After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 14

Crash the party?

He was actually right!

Gu Wanlan straightened her posture, a cold glint flashing through her eyes.

“Crashing the party? Tell me, was Young Master Wang, who ran out with disheveled hair and tears half a month ago, or Lady Zhao, who walked out of this society and threw herself into the river three months ago—did they receive such treatment because they came to ‘crash the party’?!”

Cui Li was choked with rage. He felt this woman was being utterly nonsensical! Was she hired by some rival house specifically to tarnish the reputation of their society?

“They were inferior in skill! It was out of their own shame that they acted so. What does that have to do with our poetry society?!”

“Inferior in skill… so everything that follows is no one else’s fault?” Gu Wanlan sneered, a trace of ruthlessness surfacing in her eyes.

“Naturally! If Lady Gu is unsatisfied and wishes to stand up for others, you should tell them to study harder and improve their own abilities instead of blaming others.”

Seeing that he had regained control of the situation, Cui Li lifted his chin slightly and flicked his fan open, striking the pose of a haughty, elegant noble.

“For the sake of the Protector Duke, I shall not lower myself to bicker with Lady Gu today. However, since Lady Gu has returned to Xijing, you truly ought to learn the meaning of etiquette and upbring—”

Whoosh—

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden gust of wind whistled past his left temple. The abrupt chill left him frozen on the spot.

Once he regained his senses and saw the pieces of broken silver Gu Wanlan was tossing in her hand, he exploded in fury.

“Lady Gu! You—”

Whoosh—

Another sound of breaking air, this time on his right. The distance from each ear was identical to the hair’s breadth!

Cui Li clutched his face and retreated in a panic. His companions finally snapped out of their shock and rushed to support him, shouting, “Gu Wanlan! Even as the legitimate daughter of the Protector Duke, you cannot strike people in public! Do you not fear making an enemy of the Cui family with such behavior?!”

Gu Wanlan tossed the silver up and down, looking perfectly innocent. “My apologies. I thought since I disturbed you, I should pay some silver as a matter of etiquette. I didn’t expect Master Cui to be unable to catch the money of a ‘weak woman’ like myself. However…”

“In the end, it is simply a case of being inferior in skill, which is no one else’s fault. Master Cui, do you agree with my logic?”

The scene went deathly silent. Cui Li and his group were too furious to speak. Meanwhile, the surrounding scholars from humble backgrounds had looks of realization on their faces.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t heard of the incidents Gu Wanlan mentioned—people driven to madness or the river. But in their hearts, they had always felt that debating scholarship was an elegant pursuit; if those people suffered such fates, it was because they were too weak.

But when Gu Wanlan used violence to pierce through that illusion, they realized… something felt wrong.

“You are clearly using sophistry!” Cui Li tried to salvage his dignity. “Our debates are based on back-and-forth exchange and rules! Yet you attacked when I was off guard! How can the two be compared?!”

“Heh. If the Rouran invaders come, do you expect them to give you advance notice?” Gu Wanlan’s sneer intensified, her aura becoming even more domineering.

“If we lose to the Rouran, will you simply stand by and coldly say we were ‘inferior in skill’?”

“Is it because you have spent your life lying atop ten thousand scrolls of books that you have forgotten how to empathize with the hardships of those who study? The bitterness of the poor scholar? How selfish! How cold!”

“I truly wasted my time coming here out of admiration! I disdain to be associated with you!”

Question after question hammered into Cui Li, leaving his head spinning. He didn’t understand how a simple literary debate had suddenly been linked to the Rouran invasion. He wanted to argue back, but Gu Wanlan gave him no opening, her words falling like a torrential rain.

By the time Gu Wanlan turned her sleeve and walked away with an air of righteous indignation, Cui Li’s face had turned paper-white. He looked up at the crowd of humble scholars. Their eyes no longer held fervent admiration, but only a bone-chilling coldness.

It’s over.

He had ruined everything. Though he focused on his studies and ignored state affairs, he knew exactly what the foundation of the prestigious Cui family was! It was the admiration and reverence of all the world’s scholars!

This incident must not spread!

Cui Li gritted his teeth. Ignoring the distraught Gu Baozhu, he ordered the doors of the poetry society closed and had his carriage prepared for the Cui residence.

The Clan Leader! I must find the Clan Leader immediately!

Gu Wanlan was currently speaking with Tianxuan.

“Did you record the words I said to Cui Li?”

Tianxuan nodded, handing over a stack of rough paper. “I did. Everything was written down according to your instructions.”

“Good.” Gu Wanlan flipped through them. Seeing no issues, she tossed a purse to Tianxuan. “Find some beggar children to spread these words. The wider they spread, the better.”

“Especially the part about the Rouran.” Gu Wanlan’s eyes flickered with a calculating smile. “If you encounter any obstacles, you can go to Lord Xiao for help.”

Surely, the person behind Xiao Chen would love to see this situation unfold.

Cui Qiong didn’t care about Xiao Chen; he only knew he was currently being driven to the brink of a heart attack by Cui Li. He threw the teacup in his hand directly at the younger man.

“Stupid! Besides locking those scholars in the society, what other foolish things did you do?”

Cui Li’s lips trembled for a long time. “I… I only had time to leave men guarding the place before coming to beg for the Clan Leader’s forgiveness.” He prostrated himself on the floor, not daring to say another word.

Though Cui Qiong was only a year older than him, he had taken over as Clan Leader three years ago. Cui Li had been resentful before, thinking Cui Qiong had only received their grandfather’s favor because he was the eldest son of the primary branch and his mother was from the prestigious Pei clan.

Later, his father sensed his dissatisfaction and dropped a few hints. Only then did Cui Li learn that Cui Qiong had secretly helped the Cui family survive a life-or-death crisis. Since then, Cui Qiong’s actions had proven his father’s praise; in just three years, he had made the noble families of the court follow the Cui family’s lead. Thus, he felt both respect and terror for this elder brother.

Cui Qiong showed no mercy, a cold huff escaping his lips. “At least you weren’t completely brainless and knew to come to me. Go back right now and—”

“Cui Qiong.”

A clear, cold voice suddenly interrupted. Cui Li was shocked to realize there was someone standing by the desk behind the screen. The shadows were dim, making it impossible to see clearly. However, anyone allowed in the Clan Leader’s study was not someone he had the right to pry into. He quickly lowered his head again.

Cui Qiong responded without a hint of hesitation. “Go out for now. We will discuss this later.”

At Cui Qiong’s command, Cui Li bowed and exited. However, as he left, he felt even more curious about the person behind the screen. Who was this sacred figure who could interrupt the Clan Leader and make him put aside the family’s grand affairs?

Once Cui Li was gone, Cui Qiong walked behind the screen to the desk, his face full of worry.

“If the conflict between Cui Li and Gu Wanlan reaches the public and is pushed by those with ulterior motives, the failure of the peace talks with Rouran will be a minor issue—the real danger is shaking the very foundation of the Cui family.”

“Cui Li knew the severity of the matter and tried to stop it from spreading, but ‘blocking the people’s mouths is harder than blocking a river’! Especially with such a crude method as detaining them!”

Cui Qiong had a headache. He didn’t have a perfect solution yet and intended to clean up Cui Li’s mess first. But the person behind the screen—Cui Jue—spoke up, giving him a new glimmer of hope.

“Do you already have a plan?”

Cui Jue, dressed in a white robe, stood by the desk, cradling the hand-warmer Gu Wanlan had returned. He seemed to be smiling, but the smile was extremely faint.

“Cui Li’s mistake was that he wasn’t ruthless enough.”

“What?” Cui Qiong looked up in shock.

Cui Jue rubbed the hand-warmer. “This matter will not end here. This is only the beginning.”

“If you don’t want the Cui family to be torn apart by wolves, then sharpen your blade.”

His tone was incredibly light, yet it carried the weight of a thousand pounds. Cui Qiong felt a shiver run through him. He sensed something was off, yet he still bowed and answered, “Yes.”

After all, his brother’s decisions were never wrong. He was always able to turn the tide.

After all, his brother was the true master of the Cui family.

“I’ll leave the rest to you. I am going to see Grandfather.”

Cui Jue paced around the screen. Cui Qiong followed for a few steps, watching his brother’s indifferent expression. He hesitated. “Grandfather has been paralyzed from a stroke for years, but whenever he is conscious, he mentions your name. He… he…”

The words asking for Cui Jue to show a bit of understanding rolled on the tip of his tongue but remained unsaid. In this house, neither he, his mother, nor his father had the right to ask that.

Meeting Cui Jue’s cold gaze, Cui Qiong looked away in shame. “Sometimes I wish I was the one who was abandoned.”

Cui Jue laughed. He reached out and pulled Cui Qiong’s arm away. Cui Qiong realized with a start that he had unconsciously gripped his own arm so hard that it was bleeding.

“Cui Qiong, my blood has flowed through your body for many years. Don’t let it go to waste.”

Without another look at Cui Qiong, Cui Jue left with his hand-warmer. He was like a cloud that left no trace, or a patch of melting snow—it seemed nothing could leave a deep impression on his heart.

But after experiencing that event, Cui Qiong would have preferred it if his brother acted insane toward him instead. Cui Qiong stood half-hidden in the shadows of the doorway for a long time before finally walking out.

“Summon Cui Li.” At the very least, there were some things he could do for his brother.

Walking deep into the main courtyard of the Cui residence, the hidden, curious gazes from before vanished. The serving women who saw Cui Jue stopped what they were doing and bowed low.

Cui Jue strolled calmly into the room of Old Master Cui. The old servant attending him hurried to put down his work and bow.

“You may leave. I wish to speak with Grandfather.”

“The Old Master is awake; he was just looking to speak with you,” the old servant whispered before exiting.

Cui Jue smiled and lifted the curtain. He saw Old Master Cui propped up on the bed. Due to his stroke, the old man’s mouth was twisted, but he seemed spirited today. His clouded eyes brightened slightly when they landed on Cui Jue.

“You… you did well. Fighting Rou… Rouran is a bottomless pit. We cannot fight.” As he spoke, saliva trailed down the corner of his mouth.

Outsiders would never imagine that the powerful, handsome minister who once dominated the court had become this. Cui Jue took a cloth from a bronze basin, sat on the edge of the bed, and wiped the old man’s face, his lashes casting shadows over his eyes.

“It is not yet the time,” Cui Jue said. His voice was so soft it vanished with the wind.

The Old Master didn’t hear him. He only thought of the other matter he had heard about and suddenly grabbed Cui Jue’s hand.

“Cui… Cui Li’s matter. Kill… kill Gu Wanlan. Eradicate the future trouble.”