From Jinling to Kaifeng, it was a long journey of more than 1,300 miles. The boat was abandoned and equipped with saddle horses. We traveled at dawn and stayed overnight. At the speed of 150 miles a day, we returned to Kaifeng almost desperately.
After arriving in Huaibei, Emperor Liu once again abandoned some of his entourage, leaving only three thousand forbidden horses to escort him. The concubines, prince's children, ministers, and palace officials all hung far away on the way back.
Emperor Liu was also in a state of emergency. He thought about these people and took them with him, which not only slowed down the speed, but also made many people tired and sick due to the high-intensity rush, including his concubines and children.
However, no matter how hard it was, Da Fu always insisted on staying with him. It wasn't until Suzhou Fuli that he rested for a while. Emperor Liu's body was not made of iron. It was already going downhill. The key was that Da Fu really couldn't stand it any longer.
The queen had been seriously ill before. Although she had not relapsed in these years, she obviously could not withstand such fatigue and torture. When looking at her tired and haggard face, Emperor Liu finally calmed down.
At the same time, I also felt that the reason why Dafu insisted on accompanying him back to Beijing was probably because he wanted to dissuade himself through this method.
He did not refuse Fuli County's invitation and went directly to Guanyi to rest and recuperate. At night, the lights flickered, perhaps affected by the atmosphere, and looked so dim, as if reflecting Emperor Liu's mood.
The reason why he was so nervous and urgent and desperate to return to Beijing was that without him, Kaifeng came to report that the Queen Mother died. Queen Mother Li is also very old and suffers from frequent illnesses in recent years. During this tour, it was only because she was in good health that she left Beijing with confidence, but the bad news came unexpectedly.
Emperor Liu may have behaved coldly, but he had a particularly deep affection for Mrs. Li. After so many years, he was respectful and filial from the bottom of his heart. As far as Emperor Liu was concerned, his mother, the Queen Mother, could not have done a better job. She neither interfered in the affairs of the government nor embarrassed herself with personal affairs. She was always considerate and generous...
If Emperor Liu was sentimental about the passing of the deceased heroes and ministers with a somewhat theatrical element, then the death of the Queen Mother was a complete blow to him.
Although I had made preparations in the previous two years, when the news of the death came, I realized that all the psychological preparations and construction were so fragile. The intense grief prompted Emperor Liu to return to Tokyo urgently.
Among the various emotions, there is also a kind of regret, regretting that the tour was not at the right time, and regretting not being able to see the Queen Mother for the last time. And this may become Emperor Liu's biggest regret in his life!
In the autumn night, the cool breeze carries the moisture of the river, which makes the body even more chilling. He walked into the room with a small bowl of porridge in his hand, looked at the big talisman lying on the couch, and showed a little worry on his tired face. He sat down and said: "Your body is not in good shape, so let you do whatever you want." The brigade moved slowly, but they just didn’t listen..."
They were clearly words of concern, but when they came out of Emperor Liu's mouth, they sounded repressed. Da Fu sat up on the bed and looked at Liu Chengyou, with a hint of distress in his eyes and said: "I'm not seriously injured, I'm just a little tired, but you, after traveling for such a long time and rarely sleeping, You have to take care of your health. If you fall, what will happen to the world? I’m afraid I don’t want to see you like this..."
At this time, Emperor Liu had severe dark circles under his eyes, his pupils were bloodshot, and he looked very low-spirited due to fatigue. The beard on his face was also much messy, and his overall state was somewhat wrong.
"Drink some porridge!" Liu Chengyou sighed and said, still so depressed.
Seeing this, Dafu grabbed his hand and called softly: "Erlang!"
Hearing this, Emperor Liu's body tensed slightly, and then he smiled bitterly and said: "Maybe you haven't called me like this for a long time. Only mother and you can call me like this in this world, but now..."
The sadness was beyond words, and Dafu's eyes were already red. He held Emperor Liu's hand tighter and comforted him: "Be filial in life and mourn in death. When the empress passes away, the whole country should mourn with you. You don't have to blame yourself too much." Got it!"
After hearing this, Emperor Liu said with a sarcastic interest: "You tell me, why don't I even understand the principle of 'parents are here, don't travel far'? This trip to the mountains and rivers is really fun!"
"These past few days, I have also been recalling the past. How did I fulfill my filial piety!" Emperor Liu said to himself deeply: "The Queen Mother worships and believes in Buddha, and I will destroy the Buddha and suppress the Buddha. The Queen Mother loves my brothers, and I will take away all the wealth from my uncles." I demoted my brother-in-law to the border; my sister and brother were often outside the capital, making it difficult for mother and son to see each other for many years; the Queen Mother repeatedly interceded for the Emperor's uncle, but I refused again and again; the Queen Mother fell ill several times, and I served decoctions in front of the bed several times. ....."
As he spoke, Emperor Liu couldn't help but shed tears in his eyes, like a flood gate bursting open, and the tears wouldn't stop flowing. Seeing this, Da Fu took Emperor Liu into his arms, and perhaps finding a chest to rely on, Emperor Liu finally lost his voice in pain.
"I didn't even see her for the last time!"
On a cold autumn night, in the Fuli Pavilion, the emperor and the empress hugged each other and cried, venting all their emotions. This is the first time Emperor Liu has shed tears in so many years, the first time he has cried without emotion. Compared with the calmness when the late Emperor Liu Zhiyuan passed away, it can be said that the Queen Mother's death broke down Emperor Liu's psychological defense for the first time.
After a loud cry, his emotions were vented, and Emperor Liu returned to some normalcy. He was still on the road, but he was not rushing as hard as before. Of course, it was also to take care of the queen. The queen mother had already gone, but she didn't want anything to happen to the queen again.
After slowing down, edicts were sent directly from Emperor Liu to all states in the world. Nothing else. The country was experiencing a great mourning, and all the states in the world mourned for the Queen Mother. Emperor Liu's restraint was not to disturb the people, and he warned the local governments in stern words not to fake the national mourning and cause trouble and disturb the people. He also emphasized that if there is a complaint, he will be punished with death.
It was difficult to get over the grief for a while, but after accepting this reality and calming down, Emperor Liu also began to prepare for the funeral. He felt that he was not filial enough during his lifetime, but he must make up for his mother's honor after his death.
The team returning to Beijing quickly changed into white flags and streamers, and everyone wore mourning. After entering Songzhou, large-scale funerals were held in the prefectures and counties along the way. After entering Kaifeng, the scale became even larger, with almost every household mourning and mourning.
This was not a mandatory order from the government, but was just a spontaneous act by the people of Gyeonggi after hearing the Queen Mother's death. The Queen Mother's wisdom and kindness are also well-known, and her reputation among the officials and the people has always been very good. She is also worthy of her reputation as the mother of the country.
In his early years, Emperor Liu left Beijing several times, and the people who actually took charge of the capital for him were actually the Queen Mother. At that time, Li's reputation was already very high. The prestige created by twenty years of word-of-mouth accumulation is also conceivable. Therefore, when the news of the death of the Queen Mother spread, it caused a huge shock among the officials and people of the capital.
In Nancheng, Kaifeng, the autumn wind rustles, yellow leaves fall, and a sad atmosphere almost permeates the whole city. There was no formal attire or chariot. Emperor Liu came on horseback and issued an edict in advance. The officials and people of Tokyo did not have to greet him. They walked straight through the city gate, ran through Tianjie, and then rode the horse past the palace gates and palaces. , until in front of Ciming Hall.
Falling off his horse, his steps were a little unsteady. Prince Liu Yang hurriedly stepped forward to help Emperor Liu. The ministers who were staying in Beijing also came. When they saw Emperor Liu, they saluted but did not say anything. The scene was extremely solemn for a while.
After a few glances at their sons and ministers, Liu Xu was in despair, Liu Yang's eyes were red, Liu Xi and Liu Fang both looked autistic, and other ministers also showed sad expressions, especially Li Ye , like the death of a heir, for him, not only the relatives who loved him the most were gone, but also the biggest supporter collapsed.
Many people who were familiar with Emperor Liu noticed that he seemed to have a few more strands of white hair on his temples. He raised his eyes and looked at the Ciming Palace decorated with white silk. After returning in a hurry, he was a little afraid to enter the palace.
His eyes were a little wet again, but this time Emperor Liu held it back, not on his face, but in his heart.
"Dad!" Liu Yang supported Emperor Liu, and seeing his sad expression, he finally called softly, breaking the silence.
"Did the Queen Mother leave any legacy?" Finally, Emperor Liu spoke, his voice low and hoarse.
Liu Yang also choked up and replied: "Grandma said that she has no regrets in this life. She was destined to be buried with the emperor. The funeral arrangements must be simple and not extravagant..."
Hearing this, Emperor Liu opened his mouth. Emperor Liu got rid of Liu Yang's support and slowly climbed the stone steps step by step, walked up to the hall platform, and entered the hall.
After returning to Beijing, Emperor Liu never cried again. However, he did not scruple about any extravagance regarding the Queen Mother's funeral. He appointed Xue Juzheng and Li Ye as the funeral ministers and everything was handled according to the highest standards.
