Chapter 15: 15

The Second Day of Mourning (1)

Another funeral ritual, which involved dressing the late Emperor in mortuary attire, took place the next day. Many gates of the Taiji Palace were opened to allow royal family members and ministers to enter.

Chu Ning stayed with a group of noblewoman who were weeping and praying for the late Emperor. At the same time, she noticed that today’s atmosphere was different from yesterday.

Everyone was still crying as before, and nothing seemed out of place. However, upon closer observation, she noticed that at the opened gates, groups of three to five courtiers gathered every now and then. They whispered amongst themselves before separating in different directions.

Chu Ning took a few glances and instantly noticed a few familiar faces. They were the Crown Prince’s supporters.

She turned her tear-filled gaze in Xiao Yu’s direction.

He stood with his gaze down, weeping in the direction of his father’s remains. He gave the appearance of a filial and grieving son. Only his occasional glances at the ranks of officials revealed his true thoughts.

It was not apparent to casual observers, but Chu Ning immediately saw that something was different about him. She thought that he could be planning something with Xu Rongan. She remembered that recently he had daily closed-door discussions with Xu Rongan. She was almost certain that it had something to do with the Prince of Qin.

Chu Ning also knew that Xiao Yu was not rash or foolish. He knew not to have a direct confrontation with the Prince of Qin and the Empress Dowager. This was most likely just a test against the Prince of Qin.

She was curious about what would happen. As she was unsure what to make of Xiao Yu’s uncle, she thought that this would be a good opportunity to find out his true motives.

Soon, everyone took their place and the ritual began.

As the crowd was mourning for the late Emperor, the eunuchs laid out nineteen mortuary attires and unfurled the belts. They clothed the late Emperor and tied the belts before finally covering him with a quilt.

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Then, servants supported Xiao Yu, who was weeping, to kneel and pay respect to the late Emperor. 

This was followed by the sacrifices of an ox, a sheep, and a pig.

After these tedious rituals were completed, the crowd seemed to relax a little.

At this moment, Qimu, the Secretariat Director, stepped out from the ranks of officials as prearranged. He rushed to stand behind the Prince of Qin, who was paying respect at the forefront, and said, “Your Majesty, the nation mourns and I too mourn the late Emperor’s recent passing. However, the throne must not be left vacant for too long. A vacant throne invites strife. Since the late Emperor had left a testamentary edict, naming Your Majesty as the successor, it is best that Your Majesty ascend the throne as soon as possible to stabilize the dynasty.”

After the Secretariat Director had finished speaking, a few secretariats from the palace and a dozen of officials from the Six Ministries all stood out and entreated Xiao Kezhi to ascend the throne soon.

The crowd had expected this, but they couldn’t help whispering and discussing amongst themselves. As they waited for the Prince of Qin’s answer, they turned to look at the Crown Prince.

The noble women also reacted similarly. Chu Ning could hear the marquis’s wife, who was beside her, sigh with sympathy in her direction.

But she ignored the gazes on her and focused on Xiao Yu’s response.

Xiao Yu stood still on his spot with his gaze lowered, his face pale but calm. It seemed like he had no wish to oppose Qimu’s suggestion.

At this moment, Wei Fujing, a secretariat of the Ministry of Justice stepped out suddenly and went to stand beside Qimu. He said furiously, “My learned friend, how dare you propose this. You should be ashamed of yourself. When the late Emperor was living, he had appointed his eldest son as the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince had kept his post in the East Palace for more than ten years. As such, shouldn’t the Crown Prince succeed the throne? Why is there a need for a testamentary edict? When the Crown Prince is alive and well, why is there a need for someone else to ascend the throne?”

Immediately after he spoke, a censor also stepped out and said, “When the late Emperor was dying, Taiji Palace was placed under curfew. Other than the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Qin, everyone else was chased out. Even the Crown Prince was not allowed to stay. Now that there’s suddenly a testamentary edict, who knows if it is real?”

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