News About the Cui Family

"Sit down and talk."

After Chen Ye took his seat, Su Guang didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "The Cui Family is indeed recruiting retainers. The person in charge is an old steward under the Third Young Lady, Cui Xijun. His surname is Cheng. The threshold isn't high; having Mortal Shedding strength is enough. However, there is one condition..."

Chen Ye looked at Su Guang and asked, "What is it?"

"You must be a scholar." Su Guang said helplessly: "The Cui Family's guards say privately that this rule was added because the Third Young Lady's previous habit of recruiting people without asking about their background caused dissatisfaction within the Cui Family."

Chen Ye pondered, frowning slightly.

In the Jing Kingdom, there are national customs.

To hold office or engage in politics, one must have status and lineage; only those with such standing are called scholars.

Those from high-ranking families of the second grade, minor noble families, and even the families of the fallen gentry all fall into this category.

People like them, commoners of the marketplace, can only be called common folk. Without the recommendation of a powerful figure, they have no qualifications to hold office.

Looking at it this way, the path of entering the Cui Family as a retainer through the Third Young Lady was basically impossible.

This requirement of background alone blocked him firmly outside the door.

As expected, high-ranking families of the second grade were not so easy to enter.

Unwilling to give up, Chen Ye asked: "Is your information reliable?"

Su Guang sipped his wine and said: "I have a friendship with that Cui Family guard from when my young master was still alive. Although these matters are private, they aren't exactly dark secrets. They should be true."

Zuo Dongxi, who was sitting to the side, interjected: "Then there's no way around it; this path is a dead end. Why not try another family? There is more than just the Cui Family in the capital region."

Chen Ye didn't respond.

He possessed True Yang, and his ultimate goal was the Xie Family.

The only family in the Jing Kingdom that could, and was willing to, confront the Xie Family head-on was the Cui Family.

Chen Ye said: "I still want to try to get into the Cui Family."

Seeing this, Zuo Dongxi stopped trying to persuade him and hurriedly greeted: "Let's drink first, eat while we talk. The food is getting cold."

Chen Ye and Su Guang didn't continue the discussion, picking up their chopsticks and finishing their first bowl of wine.

Seven days had passed, and the bandages on Su Guang's fingers had been removed, leaving only some lingering bruises. He was much more agile with his chopsticks now.

He picked up a peanut, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed a few times.

Zuo Dongxi took the initiative to say: "There is still no news about the person you asked me to look into. We don't have much contact with the people under the noble families, so it's not easy to inquire."

"No rush, just keep an eye out," Chen Ye said.

He had spoken too freely after drinking earlier, but it wasn't a major issue.

There are people willing to do business that leads to the executioner's blade, but no one does business at a loss.

These men were now tied to the same boat as him because of the Feng Family affair, so they wouldn't do anything foolish.

As for the future, that was a different story.

There was no point in mentioning it right now.

After a few bowls of strong liquor, the atmosphere gradually livened up.

The three began to chat about recent events.

Su Guang suddenly remembered something and said: "While I was asking about the Cui Family's recruitment, I also heard two other things, both related to the Cui Family."

"What is it?" Chen Ye and Zuo Dongxi looked at Su Guang simultaneously, asking curiously.

Su Guang put down his wine cup and said: "In about half a month, the Cui Family's Third Young Lady is going to Xiangguo Temple outside the city to offer incense. This is a tradition of the Cui Family, done every year. And the Liu Family's Eldest Young Master, Liu Zhao, is also going to Xiangguo Temple for the first time ever, claiming to be 'offering incense on behalf of the Liu Family,' on the same day as the Third Young Lady."

He took a sip of wine and continued: "The Cui Family guards privately think it's quite funny that this playboy has suddenly become so pious."

"The Liu Family's Eldest Young Master?" Chen Ye suddenly thought of something and asked: "I heard before that someone from the Liu Family went to the Cui Family to propose marriage. Was it this Liu Zhao?"

"That's him." Su Guang nodded repeatedly: "The Liu Family's descendants don't have much talent now, and their influence in the imperial court is waning. They urgently need to marry into other noble families to gain status, and the Cui Family is their best choice."

"They don't dare touch the other Cui women. But they are very eager to try their luck with the Third Young Lady, who is born of a concubine."

Chen Ye picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and pondered: "You say the path of recruiting as a retainer is blocked, but if I could meet the Third Young Lady directly, is there a possibility of entering the Cui Family?"

"Still difficult." Zuo Dongxi shook his head: "The Third Young Lady going to pray isn't just her own affair; she represents the entire Cui Family. The incense money she brings each year is nearly a thousand taels. The temple makes special arrangements that day, and it's very hard for outsiders to get close."

Zuo Dongxi said firmly: "We basically have no chance."

Chen Ye was silent for a moment, then said: "The retainer path is blocked, so this is the only other way to try. Let's keep an eye on this matter for now. Besides this, there is no other way."

Zuo Dongxi and Su Guang didn't say anything, nodding in agreement.

In their hearts, they also hoped this would succeed.

If Chen Ye could truly establish a connection with the Cui Family, it would be of great benefit to everyone.

The three clinked their bowls again, effectively finalizing their tasks for the coming days.

Outside the window, the night market gradually grew quiet.

The three of them dispersed, agreeing to meet again in seven days.

However, seven days had not yet passed.

On the fifth day, Zuo Dongxi and Su Qing invited Chen Ye to Fengqing Restaurant ahead of schedule.

This time, they did not choose the window-side private room from before, but instead picked a more secluded chamber.

Once Chen Ye arrived and closed the door, he asked directly, "New developments?"

Zuo Dongxi and Su Qing nodded in unison.

"You go first." Su Qing voluntarily yielded the floor.

Zuo Dongxi did not decline, starting off by saying, "Just as you predicted, the Liu Family's trip to Xiangguo Temple was indeed abnormal."

Chen Ye sat down, leaning forward slightly, and said with interest, "Tell me about it."

"A few brothers in my gang ran into some strangers with out-of-town accents at a gambling den a few days ago. They were carrying whole ingots of official silver, not silver shards, and were throwing money around."

"The day before yesterday, one of them got desperate after losing and used a gold biscuit to settle his debt. I examined that gold biscuit and it bore the stamp of the Liu Family trading house."

Chen Ye caught the implication behind his words: "You mean to say, these are people hired by the Liu Family?"

"Exactly." Zuo Dongxi continued, "After that, I had my brothers keep an eye on those outsiders. I discovered that this group wasn't just three or five people, but over a dozen. They are all staying in the best rooms at the inn, one person per room. My brothers from the Patrol Horse Gang snuck into the inn and caught a glimpse of long blades in the corners of their rooms. These people have definitely seen blood; they are desperate men with some real skill."

"The Liu Family is clearly planning to pull off something big!"