Chapter 547 Shocks the Court and the Countryside, Another Mourning Arrives (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Luoyang, Qinghuafang.
On the winter solstice, the streets in front of the Prince of Wei's mansion were bustling with activity.
Despite the heavy snowfall, the streets were trampled into mud by countless horses' hooves. The snowflakes turned into mud and water under the wheels as soon as they hit the ground, splashing the precious silks that decorated the carriages.
One after another, carriages, some understated and some extravagant, were parked on the street in front of the Prince of Wei's mansion.
They even took up a lot of space in front of other people's houses.
Qinghua Ward was a famous noble neighborhood in Luoyang. The entire street was lined with wealthy and noble families. Those who bought houses on this street were either founding dukes, princesses, princes-in-law, or members of the Five Families and Seven Clans.
Ordinary wealthy merchants and local powerful families were not qualified to settle on this street.
Right now, the entire street is completely blocked by the traffic in front of the Prince Wei's mansion, yet not a single household has sent a servant out to complain.
Nothing more than overwhelming power.
Today is an important day for the Wei clan to worship their ancestors on the winter solstice.
The winter solstice is the day with the shortest daylight and the longest night of the year. In the Guanzhong region, the custom is for families to gather and eat dumplings.
The Great Zhou Dynasty also had a routine holiday, with a total of seven days off around New Year's Day.
Besides that, the biggest event recently was the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven in the eastern suburbs. Her Majesty the Empress personally led civil and military officials to the Temple of Heaven in the suburbs to hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, which will be held a few days later on New Year's Day.
The people of Guanzhong do not have the custom of large-scale ancestor worship on the winter solstice.
However, the Wei family's ancestral home was Bingzhou, which is considered part of the Hedong region, where the custom is to worship ancestors on the winter solstice.
Therefore, the grandest event in Luoyang today is the Wei clan's ancestral worship ceremony and family gathering, which is known to everyone in Luoyang.
The reason it is described as having a grand scale is that the ancestors of the Wei clan have already been enshrined in the Wei Zhou Imperial Ancestral Temple by Her Majesty the Empress.
In today's society, where clan consciousness and patriarchal concepts are strong, an individual's political status needs to be supported by the political status of their family. Elevating the political status of one's family and ancestors is tantamount to elevating oneself.
As the supreme ruler of the land, the Empress of Wei, who changed the name of the dynasty from Gan to Zhou, had to establish her own patriarchal status and set up the Seven Temples of the Great Zhou.
The status of the Wei clan's ancestors naturally rose, becoming comparable to that of the Li clan.
On this Winter Solstice ancestral worship day, the Wei clan certainly stole the show in Luoyang.
The Wei King Wei Jisi and the Liang King Wei Sixing, who took over the clan's sacrificial rites in place of the Wei Empress, also put on a grand show.
In particular, Wei Jisi, the King of Wei, was considered the patriarch of the Wei clan in this generation, a figure akin to the head of a large family.
The usually stern and solemn Wei Jisi was now walking with a smile down his face along the corridor toward the Wen Diao Hall in the Prince's Mansion.
He had just returned from the Grand Zhou Ancestral Temple with his brother Wang after presiding over a sacrificial ceremony. He went back to his room, changed out of his black ceremonial robes, and was now dressed in a black silk casual outfit, wearing a precious mink coat. With a smile, he headed to the place where the clan members were having a meal.
There was a Wei clan banquet going on there.
All the members of the Wei clan in Guanzhong came, and even the Wei clan branches from nearby villages also came.
Soon, he arrived at Wen Tiao Hall.
This is a palace with expensive and luxurious heating equipment such as underfloor heating. Apart from a few royal palaces in Luoyang that had the financial resources and manpower to build such facilities, only the imperial court had them, because in this era, keeping warm in winter was a luxury.
Inside the Wen Diao Hall, the Wei clan members were gathered. The already lively atmosphere of reminiscing and catching up became even more enthusiastic after the two patriarchs, Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing, appeared one after the other.
Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing, surrounded by members of the Wei clan and their female relatives, walked toward the table at the head of the table.
At the same table were some elders and respected figures from the clan who had been brought from Bingzhou in Hedong Province.
Wei Jisi exchanged a few kind and polite words, then stood up and took the lead in toasting. All the members of the Wei clan, their talented members, wives, concubines, and female relatives present followed suit and drank.
Wei Sixing, who was standing next to his brother, glanced at his brother's happy expression and his smile widened as he tilted his head back and drank the warm wine.
Inside Wen Diao Hall, there were also some guest advisors and strategists from the core of the Wei clan, civil and military officials who were attached to the royal mansion, as well as meritorious nobles who were on good terms with the Wei clan. All of them were members of the powerful group in the court with the Wei clan at its core.
However, today's theme is the Winter Solstice ancestral worship ceremony of the Wei clan. These figures, who are valued by the King of Wei and the King of Liang, can only give way a little and sit at the back of the edge of the Wen Diao Hall to share the joy with the Wei clan members in front.
On the other hand, being brought to such a clan gathering by the two princes is a kind of closeness to one's own people, and indeed many people felt honored, but there were also a few who remained expressionless.
Overall, many of the Wei family's retainers breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing Wei Jisi's rare joyful smile today.
The King of Wei had been wearing a coarse white linen robe underneath his black python robe a few days ago, and a white headband on his head as a sign of mourning.
It is said that His Highness the Prince of Wei was mourning his deceased youngest son, Wei Shaoxuan. Not long ago, his third son, Wei Shaoqi, went to Jiangnan Road. Soon after, news came from there that his youngest son, Wei Shaoxuan, had gone missing and been murdered last year when he traveled to Jiangnan Road with his master.
During this period, the retainers and clansmen could all sense that His Highness Prince Wei was in a bad mood. He always had a stern face, and no one dared to provoke him.
I heard that when the prince learned of the news that day, he was so angry that he drew his sword and stabbed to death a clumsy maid in the manor. However, these are just rumors within the manor, and I don't know if they are true or not.
Only in recent days has the prince seemed to be in a slightly better mood.
Perhaps it was because of the series of good news in the past two days: one was that the rebellion in Yingzhou had been completely brought to an end by the Wei clan, which satisfied His Majesty to a degree;
The second is the news sent back by the Third Young Master Wei Shaoqi from Jiangzhou. As of the time of the letter, the Buddha head has arrived in Xunyang and will soon be combined with the Buddha in Xingzifang. Judging from the date, the Buddha should have been completed a few days ago.
It's also possible that during the winter solstice sacrificial ceremony, the Wei clan stole the show, subtly displaying the grandeur of the dynasty's premier aristocratic family, overshadowing the long-dormant Li clan and the established Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families.
Wei Jisi had a much bigger smile on his face today.
As the patriarch of the clan, Wei Jisi was in a good mood, and the clan members and retainers below naturally shared in the joy.
During the banquet, King Liang spoke with a smile:
"Lin Cheng is still a bit slow. If it had been a few days earlier, my nephew Shaoqi should have been able to return to the capital before the winter solstice. According to the letter from a few days ago, the Buddha head has arrived in Jiangzhou City, and the statue should be completed by now. My nephew Shaoqi has set off back with Xiaoqi." The tone was slightly reproachful.
Those clansmen and retainers who understood the meaning dared not criticize and instead praised him.
Wei Jisi smiled and waved his hand:
"Hey, Your Highness, you're mistaken. Lin Cheng has already done very well. You're just too strict. If I had such a good son-in-law, I wouldn't be so harsh on him, hahaha."
"Not at all," King Liang waved his hand modestly, enlivening the atmosphere among the crowd.
Shortly after, having eaten and drunk their fill, Wei Jisi led his clansmen out to the Wei Clan Ancestral Hall within the Prince's Mansion for an indoor memorial service.
The outdoor ceremony at the ancestral temple was just held, but not many people attended; they were all important figures in the clan. Now that all the clan members are present, an indoor ceremony is usually held at home, which also includes offerings and paying respects.
Inside the ancestral hall, after the memorial service, before leaving, Wei Jisi stopped in front of a new memorial tablet, on which the words "Memorial Tablet of Wei Shaoxuan" were faintly written.
Throughout the hall, countless subtle glances were cast as the Prince of Wei walked over and stood by the memorial tablet for a while, seemingly whispering a few words.
Wei Sixing, who was closest, faintly heard a voice say, "Xuan'er, wait. Your father and your brother will definitely avenge you. Even if you take the Dingjian sword out of Dragon City, you won't escape. Lin Cheng promised that once the Buddha is completed, there will be a way to find that Dingjian sword..."
A moment later, Wei Jisi turned around, walked out the door with a normal expression, smiled at everyone, spread his hands in greeting, and moved to the front hall.
Everyone spoke words of celebration, and Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with smiles.
Just then, a figure came running from not far away, standing behind the crowd and looking around. He raised his hand to signal to Wei Jisi, who was surrounded by the crowd. Wei Sixing and the other observant people glanced at him and vaguely remembered that he was one of the King of Wei's trusted guards.
Wei Jisi saw it too and immediately frowned: "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic? What kind of behavior is this?"
His trusted aide was about to step forward, but hesitated to speak.
Wei Jisi also noticed the gazes of those around him and subconsciously said, "What is it? Just say it. My brother is not an outsider, and neither are the adults here."
The trusted guard hesitated for a moment, then spilled the beans like beans from a bamboo tube:
"Your Highness, urgent news has arrived from Jiangzhou. Rebels have attacked the Donglin Buddha in Xingzifang. The newly erected Buddha has collapsed, and the Right Supervisor of Construction, Lin Cheng, the Prefect, Wang Lengran, and... the Third Young Master have all been killed and beheaded on the spot by the rebels... Xunyang City is in chaos right now, and the rebels have fled. As of the time this news came out, Deputy Supervisor Song and Lady Rong, who are in charge of supervising the Buddha, have sealed off Xunyang City and have also gone to invite Ouyang Lianghan to stabilize the situation..."
He hadn't finished speaking his innermost thoughts.
Wei Jisi dropped the cup in his hand, and the entire room fell silent. A multitude of curious glances turned towards him. Wei Jisi stared intently at him and asked, word by word:
"What did you say?"
The confidant wanted to speak, but was stopped by a strong look from the King of Liang.
Wei Jisi stood frozen in place, first glancing left and right, seemingly wondering if he had lost his hearing, then kicking aside the cup at his feet, he staggered forward, grabbed the collar of his trusted guard, and asked in a low growl:
"Say it again, louder! What fell down? What happened to the third brother?"
"Your Highness..."
Before his confidant could finish speaking, chaos erupted throughout the room. King Liang, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty, was startled and quickly stepped forward to support a certain figure.
"Brother Wang!"
"Hey... Your Highness, Your Highness!"
"Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
The previously silent venue suddenly erupted into chaos, with a panicked crowd surging forward like a tidal wave...
Before long, the originally joyous and grand Wei clan banquet was quietly canceled, and one by one, members of the Wei clan left the Prince of Wei's residence with uneasy expressions. Rumors began to circulate in the tense atmosphere of the residence.
The once bustling streets of Qinghuafang were suddenly deserted.
Heavy snowfall blanketed the streets once more...
Meanwhile, in a neighboring neighborhood, inside a prime minister's residence, another gathering was taking place in the study.
However, the atmosphere in the study was also somewhat special.
Di Fuzi, Shen Xisheng, and other pro-establishment ministers were all present, but at this moment, after reading a certain secret letter, they were looking at Xie Xun, who had hurriedly woken up and arrived with a bewildered expression, with strange eyes.
"Master, Brother Shen, everyone, why are you all looking at me like that?"
Until that freshly printed secret letter was handed to him.
Xie Xun frowned and examined it for a moment, then his expression changed slightly. He asked in shock, "This...who did this? Is Liang Han cleaning up the mess over there? Wait, why are you all looking at me like that? You don't suspect me, do you...?"
"What doubt? What kind of word is that?" Shen Xisheng asked in a strange tone, "But, could it be... the Xunyang Prince's Mansion? Was it Liang Han's doing?"
A middle-aged scholar representing the Prince Xiang's residence asked with a serious expression and respectful tone:
"Your Highness is also very curious about this. Could you please tell me if this was a scheme orchestrated by your esteemed disciple, Mr. Tanlang? Does the Xunyang Prince's Mansion... possess the Dingjian Sword?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Xun immediately composed himself, took a deep breath, quickly picked up a cup of tea and drank it down. He then put the cup down and said calmly:
"I don't know. It should have nothing to do with them. Lianghan is quite honest. I even visited him last time. Look, the Xunyang Prince's family, and Lianghan, were drinking and having poetry at a gathering that day..."
Seeing that he knew nothing about the matter, the crowd exchanged bewildered glances. The middle-aged scholar still looked somewhat suspicious and disbelieving. Finally, they all looked at Master Di, and someone asked:
"Master, what do we do now? Was this really done by those traitors?"
The portly old man put down the manuscript of a poem titled "On Chrysanthemums," which he had been reading absentmindedly. Now, snapping out of his reverie, he carefully folded it, shaking his head as he said:
"It doesn't matter who did it, we don't need the truth now. Previously, we advised the prince of Xunyang City to remain still for the time being, observe the situation, avoid the Wei family's sharp edge, and wait for the outcome on our side... Now it seems that plans can't keep up with changes, and the key to victory may very well be in Jiangzhou. Well, it's also a matter of luck for the Prince of Xunyang and Ouyang Lianghan. However, it's hard to say whether this luck will be good or bad, but we must lend a hand."
The old prime minister sighed and got up to change into his faded official robes.
Xie Xun, Shen Xisheng, and the others nodded, exchanged glances, and retreated with expressions ranging from joy to seriousness. The middle-aged strategist representing the Prince Xiang's residence remained expressionless. After leaving, he caught up with the others and subtly inquired about Ouyang Rong's affairs, listening intently.
The sudden news from Jiangzhou spread throughout the Luoyang court and the public. In this era, it was normal for a few people to die in distant prefectures and counties, and large numbers of people often died in border wars, not to mention that Jiangzhou was now considered part of the southwestern front.
But the key officials who died were those in charge of the Donglin Buddha: a Qi cultivator from the Imperial Observatory, a prefectural governor, and even a prince's son. Not to mention the collapsed Buddha statue... This is the first case of its kind to date.
In Luoyang, on the winter solstice, a day when families would gather for a meal, hurried figures rushed into the palace, leaving behind the family feasts. The festive atmosphere that had once been somewhat joyous in the palace vanished, and the palace maids carrying lanterns all bowed their heads and walked slowly past a certain solemn hall...
(End of this chapter)
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