Chapter 214: The eulogy is so short
Niu Baijin took the opportunity to shout in the court, asking Emperor Mingxi to issue an order to bring Concubine Xian back to the palace.
Several pedantic censors also echoed.
Emperor Mingxi could not help but frown slightly.
Xia Miaoyuan glanced at Niu Baijin with disdain, [Do you think that you can succeed by bringing Concubine Xian back to the palace under the pretext of a funeral? ]
[She is just a concubine. What can I do to her? It’s just a word from my father, the emperor. I’m afraid of you, right? ]
Emperor Mingxi suddenly had an idea. His daughter’s words reminded him.
"Lord Niu, please be patient. The biological mother should attend the child’s funeral. I will order someone to bring Concubine Xian back to the palace later."
After listening to Niu Baijin, he knelt down to thank him, but a smug smile flashed on his face.
Immediately afterwards, Emperor Mingxi issued another decree, ordering Xiao Licheng, the Minister of the Dali Temple, to personally investigate the case, and the Ministry of Rites to handle the funeral of the Fourth Prince.
In fact, since learning about the Fourth Prince's life experience, Emperor Mingxi felt that his feelings for the Fourth Prince were very complicated. When he thought that Concubine Xian had deceived him and gave birth to the Fourth Prince with an adulterer, he was even more furious.
However, it was not easy to bring this matter up and explain it, so Emperor Mingxi had to hold back his hatred and handle the funeral.
That night, Emperor Mingxi secretly summoned Xiao Licheng, the Minister of the Dali Temple.
At the beginning, Emperor Mingxi got straight to the point.
"Licheng, there is a lot more to the case of the Fourth Prince than what it seems on the surface."
"The matter here concerns the country and the nation, and state secrets."
Xiao Licheng felt a chill on his back and was extremely nervous.
"So, don't worry about this case. Just pretend, and find a death row prisoner to close the case in seven days."
Hearing this, Xiao Licheng felt relieved instantly.
"Yes, I obey your order."
...
Early the next morning, the mourning hall had been set up in the palace, and the funeral of the Fourth Prince began.
Concubine Xian had already been taken back to the palace, wearing a white mourning dress from head to toe, guarding the Fourth Prince's mourning hall, crying uncontrollably.
Xia Miaoyuan had long known the Fourth Prince's background and had no feelings for him, but due to her status, she had to get up early in the morning and was dragged to guard the spirit.
Xia Miaoyuan was dressed in a white dress by her nanny, and even had a white flower on her hair.
The concubines in the harem, as well as the princes, all wore mourning clothes and stood in the mourning hall.
Three days later, the fourth prince's funeral was held.
The royal family and the civil and military officials stood in a solemn and neat line.
Emperor Mingxi put on a white robe over his dragon robe and stood in front of everyone.
[The funeral is finally over after the funeral today.]
Xia Miaoyuan stood in the first row of the crowd, supporting her waist like a little adult.
These three days have made her even more exhausted.
"Your Majesty, please read the eulogy for the fourth prince!" Eunuch Debao shouted.
Then he handed the eulogy that had been prepared to Emperor Mingxi.
Emperor Mingxi unfolded the eulogy, took a look at it, and shuddered.
It's not because of anything else, it's just that this eulogy is too short.
In the past, whether it was the sacrificial or congratulatory speeches, they were all densely written on a large sheet of paper. Sometimes
, a large sheet of paper couldn't hold all the words, so he had to write on a second sheet. But today's eulogy only had a few lines on a large sheet of paper.
Emperor Mingxi winked at Debao, and Debao walked quietly to Emperor Mingxi and whispered in his ear.
"Is this a eulogy? Are you sure?" Emperor Mingxi asked in a low voice.
Debao nodded in confusion and replied softly, "Yes, this is a eulogy. I didn't make a mistake. I took it from Cao Hanlin personally this morning."
When he heard the three words "Cao Hanlin", Emperor Mingxi felt a headache instantly.
"What's wrong with the emperor? Why didn't he read the eulogy?"
At this time, some people in the crowd were whispering.
Emperor Mingxi gritted his teeth and began to read aloud. He deliberately adjusted his speaking speed to be extremely slow.
However, the eulogy was too short. It was only four or five lines. Even if the words were dragged out, it took only a cup of tea to finish it if it was read very slowly.
The people standing in the audience looked at each other.
"That's it?"
"Is this a eulogy?"
"Oh my God, this eulogy only has more than a hundred words, right?"
People started talking about it.
Xia Miaoyuan stood in the first row, watching Emperor Mingxi finish reading the eulogy with a strange expression, and was even more puzzled.
[Is the sun rising from the west? 】
While he was wondering, he heard someone behind him complaining: "Did someone change the person who wrote the eulogy and the eulogy? Was Cao Hanlin replaced?"
Hearing the three words Cao Hanlin, Xia Miaoyuan suddenly realized.
【Yes, why did I forget it? 】
【Dad, mom and I met Cao Hanlin by chance a while ago. Dad disliked his long-winded talk and asked someone to supervise him in a rage. 】
【It seems that this supervision worked. 】
While Xia Miaoyuan was thinking wildly, the people from the Ministry of Rites had already directed everyone to move the team and prepare to carry the coffin of the fourth prince out.
The queen took Xia Miaoyuan's hand and walked back, but Xia Miaoyuan's mind was still on Cao Hanlin.
At this moment, she suddenly saw that not far away, Sun Hanlin and two civil servants were standing in a corner, whispering to each other, and the three of them had gossiping joy on their faces.
[They are probably talking about Cao Hanlin's gossip, I will go and investigate.]
Thinking of this, Xia Miaoyuan said to the queen in a childish voice: "Mother, Miao'er can't hold it anymore, I want to go and pee."
The queen looked at her daughter's pretending to be very good, and felt very funny in her heart. She nodded and said: "Okay, let Li Ma go with you, and don't be naughty."
Xia Miaoyuan said yes, jumped back, and when she ran to Sun Hanlin's side, she deliberately kicked off her shoes and stopped.
Nanny Li had no choice but to pick up the shoes and squat down to help her put them on.
At the same time, Xia Miaoyuan pricked up her ears and listened attentively.
She heard Sun Hanlin whisper to the two civil servants: "This eulogy is absolutely true, it was written by Cao Hanlin."
The two civil servants all showed disbelief on their faces.
"You don't know! There is a hidden story here. Cao Hanlin had no choice."
"Some time ago, Cao Hanlin offended the emperor for some reason. The emperor ordered him to change his verbose speech and writing habits."
One of the civil servants interrupted and said, "Cao Hanlin is indeed too verbose. It is understandable that the emperor asked him to change."
Sun Hanlin was very happy and continued, "It is understandable to change the verbose habit. It's just that our emperor's method is too extreme."
The two civil servants asked in unison, "What method?"
"The emperor specially sent his confidants to closely monitor Cao Hanlin day and night, twelve hours a day, and he was not allowed to leave Cao Hanlin for even a step."
"Everything Cao Hanlin says and writes is subject to their supervision. If the word count exceeds the limit, he will be fined."
The two civil servants were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths.
Sun Hanlin raised his eyebrows and continued, "Do you know? Since Cao Hanlin was supervised, he has been fined hundreds of times."
One of the civil servants asked, "How many hundreds of times? How much money does that cost?"