Chapter 293 Humiliation
The servants of Cao's mansion have been busy since yesterday, setting up the mourning hall, placing the coffin, hanging white banners, and sending letters to various families...
The queen and Cao Muxue, who received the news, returned to Cao's mansion yesterday to keep vigil for Cao Taishi.
Cao Muxue, who didn't know the inside story, knelt in front of the coffin and cried sadly. Other descendants of the Cao family were infected and cried too. The sound was so loud that it hurt Cao Qian's ears.
With so many eyes staring at her, the queen had no choice but to cry too.
After a day, the news that Cao Taishi had passed away spread throughout Shangjing and even outside the capital.
Cao Taishi had many disciples, and those who came to pay their respects and worship after hearing the news filled the mourning hall. When the officials in the court arrived at Cao's mansion, they had to take turns to enter the mourning hall to burn incense.
The weather was too hot. To prevent the body from decaying, the coffin was surrounded by ice, making the mourning hall cold and gloomy, in sharp contrast to the scorching sun outside.
The descendants of the Cao family took turns kneeling in front of the spirit for three days and three nights. As a filial son, Cao Qian also knelt in front of the spirit during the day.
Finally, the funeral was held, and Cao Qian and the queen breathed a sigh of relief.
For the queen, kneeling in front of a lowly person was a great humiliation. But in order to play the role well, she could only pretend.
After crying for three days, the queen's eyes were red and swollen, her face was haggard, and she looked overly sad.
"It's a pity that when father passed away, you were the only one to see him off, quietly, but now a stranger has taken advantage of him and enjoyed the scene and excitement." The queen looked at the coffin on the mourning hall and whispered to Cao Qian in resentment.
Cao Qian sighed and said, "Today is a good time to go see father."
"Yes." The queen choked.
It was a shame to say that her father had passed away for several months, and she had not even burned a stick of incense or a piece of paper money. She was really unworthy of being a woman.
It was better that this fake guy was dead, so that she could go to worship openly in the future.
According to Cao Qian's plan, after the Cao family sent "Grand Tutor Cao" to the Cao family's ancestral tomb, they asked them to wait outside first. He buried Grand Tutor Cao alone, and then asked them to kowtow to the real Grand Tutor Cao in the ancestral tomb. In this way, no one would know. However, things are unpredictable.
When the funeral was held, Grand Tutor Cao's disciples came to the Cao Mansion and wanted to accompany Grand Tutor Cao to be buried.
Cao Qian was shocked and refused many times.
With so many disciples accompanying him, it was impossible to hide from others.
The plan was disrupted, and Cao Qian was anxious and had to quietly tell his confidants to rush to the Cao family's ancestral tomb and dig out the previous coffin.
Such a disrespectful and unfilial act made Cao Qian bite his back teeth in anger.
If he didn't need these students to help him, he really didn't want to deal with it.
The heat was scorching, but in order to delay time, Cao Qian deliberately walked very slowly on the way to the Cao family's ancestral tomb. He was relieved until his confidants came back.
Hundreds of people came to the Cao family's ancestral tomb in a mighty manner, and were a little stunned to see the grave that had been dug.
Cao Qian explained: "The weather is too hot, and the coffin should not be kept for a long time, so let's prepare it early."
Everyone suddenly realized and praised Cao Qian for his thoughtfulness.
Cao Qian gritted his teeth and buried "Grand Master Cao" under the gaze of everyone.
After the burial, Cao Qian took the lead and knelt down in front of the tomb to kowtow and burn incense.
The queen had a cold face all the time, and everyone thought she was too sad. Only Cao Qian knew that she was angry.
Not only did she fail to pay homage to her father, but she also had to endure the pain and guilt to allow a rogue to enter the ancestral tomb, which polluted her father's grave. How could she not be angry!
When leaving, Cao Qian looked back with a gloomy face.
These disciples were sometimes really annoying, causing him to do such a thing that was against filial piety, and he had to come again.
Cao Qian had no words to say, so he could only wait until late at night to quietly come to the cemetery, dig out the fake Grand Tutor Cao, and then bury the hidden real Grand Tutor Cao.
"Father, it's all because of my incompetence that you have suffered and been humiliated." Cao Qian knelt in front of the tomb and confessed bitterly.
It was really humiliating to think that Grand Tutor Cao had a glorious life, but ended up like this after his death.
Cao Qian was very ashamed and knelt in front of the tomb until dawn before leaving.
After dealing with the matter of Grand Tutor Cao, the next step is to act quickly.
On June 11, Yu Lan and the other two moved from Zhou Mansion to Princess Mansion.
"Mother, which room should I live in?" Zhuang Yin asked, looking at the rooms in the main courtyard.
Yu Lan's eyes flickered slightly and said, "Yin'er is grown up and can't live with mother anymore. I'll take you to your courtyard."
Girls avoid their fathers when they grow up, and boys avoid their mothers when they grow up. Zhuang Yin is indeed old enough to live alone in a branch courtyard, and now is a good opportunity.
"Oh." Zhuang Yin was a little disappointed, but he knew that what his mother said was right and she was not making trouble.
Fearing that Zhuang Yin would not get used to it, Yu Lan placed him in the courtyard closest to them, just a few steps away.
"This is it, Yun'er, take a look and see if you like it. If you need anything, I'll buy you more." Yu Lan coaxed him softly, and led Zhuang Yun into the courtyard.
Zhuang Yun walked into the main house and saw that the layout of the house was the same as when he was in the Pingxi General's Mansion. He couldn't help but feel familiar and friendly.
"This is the bedroom, and that's the study..." Yu Lan took Zhuang Yun to look at each room carefully.
"Does Yun'er like it?"
Zhuang Yun nodded and asked hesitantly, "Can I still go to your courtyard in the future?"
"Of course, as long as you want to go, you can go anytime." Zhou Boxu said.
He knew that Zhuang Yun had lived with Yu Lan since he was a child, and he would definitely not be used to the sudden separation. Besides, Zhuang Yin is not too old, and it is natural for him to rely on his mother when he first moves to the branch of the princess's mansion.
Men should be independent, but they should not rush things, and should take things step by step.
Yu Lan also said, "Of course you have to go, we have to eat together every day."
She deliberately chose the courtyard closest to the main courtyard to make it convenient for Zhuang Yin to go back and forth.
After hearing what the two said, Zhuang Yin smiled, and the unhappiness in his heart disappeared.
Yu Lan touched his head and said, "Let's go to the back garden. Your father asked me to leave a large open space for you to play Cuju."
Zhuang Yin walked into the back garden, and the first thing he saw was the target on the side. On the shelf next to it were two bows and several tubes of feather arrows.
Zhuang Wei ran over excitedly, took down a bow and looked at it in his hand.
Last year, Yu Zheng took him to the autumn hunting. Zhuang Yin admired and yearned for the handsome way he drew the bow and arrow on horseback, and he also wanted to learn.
Zhou Boxu approached: "Yun'er, do you want to learn archery?"
Zhuang Yin nodded as if he had been asked to do something.
"I'll teach you." Zhou Boxu took the bow from Zhuang Yin's hand, pulled out a feather arrow, stood still with a stern look, aimed, and let go decisively.
"Swoosh!" The feather arrow flew into the air and hit the bull's eye steadily and accurately.
"Father is so powerful." Zhuang Yin's eyes sparkled and were full of admiration.
Zhou Boxu handed the bow back to him and patiently explained how to hold the bow, how to draw the arrow, and how to aim.
Yu Lan stood aside, looking at them with a gentle expression.
Zhou Boxu taught Zhuang Yan how to shoot his first arrow, and then let Zhuang Yan practice on his own, while Zhou Boxu gave him instructions and corrections. x|
At this station, a quarter of an hour passed in a flash.
Fortunately, it was cloudy today, without the sun, otherwise it would have been impossible to stand.
Yu Lan was thinking about whether to sit in a pavilion far away to watch, when a servant hurriedly came to report.