Prince Li Hong passed away, the bells of Taiji Palace and East Palace rang loudly, and the rapid and sad bells echoed in Chang'an City.
Countless people lit up their lamps, but due to the curfew in the city, no one dared to go out. Neighbors asked each other about the reason, but they had no idea.
Li Qinzai bowed his head towards the east palace bedroom and did not get up for a long time.
He felt very sad. To say he was sad was a bit wrong. After all, his relationship with Li Hong was not deep, and they had only met each other a few times over the years.
Perhaps it is more of a pity that an apparently outstanding heir to the empire passed away suddenly like this, leaving his parents and brothers to cry for him.
Li Qinzai suddenly remembered that he and Li Hong had not said goodbye properly.
I always thought that his illness would last for a long time, and that I could see him again next time, so every parting was treated lightly.
Now Li Qinzai suddenly realized that every farewell in life was unexpected, and God would not leave a farewell ceremony to people.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Qinzai straightened up.
When he turned around, his red eyes became cold again, and he calmly stared at Pei Juxian's body not far away, and the faces of the courtiers and dignitaries further away.
More and more courtiers gathered outside the East Palace. They all stood thirty feet away, as if there was an invisible abyss in front of them. If they took one step forward, they would be shattered into pieces.
No one dared to come forward. Pei Juxian's body lay alone on the ground. No one wanted to be the next negative example. People were already very convinced that Li Qinzai really dared to kill people. No matter what his status was, in his eyes he was a general.
Dead people.
The palace bells were ringing incessantly, and the courtiers were kneeling in the distance, wailing and crying in the direction of the East Palace.
Li Qinzai looked at them calmly as they cried. Some of them were truly grieving, and some of them were acting out. Li Qinzai didn't know and didn't care.
His duty tonight is to guard the palace gate and not allow anyone to approach.
As for grief, leave it to silence and digest it silently.
Soon, white flags were hung on the towers of Taiji Palace and the East Palace, and all the lanterns were replaced with white ones. In the middle of the night, a group of monks and Taoists hurriedly walked towards the East Palace. The first eunuch took out Li Zhi's personal edict,
After careful inspection, Li Qinzai let the group of monks sideways into the East Palace.
Monks and Taoists are here to perform rituals. When the prince dies and the whole country mourns, it is natural that monks and Taoists perform rituals and offer salvation.
A group of palace people filed out of the palace gate, each holding a white plain belt in their hands, and distributed it to the Qianniu Guards officers on duty outside the palace gate and the courtiers in the distance.
Li Qinzai tied the plain belt around his waist and helmet to show that his officials were mourning. Looking around, everything was white.
The courtiers also tied up their plain belts, knelt in the dust and continued to cry loudly.
Waiting until dawn, Captain Liu Zhensheng of the Qianniu Guard came to take over. Li Qinzai yawned, said a few words with a tired look, then turned around and entered the East Palace.
The East Palace was completely covered in plains, and the cries from the bedroom could be heard from far away. Li Qinzai seemed to be able to feel the deep sadness in the palace.
After regaining his composure, Li Qinzai went directly to the dormitory hall and saw Li Zhi and Empress Wu supporting each other. There was a coffin in the middle of the hall, and Li Hong's body had been buried in the coffin.
There are tablets, incense candles and offerings on the incense table. There are many Taoist priests sitting cross-legged in the hall, and many monks kneeling in the open space outside the hall. The monks and Taoists each recite scriptures, and the palace people kneel beside them silently. There is solemnity inside and outside the hall.
Li Zhi and Empress Wu were almost fainting from crying. Li Qinzai slowly stepped forward and whispered: "Your Majesty, the prince has passed away. Your Majesty expresses his condolences."
Li Zhi looked at him with tears in his eyes and cried loudly: "Jingchu, my Hong'er...he is no longer here!"
"I was the one who harmed him. If I hadn't devoted myself to the Eastern Expedition this year, ordered him to supervise the country, and entrusted all the government affairs to him, Hong'er would not have become sick due to overwork and died young... It's all my fault
!Knowing that he has been weak since childhood, yet still entrusting him with state affairs, it’s me who deserves to die!”
Li Qinzai sighed: "Your Majesty, please do not blame yourself. Everything is destiny. Your Majesty's failure to survive this fate has nothing to do with your Majesty."
Li Zhi shook his head, looked back at the prince's coffin and cried loudly.
Li Qinzai stood aside silently, lowering his head and saying nothing.
After a long time, Li Zhi's mood finally calmed down a little, and he wiped his tears and said: "Hong'er's funeral was organized by the Ministry of Rites and Zongren Temple. Jingchu worked hard guarding the palace, so he found a place in the East Palace to rest for a while. I still need it.
How many days have you worked hard?"
"I will never refuse my duty, and I also want to do my best for His Royal Highness."
Li Zhi paused and suddenly asked: "I heard that you shot the crown prince's uncle outside the palace gate?"
Li Qinzai said calmly: "Yes, the uncle of the Crown Princess, Pei Juxian, ignored the repeated warnings of the minister and insisted on breaking into the palace, saying something about visiting His Highness the Crown Prince. Your Majesty should know that last night was a sensitive moment, especially inside and outside the palace, and no disturbance was allowed. After the warning was ineffective, the minister
Order Qianniu Guard to shoot Pei Juxian."
"If you feel that I have done something wrong, Your Majesty, please punish me."
Li Zhi's expression quickly turned cold and he said in a deep voice: "Jing Chu did nothing wrong. I temporarily ordered you to take charge of the imperial guards to guard against these people who don't understand the rules and are domineering. When the prince was critically ill last night, he dared to
Those who stir up trouble outside the palace gate should be killed!"
"Pei's family in Hedong...hum!" Li Zhi snorted coldly.
Li Qinzai felt very at ease. He knew that Li Zhi would definitely be on his side. After all, Pei Juxian's behavior last night could be said to be very bad. Under such circumstances, he dared to break into the palace. He was obviously seeking death, and he deserved to die.
Li Zhi quickly put the matter behind him and stared at the coffin in the palace, his expression filled with grief again.
Li Qinzai silently knelt before the coffin and bowed before quietly exiting the hall.
He asked the palace servants to find a remote palace location. Li Qinzai, who had not slept all night, lay down without taking off his armor and soon fell asleep.
It was already afternoon when he woke up. Li Qinzai got up, straightened his armor, and walked out of the hall.
At this time, there were many people in the East Palace, including courtiers from three provinces and six tribes, relatives of the royal family, and some envoys from foreign countries.
After getting Li Zhi's permission, people entered the East Palace to express their condolences. There was another cry of pain all around, mixed with Buddhist scriptures recited by monks and Taoists, and Li Qinzai's mood couldn't help but become sad again.
Among the condolences, Li Qinzai saw his father Li Siwen.
Li Siwen was also dressed in plain clothes, with a plain belt wrapped around his headband, and he mingled silently in the crowd, singing, drinking, crying or worshiping along with the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette.
After paying their condolences, the courtiers should keep vigil for the prince.
Not everyone can keep a vigil. According to the rules, only officials of the fourth rank or above in the capital are qualified to stay in the East Palace.
Li Siwen is the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and a third-rank official, so he is naturally qualified to stay in the East Palace.
The cumbersome and lengthy funeral ceremony continued, with endless mourning and kneeling, and the living people were tortured to the point where life was worse than death.
It was not until the evening when the ministers were dining in the corridor of the East Palace that Li Qinzai had the opportunity to see Li Siwen who came out for some fresh air.
Li Siwen didn't look good when he saw Li Qinzai. He glared at him and said, "I heard that you killed the uncle of the Crown Princess, a member of the Pei family in Hedong?"