flstandardbreds Chapter 1037 Funerals and Weddings
Chapter 1037 Funerals and Weddings
“This is your sister-in-law.” Li Lin lowered his voice even further. “She got up before dawn to make this. Knowing I was coming, she specifically asked me to bring her along.”
She said that you are a person of great loyalty and affection, and you would definitely not leave this place, much less dine in public.
"But how can a person not eat? If you ruin your health, even if Master Qian is watching from heaven, he will feel sorry for you and blame you."
Holding the still-warm pastry, Li Che felt a warmth in his heart.
Now in his twenties, an age when he could eat a whole cow in one meal, he was starving.
But as the emperor, he needed to set an example under the watchful eyes of the public.
Others could take turns going to the side hall for a quick meal, but he could not.
Firstly, it's necessary to maintain appearances to show sincerity.
Secondly, he genuinely wanted to spend more time with his teacher in this way.
As for whether eating in private before the altar is disrespectful to the teacher?
Li Che raised his head and looked at the memorial tablet on the altar, which read 'The memorial tablet of Qian Bin, Imperial Tutor and Grand Preceptor of Shu State, posthumously honored as Wenzheng'.
Amidst the swirling sandalwood incense, he seemed to see again the old man's face, always bearing a gentle smile.
"You brat, you don't even eat on time. If you ruin your health, how will you achieve your ambitions?"
The teacher never cared about formalities; what he always cared about was the well-being of those around him.
Li Che's lips curved upwards slightly before he lowered his head.
Using the sleeves of his mourning clothes as cover, he brought the pastries to his mouth and ate them in small bites.
The rice cake was soft, sticky, and sweet, with the fragrance of osmanthus, which quickly soothed my stomach after a long night and brought me some warmth.
He ate quickly but carefully, even picking up the crumbs.
After finishing the meal, Li Che whispered to Li Lin, "Please thank your sister-in-law for me."
Li Lin felt somewhat relieved to see that he was willing to eat.
The two said no more, and Li Lin knelt quietly with Li Che for a while longer.
"Your Majesty," Li Lin said again in a low voice after a moment, "the Ministry of Rites has drafted a rough outline of the subsequent ceremonial procedures, which will be presented after Chenshi (7-9 AM)."
"According to regulations, the mourning period for all officials will last for three days, followed by the procession of the coffin, the funeral procession, and the burial. There are also posthumous titles, epitaphs, and other written documents to be prepared, which are currently being drafted by the Imperial Academy and the Hanlin Academy."
"Hmm." Li Che listened with his eyes closed, as if he were resting. "Fourth Brother and the Cabinet can handle these matters first. I have already explained the general principles. You can handle the specific details."
His decentralization of power reflects both his trust in Li Lin and the cabinet, and is also a gesture to the government and the public.
Even when the emperor is not in charge, the central government of Daqing can still operate in an orderly manner.
“Your Majesty understands.” Li Lin hesitated for a moment, then said, “However… Your Majesty insists on personally carrying the ropes. The Ministry of Rites believes that although this shows Your Majesty’s benevolence, it poses a great challenge to security and ceremonial regulations.”
"Could it be changed so that when the hearse leaves the palace, His Majesty personally escorts it to the gate, and then I carry the ropes on His Majesty's behalf to the mausoleum?"
Li Che remained silent for a moment, without answering immediately.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Qian Bin's memorial tablet again, his gaze deep and unwavering.
"Throughout his life, my teacher has never liked extravagance or pomp," Li Che said slowly. "But this time, I want to make the send-off more grand, not for the sake of the world, but because I want to do it myself."
He turned to Li Lin and said, "Let Qiu Bai and the others, along with the Night Watch and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, deal with the security issue."
"The ceremonial regulations can simplify my steps, but the ceremony of holding the rope cannot be omitted. Tell the Ministry of Rites that this is my bottom line."
Li Lin understood the situation and knew that the matter was settled. He did not try to persuade him further, and simply said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will coordinate with the Ministry of Rites."
Inside the mourning hall, incense smoke continued to rise straight up.
Li Che felt a warmth in his abdomen, and his spirits seemed to gather a little more.
But the sadness in his eyes did not fade; instead, it grew even stronger.
He shifted his gaze from Qian Bin's memorial tablet to Li Lin beside him and said in a low voice, "Fourth Brother, I know you are all worried about me, afraid that I will be too grief-stricken over Master Qian's matter and mess things up."
He stopped referring to himself as "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the emperor") and started using "我" (wo, meaning "I" or "I"), which clearly indicated that what followed was a conversation between brothers.
Li Lin naturally set aside his subject's formality and shook his head slightly: "I do have concerns, but I have more faith in your ability to act prudently."
Li Che let out a soft breath: "Grief is indeed painful, but at this moment, I feel even more fear."
"Fear?" Li Lin frowned slightly.
He couldn't think of anything to fear now that the political situation was gradually stabilizing.
“Yes, fear.” Li Che’s gaze became distant again. “Fourth Brother, let’s recount the old ministers and generals who followed me all the way back in Feng State.”
"Although there are energetic young people like Zhuge Zhe, Yue Yun, and Li Sheng, there are also experienced people like General Yang and Mr. Tao."
"Take Huo Duanxiao, for example. Although he is not very old, you know about his lung disease. It almost took half his life back then. Although he is now stabilized by new medicine, it has ultimately damaged his foundation."
Huo Duanxiao's lung disease was a major concern for Li Che. Later, when antibiotics became available in Fengguo, his condition stabilized.
However, lung disease is difficult to cure, especially in those years when there was no medicine, and the damage to Huo Duanxiao was permanent.
This is also why, despite Huo Duanxiao's exceptional combat prowess, Li Che never allowed him to personally engage in battle again in the later stages of the war.
"The sudden departure of Professor Qian is like a wake-up call. It is foreseeable that in the next few years, many of our old friends will pass away one after another."
Upon hearing this, Li Lin's heart sank.
Although he knew that his senior ministers were getting on in years, he had not realized the imminent crisis of a talent gap.
The former officials of Fengguo were Li Che's core group, the backbone of his new policies and the suppression of powerful families.
If they die in large numbers within a relatively concentrated period of time...
Just like the Shu Han of yesteryear, when Emperor Zhaolie and Zhuge Liang were alive, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong were all outstanding talents, how glorious it was!
But as that generation of outstanding figures gradually passed away, and the second and third generations of talent failed to keep up, even with Zhuge Liang's legacy, it was difficult to reverse the decline.
Most importantly, Li Che is too young.
It is foreseeable that by the later stages of Li Che's reign, there would be no more veteran officials from the same era in the court.
Li Che looked at Li Lin, his eyes full of worry: "Daqing today seems to have a wealth of civil officials and fierce generals, but most of these talents are old officials from the Fengguo faction."
“Once they grow old and leave, the newly promoted scholars will still need time to be trained and tempered. If the powerful families see an opportunity, they will inevitably make a comeback.”
Li Che sighed deeply: "These meritorious officials who have followed me through thick and thin... I always wish I could see them often, but now the generals are stationed far away in various places, and the civil officials govern the four directions, so it is difficult to even see them."
“Not to mention, someone like Master Qian, who just left without a word.” His gaze fell back on Qian Bin’s memorial tablet. “Perhaps I should find some painters to paint their likenesses and demeanors while they are still alive.”
"In this way, I can see them every day and constantly remind myself not to forget the path I came from and not to let down those who paved the way."
At first, Li Lin thought that his younger brother was overwhelmed with grief and missing his deceased friend.
Having followed Li Che for so many years, although his mind remains pure, he has developed some political acumen.
Upon hearing that Li Che wanted to paint portraits of his ministers, he immediately realized something.
Li Lin looked up at Li Che, a flash of understanding in his eyes: "Sixth Brother, what do you mean?"
Li Che met his gaze, the sorrow in his eyes fading: "I wish to choose a solemn and lofty pavilion in the palace, and name it—Lingyan Pavilion."
“Select the most meritorious and virtuous civil and military officials since the founding of the nation, have painters paint their portraits and hang them in the pavilion. Describe their life and achievements in detail and engrave them on the wall.”
"This pavilion is open regularly for meritorious students, outstanding officials, and envoys from various countries to pay their respects, so that the demeanor of our Daqing heroes may be remembered for all time and inspire future generations!"
Lingyan Pavilion!
Li Lin was shocked.
There is no Emperor Taizong of Tang in this world, and naturally there is no story of the twenty-four meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion.
Li Che's actions were not a spur-of-the-moment decision; they were not merely to commemorate a deceased friend, but carried a deeper meaning.
One reason was to appease the officials, especially those who were old and worried about their reputation after death.
The emperor's actions were a clear message to them: I remember your contributions, and the world will remember them too.
Even after your physical bodies perish, your portraits and achievements will be displayed forever, to be revered by future generations.
Second, to unite people's hearts and set an example.
By publicizing and sanctifying the image and deeds of meritorious officials, a clear value orientation was established for scholars throughout the country.
What is loyalty? What is merit? How can one achieve lasting fame and be worthy of special honors?
Thirdly, it was to offset the dissatisfaction caused by the abolition of hereditary peerage.
Li Che's reform of the nobility system limited the long-term hereditary privileges of noble families, inevitably causing some meritorious officials and their descendants to feel disappointed.
The establishment of Lingyan Pavilion was, in effect, an emphasis on the compensation of fame in addition to profit.
Although I cannot allow your descendants to inherit the title for generations and enjoy wealth forever.
But it can make you famous throughout history, and your portrait will be revered by future generations alongside those of emperors from all dynasties!
"Excellent! Brilliant!" Li Lin exclaimed in admiration, having finally grasped the situation. "Sixth Brother, your foresight is truly admirable!"
Hearing someone shouting, the people around couldn't help but frown and look away.
But when they saw that it was His Majesty and the Prince of Yan who made the sound, they both turned their eyes away as if they hadn't seen anything.
Li Che glared at him: "Keep your voice down."
Seeing that the worry between his younger brother's brows had lessened considerably, Li Lin suddenly remembered something else and couldn't help but smile.
"Oh, right, Sixth Brother, there's another piece of good news, but I haven't found a suitable opportunity to tell you."
"Oh? Good news?" Li Che asked, somewhat puzzled.
At this moment, what else can be considered a joyous occasion?
Li Lin leaned closer and whispered, "Sister-in-law Yanfei, the imperial physician confirmed her pregnancy a few days ago when he took her pulse."
"What?!" Li Che was shocked and turned around. "Yan'er is pregnant?! Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?!"
In his excitement, his voice inevitably rose a little.
The people keeping vigil nearby were prepared; they stood at attention, as if they hadn't heard a thing.
Li Lin said, "After you returned, you were furious and dealt with the Imperial Hospital. They were so scared that they didn't dare to report to you at this time."
"They had no choice but to come to me through various channels, so that I can find an opportunity to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Li Che was stunned for a moment, and then realized that his condition over the past two days had indeed been somewhat frightening.
He touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed, but the surprise in his heart finally overshadowed his sadness.
Consort Yan was the first woman to follow him. She was gentle and kind, and they had a very good relationship.
Although there were princes and princesses before, the fact that Consort Yan was pregnant made it all the more significant.
Li Che took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, dispelling the pent-up sorrow in his chest.
He looked at Qian Bin's memorial tablet again and silently said, "Teacher, look, the old leaves have withered, but new buds are sprouting, and the vitality has never been cut off."
"You can watch over there. Your disciple will protect the land and future of Daqing and pass it on to future generations intact."