The heavy stone door of the Imperial Mausoleum had not yet closed when Aunt Jingzhe, who was beside Empress Qi, ca to report the death. She knelt in front of Emperor Xuanjing in front of all the officials, with tears falling one by one on the ground.
Emperor Xuanjing looked down at her, his expression indifferent and unemotional, rely responding, "I know," and then began instructing various governnt offices to prepare for Empress Qi’s funeral.
Seeing the young emperor respond this way, the officials looked at each other, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Whether it was the passing of the late Emperor or now the demise of the successor, His Majesty was as indifferent as if watching a play, as if they were not his biological parents.
To be so cold-blooded, indeed, indeed...
Aunt Jingzhe also felt the indifference in the young emperor’s tone, her spine stiffened. Previously, the Eldest Prince, the Crown Prince, was most concerned about his birth mother. Once, he was taught by Young Master Song to personally deliver dumplings he made on New Year’s Eve to the master.
At that ti, no matter what attitude the Emperor had, His Highness was wholeheartedly devoted to the master.
But now, upon hearing the news of the master’s death, His Majesty had no reaction at all. Why? When did it beco like this?
Could that position truly make one lose all familial ties?
Aunt Jingzhe thought of the master’s instructions before she died, asking her to take Xiu Dong and Nian Chun to serve before the imperial court in the future, and she silently sighed.
"Get up." Zhao Xi finished instructing the officials and turned to look at Jingzhe, "Mother’s funeral affairs, I’ll have to trouble you, Aunt, to take care of them."
He only gave this instruction before leaving the Imperial Mausoleum with his people.
After Jingzhe stood up, she looked in the direction the young emperor had left and sighed again.
Mr. Cui walked over, with a sense of indescribable relief in his tone, "His Majesty has finally grown up."
Aunt Jingzhe turned her head to look at him, her eyes complex, "Is growing up making him this cold-blooded?"
Mr. Cui chuckled, "Throughout history, emperors who were too emotional and loyal either got sched against by their subordinates or got invaded by enemy countries. How many of them ended well? Our new emperor, he could be an unfilial traitor, but he must be a wise ruler, and that’s enough."
Jingzhe couldn’t understand this and only asked, "Everyone else has left, why haven’t you left yet?"
Mr. Cui sat down on a stone block nearby, "I’ve served the late Emperor for decades, and now that he is gone, I can’t bear to leave him, so I will stay at the Imperial Mausoleum to accompany him, the elderly one."
"Aren’t you going to serve His Majesty?" Aunt Jingzhe asked.
"Sanbao, that child is clever," Mr. Cui sighed, "With him around, it’s enough."
Suddenly changing the subject, he added, "But you, the Empress always praised you for being cautious, so after you’ve handled the Empress’ funeral, return to the palace; His Majesty needs an Aunt Jingzhe by his side."
...
The consecutive deaths of both the Emperor and Empress are unprecedented in the history of Chu Country.
Just after finishing the late Emperor’s funeral affairs, thinking they could finally take a breath, the various governnt offices began to get busy again.
Empress Qi’s posthumous title was decided by the late Emperor as "Mingde," Empress Mingde, implying her understanding of the larger situation by following the late Emperor in death.
Empress Mingde’s body was not returned to the Capital, and her funeral was handled directly at the traveling palace. Compared to the late Emperor, Empress Mingde’s funeral procedures were reduced, and with the various offices just having completed the late Emperor’s affairs, they acted smoothly by riding on this montum.
Before sealing the coffin, the Minister of Rites ca to seek Zhao Xi’s instruction on whether he wanted to see Empress Mingde one last ti, and Zhao Xi directly refused.
At that ti, Dong Han sat beside Zhao Xi, giving him a glance to have him withdraw, but she said nothing.
She understood very well that at this mont, no amount of consolation would work; what His Majesty needed most was so quiet ti alone.
After sitting quietly for a while, Zhao Xi suddenly looked at Dong Han, "The Imperial Aunt and others didn’t have a chance to rest during the late Emperor’s funeral, and now with Mother’s funeral following, they surely can’t endure it. While it’s not busy now, have soone arrange a side hall for them to rest for a while."
Dong Han stood up, saluted, and said, "Your Majesty, you must also take care of your dragon body."
Although since the late Emperor’s passing, His Majesty has been eating his als and resting whenever he can, the ntal pressure of losing both father and mother is surely imnse.
Dong Han cannot empathize completely, but every ti she sees His Majesty sitting quietly alone, she feels her heart wrenching in pain.
After Empress Dong left, Eunuch Sanbao bent into the room and reported, "Your Majesty, there’s news from the Imperial City, the one in the Cold Palace has passed."
Zhao Xi, half leaning on the glazed screen couch, asked, "Suicide?"
Eunuch Sanbao replied, "The Palace Attendant said she caught a cold before the New Year, and without the Imperial Physician to see her, she lingered until she died."
Zhao Xi understood, "Indeed, even if she wanted to die, she should consider those who are still alive."
In the palace, suicide by concubines is a serious cri. Liang Shuren has a son, Zhao Nuo, raised by Consort Qing. Should she choose to die, Zhao Nuo wouldn’t last long either.
ntioning Zhao Nuo, Zhao Xi casually considered the subsequent matters; after Empress Mingde’s burial and joint internt with the late Emperor in the Imperial Mausoleum, the first thing Zhao Xi would do upon returning to the palace would be to arrange for the late Emperor’s concubines.
According to past customs, concubines who had given birth would all be relocated to the Western Palace, and as for the princes, they would be titled and sent out of the palace to establish their own mansions.
However, since the Second Prince Zhao Nuo and Third Prince Zhao Huan were still young, Zhao Xi set a new precedent, first honoring Consort Qing as Princess Consort Qing, then conferring the title of Prince Ding onto Zhao Nuo and Prince Jing onto Zhao Huan, and finally decreeing that Princess Consort Qing move out of the palace to Prince Jing Mansion to care for the two little princes.
Princess Consort Qing, trapped in the palace for many years, was finally able to see the light of day, moved to tears when she received the decree.
The above arrangents were for concubines who had given birth, while those who hadn’t were to be sent to the Royal Temple for purification.
Interestingly, when Eunuch Sanbao led people to investigate the concubines, they found two Noble Ladies were pregnant, both over two months along.
If strictly calculated according to the ti of the late Emperor’s passing, neither was conceived during the national mourning period.
However, since the late Emperor had been bedridden after last year’s autumn hunt, how they beca pregnant, or more precisely, whose child they were carrying, was a matter worth contemplating.
The two Noble Ladies knelt on the ground, crying endlessly, insisting they were carrying the late Emperor’s heir.
Eunuch Sanbao checked the red history, which did not record them serving the Emperor.
In a mont of desperation, the two revealed the truth, saying they feared being sent to the Royal Temple when the late Emperor was near death, so they sneaked into the Qianqing Palace one night when the guards were lax, claiming Mr. Cui could testify to this.
Eunuch Sanbao had no choice but to personally go to the Imperial Mausoleum to ask his godfather, Mr. Cui.
Upon hearing, Mr. Cui sighed, "Indeed, such a thing happened."
He initially intended to stop them, but those two won were highly skilled in such matters; they aroused the late Emperor, who couldn’t suppress it.
However, in front of his godson, Mr. Cui could only say, "The late Emperor perhaps regretted not having more heirs in his lifeti, so he indulged them."
Eunuch Sanbao was drenched in sweat, thinking that despite the state the late Emperor was in, he could impregnate two Noble Ladies simultaneously; truly, he was indeed formidable!
Upon returning to the palace, he truthfully reported the matter to Zhao Xi.
Upon learning that the two won were indeed carrying the late Emperor’s children, Zhao Xi’s expression turned cold, ordering them to be given a potion to induce miscarriage, and then found an excuse to execute them.
Not to ntion their audacity in seducing the late Emperor while he was gravely ill was a major cri; these two heirs, once born, would be the sha of the late Emperor and the disgrace of the Imperial Family; Zhao Xi could not tolerate them.
Initially dreaming of rising to prominence through their offspring, only to end up falling due to their own cunning, the two died silently.
All those aware of their pregnancies were dealt with, ensuring no news leaked out; other concubines only knew two Noble Ladies died inexplicably, guessing the new Emperor issued a secret order for them to accompany in burial, fearing it might happen to them, they quickly packed and left the Imperial City for the temple.
Within re days, so moved, so departed, with forr concubines’ quarters left empty, the Imperial City felt half deserted.
Zhao Xi also moved from the Eastern Palace to Qianqing Palace, officially beginning to attend court as Emperor.
On the first day of court, Zhao Xi ntioned only two matters.
Firstly, due to the national mourning of Great Chu, Bei Yan had voluntarily requested a three-month truce.
Secondly, with the Emperor and Empress passing away in succession, for double national mourning, the mourning period was extended to fifty-four days.
That is twenty-seven days for the late Emperor, twenty-seven days for Empress Mingde.
Song Yuanbao had already entered the Hanlin Academy, and upon receiving the news, he sprayed tea across the face of his colleague opposite him, "What? Fifty-four days? My goodness."
He had been taking cold showers for over half a month!
The colleague calmly wiped his face with his sleeve, asking, "Why is Brother Xiao Song reacting so strongly?"
Song Yuanbao chuckled dryly twice, "It’s nothing; I’m always jumpy like this, you’ll get used to it."
...
Shortly after Zhao Xi resud court, Su Qing returned from the Northern Border.
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