Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examination Ch. 129

Chapter 129

After forty strikes, Cui Heng’s buttocks were swollen and bleeding profusely. Cui Xie instructed Steward Sun to have him carried back to his quarters and summoned a physician for treatment. He then asked the Old furen to rest while he accompanied Qin-shi and his cousin for dinner.

Although their household lacked delicacies such as ginseng, abalone, shark fin, or fish maw, they offered a selection of fashionable Beijing dishes—stewed lamb, lamb soup, duck, and goose, among other dishes. They also served cured meats like ham and dried scallops that the Xie family had sent previously, paired with their own distilled sorghum wine, making for a feast that was quite impressive.

Despite his young age, Liu Yunshou could drink quite well. Savoring the wine, he remarked, “This is better than the wheat beer we drink on the border. I did not expect such good beverages in the capital. We must take some back when we return.”

This wine was home-brewed by the Xie family, not something available in the market. A glimmer of pride flashed in Cui Xie’s eyes, which he quickly concealed as he replied with a smile, “This is a good friend of mine’s home-brewed wine, better than most store-bought varieties. I still have two jars left, but it may not be enough for all the uncles and cousins. I will ask him for a few more jars for you tomorrow to take back.”

Qin-shi said, “How can we let him give it to us for free? We have brought plenty of silver this time. It would be more convenient to buy a few more jars from him.”

Cui Xie shook his head with a smile. “He’s a Colonel in the Jinyiwei, and the wine he brews is for personal consumption. He would not accept our silver. Don’t worry, Auntie and cousin, I will personally ask him for more wine. He is not a stingy person and won’t refuse.”

A Colonel in the Jinyiwei…

Liu Yunshou could not help but draw a sharp breath—connections in the capital were indeed extensive! No wonder their Liu family, with such temperament, only had a minor altercation with the Cui family after his aunt’s difficult delivery. They never really managed to do anything substantial to the Cui Laoye.

Qin-shi, equally astonished, asked, “I never heard your father knew someone in the Jinyiwei. When did he start associating with them?” If he had such a strong backer, it wouldn’t be easy to have the Third Master send someone to Yunnan to teach him a lesson. Who knows how far the Jinyiwei’s investigations could reach…

Cui Xie explained with a smile, “My father is a man of pure character and of the Clearist faction, naturally not acquainted with the Jinyiwei. I inadvertently got involved in a case and was fortunate enough to be saved by Colonel Xie. That is how I came to know him. Later, when Xu-shi falsely accused an official, he was the one who adjudicated the case, and I was a witness. We have met several times since then. He appreciates the paintings and calligraphy I send, and often reciprocates with gifts. So, we do have a certain rapport.”

How could such a youth establish a friendship with such a da-ren in the Jinyiwei? Qin-shi, hearing this, widened her eyes in surprise. She then recalled his talent in painting, which could be seen in his mother-and-child portrait and nodded in understanding and admiration, “Your artwork is indeed excellent. Anyone with an eye for beauty would appreciate it.”

Liu Yunshou, however, was less interested in calligraphy and painting and more intrigued by something else. He scrutinized Cui Xie up and down and excitedly inquired with twinkling eyes, “I remember now,  when I was about to hit that wretch earlier, you intercepted me—your movement and stance resembled the training we receive in the military barracks. Did you learn that from Colonel Xie? I have not yet had the chance to appreciate the martial arts of the capital. Would cousin like to spar a bit?”

Qin-shi lightly slapped her nephew’s head, scolding, “What nonsense are you spouting? Your cousin is a scholar, not someone who can compare to a brute like you who has been practicing martial arts since childhood.”

Cui Xie, already aware of Liu Yunshou’s strength from his earlier interception, smiled and shook his head: “Two years ago, I befriended the son of Xingzhou’s Right Commander Wang and learned some martial arts from him back at my hometown. It should be quite similar to what the Liu family practices? It is not a unique skill of the Jinyiwei. I do have swords and bamboo sticks at home. If cousin wishes to practice, there are weapons available, though the courtyard is a bit small.”

Liu Yunshou exclaimed in delight, “Really can practice? I thought scholars had strict rules about not doing this or that, only sitting at home reading and studying. Can we practice tomorrow morning?”

Cui Xie laughed, “There are many people in my courtyard. I will have the weapon rack moved to the guest courtyard, and we can practice there in the morning before I head to the College.”

Qin-shi took her nephew to the side and admonished him a bit more, telling him not to disrupt Cui Xie’s studies. She then turned to Cui Xie, “Do not spoil him too much. We came to see how you are doing and cannot stay long. These few days, try not to let him cause too much trouble. We need to return home to sweep the family graves and pay respects to our ancestors and your mother before the New Year. Next time, your cousin can stay longer and visit you properly.”

Although this was the first time Cui Xie met the Liu family and he did not possess any real blood relation with them, he found interacting with them refreshing and straightforward. There was no need to carefully navigate their relationship, it felt natural and close.

He stood up and respectfully bowed, sincerely saying, “I might not be able to return at the end of the year. Please, Aunt, and Cousin, visit my mother’s grave on my behalf. I am deeply grateful.”

Qin-shi hugged him tightly, affectionately saying, “As your aunt, of course, I will visit my sister-in-law’s grave. Shou-ge should also pay respects to his aunt on behalf of his brothers. What are you thanking us for?”

Yulin was more than a thousand miles from Beijing. Even if they traveled non-stop by carriage, it would take at least twenty days. With another trip to their hometown, their time in the capital was indeed limited. In these few days, Cui Xie woke up early to practice martial arts with his cousin, and after finishing his studies at the Imperial College, he spent time accompanying his aunt and cousin around the city. He also arranged for them to watch the Three Kingdoms play he had organized and the popular《Journey to the West》, promoted by Gao Su at the West City Theater.

Qin-shi bought numerous fashionable clothes and accessories, and from the Cui cosmetics shop, she purchased rouge, eyeliner paste, the new peach blossom eyeshadow, and purple powder eyeshadow. When checking out, Cui Ting refused to accept her money, but she insisted on paying, supporting her nephew’s business.

Cousin Liu, however, was less interested in cosmetics and more fascinated by the theatrical plays. After watching 《Journey to the West》, he was excited all afternoon, wielding a bamboo stick around the courtyard, and even late at night, he scurried over to Cui Xie’s courtyard, eager to spar with his cousin.

At that time, Cui Xie was feeling mentally exhausted from preparing for the monthly exams, relieving stress by creating examination papers from the 《Great Announcement Compiled by His Majesty》 for Cui Heng. Cousin Liu burst in from the outside, energetically calling him out to practice martial arts, startling him and causing his hand to pause in motion, resulting in a heavy ink blot to drip on the paper.

Liu Yunshou also jumped, worriedly looking at the prominent ink spot on the paper, asking, “Did I ruin your writing? I did not mean to, please don’t be angry, cousin…”

Looking down, he realized that the paper looked like a scripture or article, but not quite a scripture or article. But rather something resembling exam questions—some questions were left blank in the middle, some with a few words appended, and others with a large blank space at the end, seemingly reserved for answers…

Curiously, Liu Yunshou asked, “What type of examination is this? Could it be that my cousin has started setting questions for the students at the Imperial College? That would be quite impressive!”

Cui Xie laughed, “No such thing. I just make some questions for my younger brother to keep him occupied since he is disobedient But these papers are quite effective. Heng-ge used to be very unruly, but after doing just over two inches of a stack worth of these questions, he calmed down. It was only on the day you arrived, seeing so many people, that he tried to act up again.”

Cousin Liu looked at the paper, filled with questions that seemed like heavenly scriptures to him, and his lofty ambitions of ascending the sky and becoming like Sun Wukong suddenly deflated. He gazed at his cousin with newfound respect, laughing awkwardly, “Cousin is amazing. I can recognize the characters, but I would not be able to answer these questions. That you can come up with these…”

Previously, he had a protective feeling towards Cui Xie, but after seeing these questions, he felt that his cousin’s presence was towering and majestic at the moment. Quickly, he advised, “Do not let Aunt see this! The adults at home  are all dissatisfied with the fact that all of the sons in our generation have become military men and also wish at least one of us would go for the Imperial examinations. If they find out you are so good at managing people, they might make me switch to studying for the Imperial examinations exams, and then I would be done for!”

Liu Yunshou even hid his bamboo stick behind his back, shifting nervously back and forth as if he were back in front of his school instructor.

Understanding the common fear of students towards their teachers, Cui Xie put the papers away and took out some finely crafted prints adorned with heroes from the Shu Han period. He asked which designs he liked and how many outfits he wanted for himself and his brothers.

Liu Yunshou scratched his head, whispering, “Aunt said not to ask you for such things. You are just a child yourself, and your life is not easy, and these are items not easy to use at home…”

Seeing him eye the Zhao Yun-themed print eagerly, Cui Xie chuckled softly, “I am already sixteen and running this household as its head, I am no longer a child. Leave your measurements here, and I will find out your brothers’ sizes too. I will have some new outfits made for you all, with designs you cannot even find in the capital. When you and Aunt go to the graveyard, the tailor will have them ready by then, and you can take them back home to my maternal relatives for me.”

After all, Liu Yunshou was young and pampered and did not truly understand what the livelihood talked about by the adults meant. In the end, he could not resist the temptation. After some hesitation, he eventually chose a snow-white martial robe.

However, he could not make armor, the Cui family simply did not have the skills to produce such items.

Cui Xie measured his cousin’s physique and then instructed Shopkeeper Ji to inquire about the sizes of the four elder cousins. From his hard drive, he went to the War folder – Ancient Times –Wetland battles and with his newfound knowledge of historical armor and warrior attire, he designed an elegant white robe with an overlay of light muslin, perfect for a chivalrous hero. He stayed up late to draw the three-view diagrams and asked Cui Liangdong to take the designs to Tailor Yu to sew according to the new patterns.

Tailor Yu looked at the design for a while, imagining how the finished product would look. He happily accepted the task but feigned a complaint to Cui Liangdong, “I thought Young Master Cui was too busy to remember our small shop. Though the last outfits were great, look around outside; aren’t all the shops copying those designs now? I am from a small family and our little shop doesn’t get as many customers with the big stores copying us, and I was really hoping for some new designs from the young master.”

Cui Liangdong laughed, “You jest, Tailor Yu. Did your family not just open a new shop in the Southern Gate district? Our Young Master was worried you might have too many customers now and would not be able to make time for our order.”

Delaying anyone else’s order was possible, but not that of the original designer. Tailor Yu assured him wholeheartedly, escorting him out the door, then immediately called his apprentices to study how to draft patterns and sew the new designs, eager to release the new styles.

Qin-shi stayed at the Cui Residence for four or five more days before she needed to return to her hometown for ancestral worship, taking her nephew along. They planned to stay at Lulong Garrison in their hometown for a couple of days and visit the late Liu-furen’s grave in Qian’an, which would take at least five or six days round trip. Cui Xie took the morning off to see the Liu family off, sending Shopkeeper Ji along, and asked Cui Qi to temporarily manage the shop in the elder man’s absence.

That evening, after his studies, instead of staying for supplementary lessons, he headed straight to Xie Ying’s residence.

Since his younger brother’s return, Cui Xie had been cautious about being watched and having their affair potentially exposed by personnel from the Depot and Guards. Hence, he had refrained from meeting Xie Ying openly. This time, his visit to request wine provided a legitimate reason and he could head to the residence with a clear conscience!

The Xie Residence’s doorman was surprised to see him, hurriedly took his invitation, and led him to the flower hall. Shortly after, Xie Ying emerged from the main courtyard, pausing at the hall entrance to look at him for a moment, as if to fully take in the sight before stepping inside to ask, “Why has my dear Cui-xiong suddenly come to visit?”

He had stood still in silence before, but now, walking swiftly, Xie Ying reached Cui Xie just as the other was rising to bow in greeting, catching his hand before it could reach his chest. Their ten fingers intertwined involuntarily, the wide sleeves of their scholar’s robes falling to cover them as they walked back to their seats together hand in hand.

A young manservant of the Xie family brought in fresh tea and snacks. Holding his teacup, Cui Xie gently rubbed the rim with his fingers, his eyes lingering on Xie Ying, as if he was tracing those lines on Xie Ying’s hand. He smiled and said, “My aunt and cousin came from the frontier a few days ago and praised your home-brewed wine during dinner. I am shameless and could not help but come personally to ask for a few jars to take home for them.”

Xie Ying looked down at Cui Xie’s hands, took a slow sip of tea, and smiled, “It is just a few jars of wine. You could have sent a servant to fetch them. Why bother coming yourself? Now that winter has set in, the weather is gloomy and cold. It is not like the pleasant days of spring or autumn where one can enjoy outings.”

He instructed the servants to add more braziers and bring a hand warmer for Cui Xie. Once they had left, he touched Cui Xie’s frostbitten ivory cheek, saying, “How could you be so careless with yourself? Many roads in the capital are icy. What if a carriage had slipped and you got hurt?”

Cui Xie leaned into his hand, rubbing his face against it, smiling, “Does the colder weather not show my sincerity? I did not just come for the wine. Mostly, I wanted to see you.”

Warmth spread through Xie Ying’s chest, his palm heating up as he caressed Cui Xie’s cheek, the warmth spreading. It had been hard to meet due to the possibility of being watched by the Depot and Guards, making this rare moment precious. Xie Ying did not want to miss it. He placed his other hand on Cui Xie’s face as well, gently rubbing his cheeks, “It’s only for now that it is  inconvenient. Next time, I will come to your residence.”

Cui Xie grasped his hand, sighing, “Who knows when the next time will be. Commander Gao had Shopkeeper Ji come to inform me that they want to borrow him to help design effects for a new play being rehearsed in the Imperial Palace.”

Knowing Cui Xie’s talents well, Xie Ying realized that both the Selection of the Five Beauties of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West were his ideas, although executed by others. Was Gao Su merely borrowing Shopkeeper Ji, or was he trying to take up Cui Xie’s time?

Already busy with his studies, Cui Xie did not need additional work, would this not wear him out? Xie Ying’s brows crinkled slightly, cupping Cui Xie’s face, he advised, “Palace performances are no small matter, often involving grand setups and lavish arrangements. Even without filling the stage with fragrant smoke and incense, they use pyrotechnics to create divine illusions. The Imperial Music Bureau can handle most of it; you only need to point them in the right direction and offer some guidance. Do not overexert yourself. With how cold it is getting, the cold weather can easily lead to illness in a disadvantageous situation. It is important to take care of your health.”

Cui Xie, his eyes fixed on Xie Ying, listened attentively and nodded with a smile, “I will not go see him or oversee their arrangements. How exhausting would it be? I will just write a proposal based on the script they give me, and they can choose what they like.”

Xie Ying leaned closer, kissing him on the forehead, whispering a warning, “Be careful. In this cold, do not run around too much. If you really fall ill, I’ll take you to my farmstead to recuperate, and you will not be allowed to leave all winter…”

His breath tickled Cui Xie’s forehead, tickling him so much that it caused him to tilt his head back slightly, his whole body shivering. He wanted to promise he would not get sick, but Xie Ying’s lips pressed down and silenced him.

Cui Xie swallowed the words that were swirling on his tongue, turning them into a deep, lingering sigh.

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TN: Have a good rest of your week everyone and enjoy the chapter hehe 🙂 I love how wholesome Cui Xie’s cousin and aunt are! Be happy and stay safe ❤

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