Chapter 905: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 905: The Matchmaker Comes to the Door (3)
“Too much! This is absolutely too much!” Inside the room, Mo Qingze was seething with anger, raising his hand to throw a cup. This was the first time he had ever lost his temper like this.
Mo Yan looked at the intact set of white porcelain cups, now missing one, and felt distressed. When she saw her father reaching for a second cup, she quickly stepped forward to stop him. “Father, why ruin your own things because of someone else’s mistakes! Those two women will eventually get their comeuppance. Let them vent your frustrations, but don’t let yourself get worked up…”
After some coaxing from Mo Yan, Mo Qingze finally calmed down. Looking at his daughter, who was smiling, he narrowed his eyes and said, “How can you still smile after hearing that about the Cui family?”
Mo Yan immediately stopped smiling and put on a pitiful expression. “Then what should we do?”
Seeing this, Mo Qingze sharply flicked his daughter on the forehead. “You have no sense of propriety!”
Mo Yan rubbed her forehead and grinned. “Propriety is for outsiders. Why should I bother with it in front of you?”
Hearing this, Mo Qingze's bad mood was instantly lifted. He helplessly patted his daughter's forehead. “You…”
Mo Yan laughed, relieved that her father was no longer angry. Then, she got to the point. “The matchmaker from the Cui family is here because they want to marry off one of their illegitimate grandsons. In such a family, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is paramount. The fact that the old lady of the Cui family is taking an interest in this grandson and personally arranging his marriage shows that his status is not ordinary. This means the marriage proposal won’t be treated lightly. At the very least, the bride must come from a noble family, yet the Cui old lady has set her sights on us! Although I am a County Princess and you are a newly appointed top scholar, we come from humble origins. The old lady of the Cui family should have overlooked me. There must be some reason we don’t know. If we can figure it out, perhaps we can avoid making an enemy of the Cui family!”
Earlier, when dealing with the matchmaker, Mo Yan had said she was unworthy of the Cui family’s attention. However, that statement likely came across as dismissive to the Cui family, who might have taken it as a casual excuse. It could be interpreted as a form of disrespect toward the Cui family, which would be a grave mistake.
The Cui family, after all, was a deeply rooted, prestigious family. They wouldn’t tolerate such a slight. Although they might not make a scene in public, no one knew what kind of subtle traps they might set behind the scenes. After all, Mo Qingze was a government official, and the Cui family had many influential figures in the capital!
Mo Yan had no personal conflict with the Cui family, and she didn’t want to make an enemy out of such a powerful force. While she spoke lightly, she was deeply concerned about the potential consequences.
Mo Qingze, who was still puzzled, considered what his daughter had said. He had just entered the official world, but he was already aware of the Cui family's power. Many officials with the surname Cui served in the capital, but most held lower ranks, with the highest being at the third rank. However, there were so many of them that when someone shouted "Lord Cui" during the early court session, several officials would turn their heads.
Furthermore, the Cui family had been entrenched in the capital for many years and had numerous complex relationships with high-ranking officials. Almost every government department had some connection, either direct or indirect, to the Cui family, and some of their younger members even served in local offices.
If the Cui family’s officials ever united, their influence on the imperial court would be formidable. Of course, the reason the Cui family had lasted for centuries was partly due to their prudence. They never used their power recklessly or disrupted the governance. If they had, the current emperor would not have tolerated it. As for the inner workings of the Cui family’s household, Mo Qingze was completely in the dark.
Mo Qingze did not want to make an enemy out of such a powerful family either. After some thought, he said, “Tomorrow, I’ll go to the government office to investigate the matter and find out the cause. Until then, don’t take any rash actions. Don’t provoke the Zhao family’s two women either.”
[End of Chapter]
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