dognovel Chapter 1621 The change is too fast
Chapter 1621 The change is too fast
Cui Gaoyi's sedan chair rolled over the thick snow and finally stopped in front of the gate of Cui's mansion.
The stone lions on both sides of the gate were mostly covered with snow, leaving only their ferocious faces exposed, looking very eerie in the night.
The housekeeper had already been waiting at the door with a group of servants. When he saw the sedan chair arriving, he hurriedly opened his oil-paper umbrella and went forward to greet it.
"Master, you are finally back!"
The housekeeper took the hand warmer from Cui Gaoyi and said with worry in his voice, "The wind and snow are getting stronger and stronger. I am worried..."
"Cut the nonsense!"
Cui Gaoyi ripped off his snow-covered cloak and threw it to his servant, his eyes flashing coldly. "Immediately gather all the Cui family members in Luocheng and hold a meeting in the ancestral hall in half an hour! Remember, everyone!"
The housekeeper had never seen the master of the house look like this before. He nodded repeatedly in fear and turned around to order the servants to pass the message everywhere.
Cui Gaoyi strode through the three courtyards, his boots leaving deep marks in the snow.
The lanterns on both sides of the corridor swayed in the wind, lengthening and shortening his shadow, just like his fluctuating emotions at the moment.
Inside the Cui family ancestral hall, dozens of bronze oil lamps had already been lit, illuminating the huge hall.
In the incense burner in front of the ancestral tablet, three sandalwood sticks are burning quietly, and green smoke is rising.
Cui Gaoyi stood in front of the portrait of his ancestors, his back to the gate, his hands behind his back, his knuckles white from the exertion.
The sound of footsteps came from outside one after another, and important figures from each branch of the Cui family arrived one after another.
They looked at each other, wondering why the head of the family had to urgently summon the entire clan so late at night.
As soon as the last person stepped through the threshold, Cui Gaoyi said in a deep voice, "Close the door."
The heavy door of the ancestral hall creaked shut, keeping the wind and snow out.
Cui Gaoyi turned slowly and swept his eyes like a knife over everyone present.
The hall was so silent that even the sound of breathing could be heard clearly.
"Everyone!"
Cui Gaoyi's voice was hoarse and heavy: "Tonight I received a message from the Wang family - the Chu Emperor, Chu Ning, wants to annex our Great Zhou Dynasty."
The ancestral hall was instantly in an uproar.
"what?"
"This is impossible!"
"My Cui family has been loyal for generations. How can we sit idly by and watch the Zhou Dynasty fall?"
An old man with white hair and beard slammed the table and stood up, his voice trembling, "Master, is this true? Will Her Majesty allow the Chu State to act so presumptuously?"
Cui Gaoyi sneered, "Empress? She'd love it! Did you know that Princess Xiuning is actually her and Chu Ning's daughter? Now that this matter is made public, it's paving the way for the merger of the two countries!"
These words were like cold water poured into hot oil, and the ancestral hall suddenly became boiling.
The young generation of the Cui family members all blushed. A young man in a brocade robe suddenly stood up and slammed his fist on the table:
"This is too much! My Cui family has been operating in the Great Zhou for hundreds of years. How can we surrender it to the Chu State? Patriarch, why don't we unite with other aristocratic families and rise up in rebellion!"
"Yes! Rise up!"
"Kill that lunatic Chu Ning!"
"The worst case scenario is that the fish will die and the net will fall apart!"
The shouting continued one after another, and the crowd in the ancestral hall was filled with anger.
Cui Gaoyi watched coldly and noticed that several older elders of the clan remained silent with frowns on their faces.
One of them kept twirling Buddhist beads with his fingers, while the other kept wiping his forehead with a sweat towel.
After the noise subsided, Cui Gaoyi slowly spoke: "I am very pleased with your generosity, but..."
He deliberately dragged out his tone: "Tonight, Chu Ning met with Xiao Hongde and Wang Yan separately."
The ancestral hall suddenly became quiet.
Everyone knew what this meant - the Emperor of Chu was dividing the eight major families.
"I then went to their house to test them."
Cui Gaoyi continued, his voice growing deeper, "That old fox Xiao Hongde is very tight-lipped, but Wang Yan did tell the truth."
Cui Gaoyi paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping across every tense face. "Chu Ning promised the Wang family that if they supported the merger, not only would they retain their existing interests, but they would also be allowed to trade with the Chu family."
You can hear a pin drop in the ancestral hall.
The young man who had just clamored to start a rebellion now turned pale and slowly sat back in his seat.
The beads in the hands of the elder suddenly broke, and the sandalwood beads rolled to the ground with a crackling sound.
"This... this is a strategy of division!" a middle-aged man said in a trembling voice, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.
Cui Gaoyi sneered: "Yes, Chu Ning wants to win over some and attack others. Once the merger is complete, those opposing families..."
He made a motion of wiping his neck.
The temperature in the ancestral hall seemed to drop suddenly.
The wind and snow were howling outside the window, as if the Chu cavalry were approaching.
Everyone remembered how terrifying Chu Ning was—the illegitimate son who conquered five countries in seven years, the tyrant who executed the entire family of his opponents.
"Why aren't you talking?" Cui Gaoyi asked sarcastically, "Weren't you all very vehemently opposed just now?"
Everyone bowed their heads and remained silent.
The oldest elder finally spoke, his voice hoarse: "Master, is there no room for maneuver in this matter?"
Cui Gaoyi sighed, "The Empress has made up her mind. Now we only have two options. Either we fight to the end or find a way to assassinate Chu Ning and the Empress."
"Either give in and compromise, and strive for the greatest benefit."
"Assassination?"
A young man's eyes widened in horror. "That's the Emperor of Chu! He's surrounded by so many experts. Even if we succeed, how could the million-strong Chu army let us go?"
"Yes, I heard that the Jinyiwei of the Chu State are omnipresent. Any unusual movement on our part will be noticed."
"Wasn't the entire Li family of Zhao State executed because of a failed assassination attempt?"
“Even three-year-old children were not spared.”
Fear spread like a plague in the ancestral hall.
The young people who were so passionate just now now looked pale, and the elders exchanged worried glances.
Finally, a round-faced middle-aged man spoke cautiously: "Master, since the Chu State is willing to give benefits to the Xiao and Wang families, if we support the merger, can we also gain enough benefits?"
This sentence was like opening the floodgates, and everyone echoed:
"That's right! Our Cui family has so many businesses, and the State of Chu also needs us to stabilize the situation!"
"Merger is not necessarily a bad thing. At least it can preserve the family business!"
“It’s better to go with the flow than to perish together.”
"I heard that Chu State has a prosperous trade. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to expand our business."
Cui Gaoyi watched coldly as everyone's attitude changed 180 degrees, feeling both ridiculous and sad.
This is the way of survival for the aristocratic families - in the face of absolute power, so-called loyalty and integrity are nothing more than bargaining chips.
"So, you all agree to support the merger?" Cui Gaoyi asked lightly.
Everyone nodded and expressed their agreement.
The young man who had initially called for an uprising spoke loudest now: "Master, be wise! He who knows the current situation is a hero. There's no need for our Cui family to be buried with a cause that is doomed to fail!"
Cui Gaoyi's mouth curled up in a sarcastic arc, but he quickly regained his composure.
He straightened his clothes and said in a deep voice, "Since that's the case, I will go to the palace to meet the Empress."
"Now?" The housekeeper was surprised. "It's snowing hard outside. Why not wait until tomorrow?"
"Wait?" Cui Gaoyi interrupted sharply, "If we wait any longer, the Xiao and Wang families will snatch all the benefits! Prepare the sedan chair!"
Everyone quickly stood up to see him off, with fawning smiles on their faces.
Cui Gaoyi strode towards the entrance of the ancestral hall, then suddenly stopped and said without turning back, "Remember your choice tonight. If someone accuses the Cui family of betraying their master and seeking glory..."
"That's what the situation forces us to do!" everyone said in unison.
Cui Gaoyi sneered and pushed the door open.
The wind and snow immediately rushed in, blowing out several nearby oil lamps.
The light in the ancestral hall flickered, reflecting faces that looked either frightened or calculating.
When Cui Gaoyi's sedan chair drove into the wind and snow again, the gate of Cui's mansion slowly closed.
Inside the ancestral hall, everyone was still gathered together, whispering and discussing how to maximize the interests of the family in the upcoming changes.
In the incense burner in front of the ancestral tablet, the three sandalwood sticks have burned out, leaving only a wisp of green smoke that dissipates in the cold air.
And in various places in Los Angeles, similar scenes are being played out in the mansions of various aristocratic families.
The wind and snow that night were destined to change the pattern of the Great Zhou Dynasty for hundreds of years.