"What happened? His face is so solemn!" Emperor Liu couldn't help but ask when he looked up and saw Li Fang's serious expression.
Li Fang's tone was indescribably depressed, and he cupped his hands and said in a deep voice: "Back to Your Majesty, the funeral news came from the British Duke's mansion. Half an hour ago, the British Duke passed away in the palace..."
"What?" Hearing this, Emperor Liu asked subconsciously, and then he reacted. His hand that was flipping through the memorial visibly stiffened, and his voice became as deep as Li Fang's: "How could it be so sudden!"
Li Fang sighed heavily and said: "The British Duke has a malignant sore on his back, and it is difficult to get sick. Today, the sore broke out and he passed away! The British government has already mourned and reported the news!"
The news of Chai Rong's death stirred up waves in Emperor Liu's heart. After a brief silence, he regained his composure and sighed sadly: "I have lost a good minister, and the great man has lost a pillar!"
Perhaps Emperor Liu's reaction was too calm and he didn't seem that sad, but Li Fang still comforted him in a respectful tone: "The deceased is gone, please express your condolences!"
Emperor Liu waved his hand and said: "Everyone has such a day, and I have gotten used to it after so many years. However, it is always sad to see old friends die one after another!"
"Your Majesty, please tell me how the court should express condolences after the death of the British Duke!" Li Fang asked for instructions.
Emperor Liu breathed a sigh of relief and gave instructions with some waning interest: "Draw up an edict, posthumously confer Chai Rong as the King of Heyang, increase the title of Grand Master, and become an official in the capital, seventh rank or above, all go to express condolences! Fifty thousand guan will be allocated from the internal funds. , the Ministry of Rites sent people to take care of his funeral, and Chai Rong, the national hero, has passed away, so he should be mourned and honored!
Mingyuan, you are good at writing, so I will write a Shinto inscription myself. You must let the world know about Ying Gong’s literary, military, military, loyalty and diligence! "
"Yes!" Li Fang immediately complied, leaning forward and already thinking about his words.
Emperor Liu thought for a while and then said: "Also, if you tell me to go down, I will personally come to express my condolences and send my old friend off!"
"yes!"
Li Fang withdrew, and Emperor Liu stayed quietly for a while, and finally sighed heavily. It could be seen from his slightly sentimental face that Chai Rong's death still touched him somewhat.
Among the ministers of the Dragon, there were also those who were closest to him. Those old ministers who had followed him since Jinyang naturally had a special status in Emperor Liu's heart.
Among the old officials in Jinyang, some have aged, some have died, and some have retreated. Nowadays, only Yang Ye and Han Tong are still shining in the court, and Xiang Xun has also begun to retreat behind the scenes. Zhang Yanwei died miserably, Murong Yanzhao died of illness, and now it is Chai Rong's turn.
As the core of that group of people, why didn't Emperor Liu feel a little relieved when he saw the branches and leaves fading day by day. It was fine in the first few years, but as he grew older, he was inevitably hurt. Emperor Liu's recent lament about aging was not just a show of pretense, but also something deeply felt.
As for Chai Rong, in recent years, even though he has been plagued by illness, he has been able to live a peaceful life and enjoy a peaceful old age. In this year, Emperor Liu only met Chai Rong twice, once in person after returning to the capital from the Northern Expedition, and once when his second daughter Liu Jian got married to Chai Zongxun.
After not having been in contact for a long time, Emperor Liu was shocked to hear the bad news, and his heart was filled with unspeakable emotions.
...
The north wind roared through the city, adding a bit of desolation and chill to the winter in Luoyang. The British Palace has become a white world, with plain white flags standing everywhere. People inside and outside are immersed in a sad atmosphere.
The death of the British Duke Chai Rong was definitely a major event in Xijing, causing a sensation in both the government and the public. In fact, even without Emperor Liu's extremely sad and honorable edict, there would have been many people who took the initiative to express their condolences.
In the current Han Dynasty, Chai Rong is shrouded in too much light. He is an old minister from Long, a meritorious general, the Duke of the Han Dynasty, and the twenty-four ministers of Qianyou. He has a prominent position and a grand reputation. Among foreign ministers, there are really few people who can compare with Chai Rong. The honor status is more respected.
In the past, Wei Gong Murong Yanzhao and Ying Gong Chai Rong were both the banners of the Han army. Later, they and Zhao Kuangyin were also called "Chai Zhao". No matter who he is matched with, he has a name, and this is still a false name, but it truly represents the power and status of the person.
Nowadays, heroes have withered and loyal souls have gone far away. Under the inspiration, people come to the palace in an endless stream. Princes, relatives, nobles, ministers, soldiers and bureaucrats. No matter what kind of psychology and purpose the visitors have, they all look sentimental and solemn. Faces came to express condolences.
From the mansion gate to the mourning hall, the not-so-long passage was filled with high-class people coming and going. Although there were many people, they were in good order. Everyone showed respect for the deceased and did not dare to offend the solemn scene. .
Even those core figures with high authority and authority put away their arrogance, put on a humble posture, paid their condolences, and left solemnly. And those who are good at socializing do not dare to talk too much or express their presence too much.
Several generals even kowtowed heavily in front of the mourning hall with tears in their eyes. They didn't care if their foreheads were broken and didn't make any other sounds. They just used their own way to express their respect and sorrow for Chai Rong. These people are all Chai Rong's old subordinates, and they were mostly favored and promoted by him. It is not obvious at ordinary times, but when the benefactor died, the depth of this friendship became apparent.
From noon to late at night, thousands of people of all kinds came and went from the British government. Perhaps Chai Rong himself could not have imagined that after his death, his funeral would be such a big battle and cause such a sensation.
From another perspective, Chai Rong, a hero, lived his life with honor and died with his fame, and his life in this world was not in vain.
In the mourning hall, smoke curled up, white silk fluttered, and sobbing sounds could be heard from time to time. The sad atmosphere almost condensed into substance. The arrival of Emperor Liu and Concubine Guo Ning inevitably disturbed the atmosphere in the hall.
Emperor Liu was wearing a black robe, and Concubine Guo Ning was wearing a plain skirt. Both of them had a piece of white silk wrapped around their waists to stop the officials who wanted to pay tribute, indicating that the deceased was the most important.
Chai Rong's eldest sons all worked in various places in the Han Dynasty. Even after receiving the news of his death, they were still on their way back to Beijing. Therefore, it was Chai Zongxun and Liu Jian who presided over the funeral and ushered him away.
Looking at the newlywed couple who had only been married for two months, Emperor Liu sighed and said: "Your Majesty is my loyal minister and close friend. When he leaves, I will come to see him off. You guys express my condolences!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chai Zongxun's eyes were red and he bowed his head to the end.
As soon as he spread his hands, Yan Tuo immediately took the three sticks of incense and presented them respectfully. Together with Concubine Guo Ning, he paid homage to Chai Rong's spiritual throne. It has to be said that when Emperor Liu worshiped the Buddha in Shaolin Temple, he was careless and even full of contempt.
Standing in the hall, quietly staring at Chai Rong's memorial tablet, Emperor Liu rarely showed true feelings in his eyes, but it was fleeting. He quickly turned around and left without saying much, leaving room for others to offer incense and condolences. .
