Xu Lingyi did not come back that day. At noon, he asked his servant to take a letter to Shiyi Niang: "I am fine, don't worry."

At 9:00 p.m. the next day, bells from all the temples and Taoist temples in Yanjing rang together.

The emperor passed away.

Eleventh Lady didn’t know what the situation was like in other families, but the lady’s eyes started to become moist after she took a long breath.

"What does the Ministry of Rites say?"

"The funeral ceremony will follow the old rules." Eleventh Lady whispered, "We are discussing the ceremony."

"Let everyone in the family wear plain clothes and take off their makeup," the lady said, leaning against a large blue ice crackle brocade pillow, her voice sounding a little tired, "and restrict the servants from drinking, laughing and playing, and let them guard the house for the next hundred days first."

The second wife sat quietly by the side, looking a little melancholy.

Eleventh Lady responded in a low voice and came out to instruct the stewards to do their job.

The third lady was wearing plain clothes and had two black plasters on her temples. She hurried over.

"Is the emperor really dead?" She pulled Shiyi Niang to the warm room next to the flower hall to talk, "Is there any news from the palace?"

"I haven't heard any news!" Eleventh Lady said, "The Marquis is still in the palace and hasn't come back yet!"

The third wife smiled and said, "The new emperor has ascended the throne, so he must give generous gifts to his officials, right?"

In this way, both Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian might obtain hereditary titles.

"The speech hasn't been finalized yet," Eleventh Lady said tactfully, "I'm afraid the rest will have to wait until after the ceremony!"

"That's right!" The Third Lady murmured, "It's too early to talk about this now." As she spoke, she perked up and asked loudly, "Where's Mom? Is she okay?" As she asked, she stood up, "I'll go see her now?" She added, "On the day of the funeral, Fourth Brother and Sister-in-law, please remember to call us. After all, we are a family. If we go together, it will be a great honor for the Empress and the Crown Prince!"

Eleventh Lady responded vaguely and asked Hanxiao to accompany the Third Lady to the Dowager Lady. She then called Mother Song and Amber in to instruct them about the national mourning.

From the second day of the death, the crown prince wore mourning clothes for 27 days, and after 27 days, he wore plain clothes. The kings and princesses wore mourning clothes for three years, and stopped mourning after 27 months. All officials wore plain clothes and went to Sishan Gate to mourn and cry for three days in the morning and evening. When they changed into mourning clothes, they cried for three days in the evening, and then cried for ten days in the morning. After the 27th day, they stopped mourning. On the fourth day, women of the imperial family wore plain clothes and went to Xihua Gate to mourn and cry for three days, and stopped mourning after the 27th day. Officials' homes were forbidden from music, sacrifices, and marriages for 100 days. Military and civilian homes wore plain clothes for 13 days, and banned music, sacrifices, and marriages for one month.

After that, there was the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, the empress dowager's enthronement ceremony, the empress's enthronement ceremony, the mourning period, and the late emperor's funeral ceremony... By the time Eleventh Lady was able to sit down and have a good talk with Xu Lingyi, it was already mid-September.

Xu Lingyi has lost a lot of weight.

"When the emperor woke up halfway, the first thing he ordered was for me to enter the palace..." He stared blankly at the ceiling of the tent, as if he had a lot to say but couldn't.

Eleventh Lady had no choice but to change the subject and talk about something happy: "I was worried that the college entrance examination would be cancelled or postponed due to the national mourning, but fortunately it was held as scheduled, and Jie'er lived up to Mr. Chang's expectations and passed the examination. It's a pity that I can't help Jie'er celebrate."

Xu Lingyi knew that what Eleventh Lady meant by celebration was probably just inviting the family members together for a meal or something.

He didn't say anything, but put his arm around her shoulders and whispered, "If you have time, go to the palace more often to accompany the Empress Dowager! Just after her 79th day of mourning, the Empress Dowager insisted on moving to the Cining Palace and invited Master Jining to come to the palace to talk about Buddhism. The Emperor is very worried."

The late emperor died very suddenly. He had eaten with the Empress Dowager in her room before leaving Kunning Palace, but he suddenly collapsed on the table where he reviewed memorials only an hour after leaving Kunning Palace. It took the Empress Dowager a long time to accept this fact.

Eleventh Lady submitted the sign the next day, and in the afternoon she received a response from the inner court, allowing her to enter the palace the next day.

The Cining Palace was filled with solemnity, and the Empress Dowager, who had become the Empress Dowager, seemed to have aged ten years.

She comforted Shiyi Niang softly, "I've already told the emperor that I'll transfer Jing'er back after these busy days. If you don't think there's a good job, I'll talk to the emperor about it." She added, "I remember you raised Fourth Brother's third son. What is he doing now? If there's nothing else to do, let him serve in the Imperial Guards!"

Eleventh Lady hurriedly thanked the Empress Dowager and said softly, "Although Guizhou is remote, he is not depressed when he goes there, but thinks it is a good place because you always care about him. Every time he writes back, he tells me something new. Not only him, but also I have learned a lot. Jie'er just passed the imperial examination in August this year. Fifth uncle is in the Imperial Guards, and Third uncle's Jian'er is from the Imperial Guards. It was all the Marquis's idea. I'm afraid Jie'er's matter still needs the Marquis's decision."

The Queen Mother likes the fact that Eleventh Lady never acts on her own.

She nodded slightly.

Eleventh Lady asked what sutras Master Jining had been talking about these days, and she also told the Empress Dowager about the first time she met Jining and how Jining asked her to redecorate the house... The atmosphere was relaxed yet dignified, and a faint smile gradually appeared on the Empress Dowager's face.

A palace maid came in: "Empress Dowager, the abbot of Dajue Temple is here!"

Eleventh Lady stood up and said goodbye.

The Queen Mother said, "She saw that I invited Jining to the palace to preach Buddhism, so she has been passing me signs every day asking to see me these days. I was annoyed by her nagging, so I just mentioned a date, but I didn't expect that it would be the same day as yours. Come with me to see her, and we can talk after lunch." As she spoke, she stretched out her hand and motioned to Eleventh Lady to help her go to the side hall.

Eleventh Lady replied "yes" in a low voice and helped the Queen Mother to the side hall.

The abbot of Dajue Temple was in her fifties, of medium build, with a straight waist and sharp eyes. She looked dignified and dignified, which was very consistent with her status. The nun following behind her was in her prime. Although she was dressed in gray, her bright eyes and white teeth could not be concealed. People couldn't help but feel sorry for such a beautiful woman, how could she become a nun.

Eleventh Lady looked at it and smiled bitterly.

It’s a small world.

I didn't expect to meet Yang in the Cining Palace.

Yang obviously knew that Eleventh Lady was accompanying the Queen Mother, and was not surprised by her appearance.

She smiled and nodded to Eleventh Lady, with a bit of intimacy as if she had met an old friend in a foreign land.

The abbot of Dajue Temple was introducing her to the Empress Dowager: "…This is my last disciple, with the Dharma name Jingkong. She is able to read and write, and is well versed in the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. I have appointed her to inherit my mantle. So I specially brought her here to meet the Empress Dowager today."

If it was a normal day, it would be a bit rude, but the abbot of Dajue Temple brought his successor to see the Empress Dowager, and Dajue Temple was also a royal Zen temple, so it was legitimate.

Yang immediately stepped forward and saluted the Empress Dowager. Her dignified and generous manner immediately won the Empress Dowager's favor: "Where are you from? How did you enter Dajue Temple? When did you shave your hair?"

Yang's mouth twitched slightly, and the abbot of Dajue Temple smiled first and said, "She is from Daxing. She was weak and sick since she was a child, so her family fostered her under the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva. She was familiar with scriptures since she was a child, and entered Dajue Temple when she grew up. Speaking of it, she has been shaved for more than ten years!" She said it vaguely, obviously not wanting the Queen Mother to know her true origins. The Queen Mother obviously didn't remember it either. When she heard that she had shaved her head for more than ten years, she asked Yang curiously, "How old are you?"

Yang said respectfully: "I am thirty-one years old this year!"

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother looked Yang up and down, then turned to Eleventh Lady and said, "I didn't expect that Master Jingkong also has a secret to keep one's youth!"

Yang said modestly, "Your Highness the Queen Mother is too kind. I am just contented with what I have and have less anger, sorrow and hatred." As she spoke, she glanced at Eleventh Lady from the corner of her eye and said with a hint of flattery, "The one next to Your Highness the Queen Mother is the wife of Marquis Yongping, right? I think the wife of Marquis Yongping is only seventeen or eighteen years old this year, but I also heard that the youngest son of Marquis Yongping is fourteen years old this year. If we talk about the secret of keeping one's youth, the wife of Marquis Yongping is the real one!"

Seventeen or eighteen years old?

She was famous for her calmness when she was young, and now she is even more careful in her movements. She is also free and easy, and she doesn't look like a young girl at all. Yang is so surprised that she can say that.

Eleventh Lady smiled slightly: "Master Jingkong, thank you for the compliment!"

The Empress Dowager obviously liked to hear such words. She took Eleventh Lady's hand and said, "Many ladies have said in front of me that the wife of Marquis Yongping is beautiful." The Empress Dowager, who had only reluctantly met the abbot of Dajue Temple and Yang out of courtesy, became interested in talking to them. She talked to them for a long time and finally rewarded Dajue Temple with five thousand taels of silver for incense money and five hundred kilograms of agarwood before serving tea.

After lunch, Jining arrived.

Everyone exchanged greetings for a long time, and when Eleventh Lady left, Jining personally sent her off to the gate of the Cining Palace.

Eleventh Lady smiled and told Jining about the Queen Mother's reward to Da Sijue.

Jining smiled lightly and clasped his hands together towards Shiyi Niang: "Thank you very much, benefactor. I will definitely pray for Lord Yongping and the Commander-in-Chief!"

Seeing that she understood what she meant, Shiyi Niang returned home with a smile and told her that the Queen Mother wanted to transfer Xu Sijin back and reward Xu Sijie. Xu Lingyi laughed and said, "I will take care of this matter." But he showed some hesitation while speaking.

Since the death of the previous emperor, although the new emperor did not confer any specific position on Xu Lingyi, Xu Lingyi had the title of Prince's Tutor and began to attend court every day.

"What does the Marquis have to say?" Eleventh Lady asked with a smile.

"Moyan!" Xu Lingyi held her hand. "The emperor wants me to take charge of the Five Military Commanders' Office and serve as the Minister of War. I declined..." As he said this, he looked at her with a little guilt.

Being an official or making money is nothing more than realizing personal value or improving the quality of life. Xu Lingyi has already realized the value of others, and their quality of life has not decreased in the years since he was not an official. For him, it is probably meaningless to be an official or not.

He must be worried that she would lose face!

Moreover, she felt that Xu Lingyi must have made this decision after careful consideration.

"Just postpone it! It just so happens that Master Jian said that he wanted to expand the embroidery shop's business a little bit more - he wants to do the embroidery thread business. Eighty to ninety percent of the embroidery threads in the world come from Huzhou. If the Marquis is free, he can help us with some ideas and find a way to contact the governor of Huzhou..." Eleventh Lady smiled.

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