Chapter 141 New Funeral Arrangements: Cheng Qianyue learned of the Empress Dowager's passing...
When Cheng Qianyue learned of the Empress Dowager's passing, she had just woken up from her afternoon nap and was doing her hair. This spring, Ruoxia and Ruocai, along with several other palace maids, had left the palace. Now, Ruodie and Ruoxu were serving her personally.
She was joking with Ruodie at the time, saying that spring brings drowsiness, autumn brings fatigue, and summer brings naps; at this time of year, basking in the sun for a while makes one sleepy. Ruodie said, "Yes, that's true," as she took the hairpin that Ruoxu handed her and put it in her hair.
She hadn't expected to hear such devastating news while they were joking around. Cheng Qianyue's mind went blank for a moment. It was all so sudden. Although the Empress Dowager was over seventy, hadn't she seemed perfectly fine not long ago?
After realizing what was happening, Cheng Qianyue quickly removed all the jewelry from her head and said to Ruoxu, "Go and get a set of plain clothes." After tidying up, she rushed to Ning Shou Palace and found that Yinreng and the Empress were already there. The body of the Empress Dowager lay on the bed, seemingly immersed in a dream.
Cheng Qianyue first bowed to them, then approached and knelt behind them before the Empress Dowager's bedside, her face filled with sorrow. After a long while, Yinreng finally said in a hoarse voice, "Send for the Empress Dowager to be prepared for burial." He stood up, his steps unsteady, and was helped out by a eunuch.
Taking advantage of this brief respite, Cheng Qianyue and the Empress exchanged a tearful glance before moving to a separate room. It was time to arrange the Empress Dowager's funeral. Fortunately, the Imperial Household Department had prepared the Empress Dowager's necessities in advance after the late Emperor's death, preventing any scrambling.
The Empress looked extremely pale, but she still forced herself to say, "I have already sent someone to inform the Imperial Clan Court, asking them to prepare mourning clothes and other items and to inform the various princes of the death." She sighed and said, "The mourning hall needs to be set up and cannot be left unattended. The Empress Dowager has passed away suddenly, and the Emperor must be extremely grieved. Consort, please go and comfort him."
Cheng Qianyue nodded; she had been thinking about the same thing. After taking her leave, she went out. A short while later, she arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and as expected, Yinreng sat blankly on the couch with a sorrowful expression. Looking at the servants in the hall, they all wore grief-stricken expressions, resembling puppets to be buried with him.
Cheng Qianyue walked step by step to sit down next to Yinreng, not knowing what to say to comfort him.
After a long while, he suddenly spoke, "Qianqian, I have lost another family member." Yinreng raised his head and stared at her, saying softly, "They all left so suddenly, Father Emperor and Grandmother Emperor."
Upon hearing these words, Cheng Qianyue felt a lump in her throat.
She knew all too well how much Yinreng longed for family affection. Even with Kangxi, whom he had suffered so much during Kangxi's reign, he still showed deep respect whenever Kangxi was mentioned. Kangxi's sudden death had become a nightmare for him, something he least wanted to recall. Now, with the Empress Dowager's sudden passing, it was likely that these memories had been stirred up.
Cheng Qianyue had just prepared many comforting words in her mind, such as how everyone is born, grows old, gets sick, and dies—it's the natural order of things. She also mentioned that the Empress Dowager passed away in her sleep, without experiencing much pain, making it a happy death. But facing Yinreng in this state, her throat felt like it was blocked by a sponge; she couldn't utter a single word.
After a long while, she said softly, "If you want to cry, then cry."
Tears are the best condolences and the best farewells in the world. Cheng Qianyue put her arms around his waist, let him lean on her shoulder, and gently stroked his back.
Cry it out, and everything will pass.
——
Although it had been less than three years since the late emperor's death, it was drawing to a close. But the Empress Dowager's passing added another layer of mourning. The grief that had finally begun to dissipate within the Forbidden City began to gather again, making the entire palace complex appear somber and gloomy.
At this time, before the coffin of the Empress Dowager, all the princes and their wives were dressed in mourning clothes. In addition, the Empress and many concubines also performed grand rites and knelt down to mourn before the coffin hall.
As evening fell, Granny Shuang received a report from a palace maid outside. She walked up to the Empress and whispered, "Your Majesty, the nanny from Yanxi Palace just came to report that Consort Tongjia has been crying uncontrollably and has fainted several times because she is so grateful for the Empress Dowager."
After the Empress had been crying, she frowned with worry upon hearing this. The Empress Dowager had passed away, and in principle, the Noble Consorts and other imperial consorts should have come to keep vigil. However, the imperial consorts were too old, so the Emperor issued an edict that they only need to mourn for half a day before the seventh day after the Empress Dowager's death.
"Summon the imperial physician to examine the Imperial Concubine's pulse to ensure her safety," the Empress instructed. The Empress Dowager had already passed away; at this crucial time, nothing could be allowed to happen to the Imperial Concubines. After the mourning period ended, she stood up and said, "Come with me to Yanxi Palace to visit the Imperial Concubine."
Upon arriving at Yanxi Palace, the palace maids, both inside and outside, all wore sorrowful expressions. Just then, the imperial physician emerged from within. The Empress immediately inquired, "How is the Imperial Concubine Dowager?"
The imperial physician replied, "Your Majesty, the Noble Consort fainted due to extreme grief, but she is now well after I administered acupuncture."
The Empress was relieved and went into the palace to visit Consort Tongjia. Inside the room, Consort Tongjia was sitting on the couch in mourning clothes, her hand resting on the low table, her eyes lowered. A nanny beside her was gently comforting her, "Your Highness, you must take care of yourself."
After the Empress entered, she bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Tongjia slowly opened her eyes and said kindly, "The Empress is here. Good child, come and sit here." The nanny beside Tongjia hurriedly went over and earnestly invited the Empress to Tongjia's side.
After the Empress sat down, she gently comforted her, saying, "I heard that you were weeping incessantly in the palace, and I was so worried that I came to visit you. The Empress Dowager has passed away, so please take care of yourself and accept this loss."
Upon hearing this, Tongjia's eyes immediately reddened. "How could I not understand? But whenever I think of what happened when she was alive, I can't help but grieve and miss her."
The Empress felt a pang of sorrow upon hearing this. How could she not grieve with the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager? Whether it was during the reign of the late Emperor or the ascension of the new Emperor, the Grand Empress Dowager had always taken great care of her and Wulinzhu.
Lady Tongjia picked up a handkerchief to wipe away her tears and asked a seemingly unrelated question: "How is the eldest princess? I heard she cried a lot at the coffin. This child is extremely filial, and the Empress Dowager's care for her is not in vain. However, girls are not as strong as princes, so she must not ruin her health because of grief. Otherwise, the Empress Dowager will not be at peace in heaven."
The Empress took it as a casual question and couldn't help but sigh, "Thank you for your concern, Noble Consort. This child is close to the Empress Dowager and is indeed deeply saddened by the funeral."
Tongjia nodded. "I've watched Wulinzhu grow up since she was a child, how could I not care about her?" She paused and said softly, "Speaking of which, Wulinzhu has grown up quite a bit. She must be sixteen this year."
If the Empress could still reminisce with Lady Tongjia about the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress's heart immediately tightened when Lady Tongjia shifted the topic to Wulinzhu's age.
What did Consort Tongjia mean by those words?
Tongjia continued, "The eldest princess is the crown prince's legitimate daughter, and the late emperor mentioned her dignified appearance several times. It's just a pity that the late emperor passed away early and left no words for her. Now that the Empress Dowager has passed away, Wulinzhu will have to observe mourning for several more years. If I may presume to say this, I am also Wulinzhu's grandmother, so I can't help but think about things for her."
The Empress was immediately shocked by Consort Tongjia's words: The late Emperor had actually mentioned Wulinzhu to Consort Tongjia before his death? Could it be that the late Emperor had intended to betroth Wulinzhu to the Tong family? But she hadn't heard a word about it before. After a long while, she lowered her eyes and said, "Filial piety is the beginning of human relations."
"Yes." Madam Tongjia's brows relaxed. "I'm sure the Emperor and Empress are also concerned about the eldest princess's marriage."
After a while, once the Empress had left, Lady Tongjia slowly breathed a sigh of relief. The nanny beside her hurriedly brought tea: "Your Highness, you cried for so long and spoke with the Empress for a long time. Please drink some water to calm down."
"I am truly saddened by the passing of the Empress Dowager," sighed Lady Tongjia. However, she was also thirsty and sipped half a cup of water before stopping.
Seeing her lower her eyes in deep thought, the nanny said softly, "Master, isn't it a bit too hasty for you to bring this up now?"
Lady Tongjia rubbed her temples, saying helplessly, "If we don't bring it up now, I'm afraid we'll never have the chance." The Empress Dowager's seven-day mourning period hadn't passed yet, and discussing the eldest princess's marriage at this time was inappropriate, but she had no other choice. When the late Emperor was alive, she was a Noble Consort, managing the affairs of the six palaces; no one dared to underestimate her then. But the late Emperor had suddenly passed away, and the new Emperor had ascended the throne. Although she had become a Noble Consort Dowager, in reality, she was less powerful than the four other consorts because she had no children. She had hoped that the three-year mourning period for the late Emperor would soon be over, and that the Empress Dowager could arrange a marriage for the Tong family with a princess. After all, the late Emperor genuinely intended to marry the eldest princess into the Tong family, but this plan had fallen through.
So what else could be done but to bring this up when the Empress Dowager passed away? If the Empress Dowager's coffin leaves the capital, the last bit of affection will turn into dust, and it will be too late to say anything then.
Besides, there were also her family's entrustment to her. These past few years, it seemed the Emperor wasn't keen on using the Tong family; otherwise, they wouldn't have sought help from her, the widow of the late Emperor. Although she didn't know what her family had done to offend the Crown Prince while the late Emperor was alive, she couldn't just stand by and watch the Tong family's glory fade. Otherwise, why would she and her sister, Empress Xiaoyi, have entered the palace? Furthermore, she had no children; if her family fell out of favor, what hope would she have for the future?
Lady Tongjia said, "I'll pass on the message in a few days." She had already hinted at her intentions to the Empress, who had no sons and only this one daughter; she wasn't worried the Empress wouldn't be interested. To put it bluntly, aside from the royal family, there were probably few families in the entire capital that could compare to the Tong family. Marrying a princess was certainly feasible. As long as the Emperor was willing to marry a princess to the Tong family, the Tong family was confident they could continue the glory of the late Emperor.
That evening, the Empress returned to Jingren Palace. But ever since she left Yanxi Palace, her mind had been filled with thoughts of her daughter, Wulinzhu. She didn't know whether to be happy or worried. She was happy that the late Emperor had truly seen her and her daughter's filial piety, and that he intended to find Wulinzhu a good husband. She was worried because the late Emperor hadn't left a will, and it seemed he had only discussed it with the Dowager Consort.
The Empress was unsure whether she should tell the Emperor about this. But then she thought, the Emperor had been by the Emperor's side until his death, so did the Emperor even know about this?
The Empress was in a state of utter confusion. Finally, she decided to try asking the Emperor about it after the Empress Dowager's burial.
No matter what, Wulinzhu is still the emperor's daughter, and the emperor cannot ignore her lifelong happiness.
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