunderstood that Cui Xie had a highly retentive memory, secretly envious in their hearts. They exclaimed: "The younger generation is so talented and is willing to put in time and energy to study bitterly. As one of the older generation, we have no alternative but to step aside and let him go on his way first."
They felt embarrassed at actually bringing back one's notes to their dormitories to copy and after a few polite words, they opened his notebook and copied a paragraph each. Later on, they would collect them all and piece it together into a full page later. When Hall Chief Zhang made his rounds, he didn't prevent them too much and only warned repeatedly that they must not make too many sounds and bother others. As such, the amount of people copying down gradually increased and the speed of copying also increased.
Cui Xie was finishing his writing exercise with rapt attention and was prepared to hand over his homework when the group had unexpectedly finished copying down his notes and had returned the original to him.
They had also used ink brushes to copy it, just what kind of hand speed was this! If it wasn't hand speed, then it was due to good memory, there was not much to improve! Cui Xie could not help but sigh: Imperial College students are truly hidden dragons and crouching tigers. In the future, he would have to put in more effort so no one would mock him for entering through the back door.
After returning home from his studies at the Imperial College, the Cui Residence was full of business matters he needed to take care of.
Those three shopkeepers each brought the best products from their store: the Southern goods store had dry goods such as shark fins, mussels, scallops and other such dry goods as well as dragon beard candy and candied fruits from Suzhou and Hangzhou; the cosmetics shop had cassia powder, mercurous chloride, fragrant honey, rouge applied with silk cotton, wax rouge, various kinds of fragrant flower hair oils as well as reportedly genuine Japanese rose dew imported from overseas; the satin shop had brocade from Siichuan, silk from Hangzhou, velvet, damask gauze embossed with flower blossoms and fine silk threads as well as three shuttle cloth from Songjiang…..
Cui Xie carefully looked through these products and would occasionally ask about the commodity's name and price. From time to time, if he saw one he was fond of, he would spare it a few more glances.
For example, a bolt of crimson velvet had brilliant color and luster, very bright. If this was the modern times, he could have used this velvet to make a silk banner and send it as a gift of thanks to the Northern Administrative Division, and write on it the phrase, 'This yamen has contributed honorable merits, enforcing the law on behalf of the people'. Alas, he was currently bound by filial piety and he must not send them a congratulatory silk banner because the Jinyiwei had sentenced his stepmother with corporal punishment. He would have to wait for a chance to thank them later.
He set down the velvet fabric regretfully and then looked at a bolt of damask material embossed with flowers.
This material was also crimson and it was comfortable to the touch. It was also sufficiently light and soft, which made it quite suitable to use to make clothes during the current season. Cui Xie had always thought that the Jinyiwei's crimson yesa was good-looking and that dark green was not as good as red against the skin. If such a material was made into a crimson yesa and the neckline was inlaid with bright, snowy white silk material….
With such robes, riding on a white horse would make it appear even better.
Seeing that Cui Xie was fond of some items, Cui Liangdong stepped forward eagerly, "These are the best products that this subordinate watched them pick out. Does the Young Master want to keep a few, or plan on giving it to the Old Patriarch or Old furen as a token of filial piety?"
Anyhow, these all belonged to his own family. If he took it now, it would not be written in the accounts. The Young Master could also show some diligent and painstaking filial piety.
When the Head Steward said this, the three shopkeepers were afraid that they would end up giving away things for nothing. Instead, Cui Liangdong would get all the credit. As such, they hurriedly expressed their intentions in sending these goods over to the Young Master on account of their kind regards.
Cui Xie originally only wanted to see what type of goods the stores had been selling, but now that he saw that the products were good and it gave birth to some gift-giving inclinations. Forgetting the food and drinks, since Colonel Xie was such an elegant person, it was too vulgar to send him food products. It would be better to send a bottle of Japanese rose water, two flower pots with fresh flowers and then give a set of yesa robes…..
No no, it was hard to get the measurements correct for clothes. It would be better to give materials instead.
But Colonel Xie's Residence did not lack these types of materials. What could be done if it was accepted, only to be directly thrown to the bottom of the trunk, unused?
It was better to roughly measure the other's figure first and then make an improved version of the flying fish python robe from past movies he had seen…..he would have to try it on at least once right?
Were there any such robes in Maggie Cheung's version of the《New Dragon Gate Inn》 on the hard disk? From what he remembered, the flying fish robes from that film were good-looking and form fitting. But, the movie didn't seem to have that. But it seemed like in the Cantonese folder, there were a few documents starting with 《Golden Urn》. In movies based on the Ming Dynasty, there was bound to be some Jinyiwei that appeared, right?
After seriously pondering for a spell, Cui Xie ordered what he needed and asked them to stay behind, ordering with a smile: "Leave these behind. I will take these to give as gifts to others. Since I cannot just take the things that the store needs to sell so vainly, I will give you the payment tomorrow."
Cui Liangdong hurriedly replied, "These are all things belonging to the family, how can we ask for the Eldest Young Master's money!"
Cui Xie shook his head.
These were items to be gifted away, how could he just take them from the Cui family?
He still had a bookstore in his hands, but the Cui Residence's elders and youngsters needed to count on these three shops to live. He did not feel bad about spending Advisor Cui's money, but how could he just give other gifts when the money earned had not even warmed up in their pockets yet? How could he let those elderly, feeble, and sick people, who had no ability to make money, spend the rest of their lives scrimping and saving in the inner courtyard?
He instructed: "Please note these transactions in the accounts. It has been hard for everyone these days and the accounts should be made even clearer. Besides me, if anyone else wants to take something, they must pay for it. If they don't have the money, record it down and report it to me. That is all for now. Go back and properly write your plans, I will be waiting."
The three shopkeepers animatedly handed over the gifts and assumed that they could just win favor by fawning on him, much like how they had done the same when the furen had been in power. This way, they could peacefully keep their role as shopkeepers. Nevertheless, they could not escape from the five-year plan so they went back with bashful eyebrows and a heavy gaze.
The next day, it was break for the Imperial College and after offering sacrifices to Confucious, one could go on holiday. Cui Xie asked someone to prepare the carriage early and set a few bottles of Japanese rose dew and two flower pots of famous orchids inside. After school, he searched around outside the college and saw the figure of Cui Qi peering into the gates of the Imperial College.
The youth seemed to have dressed up specially for today, wearing cyan straight robes and wearing a ruanjin. The entire person seemed to have matured somewhat, as if he had suddenly grown up in the past two days of work.
For some reason, the thought of 'My family has a child who is growing up' suddenly came into Cui Xie's mind. He walked to the point where Cui Qi could see him and waved. Cui Qi saw him at a glance and dashed towards him, his eager appearance exactly the same as before. The feeling of the other growing up seemed to be merely an illusion created by Cui Xie.
Little Cui Qi ran over, exclaiming happily, "Da-ge, you have come out? The clerk also came with me, there is much to discuss."
Cui Xie raised his hand and rubbed the other's head, grinning, "I just have some things to tell you all as well. But I must go and give someone a gift today. You can accompany me there first and we can find a place to talk when we come back."
Footnotes
Jieyuan: first placed candidate in the provincial imperial examinations.
Tang Bohu: Chinese painter, calligrapher, poet and one of the most notable painters in Chinese history. He is known as one of the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty". He was also a talented poet and a literary master. He was the jieyuan the year he took the provincial examinations and was known as a genius.
Anshou: Anshou (案首, lit. "first on the desk"), the highest ranking linsheng, and thus the top shengyuan who ranked first in college exam.
Fangjin: four-cornered flat cap. It's also known simply as Fangjin (方巾) for short. It's distinguished by the fact that its four corners are all (approximate) right angles. Fangjin was typically worn by Confucian scholars and priests during the Ming dynasty.
A deluge of heavenly flowers: extravagant embellishments.
Lock, stock and barrel: all of it; everything, its entirety.
The Gongyang, Guiliang and Zuo commentary are part of the Three Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals. They are the only surviving ones even though there were five commentaries originally.
Chapter 78
The last time he told Cui Yuan to head to Beijing to send gifts, Cui Xie had noted down Colonel Xie's address.
Originally, he was supposed to visit the other after entering the capital, but he had come back this time because of the case. Upon Cui Xie's return, if it wasn't performing ceremonies at the Ministry of Rites, then it was entering the Imperial palace or going back to his hometown to worship his ancestors….In addition, there had been a Cui Laoye wandering about in the Cui Residence and Cui Xie feared that a new branch would grow out of a knot[1], so he had kept delaying the visit to no avail.
Now that Advisor Cui had taken office in Yunnan and it was also the Imperial College's school holiday, it was precisely the day to pay a visit. It was not too late to put off their bookstore's matters for discussion until later.
Cui Qi and the Assistant Shopkeeper Ji had arrived by carriage and Cui Xie simply transferred the gifts over to their carriage and then sent the other carriage driver home. Since Cui Xie had said he was going to give gifts to Colonel Xie, the Assistant Shopkeeper thought his gifts were not lively enough and did not look like proper gifts. As such, he helped Cui Xie buy a basket of fresh chayote, two incense burners with the longevity character engraved on it, four cases of light refreshments and a few engraved ivory ornaments.
Ji Duyuan also wanted to buy a rhinoceros belt and Cui Xie helped to choose a few. But, they were not very satisfactory so it was better to draw a few examples from the movie and then have the workers making the clothes choose a matching set. He then dropped the idea of the belts and instead bought a pair of rhinoceros horned cups. Then, Cui Xie brought the two subordinates with him and led them to the gates of the Xie Residence.
Although the doorman did not recognize them, his eyes lit up after seeing the words "Cui Xie, a student of the Imperial College" on the post, "So it turns out to be Cui anshou, the author of 《Antithetical Couplets from the Four Books》. Please come in and take a seat, my residence's da-ren headed over to the Administrative Division this morning and will be returning soon."
Cui Xie weighed out a few taels of silver as a tip to the doorman and sent Pengyan (Cui Qi) to hand it over. The doorman hurriedly declined: "Our da-ren has always thought highly of anshou's work and is constantly thinking of your well being. How can we take your money?"
The two parties exchanged a few more pleasantries and only then did the doorman agree to accept the money. The doorman then led them to the main hall to rest. Most of the people in the Xie Residence had heard of Cui Xie before and knew his general situation. When they saw the doorman leading a 16-or 17-year-old jiansheng, a good-looking youth, inside, everyone immediately began to conjecture whether his surname was Cui.
Xie Shan recognized him, so he greeted him from a distance and shouted, "Young Master Cui, what brings you to see our Laoye?"
Cui Xie smiled, "So it turns out to be Xie da-ge. I have been in the capital for so long but have yet to visit the Colonel. Hence, I called to pay my respects today."
Cui Qi also laughingly called out an "Uncle Xie Shan" and only the Assistant Shopkeeper had yet to meet him before. Standing in the Jinyiwei's courtyard, there was still some overcautiousness as the Assistant Shopkeeper bowed his head and greeted respectfully.
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Xie Shan's entire face was radiant with happiness as he returned the courtesies. How many times had been run back and forth between the capital and Qian'an? Now that Cui Xie personally came up to their door, he knew that he would no longer have to make such trips in the future. He secretly recited "Amitabha" a few times in his heart and greeted them with extra enthusiasm.
The Old Steward of the Xie Residence also wanted to come and see what the child prodigy, who had hooked Colonel Xie on his books, looked like. He personally led servants to present the guests with tea and fruit. He then sat in the side hall and exchanged a few words with Cui Xie, asking him why he wanted to see their Colonel.
Cui Xie grinned, "I should have come to visit the Colonel earlier, but it is just some things that happened at home and have been unable to have the chance. Now that the Imperial College is on holiday, I have bought some gifts to pay my respects. I also hope that the elder will help me transfer them to the Colonel on my behalf."
Cui Qie presented the newly written gift list on Cui Xie's behalf and the Old Steward rose from his seat, accepting it with a smile that spread from ear to ear: "Cui anshou is too polite. Once the da-ren returns, this old man will show him everything one at a time and must not fail to live up to the anshou's good intentions."
The Old Steward swept a glance at the list and saw they were all things that could be bought from the market, and didn't have any of those books or paintings that had been gifted before. He could not help but feel it was a pity.
The two paintings sent before were much better than these common things and their Colonel had also been fond of them. This Young Master Cui loved to send paintings when he was in Qian'an, how could he stop sending them after entering the capital?
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Wholeheartedly thinking of Xie Ying and based on his age and as a Xie family member, he used his old face to inquire, " Actually, our Colonel prefers the anshou's paintings and books. The two paintings sent previously have already been hung up in the inner study to appreciate. Later on, the《Antithetical Couplets from the Four Books》was even harder to part with. This old servant must shamelessly ask, is there any new work from Cui anshou?"
Cui Xie's heart moved and seized the opportunity to say, "I am not very busy with my studies right now and am learning to draw large-scale character portraits. If the Colonel does not mind, I am willing to paint him one. It is just that, based on my two eyes, it might not accurately estimate his physique and I am afraid it will turn out hideously and be unworthy of him."
Seeing that he was willing to draw such a big portrait, Old Steward Xie delightedly persuaded, "I have his measurements written down! Just let me write it down for you….the horse-riding picture you painted last time was very beautiful. It would be even better if you could draw a painting of him wearing an official uniform, wearing silver flowers and a jadeite python belt as well as holding a jade tablet."
Cui Xie shook his head and professionally commented, "Everyone wears official uniforms for portraits, and it will not look as outstanding if painted. For people like Colonel Xie, it is better to dress magnificently. I will draw him with plait-line robe clothes as well as a fastened cloak. It is guaranteed that wearing it will improve one's appearance and even if others try to do the same, they will not be able to compare."
Old Steward Xie replied: "How can a plait-line robe look good? It is better to wear straight-bodied official robes. It is dignified and just like when Gu Changkang [2] paints people, add a few whiskers of a beard to increase one's imposing aura."
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How was adding a beard aesthetically pleasing? The reason why Gu Kaizhi added a beard to the portrait when painting Pei Kai was because the artist did not use realism, focusing instead on the spirit and not the actual figure; Cui Xie was a realist, what Colonel Xie looked like, he would draw!
At most he would smooth the skin and add a filter, nothing more…..
In other words, as an artist, he could not yield to the other party!
Cui Xie refused to mention the beard and sternly said, "This elder is incorrect. Wearing official robes is much too restrictive and not suitable for younger people. It would be more appropriate to wait until the Colonel is older to paint something like that. At his age, he must wear elegant and suave garments. Painting a portrait will take too long, later, I will ask someone to make a set of robes first and send it over. Once you ask him to wear it, you will realize. I can guarantee that you will be unable to find anyone that is more good-looking than him in the capital….."
"Cough."
A light cough suddenly rang out and came in from the direction of the doorway, interrupting the two's artistic debate. Cui Xie turned his head to look and saw a silhouette dressed in a bluish green yesa standing outside the entrance. Contrasting against the light, a handsome and familiar face was looking at him.
Cui Xie's unceasing torrent of comments suddenly got stuck in his throat and seeing the man, he went speechless. Old Steward Xie hurriedly stood up and awkwardly asked, "Da-ren has returned?"
Xie Ying had just heard the two heatedly discussing whether they should add a beard or not in the courtyard and upon walking to the door, he heard Cui Xie's words, "cannot find anyone more good-looking than him in the capital", clearly entering into his ears.
The servants accompanying him took the initiative to fall behind a few steps, lowering their heads to pretend as if they had not heard anything. Xie Ying stood at the entrance, looking at the people inside. Seeing Cui Xie stop talking, he nodded to the three standing as he strided into the hall. He then looked down at Cui Xie to ask, "Why did Cui anshou pay a visit to my poor residence?"
Cui Xie subconsciously felt his cheeks, but they did not feel hot. He then laughed naturally and arose from his seat, cupping his hands in greeting, "Colonel Xie is too polite. In front of the da-ren, I will always be that same Cui Xie you met from the start. Da-ren can just address me by my first name. Today's meeting was delayed and I should have visited much earlier to thank Xie da-ren for your previous protection and kindness."
This one "previous" covered the entirety of the Cui family's case, from start to finish.
Seeing the meaningful glance passed on, Colonel Xie understood tacitly and shook his head as his lips curled up, "Worthy little brother Cui always addresses me as da-ren, isn't this also being too polite? Since you are still willing to get close with a military man like me, I will no longer treat you as an outsider. Since I am a few years older than you, you can just call me Xie xiong."
Cui Xie immediately called out "Xie xiong" and after bringing up his intentions to draw a portrait and make clothes for him, he clarified, "I didn't mean to offend Xie xiong just now. It is true that Xie xiong is young and handsome, you ought to dress more casually at home."
Grinning, Xie Ying replied, "I am inferior to my worthy little brother's elegance, at such a young age, you should make a few sets of good garments for yourself to wear."
Cui Xie had such a hard time in Qian'an and dressing like that given his circumstances had been fine. How come after returning to the capital, Cui Xie hadn't commissioned any clothes made of satin sprinkled with bright colors and instead came to visit people wearing the Imperial College's uniform? This robe was loose on the shoulders and one could faintly see that the cuffs and waist showed signs of modification. They hadn't made a new uniform for him?
Xie Ying was unaware that Cui Xie's robes had been newly issued yesterday and there hadn't been enough time to make a new one according to his measurements. After class ended, Cui Xie went straight to see him after school and was unwilling to waste time changing his clothes.
Xie Ying secretly sighed and instructed the servants, "I will go back to change robes. Bring the Young Master into the main hall."
Old Steward Xie led Cui Xie into the drawing room of the main hall and Xie Shan stayed to accompany the Assistant Shopkeeper and Cui Qi for some conversation. After Xie Ying changed clothes and returned, he greeted Cui Xie again and asked, "Worthy little brother Cui is here to give gifts again, right?"
Replying, Cui Xie said, "Precisely so. Now that I have returned home, I have much better things on hand compared to when I was in Qian'an.I have picked out some fresh flowers, and flower dew to fumigate Xie xiong's room. And then…"
"And then worthy little brother Cui is going to make me a casual and elegant set of clothes." Laughing, Xie Ying pressed Cui Xie into a chair on the left and then swiveled around to take a seat to the right of him. Separated by a small side table, he said, "My residence is not lacking in these yesas, plait-lined robes or sleeveless jackets. On the other hand, when we parted last time, my worthy little brother said that he would write a poem for me. Are you able to do it now?"
The corners of Cui Xie's mouth twitched downwards and he quickly and firmly smoothed it flat: "Actually, I can compose poetry now."
The corner of Xie Ying's mouth held in a thin smile, looking as if he didn't believe what Cui Xie said. Having Xie Ying face him with such an expression, on the contray, it gave birth to a competitive spirit within Cui Xie and he stubbornly continued, "Really can do it now. When I was summoned into the palace by the Emperor last time, I was ordered to compose a poem in front of the Imperial throne and I was able to do it. Now that I think about it, composing poems is not all that hard, at most it is just not very good…."
Composing good poems was difficult but it was not difficult to compose bad ones. In any case, as long as he followed the level and oblique tones and followed the rhymes in the poem, the Emperor still hadn't killed him. Then could others kill him for this?
What Cui Xie said was quite reasonable and Xie Ying was left speechless. However, officials could not be shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor and Xie da-ren was in no hurry to accept Cui Xie's poetic talents. Xie Ying shook his head and grinned, "You are quite open-minded. But, there are talents from all over the world gathered in the capital. Secondly, there are also those of the Imperial College and there are still some child prodigies that have passed the county examination in the Hanlin Academy. At present, they are all refined and worldly people. If someone wants to compete with you in the future, if you are unable to compose a good poem, it will not look good for your face."
As he spoke, Xie Ying pointed to his face, his eyes curved like crescents and his plump lower eyelids protruded out. His expression was gentle and soft, but also familiar. It was as if he was chatting with a friend and had known each other for a long time.
When Cui Xie was at school, he was long accustomed to joking around with his fellow students and seeing that the other was about the same age as him, sitting at the same table, cracking jokes and bantering, the other seemed just like a fellow student. He could refrain but show some of his natural personality as Cui Xie stroked his own chin and said, "That is not serious, my face is good-looking."
Xie Ying's hand halted in midair and he burst out into genuine laughter.
Only after laughing for a while was Xie Ying able to restrain himself and there was a smiling expression contained in his eyes. Looking at Cui Xie, he said, "In the past, I only knew you were good at painting in the past, only today did I realize that your words are also reasonable. I think in the future, I don't want your paintings anymore. No need to go to the trouble of delivering outfits during the New Year either, just come over and talk about some sensible arguments."
Cui Xie's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and he treated it as if he hadn't understood that the other was teasing him.
Seeing the other propping up his chin with his hand, Cui Xie's gaze evasive and dodging his own, Xie Ying could not help but want to tease him again. Just tracing his gaze downwards on that hand that was blocking Cui Xie's chin, Xie Ying suddenly saw that the cuff's welt seam had not been ironed down very well and the sides of the flap were turning upwards. The good mood in Xie Ying's heart somewhat faded and he pinched onto the sleeves and said, "The cuffs on your sleeves are sticking out a bit, take it off and have someone iron it."
Xie Ying clapped his hands and a young manservant waiting in the veranda entered upon hearing his command. Cui Xie pressed against his sleeves and replied, "This is not urgent, I can ask people at home to iron it later….."
Xie Ying said, "Later, you will be having a meal and it is inconvenient to wear such a robe. I have a few garments that were made for me when I was younger and I never ended up wearing them. Put it on and it'll be more convenient to wear at home."
At that time, it had been just when his father had passed away and any brightly colored clothes had been buried to the bottom of the trunk. Cui Xie's current figure was about the same size as Xie Ying back then, so he should be able to fit into them.
Xie Ying ordered someone to iron the clothes and then had Cui Xie change behind a screen. He then took Cui Xie's large robe, which had been roughly tailored and shrunk by an unknown number of inches, to be re-sewed and ironed. One didn't know what kind of coincidence it was, but the clothes consisted of a crimson plait-lined robe sprinkled with gold flecks and a pleated skirt-like hemline scattered below in addition to a sleeveless white jacket on top as well.
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This was the first time Cui Xie had worn such a free flowing hemline and it was so fashionable that he didn't even know how to walk. It always felt like the skirt was catching the wind as he walked and he could not help but drag the hem of the skirt downwards, whispering and sighing, "This type of dress is truly for nobility, us ordinary people are not used to wearing it ah."
Xie Ying watched him from the side, his lips unhurriedly curving upwards: "Looks quite good, can't find another person so good-looking in the capital."
Footnotes:
A new branch would grow out of a knot (idiom): side issues keep arisingBack
Gu Changkang or Gu Kaizhi: A celebrated Chinese painter and politician. He wrote three books about painting theory and in one of them he wrote: "In figure paintings, the clothes and appearances were not very important. The eyes were the spirit and the decisive factor."
Chapter 79
When it was almost noon, Xie Ying instructed the kitchen to prepare some vegetable and meat dishes, as well as fetch the sorghum wine he had brewed at home.
He said to Cui Xie, "My worthy little junior, this was made using the wine brewing recipe that you gave me back in Tongzhou. I asked people in the farmstead to experiment and ferment the wine for more than half a year. I also had some of the wine buried in the dirt to ferment for more than a year. Drinking it, it is much more mellow and rich than the one that was sent to you previously. Unexpectedly, it is hard to bear the taste when it is used during cooking, but for drinking, it is better than the liquor from the South and the capital. It is both sweet and rich. I don't know who came up with such a brewing method."
This was a recipe from the late Qing Dynasty, of course it would be superior to those in the early Ming Dynasty.
Cui Xie gave a forced, hollow laugh and responded, "Anyways, it is not a recipe from our Great Ming, it is from somewhere else. Isn't there the saying that there are immortals in the sea[1]? Naturally, compared to the ordinary wine brewed by wine shops, it is much better."
Nodding his head, Xie Ying took a small jar of wine, peeled away the mud seal from the jar and poured the wine into a small goblet. He then pushed it in front of Cui Xie, "Today, inviting worthy little junior Cui to drink the immortals' wine and eat the immortals' meat."
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A young manservant brought out a bamboo platter divided into eight different dishes to accompany the wine. It housed fresh plums, tender cherries, caramelized eggplants, sprouted melon, Tianmu bamboo shoots, fish in a ginger, vinegary jelly, stuffed chicken and dried waterfowl jerky.
After a while, the main dishes were gradually served, one by one. The first was a pig's head that was braised to the point the flesh and bones had melted and the seasonings used inside had been neatly scraped off. One could only see a strip of glistening skin floating in a thick red sauce and the fatty meat had been steamed to a transparent strip of meat. Then, there was pork knuckle steamed with wine and soy sauce manufactured during the autumn harvest, a Sichuan style sautéed chicken dish with chestnuts and bamboo shoots, homemade Crucian carp that had been pan fried on both sides, an eight-treasure tofu dish simmered with fragments of fowl and ham as well as a turtle that had been cooked alive…. [2]
Besides a small white gourd simmered in jasper's bird nest, which was a bit more precious, the rest were all home-cooked dishes, nothing too extravagant or rare.
Xie Ying personally used his chopsticks and placed a meat cutlet onto Cui Xie's plate, "Try this Sichuan pig head, the tingling fragrance is very strong. When my late father had been in office in Sichuan, the cooks learned a few things from there. They use more Sichuan cardamom pods and it has a one of a kind flavor distinct from the braised pork made in the capital."
Suddenly learning that the other's father had passed away, Cui Xie's heart soured and he felt that Colonel Xie and him were fellow sufferers that empathized with each other. But, with his current identity, he could not pat Xie Ying on the arm and say 'Actually, I am also an orphan' like in modern times. He could only raise his cup and say, "I did not know honorable da-ren had already passed away. To have opened old wounds and worries for Xie-xiong, this is my fault…."
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He was about to punish himself with a cup, but Xie Ying stopped him, "I brought up this matter myself, what are you guilty of? As warriors, how can we smoothly live to a ripe old age? Besides, my late father was a hero who sacrificed his life to pacify the Miao rebellions[3]. It is an honorable thing to be remembered by later generations, no need to be broken-hearted…."
Xie Ying's voice slowly dropped and he poured himself another cup of wine to drink, sighing, "Good wine. This liquor brewed with glutinous rice indeed has a stronger and denser fragrance than typical liquor brewed using moromi[4]."
Cui Xie silently accompanied him for another cup and following the other's line of conversation, he talked about brewing wine: "Actually, that kind of steaming process that uses already fermented wine to brew liquor is also quite useful. Pour the brewed liquor in it and distill it several times. The distilled liquor will be too strong to drink, but it can be used to disinfect wounds, so that the wound will not fester in pus and heal quickly."
Xie Ying replied, "Actually, this liquor is already very strong. I have seen people use it to clean wounds and they do indeed heal quicker. Why distill it more intensely and then not be able to drink it? Have you tried distilling it before?"
Cui Xie vaguely answered, "When I drink this liquor after a sip, my throat burns hot and I feel faint with blurred vision. To drink that kind of wine that has been steamed and distilled repeatedly, which means it is even stronger, would it not burn my tongue and turn it mushy? Thinking about it, I know that I cannot drink it. But, since brewed liquor is good for healing wounds, it must be that the stronger the alcohol content, the stronger its medicinal properties. To be able to impede pain, it must be good for the body."
Xie Ying laughed slightly and said, "So that is the logic. I will ask someone to get a distiller to try it out later." As he spoke, he reached out, enveloping the wine cup in one hand as he brought it directly to the edge of the table. He then instructed the servants, "Bring some freshly brewed Taoyuan wine for Young Master Cui to taste."
The newly brewed wine had yet to have the second round of wheat germination, so the purified liquid seemed to resemble sweet rice wine. One did not need to be afraid of being intoxicated even after drinking a lot of it.
Cui Xie suddenly went from sorghum wine to alcoholic beverages, so he was a bit bolder as he drank. He readily took sips from the goblet and one could drink a small half jar without needing food. Xie Ying picked out a ripe plum for Cui Xie, cutting it open with a small silver knife and scraping out the pit. Placing it on Cui Xie's plate, he told him to try it.
Cui Xie fiddled with the plum and nipped at it. Seeing the table full of dishes, he easily returned the gesture with some congealed fish jelly and placed it onto Xie Ying's plates using his chopsticks.
He was wearing new robes and was constantly afraid of staining it with grease. Cui Xie would pull up his sleeves for a little bit or hold the hem of his clothes. Xie Ying could not help but chuckle and said, "These garments are old. If it wasn't for the fact that I only wore it for a brief period of time at home, I would be embarrassed to give it to you. If these clothes get dirty, then just let it get dirty, why are you pulling at them? Just eat with peace of mind."
Such good robes, which were still brand new, how could it be thrown away? Cui Xie felt the drooping sleeves and said, 'It is just that the material hanging here is not very nimble. I will make you robes with tightly fitting sleeves, with the outside binded by leather arm protectors. It will be especially easy to move around in and make one feel vigorous. If it becomes stained with grease, do not just discard it. Use very well-distilled liquor and rub it on the grease stain. It will be easy to wash off after a little rubbing."
Alcohol was really a useful thing, he would have to distill a few bottles and keep them on hand at home for later use.
The Xie Clan's title of Colonel was a hereditary title inherited by later generations and there was some considerable family property. It was just that after Xie Ying's father's death, there was a time when income had been a bit less, but it was not to the degree of learning life wisdom from poverty or experiencing the sharp vicissitudes of fortune. Hearing such small life know-hows from Cui Xie, he only felt that the other had led a poor life before. He warmly stated, "Once our residence has distilled some wine, I will ask someone to send you a few jars. You do not have any wine at home or distillation equipment, so it will be inconvenient for you to make it yourself."
At this time, Cui Xie was thinking of how to make the clothes and did not pay attention to his expression, replying with a grin, "How can I do that? I also have some wine at home and originally wanted to use the distillation equipment to distill flower dew. To change it to distilled wine, it only requires a few different accessories to modify the equipment, nothing more. "
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Distilled flower dew?"
Surprised, Xie Ying inquired, "You can distill flower dew? On the itemized gift list you gave me, you distilled those bottles of flower dew yourself?"
Cui Xie replied, "That is not true. It is just that I read in a book that some people would distill flower dew in the Southern Song Dynasty. Yesterday, after hearing from one of our residence's shopkeepers that a vase of Japanese rose water from the Western Regions actually cost a dozen taels of silver, I was frightened! Actually, that bottle is full of distilled Japanese rose dew. One can collect dew drops from roses, jasmine or osmanthus and other such fragrant flowers to produce flower dew. If we made our own, it would not be too expensive and a few taels of silver would be enough to make a large pitcher."
Hearing that a bottle cost more than ten taels of silver was too frightening. Why did he bring over so many vases as gifts?
Xie Ying did not know what to say to him for a while, so he just shook his head, "Then don't ask someone to fetch the equipment. I will ask my people to find the person who made the wine distiller for me and make a set of copper distillers for you."
Cui Xie was about to stand up from his seat, "How is that right, how can I let you spend money!"
Lips curving upward, Xie Ying said, "Why can I not spend money? Don't you call me Xie-xiong? As the older one, it is not much to make a steamer for his younger junior. Besides, once you make the flower dew, won't you give me a few bottles to use?"
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That's right. This was not a one-sided deal. In the future, there would be many more exchanges and such thin streams would flow forever. [5]
Cui Xie set his bottom back on the seat, rubbing the tip of his slightly red nose, "Then I will slowly experiment, Xie-xiong must not feel anxious. If it can truly be made, I will bring some for you to use to wash your face and bathe in."
Naturally, it was improbable that Xie Ying would actually wipe flower dew on his body, but he simply encouraged and supported the youngster's venture.
He also called for someone to add a few dishes for Cui Xie and he himself slowly enjoyed cherries with wine. While eating, he asked Cui Xie how he was doing after returning to the capital and whether he needed to manage business at home or not. Speaking of business, he suddenly recalled seeing Cui Qi and Ji Du whom he had met in the Flower Hall earlier. As such, he asked, "Those two also accompanied you in your return to the capital? Will you open a bookstore in the capital in the future?"
Cui Xie had yet to think everything through and propped up his chin with one hand, "The family has three shops, none of which make much profit. I want to convert one of them to become a bookstore. The two of them probably visited me regarding the accounts of the study back in my hometown. I wanted to visit Xie-xiong, so I brought them together."
Xie Ying said, "It is better to be in the capital. Qian'an is too remote and it takes a few days before a printed book can be shipped to Beijing. You also are slow to release new books while there are those who are eager to read them. Now that you have family and assets in the capital, and have more hands now, it will be easy to open up a new shop. Besides, you are a person whom the Emperor has seen before and was specially enrolled into the Imperial College. No one dares to bully you even if you have no official title."
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How could the Emperor Chenghua know of the son of a five-rank official living in the countryside. Colonel Xie must have been behind this!
Fervent ideas welled up in Cui Xie's heart. He poured himself a glass of liquor and stood up to make a toast, "To have made it this far, it is all thanks to Xie xiong's assistance. I can only present this cup of wine to express my heart."
Slowly downing the wine, he turned the bottom of the cup upside down, his eyes burning brightly and gleaming, sincerity spilling out from his eyes. Xie Ying also picked up his cup and drank it, nodding slightly: "Enough. If you drink anymore, you will be drunk."
Cui Xie nodded along with him and sat back in his chair. He honestly confessed, "Actually, I am already a little drunk. I always forget that I am sixteen now and cannot drink like men in their twenties."
Xie Ying could not help but laugh and softly ordered a young manservant: "Remove Young Master Cui's wine and replace it with granulated ginger soup to dissipate the effects of alcohol."
The Xie Residence's hangover soup did not work very well. Upon his departure, Cui Xie was still somewhat dazed and even forgot to change his clothes, so he brought back several sets of Xie Ying's old clothes.
The Assistant Shopkeeper was sitting in the carriage and looking at Cui Xie's unclear and disorderly gaze, he worriedly inquired, "Just how much did Young Master drink? Can he still manage the accounts? This subordinate has brought all of the accounts from home and Tongzhou for this month. If the Young Master cannot read it, he can take it back. This subordinate and Cui Qi can stay at the inn for two days and wait until you've read the account before going back."
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Cui Xie felt that he was still clear of things in his heart and after focusing looking at the inner wall of the carriage for a while, he replied, "No need. Bring the money, I will sober up after counting."
Ji Du took out the silver taels hidden away underneath a wooden panel in the carriage and let Cui Xie count a couple of times through. Occasionally, rays of light penetrated through the curtains, shining on the silver so it was shining white in front of Cui Xie's eyes. His mind gradually swirled and he suddenly pushed away the silver and grabbed Cui Qi to say, "You must not leave. I painted a new portrait and Little Shopkeeper Ji can take it back to Qian'an for me. You can tell Shopkeeper Ji and Cui Yuan to come to the capital to see me; Pengyan can….now that Laoye is gone, I am in charge of the Cui Residence now. How about you stay and learn to paint with me and learn how to do business in one of the family's shops?"
Footnotes:
There are immortals in the sea: there is always better things outside of what you know, you never know what is out there that is mystifying and new.
Note: Most people don't eat pig brains or turtles as traditional Chinese food. There are some parts of China that eat more extreme items, but in daily life, this is pretty unrealistic and I think the author just meant to show how rich/well-off Xie Ying is considering how many diverse dishes he was able to serve a guest.
Miao rebellions: a series of rebellions of the indigenous tribes of Southern China against the Ming Dynasty, from the 14th to 15th centuries. The Ming defeated the rebels with overwhelming force.
Moromi: main mash for sake fermentation – a mixture of rice, rice-koji, water and yeast.
Thin streams flow forever: work steadily at something little by little.
Chapter 80
Assistant Shopkeeper Ji and Cui Qi escorted Cui Xie home.
The Cui Residence all knew that Cui Yuan and his son had been banished to Qian'an with the Eldest Young Master but they had been released from servitude upon their return and had even earned a shop front. In the past, just hearing it about had been nothing, but upon seeing Pengyan, this young manservant, wearing a newly made long gown and soft headwrap, dressed very decently and striding through the gates like a guest, the servants of the residence, from top to bottom, were full of envy in their hearts—
They had spent half of their lives in the Cui Residence and hadn't even earned a few roof tiles or a few lumps of earth. That father-and-son pair had not been very proud of themselves at home and now after being with Eldest Young Master for a few days, astonishingly, they had become good men with a home and a business! In the future, this little brother Pengyan would marry and give birth to a plump boy, in a few years, wouldn't he become a rich moneybags?
They were extremely envious and their hearts seemed to have been ignited with fire, feverish with heat. They hoped that the Eldest Young Master would continue to be in charge of the residence for a few years so they would also be able to follow suit and earn the next family business.
Assistant Shopkeeper Ji did not get as much attention. In his life, he had visited the Cui Residence once with his father and was driven away before they could take the money. The rest of the people in the residence did not even recognize him and just regarded him as a general shopkeeper brought by Cui Qi. Cui Xie did not explain his identity and only said that he was Assistant Shopkeeper Ji from Tongzhou, who had come to the residence to discuss business. He ordered people to send some items into his bedroom and then clean out a courtyard for the two guests to reside in.
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Now that he was the top dog in this residence, even if he was not as strict and did not demand exact compliance with instructions as Xu furen had, there were still servants who scrambled to curry favor with him. A few young manservants vied to clean up the courtyard and some clever ones went to the kitchen on his behalf to ask for refreshments. Cui Xie ordered people to move the contents of the carriage into his own courtyard and then had them wait outside the courtyard before leading his two confidants into the small study.
Right now, it was about the time for the two elders to take a nap, so there was no rush to pay their respects and the matters regarding the accounts could also be delayed. The most important thing was to let the two of them look at the different colored portraits and ask if the artisans would be able to understand it.
Cui Xie took out the two newly drawn portraits from the storage tube and unfolded them for the two of them to review together.
Ji Du looked at the portrait, which was divided into small sections with very fine ink lines and each piece was assigned a color as well as drafts of the before and after printing with color for reference. He continuously nodded, "This portrait is too detailed. In truth, all of the artisans have become familiar with the printing method and they should be able to figure out how to print it by looking at the paintings from Young Master. Even if it cannot be done at once, once they engrave a few more woodblock versions and color it repeatedly, the result will be top-notch. Young Master is busy with other affairs, so it is better to do less."
Shaking his head, Cui Xie explained, "If I do less, the artisans will have to mull over it more. First, it will take time and second, it may not be what I am looking for. Now that I am in the capital, it takes about five or six days to go back and forth. If they cannot get the desired result, they cannot just find and talk to me about the problem immediately. If the printing is amiss, it will be worrisome for both sides. It is better for me to separate out the sections and color it myself, so as to save trouble in the future."
Cui Qi hurriedly added, "I can help da-ge draw! What I drew was based on your portraits when I learned to draw with those artisans! I don't dare to say anything else, if one uses thin paper and copies the outline, it will be about 70 to 80 percent similar. I can also color it. Won't it save you a lot of work?"
Cui Xie pinched the tip of the youth's nose and said, "Good Pengyan, da-ge will depend on you from now on."
Cui Qi's face turned slightly red from Cui Xie's pinching and he droned, "Da-ge is drunk, I will ask someone to make you sobering soup."
Cui Qi pulled that hand away, turning around and running to the kitchen. The neatness of his actions were because he was much more familiar with this residence than Cui Xie. Cui Xie leaned into his reclining chair and watched him leave, shaking his head as he smiled, "This little youngster is really fast, don't know what kind of hideous mess of a medicinal soup he is making again?"
He had just drank a bowl of bitter and salty medicinal soup at the Xie Residence, but the sobering effects were not very good and he was unable to even count the silver efficiently.
Ji Du saw that Cui Xie's expression was still a bit sluggish, so he persuaded, "Young Master should take a break first. After sleeping, can we discuss matters then?"
Cui Xie waved his hand.
There was still a pile of portraits he had yet to draw. Where would he have the time for a nap?
Not to mention the new garments to be made for Colonel Xie, manuscripts for the 《Six Talented Scholars and the Three Kingdoms》needed to be completed. Each book could be printed with five chapters and each chapter was to be accompanied by two large pictures that spanned two pages. When important figures entered the scene, one needed to draw a front or side-profile whole body portrait. In the future, they could be printed for the dress-up kits. After the painting of Wo Long (Zhuge Liang) Pays a Condolence Call was finished, he would have to properly draw a painting of Xiao Qiao in mourning. In the next chapter, Ma Chao would enter the scene and he needed to create a large painting of Ma Chao[1]. Then there were two famous scenes of Ma Chao leading troops to avenge his father and Cao Meng De cutting his hair to touch the head…..
After mentally deciding which scenes to draw in his mind, he asked Assistant Shopkeeper Ji to remain in the residence for a few days so he could take them away once he was finished.
Ji Du was thinking of the business in Tongzhou and smiled, "Then it is fine if Cui Qi stays in the capital. This subordinate is in Tongzhou and it only takes a few hours to enter the city. After checking the accounts, I will head back first and pick up the portraits once the Young Master is finished."
"I almost forgot that you are in Tongzhou, I thought you had come all the way from home."
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Cui Xie also laughed, but his gaze was fixed on something in the air and seeing this, Ji Du could not help but persuade him to nap for a while. However, Cui Xie just kept saying he was not drunk at all: "Then you can stay for the night and wait for me to check the accounts. Send some clever clerks to the capital when you go back."
When Ji Du heard the Young Boss' orders, he immediately raised his spirits and no longer urged Cui Xie to take a nap—if you wanted to persuade him, one would have to listen to what he has to say first. If he was truly intoxicated, it was not too late to persuade him later.
Cui Xie looked at the white wall on the side and although he looked sluggish, after careful deliberations, he analyzed, "We have three stores in our family. I see that business is not doing very well and the accounts are full of nonsense. The shopkeepers do not admit to the truth in front of me. Summon some people to visit them to check out the goods and real prices of the three stores and see which product sells the best. Hire a few beggars to count how many people come in and go on the main streets outside the stores every hour, how many people enter the store, as well as the peak and low times of customer flow….."
At first, Ji Du just listened, but after hearing all the things he had never even heard of people doing or what use it had, he was afraid he would be unable to remember it so he hurriedly took out the charcoal pencil and notebook he was carrying on his waist, swiftly writing everything down. With great difficulty, while Cui Xie took a break to drink a few sips of tea, Ji Du quickly wrote down a few characters only he could understand and seized the moment to write down the next few sentences. He then looked up and asked, "Young Master, what is the use of recording these down? I really do not understand."
These were the items needed for a company's market research in modern times, not to mention the shopkeepers of the Ming Dynasty, even entrepreneurs during the Industrial Revolution did not understand it.
When Cui Xie worked temporary jobs regarding investigation and research, he often needed to watch for these types of things. Now, fate had changed direction and revolved. He was now a boss that needed others to do those same duties. There was indescribable happiness in his heart, and he mysteriously chuckled, "Don't understand it now, once you obtain the data, you will understand it. At that time, I will teach you…"
This boss of yours still has so many statistical methods, analytic tables, line charts, histogram, pie chart, bar chart and other such data visualization methods just waiting to teach you. In the future, once you transfer to the capital, you and Pengyan can work together to make a manual ppt….
Looking at Cui Xie's shiny eyes, Ji Du actually felt a slight chill at the back of his beck and he could not help but rub his neck, cursing at himself: why are you so bothered by this sentence! The Young boss was a student in the Imperial College, a child prodigy acknowledged by the Emperor, could it be that his knowledge cannot compare to a mere shopkeeper?! Whatever he wants you to do, just do it, if you don't understand it, then can the Young Boss possibly not understand it?
Ji Du clenched the book tightly, got up and said, "Young Boss still has other matters to attend to so I will return first and wait for your summons." He only waited for Cui Xie to agree before he swiveled around and ran out of the courtyard. When he walked out, he almost bumped into Cui Qi, who had returned back with hangover soup. He did not stop and ran away as if he was being chased by a dog.
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Cui Qi looked at the disappearing figure in bafflement, shook his head and entered the room with the soup.
What the cook had prepared for him was not medicinal soup, but crucian carp stew sprinkled with some aromatic vinegar and green onions. It smelled dense and savory. It was a pity that Cui Xie had just returned from the Xie Residence after eating a hard meal. At present, even if shark fin's soup was served, he wouldn't be able to taste anything so he just gurgled it down like medicine. Pressing the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, he said, "The taste is alright. If you weren't full from lunch, go get some rice to eat. I will start painting, no need to hurry to attend to me. "
Cui Qi replied: "Then I can help you grind ink and mix colors?"
No….although he planned to draw the Three Kingdoms, there was a more urgent portrait that needed to be done first. Drawing that type of painting needed references that required him to shut himself in a small dark study to draw by himself, otherwise he would be deeply embarrassed.
Cui Xie blushed slightly and shook his head, "I have to figure it out myself, you are dismissed. I will probably finish the painting by nightfall and at that time, I will take you to pay respects to Grandmother and Grandfather and inform them about the matter of you staying here."
Cui Qi didn't dare to disturb Cui Xie's proper business so he left with the empty bowl and closed the doors.
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Cui Xie bolted the doors from the inside and spread the paper, grinded the ink and pre-mixed the alum sealant. Then, he sat down at the table, closed his eyes to open the hard disk and clicked through the folder History – Chinese History – Ming Dynasty – Ming Dynasty – Set in Ming Dynasty before finally finding 《New Dragon Gate Inn》.
Great, with this, he did not have to go through the pile of 《Golden Vase xx》in the "Ming Dynasty Porcelain" folder.
The flying fish python robes in New Dragon Gate Inn were considerably close to the original style, but the cuffs were tighter than the ones in the Ming Dynasty and the waist was form-fitting. The two sides of the hem did not have the piece that unfurled outwards, rather, it smoothly and freely spread out from the waist, lining one's waist and made the legs look long, which highlighted one's figure.
Colonel Xie had yet to reach the status of being able to wear the flying-fish python robe[2], so these robes would not be made with cloud shoulders, decorated sleeves and knees[3]. It would still be very good-looking if one were to use draping gauze and muslin adorned with flowers. Decorative golden brocade contrasted against crimson materials would be used to make the yesa while a protective snow-white collar would be placed around the neck. Then, a wide black leather belt with gold was to be tied around the waist. Jade-colored Jacquard weave damask pants would be worn underneath the yesa and finally a pair of black sheepskin boots would complete the set.
In fact, a white yesa would look good too. White garments matched against a black cape seemed to contrast better than red garments, maybe he should just make one more set?
While his heart was thinking "maybe", he had already drawn the white set with his brush. He didn't know how to paint Ming Dynasty clothing designs so he just drew three full-body portraits of a faceless man wearing a robe, outer jacket, and outer jacket from the front, side, and back. Since the brocade would have its own woven gold embellishments, only an outline needed to be drawn for this portrait. No color needed to be laid and it did not take much effort to draw.
He used the movie as a reference for an entire afternoon and in the evening, he finally finished drawing the garments and accessories separately. He had a headache and droopy eyes and wished he could just climb into bed to sleep. But, someone knocked on the door and asked in a low voice, "Does da-ge want some dinner? You have been locked in there for an entire afternoon and didn't use any refreshments. I am worried you will be hungry earlier than usual."
Hearing that it was Cui Qi's voice, he opened the door and pulled him in, covering his yawn and saying, "No need, I have been so busy that I did not feel hungry. Since it is not dinner time yet, come meet Grandmother and Grandfather with me so we can inform them about you staying here in the future."
He dragged little Cui Qi with him, swaying out in a floating manner. The truth was, it was actually Cui Qi who supported him the entire way for fear that one of his Eldest Young Master's strides would be too small and he might accidentally trip on the ground.
Fortunately, there were no mishaps along the way and they walked to the main hall safely to give their greetings to the two elders. Old Song furen had not seen Pengyan for a long time and was somewhat happy upon seeing him. She smilingly asked, "Did you come back from Qian'an? How is the family doing? Didn't your father say you have opened a shop and can do business well?"
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Cui Qi beamed, "Thanks to Old furen's fortune, everything is fine. My father's business was opened thanks to Young Master's help/ Otherwise, with our family being servants, in such an unfamiliar place like Qian'an, how could we have the ability to start a business."
Old furen thought that he was referring to borrowing Cui Que's influence as an official and Cui Xie's status as an Imperial College student and she smiled lovingly, "That is because your father is willing to endure hardship and work hard."
Cui Xie also praised the father and son, "It is the father and son pair who helped me a lot. Without them earning money outside, how could I study with peace of mind, become a Little Tertiary Winner and have the Emperor's special grace to enter the Imperial College? Now that I think about it, Cui Qi is still young. If he studies at home with me and works in our store, he will have a whole set of skills when taking over his father's store in the future. It could be considered as not having accompanied me in vain."
Old furen did not treat Pengyan like an outsider and hearing Cui Xie say becoming the "Little Tertiary Winner" was something the father and son pair had helped with, she felt that the pair had toiled and made several contributions. She smiled even further, "You can arrange this however you want. Set up a courtyard for little Qi-ge to live in and treat him like a relative to walk around with."
She then turned to Cui Qi: "You too, you still have to invest money in your business, why are you still making clothes for Xie-ge? This family can still afford a tailor, there is no need for you to supplement it. Alas, the material is very good and it fits our Xie-ge quite well…"
A handmaid waiting upon the Old furen on the side made fun and added: "Isn't that right, as soon as da-ge entered, I thought it was a golden child from the celestial heavens who graced his presence to our residence. These garments contrast well, the material is good and the lines made all over the body are good….to make such robes, I am afraid that it costs more than ten or two silver taels. Shopkeeper Cui is truly kind."
Cui Qi quickly explained, "This is not what we did, it was one of the Jin (Jinyiwei)….."
"It is from one of this grandson's former benefactors and friends." Cui Xie patted the back of Cui Qi's hands and moved closer to the Old furen, "It was that Xie da-ren who saved me by pre-destined coincidence and often sent things to help me. Originally, he was in the capital and I was in Qian'an, so it was not convenient to meet him. Today, I brought some gifts to see him, but didn't think I would end up accepting a few sets of clothes from him."
When the Old furen heard the word "save", she immediately set aside the clothes in her mind and hurriedly asked Cui Xie when he had been in danger. Cui Xie dared not tell her he had been held as hostage at knifepoint, so he said, "When going to our ancestral home, I fell ill. Xie-xiong hired a physician for me and I was able to go to Qian'an safely."
As soon as he mentioned his return to the ancestral home, the Old furen recalled how he fell ill and could not help sighing: "Your father….."
Cui Xie held her hands and comforted, "This grandson is already fine now, let's not mention matters of the past. However, Xie-xiong has saved me several times and even gave me a gift today. I plan to make him a few sets of clothes as a gift in return."
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Old furen sensibly agreed, "That is natural. Since the other treated you with sincerity, no need to be stingy with the costs, just use whatever money we have. If the money in our public coffers is not enough, I always have some private assets on hand."
Lips opening to reveal a smile, Cui Xie said, "How can I ask my Grandmother to repay back the favor for me? I must pay it back personally to show my sincerity. Our residence still has enough money for a month or two, but I am afraid it will not be enough to invest in the stores. Seeing that the shop was urgently asking for money, this grandson decided to close it first and exchange it for some silver to use it for something else."
Hearing about the store and silver, the Old furen got a headache and massaged her temples, "Don't tell me this, as a old woman, I don't understand such economic affairs. You are the Eldest Young Master and grandson. From now on, this store will be yours. Keeping the store open or not, it will be according to you, no need to ask others."
Cui Xie sat at her feet, cuddling her legs with the side of his body, sighing, "I am just afraid that when father returns and sees that I have lost our forefather's assets, he will be unhappy. Moreover, my father is a Clearist official, but Xie-xiong is a Colonel in the Jinyiwei. I am afraid that if he knows of my dealings with Xie-xiong, he will blame me for damaging our family's dignity…."
His brows furrowed, his eyes slightly red from drawing for so long and it gave the impression that he had been gargantuanly wronged. The Old furen was distressed and did not know what to do, so she put her arms around his neck and said, "What forefather! Isn't it just store bought using your Grandfather's money? Your Grandfather will let you sell it if you want to sell it! Besides, what happened with the Jinyiwei, when the Colonel came to our residence to announce the decree, not only were they majestic and dignified, they also announced the Emperor's imperial edict!"
The Old furen had selectively forgotten how the Jinyiwei had forcefully arrested her daughter-in-law and paralyzed her second grandson out of fright. She pouted, "Aren't the Jinyiwei also officials used by the Emperor and isn't Majesty quite affectionate in using them? As I see it, they are not much different from those Clearist officials. He has also saved you. If you ignore people for the sake of your reputation, then what kind of people does that make the Cui family?"
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Footnotes:
Ma Chao: Chinese military general and wordlord who lived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms Period. He was one of the Five Tiger Generals under Liu Bei.
In the Ming Dynasty, the flying-fish python robes could be worn by a handful of civil officials, military officers and chief eunuchs.
Cloud shoulders, decorated sleeves and knees:most typical decoration of auspicious clothing in Ming Dynasty.
