How to welcome the emperor and the empress really made the Cui family headache. The process is fine. The Cui family has received the emperor. Although it is not many times, even if it has only been experienced once, the whole family will not forget it for decades. The question is how much pomp should be presented this time.

The head of the family Cui Hong is burdened with a heavy burden, so he can't seem too festive, but yesterday the Empress Dowager just visited her relatives with great fanfare, so the Cui family didn't want to appear shabby than a group of country people.

Just as the family was discussing excitedly, the queen sent a message from the palace, asking that everything be simple and not to prepare any luxurious things specially, pouring a basin of cold water on the whole family. Cui Hong was able to speak at this time. After seeing the queen's letter, he agreed very much and even asked to put away some of the original things in the mansion. Most of the slaves moved outside the mansion to temporarily stay, leaving only a few people on standby.

The Ministry of Rites and the eunuchs in charge of the palace were very satisfied with this arrangement because it could reduce a lot of trouble for themselves.

Cui Hong ordered that the whole family could only obey, but only the two dared to express their dissatisfaction publicly.

One is Cui’s mother Laojun, "This is not the first time our family has received the emperor. If we don’t say it is getting better and better, it can’t be worse than before, right? The queen is my granddaughter, and the emperor is my grandson-in-law. Just like a family, yesterday was reunited, and today is also reunited, so why does our family have to keep everything simple? Look at this, it’s not like welcoming the emperor. People who don’t know think there is a funeral in the mansion."

Cui Hong was barely able to speak, but couldn't get up in bed. When he heard his mother talking like this, he was so amused and crying. After explaining patiently for a while, Laojun finally stopped making trouble. It was not because he was convinced, but because he felt sorry for his son's body and did not want him to speak more.

Another person who was dissatisfied was Cui Teng, but he did not dare to talk nonsense in front of his father, so he could only complain to his mother and relatives, "My father quelled the rebellion and killed the enemy for the court. I followed His Majesty to live and die, and the Queen was in the palace... This ended from time to time. Your Majesty knew very well in his heart and was very grateful and would never make things difficult for our family. My father and sister were too cautious. If I asked me to tell you, it was time to show our family's prestige when the Wang family had just arrived in the capital and gained a foothold. I don't believe it. Your Majesty is closer to the Wang family than the Cui family."

My mother couldn't persuade him, and many cousins ​​didn't dare to persuade him. The more Cui Teng said, the more he felt reasonable, but he didn't dare to disobey his father's order. He just sighed and went back to his room to rest.

The Cui family married him a wife. She came from a famous family and looked very beautiful, but Cui Teng was not interested and stayed in another person's room every day, as if they were newlyweds.

Zhang Qinyan could not speak, and her piano sound could not impress Cui Teng, but she had her own way to make this man reluctant to leave her and would respond to her requests. She lived alone in a cross-yard, and the maids around her were all selected or bought by her. There were more than ten people, teaching them to play the piano and to please Cui Teng.

Cui Teng was obsessed with this woman to the point of being crazy. He had indeed been through life and death in Jincheng to protect the emperor. After returning to the capital, he was not rewarded and still took a free position and served the emperor. But he had no complaints about this, because the emperor had already given him the most precious reward.

He even learned to understand Zhang Qinyan's sign language, and he could gesture a few times himself, and often forgot that the other party could hear him speak.

The night before the emperor arrived, Cui Teng used gestures and nagged in the bedroom for a long time.

Zhang Qinyan is a famous listener. No matter how confused Cui Teng said, she listened very seriously, occasionally signaling her maid to pour tea and water to quench his thirst.

As he spoke, Cui Teng's anger was mostly relieved and he smiled and said, "You should understand me and understand me, not like others, as if I complained that I was disloyal to the emperor. Is my relationship with Your Majesty that fragile? There are so many people around Your Majesty, and I dare to tell a few truths like a friend. Those of the King of Donghai are His Majesty's slaves, and they are not even considered ministers."

Cui Teng's aura was rising again, and Zhang Qinyan snuggled over and pointed at himself.

Although the action was simple, Cui Teng immediately understood what she meant and said in surprise: "Do you want to see the emperor?"

Zhang Qinyan shook his head and made several more gestures.

"Do you want His Holiness to see you?" Cui Teng was so arrogant that he felt that he had a good relationship with the emperor, and was also surprised.

Zhang Qinyan smiled slightly, and some words were hard to express with gestures. She wanted to write pen and paper and wrote four words: Private banquet for a relative.

Cui Teng suddenly realized, "Yes, the thing that shows that the Cui family is favored by His Majesty is not that the imperial guards come to the door, but that His Majesty is willing to meet me in private and drink. No matter how the Wang family is, they will pay homage to the emperor under the supervision of the Ministry of Rites. It is just lively on the surface. But... it's a bit difficult. His Majesty's itinerary is very full tomorrow. It's too difficult to make some changes. It requires the consent of the Ministry of Rites and the palace."

Zhang Qinyan smiled slightly, Cui Teng's face turned slightly red, as if he was caught bragging, "Anyway, I will bring Your Majesty. You don't have to worry about other things. Just show your talent to please Your Majesty."

Zhang Qinyan nodded and snuggled to Cui Teng again, but Cui Teng pushed her away and said vigilantly: "What I mean by the secret is playing the piano, not anything else."

Zhang Qinyan's eyes flashed, then lowered, Cui Teng fell without resistance, "You can only leave your true abilities to me. Even if His Majesty exchanges the whole world, I don't agree."

The next morning, the entire Cui Mansion began to make final preparations for the reception, clearing the streets and opening the main door. The guards and eunuchs in the palace were also conducting final inspections.

The dragon and phoenix chariot was stopped in the courtyard. Except for Cui Hong, the Cui family knelt in the courtyard. More than a dozen tribe members had lived in the mansion the day before yesterday, just for the kneeling today.

Because the empress arrived, many female relatives also came out to greet her. Mrs. Ping'en was the most proud. She participated in the empress dowager's visit yesterday and went back to her parents' home to pick her up today. She was very good at everything, making her feel that her hard work over the years was worth it.

Zhang Qinyan is not among them, she is not yet a formal female member of the Cui family and is not qualified to show up.

The rules must always be followed. Han Ruzi and Cui Xiaojun accept the kneeling and bowing, and Liu Jie, the chief supervisor of the Central Office, sent an order to calm down. At this time, the chief steward of Cui's mansion in the backyard came to say that the general was going to get up to pick him up. The emperor first asked Cui Teng to go back and dissuade him, the second was Liu Jie, and finally Zhang Youcai, who conveyed the holy intention three times in a row, so that the general was lying on the bed, and Cui Hong was rewarded with "trepidation and tears of gratitude."

On a short period of time, the emperor and the general responded many times, and the historians who were mixed in the crowd wrote quickly and wrote down all the words without any mistakes.

The room was full of fragrance to expel the previous medicinal smell. Meng E came to check in advance as a palace maid and confirmed that there was no sign of poison here.

Cui Hong's face was pale and looked thinner. As soon as he saw the emperor and the empress, he immediately struggled to get up. Cui Teng and Zhang Youcai hurriedly held him down, and the emperor asked the general not to be rude.

There was only a chair in front of the bed. The emperor sat down, and the queen Cui Xiaojun stood beside him, looking at her father with tears in her eyes, just a simple condolence, and I can't say much for the time being.

The emperor also had a set of rules when visiting ministers, but it was not under the jurisdiction of the ritual officials, so the emperor had to understand it on his own.

Han Ruzi didn't ask anyone, and based on some fragments recorded in history books, he figured out what he should say.

Let’s talk about the assassin first. When the assassin was captured, the general’s injuries gradually healed. The emperor not only wanted to denounce the rebels’ boldness, but also praised and thanked the general for his various contributions to the country. It was these contributions that led to his assassination.

Cui Hong naturally wanted to thank the emperor for his kindness, and when he couldn't continue to say anything, his son Cui Teng would do it for him.

Once the conversation begins, the following conversation is much simpler. The Cui family has the obligation to guide the topic, so when it comes to injuries, weather, and the emperor wants to reward him again. Cui Hong declined again. After a while, he took a step back. The Cui family accepted some gold, silver and cloth and transferred it to relatives and friends in the clan. He only left a little of his own family. As for official titles, he would never ask for them anymore.

Rules are still beneficial. At least Han Ruzi, as the emperor, would not feel embarrassed and almost forgot his former hostile relationship with Cui Hong.

As respect, Han Ruzi also asked one more thing: "The general is seriously ill and the Chu army has no generals. If there is any reason, who can replace him?"

Cui Hong, the general, was not very in charge of the affairs. He was still in charge of the Southern Army. He never gave up his position as the Grand Sima of the Southern Army. He heard the emperor's inquiry and seriously recommended three people, two veterans plus one Chai Yue.

Han Ruzi also talked about the battle between Yunmengze and the East China Sea bandit suppression, and Cui Hong also made some suggestions, believing that the emperor’s arrangements so far are flawless and not inferior to famous generals in ancient and modern times. There is only one thing that requires caution about the thief’s dying struggle.

Han Ruzi felt an impulse in her heart, and she wanted to mention the Nanjun and ask who was qualified to take over as the Grand Sima, but he held back and the queen stood by her side. There was really no need to destroy the friendly atmosphere carefully created here.

After the last time he comforted the general to recover from his injuries, the emperor's duties were fulfilled. He stood up and left, leaving the queen to talk to his father. That was a real conversation between father and daughter, and was not bound by the rules in the palace and court.

Walking out of the room with a strong fragrance, Han Ruzi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, wondering why he was no longer a puppet, why he still had that familiar feeling: the emperor was just a tablet that could walk and speak. One day when the tablet became quiet, he could be sent directly to the Taimiao to place it.

Cui Teng was with the emperor and led his group to the hall to rest. He had to have lunch at Cui's mansion later. Then the emperor had to visit the general again, and the whole process was officially over.

This is the result of simplification. If the emperor and the queen spend the night here, the etiquette of coming and going will be more complicated.

There were not many people around the emperor, so Cui Teng took the opportunity to step forward and said, "Your Majesty is bored if you leave the banquet. Do you want to listen to a song or something?"

Han Ruzi shook his head. He was not interested in listening to music, but only occasionally listened to Zhang Zhuhe playing the piano.

"There is no need to sit here. Although Cui's Mansion is small, there are several views. Do you want to see it?"

Han Ruzi has been to Cui Mansion several times, but has never visited it carefully, and is actually not interested. Seeing Cui Teng’s face full of enthusiasm, he nodded and replied: “Okay, it’s winter now, and there is still a scenery in your house?”

"Of course, the scenery in spring, summer, autumn and winter is different, but the Cui Mansion has declined in one season." Cui Teng was very happy, thinking that this was a god-given opportunity to please the emperor. (To be continued.)8
Chapter completed!