After paying homage to the marshal's coffin, Xiao Letian accepted the Second Young Master's kowtow and then raised him up with both hands. "Second Young Master, I express my condolences. I wonder if the First Young Master has received the news?"
"Thank you, Head of State, for your concern. My brother has received the telegram this morning and has already set off to meet with the capital. However, the journey is far away and it may be difficult to arrive in a short time..."
"Hmm! That's a question...where is the eldest son now?"
"My brother is checking the local deficit accounts in Suide. He got up and returned to Beijing immediately after receiving the telegram. Mr. Baojun has already given my brother a holiday!"
"Ah? Where's Suide! It's too far, too far... In this case, you immediately send someone to contact Mr. Fu Qing and have a family member permanently stationed at the Daqing Telegraph Bureau!"
"Ask your brother Zeng Jize to go east from Suide into Shanxi and send a telegram to Beijing wherever he goes along the way, reporting his location and where he will go tomorrow!"
"I sent an airship to pick up your brother...the commander-in-chief has left. As the eldest son, it would be such a shame if he couldn't come back in the first seven days!"
"The airship can travel in a straight line in the air. It's so fast that you don't have to worry about being blocked by mountains, rivers... Based on the speed, the airship can meet up with your brother in Taiyuan Mansion!"
"Seven days, no matter what, you have to get your brother back!"
Ouch, this kind of kindness is so great that the Second Young Master's knees went weak and he knelt on the ground, "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaknt"
"Get up, get up... It's going to be hard on you these days without your brother! Come on, come on, let me introduce you..."
The Zeng family and the officials who had expressed condolences were very interested, especially the young man behind Xiao Letian. Who could actually stand in front of the Four Heavenly Kings?
Even the Far Eastern King Long Ye saluted on equal footing with the Four Heavenly Kings, but this man was able to take half a step forward! Even Baojun was curious.
"This is His Majesty King Shangtai of the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom! I have just returned from Gansu and am preparing to witness His Majesty's wedding..."
"Ah!" Everyone exclaimed, and the young and old of the Zeng family immediately prostrated themselves, "See His Majesty the King! Thousands of years old!"
It is really amazing to say that the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom is a small country on the East China Sea. The Central Plains is actually looked down upon. The total area of the string of small islands is only about 5,000 square kilometers, which is just one county!
Such a small country has been occupied by Japan's Shimadzu family for hundreds of years, and the Central Plains Dynasty is too lazy to rescue it!
But the amazing thing is that most people look down on this small and weak country, but in the hearts of China's traditional literary elite, there is a special plot!
That is the complex of Han Ming and Zhengshuo! The Ming Dynasty was founded by the Han people, and the overseas vassal states personally conferred by Zhu Yuanzhang, the first founding emperor of the country, have continued from the early years of the Ming Dynasty to today!
The vague cultural orthodoxy in the minds of the literati gave the ancient Ryukyu country a halo!
No matter how powerful the Zeng family is, they are just a Han official in the Manchu and Qing court, while King Shangtai is the orthodox king of the vassal state canonized by the Ming Dynasty!
The status difference is indeed too big. Xiao Letian can invite the King of Ryukyu to express his condolences today. This is a huge honor!
Han scholars, in particular, want this face even more. The Zeng family’s nephews and sons are all as excited as if they had been given chicken blood!
Baojun and other ministers were immediately shocked, feeling uneasy in their hearts, but they did not dare to show it when facing Xiao Letian.
The old farmer watched this scene from the side, and a warm current surged through his heart. It seemed that the person chosen by the commander was indeed worthy of his trust!
At this moment, King Shangtai also knew that his status was sensitive. After accepting the kneeling of the Zeng family, naturally the ministers of the Ryukyu Kingdom around him gave him a condolence gift. Then King Shangtai left early, which also saved these people from embarrassment!
It was not until King Shangtai walked out of the Zeng Mansion that Baojun and the other Manchus came forward to say hello to Xiao Letian, and saluted, "Well, the head of state is well... I heard that the embassy was attacked before, but I didn't go to visit it. It's really rude!"
"Master Baojun, you're so polite! I wonder when your Majesty will come?" Xiao Letian asked.
"Ah... this..." Bao Junxin said, "Why don't you open and pick up which pot?" "His Majesty is preparing for the wedding and has decided not to come!"
"The Queen Mothers of the two palaces conveyed the decree, and Prince Gong fully expressed condolences on behalf of the royal family..."
With a bang, there was an uproar in the Zeng Mansion, and people were whispering and talking. This result was reasonable, but unexpected!
According to the laws of the empire, the emperor is not obligated to express condolences to his ministers. Generally, he can express his affection by giving him a better posthumous title, conferring property, including rewarding descendants, etc.!
But rules are rules, but rules don’t matter to anyone! Marshal Zeng is a die-hard royalist, which is known to everyone in the government and the public. The Japanese have made many attacks on the emperor, but Marshal Zeng has always been able to resolve them!
Even when the Xishan Battalion was aggressive, Marshal Zeng directly sent the elite Hunan Army from Baoding Prefecture in Zhili to the north, regardless of the political dispute between the government and the opposition, and pressed on the front line of Zhuozhou, a good hometown. Shengsheng and the Xishan Battalion stood up to the bull!
With the handsome body and bones, he should have retired and returned to his hometown long ago, but for the sake of the stability of the court and to protect the little emperor, he has been dragging his body to fight for his life!
Of course these officials of the Qing Dynasty did not know about the secret alliance between Zeng Guofan and Xiao Letian regarding the hidden dragon of the Han people. They just thought that Zeng Guofan was a die-hard royalist and a Confucian official with the traditional idea of loyalty to the emperor!
Zeng Guofan risked his life for the emperor, until he died of exhaustion, but in the end, the little emperor didn't come to see him off for the last time, and he didn't even want to show his face?
This was indeed unexpected, and even the court officials were a little surprised!
Xiao Letian was stunned. He really didn't expect such a result. In his mind, it stands to reason that Zai Chun is not such an inhumane child!
Cai Bixia came over and whispered a few words in Xiao Letian's ear, telling him the news from the palace. Xiao Letian had a look of disappointment on his face!
"I understand... Lord Baojun, is Prince Gong here? Will the other princes come? Is Prince Gong the only one who comes to the Aisin Gioro family in the capital?"
"Where are the other Iron Hat Kings? None of them are here?"
Bao Jun looked very embarrassed, "This...this...this Prince Gong is the plenipotentiary representative of the imperial court to express condolences. I really can't say..."
The atmosphere was extremely embarrassing. Many Zeng family members had angry expressions on their faces. They thought that the face of the court was too ugly. Did they not even care about the last bit of their dignity?
Are you unwilling to go through even the most basic cutscene? Even if you come to act, that’s fine!
"Prince Gong of the Qing Dynasty has arrived... The Second Young Master kneels down to welcome him!" At this embarrassing moment, Guiziliu, the head of the imperial funeral committee, finally arrived late.
The prince's carriage on Nanheng Street has been spread out, the flags and umbrellas are quite spectacular, and the sedan carried by the 16 people in the procession is moving with great majesty!
