After an autumn rain, Qinghe entered late autumn. Qinghe's autumn presented a completely different scene from the north.
In the north, autumn winds swept through withered trees, but in Qinghe, the autumn rain fell incessantly, bringing endless sorrow.
It rained for nearly half a month, layer upon layer, before the skies finally cleared. The gentle sunlight and lush green trees created a scene of vibrant life, yet it only made the Cui family mansion appear more dilapidated.
Yu Mingyue had been living here these past few days. The front courtyard was in ruins, but the back residence was still barely habitable. Today, they too would be leaving.
The Cui family's books filled several boats. She intended to personally deliver these books to Jiangzhou Academy.
She understood her maternal grandfather's intentions. As long as the students at the academy saw these books, they would not be able to surpass the Cui family. Even if only a few students remembered the Cui family's kindness, these books would be worth it.
"Miss, these are your favorite pastries. Save them for the journey," Chidan said, her eyes red.
The Cui family had dismissed their servants. Chidan's family was also freed from their servitude. Chidan's brothers had died in the riot, and her father had lost an arm.
The Old Madam had left her family a sum of money to settle down. Chidan's parents, having gone through this ordeal, were no longer in good health and could not endure arduous travel. They used the money from the Old Madam to buy a few acres of land in the countryside, enough for their family to live on.
Chidan's brothers were gone, leaving behind two nephews. Her parents were elderly, and she, being the eldest child, naturally had to stay and care for them.
"Don't cry. It's not like we'll never see each other again!" Yu Mingyue said with concern.
"It is my fault, Miss. You are in such a difficult situation, and I must leave. I am ashamed of your years of care," Chidan knelt, her eyes swollen and red.
Yu Mingyue reached out to help Chidan up, but she refused to rise. "Miss, please allow your servant to kowtow a few times. I wish you peace and prosperity, health and happiness in the future."
Chidan then bid farewell to Chihua and Zhuyu before turning to leave.
They had arrived with many hopes and aspirations, but they left with only heartbreak and melancholy.
Yu Mingyue personally closed the main gate. The vermilion gate, which had been battered and stained that day, was repaired but the damage could not be concealed.
A glorious exit was only possible in plays. In reality, an exit was just an exit, often a messy one.
Yu Mingyue turned and saw Xie Jiayan standing not far away.
Xie Jiayan's expression was unreadable. The sunlight was as warm as spring, and a gentle breeze ruffled the slight folds of his green robe. He stood there, as tall and straight as a pine or bamboo.
"Brother Jiayan, why are you here?"
Xie Jiayan had returned to Jiangzhou a few days ago. The official academy was proceeding smoothly. After the Cui family's incident, the clan academy had naturally disbanded, and a large number of students were heading to Jiangzhou to study.
Coupled with the Emperor's decree that tuition would be waived for those who passed the Tong Sheng exam, and that the academy would offer bonuses for those who consistently ranked high in exams, it attracted countless students.
"Master Yao and the others have agreed to teach at the Jiangzhou official academy. The academy has sent an official ship to pick them up," Xie Jiayan said subtly, but Yu Mingyue understood the implication of his words.
"You don't need to worry about me being sad. My maternal uncle is also going to Jiangzhou. It's not impossible for the Cui family's scholars to teach at the official academy."
The era belonging to the Cui family had passed. Those scholars had to live on, and she understood the principle of adapting to circumstances.
Moreover, if her maternal uncle said nothing, she had no right to complain.
"Sixth Miss..." Xie Jiayan paused, his tone shifting slightly. "The court has appointed Chai Xiny野 as a sixth-rank assistant instructor at the official academy."
She would have to know sooner or later. He didn't want to hide it from her.
"A sixth-rank assistant instructor?" Yu Mingyue seemed to hear the greatest joke, bursting into laughter, almost to the point of tears. "Are assistant instructors at the official academy something any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be? Is the Emperor doing this to humiliate the Cui family, or is he determined to eradicate them completely?"
"Sixth Miss!" Xie Jiayan's voice was calm, unruffled. "Chai Xiny野 will not remain at the official academy forever."
"Of course he won't. He is ambitious. How can a mere Jiangzhou official academy contain him? He aims for the capital. In the future..." He would become Xie Jiayan's greatest enemy, having put him in danger several times.
Yu Mingyue's words suddenly stopped. Xie Jiayan sensed something unusual. "How do you know?"
Yu Mingyue turned away, not looking at him. "I just know."
"Sixth Miss, I came today to tell you not to act rashly. He is protected by General Cheng now and has nothing to fear. However, the official academy is a place for imparting knowledge. I will not allow anyone to manipulate it or control the students."
Not even the Emperor. Otherwise, it would be no different from the previous Cui family, and the officials trained would only be the Emperor's lackeys, not officials who cared for the country.
Yu Mingyue looked up at the sky and sighed silently. "I know you have great ambitions, Brother Jiayan. But there are too many petty people in this world. Resilience, tolerance, concern for the nation and its people are responsibilities, but they are also burdens and shackles. You should be careful."
The Emperor had gone to great lengths to bring down the Cui family. Before he could even lay his hands on their wealth, it flowed out like water into the official academy. How could he allow it to develop unchecked?
Chai Xiny野's appointment as an assistant instructor was partly to monitor the Cui family's teachers, and partly to counterbalance Brother Jiayan.
It was truly difficult for the Emperor to begin guarding against Brother Jiayan so early. Could he also foresee that Brother Jiayan would one day become the revered Prime Minister?
Yu Mingyue shook her head. The Emperor's heart was indeed unfathomable.
"The wind rises from the smallest sprouts, and waves form from tiny ripples. Some things must be done, and some paths must be walked. I believe everything will be alright."
...
With the successive downfall of the Wang and Cui families, the remaining three aristocratic families felt a sense of impending doom. Especially for Minister Lu, the downfall of the Wang family had been foreshadowed, but the Cui family collapsed overnight.
A centuries-old aristocratic clan destroyed by a mob. Who would believe there was no hand of the Emperor in this?
The Emperor would never let the three aristocratic families off. Perhaps every move was within his control, a single pull affecting the entire body.
Everyone was waiting to see which of the Lu, Zheng, or Li families would fall next. Unexpectedly, it was the Gu family, known for having "two prime ministers in one generation." Overnight, the Gu family was implicated in the massacre case of the Protector Duke from years ago.
The Historical Records stated that in the ninth year of Chengde, Crown Prince Zhaohui led troops into the palace, was confined to the Eastern Palace by the late Emperor. Three days later, the guards of the Eastern Palace killed the guards who were ordered to watch the Eastern Palace, leading to a failed rebellion.
On the same night, the Protector Duke's mansion, the maternal family of the Crown Princess, was brutally massacred under false charges.
Later evidence proved that the Protector Duke's mansion had not participated in the late Crown Prince's rebellion. The then Prime Minister Gu had falsely claimed to have received the late Emperor's oral decree.
However, the late Emperor was gravely ill at the time and had never issued any decree, nor were there any relevant records in the palace.
Prime Minister Gu's crimes were: first, falsely issuing an imperial decree; second, wrongfully killing a meritorious official. Overnight, Prime Minister Gu's ancestral tablet was removed from the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Gu family was imprisoned.
As soon as Gu Bohao heard the news, he rushed back to the capital overnight. However, he accidentally fell from his horse and remained unconscious.
Five days later, Gu Bohao was apprehended in the Zheng family's villa by the Qianniu Guards.
On the thirteenth day of October in the eighteenth year of Yong'an, the Zheng family was punished for harboring a fugitive, sharing the same crime. The Zheng clan of Xingyang was annihilated.