A SINGLE NAME had dragged the entire Cui family into a maelstrom, and the most terrified among them was Cui-san.
In the intervening years, he'd realized he'd done something utterly shameful. Something to be buried in the dark, something the world would condemn if it came to light. But it was human nature to shy away from one's mistakes, as if by refusing to examine them, one could also avoid the consequences. More than twenty years had passed, and the third son of the Cui family had long pushed Lady Yu's name to the back of his mind. He'd never imagined that one day this name would drag out the past he'd turned away from and unearth those tragic and shameful memories.
He looked to his father. After the initial shock, Cui Yong had swiftly regained his composure. Now he looked inscrutable, once again the calm and dignified patriarch of the Cui clan.
Cui-san's anxiety eased a little. That was right—Lady Yu had been dead for many years, and there was no one left of the Yu family. Supposing that child had lived, what could he do? Lady Yu hadn't been murdered; she'd died of an illness. As for the child, the Cui family hadn't killed him either. Even if he'd survived to grow up and hate his father's family, he couldn't touch them. The Cui clan of Boling was a mighty family with centuries of history who had produced countless generals and scholars of great renown. Their clan was more illustrious than many imperial families of previous dynasties. They wouldn't be toppled so easily.
Cui Pei watched coolly as his third brother's expression went from panic to relief and easily guessed his thoughts. "San-ge, if Feng-gongzi really is that child, how will you face him? Do you plan to make Father clean up your messes yet again?"
Cui-san was startled, then angry. "I've already been punished for what happened. Even now Father keeps me confined to Boling. Is this not enough? I've scarcely seen him since he was born, and I didn't do anything to him! What do you mean, how will I face him?!" He swallowed, feeling his words lacked conviction; guilt pricked him. "He was the one who ran away. If he hadn't, the Cui family would be taking care of him to this day! If he's been alive all these years without sending a single word, then it's clear he's a disloyal and unfilial child. He knows nothing about what's right or proper. If we choose not to pursue the matter, that's generous enough. Actually, he should be the one to apologize to us!"
Cui Pei laughed in anger. "How can you even speak! If you hadn't turned a blind eye to your wife laying hands on that child while I was away, he would have stayed. He ran away because he couldn't endure any more torment! He was only nine years old. Even if Doctor Sun helped him flee, he was left to wander the world alone. What must he have gone through? And it's all because of you!"
If Cui Buqu hadn't shown up, perhaps Cui Pei's resentment would have remained buried. Perhaps he and Cui-san would have remained loving siblings on the surface, as close as hands and feet. Perhaps the Cui family would still have been a harmonious and thriving clan. Cui Pei in this generation and Cui Fei in the next, passing down the clan's glorious legacy year over year over year. Perhaps sometimes, on Tomb-Sweeping Day, Cui Pei would recall his second sister-in-law and that pitiful child. He'd go to Lady Yu's grave and offer some incense with a guilty sigh, and that would have been the end of it.
According to all the teachings, family came before the individual. Cui Pei's father had great authority, and Cui Pei also had to think about his children. He knew he was a coward, that he could never escape the golden shackles of the Cui clan. So he hadn't confronted Cui-san over his poor sister-in-law and her deceased child. He hadn't burned everything down, hadn't exposed all those ugly secrets for the world to see, hadn't pushed the Cui clan down into a mire of shame. Yet now, a man named Feng-gongzi whom he'd yet to meet had dredged up all this rotten past, and his guilt and shame along with it.
"Shut up, both of you!" Cui Yong roared. "We don't even know who that Feng person is, and you've already started fighting! Don't you see how ridiculous you're being?!"
Cui-dalang had rushed over upon receiving the news. Hearing shouts at the door, he entered the room with cupped hands. "Father, please calm down! Let's talk. Silang has just returned from a long journey; don't let this ruin your mood."
The steward had briefed him on the way here, so his initial shock had faded. "Father, since this person knows Lady Yu's name, he must have some connection to her, even if he's not the child. The name he gave—Feng Xiao—rings a bell. Thinking on it now, I remember hearing someone mention that the current emperor established the Jiejian Bureau, and their deputy chief is surnamed Feng."
Cui Yong frowned. "The Jiejian Bureau?"
"That's right," agreed Cui Pei. "I've heard of it too. They say the Jiejian Bureau has authority equal to the Six Ministries. They aid the emperor in obtaining foreign intelligence and spying on the Göktürks."
His eyes were on his father as he spoke; he entirely missed the change in Cui-dalang's expression.
Cui Yong looked thoughtful. "The emperor doesn't interfere in his subjects' private affairs," he muttered. "Even if Feng Xiao is the head of this Jiejian Bureau and has some connection to Lady Yu, he can't touch us. What hasn't the Cui clan survived? The clashes between warlords during the Han dynasty's wane, the turbulent changes of the two Jin dynasties, even the wars that ravaged the Northern dynasties. We've never relied on the support of any one emperor."
In his words was a hint of pride. Everyone else nodded, convinced. The small shred of guilt in Cui-san's heart had long flown away, and as for Cui-dalang, he'd never been troubled by guilt at all. "Father," he said. "If he doesn't mention Lady Yu directly, we can just feign ignorance. There's no reason we should bring it up ourselves."
Cui Yong also felt he'd overreacted. Wasn't ordering a panicked search for someone over a single name essentially an admission of guilt?
Cui Pei sighed quietly. He raised his head and looked outside the hall. At the far end of the courtyard stood an ancient tree, older than him and Cui-san combined. Yet even that tree was younger than the genealogy of the Cui family. All aristocratic families had their pride. Cui Yong had said it—even the emperor himself was nothing to fear. What was a mere Feng Xiao?
But if Feng Xiao really was the head of the Jiejian Bureau—if he'd deliberately used Lady Yu's name to draw their attention—would it really be so easy to get rid of him?
Cui Yong was fixated on the glory of the past. He refused to look ahead. Cui Pei had traveled far and wide, and his experience was vast. Yet in this house, his father's word was law. He could only sigh to himself. Indeed, his father had grown old.
A servant soon came to report that both guests had returned. Despite the rain, they hadn't taken any umbrellas. They were drenched to the skin and planned to wash and change before coming to see their host.
Cui Yong nodded. He didn't sit idle but ordered the kitchen to prepare a late repast. It was rare that all his sons were reunited, so they sat and drank together. By the time Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu arrived, the food was ready.
When Cui Buqu stepped into the inner hall, all eyes turned to him. He ignored the stares and smiled without reservation. "Your Grace has summoned us so late at night. Is there anything the matter?"
Cui Pei scrutinized him but couldn't see the frail and reticent child he remembered in the self-possessed young man before him now.
Cui Yong had by now recovered his composure. He smiled. "Nothing at all. You're not locals, and the streets are treacherous from the rain. I feared you might get lost, so I sent someone to look for you. If you haven't taken your supper, I'll have someone deliver it to you later."
A trace of regret surfaced on Cui Buqu's features. "I must be honest, it's true I haven't been here in many years. I almost don't recognize my hometown, but the lush mountains and clear waters are unchanged. I returned not just for the literary festival, but also to pay my respects to my late mother."
This proclamation was greeted by ringing silence. No one had expected Cui Buqu to be this direct.
Cui Pei was on his feet at once, emotion clear on his face. Cui-san and Cui Yong had realized Cui Buqu looked familiar. Of course Cui Pei now saw it too. Those eyes, that chin—they were the spitting image of his sister-in-law's.
"You. Who is your mother?" he asked softly, keeping a tight rein on his rampaging emotions.
"Haven't you already guessed?" Cui Buqu smiled.
This smile, Feng Xiao thought, was different from usual. Or rather, it was different from the smiles he customarily directed at Feng Xiao.
Cui Buqu didn't smile often. When he did, they were sneering or sarcastic, the smirk of a fox who'd successfully netted his prey. His reactions were tightly controlled; he kept his glee hidden in the depths of his gaze. Sometimes, when he bested Feng Xiao in a game of wits or won the upper hand, the corners of his mouth would curl and his eyes would narrow in satisfaction, softening the coldness of his brow.
But he'd never looked at Feng Xiao like this, an expression that had the shape of a smile, yet was not. Bloodlust lurked in the curve of his lips, and it was difficult to discern whether what he felt was pleasure or something else entirely.
Feng Xiao felt like the hunter who'd caught the fox by the tail. Inordinately pleased, he pulled his folding fan from his sleeve. No one noticed him fanning himself despite the cold and rainy night. All their focus was on Cui Buqu.
"You ran into Jiuniang while passing through the area," said Cui Yong in a low voice. "I recognized your talent, and that you were both promising young minds, and invited you to stay. If you have any complaints about your reception, then speak. There's no need for these cryptic remarks!"
Cui Buqu gave another small smile. "All these years, and Your Grace hasn't changed a bit. You dance around the topic, pretending you're strict but fair, when you're so obviously looking out for your own interests. Your son ruined my mother and fathered a bastard on her, then tolerated his wife's brazen attempts to murder her. Yet you swept it all under the rug to protect the reputation of the Cui family. If I were truly dead, who would seek justice for Lady Yu?"
The words seek justice made Cui Yong's heart thump. He slammed his hands on the table and rose. "So you are Cui Jie! You were a child then; what do you know of what happened? The Cui family raised you, yet you ran off in the night and never sent word all these years. Now you've returned to curse your own kin and elders, repaying our kindness with malice!"
"That's right, A-Jie," said Cui-dalang. "In the years you were gone, we missed you terribly. After Doctor Sun said you died, Father was so heartbroken he wept. Now that we see you're alive, of course we're over the moon with happiness. What happened with your mother back then was complicated. Why don't you take a seat? Let's discuss this properly and not make fools of ourselves in front of outsiders."
Feng Xiao had to smother his laughter. This mixture of kindliness and threat might have worked on an ordinary man. If Lady Yu's son were less outstanding, it would have been impossible for him to confront the entire family on his own. Perhaps he'd be dissatisfied with their response, but ultimately he'd be forced to admit defeat.
But Cui Buqu was no ordinary man.
He whipped up storms wherever he went, throwing the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai into chaos and dealing them setback after setback. Even the pampered and arrogant Prince of Jin sought to win him over. To Cui Buqu, Cui Yong's words were no more than laughable posturing.
Feng Xiao would have bet Pei Jingzhe's head that right now, Cui Buqu was a cat toying with a mouse, in no rush to start his offensive. He was simply watching the scene play out, waiting for them to grow more desperate and panicked.
Sure enough, Cui Buqu smiled again. "Though it's true I was young and spoke little, there is much I remember quite clearly. For example, how Lady Lu ordered the Cui family servants to poison my food. Unfortunately, I was tough to kill and alert to their schemes. For three days I refused to eat until the county magistrate came to visit Your Grace and I fainted from hunger in front of him, obligating Your Grace to look into the matter. Looking back, it's true that despite my origins, the Cui family didn't kill me. What an enormous favor!"
The faces of his audience first went red and then white. Even Cui Yong, ever shrewd and ruthless, found it hard to maintain his stoic mien. Cui Buqu's existence had long been a thorn in his side. Every day the child had remained alive was a headache, yet Cui Yong hadn't wanted to bear the crime of murdering his own grandson. He'd left Cui Buqu to fend for himself within the Cui family's manor. Of course he'd known of the suffering his grandson was put through, but he had turned a blind eye, only intervening when it was thrust in front of him. Otherwise, he ignored it.
Yet the boy, who should have rightly died in infancy, had exceeded everyone's expectations. He hadn't perished out in the world. Instead, after many years, he'd returned to confront Cui Yong face-to-face.
Only Cui Pei stepped forward in excitement, reaching out to grab Cui Buqu's shoulder. He was stopped by an extended fan.
"A-Jie," he said around it, "it's really you! All these years, I've regretted not honoring your mother's last wishes. It was my neglect that forced you to wander the outside world, suffering untold hardships. How fortunate the heavens watched over you and kept you safe. Come back to us now and be my son. Your fourth uncle will treat you as his own; I'll never let anyone hurt you again."
Cui Yong frowned but held his tongue.
"My name isn't Cui Jie," said Cui Buqu. "It's Cui Buqu."
Cui Pei was taken aback. "Which Buqu?" he asked.
It was Feng Xiao who answered coolly, "Buqu meaning won't go. As in 'I won't go to my death.' A strikingly unique name. When others hear it, they'll surely wish to know its origins. Perhaps the entire world will then know of the filth within the Cui family."
Cui Pei paled and smiled bitterly. "Ah, this is my fault. It's all my fault!"
"A-Jie," Cui-dalang said, low-voiced, "we know you resent us, but what's past is past. Your mother is gone. Let go of these old grievances. Now you've returned, why not stay—"
Feng Xiao smiled. "So you can poison him a few more times? Or are you no longer ashamed of him? Will he be entered in the genealogy now? Will you proudly introduce him as a member of the Cui family and bury him in the family cemetery after his death?"
At that, Cui-dalang ground to a halt. He choked on his words and stared at Feng Xiao, unable to continue.
Cui Yong's eyes had never left Cui Buqu. Slowly he said, "If you are willing to return, Silang may adopt you. You'll become a legitimate member of the Cui family. No one will dare speak out against you."
Not only did Feng Xiao want to laugh at that, Cui Buqu did too. When they exchanged a glance, Cui Buqu could see pity in Feng Xiao's eyes. Not for Cui Buqu, but for Cui Yong.
Pity for Cui Yong because he was old. Pity because he'd sat comfortably in the seat of clan leader for so long that his eyes had grown blind. If Cui Buqu wished for the Cui family's acknowledgment, why had he waited so many years to return? Yet Cui Yong had spoken like he was granting an incredible favor, as if Cui Buqu would weep with gratitude at his selfless generosity.
Cui Buqu saw Feng Xiao mouth the words: Daoist Master Cui. It's fortunate you take after your mother.
He coughed and ignored him, turning back to the expectant Cui family. "I told you I returned to pay my respects to my late mother and attend the literary festival. As for the Cui family…" His gaze swept over Cui-dalang and Cui-san without pausing before finally landing on Cui Yong. "I've never been part of it. Since I wasn't then, I won't be now either. Perhaps you believe the Cui family loftier than the sky itself, but my surname is Cui for only one reason: to fulfill my mother's wish. I have no connection to the Cui clan of Boling."
His mouth twisted sharply, then quickly smoothed again. Every word he uttered was clear and deliberate, flying directly to the Cui family's ears. "This surname and this clan are of no importance to me. Forget accepting me into the genealogy; if you tried to gift me the entire Cui family, I'd have no interest. If Your Grace has nothing else to say, we'll retire to our rooms and rest, lest we oversleep and miss the festival. Apologies for the inconvenience."
Cui Buqu had thrown a thunderbolt into the pond that was the Cui family, sending the panicked shadows of shrimp and fish darting about in the water. With this, he took his leave, sleeves fluttering elegantly in the wind.