Chapter 745 Paying Tribute to Loyal Souls Outside Chang'an City!
Emperor Wu led the way, with Prince Xiang, who had been released from confinement, behind him, and Princess Taiping beside him.
Behind Prince Xiang and Princess Taiping were members of the Li family and the Wu family, and behind them were the court officials.
Although Li San Niang's Imperial Medical Bureau formation wasn't at the very end, it was still in the middle to late part of the formation.
It was only when Li San Niang was walking forward with Emperor Wu and the others that she realized, where was Physician Sun?
After thinking about it, Li San Niang figured that Chief Physician Sun was probably not at the Imperial Medical Bureau, but rather that the reward ceremony would be arranged here after the memorial service.
Having figured this out, Li San Niang kept her legs moving to keep up with the group, and also took a moment to think about when Li Da Lang and Shi Jiu could go home.
The path from the entrance of the Martyrs' Cemetery to the Martyrs' Monument is already quite long, let alone with so many people moving forward little by little, it becomes even slower.
After walking for about half an hour, Li San Niang could hear the doctors around her talking amongst themselves.
Actually, they were speaking very softly, but Li San Niang's ears were so sensitive that even if she didn't want to hear, she could still hear them from such a close distance.
"Sages are really something, why do they really have to walk in step by step?"
"Shut up and hurry up and follow."
Half an hour later, the sun had risen to its zenith, and the group finally arrived at the Monument to the Martyrs.
With the Imperial Guards running back and forth directing everyone to their positions, the formation would shift positions for another quarter of an hour.
Li San Niang lowered her head, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead and nose, and quickly stuffed a piece of candy into her mouth, chewed it, and ate it to replenish her strength.
Just as Li San Niang swallowed the last bit of sugar crumbs, a long, drawn-out horn sounded from all directions.
Upon hearing the bugle call, which carried a desolate and tragic air, the quiet chatter of those around them ceased without anyone needing to speak.
After the bugle sounded, the sound of war drums came from the front.
The sound of war drums, "dong dong dong, dong dong dong," makes one feel as if they are on the battlefield, with a fierce battle waiting ahead.
Li Sanniang looked through the dense crowd ahead and saw Emperor Wu walking step by step towards the high platform in front of the Monument to Loyal Martyrs. Emperor Wu stood on the platform and nodded to the generals beside him.
The war drums continued to beat faster and faster. Then, a general in full armor, standing below Emperor Wu, stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Welcome the loyal souls of the Great Tang home!"
Even amidst the dense drumbeats, the general's shouts could be clearly heard, and anyone could discern the heartache and sobs in them.
Then, Li San Niang's keen ears heard the sound of uniform footsteps. Following the sound, she saw that the path the group had taken to reach the monument of martyrs was now being led by soldiers of the Shi family army, each carrying a hat and robe.
After about a hundred soldiers carrying the clothes and hats, there was a procession of four soldiers carrying a black coffin. Looking at this densely packed procession of coffin bearers that seemed to stretch endlessly, Li San Niang felt a tightness in her chest.
Meanwhile, the commoners gathered along the official road outside the Martyrs' Mausoleum naturally saw the black coffin being carried by a procession coming from another official road, namely the camp in the outskirts of Beijing. There was nothing they didn't understand.
"These are the men of our Great Tang! These are the fine men of our Great Tang!"
"They're back, they're home, they're home."
Xing Yu stood in the crowd with his wife and children. This scene was far too heavy for him, a soul from a peaceful world.
During her peaceful and tranquil days in Chang'an, it was only at this moment, under this scene, that Xing Yu truly felt the reality of it all.
"There is war outside the bustling city of Chang'an!"
Some sentimental women and men, seeing these black coffins, could not hold back their sobs and began to weep along with the sound of war drums.
Before the Monument to Loyal Martyrs, Emperor Wu stood on the high platform. With a solemn face, she looked through her crown at the robes and hats held by the soldiers below, and the endless black coffins carried by four people to the entrance of the Martyrs' Mausoleum. No one knew what she was thinking at that moment.
In battles between two armies, the bodies of one's own soldiers can often be found after a ceasefire by examining their uniforms, but more often than not, only limbs can be found.
The main reason was that this great war was due to the black powder developed by Du Qinghui's side. Gunpowder is indiscriminate and cannot be divided into camps.
Therefore, those carrying clothes in front are soldiers who could not find a complete body and intended to be buried in their clothes.
The war drums stopped, and Emperor Wu stood still. Her calm and composed voice rang out: "In the winter of the second year of Yongchang, the Western Turks invaded the border, burning, killing, and looting. More than ten thousand people died."
I was shocked and furious when I heard this, so I sent troops to guard the territory of the Tang Dynasty and protect its people.
Soldiers died on the battlefield to serve their country; today their loyal souls return to the Martyrs' Cemetery.
I praise the loyal souls of the Tang Dynasty!
With such loyal souls, the Tang Dynasty will surely prosper!
On the fourth day of the seventh month of the fourth year of Yongchang, the whole nation held a memorial ceremony. "Let us return home!"
As soon as Emperor Wu finished speaking, a "squeak" sounded, and Li Sanniang saw two distinct red smoke trails rising in the sky above the two sides of the Loyalty Monument in front of her.
In the blink of an eye, four explosions rang out in succession from four directions.
Apart from those who knew beforehand, people like Li Sanniang who were completely unaware thought that a thunderbolt had struck from the sky or that some disaster had occurred. Only after seeing that Emperor Wu and the others at the head of the table were calm and composed did Li Sanniang suddenly realize that this could not be the sound of gunpowder exploding to send off the soldiers.
Sure enough, soldiers were stationed in front of each formation to explain that this was a pre-arranged plan to send off the loyal souls.
At this moment, Li Sanniang truly felt that Emperor Wu had a grand vision, even willing to bring out such firearms just to send off the soldiers who had already died.
Before Li Sanniang could figure it out, the general who had spoken earlier stepped forward again, "Let us offer wine to the loyal souls!"
Empress Wu held an ordinary earthenware bowl containing only the cheapest wine. She first poured the wine over the monument to the loyal martyrs, and then picked up another bowl to drink from.
The generals standing to the side did the same. After Emperor Wu finished drinking, one of the generals shouted, "Send the loyal souls to the mausoleum!"
Thus, the soldiers carrying the robes and the black coffins began to move, proceeding in order to walk around the monument to the martyrs and towards the cemetery behind it.
The pit had been dug long ago, and people were already waiting to bury the loyal souls brought back from the border town thousands of miles away, so that their souls could return to the Tang Dynasty!
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