funbook-pk Chapter 283 Funeral Incident
Chapter 283 Funeral Incident
When the heavy and solemn funeral bells of the palace rang, the whole country fell into grief.
The news of the emperor's death spread quickly like a shock wave, shaking everyone's heart.
On that day, all the princes, nobles, and high-ranking ministers went to the palace to mourn, including Grand Tutor Zhong, who had been confined at home for several months by the eldest princess, as well as Song Qingwan and Song Chengfeng, who is still the prime minister.
Hundreds and thousands of people knelt densely on the empty platform in front of the palace, and everyone's face showed grief. But as to how much truth there was in this, perhaps only they themselves knew it.
Song Qingwan appeared here as a representative of Prince Huai's Palace. She stood out among the men around her, causing others to look at her sideways, with all kinds of meaningful emotions in their eyes.
However, facing these strange looks, Song Qingwan acted as if she didn't notice anything. She remained calm and followed everyone in performing the standard mourning rituals. Her face was as calm as water, without any ripples.
As the most respected person in the civil service, Grand Tutor Zhong naturally stood at the forefront of all officials.
At the same time, the eldest princess took on the important task of presiding over the state funeral ceremony.
Just when the ceremony was about to be officially held, a white-haired old man suddenly rushed out from among the officials and walked to the eldest princess with staggering steps.
After standing still for a while, he began to scold the princess
"The late emperor was not without children. When will it be your turn as a woman to preside over such state affairs? When the late emperor was seriously ill, you handled some of his affairs for him, which was already beyond the rules. On such an important occasion today, you are actually stepping into other people's business! It's simply outrageous!"
The eldest princess was dressed in plain white mourning clothes, but her aura was still strong. She took a few steps forward and spoke in a deep voice.
"Excuse me, sir, what do you mean by overstepping one's authority? I am the late emperor's biological sister. During his reign, I have been assisting him wholeheartedly. Today, all the civil and military officials are here. May I ask if there is anything wrong with my achievements?"
The eldest princess had a clear and powerful voice, and every word she said was heard by everyone.
All the officials present were silent, and no one jumped out to refute.
Even Grand Tutor Zhong kept his head down and listened silently, because everyone could criticize the eldest princess's identity but no one could find fault with her ability. In this regard, he did better than the late emperor.
The white-haired old man felt a little embarrassed when he saw that no one supported him, but he still maintained a tough attitude.
"They don't dare to offend you, but I am not afraid of this old man! Today, I want to ask you one question: Zhao Jiayi, you despise the law of the country and treat national affairs as a joke. How can you be worthy of the ancestors of the Zhao family!"
"What a big hat! I wonder who instructed this gentleman to come out and oppose me like this?"
After the princess finished speaking, her eyes vaguely swept across the people in the audience. Finally, her eyes fixed on Prince Yu, who was sitting in the first row. She paused for a moment, then looked away.
Song Qingwan also followed the eldest princess' gaze. The status of Prince Huai's Mansion and Prince Yu's Mansion were equal, so she was not far away from Zhao Yujun. From this position, she could clearly see Zhao Yujun's slightly trembling body.
It seems that he is truly afraid of the eldest princess from the bottom of his heart.
"No one instructed me to do this! I have been in the imperial court for decades and have served in three dynasties. I cannot stand such behavior that disregards etiquette and laws!"
"Oh? If I remember correctly, you are Li Bianxiu from the Hanlin Academy, right? You are over seventy years old now. Although you have served in three dynasties, your official position has only stopped here."
Being exposed in public must have been a huge blow to an old man who was already in his twilight years. His face immediately turned red and he began to stutter.
"You...you look down on my position and think that I am not qualified to criticize you, right?"
"Editor Li, you misunderstood. What I meant is that you have been an official for decades, but you only got a sixth-rank official position, which shows that your cognition and ability are just like that."
"you…"
"There are many people here who are more talented and capable than you, and they don't object, so what's the point of your objection?"
After the princess finished speaking, she snorted coldly, flicked her sleeves and walked back to the platform, no longer paying any attention to Li Bianxiu who was so angry that he almost fainted.
A kind official nearby came forward to help him up, but Li Bianxiu pushed the person away in anger.
"You are totally unreasonable, woman! The Zhao family's kingdom will be destroyed in your hands sooner or later!"
"Editor Li, don't worry about that. Someone, come here! Editor Li is old, and he will go home to retire tomorrow."
"Yes, princess!"
Two guards quickly stepped forward and carried Li Bianxiu out, but Li Bianxiu's legs were so weak at this time that he could no longer stand up.
His face was full of regret, and he looked at Prince Yu with eyes for help, but Prince Yu seemed not to receive the signal and still stood quietly with his head down.
In the end, Li Bianxiu closed his eyes in despair and let the guards drag him out.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this farce was definitely deliberately instigated by someone. Even if the princess did not handle it well today, everyone present would still feel resentful of her behavior.
"Does anyone here have any objections? If so, please speak up as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will chop off your heads if you miss the auspicious time!"
"It's all up to the princess."
Everyone knelt on the ground and bowed without any prior agreement, and no one objected.
Song Qingwan knelt in the crowd and sneered with disdain. These people were just doing superficial work.
After all, it was the emperor's funeral. They had opinions but didn't have the courage to raise them directly. Wouldn't that be courting death? How many people could be as senior as this editor Li? He thought that he had the right to comment on the princess after receiving the court's salary for decades. How foolish!
The court seems calm now, and it is still unknown what kind of turmoil will arise after this funeral.
After all the ceremonies were over, Song Qingwan returned to Prince Huai's Mansion rubbing her aching knee. Chunya saw her master grimacing in pain and hurried forward to support her.
"Miss, are you okay? Do you want me to get you some bruises and injuries?"
"No, I'll be fine after a rest. The uniform is thick enough here. It's just swollen, not torn."
The master and servant walked to the main hall while talking. Song Qingwan sat on the chair and only then did she feel alive again.
There were so many complicated things about the emperor's funeral, even more than the empress's last funeral. I believe that if someone was really sad about the emperor's death, they would be worn out by these rules.
Suddenly Song Qingwan remembered something and asked Chunya to bring paper and pen.
"There are too many people today. I don't have time to talk to my mother when I see her. I need to write him a letter."
"Miss, are you referring to Concubine Shun?"
"Now that Prince Huai's Mansion has been restored to its former state, it's time to bring her and Huaiyuan back."