Nanheng Street in the south city of Sijiu City has now become a sea of white. The happy words originally posted to celebrate the emperor's wedding are now covered in white!
Originally, this was a crime of disrespect. According to the rules of the Qing Dynasty, if there is a happy event in the emperor's family, even if someone dies in your family, you must secretly mourn. You must not offend the emperor's happiness!
If the emperor dies, people across the country are not allowed to marry or entertain, and they must pay tribute to the emperor!
However, these rules can control the ordinary people, but they cannot control the powerful Zeng Guofan. Nanheng Street is full of armored warriors. These veterans of the Hunan Army are lined with soft armor and wear white mourning robes with hidden weapons in their arms. , everyone looked outside warily.
Zeng Guofan had two sons in total. The eldest son, Zeng Jize, worked as a foreign minister in the Ministry of Household Affairs. He was currently conducting a detailed inspection of the government treasury deficit and the northwest military supplies accounts in Gansu and Shaanxi. He would not be able to return in a short time!
The only person who presided over his father's funeral was his younger son Zeng Jihong. This younger son was proficient in mathematics but had no achievements in the imperial examination. Of course, this was also related to the fact that Zeng Guofan did not give his son a back door!
At this moment, Zeng Jihong only had the status of a Gongsheng student, and it was really difficult for him to host such a funeral. Thanks to the support of these loyal officials left behind by his father, the funeral was not a big mistake!
Zeng Jihong, who was wearing heavy mourning, knelt beside the coffin and bowed his head to the mourning relatives and friends. In the middle, the old farmer with red eyes sent him some news that needed his special approval!
"Second Young Master... you must take the time to meet the landlords who rented our houses. This is important. After all, our house here is not our own!"
"It is indeed unlucky to rent someone else's house to mourn. They don't dare to make trouble with us, but we still have to comfort them because of the emotions and reasons!"
Zeng Jihong wiped away his tears and asked, "Uncle Nong, what if this happens according to the rules of the capital?"
"I also asked the local officials in the capital. In such a situation, the bereaved family should give some money to celebrate! It doesn't need to be too much, just one month's rent, and some thoughtfulness will suffice!"
"After the commander-in-chief dies, these houses will definitely no longer be needed. Those who should give up the rent must give up the rent. The two young masters will not be able to use it so much in the end!"
"When you settle the rent payment later, give them an extra month...but you have to give them enough kindness. You will have to meet their landlord in person later and say a few words..."
Zeng Jihong thought for a moment and said, "I listen to Uncle Nong, but if we give you one more month, it's a bit too little... When my father dies, there will be too much mourning news, and it will definitely disturb others! Give me three more months..."
"Hey...Second Young Master Renyi, I'm going to say hello to them..."
While he was talking, another group of people came to see the second young master to approve the notes. Group after group of people came in while they were busy. Among them, the son had to watch the incense in front of the mourning hall and burn the paper money anytime and anywhere. add!
The death of the commander-in-chief has shocked the officialdom. There has been an endless stream of people coming to express condolences since the morning. The six ministries and nine ministers, regardless of whether they had any quarrels with the commander-in-chief before, now have to go through a formality when parting with him!
In the midst of the commotion, the person calling for help at the door shouted loudly, "Master Baojun, the Minister of Military and Aircraft is here...Second Young Master, please kneel down!"
As soon as Baojun entered the mourning hall, he saw a huge golden nan coffin parked in the main hall, with elegiac couplets hanging low and paper money everywhere. Thinking of the scenes of working together over the years, Baojun knelt down in front of the mourning hall with a cry of sadness.
"Old Zeng...wuwuwu...why did you just leave like that?"
"Woohoo ... for decades of friendship, you will give up in this way ... If you have no you charge in front of Hong Yang's chaos, where can there be today!"
Although Baojun and Zeng Guofan are different from Manchus, he admires the marshal very much in his heart. During their years of cooperation, they have quarreled countless times over official matters, but they have never had any personal grudges!
Seeing my old friend lying in the coffin, the merits and demerits of this life will be decided by the coffin!
Baojun burst into tears, and the second young master also burst into tears and threw himself to the ground, hitting his forehead on the ground. The servants finally persuaded them to get up.
After exiting the mourning hall and serving tea, Zeng Jihong wiped his eyes and then held a bowl of tea for his uncle with both hands. "Uncle, my nephew has buckled his head for his uncle!"
After saying that, he rang his head three times, and then he didn't get up and asked with red eyes, "My nephew, I dare to ask, has the posthumous title of my father been decided by the court?"
"My father has been a soldier all his life, but he is a civil servant after all... This text must be given to us, right?"
"Good nephew, get up quickly. Don't be anxious. Mr. Weng Tonghe and Mr. Li Hongzao are discussing the posthumous title with the emperor in the palace right now. It is estimated that when they come to express their condolences, the favor will come!"
Zeng Jihong looked at the people around him and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me...when will Your Majesty come? My father also wants to see His Majesty for the last time, and then the coffin will go back to Hunan..."
"This..." Baojun's face turned red, and he couldn't say the next words!
My heart says long live my Lord, you are giving me a seat on wax, how can I speak? Just when he didn't know how to answer, there was a sudden panic outside the door. The servant guarding the front door ran in and said loudly, "The head of the Chinese nation, Xiao Letian, is here to pay his respects! The second young master kneels down to welcome him!"
Bao Jun finally found a savior. "Second Young Master, go quickly. Don't neglect the head of state. Go quickly..." This was enough to put an end to the embarrassment.
When Zeng Jihong ran back to the mourning hall and saw this, his tears couldn't stop flowing down again!
Benevolence and righteousness, the head of state is benevolent and righteous! This face was given to everyone. All the senior Chinese officials in the capital gathered together, and the civil and military officials filled the courtyard and even crowded outside the gate!
Xiao Letian, the Four Heavenly Kings, Xiang Ying, the Far East King... and even representatives from the Chinese business community, totaling more than fifty people!
A strange figure even appeared next to Xiao Letian. He was only half a step back from Xiao Letian and actually stood in front of the Four Heavenly Kings!
After pushing down the jade pillar from the golden mountain, Xiao Letian took the lead and was the first to kneel in front of the mourning hall and kowtow three times to the commander respectfully!
Ouch, this is too much face to give. Everyone knows that the Chinese people have abolished the kneeling ceremony. The kneeling ceremony is only allowed to be used when worshiping the heaven and earth and the Temple of War!
Xiao Letian made it very clear that if a man has gold under his knees, he can kneel to his parents in heaven and earth, and then he can kneel to those heroic spirits who have become gods!
In addition, even Xiao Letian, the head of state, and the kings of the Sixth and Eighteenth Ranks cannot accept kneeling, let alone ordinary officials!
Today's worship is equivalent to acknowledging the identity of Zeng Guofan, acknowledging that this person has contributed to Chinese history and is a true hero!
All the sons and nephews of the Zeng family prostrated on the ground and returned the favor, and the cries in the mourning hall were loud!
With tears in his eyes, Xiao Letian offered incense to the commander and murmured, "Brother! I sighed deeply last night, but I didn't expect that this morning we would be separated from each other!"
"I will help you take care of the two young masters, and I will also let the Hunan army you leave behind gradually integrate into the new country in the future!"
"Please believe me, as long as I live, there will never be that kind of cruel civil war with ten rooms and nine empty rooms! I will help you protect the vitality of this country!"
