The lights in the mansion were on all night long.
In front of the coffin of Xingyuan Marquis Xue Yonghuai, a Taoist priest in green robes recited scriptures in a low voice until dawn to pray for the old marquis' soul to be reincarnated.
As the first ray of dawn appeared in the sky, the heavy door of the Marquis' Mansion slowly opened.
The sign outside the door has been replaced with new words, which reads: "The coffin of Xue Yonghuai, the Marquis of Xingyuan, who was granted the title of first-class marquis during the Wulong period of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
The handwriting sparkles in the sunlight, appearing solemn and dignified.
"Did you prepare everything last night?" Xue Yuanchu, the eldest son, had already changed into mourning clothes and asked his second brother Xue Zhongfu beside him with a sad face.
"Everything is ready, big brother." Xue Zhongfu responded, "All the furnishings were newly made last night, not a single word is wrong."
Xue Yuanchu nodded, his eyes deeply fixed on the distance. "Father has fought on the battlefield his entire life and sacrificed so much for the glory of the Marquisate. Now that he has passed away, we, as his children, must ensure that he passes away with honor."
At this time, the funeral procession ceremony begins.
Xue Yuanchu stood at the front with a sad face, seeing his father off.
Immediately afterwards, the coffin of the old marquis Xue Yonghuai was carried out of the mansion steadily by eight servants. The eight people walked in unison with solemn expressions.
After Xue Yuanchu smashed the basin, Xue Zhongfu and Xue Jiyan, both dressed in plain white mourning clothes, accompanied him. The three of them rode tall horses and followed behind the coffin.
Then two luxurious carriages slowly drove out of the Marquis's mansion gate.
In the front carriage, Hong Yingrong and Jiang Shuxiu sat side by side, both dressed in plain clothes and with sad looks on their faces.
Jiang Shuxiu gently held Hong Yingrong's hand, giving her silent support and comfort.
In the last carriage, Xue Huichun and Xue Shanqiu clung to each other.
Although they are young, they understand the importance of today, and their tender faces reveal a heaviness and sadness that is not in line with their age.
Behind the two carriages were the servants of the Marquis's mansion.
They were all dressed in sackcloth and followed the funeral procession with solemn expressions.
A team of more than one hundred people marched slowly forward to the sound of funeral music, out of the east city gate, and headed all the way to the Xue family's ancestral tomb.
After walking for a while, we saw tall colorful tents on the roadside, banquets set up, and melodious music. These were all ceremonies held by various families for memorial services.
Xue Zhong, the scout, was busy shuttling back and forth, expressing his gratitude and reporting the situation.
"The eldest son of Duke Liguo Liu Shiyuan, currently the Chief of the Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau, Liu Zhengde, has set up a roadside memorial pavilion."
"Zhang Ze, the grandson of Zhang Hai, the Earl of Jingtian, the current director of the Ministry of Revenue, has set up a roadside memorial pavilion."
"Dingcheng Marquis Wei Ruoming and his brother Wei Ruoyan set up a roadside sacrificial tent."
When they arrived at the roadside sacrificial pavilion set up by the Jiang family, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College, Xue Yuanchu and his two brothers dismounted in person to express their gratitude because the Jiang family was related by marriage to the Marquis's Mansion.
The steward hurried to the carriage that Hong Yingrong was riding in and respectfully reported, "We have arrived at the sacrificial shed set up by the Jiang Mansion. The prince has dismounted to express his gratitude in person."
The carriage was silent, and Hong Yingrong's voice came out steadily: "I understand."
In the carriage, Jiang Shuxiu felt very relieved when she heard that her mother's family had also set up a roadside memorial tent and all the etiquette was thoughtful.
When Xue Yuanchu dismounted to express his gratitude, she felt relieved - her husband was obviously not angry about what happened yesterday and even gave her family enough face.
Hong Yingrong noticed the touching look on Jiang Shuxiu's face, patted her hand gently, and comforted her: "This is what the boss should do."
Jiang Shuxiu nodded, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
The funeral procession of the Marquis' Mansion marched forward in a mighty procession, like a silver mountain range running across the east of the city.
A horseman, leading the way, galloped over and reported to the steward Xue Zhong, "Steward Xue, please inform the Crown Prince as soon as possible. His Royal Highness the Prince of Linjiang has come personally to deliver the old Marquis's coffin. He is only a hundred meters away and is heading towards us."
After hearing the news, Xue Zhong immediately looked forward and saw a team slowly approaching with gongs ringing to clear the way and umbrellas held high for protection.
He hurriedly turned around to inform Xue Yuanchu.
Upon learning that Prince Linjiang was coming in person, the three Xue brothers immediately dismounted to show their respect.
Afterwards, Xue Zhong quickly ran to the carriage behind and conveyed the news to the old lady Hong Yingrong.
Hong Yingrong pondered for a moment and instructed, "It is inconvenient for the ladies to get off the carriage to return the gift, so the prince will express his gratitude on our behalf."
"Yes, madam!" Xue Zhong responded respectfully.
The funeral procession slowed down temporarily.
At this time, in the carriage behind, Xue Huichun nervously lifted the curtain of the carriage secretly.
"Sister, this is against etiquette..." Sister Xue Shanqiu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and hurriedly tried to dissuade her after seeing this.
"I know it's against the rules, but it's all because of you. This is a major event in your life. What if you marry the wrong person? If it were someone else, I wouldn't bother with this!"
Xue Huichun said this angrily, but her eyes were already filled with tears without her knowing when. Now life in the Marquis' Mansion seemed to be calm, but she always felt a sense of unease lingering in her heart.
Only at this moment did she truly understand that her father would never come back. The feeling of powerlessness made her feel suffocated.
Outside the carriage, Prince Linjiang Li Longjing was riding a tall black horse, and his plain white brocade robe was particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.
The whole person looked extraordinary and heroic, looking at the coffin in the distance with a look of solemnity and respect in his eyes.
His arrival undoubtedly added solemnity and dignity to the funeral.
Xue Yuanchu stepped forward and bowed deeply, "The Xue family is deeply grateful for His Royal Highness Prince Linjiang's visit."
Li Longjing nodded slightly, his voice deep and powerful, "Old Marquis Xue fought on the battlefield his entire life, making tremendous contributions to our Great Zhou. His passing is a great loss to our dynasty. I have come today to bid farewell to the old marquis as a token of my respect."
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