The sudden death of Chang Lanshi attracted considerable attention throughout Beiping Prefecture; at least for those in officialdom, it was a major event.

Putting aside the fact that Chang Lanshi is Lan Yu's older sister, the kind of elder sister who is like a mother to him, even if Lan Yu wins a great victory now, for most people, what matters is that Chang Lanshi is the current emperor's maternal grandmother, and that's what they have to pay attention to.

Of course, noble families were also paying close attention at this time, especially those who had come to Beiping Prefecture. Not to mention the Chang family, even the Xu family had to send people to offer condolences. This was not only because Lady Chang Lan was the current emperor's maternal grandmother, but also because Lady Chang Lan was Chang Yuchun's legal wife.

Even among the imperial clan, Zhu Gang, the Prince of Jin, who was stationed in Beiping Prefecture, made a special trip to offer condolences.

When some noblewomen arrived at the Prince of Kaiping's residence, those of the same generation as Chang Lan, or even those of slightly lower generation, were actually quite envious of her. Chang Lan's glory was something they deeply admired, yet dared not even attempt to compare themselves to her.

Her husband was Chang Yuchun, her eldest son inherited the title of Duke, and her second and youngest sons also earned the title of Marquis. Her daughter was the former Crown Princess, who gave birth to the current Emperor. As for her younger brother, he was Lan Yu, the Duke of Liang, who was now one of the leading figures in the Ming Dynasty's military.

It can be said that Changlan enjoyed unparalleled glory both in life and after death. In the Ming Dynasty, perhaps only the late Empress could surpass Changlan in success; what other woman didn't envy Changlan deep down?

Prince Wu, Zhu Yunwen, had bloodshot eyes. He seemed completely unconcerned about what others were saying or discussing, simply kneeling there to keep vigil for Lady Chang. As for anyone saying it violated etiquette, they would probably only mutter it to themselves. If they dared to say it aloud now, they would surely anger Zhu Yunwen and might even offend the Chang family.

"After seven days of mourning, the uncles will escort the coffin back to the Heavenly Palace." Zhu Yunwen said in a hoarse voice as if he remembered something, "Grandmother will definitely be buried with Grandmother, and my elder brother will also go there at that time."

Chang Mao nodded. His father, Chang Yuchun, was buried at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain, which is also known as "being buried with the Xiaoling Mausoleum," an honor for a subject.

Chang Sheng looked at Zhu Yunwen and said with some heartache, "Nephew, please don't kneel here. Your grandmother has always been worried about you. If she saw you like this, she wouldn't be able to leave in peace."

Looking at the coffin, Zhu Yuntong felt a pang of sadness. "Grandmother has passed away. I'll stay with her a little longer. She's been in Beiping these past few years, and I haven't been able to visit her often. If I stay with her a little longer, she'll surely be happy."

Although Zhu Yunwen was incredibly saddened, he also felt somewhat fortunate. At least he had rushed there to see his maternal grandmother one last time, and he knew that she had passed away peacefully without any regrets, which naturally brought him some comfort.

Chang Mao seemed to remember something and asked in a low voice, "Nephew, did His Majesty really say he was going to welcome the spirit tablet?"

“Of course!” Zhu Yuntong said matter-of-factly. “But what did Grandmother say? We are still young and don’t know some of the customs. If Grandmother has given any instructions, then we should do as she says.”

Chang Mao spoke up at this moment, somewhat hesitantly, "She had previously stated that she wanted to be buried with her father. However, she did not want a grand funeral. It would be understandable if His Majesty personally went to welcome her. But she did not want all the civil and military officials in the court to attend the funeral."

Zhu Yunwen was silent for a moment, then said, "If my maternal grandmother really gave such instructions, then we should naturally follow her wishes. However, my mother's children should also go and see my maternal grandmother off. Or, upon returning to Yingtian Prefecture, should we not stop the mourning ceremony and go directly to Zhongshan?"

Chang Mao had this in mind; he knew Zhu Yunwen couldn't make the decision. However, Chang Mao knew that his eldest nephew was likely to take this matter extremely seriously. Even though his eldest nephew seemed to have visited less in recent years, it was only because the Prince of Kaiping's residence was now in Beiping; the Chang family had never lacked glory or favor.

While Zhu Yunwen was keeping vigil here, some fast horses naturally galloped towards Yingtian Prefecture.

Besides the imperial court's great victory in the north, the death of the Princess Consort of Kaiping was also a major event that naturally needed to be reported to His Majesty immediately. After all, the Princess Consort of Kaiping's status was too special, and no one dared to be careless about this matter.

Zhu Yunying was unaware of these matters, which reflects the limitations of the era. Even though the Ming Dynasty had a relatively developed postal system, it still relied heavily on these stations and express courier services.

Zhu Yunying was used to this; important matters might be delayed by ten days or half a month. And some things might take one or two years to gradually reach some towns and villages in the Ming Dynasty, which was quite normal.

This is the current level of productivity, and Zhu Yunying really can't ask for too much.

Telephones and telegrams are out of the question for the time being; they're not something one person can build overnight. Our current basic science and technological accumulation are insufficient. Even if Zhu Yunying were talking about something out of a fantasy, skilled craftsmen couldn't accomplish it.

Although he had things on his mind, as emperor, Zhu Yunying also needed to fulfill his duties; he had many political affairs to handle. Trying to adjust his emotions was a luxury and unrealistic for him.

Zhu Yunying also needed to make good plans for the future of the Ming Dynasty; he had to draw up an even better blueprint.

The weather seems to be favorable, especially now that the first rice harvest is underway. Although many places in the Ming Dynasty only have one harvest a year, places like Jiangnan and Fujian can still achieve two harvests a year.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!