Zhu Yunying carefully picked up Old Zhu and placed him on the tatami mat. Looking at the once robust old man lying on the mat, Zhu Yunying simply sat quietly, holding Old Zhu's hand.
"Grandfather, you are so heartless!" Zhu Yunying complained while shedding tears. "Now it's all over. It's good that you're all gone. We know you've suffered all these years. Go over there and keep our grandmother and parents company."
Zhu Yunying wiped away his tears and turned back to say, "Wang Chengen, summon the imperial family to the palace. When the emperor passes away, ring the bell."
The collapse of a mountain naturally had certain ritualistic regulations. In reality, the custom of striking the bells 30,000 times in each of the temples and monasteries in the capital was just a general statement; in practice, it simply meant that the bells were constantly being rung.
But at this moment, the death knell tolls in the imperial city, naturally requiring all civil and military officials, nobles, and the people of the land to prepare.
At this time, many people would be busy, and the palace would definitely be draped in mourning.
At this moment, Wang Chengen cautiously stepped forward and knelt down to hand Zhu Yunying a plain crown. Zhu Yunying silently put on the crown, wrapped the white cloth around the gauze hat and draped the ribbon, opened his arms to change out of the dragon robe and put on plain clothes.
Not only Zhu Yunying needed to change his clothes, but everyone else did too: a white cloth covering a gauze hat, a sash, plain clothes, a waistband, and hemp shoes. These were considered mourning clothes, and women were also required to wear plain clothes without any adornment.
The moment the bell rang, Xu Huizu, who was guarding the palace, was startled and immediately knelt down and wept bitterly. Guo Ying, Geng Bingwen, and other veteran generals who had followed Zhu Yuanzhang were even more overwhelmed with grief.
Teams of eunuchs and maids began hanging white mourning clothes throughout the palace. All the prepared mourning garments were brought out, and everyone was required to wear mourning attire. This wasn't just for those in the capital; commoners did too. Officials wore mourning clothes for twenty-seven days. Members of the imperial family observed three years of mourning. For the following one hundred days, marriage and other such activities were prohibited.
The entire city of Yingtian was filled with weeping. Officials were awakened from their sleep and rushed to the capital. Of course, every household was also required to quickly hang mourning clothes. They had to weep as they went to the Sishan Gate, perform five bows and three kowtows, and then rest in their respective government offices.
All of this is governed by various etiquette rules, which are prepared in advance and must be strictly observed. Anyone who disobeys these rules will be severely punished for disrespect, without any leeway.
Seeing the crowd still weeping, Zhu Yunying didn't try to comfort them. That's how it was in this era; mourning was normal, and not crying would be considered extremely disrespectful.
Zhu Yunying then slowly spoke, saying, "Eldest Aunt, Little Aunt, please help Grandfather with his purification ritual."
These are necessary steps; we need to clean up Old Zhu's body before dressing him in formal imperial robes for a temporary rest and burial.
At this moment, Zhu Yunying seemed extremely quiet, so quiet that it was oppressive and frightening. He did not wail loudly like others, but this kind of emperor was even more worrying. He seemed to care about nothing else, only staying by the body of the Hongwu Emperor at all times, doing many things personally.
After changing Old Zhu's clothes, Zhu Yunying held a jade pendant and placed it in Old Zhu's hand. "Grandfather, let's be buried lying down. You can rest well. The Ming Dynasty still has us. You've worked hard all your life, it's time for you to rest."
Princess Anqing stepped forward, crying, and grabbed Zhu Yunying's arm, saying, "Your Majesty, these matters should be handled by others."
Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "Imperial Aunt, we know what we're doing. We've been pampered since birth, and our late grandfather doted on us the most. He must be thinking of having us help him with his funeral arrangements. We know what we're doing, we understand."
Princess Ningguo stepped forward and advised, "Your Majesty, your father would certainly not want to see you like this. Please have someone collect your father's remains."
Zhu Yunying sighed dejectedly. There were some things he could do, but there were some things he wasn't a professional at.
He could only be led out of the palace, and after countless eunuchs knelt and bowed, they began to tidy up the remains of the Hongwu Emperor. Meanwhile, outside the Qianqing Palace, members of the imperial family who had arrived one after another knelt in a sea of sobs.
Zhu Yunying simply knelt quietly at the front, watching his constantly trembling back, perhaps she could also feel his sadness at this moment.
Perhaps some, like Zhu Yunying, were genuinely grieving, but others cried loudly, though not necessarily with deep sorrow. After all, some members of the imperial clan believed their father (grandfather) had always been biased, and they hadn't seen him often, so they weren't particularly heartbroken or emotionally invested.
At this moment, all I want to express is my sadness, and I don't want anyone to find a reason to attack me. If I were to be accused of disrespect, that would be considered unfilial, and even if I were a prince or a duke, that would be an unbearable accusation.
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Moreover, many people are aware of the deep bond between the current emperor and the late Hongwu Emperor. If the current emperor were to seize upon a weakness at this time, the enraged Ying Shi Emperor might launch an attack, which is entirely possible.
After an unknown amount of time, Wang Chengen said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, please move your carriage."
Zhu Yunying slowly raised his head, his face expressionless, as he tried to stand up. However, he had been kneeling for a while, and he stumbled, causing a stir among those around him who quickly steadied him.
Zhu Yunying glanced at the Qianqing Palace and knew he still had many things to do; he couldn't just stand there crying. He was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the head of the imperial clan, and many matters now required his approval.
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