It was a long distance of more than 1,300 miles from Jinling to Kaifeng. The boat was abandoned and equipped with saddle horses. We traveled at dawn and stayed overnight. At the speed of traveling 150 miles a day, we almost desperately returned to Kaifeng.
After arriving in Huaibei, Emperor Liu once again abandoned some of his entourage, leaving only three thousand forbidden horses to escort him. His concubines, prince's children, ministers, and palace officials all hung far away on the way back.
Emperor Liu was also in a desperate situation. He was worried about these people and took them with him, which not only slowed down the speed, but also made many people sick and tired due to the high intensity of traveling, including his concubines and children.
However, no matter how hard it was, Da Fu always insisted on accompanying him. It was not until Fuli, Suzhou, that he rested for a while. Emperor Liu's body was not made of iron. It was already going downhill. The key was that Da Fu was really enduring.
Can't stand it any longer.
The queen had been seriously ill before. Although she had not relapsed in these years, she obviously could not withstand such fatigue and torment. When he looked at her tired and haggard face, Emperor Liu finally calmed down.
At the same time, I also felt that the reason why Da Fu insisted on accompanying him back to Beijing was probably because he wanted to use this method to dissuade him.
He did not refuse Fuli County's welcome and went straight to the hotel to rest. At night, the lights flickered, perhaps affected by the atmosphere, and looked so dim, as if reflecting Emperor Liu's mood.
The reason why he was so nervous and urgent, and returned to Beijing at all costs, was that Kaifeng came to report that the Queen Mother died. Queen Mother Li was also old and sickly, which had been recurring in the past few years. This tour was also to see
She was in relatively good health, so she left Beijing with confidence, but the bad news still came unexpectedly.
Emperor Liu may have behaved coldly, but he had a particularly deep affection for Mrs. Li. Over the years, he was respectful and filial from the bottom of his heart. As far as Emperor Liu was concerned, his mother, the Queen Mother, could not do any better and did not interfere in the government affairs.
, I don’t embarrass myself with my personal feelings. I am always considerate and generous...
If Emperor Liu was sentimental about the passing of the deceased heroes and ministers with a somewhat theatrical element, then the death of the Queen Mother was a complete blow to him.
Although preparations had been made in the previous two years, it was only when the news of the death came that all the psychological preparations and constructions were found to be so fragile. The intense grief prompted Emperor Liu to return to Tokyo urgently.
Among the various emotions, there is also a kind of regret, regretting that the patrol was not at the right time, and regretting not being able to see the Queen Mother for the last time. And this may become the biggest regret of Emperor Liu's life!
In the autumn night, the cool breeze carried the moisture of the river, which made the body even more chilly. Holding a small bowl of porridge in his hand, he walked into the room and looked at the big charm lying on the couch. His tired face showed
Feeling a little worried, he sat down and said: "You are not in good health. I asked you to go slowly with the group, but you just didn't listen..."
They were clearly words of concern, but when they came out of Emperor Liu's mouth, they sounded repressed. Da Fu sat up on the bed, looked at Liu Chengyou, and couldn't help but reveal a trace of distress in his eyes, saying: "I have no idea.
It's a serious problem. I'm just a little tired. But you, after traveling for such a long time and getting very little sleep, you have to take care of your health. If you fall down, what will happen to the world? I'm afraid I won't even want to, as an old lady.
Seeing you so..."
At this time, Emperor Liu had severe dark circles under his eyes, his pupils were bloodshot, and he looked very low-spirited due to exhaustion. The beard on his face was also much messy, and his whole state was a bit wrong.
"Have some porridge!" Liu Chengyou sighed and said, still so depressed.
Seeing this, Dafu grabbed his hand and called softly: "Erlang!"
Hearing this, Emperor Liu's body tensed slightly, and then he smiled bitterly and said: "Maybe you haven't called me like this for a long time. Only mother and you can call me like this in this world, but now..."
The sadness was beyond words, and Dafu's eyes were already red. He held Emperor Liu's hand tighter and comforted him: "Be filial in life and mourn in death. When the empress passes away, the whole country should mourn with you. You don't have to blame yourself too much." Got it!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu said with a kind of sarcastic interest: "You tell me, why don't I even understand the principle of 'parents are here, don't travel far'? This trip to the mountains and rivers is really fun!"
"In the past few days, I have also been recalling the past, how on earth I fulfilled my filial piety!" Emperor Liu said to himself deeply: "The Queen Mother worships the Buddha and believes in the Buddha, and I will destroy the Buddha and suppress the Buddha; the Queen Mother loves my brothers, and I will take all the money from my uncles. Due to his power, he demoted his brother-in-law to the border; my sister and brother were often outside the capital, making it difficult for mother and son to see each other for many years; the Queen Mother repeatedly interceded for her uncle, but I refused again and again; the Queen Mother fell ill several times, and I served her with decoctions in front of the bed several times. ....."
As he spoke, Emperor Liu couldn't help but shed tears in his eyes, like a flood gate bursting open, and the tears couldn't stop flowing. Seeing this, Da Fu took Emperor Liu into his arms, and perhaps finding a chest to rely on, Liu The emperor finally burst into tears.
"I didn't even see her for the last time!"
On a cold autumn night, in the Fuli Pavilion, the emperor and the empress hugged each other and cried, venting all their emotions. This was the first time that Emperor Liu had shed tears in so many years, the first time that he had forgotten his feelings and cried bitterly. The calmness when the former Emperor Liu Zhiyuan died and the death of the Queen Mother could be said to have broken down Emperor Liu's psychological defense for the first time.
After crying loudly, his emotions were vented, and Emperor Liu returned to normal. He was still on the road, but not as hard as before. Of course, it was also to take care of the queen. The queen mother had already gone, but she didn't want to miss the queen. What else will go wrong?
After slowing down, edicts were sent one after another from Emperor Liu directly to all the states in the world. There was no other reason. It was a great funeral for the country, and all the states in the world mourned the Queen Mother. Emperor Liu restrained himself in that, Don't disturb the people, and warned local governments in stern words not to fake national mourning and cause trouble to disturb the people. He also emphasized that if there is a report, he will be punished with death.
It was difficult to get over the grief for a while, but after accepting this reality and calming down, Emperor Liu also began to prepare for the funeral. He felt that he was not filial enough during his lifetime, but he must make up for his mother's honor after his death.
The team returning to Beijing quickly changed into white flags and streamers, and everyone wore mourning. After entering Songzhou, large-scale funerals were held in the prefectures and counties along the way. After entering Kaifeng, the scale became even larger, with almost every household mourning. Dai Xiao.
This was not a mandatory order from the government, but was just a spontaneous act by the people of Gyeonggi after hearing of the Queen Mother's death. The Queen Mother's wisdom and kindness were also well-known, and her reputation among the officials and the people had always been very good. She was well-deserved as the mother of the country.
In his early years, Emperor Liu left Beijing several times, and the people who actually took charge of the capital for him were actually the Queen Mother. At that time, the Li family's reputation was already very high. And the prestige created by twenty years of accumulation of reputation can be achieved.
As you can imagine, when the news of the death of the Queen Mother spread, it caused a huge shock among the officials and people of Gyeonggi.
In the south city of Kaifeng, the autumn wind rustled, yellow leaves drifted, and a sad atmosphere almost pervaded the whole city. There were no formal attires and no chariots. Emperor Liu came on horseback and issued an edict in advance. The officials and citizens of Tokyo did not need to greet the cavalry, but went straight through the city gate and ran towards the city.
Cross Tian Street, and then ride the horse past the palace gates and palaces one after another until they arrive in front of Ciming Hall.
He fell off his horse and his steps were a little unsteady. Prince Liu Yang hurriedly stepped forward to help Emperor Liu. The ministers who had stayed in Beijing also came. When they saw Emperor Liu, they saluted but did not say anything. The scene was extremely solemn for a while.
After a few glances at their sons and ministers, Liu Xu was in despair, Liu Yang's eyes were red, Liu Xi and Liu Fang both looked autistic, and other ministers also showed sad expressions, especially Li Ye
, such as the death of a heir, for him, not only the relatives who loved him the most were gone, but also the biggest supporter collapsed.
Many people who were familiar with Emperor Liu noticed that he seemed to have a few more strands of white hair on his temples. He raised his eyes and looked at the Ciming Palace decorated with white silk. After returning in a hurry, he was a little afraid to enter the palace.
His eyes were a little wet again, but this time Emperor Liu held it back, not on his face, but in his heart.
"Dad!" Liu Yang supported Emperor Liu, and seeing his sad expression, he finally called softly, breaking the silence.
"Did the Queen Mother leave any legacy?" Finally, Emperor Liu spoke, his voice low and hoarse.
Liu Yang also choked with sobs and replied: "My grandmother said that she has no regrets in this life. She is destined to be buried with the emperor. The funeral arrangements must be simple and not extravagant..."
Hearing this, Emperor Liu opened his mouth, and Emperor Liu got rid of Liu Yang's support. He slowly climbed the stone steps step by step, walked up to the palace platform, and entered the palace.
After returning to Beijing, Emperor Liu never cried again. However, he had no scruples about the extravagance of the Empress Dowager's funeral. With Xue Juzheng and Li Ye as the funeral ministers, everything was handled according to the highest standards.