Chapter 72: CH 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.”

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…..”

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….

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!”

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.

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.

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.”

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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?”

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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:

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