"What happened? His face is so solemn!" Emperor Liu couldn't help but ask when he looked up and saw Li Fang's serious expression.
Li Fang's tone was indescribably depressed, and he cupped his hands and said in a deep voice: "Back to Your Majesty, there is a funeral report from the British Duke's mansion. Half an hour ago, the British Duke died of illness in the mansion..."
"What?" Hearing this, Emperor Liu asked subconsciously, and then he reacted. His hand that was flipping through the memorial visibly stiffened, and his voice became as deep as Li Fang's: "How could it be so sudden!"
Li Fang sighed heavily and said: "Your Majesty has a malignant sore on his back, and it is hard to get sick. Today the sore broke out and he passed away! The British government has already mourned and reported the news!"
The news of Chai Rong's death stirred up waves in Emperor Liu's heart. After a brief silence, he regained his composure and sighed sadly: "I have lost a good minister, and the great man has lost a pillar!"
Perhaps Emperor Liu's reaction was too calm and he didn't seem that sad, but Li Fang still comforted him in a respectful tone: "The deceased is gone, please forgive me!"
Emperor Liu waved his hand and said: "Everyone has such a day, and I have gotten used to it after so many years. However, it is always sad to see old friends die one after another!"
"Your Majesty, please tell me how the court should express condolences after the death of the British Duke!" Li Fang asked for instructions.
Emperor Liu breathed a sigh of relief and gave instructions with some waning interest: "Draw up an imperial edict to confer Chai Rong as King of Heyang and increase the title of Grand Master. Officials in the capital, seventh grade or above, please go to express your condolences! Fifty thousand guan will be allocated from the internal funds.
, the Ministry of Rites sent people to take care of his funeral, Chai Rong, the national hero, died, he should be mourned and honored!
Mingyuan, you are good at writing, so I will write a Shinto inscription myself, so that the world will know about Ying Gong’s literary, Taoist and military strategies, loyalty and diligence!"
"Yes!" Li Fang immediately complied, leaning forward and already thinking about his words.
Emperor Liu thought for a while and then said: "Also, if you tell me to go down, I will come to express my condolences in person and see my old friend off!"
"yes!"
Li Fang withdrew, and Emperor Liu stayed quietly for a while, and finally sighed heavily. It could be seen from his slightly sentimental face that Chai Rong's death still touched him somewhat.
Among the ministers of the Dragon, there were also those who were closest to him. Those old ministers who had followed him since Jinyang naturally had a special status in Emperor Liu's heart.
Among the old officials in Jinyang, some have aged, some have died, and some have retired. Today, only Yang Ye and Han Tong are still shining brightly in the court, and Xiang Xun has also begun to retreat behind the scenes. Zhang Yanwei died miserably.
, Murong Yanzhao died of illness, and now it is Chai Rong's turn.
As the core of that group of people, why didn't Emperor Liu feel a little bit sad when he saw the branches and leaves withering day by day? It was fine in the past few years, but as he grew older, he was also feeling sad. Emperor Liu has been sighing recently about how people have grown up.
Jiang Lao is not just showing off, he also has some deep feelings.
As for Chai Rong, in recent years, even though he has been plagued by illness, he has managed to survive and enjoy a peaceful old age. In this year, Emperor Liu only saw Chai Rong twice, once during the Northern Expedition.
The Queen of the Capital paid a visit in person, once when her second daughter Liu Jian was getting married to Chai Zongxun.
After not having any contact for a long time, Emperor Liu was shocked to hear the bad news, and his heart was filled with unspeakable emotions.
...
The north wind roared through the city, adding a bit more desolation and chill to the winter in Luoyang. The British palace has become a white world, with white flags and plain cloth standing in the forest, and everyone inside and outside is immersed in sadness.
in the atmosphere.
The death of the British Duke Chai Rong was definitely a major event in Xijing, causing a sensation in both the government and the public. In fact, even without Emperor Liu's extremely sad edict, there would have been many people who took the initiative to express their condolences.
In the current Han Dynasty, Chai Rong is shrouded in too much light. Old minister Conglong, a meritorious general, Duke of the Han Dynasty, and the twenty-four ministers of Qianyou have a prominent position and a grand reputation. Among foreign ministers, there are really few people who can compare with Chai Rong.
The honor and status are more respected.
In the past, the Duke of Wei, Murong Yanzhao, and the Duke of Ying, Chai Rong, were both the bannermen of the Han army. Later, together with Zhao Kuangyin, they were also called "Chai Zhao". No matter who they matched with, they all had their names, and this was still a false name, but it was real.
On the ground, it represents the power and status.
Nowadays, heroes have withered and loyal souls have gone far away. Under the inspiration, people come to the palace in an endless stream. Princes and relatives, nobles and ministers, soldiers and bureaucrats. No matter what kind of psychology and purpose the visitors have, they all look sentimental and solemn.
Faces came to express condolences.
The passage from the gate to the mourning hall, which is not long, is full of high-class people coming and going. Although there are many people, they are in good order. Everyone shows respect for the deceased and does not dare to offend the solemn scene.
.
Even those core figures with high authority and authority put away their arrogance, put on a humble posture, paid their condolences, and left solemnly. But those who were good at socializing in the camp did not dare to
Talkative and too expressive of presence.
Several generals even kowtowed heavily in front of the mourning hall with tears in their eyes. They didn't care if their foreheads were broken and didn't make any other sounds. They just used their own way to express their respect and sorrow for Chai Rong.
These people are all Chai Rong's old subordinates, and they were favored and promoted by him. It is not obvious at ordinary times, but when the benefactor died, the depth of this friendship became apparent.
From noon to late at night, thousands of people of all kinds came and went from the British government. Perhaps Chai Rong himself could not have imagined that after his death, there would be such a big fuss and such a sensation.
From another perspective, Chai Rong, a hero, lived his life with honor and died with his fame, and his life in this world was not in vain.
In the mourning hall, smoke curled up, white silk fluttered, and sobbing sounds could be heard from time to time. The sad atmosphere was almost solidified. The arrival of Emperor Liu and Concubine Guo Ning inevitably disturbed the atmosphere in the hall.
Emperor Liu was wearing a black robe, and Concubine Guo Ning was wearing a plain skirt. Both of them had a piece of white silk wrapped around their waists to stop the officials who wanted to pay tribute, indicating that the deceased was the most important.
Chai Rong's eldest sons all served in various places in the Han Dynasty. Even after receiving the news of the funeral, they were still on their way back to Beijing. Therefore, it was Chai Zongxun and Liu Jian who hosted the funeral in the palace and welcomed them away.
both.
Looking at the newlywed couple who had only been married for two months, Emperor Liu sighed and said: "Your Majesty is my loyal minister and close friend. When he leaves, I will come to see him off. You guys express my condolences!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chai Zongxun's eyes were red and he bowed his head to the bottom.
As soon as he spread his hands, Yantuo immediately took the three sticks of incense and presented them respectfully. Together with Concubine Guo Ning, he bowed to Chai Rong's spiritual throne. It must be said that when Emperor Liu worshiped the Buddha in Shaolin Temple, he was careless and even Full of contempt.
Standing in the hall, quietly staring at Chai Rong's memorial tablet, Emperor Liu rarely showed true feelings in his eyes, but it was fleeting. He quickly turned around and left without saying much, leaving room for others to offer incense and condolences. .