The death of the queen shocked the capital.
The emperor led all the officials to the Weiyang Palace, and the concubines in the harem also rushed over.
Gu Jiu sat in the side room, not going out of the door, and only heard various noises coming from outside.
Qingmei finally stopped crying.
She wiped away her tears and said, "I learned that the Empress had passed away, but I didn't see the young lady come back. I was really scared to death. I was afraid that something bad had happened to the young lady."
Gu Jiu smiled and wiped Qingmei's tears. "Don't be afraid. I'm back. Look at me. I'm safe and sound. I'm fine."
Qingmei looked at Gu Jiu eagerly, "Miss, have you been wronged? Did the Empress and that Young Supervisor Fang give you any trouble?"
Gu Jiu hid the fingerprints on his wrist in his sleeve and said, "No, don't think too much."
There are some things that she has to bear alone.
Moreover, what happened in the bedroom was not suitable to be told to Qingmei.
However, she could say a few words about Nanny Ping.
"Qingmei, do you still remember Madam Ping's sister?"
"I remember her. Why did you suddenly mention her, young lady?"
Gu Jiu pretended to ask casually, "Do you know where she is working now?"
Qingmei thought about it carefully and said, "I heard that Madam Ping was kicked out by the Madam, but I don't know if it's true. I just listened to it."
Gu Jiu suddenly understood.
It turned out that Nanny Ping had been driven out by Mrs. Xie.
She said, where did Xie get the courage to send Nanny Ping to expose her ugly deeds in public without caring about her life.
Doesn't she know that these ugly things are shameful?
It seems that after leaving the Gu family, Nanny Ping went to the Xie family.
The Xie family can do these things without any worries.
Xie Xian climbed up to Tianmen Temple with bad intentions. What's the big deal if he tells it out? The worst that can happen is that Xie Xian will be sacrificed.
With the Xie family's tradition, as long as there is enough benefit, no one will care if a few people die.
However, there was one thing that Gu Jiu couldn't understand: why didn't Fang Shaojian ask Xie Xian to confront her?
After all, Xie Xian is the person involved, and what he says is more credible than what Nanny Ping says.
Or did Xie Xian have an accident and couldn't make it to the palace?
There was too little information for Gu Jiu to make an accurate guess.
Someone knocks on the door.
Qingmei opened the door.
The palace maid stood outside and said, "Girls, please go to the mourning hall to mourn."
Qingmei handed over a purse and asked quietly, "Is the funeral hall ready so soon?"
The palace maid collected the purse and, still keeping her head down and her face submissive, said, "The funeral hall has been set up, and the ladies of high rank are entering the palace one after another. Miss Gu, please hurry up and don't waste time."
Gu Jiu stood up and said, "I'll go right away."
She took Qingmei out of the side hall and saw Miss Wei San and other girls.
Everyone was notified to go to the mourning hall to mourn.
Gu Jiu came to Miss Wei San, "Sister Wei San."
"Sister Xiaojiu, are you okay? Your maid was so scared that she almost cried, and I was worried too much. Seeing that you are safe and sound, I feel relieved."
"Thank you for your concern, Third Sister Wei. I'm fine. We're going to the funeral now. Can we still leave the palace today?"
Miss Wei San whispered, "We're not imperial concubines, we just happen to be in the palace. We should be able to leave after weeping for the deceased today. But the ladies of the imperial concubines will have a hard time. They will have to stay in the palace for at least fourteen days, going to the mourning hall every day to cry for the deceased. Those who are in good health can bear it, but those who are not in good health may not be able to endure it."
Gu Jiu nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he began to worry about Old Madam Wei again.
Madam Wei is a high-ranking lady, so she'll definitely go to the palace to mourn. At her age, can she handle it? Hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen.
Gu Jiu followed everyone and came to the Liangyi Hall.
The mourning hall is located in the Liangyi Hall.
There were already ladies from the royal family kneeling in the mourning hall.
Gu Jiu followed the palace maid's instructions and knelt in the side hall of the mourning hall.
Miss Wei San whispered to Gu Jiu, "I heard that the Empress has not yet been buried. His Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the imperial concubines, and the court officials are all still in Weiyang Palace."
Gu Jiu noticed that there was indeed one coffin missing from the main hall of the mourning hall.
Gu Jiu asked, "When will the Empress be buried?"
Miss Wei San shook her head. "I'm not sure. It depends on the situation in Weiyang Palace. If someone takes advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble, I'm afraid we won't be able to leave the palace today."
Gu Jiu's heart skipped a beat.
At this moment, what she most wanted was to leave the palace quickly, leave this cannibalistic place, and never enter the palace again.
If I can't leave the palace today, who knows what kind of accident will happen tomorrow.
With the passing of the Queen, ambitious people from all walks of life have come out, and any accident can happen at this time.
Gu Jiu is not afraid of anything else, but he is afraid of being taken out on others.
Regardless of whether the emperor had feelings for the queen or not, after the queen passed away, the emperor would definitely take the opportunity to get rid of a few people and vent his anger.
I'm afraid those imperial doctors are all in danger.
While Gu Jiu was daydreaming, a storm was brewing in Weiyang Palace.
Inside the bedroom of Weiyang Palace, the palace maids had already dressed the Empress in funeral clothes and were preparing for her burial.
Emperor Kaiyao sat on the chair with a frosty face.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was heartbroken and whispered that a grand funeral be held for the Queen.
"My Queen Mother has toiled her entire life, and her final days have been agonizing. Many times, I have witnessed her cry out in agony. Father, I wish to hold a grand funeral for her. Please grant me your permission."
Emperor Kaiyao remained silent.
Everyone else was silent.
The Minister of Revenue hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask, how much silver do you need to prepare for the funeral of the Empress?"
The Crown Prince glared at the Minister of Revenue, "Master Chen, what do you mean by that? You're arranging funeral arrangements for our mother, and you still need to worry about money? Absurd!"
The Minister of Revenue raised his eyelids and said, "Your Highness, you don't know how expensive firewood and rice are until you manage the household. This year's taxes were already paid at the end of last year, and the treasury has no extra money. Unless Your Highness and the other princes are willing to give up this year's titles and salaries, or postpone them until next year, the Ministry of Revenue will find a way to replenish your titles and salaries."
"absurd!"
The King of Zhao scolded the Minister of Revenue, "Are you going to stop our royalties and leave us to starve? You know, our entire family, hundreds of people, relies on royalties to support us. Without them, I will go to your house, Lord Chen, to beg for money."
Minister Chen, without blinking, said, "Even if the Prince of Zhao came to my house to beg for food, he wouldn't have anything to eat. The court still owes me two months' salary, and it wasn't even paid during the New Year."
"you……"
King Zhao pointed at the Minister of Revenue, saying that this man was simply outrageous.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was somewhat bewildered. "Is it true that the national treasury can't take out a single penny?"
The Minister of Revenue said, "There are only two hundred thousand taels left in the treasury. We must first pay the salaries of the officials in the capital, and I'm afraid that won't be enough. The rest of the money has already been allocated and cannot be embezzled."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince looked at Emperor Kaiyao eagerly.
The national treasury has no money, so we can only rely on the Shaofu.
The Shaofu was extremely wealthy, but it was the emperor's private treasury. Only with the emperor's approval would the Shaofu commander release money.
"Father, the Queen Mother has worked hard her entire life. Her funeral cannot be perfunctory. The whole world is watching. How can we justify such a hasty funeral for the Queen Mother?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince pleaded with the Emperor, almost crying.
If he hadn't remembered that he couldn't show too much weakness in front of the emperor, he would have cried bitterly and felt sorry for his mother.
Emperor Kaiyao said in a deep voice, "The Empress's funeral cannot be handled hastily. Considering the depletion of the treasury, all funeral expenses will be borne by the Minister of the Household. Where is the Minister of the Household's Order?"
"I am here."
The Shaofu Ling walked out from the crowd.
Emperor Kaiyao said in a heavy tone, "I am heartbroken over the loss of the Empress. The Empress's funeral must be solemn and dignified. The Minister of the Household must not shirk any responsibility. If anyone is disrespectful to the Empress, report it to me immediately."
"Your humble servant obeys your order."
"Is there anything else?" Emperor Kaiyao stared at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was terrified and quickly lowered his head and said, "Your Highness thanks your father on behalf of your mother."
snort!
Emperor Kaiyao snorted coldly, "I took care of the Queen's funeral, why do I need you to thank me? Just observe mourning for your mother."
"Your son obeys your order."
Emperor Kaiyao stood up, walked to the bed and looked at the Queen's body.
Hatred, anger, melancholy, nostalgia, all kinds of emotions flashed through his heart one by one, so complicated that even he himself didn't know what he really wanted.
The Queen left a will, ordering His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to observe a three-year mourning period.
Emperor Kaiyao knew very well that the Queen was buying time for the Prince.
Emperor Kaiyao was furious, thinking, "This woman has fought against me my entire life, and now she's trying to plot against me before she dies. This is simply too much."
Do you really think that I won’t dare to touch the crown prince because he has been in mourning for three years?
Since ancient times, there has never been a case where the crown prince was required to observe mourning for three years without attending court.
The Queen can ask the Crown Prince to observe mourning for three years, and I can naturally ask the Crown Prince to attend court after twenty-seven days according to the rules.
Emperor Kaiyao clenched his fists and suddenly laughed.
Since the Queen has made this move, I will see if the Prince can be helped.
Three years passed in a flash.
If the prince can really survive these three years, I don't mind giving him a chance.
If the prince can't even survive three years, don't blame me, Queen, for not caring about the relationship between father and son.
Emperor Kaiyao left without saying a word.
Anyone could see that there was anger in Emperor Kaiyao's eyes.
It doesn't matter whether this anger is directed at the queen or the prince.
The important thing is that all the officials knew that the prince was in danger.
All the officials left, the concubines left, and the royal family members also left one after another.
Only the Crown Prince and the people from the Eastern Palace remained in the bedroom.
The prince knelt in front of the bed, staring blankly at the queen's body.
Fang Shaojian stepped forward and said softly, "Your Highness, it's time to bury the Empress. All the officials and ladies have gone to the mourning hall to mourn, so it's time to finish cleaning up here."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince suddenly burst into tears, "You saw it."
Fang Shaojian said nothing.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince added, "You saw it all. The look Father gave Mother at the end, I felt so sorry for her."
Fang Shaojian gently advised, "Your Highness, you shouldn't be letting your mind wander right now. The Empress has worked so hard to secure three years for you. You must not let her down."
The Crown Prince looked bewildered. "Three years, what should I do? If I really don't attend court?"
Fang Shaojian nodded. "If you don't attend court, you won't make mistakes. As long as you don't make mistakes, no one will be able to do anything to the Eastern Palace. After these three years, the capital will be in a new situation. By then, Your Highness will soar to the top, and you will be the last one to laugh."
"Is it really that simple?" His Royal Highness the Crown Prince laughed at himself.
The saying that if you don't go to court, you won't make mistakes can only fool children.
But Fang Shaojian just said this to him. Did he treat him as a child?
He is the crown prince, and has been the crown prince for twenty years. He is not a young boy who knows nothing.
Just because he is soft-hearted doesn't mean he doesn't understand political strategies.
The prince laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes. He laughed at his own folly. Now that his mother was gone, who could he rely on in the future?
The prince was overwhelmed with sorrow and cried like a little child.
Fang Shaojian waved his hand and ordered his men to take His Royal Highness the Crown Prince away.
Then he asked the palace servants to quickly bury the queen.
After the burial, the body is kept in the mourning hall.
All the court officials and ladies mourned for the queen.
The huge Liangyi Hall, the main hall, the side halls, and the side halls were all crowded with people.
As the time came, everyone wailed in unison, and the scene was enough to scare people to death.
The prince, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt in the front with his wife and children, keeping vigil for the queen.
After half an hour, the mourning is over and you can take a break.
Gu Jiu stood up from the ground, and his knees felt like they were not his own.
Wei San was even worse off than her, he couldn't even stand up.
Gu Jiu hurriedly reached out to support Wei San, "Sister Wei San, are you okay?"
Wei San pressed his knee, "It hurts! It should be fine after a rest."
Gu Jiu helped her walk out.
Wei San muttered quietly, "From childhood to adulthood, I've never knelt for such a long time. I'm afraid I'll lose half my life here this time."
"Hush, Third Sister Wei, be careful with your words. Now we can only hope that we can all leave the palace as soon as possible."
"I hope so."
Wei San looked for her family in the crowd, and when she saw them, she became happy.
"Thank you, Sister Xiaojiu. I'll go over and talk to you first. You can also look around. The people from the Marquis' Mansion should have entered the palace."
"Third Sister Wei, go ahead."
Wei San left happily.
Gu Jiu looked around and finally saw the old lady Wei, three ladies of the Marquis' Mansion, his aunt Zhang, and Xie in the side room.
Xie's face was extremely pale, probably because she had been kneeling for too long and her body couldn't bear it.
The other people's faces didn't look much better either, and everyone looked sad.
"Xiaojiu is here! I was just talking about you, wondering if you were here too."
"Meet the old lady, madam, eldest aunt, and three cousins."
Gu Jiu stepped forward and saluted.
Madam Wei said, "Don't be so polite. How have you been living in the palace these days? Have you encountered any danger?"
Gu Jiu shook her head slightly. She didn't dare laugh in the palace at the moment. She was afraid of being seen and accused of being disrespectful to the Empress.
She said, "Thank you for your concern, old lady. Everything is going well for your niece."
Old Madam Wei looked Gu Jiu up and down, and seeing that he was indeed fine, she felt relieved. "I'm glad you're okay. I've been nagging you for the past two days, worried that something bad might happen to you in the palace."
"My niece has made the old lady worry. It is my niece who is unfilial."
"Don't talk about that."
The old lady waved her hand, "Can you leave the palace today?"
Gu Jiu said: "You should be able to leave the palace."
"It's good that you can leave the palace. As a girl, how can you endure such hardship?"
Old Madam Wei was very worried about Gu Jiu, a little girl, as she was subject to strict rules in the palace. What would happen if something happened to her?
The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, sighed and took the initiative to say to Gu Jiu, "Your eldest cousin's wife is gone."
Gu Jiu didn't react immediately, "What?"
Xie spoke first, "Second girl, didn't you hear? The eldest young lady of the Marquis's Mansion is gone."
Gu Jiu's face changed. "Didn't the eldest cousin's wife survive the emergency? How could she be gone?"
The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, frowned slightly and said, "She herself doesn't want to live anymore."
Gu Jiu's face turned pale. She could imagine how sad and desperate Jia must be when she found out that her child was gone.
But she's still young and will have children in the future. Why would she want to die? Could it be postpartum depression?
Gu Jiu asked cautiously, "How did the eldest cousin's wife die?"
Xie was dissatisfied and scolded Gu Jiu, "If it's gone, it's gone. Why are you asking so many questions?"
The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, frowned slightly and looked at Xie calmly.
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, also glared at Mrs. Xie and asked, "Can't you just shut up?"
Madam Wei said to Gu Jiu, "We later learned that she hadn't taken any of the medicine Imperial Physician Hu prescribed. She...she didn't want to live anymore, and even gods couldn't save her. The night before, in the middle of the night, the maid got up to check on her and found her body cold.
Alas... your eldest cousin is heartbroken. And at this very moment, the Empress passed away.
We are all in the palace, and there is not even anyone in the mansion to manage the internal affairs. Your eldest cousin's wife's funeral can only be handled simply.
"Xiaojiu, when you leave the palace, please come to the Marquis' Mansion to accompany Mei'er. I'm worried about the children taking care of the funeral. Can you keep an eye on them for me?"
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "Don't worry, Auntie. I will help Sister Mei and the others to take care of Auntie's funeral."
"Good boy!"
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