Chapter 78: Is There Such a Thought
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Chapter 78: Is There Such a Thought?
The Chang family, which has never had strict family rules, also lacks heavy, rigid customs. Since Cui Jing and Wei Shuyi are both familiar with Chang Suining, and though they are in the same hall, they each have their own small table to eat at, Chang Suining does not avoid them and has lunch with everyone at noon.
As the head of the family, Chang Kuo sits in the main seat.
At the lower seats are the esteemed guests, Cui Jing on one side and Wei Shuyi on the other.
Further down are Chu Xing, Ah Dian, and several other veteran seniors with experience in the military.
In this order of seniority, Chang family's son and daughter are seated at the very end.
Seeing that they are about to sit close to the entrance of the hall, Chang Suining unconsciously looks at Chang Kuo's position, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
Chang Kuo raises his glass to toast the guests, and Chu Xing and the others follow suit, lifting their wine cups.
Sitting opposite, Chang Sui'an leans forward and tells Chang Suining, “Ning Ning, I had someone switch your wine to fruit wine. You should try it first; if it’s still not to your liking, you can have honey tea.”
Chang Suining looks at the fruit wine in front of her and nods.
She remembers her days in the military when she would drink strong liquor with the soldiers, earning the reputation of being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.
Though the claim of a thousand cups is a bit exaggerated, she never thought that one day she would fall to the point of only being able to drink fruit wine.
She raises her cup and drinks the fruit wine in one gulp.
“How is it, Ning Ning?” Chang Sui'an asks quietly.
Chang Suining answers honestly, “...It’s very sweet.”
Chang Sui'an grins, “Right? I specifically had someone add honey for you.”
Faced with this affection and pampering from her brother, Chang Suining can only say, “Thank you, brother.”
“Let’s eat!” Chang Kuo's voice booms, filled with enthusiasm. “General Cui and Tenth Young Master Wei don’t need to be formal; just treat it like home!”
During the meal, Chang Kuo raises his glass several times.
Wei Shuyi also frequently toasts, alternately honoring Cui Jing and not forgetting to bring up Chang Kuo, teasing Ah Dian to drink more, showing that he is quite persistent in getting Cui Jing to drink.
Cui Jing rarely speaks, and while facing Wei Shuyi's incessant chatter directed at him, he appears somewhat indifferent and disdainful. However, he accepts the wine that is offered to him without refusal.
Watching them clink glasses and drink merrily, Chang Suining stays clear-headed, not daring to drink much of the fruit wine.
After all, her body is not what it once was, and it's better to be cautious; her former reputation should not be tarnished, and her dignity in this life should also be preserved.
Thus, she drinks only half a jug of fruit wine and focuses on eating meat instead.
On the other side, facing Wei Shuyi's compliments, Chang Kuo laughs, saying, “...Not at all! I'm just an old soldier! And Tenth Young Master Wei is still young, with a truly limitless future ahead!”
He had just said the same thing a moment ago.
Chang Suining understands.
Ah, he’s already seven parts drunk.
The signs of Old Chang getting drunk—the beginning of repeated phrases.
He starts to urge everyone, “Come on, come on, as promised, we won't go home until we're drunk; let’s keep drinking!”
Chang Suining looks around the hall, realizing that anyone present seems more sober than Chang Kuo—
It seems that in the end, the only one who won't go home drunk is him.
“Thud!”
Suddenly, a sound comes from the opposite side. Chang Suining looks up and sees Chang Sui'an collapsed on the table in front of him, unconscious.
Chang Suining: “...”
She spoke too soon.
Chang Kuo waves his hand dismissively, “Take him away!”
As Chang Sui'an is helped away by the servants, Chu Xing and the others hold up their wine cups more cautiously, not daring to drink too much—after all, if they all fall down one by one, what face would the general's residence have?
With Chang Sui'an out of the picture, the banquet is nearing its end.
Children are always restless at the table; Ah Dian has long wanted to leave and now sneaks over to Chang Suining's side, crouching down and whispering, “Little A Li, let’s go to the garden to feed the fish?”
Feeling that the hall is a bit stuffy, Chang Suining puts down her chopsticks and stands up to say to Chang Kuo, “Father, I’ll take Ah Dian out for a walk.”
Chang Kuo, his face flushed from drinking, smiles even more warmly and affectionately, “Go ahead, go ahead.”
“Won’t Tenth Young Master Wei come with us?” Ah Dian asks Wei Shuyi. “Let’s see who can skip stones further!”
Earlier, when they were drinking, Wei Shuyi had jokingly said that he was also quite good at skipping stones—
Chang Suining originally wanted to pull Ah Dian away, but unexpectedly, Wei Shuyi smiles and agrees, rising leisurely, “General Chang, I will take my leave first.”
Chang Kuo laughs heartily, “Tenth Young Master Wei is leaving already? The wine isn’t finished yet!”
“I have a low tolerance for alcohol. If I drink more, I fear I will lose face, so I concede first,” Wei Shuyi smiles as he bows, his gaze landing on Cui Jing. “I, Wei, am useless; this important task can only be handed over to general Cui.”
Chang Kuo laughs heartily, “Tenth Young Master Wei is too modest!”
But he doesn’t insist any longer.
Though he loves to drink and treats his guests warmly, he is not someone who will relentlessly press others to drink at the table.
Wei Shuyi then leaves the table with Chang Suining.
Once outside the dining hall, seeing that Wei Shuyi seems about to speak, Chang Suining, not wanting to be probed, takes the initiative, “Tenth Young Master Wei, weren’t you going to drink with general Cui and reminisce? Why did you follow me out?”
“One must know when to advance and when to retreat,” Wei Shuyi sighs. “It’s been two years since we last met, and Cui Jing’an’s alcohol tolerance has grown; it seems I cannot get him drunk anymore. If I don’t show some sense, I’m afraid I’ll end up being dragged down with him.”
In the end, he adds regretfully, “It’s a pity, I still haven’t seen Cui Jing’an drunk.”
“Don’t say you haven’t seen it; I haven’t either,” Ah Dian chimes in. “They all say that Xiao Jing is just like the prince; neither can get drunk!”
Wei Shuyi, however, smiles and says, “I have seen it, and it was quite amusing.”
“However, that was a long time ago when we were still children…” As Wei Shuyi speaks, he lightly hisses: “Perhaps I’m the only one who has seen him drunk... He might have been planning to silence me since then.”
Ah Dian is enlightened: “Is that why Xiao Jing doesn’t like Tenth Young Master Wei?”
Wei Shuyi laughs in surprise.
Chang Suining can’t help but nod—indeed, he is very much disliked, even Ah Dian can tell.
“Well, that’s not entirely true…” Wei Shuyi suddenly opens the folding fan in his hand, revealing nothing on it. He smiles and says, “Cui Jing’an doesn’t like me, probably because I have something he doesn’t.”
Chang Suining blurted out, “You talk too much?”
Wei Shuyi snaps the fan shut with a “pa” sound and taps it on her head: “Not at all—”
Chang Suining stares at him in disbelief.
This person actually dared to hit her on the head?
Afraid that he really drank too much.
"Cui Ling'an's mother passed away early, and his father has been strict with him. He doesn't like to obey and was born with a rebellious nature, making him not very likable at home... While my parents, though somewhat eccentric, have never forced me to do anything." Wei Shuyi sighed and shook his head. "Perhaps because of this, although we had similarities in our childhood, we gradually developed entirely different personalities."
This was what he had, but Cui Jing did not.
Chang Suining remained noncommittal.
People's temperaments are different, their desires and paths varied, and yet one's birth and parents are not something one can choose. This can lead to an insurmountable gap that even makes them feel like enemies. However, under the constraints of propriety, filial piety, and social norms, it’s hard to sever these ties—
Just as Wei Shuyi said, he was fortunate to have good parents, a harmonious and relaxed family atmosphere, and no one to restrict him.
But Cui Jing did not have this luck.
She didn’t have it either.
Chang Suining looked ahead.
But fortunately, she had severed those ties cleanly, though the process was like carving bone.
"But there is one thing that Cui Jing'an has, and I do not," Wei Shuyi said, squinting at the blazing spring sun.
Ah Dian looked in the same direction he was gazing. "Is it the sun?"
Wei Shuyi nodded with a smile, saying ambiguously, "General Dian is right, it is indeed the sun."
Ah Dian proudly puffed out his chest.
Chang Suining didn’t delve into what he meant. In contrast to Wei Shuyi, she did not enjoy probing into matters unrelated to her.
Wei Shuyi looked at her, seeming to want to speak.
Chang Suining preemptively said, "What does Deputy Wei think about who will succeed the position of Minister of Rites?"
Wei Shuyi smiled and shook his head. "This matter is not something I can rashly speculate on."
It was significant that the Holy Emperor chose to target the Pei family.
Thus, who would succeed Pei Min's former position as Minister of Rites was particularly important.
But it wasn’t solely up to the Holy Emperor.
Those aristocratic officials would not easily concede.
And if the Holy Emperor’s word didn’t count, he had even less reason to say anything more.
So he only sighed, "The court has been arguing about this matter for the past few days, and the Holy Emperor is quite troubled... There are many discussions."
"However... I never expected that Miss Chang would also be concerned about court matters?" He looked at Chang Suining with a smile, playfully asking, "I wonder who you think is fit for the position?"
This question directed at a young lady just coming of age sounded like a teasing joke.
However, Chang Suining was not offended at all. Instead, she replied confidently, "I believe it must be Lord Zhu."
Wei Shuyi raised his eyebrows slightly. "Lord Zhu? You must mean the Grand Tutor Zhu, who was once the teacher of the late crown prince?"
"Exactly."
Wei Shuyi laughed. "It seems that Miss Chang is somewhat knowledgeable about court officials. Do you know how old Grand Tutor Zhu is now?"
Without hesitation, Chang Suining answered, "He must be nearly seventy."
Wei Shuyi appeared somewhat surprised, but his smile remained. "Then you must also know that our officials retire at seventy?"
Chang Suining countered, "Isn't that just right?"
Not knowing what he thought of, Wei Shuyi's expression shifted slightly, and his smile faded somewhat.
After a moment, he asked with a smile, "Your perspective is quite unique... I wonder where you heard that from?"
Chang Suining glanced at him. "Do I still need to hear it from somewhere else?"
Wei Shuyi's smile faltered. "..."
It was the first time in his life he felt so offended.
Looking at the calm girl beside him, he smiled and said, "I had no idea that you had an interest in political affairs, Miss Chang."
Chang Suining remained noncommittal.
She had no choice but to be interested.
"If you have this ambition, you might as well enter the palace in the future and take the exam to become a female historian," Wei Shuyi said earnestly. "That way, you wouldn't be wasting your talents."
Chang Suining replied, "There's no need for that."
Wei Shuyi said, "Oh?"
"Although the current Holy Emperor is also a woman, there is only one woman in the court who truly has political power—Ming Nushi," Chang Suining said calmly. "It's not easy for women to hold office in the palace, and opportunities are scarce—"
There is a vast world out there; why would she fight over this small space with those who already have it tough?
Moreover, once in the palace, she would be restricted in many ways.
And now that her ability to protect herself was limited, even minor disturbances could lead to her being crushed. The true power struggles in the palace were not something she could escape from by merely having a fight like she did with Ming Jin.
Additionally, if she were to start from being a junior female official in the inner court, it would take at least a decade of accumulation to gain political power—
Too slow; she didn’t like it.
And serving Ming Hou was even less appealing.
She wanted to do what she liked.
"Not wanting to compete with women..." Wei Shuyi asked with a smile, "Does that mean you want to compete with men instead?"
"I never said that," Chang Suining replied, glancing ahead. Suddenly, she yawned and said carelessly, "I have no strength to compete with anyone."
She lifted her head slightly, feeling that the sun today was a bit too warm.
As they spoke, the garden was right in front of them.
Ah Dian entered the garden and began picking up stones, not forgetting to share some with Chang Suining as he led Wei Shuyi toward the largest pond in the garden.
On the other side, the banquet in the dining hall had already ended.
After Chu Xing and the others left, Chang Kuo pulled Cui Jing aside into the study, claiming there was something important to ask him.
"What does the general mean?" Upon entering the study, and finding no one else around, Cui Jing asked seriously.
Chang Kuo sat down in a chair and fell silent for a moment, just staring at him.
Cui Jing felt somewhat bewildered by the stare.
However, he was accustomed to being patient, so he allowed Chang Kuo to keep looking at him.
After a long while, Chang Kuo finally spoke slowly: "There are no outsiders here, so I’ll ask you, General Cui, do you have feelings for my daughter? Do you want to become my Chang family’s son-in-law?"
Cui Jing's expression was slightly surprised: "…?"
Clearly, General Chang had also eaten while drinking!
—How could he get this drunk?
"How could that be?" He answered without hesitation.
He even found it absurd, furrowing his brow in confusion. "Why would the general say that?"
Chang Kuo spread his hands. "Then why did you give half of the copper token to my daughter?"
He had known about this when he was at Dayun Temple but hadn't found the opportunity to ask Cui Jing directly.
Cui Jing explained honestly: "Miss Chang intervened on Ah Dian's behalf and fought Ming Jin, fearing there would be trouble in the future. Since she is a member of the Xuanzhe Mansion, it was my negligence. I gave the copper token as a small token of apology—"
Chang Kuo understood. "Oh... So that's how it is!"
He had originally thought that Cui Jing's act of giving a copper token was unusual, showing a proactive connection with others, not realizing it was simply a wish to avoid debt and entanglement—
"If the general finds it inappropriate, Cui Jing can take it back."
"There's nothing wrong with it!" Chang Kuo's brows and eyes relaxed, and with some regret, he said, "There's nothing out of line here; it’s really my daughter who is a bit too charming. I can’t help but think more deeply. I can't resist asking—this is something a father can understand, right, General Cui?"
Cui Jing: "…"
Clearly, he didn’t quite understand.
"In short, I overthought it. Don't take offense! I'll punish myself with a cup!" Chang Kuo said as he grabbed a nearby teacup and gulped it down.
With that cup of tea, he became even more intoxicated, smiling and asking, "But speaking of which, Ling'an, it’s about time you consider getting married, right?"
Goodnight, everyone~ (Today’s work was supervised by my cat! Let me show you my supervisor)
(End of this chapter)
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