"when!"
"when!"
"when!"
Fang Laique held the gong and beat it hard. He didn't know the seriousness of this matter. He just felt that it was very beautiful to be watched by a large number of melon-eating people in Chang'an City.
People were standing on both sides of Chunmingmen Street, which was more than 120 meters wide, watching them pass by.
The corpses of the "Three Kings" were given to death, but some people dared to violate the prohibition and drag them away for burial.
Most of the onlookers expressed their admiration for the courage of Fang Chongyong and his party. At the same time, they were worried that they would be settled by Li Longji or even "settled on the spot". In the end, they did not dare to express support with them.
So I can only watch the show from the sidelines.
The most embarrassing thing is the Jinwu Guards who usually maintain order in Chang'an City.
If they block the way of Fang Chongyong and his party, they will not only be despised and condemned by the current mainstream public opinion, but they are also very likely to be angered by Li Longji who has come back to his senses.
The imperial edict was very brief and did not say how outsiders would deal with the three corpses when they were buried. The main reason was that when Li Longji originally gave the order, he did not expect that there were such "bastards" in the world.
If the Jinwu Guards followed Fang Chongyong and his party and appeared to be protecting these "troublemakers," it would be equivalent to a direct slap in the face to Li Longji.
Fang Chongyong and the others are outsiders, and they will be considered to do these things out of "justice"; while the Jinwu Guards are forbidden troops, and if they reveal the slightest sign of something wrong, they will be immediately punished by Li Longji!
You are the cronies of the former prince, so you are "seeing him off"?
Or are you saying that you are the cronies of other princes, so you are just following along?
Or maybe you are dissatisfied with the saints, so you demonstrate with those people and slap them in the face?
This situation is just like a little fairy falsely accusing the middle-aged greasy man next to her in a crowded subway.
You raised your hands to touch me.
You lowered your hands to sneak up on me.
By putting your hands on my neck, you are doing an obscene act to rape me.
It's all your fault anyway, the greasy man is really a jerk!
Although the greasy man is greasy, he is not a pervert. It is just because some "unnecessary" rules have been broken, which leads to some ridiculous situations.
In the same way, under the unspoken rule of the imperial power of "killing the wrongdoer without mercy", these Jinwu guardsmen who usually show off their power and glory in Chang'an City are like hiding from the god of plague, and they dare not follow behind the bullock cart. near.
At least 100 meters apart.
It's impossible not to follow. If you don't follow, Li Longji will think that he is "deliberately indulging thieves and humiliating the royal family", and he will be punished as well.
At this moment, a young man in the distance wearing a gray round-collared linen robe and a green turban ran to Fang Chongyong and whispered to him: "The monk in Changshoufang, the coffin and Mingjing in Huaiyuanfang, Feng Chongyong." The paper money and Taoist priests in Yifang are all ready. Just go to Taixianfang to clean the body and put it in the coffin, and then go to bury it outside the city.
You've played really well this time, and you've already become famous in Chang'an. "
He ran to four squares near Yanpingmen in one go to collect all the one-stop services needed for civilians to hold funerals, but he was exhausted.
This person is none other than Li Kui, who became a relative of Fang Chongyong a few years later!
As for why we invite monks and Taoist priests to perform rituals?
Li Kui didn't understand. Anyway, that's what Fang Chongyong told him. The burial fee for a corpse was 500 guan, and he couldn't bargain.
These unscrupulous merchants are all looking for excuses to raise prices. Anyway, if I don't do business that offends the emperor, no one will do it!
Fang Chongyong was able to take out half of the money in the small treasury in one breath, which can be said to be generous.
"You can't get off this boat until you reach the end. Now you are in a miserable state. The emperor will be angry. I think you will finish the imperial examination."
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but tease Li Kui and said, if possible, he didn't want to drag Li Kui into the water.
The reason for dragging Li Kui into the water was just to serve as a witness to prove that he had made great efforts to bring Wang Zhongsi back to Chang'an and was even entrusted with the important task of rushing to the frontier. He even risked his life to "open up channels." ".
By the way, I also want Wang Zhongsi’s wife Li, my mother-in-law, and the people in Longxi’s aunt to understand: You have also been dragged into the water. When something happens, don’t just stand by and watch. You have to work hard to rescue me. OK!
"I heard that Mr. Zhang might be dismissed as prime minister, so I followed Mr. Zhang's path. Even if I don't come, the imperial examination will probably be hopeless. It's better to take a gamble."
Li Kui leaned into Fang Chongyong's ear and whispered: "With this kind of scenery, even if you are killed with a stick immediately, your name will still be remembered in history. Why can't you gamble?"
Your political consciousness is very high!
Fang Chongyong glanced at Li Kui in surprise and nodded slightly in agreement.
Li Kui's political vision indeed far surpassed that of Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan. The two people participated in this matter purely out of justice, and Li Kui saw part of Fang Chongyong's plan.
Not everyone can see the crux of this wave of political investment that seems extremely risky, but is actually rock solid.
A person's emotional decision-making and his long-term rational analysis are often completely opposite. Now Li Longji is facing a similar situation.
The pleasure is temporary, but the pain is long-lasting and continuous.
The prince, even his predecessor, those who were deposed and sentenced to death, and even the princes of the royal family, are not the people of Chang'an who can watch and ridicule! This is natural class oppression!
Fang Chongyong's previous life in which the guards of the corrupt state trampled on a little girl is a typical example of this. The royal family is born with their eyes higher than their head. This is the face that Li Longji must maintain.
Sooner or later, Li Longji would discover that the brutal act of killing three sons in one day not only failed to scare those with evil intentions, but instead set an extremely bad precedent for the brutal political struggle during the Tianbao years.
The tiger's poison will not eat its seeds, how can the sage call?
This is an explanation that Li Longji must give to the world, and it is also related to the foundation of his "legitimacy in power."
It would be even more cruel and unethical if he did not tell the story of killing his son, but also exposed his body in the inn for passers-by to observe.
Those gossips that ridiculed Li Longji for being cruel and inappropriate would definitely reach his ears. When that time comes, how should the group of people who were the only ones who stood up to collect the corpses of the "Three Kings" be treated? Do we need to say more?
I believe that as long as Li Longji can calm down, he will definitely guess this link.
Moreover, Fang Chongyong also considered another point, that is, their behavior of collecting and burying the bodies of the three princes who gave death to them was in line with the public order and good customs of the Tang Dynasty at this time.
It is the default unspoken rule in society that a person's sins will disappear after death, the coffin will be sealed, and the person will be buried in peace. From the nobles in the sky to the common people, everyone agrees with this.
Even if the enemy's family is wiped out, they usually can't do anything like humiliating the corpse, crushing the bones and scattering ashes.
The world will only worry about Fang Chongyong's future and have general sympathy for the brutal revenge they may encounter. They will not think that Fang Chongyong is meddling in other people's business, let alone that they are crazily licking Li Tang's family and bending over. The waist is for the powerful.
Fang Chongyong vaguely remembered that Li Heng, Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty, seemed to have rehabilitated Li Ying and the others, and re-selected the cemetery for their burial. This aptly illustrates that it is people’s common and simple desire to let things that are in line with social order and good customs return to their original track.
At this time, Gao Lishi had already watched the bullock cart pulling the bodies of the "Three Kings" towards Yanping Gate, but he did not step forward to stop them.
Gao Lishi was very reliable in his work. If he stepped forward at this time, it would be like a bad boy robbing a girl in broad daylight. It would make Li Longji's reputation stinky for three hundred miles.
He guessed that Fang Chongyong and his party would definitely stop at the four squares near Yanping Gate to conduct funeral arrangements, and then leave Yanping Gate for burial in the cemetery outside the city. There is no rush to convey Li Longji's will now. After Fang Chongyong and his party bury the bodies of Li Ying and others, it will not be too late to come find them.
Yes, Gao Lishi also believes that Li Longji's incident has greatly damaged the face of the Li Tang clan and damaged the centripetal force of the royal family. It is actually a very unnecessary move.
The former prince was also a prince! It is also the face of the royal family! How could it be like a wild dog that died in the gutter, hanging on the beam of a suburban inn?
Doesn't this tell those people with evil intentions that even the children of the clan or even the prince can trample on them at will as long as they have the opportunity?
If you trample on the corpses of the clan members today, will you feel that you can sit in the emperor's position tomorrow?
"Oh, why is it like this?"
Gao Lishi sighed and moved quietly among the crowd of onlookers, and finally watched them enter Changshoufang near Yanpingmen.
…
If you want to break down the entire funeral process in the Tang Dynasty, there are a total of twenty-six steps. Each step has clear and strict content regulations, and the overall process is very complicated.
But Fang Chongyong obviously doesn't have that much time to complete all of this.
The preliminary steps such as the beginning and end, calling the soul, announcing the funeral, guarding the funeral, attending the funeral, and placing the funeral seat are all omitted, and we start directly with the treatment of the coffin.
The funeral shops and temples and Taoist temples belonging to the four districts took action together! Everyone is busy in the Taixianfang!
Money can make the world go round, and fifteen hundred dollars can bury three people. This kind of business does not happen often.
Bathing, washing the corpse, eating rice, Ming Jing, Xiao Lian, Dali Lian, and getting dressed, all in one go! A group of people are all performing their duties, taking turns.
After everything was completed, the three people lying in the coffin had already put on their shrouds and put on makeup on their faces. They seemed to have slept peacefully. They were not as ferocious as the first time they saw them at the Chengdong Station. terror!
The funeral industry has been enduring since ancient times. It is not only caused by feudal superstition, but also includes people's thinking about life and death, and their care for the deceased.
Fang Chongyong watched the three corpses change from ferocious to peaceful, and gained many insights into life that cannot be explained to outsiders.
This fifteen hundred dollars buys a few philosophies of life. Is it a profit or a loss?
Fang Chongyong had strange thoughts in his mind.
Of course he couldn't wake up Li Longji, who was pretending to be asleep.
But the fundamental purpose of this trip itself is not for this.
To operate Wang Zhongsi's affairs, channels are needed. On this point, Fang Chongyong also admitted that Li was right. Fang Chongyong knew that he had no channels, or that his father Fang Youde had the channels.
Therefore, he must rely on his own strength to open channels that can influence central decision-making. The matter of dethroning the prince is the only chance at present. Otherwise, he has to go to Li Linfu and be manipulated by him.
"Lang Jun, the steps of divination of house omens, divination of burial day, initiating funeral and paying homage to ancestors, displaying parking spaces for burials, displaying utensils, leading to burial, and displaying utensils..."
Li Kui came over and asked hesitantly. The implication was that either time did not allow for these steps or financial resources did not allow for these steps, so just save them if you can.
For example, "Chen Ming Qi" and the like need to be added as funerary objects.
It's easy to say that ordinary people were buried with other people, but these three people were not ordinary people. If the funeral objects are shabby and inconsistent with etiquette, they will be criticized by others, so it is better not to give them. If you are preparing a valuable weapon, Li Longji may have some ideas.
It is good to hold funerals for the three deposed princes, but to hold them in such a big way is not to ridicule Li Longji that he should not kill these three people?
If the strength is not mastered well, going too far is seeking death.
"Everything is saved, let the funeral procession set off and prepare for burial."
Fang Chongyong said decisively without any ambiguity.
"Well, there is also a funeral service in Xisi that is willing to provide free elegy services. Is Mr. Lang..."
Li Kui asked with some emotion. The so-called "elegy" service is to send a group of people to sing elegy during the funeral and burial process.
Chang'an is not only the center of politics, economy and culture, but also in a central position in many other aspects. Even the level of funerals is outstanding.
Among the many self-employed individuals who specialize in this kind of business, there are two largest ones that have a monopoly position in the same industry. This kind of industry was called "Ji Si" at that time, but it was actually a funeral management center.
There are two ferocious places, one in the east and one in the west, so they are called Dongsi and Xisi.
Now, the person helping Fang Chongyong handle these funeral affairs is Xisi, and the four surrounding squares are all engaged in related supporting businesses.
"Uh, no need. The drama is over, now is the time to keep a low profile."
Fang Chongyong whispered to Li Kui.
After a while, the funeral procession had already set off. Fang Laique, who was addicted to the spotlight, came over and asked excitedly:
"Mr. Lang, do you still want to beat this gong?"
"If you don't want to die, just shut up and put away the gongs and drums! Watch out for the saint to knock your dog's head off!"
Fang Chongyong scolded with a worried expression.
"oh."
Fang Laique reluctantly put away the gong and other items.
Fang Chongyong just watched the funeral procession set off, standing quietly in front of the Xisi Gate alone, looking at a couplet written on both sides of the gate:
On the left is a person who has no life expectancy.
On the right is where I live forever.
"This couplet is sincere. I wonder what the saint will think when he sees it."
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh.
"Sages also know that no one has a thousand years of life, but it was you who surprised me so much."
A slightly shrill voice came from behind Fang Chongyong. He turned around and found a middle-aged man in light yellow palace clothes looking at him with a smile.
"Who is the elder?"
Fang Chongyong asked belatedly, he had already guessed the identity of the other party.
"He's just a slave to the saint's family. How could you, Fang Quanzhong's son, do such a thing?"
The person speaking is none other than Gao Lishi!
"Since the elder knows, why bother to ask more questions."
Fang Chongyong sighed.
"I met you once back then. At that time, I just thought you were stupid and unteachable. When I saw you today, I was shocked."
After speaking, Gao Lishi waved his hand gently, and several Jinwu guards stepped forward to surround Fang Chongyong.
"Take him to Dali Temple to await trial. Don't neglect it."
After finishing speaking, Gao Lishi turned around and returned to Daming Palace, preparing to return to life with Li Longji.
