Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 620: The Funeral Procession (Part 1)
The person who entered appears to be around twenty, with a delicate figure and a charming face. At this moment, she is dressed in white mourning clothes, her eyes red with fatigue, and her demeanor haggard. She is Jiang Yuehua, the Huaiyang County Princess, who has married into the Zhang Family.
While wiping her tears, Jiang Yuehua kneeled before the coffin, bowing her head in farewell: "Elder cousin, may you have a peaceful journey in the afterlife. Be reborn into an ordinary family, marry a husband you love, and live a peaceful life."
Born into the Royal Family, she was a princess from birth, blessed with honor and wealth, yet ultimately met a tragic end at the hands of rebels. Reflecting on the brief life of Princess Bao Hua, there were indeed no moments of wanton joy. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
Jiang Shaohua felt a deep sorrow in her heart, an indescribable bitterness.
After crying for a while, Jiang Yuehua wiped her tears with a handkerchief and turned her head, speaking softly: "Shao Hua, there is something I want to ask you."
Jiang Shaohua had already guessed what she was going to ask: "Are you asking about what will happen to our cousin Wanhua in the future?"
Jiang Yuehua’s eyes glistened with tears as she choked, "Yes. Prince Dongping and his son committed treason and harmed the Emperor; they are doomed to die, and rightfully so. I do not sympathize with them at all. But our cousin Wanhua was brought into the palace at the age of eight and raised by the Grand Empress Dowager. I have lived with her, sharing our days and nights together; I know her best. She had no knowledge of her grandfather and father’s deeds from start to finish."
"Unknown to her, she committed no crime. She is also married; could she possibly be spared her life?"
Jiang Yuehua’s tone was humble, her eyes filled with pleading and hope.
She grew up in the palace with Jiang Wan Hua, both sharing the status of being daughters of vassal kings, making them naturally closer than others. Even real sisters do not have as deep a bond as they do.
She deliberately came to Princess Bao Hua’s mourning hall because she had received information, intending to implore Jiang Shaohua to spare Jiang Wan Hua’s life.
Jiang Shaohua looked at Jiang Yuehua: "Prince Dongping and his son have committed the severe crime of treason, dooming the entire clan to death. This implicates everyone in the Prince Mansion. You should understand this without me explaining it in detail."
Jiang Yuehua pleaded with teary eyes: "Shao Hua, you have the ability and influence; the courtiers listen to you, and the Grand Empress Dowager is also willing to listen to you. Please plead for our cousin Wanhua, at least spare her life. Even if she is imprisoned for life, she can still live."
As she spoke, tears began to fall again, and she sobbed.
By comparison, Jiang Shaohua’s calmness seemed almost cold: "I am powerless in this matter."
She rejected it so straightforwardly.
Then, Jiang Shaohua rose to leave, leaving behind a meaningful piece of advice: "In the coming days, you might as well stay in the palace and spend more time with the Grand Empress Dowager."
Jiang Yuehua continued to cry into her hands, whether she heard or not is unknown.
...
The next day in the fourth period of the night, a group of Imperial Guards carried the enormous coffin out of the palace gates.
The first to support the coffin was Prince Ping. Prince Ping had long been instructed to cry loudly today, the louder the better. He cried with all his might, his cries sharp and piercing, almost enough to shatter one’s eardrums.
Jiang Shaohua was right behind Prince Ping, conveniently supporting the coffin while also ready to take care of Prince Ping at any moment.
Next were Prince Huaiyang and Prince Wu’an.
This was the protocol for a funeral conducted by the Imperial Family. The order of standing was entirely according to the closeness of blood relations, having nothing to do with age.
All the courtiers who could move came to send off the Emperor. Prime Minister Wang still couldn’t get out of bed, and Duke An had injured his leg, so he couldn’t come either. As for Great General Bao, his injuries were rather severe, so he was still recovering. But Left General and General Liu, after nursing injuries for about a month, both joined the funeral procession today.
There was also a smaller coffin, which was slowly carried out of the palace gates. It was Princess Bao Hua’s coffin.
The sky was unkind; today was gloomy, and as the coffin was carried out of the city gates, a fine drizzle began to fall. The raindrops mixed with cold wind hit faces and bodies, quickly soaking the clothes.
According to the protocol for the Emperor’s funeral, the coffin cannot be set down once it is lifted. The sturdy Imperial Guards responsible for carrying the coffin were divided into five teams, each team carrying for two hours, and every two hours, they switched to another team of Imperial Guards. This rotation ensured that the coffin would not be set down or stopped further, and would be carried continuously to the Imperial Mausoleum.
Encountering rainy weather was indeed unfortunate. However, there was no reason to stop the coffin; it kept moving forward. The coffin-supporting vassal kings had to continue on, and the old ministers participating in the funeral had to muster strength to keep going.
After half a day under the rain, everyone’s clothes were completely soaked.
Suddenly, there was an "ouch" from the funeral procession.
Jiang Shaohua frowned and turned to look.
"Commandery Princess, the road is slippery in the rain, Minister Dai fell and twisted his ankle, and can no longer walk," reported the Imperial Guard who came to deliver the message in a low voice, "How should it be handled, please decide, Commandery Princess."
Jiang Shaohua pondered briefly and instructed: "Since Minister Dai cannot walk, have someone escort him back to the city; there’s no need to go to the Imperial Mausoleum."
The Imperial Guard bowed in acknowledgment, selecting four Imperial Guards to escort the injured Minister Dai back to the city.
The unfortunate Minister Dai knelt down in the drizzle and wept loudly in the direction of the departing Emperor’s coffin.
His cries reverberated in the distance into everyone’s ears. In his mind, Minister Zhang scoffed, thinking that Minister Dai had turned misfortune into fortune. The upcoming journey indeed wasn’t easy, and enduring the rain all the way to the Imperial Mausoleum was a discomforting endeavor.
The procession couldn’t stop, and naturally, the pace couldn’t speed up; it proceeded slowly, step by step. Originally, the procession was very orderly, but after half a day, those with great physical strength could hold on, while some elderly and frail ministers were walking slower and slower.
Cui Du and Chief Historian Chen were in a group, separated from Jiang Shaohua by seven or eight meters, with a dozen senior officials in between.
Cui Du’s gaze hardly left Jiang Shaohua’s back, secretly worried and anxious in his heart.
Jiang Shaohua was pregnant, her stamina not as robust as usual, and today’s endless rain had drenched everyone’s clothes. Whether Jiang Shaohua could hold on was unknown...
Chief Historian Chen’s low voice reached his ears: "The Commandery Princess can endure, don’t worry, Elder Changning."
How could he not worry?
Jiang Shaohua was no longer just one person; she had another life in her belly.
This matter was not revealed to anyone; Chief Historian Chen was also unaware. It was not the right time to disclose this joyous news, so Cui Du had to nod randomly.
Prince Ping, Jiang Hao, was merely an eight-year-old child who had never walked in the rain like this before. Initially, he could hold on, but after half a day, he refused to walk and clamored to be carried.
Three years ago, during Emperor Taikang’s funeral, Jiang Shaohua carried Jiang Hao the whole way. Out of habit, Jiang Hao wanted to nestle into cousin Shaohua’s fragrant and soft embrace again.
Setting aside that Jiang Shaohua was pregnant, Jiang Hao was now as tall as Jiang Shaohua’s waist. How could he still be carried? Even if she could carry him, it would be extremely unbecoming.
The only alternative was to carry him on her back...
Jiang Shaohua never indulged Jiang Hao’s bad habits, and with a stern face, she said: "If you’re tired, go rest in the carriage at the back."
