Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 13 Encountering a Funeral

Daxing City, in front of Mingde Gate,

The city gates were thrown wide open, and cries of mourning shook the mountains. A massive funeral procession was about to leave the city. At the head of the procession were five attendants leading banners. The banners, embroidered with cranes and portions of the Diamond Sutra, fluttered high in the wind, creating a rustling sound.

Amid the rustling of flags, twenty-two monks chanted scriptures silently and slowly beat wooden fish.

Following the flagpole were fifty deacons leading the way. These deacons were dressed in plain clothes, and they raised their left hand to indicate abstention and their right hand to indicate silence. There were also deacons holding whips to clear the way and sticks to indicate silence in the street. The procession was grand and solemn.

Following the deacon who cleared the way came the band. The eighty-eight musicians had solemn expressions, wore plain robes and black turbans, and played the sheng, xiao, and xun, or beat the drums, cymbals, and chimes. The rhythm was slow and the tunes were sad.

The ceremonial guards followed closely behind, carrying golden gourds, axes, and stirrups, symbols of imperial majesty. These were often crafted from gold and silver, their metallic sheen gleaming in the sunlight. Various flags fluttered, embroidered with unicorns and steeds.

Next is the hearse, which is located in the middle of the funeral procession. The hearse is extremely huge, covered with gold foil and carved with bat patterns. The coffin is made of golden nanmu wood and is inlaid with eighteen glass beads, eighteen gold beads, eighteen jade beads, and all kinds of rare treasures.

Sixteen palace guards, each with a solemn expression, pulled the hearse forward slowly and steadily. Behind them, five hundred servants followed slowly, each armed with a sword and a knife, their ranks solemn and composed.

The standards of such a funeral procession are as high as those for princes and princesses. It is difficult for ordinary heroes and important officials to enjoy such a standard.

As they neared Daxing City, Lu Shang heard mourning music. Sitting in his carriage, he watched the large funeral procession approaching. He instructed his steward, "Have the carriages driven so they don't block the funeral procession. Also, go to the gatekeepers and find out which family has lost someone. Find out and report back to me."

Although there were ceremonial objects such as golden gourds, axes, and sky-stepping stirrups in the funeral procession, Lu Shang carefully observed the specifications and knew that the deceased could not be a prince or princess, and the number of people leading the banners at the front of the funeral procession was not right.

For example, in the case of the emperor and empress, there are nine people leading the funeral banners; for princes and princesses, there are seven people leading the banners; for pillars of the state and important ministers, there are five people leading the banners. These are all set regulations. If the regulations are exceeded, the punishment may be dismissal from office at the least and stripping of title at the worst.

Therefore, when Lu Shang saw the number of people leading the banners at the front, he could roughly infer the status of the deceased.

After Lu Shang let the funeral procession pass, a while later, the butler came back from the gatehouse to report.

The butler lowered his voice and whispered in Lu Shang's ear, "Prince, the deceased is Wang Fengxiao, the son of Wang Yi, Duke of Yun and the consort of Princess Lanling."

"Is he the Duke of Lanling, the consort of the Princess?"

Lu Shang nodded thoughtfully. Princess Lanling was the fifth daughter of Yang Jian and Dugu Jialuo. She was of noble birth and was extremely favored by the two emperors of the time.

Since Princess Lanling's husband, Duwei, passed away, it is not surprising that there was a funeral of such scale.

What's more, Wang Fengxiao's father, Duke of Yun, Wang Yi, was also a heavyweight figure.

Duke Wang Yi of Yun and Emperor Yang Jian became friends in childhood, later classmates, and finally served as officials in the same court. When Yang Jian forged an imperial edict to govern the country, Wang Yi assisted him vigorously and was appointed as the commander-in-chief in times of crisis. He led the army to quell the rebellion of Sima Xiaonan, one of the three parties, and was one of the founding heroes of the Northern Sui Dynasty.

With such a family background, if the funeral ceremony was a little lower, I am afraid that both the emperor and the empress would be unhappy.

Lu Shang sat on the carriage, quietly watching the huge funeral procession until it completely passed by his carriage and went in opposite directions.

"Return home,"

------

Qi County Mansion, main gate,
"Welcome back to the palace, Prince."

As soon as Lu Shang's carriage arrived in front of the mansion, a large number of attendants and servants who had been waiting there prostrated themselves on the ground.

"Get up,"

Lu Shang got off the carriage and directly called the chief governor over, asking, "Has the Duke of the County gone to attend Wang Fengxiao's funeral?"

The governor is also called the second-in-command, and his power in the mansion is second only to the steward.

After the housekeeper was demoted, the governor is now in charge of the Duke of Qi's Mansion.

The governor replied, "Your Highness, after the death of the imperial concubine Wang Fengxiao, the emperor ordered all nobles and officials above the third rank to attend the imperial concubine's funeral."

Hearing that Yang Jian had actually issued an edict directly, Lu Shang was somewhat surprised and murmured to himself, "The Emperor has issued an edict. How can the Wang family be so honored?"

Although somewhat surprised by Yang Jian's favor towards Wang Fengxiao, Lü Shang knew that serving the emperor was like living with a tiger, and that temporary favors meant nothing. Furthermore, Yang Jian was a fickle man, prone to anger and hatred. The greater the favor he showed Wang Fengxiao, the more ruthless he would be in his actions when Yang Jian turned against him.

In comparison, the Duke of Qi's mansion was much more stable. Yang Jian was very lenient towards his relatives who were unable to threaten his throne. Especially since the Duke of Qi was mediocre and his only son, Lü Shang, was known for his loyalty, his position was naturally more stable.

Lü Shang slowly entered the mansion and headed straight for his Zhangtai Villa. After entering his own Zhangtai Villa again after over a year, Lü Shang took a look at the spotless pavilions and buildings in the courtyard and carefully took out the precious scroll of the sutra that he cherished like his life from his bosom.

"Come on, I'm going to burn incense, bathe, and fast for three days. Anyone who enters Zhangtai's courtyard without permission will be punished!"

After gently stroking the precious scroll for a while, Lu Shang immediately gave instructions to his servants.

Just as Wang Fengxiao's funeral was proceeding in an orderly manner, inside the Daxing Palace in Daxing City, the Northern Sui Emperor Yang Jian was looking at the map of the country and the people at his feet with great interest.

"Duke Puyang, who do you think would be the most suitable general to be sent when we attack Chen?"

After looking at the area marking the territory of the Southern Dynasty for a long time, Emperor Yang Jian suddenly turned around and asked Yuwen Shu, the Duke of Puyang, who was serving beside him.

Yuwen Shu smiled and replied cautiously, "No one is wiser than the Emperor. In my opinion, Your Majesty has already made up his mind about the candidates for the attack on Chen. He is just waiting to eliminate the Turkic threat before discussing it with the court."

Yang Jian pointed at Yuwen Shu and said frankly, "You old dog, I can't hide anything from you. Yes, I do intend to wait until I have dealt with the Turks before I bring the selection of the troops to attack Chen to the court."

Facing his loyal lackey, Yang Jian obviously had no intention of hiding anything.

When Yang Jian was still the Duke of Sui, Yuwen Shu was a die-hard loyalist of Yang Jian. Later, when Yang Jian seized power and usurped the throne, Yuwen Shu followed Yang Jian all the way and was willing to be his lackey. Yang Jian still believed in Yuwen Shu's loyalty.

Most importantly, Yuwen Shu's Yuwen family had no connection to the Northern Zhou imperial family, the Yuwen clan. Yuwen Shu's ancestor, once surnamed Poyetou, was a servant of Yuwen Sidougui, the chieftain of the Yuwen tribe of the Xianbei people during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Later, Yuwen Sidougui was defeated and killed, and the Yuwen tribe dispersed, splitting into the Yuwen clan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Kumo Xi people, and the Khitan people.

Yuwen Shu's surname Yuwen was given to him because his father and grandfather followed Yuwen Tai in building his career.

Therefore, Yang Jian trusted Yuwen Shu and often compared him to a meritorious dog. Although Yuwen Shu was only the Duke of Puyang at that time, Yang Jian relied on him more than several dukes.

"However, I am still a little hesitant about this choice. Who do you think is more qualified for the position, the Crown Prince or the Prince of Jin?"

Looking at the territory of the Southern Dynasty, Yang Jian seemed a little confused, and his voice was barely audible when he spoke the last part.

Obviously, this emperor, who had been on the throne for only four years, was already deeply involved in the struggle for the throne among his sons.

Although in order to avoid his sons fighting for the throne, Yang Jian established his eldest son Yang Yong as the crown prince when he ascended the throne in the first year of Kaihuang.

But the throne was a powerful one. Fathers killed sons, sons killed fathers, brothers killed brothers, and brothers killed brothers for the throne. As long as Crown Prince Yang Yong didn't take the throne, the other ambitious brothers saw their chance. Even if Yang Yong did succeed, the kings, having experienced the turmoil of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, wouldn't sit idly by.

Yang Jian understood his sons' thoughts clearly, but because he saw it so clearly, it was difficult for him to deal with their open and secret struggles. They were all legitimate sons born to him and Dugu Jialuo, and he was in no position to blame anyone.

What's more, there is Queen Dugu Qieluo by his side, and with Dugu Qieluo watching over him, even if he wants to teach these unfilial sons a lesson, he has to consider Queen Dugu's attitude.

However, the struggle between Crown Prince Yang Yong and Prince of Jin Yang Guang had already begun to show signs, and the forces of the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Jin's Mansion were gradually taking shape.

Facing Yang Jian's question, Yuwen Shu was silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "Only the holy emperor can do what he wants."

"well,"

Yuwen Shu's words made Yang Jian sigh deeply. He said dully, "Forget it. Let's not think about those unhappy things. Let's talk about something happy."

"I heard that you are going to be a grandfather?"

Yuwen Shu replied, "Yes, a few years ago, my minister Huaji told me the good news that my daughter-in-law was pregnant, and the Yuwen family would have a grandson."

Yang Jian said softly, "You must have high hopes for this eldest grandson, right?"

Yuwen Shu's heart was moved inexplicably, and he smiled and said, "Indeed, I have already chosen a name for my eldest grandson. I am just waiting for the eldest grandson of the eldest branch to be born so that I can enjoy playing with him."

Yang Jian asked curiously, "What's the name of your eldest grandson?"

Yuwen Shu said directly: "Chengdu, Yuwen Chengdu!"

"Chengdu, Yuwen Chengdu, this is a good name,"

Yang Jian muttered it several times in a low voice and nodded slowly.

Chengdu means that it takes one year to become a gathering, two years to become a town, and three years to become a Chengdu.

This shows that Yuwen Shu had high expectations for his unborn grandson, hoping that he would possess outstanding talents in the future.

After all, without outstanding talents and extraordinary courage, how could one achieve the success of building a gathering in one year, a town in two years, and a city in three years?

Of course, this was also because Yang Jian didn't mean to find fault. If he really wanted to find fault, he would have directly pulled out "Records of the Grand Historian: The Basic Annals of the Five Emperors" and pointed out that Dashun built a gathering in one year, a town in two years, and a city in three years, and asked Yuwen Shu what it meant. Even the most cunning Yuwen Shu would have been frightened to the point of breaking out in a cold sweat.

(End of this chapter)