The day for the burial ceremony arrived, but the weather was cold as usual.
Between the heavens and the earth, many things were mixed. The cold wind blew against the white cloth and banner. The former emperor’s coffin was extremely extravagant. It was embellished with gold, silver, and pearls all around, and it was tied with white silk. At first glance, it didn’t look like a coffin that held a dead body within. Rather, it looked like a meticulously-carved artistic product.
Jiang Pengji was dressed in broad, tidy official wear. She coldly looked on as the burial ceremony proceeded.
The finances of the nation were depleted. They owed a huge debt. Many officials mentioned that they wanted to be thrifty, but all-around extravagance was apparent.
All around, she could hear fake crying and the sound of the cold wind blowing against the banner. The sound of the masses’ footsteps and the horses echoed throughout. There were no other sounds. Jiang Pengji followed the instructions given by the master of ceremonies and blended in among the officials. Her expression was so stoic that she resembled an exquisite vase doll.
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Certainly, this was only so on the surface. Truthfully, she was multitasking, following the comments from the viewers closely by reading the bullet screen.
The burial of an emperor, even if it was a burial ceremony conducted in dire times, was still very meaningful to the viewers in the live streaming room.
When she heard the conversations among the people, it seemed as if the burial was being broadcast on national television.
She was embarrassed, and she lowered her head. She spent her time reading the comments on the bullet screen in the live streaming room, and she would occasionally post one or two comments.
After they sent the emperor’s coffin to the temple, as they were about to start the last few rituals, Jiang Pengji detected the sound of horses galloping from far off with her acute sense of hearing.
She secretly focused her eyes behind her. She vaguely saw an armored soldier quickly getting off his horse. He held a bamboo script in his hands.
Had something happened?
As Jiang Pengji frowned, the soldier who reported the sightings was discovered by the others. The master of ceremony, who was conducting the burial, was a member of the imperial clan. Suddenly, his expression become sullen.
The surrounding officials whispered in each other’s ears. Many discussions circulated around. Jiang Pengji calmed herself and concentrated to hear the conversation between the soldier who was relaying the information and the important officials in charge of the imperial clan.
“What—Prince Changshou is conducting a memorial service to the heavens today outside Chenzhou for his ascension? He will proclaim himself emperor?”
The faces of many officials became solemn. Had Prince Changshou done this on purpose?
Of all the days, he had chosen to do it seven days after the former emperor passed. On the very day the coffin was buried, he had chosen to conduct a memorial service and proclaim himself the emperor?
It was obviously a slap in their faces!
“...How should this matter be resolved?”
No one had imagined this, that Prince Changshou would be so bold as to directly proclaim himself the emperor.
“What else can be done? Naturally, we must think of how to calm the people down, then organize our troops and horses and go to war against this rebel.”
“...But if we use military force, I’m afraid we do not have the capability to fight against Prince Changshou and the Meng family of Cangzhou...”
“The alliance army has a total of more than forty thousand strong men. How could they not be able to emerge victorious against Prince Changshou and his men?” One of the experienced officials did not take this into consideration at all.
“Exactly. We have over forty thousand men, yet we are unable to annihilate this thief? Perhaps we’ve considered Prince Changshou to be more powerful than he actually is.”
They were the legitimate ones. Prince Changshou did not have the rights. He was rightfully deemed a thief who deserved death.
Once the order was dispatched, those with knowledge, experience, and resources could bring him to justice.
In this era, when wars were fought, they placed great emphasis on “having a just cause.” When Prince Changshou had surrounded Chenzhou back then, he had likewise fought for the cause of “disposing of the evil ministers surrounding the emperor and punishing those with evil motives.” They couldn’t just fight without reason. If the people of the world fought against Prince Changshou to uphold justice as stated in the order dispatched, it would be for a legitimate cause.
Likewise, fighting a war wasn’t dependent on “having a good master” to guarantee victory in every war.
Many of the older officials were only focused on their own interests. They didn’t consider the current situation at all. They took it for granted.
Prince Changshou dared not go head-to-head with the alliance army. He could not afford to fight a long battle.
Similarly, there existed many internal conflicts between the alliance army. They also dared not fight head-to-head.
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Although it was rather “naïve,” the majority of the ministers also knew that they must support the marquis in the alliance army and could not afford to be at loggerheads with them now.
Only after the burial ceremony ended did news of Prince Changshou’s ascension spread. Many reacted by knitting their brows.
Some cursed Prince Changshou, while others kept silent. Similarly, there were others who did not take sides.
Jiang Pengji watched the people’s attitude and was tickled by it.
“There have been so many dramatic shows these few days. Make a guess. What will Prince Changshou’s next step be?”
Feng Zhen laughed mockingly. “Most likely, they are going to segment the alliance army and arouse animosity amongst the people,” he said. “Based on Prince Changshou’s original plans, he should have taken the emperor hostage and forced him to abdicate. Afterward, he would select from among the officials in the alliance army who wielded power to appease and reward them generously. This would enable him to create divisions within the alliance army. Since the former emperor passed on, Prince Changshou’s ideals could not proceed as planned. He was left with the option to proclaim himself the emperor. Then he could promote the officials and marquis in the alliance army based on his position as emperor. The lord is also aware that there exist many divisions internally among the alliance army. The majority of them have the ugly practice of following the leader who can give them maximum benefits. Perhaps they could really be poached away.”
Yang Si nodded his head in agreement. He said, “Regardless, Prince Changshou’s actions this time are beneficial to my lord’s interests.”
Jiang Pengji fought to own the position as Wanzhou’s magistrate with her own abilities. She had even planned to reveal her female identity. Whether the court agreed or not, there was a fifty-percent chance either way.
Nevertheless, now that Prince Changshou had triggered this incident, the court would have no choice but to consent. They could only control their personal dissatisfaction and give the Wanzhou magistrate position to a lady.
Why was that so?
If they offended Jiang Pengji, wouldn’t they need to worry about Prince Changshou seizing the opportunity to infiltrate and poach the Liu family to his side?
With the Meng family already on his side, the imperial city of Chenzhou was about to lose everything. Dongqing’s court could not afford to suffer the setback of having the Liu family poached away.
So what if they knew that in the Liu family and the Meng family, on Prince Changshou’s side, existed some conflict? There were no eternal enemies. There only existed eternal benefits.
If there were advantages available, wouldn’t there be many opportunities to turn hostility into friendship?
She smiled. “I understand this principle.”
The result of the next emperor who had emerged victorious was out. The winner was the crown princess’s eldest legitimate son, the former emperor’s eldest grandson.
When news of this spread, the county chief of Shanghai county, Wuma Shang, had an expression as gloomy as the black paint that covered the coffin. He was sorely embittered.
He had been going on about alliance comrades for the past few days, even though he knew these people were only agreeable superficially and might stab him in the back.
Wuma Shang had been confident that the next emperor would be him. Unexpectedly, in the end, the title had ended up in the hands of an small 11-year-old boy.
No matter how devastated he was, the conclusion could not be changed.
Even if Wuma Shang imitated Prince Changshou and staged a coup, there were some alliance troops stationed outside the city. His chances of success were zero.
The first seven days of the burial ceremony were followed by the crowning ceremony of the young emperor.
The young emperor was close to 11 years old. His health was apparently weak, and his eyes were filled with terror for those people he considered strangers. He looked shy.
Although it was an ascension ceremony, it could not be compared to the extravagance of the former emperor’s burial ceremony. Comparatively, it even appeared rushed and simple.
The emperor wore funeral robes that did not fit his body. On his head, he wore a tassel crown. His footsteps were awkward as he held the empress dowager’s hand. She walked him to the dragon seat.
Jiang Pengji caught a glimpse of the bullet screen. She felt the comments made by one viewer were very logical.
[Nie Beiling]: “Ah, the mother is strong, but the son is weak. It feels like I’m watching the empress dowager ascend the throne while the young emperor serves as the prop.”
The empress dowager would rule the kingdom from behind the curtains, while the young emperor became an aesthetic product.
After the emperor’s ascension, what followed was the most anticipated reward ceremony for the marquis in the alliance army.
Although their contributions weren’t spectacular, they were members of the alliance army. If others could be well-recognized, why were they not allowed to share the honor?
Following the official statement, the one who gained the most credit this time was Xu Bei. He was adept at deploying and commanding the troops, and he deserved the best reward. The next in line was Xiangyang District’s district magistrate, Liu Xi, and finally Zhangzhou County’s east gate military general, Yang Jian. Both had fought valiantly to protect the king, disregarding their own lives. They had rescued the imperial family from dire circumstances, and they were given credit for their great accomplishments.
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