In the afternoon, the funeral convoy finally left the capital.
They were blowing and beating all the way towards Fang Xiaoru's hometown of Ninghai County.
Ninghai County is located under the rule of Taizhou, Zhejiang's Chengxuan political envoy. It is 1,200 miles away from the capital and belongs to the core area of Jiangnan.
It would take at least half a month to walk back to Ninghai County from the capital.
Therefore, the funeral procession is mainly composed of carriages and mounted war horses.
The hearse left the capital and turned to the southeast. After performing a series of rituals outside the city, it accelerated on its way.
A group of filial sons and grandsons, including Chen Kan and the Fang brothers, were supposed to escort the hearse, but Fang Xiaoru demanded that everything should be simple and fast, so Chen Kan could only ride with his guards.
The Fang brothers and others got on a simple carriage, leading the way and mourning at the same time.
The king ordered the imperial concubine Mrs. Ning Guo to return to her hometown for burial. This was a great honor. Naturally, the louder the mourning sound, the better. It was best to be loud enough that the people along the road could hear and see her.
Listening to the deafening cries of the Fang brothers and two sisters, as well as the playing and beating of the Taichang Temple musicians behind the motorcade, Chen Kan frowned and felt a little irritated.
When the old man passed away, he passed away. Such noise disturbed the old man's purity.
Of course, this is Chen Kan's idea.
For the elders of the Fang and Zheng clans, the louder the movement and the more lively it is, the more it reflects the power of their clans.
With such etiquette, Chen Kan couldn't say much.
He could only follow Fang Xiaoru's carriage without saying a word.
After a while, the capital was far away and the sky became dark.
The official in charge of the Ministry of Rites asked the convoy to stop and rest on the spot, and the mourning wails and funeral music suddenly stopped.
Logically speaking, Mrs. Zheng was buried as the wife of Yipin Ningguo, and she could use the inn on the official road to rest on her way back.
But the officials of the Ministry of Rites made such arrangements, and others would not have any objections.
The main thing is that Fang Xiaoru has no objection.
Chen Kan didn't care, he no longer had to listen to those annoying noises, and he could finally have some peace and quiet.
After eating the cold food handed to him by his guards, Chen Kan began to take a nap against his horse.
The rest of the mourners also crowded into the carriage or slept on the ground.
It is now the Mid-Autumn Festival, and even though the climate in Jiangnan is mild, many people are still woken up by the cold at night.
Those who woke up from the cold didn't make any noise, they just tightened their clothes and fell asleep again.
Of the more than a thousand miles, we have walked less than one-tenth today. We still have to go in the days to come, so we must seize every moment we can to rest.
The next day......
Before the morning star in the sky set, the official in charge of the Ministry of Rites woke up all the funeral processions, and the procession continued on its way.
The funeral music resounded throughout the sky, attracting the attention of the people above the official level.
On the second day, the team covered a much greater distance than on the first day.
When it got dark, we had left the capital one hundred and twenty miles away, and had completed one-tenth of the entire journey.
Fortunately, the team did not have to sleep in the open tonight, but were very lucky to arrive at a post station.
The inn is not big, but given Chen Kan's status, he can still be assigned a separate room.
Chen Kan was lying on the bed undressed, his eyes a little dazed.
My mind, which had been a bit chaotic in the past few days, gradually became clearer after being away from the capital.
"Yuan Sheng, what are you thinking about?"
Hearing Fang Xiaoru's old voice, Chen Kan turned his head and saw that Fang Xiaoru had already come in, pulled up a stool and sat down.
Chen Kan quickly stood up and saluted.
"Teacher, haven't you rested yet?"
Fang Xiaoru shook his head and continued to ask: "What are you thinking about? I saw you were stunned for a long time."
Chen Kan scratched his head, shook his head and said, "I didn't think about anything. I just wondered where His Royal Highness the Grand Sun and the others were at the moment."
"What, are you worried about them?"
Chen Kan said honestly: "A bit, they are too young and don't know if they can handle some things."
Fang Xiaoru nodded slightly, couldn't help but sigh, and said: "Your master's wife died at the wrong time. This time, too many things were delayed."
Hearing Fang Xiaoru's sigh, Chen Kan pursed his lips and did not choose to answer.
Fang Xiaoru said it was okay, but he couldn't accept it.
Who can say clearly about birth, old age, illness and death?
Seeing Chen Kan's silence, Fang Xiaoru pondered for a moment and suddenly asked: "Yuan Sheng, tell me, if I submit a letter to become an official now, can your majesty give me dignity?"
Hearing the dejection in Fang Xiaoru's words, Chen Kan couldn't help but be stunned.
He couldn't help but subconsciously raised his head and looked at the old man in front of him, but in the end he couldn't say anything constructive.
In the past, Fang Xiaoru was a very creative person. Even if he wanted to do something, he would rarely ask Chen Kan in a consultative tone.
But today, Fang Xiaoru asked.
Although Chen Kan didn't want to admit it, he had to admit that Fang Xiaoru was really old.
Seeing that Chen Kan was still silent, Fang Xiaoru couldn't help but smile freely and said with a smile: "I came to ask you, it's like asking a blind question."
An ugly smile appeared on Chen Kan's face and he replied: "Actually, teacher, you can give it a try. Even if His Majesty doesn't want to let you go, at least it can show your attitude."
"Forget it, I just mentioned it casually. Even if Your Majesty is really willing to let me go, I still won't be able to leave."
Fang Xiaoru replied to Chen Kan, and the master and apprentice fell into silence again.
There is actually nothing to talk about on this topic. Both the master and the disciple know what the result will be.
It was impossible for Zhu Di to let Fang Xiaoru leave. There would be big changes in the Ming Dynasty. Whether it was moving the capital or enfeoffing, it would be a big earthquake for the court.
Zhu Di also needed Fang Xiaoru, the sea-calming needle, to stabilize the court for him.
Fang Xiaoru couldn't just give up everything and leave.
The Ming Dynasty finally came to what it is today. Seeing that the prosperous age is approaching, how could Fang Xiaoru watch helplessly and watch a series of changes bring the Ming Dynasty back to its original shape.
After all, Fang Xiaoru and Chen Kan are different. Chen Kan actually has no awe in his heart for either the imperial power or the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, he could have a showdown with Zhu Di without hesitation, he could brazenly say that he would go to sea to retire in the future, and he could even choose to support the fleet to open a route to Australia without hesitation.
Fang Xiaoru was born and raised in the Ming Dynasty. Regardless of the education he received and the environment he lived in, the four words of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism have been engraved in his bones.
It is impossible for him to leave the king, nor to leave the Ming Dynasty.
Although the two are masters and disciples, they are not of the same origin, and it is impossible for them to reach any consensus in any aspect.
Fang Xiaoru sat in Chen Kan's room for a long time, and said with some loss of interest: "That's it, I'm leaving, you have a good rest."
Chen Kan nodded, got up and sent Fang Xiaoru out the door. He went back to the bed and lay down to continue brainstorming.
Judging from the current situation, he is now without an official position.
But what needs to be done must be done.
He resigned angrily, just to get angry with Zhu Di.
It has never been Chen Kan's style to be angry and to be angry.
After a brainstorm, Chen Kan slowly fell into a deep sleep.
...
Unknowingly, the time came to September, and the funeral procession that had been running all the way finally reached its destination.
Xishangfang Village, Dajiahe Town, Ninghai County.
Xifangfang Village, as the name suggests, is a village formed on the upper reaches of an unnamed creek, but the people prefer to call this village Fangjia Village or Shangshu Village.
The Fang clan has thrived here for hundreds of years, and with Fang Xiaoru as a figure of great ancestral origin, it is no exaggeration to say that within the scope of these ten miles and eight villages, the head of the Fang clan can speak better than the county magistrate.
If there is nothing we can do about it, it is certain that Fang Xiaoru is an upright official, but if Fang Xiaoru is so awesome, the Fang clan will definitely take advantage of him.
This is what is called a person achieving enlightenment, a chicken or a dog ascending to heaven.
Not to mention Fang Xiaoru, the servants in Chen Kan's mansion are all superior to others when they leave the Hou's mansion.
This is the benefit of a position of power.
Such a situation exists in any era, and it cannot be changed by being an upright official or caring about the people.
Today, Xishangfang Village is very lively. Early in the morning, the entire village of men, women, and children stood at the entrance of the village, waiting for the legendary Madam Shangshu to return to her hometown.
As early as more than half a month ago, many people came to Xifang Fang Village and renovated the Fang family's ancestral tomb very arrogantly. The external explanation was to build a mausoleum for Mrs. Ning Guo.
Although there were voices of dissatisfaction among the Fang clan about the fact that craftsmen and officials sent by the imperial court had tampered with the Fang family's ancestral graves, they were quickly calmed down under the pressure of the imperial court.
After all, the Fang clan members are not fools and know that their current glory was brought about by Fang Xiaoru.
So the construction of the mausoleum went smoothly.
However, the construction of the mausoleum has begun, but Mrs. Ning Guo's coffin has not arrived, which makes many people anxious.
Especially the elderly people in the clan are afraid of disturbing the peace of their ancestors.
Today there was definite news, and they couldn't tolerate being less excited.
Finally, under the gaze of everyone, a motorcade that looked like it was driving slowly from the end of the road.
As far as the eye could see, there was a huge soul-calling flag that the Fang clan had never heard of before. It was three feet tall, and many people couldn't help but widen their eyes.
Immediately afterwards, the big money, which was taller than the soul-calling flag, came into view, which caused bursts of exclamation.
Until the hearse pulled by four white horses came into view, a group of juniors from the Fang clan suddenly understood why the craftsmen and officials from the Ministry of Works were so overbearing.
Mrs. Yipin Ningguo, what is Yipin, they finally understood its meaning today.
The hearse stopped outside the village. Fang Xiaoru jumped out of the carriage and glanced at his hometown in front of him, with a look of sigh on his face.
It seems that after he achieved success in his studies, he has been serving as an official in the imperial court, but he has not returned to his hometown for many years.
When he saw it today, he felt that his hometown had changed so much that it made him feel a little strange.
Many people have changed so much that they are no longer what he remembers.
After sighing for a moment, he quickly stepped forward. Before he could speak, he saw the crowd suddenly kneeling down towards him.
They even included many elderly people who were older than him.
