Chapter 79 I
Ling Tianshui stared at her without blinking: "There are so many men in your backyard, but you don't want to choose anyone?"
"Yes, my mother's revenge has not yet been avenged, and every man in my backyard is a suspect. I will not choose anyone to be my husband."
"But the Empress and the court have already issued an order that your mother's funeral must be held in three days. If you don't choose a husband, who will carry the coffin and conduct the funeral for Lady Qi?"
"I." Qiandeng answered resolutely.
Cui Fufeng, who had already taken the black paint, was about to step into the mourning hall. When he heard Qian Deng's words, he paused and subconsciously clenched the paint jar in his hand.
Ling Tianshui was just as incredulous as he was. He stared at her and asked, "You?"
The thought that had been circling in her mind thousands of times, after being spoken out now, not only strengthened her belief, but also made her feel relieved.
"Yes. I will submit a petition to the court. If they do not approve, I will become a monk and remain unselective throughout my life. No matter what, until my mother's death is avenged, I will never consider any candidate for husband and let them lead the funeral procession!"
Cui Fufeng opened his mouth, wanting to say that he might be her best candidate, but looking at her determined face, he remained silent for a long time and ultimately could not speak.
Ling Tianshui stared at her, his throat moving slightly, but he finally buried everything in his chest.
In the end, she only heard his voice, ringing beside her ears, ethereal, but it was her last support -
"Go ahead. I believe you can achieve your wish."
The sky cleared after the snow and the sun rose.
The sunlight shines all over Chang'an, and the Daming Palace, the highest point in the north of the city, is even more brilliant, like a fairy palace.
The memorial from the Changhua Palace had been sent to the Ministry of Rites. After the morning court session, all military and national affairs were concluded, Minister Cui, the Minister of Rites, and the Minister of Rites were retained, and the emperor instructed them to go to the Purple Palace together.
Passing the Purple Palace Gate, one arrives at the Inner Court. At this intersection of the front and rear courts, the Empress and the Crown Prince are already waiting, along with Cui Fufeng, Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple, and the Princess of Lingling, dressed in mourning.
The Emperor and Empress sat together on the Danbi, with the Crown Prince sitting below. The Minister of Rites and the Minister of Rites did not understand what was going on, and were secretly guessing what was going on when the Emperor signaled the eunuchs to bring over a memorial and asked them to circulate it.
The emperor, fresh from handling a major military and national affair, was somewhat exhausted. He simply said, "Princess Lingling, I am at a loss to weigh the memorial you submitted yesterday to the Prince of Changhua's residence. The Ministry of Rites oversees the five rituals; the Minister of Rites oversees the ancestral temple rituals; and Minister Cui is well-versed in state affairs. Please explain your memorial in detail to the three ministers, and we'll discuss how to proceed."
Qiandeng knelt down and thanked him, saying, "Yes. The Changhua Palace has submitted a petition requesting that no one from my clan be able to attend the funeral. I am in mourning for my mother and cannot choose a husband. It is difficult to find someone to lead the funeral. Therefore, I am submitting this petition, willing to lead the funeral for my mother as a woman, holding the silk cloth to lead the soul."
When these words were spoken, the Minister of Rites was stunned. He read the words on the memorial again and again, unable to believe it.
"How ridiculous! A woman presiding over her parents' funerals is unheard of!" The Minister of Rites, in charge of ancestral temple rituals, was naturally the first to object. "The laws of nature are constant, yin and yang are fixed, and there are differences between rulers and ministers, and between men and women. Funerals are solemn and dignified, and are the duty of sons. Women are naturally feminine and gentle, how could they possibly be expected to preside over such a grand ceremony?"
The emperor sat high up on the steps, pondering in silence, and the empress did not speak either.
The Crown Prince said, "Your Excellency, the Minister of Rites is quite right. However, in my opinion, since the Princess of Lingling has proposed such a measure, there must be a reason. Your Excellency, the Minister of Rites, may wish to listen to her first."
Qiandeng knelt before His Majesty Dan for a long time, and responded calmly to the rebuke from the Minister of Rites, apparently having been prepared for the storm.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Queen, Your Majesty the Crown Prince, and all the nobles of the court, my Changhua Palace has been plagued by turmoil recently, with two potential husband candidates tragically killed. If we trace the cause, it is actually due to what happened to Lady Dingxiang back then. Washing women and drowning babies is a common practice among the people, and in these troubled times, women are no longer considered blood relatives, leading to many tragic disasters. The female official of Princess Gao's Palace who falsely accused me was also responsible for the fact that her family fled in fear of battle and was executed by Prince Changhua on the battlefield. The family's escape was a result of the family's death. The reason they fled was that they were the only women left at home, fearing their widowed mothers and young daughters would be bullied and their property threatened, so they didn't dare risk their lives. Now that rebellion has risen, it's up to the men to defend the borders and fight the rebels, while the women stay home to farm and weave, and care for the elderly and children. However, folk custom holds that women cannot lead memorials, and when soldiers die in the army, their remains cannot be collected by their wives and brought home for funerals. Consequently, countless soldiers have deserted due to fear of war, and it's not uncommon for men to not raise their daughters. This has long spread, creating a pervasive problem.
The Minister of Rites, who was originally shocked to hear that a woman was the presiding priest, twirled his beard and nodded after hearing what she said, obviously thinking about the connection between the two.
"I urge Your Majesty and Your Highness not to be deceived. The Princess of Lingling has acted with such vengeance that she is truly utterly condemned by the world!" The Minister of Rites, however, ignored him and maintained a negative attitude. "Funerals are a serious matter for a man; how can a woman be involved in them? If this trend continues, allowing women to handle men's affairs, wouldn't that be like a hen crowing at dawn, upending moral principles?"
"Your Excellency, the Minister of Rites, is mistaken. In the past, Princess Pingyang Zhao defended her country, and Concubine Shangguan weighed the empire. They both, as women, handled state affairs for men, sharing the burdens of the court and setting an example for the world. Now, I am willing to take on the family affairs of a man. How can this be considered a violation of moral principles?"
The Minister of Rites gritted his teeth and stubbornly said, "Princess Zhaoyi and the Imperial Concubine are both members of the imperial family. The affairs of the emperor's family are naturally different from those of ordinary people. But you, Princess Lingling, are merely the granddaughter of a county prince. You have no royal bloodline of the Li Tang Dynasty. How can you set such a shocking precedent?"
Seeing the Grand Secretary of the Ministry of Rites strenuously opposing him, the Minister of Rites, who had been wavering at first, became conflicted again, his face showing embarrassment. "This... a woman presiding over a funeral is indeed against etiquette. It's unprecedented. I'm afraid it will be difficult to set such a precedent for a while..."
Hearing the chorus of agreement, the Minister of Rites was elated and was about to launch a fierce critique of this unethical and unjust trend when a clear and melodious voice rang out from within the hall, asking, "In your opinion, the Lady of Qi is about to be buried. Who will preside over the funeral?"
The person who asked the question was Cui Fufeng, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple who was waiting nearby.
The Minister of Rites had always been on good terms with the Cui family's uncles and uncles, treating them as his own sons and nephews. Seeing him raise his voice at this critical moment, he couldn't help but feel indignant. He said, "The Lingling County Lady should be held responsible and should choose a husband as soon as possible. The Imperial Ministry of Rites and the Internal Palace Bureau have jointly selected dozens of candidates for her. She is free to choose whatever she wants. Isn't she satisfied?"
At this point, he remembered that the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple in front of him was one of the men in the Lingling County Lady's harem, and could be considered her extra-official husband in name.
Minister Cui, who came to participate in the discussion as the head of all officials, coughed lightly and his face was as gloomy as water.
Cui Fufeng, however, remained calm and spoke in a clear voice, "I have been investigating the frequent incidents at the Changhua Palace for nearly three months now. After a thorough inspection of the situation, I believe that Princess Lingling's decision was made out of necessity. I hope the court will grant her consent."
The emperor closed his eyes lightly, not caring about the debate about the royal funeral. He just nodded slightly, indicating that he should continue to explain in detail.
"Originally, there were ten candidates for the husband of the Princess of Lingling County. Six of them died or had accidents, and four more were added. Now there are still eight candidates in the palace." Cui Fufeng did not hide his feelings and directly counted himself in the list, which made Minister Cui unbearable and rolled his eyes at his son in court.
"At the beginning, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau predicted that Princess Lingling would have no connections with her family and would be unlucky with her husband, so this has been a hot topic in the streets. Now, the palace is plagued by frequent incidents, and her husbands are of varying quality, with many suffering losses. There are also those with ulterior motives who are secretly framing Princess Lingling and stirring up strife in the inner court, causing unrest in the palace and putting the other gentlemen in danger.
"Under such circumstances, no matter which man the Lingling County Lady chooses, he will inevitably become the target of public criticism. Those with ulterior motives, both internally and externally, will attack him. The day he presides over the funeral will be the day he will be in danger. If the husband the County Lady chooses dies after carrying out the funeral for his wife, what will the Lingling County Lady do? How will the court, the Ministry of Rites, and the Internal Palace Bureau respond?"
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