Early the next morning, Xiao Jue did not return.
Xiao Jing also entered the palace, while Bai Rongwei and He Yan stayed in the residence. Bai Rongwei was pregnant, so He Yan did not dare to let her worry about him. He did not tell her much about the palace. After the maidservants helped Bai Rongwei into the room to rest, she sat in the courtyard and waited for Xiao Jue to return.
When Xiao Jue returned, it was already night time.
The sky was completely dark, but the courtyard was already lit with lanterns. He Yan was sitting at the table, absent-mindedly reading a book. When he saw Xiao Jue return, he was covered in dew and his expression was somewhat cold. He hurriedly got up and walked over, asking, "How is it?"
Xiao Jue put the wine on the table and took off her outer garment. After a moment of silence, she said, "The national funeral will be held in three days."
"So soon?" He Yan was surprised.
"Not only that, before the Emperor died, he left behind a posthumous edict. Four concubines and twenty palace maids will be buried with him."
He Yan blurted out, "Impossible!"
Regarding the death of the Emperor, there were indeed records of women being buried with him. However, this rule had been abolished long before the previous Emperor ascended the throne. At that time, Emperor He Zong thought that the burial of women was too cruel, so it was abolished. This was a rule that had been abolished. Moreover, although Emperor Wen Xuan did not have much political achievements, he was still considered benevolent and tolerant. He would not have made such a posthumous edict.
"Among the four concubines buried with him, there was Concubine Lan." Xiao Jue said coldly.
He Yan immediately understood, "You mean, this posthumous edict is fake?"
Emperor Wen Xuan doted on Concubine Lan for many years. Now that Emperor Wen Xuan had died, no one could protect Concubine Lan. He could use a fake posthumous edict to get rid of this thorn in his side.
"If the posthumous edict is fake …" He Yan raised his head and looked at Xiao Jue. His eyes moved slightly, "Have you seen His Majesty …"
Xiao Jue looked at him, "No."
He Yan felt his heart skip a beat.
If he hadn't seen Emperor Wenxuan with his own eyes, he wouldn't know if Emperor Wenxuan had really died of illness. If it had been something else …
"I asked the eunuchs in the bedchamber at that time. Before the Emperor went to bed, he had seen the Fourth Prince."
"Such a coincidence?" He Yan frowned slightly. But if it was the Fourth Prince who attacked the Emperor, there was no reason at all.
"After the national funeral, it will be the coronation ceremony." Xiao Jue sat down on a chair. "The Crown Prince will be enthroned."
He Yan's voice sank. "This is not a good thing."
Before the imperial edict to change the Crown Prince appeared, Emperor Wen Xuan's imperial carriage would arrive and the Crown Prince would ascend the throne. Not to mention whether or not the Crown Prince could sit on the throne, once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the Xiao family's situation would not be optimistic.
Seeing He Yan's frown, Xiao Jue smiled and comforted her, "Don't worry, I will go to the Fourth Prince's residence tomorrow."
"You …"
He did not say anything and only looked at He Yan calmly. In an instant, He Yan understood. She lowered her head and did not say anything. After a while, she raised her head again and put her hand on the back of Xiao Jue's hand. Her voice was firm. "Go."
Emperor Wen Xuan had passed away and the national funeral was 27 days old. During the national funeral, the court officials were forbidden to eat, drink, and have fun. The date was set and they would enter the Imperial Mausoleum three days later.
Because of Emperor Wen Xuan's posthumous edict to be buried with the Emperor, the ones who objected the most were naturally the Fourth Prince, Guang Shui, and the Fifth Prince, Guang Ji. This was because Concubine Lan and Noble Lady Ni were buried with the Emperor. Guang Ji was still young and only knew how to cry and make a fuss. Guang Shui and the Imperial Censor objected, but they were rejected by the Guang Yan with the excuse of "obeying the posthumous edict".
From the looks of it, it seemed that the Guang Yan had seized the throne. However, it was hard to say for the time being. As long as there was no coronation ceremony, the dust would not settle. Even if he really did ascend the throne and become the Emperor, it was not unheard of in history that an Emperor was pulled down and replaced.
Everyone in the court was in danger and was jittery for a while.
After Emperor Wen Xuan passed away, the Guang Yan, as the Crown Prince, temporarily took charge of all matters in the court. The first thing he did was to release the Utto envoys who had been placed under house arrest. He also gave the order to allow the Uto to seek peace and intended to allow the Wu Tuo to open a market in Da Wei.
As soon as this order was issued, the entire court was in an uproar.
If he had wanted to do this before, although there would have been objections, it would not have been so strong. However, after the incident at the Heavenly Star Platform, even though the Guang Yan knew that the Uto had wild ambitions, they still insisted on seeking peace. This was truly disappointing.
The Imperial Censor's reports flew to the Crown Prince's desk one by one, but they were all thrown into the pile of waste paper. The Guang Yan seemed to have made up his mind on this matter and did not care about anyone else. The people of Shuo Capital did not know the pros and cons of this matter, and the civil officials were mostly neutral. Only the military officials were indignant, but there was nothing they could do. Many years ago, Xu Jingfu had already allowed Emperor Wen Xuan to use the civil officials. Now, the position of the military officials was far less important than that of the civil officials.
In Count Shi Jin's residence, Chu Zhao looked at the long letter in his hand.
After a while, he clutched the letter in his hand. The letter was crumpled into a ball, revealing his complicated and slightly angry feelings.
He rarely had such a moment. Seeing this, his trusted aide carefully asked, "Fourth Young Master …"
Chu Zhao threw the letter into the brazier and pressed his forehead.
Although he knew that the Guang Yan were brainless idiots, he did not expect them to be so daring. He had clearly warned the Guang Yan that killing the Emperor was not desirable, but the Guang Yan still did it. He was afraid that Empress Zhang and her family had also helped in the background. Otherwise, everything would not have gone so smoothly.
"Fourth Young Master, in three days, the Emperor will enter the Imperial Mausoleum, and the Crown Prince will ascend to the throne. Isn't this a good thing for Fourth Young Master?" After all, Xu Jingfu was no longer around, and a portion of Xu Jingfu's people were under Chu Zhao's command. In a way, Chu Zhao was also one of the Crown Prince's people. As long as the Crown Prince became the Emperor, his Fourth Young Master's future would only get better and better.
Chu Zhao laughed, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "He can't be the Emperor."
The confidant raised his head and looked at him. "This …"
"He is too impatient. If there was no posthumous edict, perhaps there would be a chance to turn things around. But once the posthumous edict came out, it only hastened his own death." He said these rebellious words, but there was no fear in his eyes. It was as if he was not talking about the Imperial Family.
"That posthumous edict must be fake. I just don't know if it was the Crown Prince or the Fourth Prince who did it. If it was the Crown Prince, then he is not only stupid, but also ridiculous. If it was the Fourth Prince … "Chu Zhao smiled." Then no matter what, the Crown Prince will not be his opponent. "
"You mean, before entering the Imperial Mausoleum …"
"If the Concubine Lan wants to be buried with the Emperor, the Fourth Prince will not allow this to happen. Before entering the Imperial Mausoleum and ascending to the throne, he will not be able to keep his position. "
Even now, although every word he said was shocking, there wasn't much fluctuation in his expression, as if he had long since expected everything before him.
The confidant felt uneasy. "Fourth Young Master, if the Crown Prince is not worth following, what should we do now?"
It was too late to follow the Fourth Prince now. Moreover, they had too little bargaining chips. They did not have the capital to make a deal with the Fourth Prince.
Chu Zhao looked out of the window.
It was already spring, but the weather was still unusually cold. He had originally followed Xu Jingfu. If it was not for the Xiao Jue, with Xu Jingfu watching over the Guang Yan, it was not impossible for him to sit on the throne. But without Xu Jingfu, no matter how long it took, the Guang Yan would not be the Guang Yan's opponent.
One day of fighting the enemy, one day of suffering. Sometimes, Chu Zhao felt that he should thank the Xiao Jue. It was because of the Xiao Jue that he gained his freedom.
But at the same time, he lost everything.
Now that he followed the Guang Yan, it was really the same as walking down the dark path. But if he followed the Guang Yan now … at most, he could only linger on with his last breath. Everything he had gained because of Xu Jingfu would be lost in an instant.
Fate was cruel to him because the path opposite the darkness was not the light. Comparing the two, abandoning one path did not mean that he could choose the other. It was just a measure of how much he had lost.
He stood up. "I'm going to the Fourth Prince's residence."
The night in Jinling was still bustling as usual.
Few people came to Yunlou because of the national mourning. The girls had stopped playing the zither early and only sat in the building.
Hua Youxian also changed into plain clothes. Although the national mourning did not force the people to wear plain clothes, at this juncture, it was better not to make any mistakes.
The sky was already dark. In the evening, the rain that had stopped started again. Hua Youxian held the last packet of red bean cakes that she had just bought from Guangfu Zhai and hid under the eaves of a teahouse by the Qinhuai River to avoid the rain. Just as she stood still, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure coming from the corner.
"Sir Yang?" Hua Youxian could not help but call out.
The man turned his head to look. He was wearing a long sandalwood robe and had a scholarly appearance. It was the governor of Jinling, Yang Mingzhi.
Yang Mingzhi saw Hua Youxian and was startled. He must have returned from outside and did not bring an umbrella. His clothes were mostly wet. He hesitated for a moment before walking over. He stood beside Hua Youxian and said, "Miss Youxian."
Hua Youxian smiled and looked outside. "The rain will not stop for a while. Why don't we sit here and have a cup of tea. We can leave when the rain stops."
Yang Mingzhi thought for a moment and nodded.
During the national mourning period, he was an official and could not drink alcohol. He ordered a pot of tea and a little tea. The teahouse was next to the Qinhuai River. When he opened the window, he could see the boats on the Qinhuai River. In the rain, they were like dark stars in the night.
"It seems that every time I see Sir Yang, you are alone." Hua Youxian smiled.
Although Yang Mingzhi was the governor of Jinling, he was different from the previous governor. He did not like to show off when he went out. Even though he had been the governor of Jinling for a few years, not everyone in Jinling City knew him.
Yang Mingzhi lowered his head and smiled. He did not say anything.
Hua Youxian was curious. When she saw this group of young people in Yunlou, she had a deep impression of them because they had experienced the world together. Although Yang Ming was not as stunning as Governor Xiao, nor was he as confident as Young Master Yan, nor was he as successful as Young Master Yang, he was still handsome and outstanding among the group of youths and had quite an uncommon air about him. When they met again, although he was already the governor of Jinling, he was much quieter. He was not as arrogant as before.
"Sir Yang, do you know that Young Master Xiao got married not long ago?" Hua Youxian took a sip of tea. "Cai Lian and I sent people to send congratulatory gifts. Sir Yang, you are busy with work and probably did not have time to visit. Speaking of which, Young Master Xiao looks cold and unapproachable, but he treats Miss He very well. "
Thinking of this, Hua Youxian felt a little emotional. When she saw that He Yan was a girl, Xiao Jue took good care of He Yan. She did not expect the two of them to get married so quickly. It seemed that fate was a strange thing. If it was the right person, it did not need eight to ten years to find out their true feelings.
Yang Mingzhi looked down at the teacup in front of him. He paused, then said, "Yes."
But he was not as calm as he looked.
In fact, Xiao Jue did not invite him. Of course, he also did not think that he would receive an invitation from Xiao Jue. As early as many years ago, the brotherhood between him and Xiao Jue had already vanished into thin air.
Back then …
Yang Mingzhi turned his head and looked at the river outside the window. The river water was winding and cold. The boats on the water slowly flowed back to many years ago.
Many years ago, he was still a student at the Xianchang School. He did not know the dangers of the world, nor did he know the hardships of the world. He had friends that he sincerely admired, like-minded, generous, and righteous. He also thought that the friendship between young people should last forever.
Until the Xiao family met with an accident.
He was anxious and promised to help to go home and find his father. But he did not expect that his father, who always praised Xiao Jue in front of him, would reject his pleas.
At that time, Yang Mingzhi was very confused. He knelt down and begged. It was probably because his attitude was too firm that Sir Yang could not persuade him and finally told him the truth.
It was only then that Yang Mingzhi knew that his father had always been on Xu Jingfu's side. The entire Yang family was under the care of Xu Jingfu.
"If you help him, you will be harming the Yang family." His father stood in front of him and shook his head. "You choose."
The young man fell to the ground, his eyes full of confusion. He did not understand why his father, who always taught his own people to live righteously, would be like this. If the family teachings he had learned since he was young were just words on paper, then what had he been persevering for all these years?
No one could answer him.
He broke off with Xiao Jue and chose his family. At the same time, he felt that he was no longer qualified to be Xiao Jue's "friend".
Later, he took the imperial examination and did not stay in Shuojing. He purposely went to Jinling. He could not face the Yang family, and he could not face himself. He could only pretend that he was still the young man who cared about the world and had a clear distinction between good and evil in this place where he had traveled with his schoolmates in the Virtuous Prosperity Hall.
But until he met Xiao Jue and the others again, Yang Mingzhi suddenly realized that Xiao Jue, Lin Shuanghe, Yan He, and the others had not changed. He was the only one who had changed. They still went to Luoyun Restaurant together, drinking and talking, but they were not in the same mood as before.
The old days …
The old days were like a huge mountain slowly rising from the ground. Unknowingly, they were already insurmountable.
Hua Youxian seemed to see the sadness in his eyes. She paused and finally changed the topic. "Now that the Emperor has passed away, the Crown Prince allowed Uto to open a market in Da Wei. Jinling is prosperous, if the market is to be in Jinling …"
Yang Mingzhi came back to his senses and shook his head. "The market will not be in Jinling."
"Sir …"
"I will stop it." Yang Mingzhi lowered his head and smiled. "If I am still the Governor of Jinling."
In fact, ever since Xu Jingfu's accident, the Yang family had sent him a letter. They told Yang Mingzhi to look for Xiao Jue. On account of his old friendship with Xiao Jue, they begged Xiao Jue to be merciful. Yang Mingzhi ignored them. Everyone should be responsible for their own choices, just like how he chose his family and the Yang family chose Xu Jingfu.
Later on, when he ignored them and Emperor Wenxuan passed away, his family in the capital must have made a new choice in the shortest time possible.
But he could not.
In these few years, Yang Mingzhi stayed in Jinling to repay his debt. Now that it had come to this, he did not plan to continue doing things against his conscience.
Opening a market would only bring harm to the people of Da Wei. Those Uto had wild ambitions. Once they entered Jinling, who knew what they would do to the people. This was inviting a wolf into the house. The officials in the court were high and mighty. They thought that this fire would not burn them, so they did not do anything.
But once the fire was ignited, it did not matter if they were officials or commoners.
He was very clear that in the capital, other than a few bold imperial censors, there should not be many civil officials who dared to raise objections at this time. Yang Mingzhi also knew that when his memorial appeared in front of the Guang Yan palace, his career as the Governor of Jinling would come to an end.
Perhaps he would lose his life? Perhaps he would implicate his family? But so what?
When he was young, he read, "Be honest with your heart, be honest with yourself, be loyal to the ruler, be respectful to the leader, receive things with trust, be lenient with your subordinates, be respectful to the leader, be respectful to the leader, receive things with trust, be lenient with your subordinates, and negotiate with respect. These are the seven essentials of being an official." At that time, the youths of the Xian Chang Guan were eager to try. Everyone thought that they could do it and become a good official. But after so many years, how many of them persisted?
The youths had the courage to stubbornly resist all the injustice in the world. They always thought that there would be a way out. But after a long time, they gradually became helpless and went with the flow.
Just like himself.
Young people with lofty ambitions and no one heard of them for a long time. In the end, they would rot with the grass and trees.
"Young master," Hua Youxian smiled and called him.
Yang Mingzhi raised his head.
"If I am the Governor of Jinling, then I am Official Yang. If I am not the Governor of Jinling, then I am little young master Yang." The beauty by the Qinhuai River was as charming as in his memory. She raised the teacup in front of her. "In this servant's opinion, no matter what position little young master occupies, you will always be a hero who abhorred evil and stood up for justice in Entering Clouds Tower."
"Jinling will get better and better. So, little young master, you must not belittle yourself." His friend's voice was soft, like the old days. It contained his past struggles and unbearable hardships. It was like the fog covering the sky above the Qinhuai River. After the fog dissipated, there was still a pool of spring water.
He lowered his head. After a long time, he suddenly smiled. He raised the teacup in front of him and touched it with the teacup of his old friend.
"You are right," he said in a low voice. "Everything will get better and better."
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