On the day of the Start of Winter (Lidong), snow began to drift over Ruzhou, blanketing the mountains and forests that stretched for hundreds of miles in a thin layer of white.
The weather grew increasingly bitter.
The price of charcoal had risen significantly compared to previous days, and the merchants who had hoarded large quantities took this opportunity to make a handsome profit. Cui Yun, however, reduced the portion of charcoal she put up for sale, choosing instead to increase the allocation distributed to her domestic servants and private retinue (buqu).
She also placed special emphasis on providing relief to the families of the retinue members who had been slain by the bandits: “Go check on Li Shier’s family to see if they are lacking food or clothing. Increase their charcoal distribution by ten jin over last year’s quota, and add five bundles of firewood.”
Qingxi knew this was the perfect opportunity to win the people’s hearts and went to execute the order immediately.
Once she finished handling these various matters, Cui Yun unfurled the letter from Dou Ying to read it over.
Dou Ying’s letter had actually arrived the previous day. She had been eager to tear it open and read it then, but because she hadn’t quite known how to reply, she had left it aside to ponder overnight.
Now that she finally had some leisure time, she took up her brush to draft a response.
Her maternal uncle wanted to invite her to spend the New Year in Bianzhou, and he had also brought up the matter of her marriage prospects.
She began her letter by expressing her warm regards for her uncle, aunt, maternal cousin, and elder sister. She then updated him on the relocation of her parents’ tombs. Finally, adopting the tone of a grievance, she mentioned that Cui Yuanfeng had arranged for her to meet with worthless profligates like Wei Zhao and Wang Hecheng, refraining from expanding further on other matters.
Just as she finished writing the letter, Xilan entered the room and reported, “Xiao Niangzi, someone has arrived from Nanyang County.”
Among the various branches of the Cui clan, only Cui Yuanfeng’s household resided in Nanyang County.
The visitor was named Lin Changfeng, the son of Lin Qisheng, who managed the internal affairs of the Cui household.
As a hereditary servant (jiashengzi), he was highly valued within the Cui residence. Previously, he had been stationed alongside Cui Yuanfeng’s second son, Cui Duo, assisting him in managing their lands and estates.
It was only when she saw Nanny Du following closely behind him that Cui Yun remembered Lin Changfeng was actually Nanny Du’s son.
Nanny Du had originally been part of Wei Yannia’s dowry retinue before being wed to Lin Qisheng, who at the time was merely a personal servant to Cui Yuanfeng.
Once Cui Yuanfeng became the head of the household, Lin Qisheng was promoted to internal manager, which caused Nanny Du’s status to rise accordingly.
It was precisely because she had so many powerful figures backing her up that she had behaved in such an overbearing and arrogant manner here at Zhaoping Villa.
“This servant offers greetings to Qi-niangzi.” A pleasant smile played upon Lin Changfeng’s face a gentle demeanor so amiable that it would make it difficult for anyone to speak harshly to him.
Cui Yun nodded and inquired, “Are Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, my elder cousins, and sisters-in-law all keeping well?”
“The masters are all in good health,” Lin Changfeng stated the purpose of his visit. “The Master learned that Qi-niangzi wishes to relocate the ancestors’ tombs, so he specifically sent me to assist. He hopes to have this matter concluded before the start of the new year, so as not to disrupt the New Year festivities.”
Cui Yun replied, “The eminent monks of Guangning Temple already came by the day before yesterday to inspect my parents’ graves. The auspicious date to break ground and open the coffins requires meticulous calculations; it cannot be rushed.”
In reality, unearthing the coffins here did not mean they could be immediately reburied in the ancestral plot in Dengzhou. The monks would still need to travel to the Cui clan’s ancestral graveyard to select a fitting plot and choose an auspicious burial date. This entire process could take anywhere from ten days to half a month at the quickest, or half a year to a year at the slowest, depending entirely on the intervals between the favorable calendar days.
Guangning Temple was scheduled to host the Great Eight Precepts Vegetarian Assembly in the eleventh month. She had intentionally chosen their busiest period precisely because she hoped the rituals would be delayed until the following year.
However, Cui Yuanfeng sent Lin Changfeng for the exact reason that he did not want her dragging this matter out for too long.
Lin Changfeng tactfully suggested that Cui Yun seek out a different monastery, such as Guangyan Temple in Nanyang County, noting that the Cui family always employed the eminent monks from there whenever they performed religious rites.
Unwilling to let herself be manipulated by Cui Yuanfeng, Cui Yun deflected the suggestion by claiming she could not afford to offend the prominent monks of Guangning Temple.
Seeing her unyielding stance, Lin Changfeng shifted the topic: “I also bring a piece of joyous news not long ago, the Main Scribe (Zhubu) of Gucheng in Xiangzhou passed away from illness. The Eldest Young Master is slated to succeed him and take up the post of Gucheng County Scribe. He will return from Chang’an shortly to perform ancestral sacrifices before departing for his new post.”
Cui Yuanfeng’s eldest son, Cui Zhen, had passed the imperial examinations and earned the title of Jinshi at the age of twenty-four. However, due to court regulations, a Jinshi could not be granted an official post immediately; they were required to undergo a probationary waiting period (Shouxuan).
If one did not wish to wait out the selection period, they could secure a recommendation from a Regional Governor (Jiedushi) to serve as a staff officer within the governor’s military commission.
Possessing a haughty nature, Cui Zhen was unwilling to serve as a mere staff officer for a Regional Governor, so he waited out the three-year Shouxuan period, eventually receiving the low-ranking appointment of Orthography Corrector (Zhengzi).
The Zhengzi post, much like that of a Text Collator (Xiaoshulang), was a minor clerical role dedicated to proofreading classics and correcting state essays, and its official rank was half a grade lower than even a Xiaoshulang.
As for the Main Scribe (Zhubu), it was an assistant post to the County Magistrate, responsible for overseeing documents, official seals, procurement, and other administrative tasks. It ranked below the County Magistrate and Vice-Magistrate, but sat above the County Defender and various bureau heads.
Cui Yun understood perfectly well that the man hadn’t come merely to deliver good news. Given how meticulously the Cui family calculated interpersonal obligations, the underlying motive behind this gesture shouted a single message: Your elder brother has been promoted; shouldn’t you show your respect?
A congratulatory letter had to be written, and a congratulatory gift was indispensable.
Yet, how this gift was chosen required careful consideration. Since Cui Zhen was receiving a political promotion, sending gold, silver, or standard currency would be uncouth. It was far better to offer something that symbolized steady advancement or complemented a scholar’s status.
A decorative piece carved from green bamboo jade would be the most fitting choice, but Cui Yun was impoverished, leaving her inclined toward the “Four Treasures of the Study.”
Cui Yun’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward a block of “Shanggu Ink” that Dou Ying had sent someone to deliver after his return to Bianzhou. This specific ink block was a renowned masterpiece crafted by a famous artisan from Shanggu Commandery during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
When the rebel leader Li captured Bianzhou, he had plundered far and wide and claimed this ink block, later presenting it to Dou Ying as a reward. When Wu Cheng sent assassins to murder Dou Ying, she hadn’t had time to carry away any gold, silver, or valuables, taking only this ink block which had been sitting right at her elbow.
Upon learning that Cui Yun intended to rewrite the destroyed collection of books from Zhaoping Villa from memory, Dou Ying had specifically sent this celebrated ink block from Bianzhou to serve as an encouragement.
She had only just received this famous ink the moment before, and Lin Changfeng arrived demanding a gift the very next could it truly be a coincidence?
Moreover, if her eyes didn’t deceive her, Nanny Du had cast several lingering glances toward that very block of Shanggu ink.
Cui Yun spoke smoothly, “This is indeed a joyous occasion. I shall personally prepare a congratulatory gift for my elder brother.”
Surrendering the renowned ink block was out of the question; she would simply have to visit the markets in the county seat in the coming days to see if she could find a suitable alternative set of stationery.
Nanny Du’s gaze stiffened, and just as she opened her mouth to speak, Lin Changfeng shot her a warning look, causing her to swallow her words resentfully.
Although Cui Yun had successfully refused to rush the relocation of the tombs before the start of the year, she could not escape the obligation of returning to the ancestral estate in Dengzhou for the New Year.
This was because the Winter Solstice required ancestral sacrifices.
This was a major event for the entire clan. While married daughters could be exempted from attending, sheas an unmarried young woman was legally and socially obligated to participate.
Ancestral sacrifices (Jizu) differed entirely from grave visitations (Muji). The imperial court designated the Lunar New Year, the Summer Solstice, Mid-Autumn, and the Winter Solstice as official ancestral sacrifice days. Those possessing an ancestral shrine (Jiamiao) would perform the rites there, while those unqualified to erect a shrine would conduct the sacrifices in the main hall of their own residence.
Grave sweepings, on the other hand, generally took place during the Cold Food Festival (Hanshi), Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan), and Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang). Unlike the solemn, heavy atmosphere of ancestral sacrifices, grave sweepings were frequently accompanied by spring outings, flower viewing, and other recreational activities, making the atmosphere far less somber.
With less than a month remaining before the Winter Solstice, Cui Yun needed to settle a myriad of affairs within these weeks.
While she was kept so busy her feet barely touched the ground, Zhang Zhaoge’s workload over on her side was proving to be equally heavy.