Chapter Two: The Ancients Were Not So Simple After All

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“Uncle Fu, what do you mean by ‘Young Master Cui is here’?” Fei Qian was momentarily lost in thought, then suddenly snapped back to reality and slapped his forehead. “Ah, I almost forgot! Let me go greet him.”

Fei Qian stood up, ready to step outside to meet Young Master Cui. Uncle Fu hurriedly stepped forward with a cheerful smile to help straighten Fei Qian’s somewhat wrinkled clothes.

Although Uncle Fu was quite old, his hands and feet were still nimble. At one moment, he smoothed the creases on the front of Fei Qian’s garment; the next, he turned around to pull straight the folds on the back. Occasionally, he glanced up at Fei Qian, the wrinkles on his face radiating kindness and joy.

Fei Qian smiled at Uncle Fu and asked, “Old Uncle Fu, why are you smiling? Is there something wrong with how I’m dressed?”

“Not at all, Young Master. You look very well dressed. It’s just that whenever I see you, my heart fills with happiness…” Uncle Fu’s hands never stopped moving, but his voice grew softer, “...May the Old Ancestors watch over Young Master from the heavens... keep you safe and healthy... free from illness and calamity…”

Fei Qian laughed, “Old Uncle Fu, I am all well now, see? Don’t worry, my health is good!” He even patted his chest.

“Yes, yes, Young Master,” Uncle Fu finished tidying the clothes and straightened up. Suddenly, his smile faded as if recalling something. “Young Master, although it’s not really my place to say, this Young Master Cui may be a good acquaintance, but their Cui family… well, Young Master, it’s best to be cautious in all matters…”

Fei Qian frowned, “Uncle Fu, could you be more explicit?”

“I’ve only heard rumors around the marketplace these past few days… It’s a long story. If you want to know, I can tell you in detail after Young Master Cui leaves. But right now, we mustn’t keep him waiting too long—lest we lose our family’s courtesy. Still, it’s better to be careful…”

“Hm, alright, I understand.” Though Fei Qian didn’t fully grasp the situation, he prioritized greeting Young Master Cui first, knowing it would be rude to keep a guest waiting at the door.

Young Master Cui’s full name was Cui Hou, styled Yongyuan. He was the son of Cui Yi, bearing a striking resemblance to a certain namesake in later generations. Fei Qian had met him once before at the market and had blurted out a remark, only to discover his courtesy name was Yongyuan, and so they became acquainted.

Cui Hou was the first relatively well-connected “official’s descendant” Fei Qian had met since arriving in the Han dynasty, though strictly speaking, the family was no longer prominent in the political scene.

Cui Hou was the eldest son of Cui Yi, who was himself the younger brother of Cui Lie.

At this time, the imperial court had no chancellor position, so the highest civilian officials were the Three Excellencies: Minister over the Masses, Minister of Works, and Minister of War. Next came the Nine Ministers—Caretaker of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Minister of Agriculture, Commandant of Guards, Grand Coachman, Minister of Justice, Minister of Ceremonies, Minister of Clan Affairs, Minister of Finance, and Minister of the Imperial Household. The top military rank was Grand General, somewhat equivalent to a chancellor and ranked above the Three Excellencies, followed by Cavalry General, Chariot General, and Guard General, which were on par with the Three Excellencies. After these came the generals of the four expeditions and four garrisons, such as the Generals of the Four Pacifications and Four Peaces, and below them were lesser-ranked generals.

From what Fei Qian knew, Cui Lie had served as Minister over the Masses during Emperor Ling’s reign, making him a top-tier figure. Later, due to conflicts with the eunuchs—the Ten Regular Attendants—Cui Lie was stripped of office, his household destroyed by the eunuchs, and he died soon after from resentment and depression.

Cui Yi was also implicated, almost ruined financially, but was secretly supported by some officials in the court. After the eunuchs eliminated Cui Lie, they felt vindicated and lost interest in pursuing further charges, sparing Cui Yi’s life. Now, the Cui family owned a farm outside Luoyang and ran a pawnshop in the city. Although smaller in scale than the pawnshop run by the Grand General He Jin, it was sufficient to get by.

Because the Cui family was no longer in the political limelight, Cui Yi’s son Cui Hou did not carry the usual official’s descendant airs; otherwise, Fei Qian would never have gotten to know him.

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Every time Fei Qian saw Cui Hou, he felt an inexplicable amusement—those small eyes and round face were almost identical to that later namesake!

Fei Qian stepped outside and stood to the left, hands folded in greeting. “Brother Yongyuan, apologies for the late welcome. Please, come in.”

Though he wanted to laugh at the sight of his face, Fei Qian maintained proper etiquette.

Cui Hou chuckled, his small eyes narrowing further. “Haha, dear brother, no need for formalities. It’s been a few days, and you look even healthier than before.” As he spoke, he stepped forward and naturally took Fei Qian’s hand.

Though Fei Qian knew that holding hands or linking arms was a common expression of closeness in the Han dynasty, it still made him feel a bit uneasy when a grown man did it.

“Brother Yongyuan, please come inside.” Fei Qian discreetly withdrew his hand and turned to instruct Uncle Fu to prepare some dried fruits and tea for their guests in the main hall.

Cui Hou appeared oblivious, smiling warmly. “Ah, dear brother, there’s no need to be so formal between us. Make yourself at home. By the way, I heard your Fei family in Heluo has a deep tradition of poetry and books, with a rich collection. May I be so bold as to visit your study for a chat?”

“A study?”

Cui Hou nodded with a smile. “I have no other talents but a fondness for fresh books. Would you allow this rude brother to indulge in your collection? Of course, only if it’s convenient.”

“Of course, Brother Yongyuan, please follow me.” Although puzzled by the request, Fei Qian agreed. Since it was offered, they went to the study.

Both sat down there. Uncle Fu brought dried fruits and tea and stood quietly nearby.

Cui Hou looked around and praised, “The Heluo Fei family’s reputation for poetry and books is well deserved. Such a vast library—tsk tsk. Oh, by the way, the item you mentioned last time was recently well received by a distinguished guest, who happily took it. This guest is quite generous, so I will send your share at the hour of Shen today.”

“Ah, thank you so much, Brother Yongyuan, for your kindness.”

“Nonsense, I should be thanking you…” Suddenly, Cui Hou clapped his hands. “Ah, nearly forgot. Our estate recently harvested some melons and fruits, and I brought some for you to try. Old steward, would you please fetch them? I have instructed the servants to deliver them to the back alley.”

Fei Qian declined but could not refuse, so he thanked him and sent Uncle Fu to collect the fruits.

With Uncle Fu gone, Cui Hou leaned in and whispered, “About those precious items… do you still have more? The distinguished guest said they would buy as many as you have…”

The so-called precious items were large glass beads engraved with relief patterns—technically glass beads, though Fei Qian could not achieve refined purity. Glass beads were hard yet brittle, making carving difficult. The wax removal technique, which allowed glass to have richer patterns and shapes, was not invented until the Tang dynasty. Fei Qian, having a personal interest in glass beads in his later life, had some knowledge.

At that time, Fei Qian was recovering from typhoid fever, and his family’s funds were nearly drained by medicine expenses. Fortunately, he remembered the rudimentary glass bead method, and after many attempts and wax removal, he managed to produce a few finished pieces. By chance, he met Cui Hou at the market and learned that the Cui family had a pawnshop, so he entrusted Cui Hou to sell some for money, helping him through that difficult period.

This was Fei Qian’s only current “golden ticket.” It was somewhat frustrating because the social classes of the Han dynasty were clearly defined. Although there was no strict household registration system like in the Ming dynasty, Fei Qian, as a scholar, was not suited to sell goods directly.

Among scholars, the preferred method of exchange was gift-giving: you give me a few singing girls, I give you some fine horses; everyone understood it was a trade but cloaked in refined etiquette.

To convert his glass items into cash quickly, pawning was the fastest route. Meeting Cui Hou was a fortunate coincidence; otherwise, he might have chosen another pawnshop.

However, homemade glass beads were difficult to make—most cracked or had bubbles, resulting in a very low yield. Fei Qian had made several batches; only the first few had decent pieces. The latest two batches were all failures, shattered and discarded.

Moreover, Fei Qian knew rarity increased value; flooding the market would not only disrupt prices but might attract trouble for possessing too much wealth. So, he only gave two or three finished pieces to Cui Hou to sell, claiming they were family heirlooms, while breaking and burying the defective ones.

Better to be known as a spendthrift than to invite envy and danger.

Now it seemed Cui Hou had tasted some benefit from the trade and came personally to inquire about continuing the business.

Fei Qian pondered, then shook his head. “Brother Yongyuan, don’t laugh at me. I sell these out of necessity and it pains me deeply. These are ancestral heirlooms. When they came to me… sigh…” The question was tricky. If he said he still had more, that would mean he had stock, which was risky. But denying it might close the door if funds ran short.

He covered his face with his sleeve, putting on a sorrowful expression, hoping to evade a direct answer.

Cui Hou coughed lightly, thinking to himself, “Just as Father said, there must be some hidden meaning. This kid is only pretending to be sad, no tears at all—his acting is terrible. If it were me, I’d be crying buckets to seem genuine.”

Still, Cui Hou understood Fei Qian’s reluctance and switched topics. “Don’t be sad, brother. What books have you been reading lately? I see your collection must be over a thousand scrolls. Would you indulge this humble brother by showing me?”

While Fei Qian still covered his face, Cui Hou casually brushed aside some bamboo slips on the table, peeking at a few words: “...My bow is useless...”

“Ah, just some ordinary books. See, Brother Yongyuan, this is the Qi Lun, unfortunately I only have eleven volumes, with many lost…”

Cui Hou smiled and feigned attentiveness as Fei Qian introduced various classics, all the while wondering if he had ever read this phrase before. After much thought, he drew a blank and silently cursed, “What kind of books is this kid reading?”

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