Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 83 The Bright Moon Shines Over the West Garden

Because of the importance of ethics and filial piety in the ancient people's minds, the funeral procession can be regarded as a grand performance art in ancient times. People went to great lengths to show their filial piety, and sometimes they even became a little funny because they went too far.

When Zhang Dai later consulted historical records, he didn't quite agree with the ancients' excessive mourning practices. While the loss of a loved one is undoubtedly painful, the living should also live actively and earnestly; this is the normal attitude towards life.

Therefore, Zhang Dai was not surprised or disgusted that Yunyang County was mainly packing up its belongings to take with it before leaving Luoyang. What surprised him was that the Prince of Qi's family affairs were being managed by such a woman.

Each prince was assigned a court official to manage their fiefdom, daily affairs, and other matters. Although the number of officials in the princely courts had been decreasing, and by the Kaiyuan era there were many vacancies, Prince Qi, as the younger brother of the sage, still had a court assistant to manage the affairs of his court.

Even if, as Princess Yunyang said, these officials are currently busy with funeral arrangements and unable to attend to family matters, Prince Qi still has a wife at home...

Well, he didn't know the specifics of the Qi Prince's family, and the Prince of Hedong in the former residence really didn't have the time or energy to deal with these matters right now. It was just a bit of a surprise that such a large prince's family affairs were being managed by a daughter.

"Brother, you are no ordinary person. Your words have dispelled the feelings of inferiority in my heart."

Hearing Zhang Dai's words, Princess Yunyang's eyes welled up with tears. She blinked to suppress her sobs, then said in a deep voice, "I recently entered the Taoist path to pray for blessings. How could I not grieve after losing my loved ones? I regret that there are still family matters to settle, and if I were not there, who else could I rely on..."

At this point, tears finally welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Her voice became choked with emotion, and she quickly turned away to take a deep breath. It took her a while to calm herself down. When she turned back, her expression had returned to its previous calmness, except for her red eyes.

"I couldn't contain my emotions, and I apologize for making you laugh, brother. I invited you in to apologize. I just heard about the commotion in the province this afternoon from my family, and I know that you have been quite disturbed."

As the Lady of Yunyang spoke, she bowed to Zhang Dai with both hands on the table, and then continued, "I know that you, my brother, are exceptionally talented and of noble character, and would certainly not stoop to hinder your future."

"I am deeply saddened by the current situation and cannot express my feelings. I also fear that you might suspect I am secretly resentful of the unsuccessful prayers I offered the other day, which is why I dragged you into this matter. I never expected that you would be implicated and criticized..."

"Your Highness is too kind. I am a brother of the Huiwen Kingdom. I regret that I was not able to study under you and receive your teachings before. It is an honor to be able to serve you now!"

Upon hearing that it was the Princess of Yunyang who had decided to have him as her husband, Zhang Dai quickly bowed and said so.

Although he looked down on the background of the mourning official, it didn't mean that the matter was meaningless to him. Even if he didn't follow this path to officialdom and directly took up a government post, it would still be considered as accumulating experience and gaining a resume of serving the country.

When he enters officialdom through other means in the future, this resume will give him a higher starting point than others. For example, if he wants to take the imperial examination in the future, after the selection process, others may be appointed to a ninth-rank position, but because of this resume, he can be appointed to an eighth-rank or even higher position.

While serving as a substitute for officialdom is indeed considered lowly, it can be quite beneficial if used as a form of patronage. Entering officialdom through the substitute service is shameful, but to then succeed through the imperial examinations or special examinations after serving as a substitute service is seen as a display of high moral character and integrity, demonstrating a refusal to follow the path of easy success.

Therefore, although Zhang Dai did not actively strive for it before, he would not refuse it once he obtained it. It was not simply to spite his stepmother, Zheng Shi, but rather to give himself a boost so that he could advance more smoothly in his future official career.

"If you say so, then I am relieved. I was indeed worried that you would be disturbed and unable to rest easy. In that case, I thank you again for your kind assistance despite the trouble you have gone to!"

As she spoke, the Princess of Yunyang stood up from her seat and bowed to Zhang Dai.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Dai quickly rose from his seat, glanced at the numerous ledgers piled on the table, and said, "Now that the matter has been discussed, I dare not linger any longer. I shall take my leave. With both family and internal affairs being busy, Your Highness should not worry too much. You are compassionate and kind, please take care."

After saying this, he walked out quickly, feeling a little lighter.

On the one hand, he learned that his identity as the groom had been chosen by the Princess of Yunyang. On the other hand, the Princess of Yunyang apologized to him immediately after learning that he had been harassed. Despite his troubles at home and abroad, she still showed such kindness, which was truly touching.

After watching Zhang Dai leave, the Lady of Yunyang County sat back down. Looking at the pile of ledgers on her desk, a hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes, but she still took a deep breath and continued to organize them.

After a long time, she finally managed to roughly organize the properties and lands inside and outside the Eastern Capital. Then she compiled the information into a volume, raised her hand to summon a eunuch, and whispered, "Quickly inform the officials in the household and ask them to draft a memorial requesting the return of the granted land. Remember, remember, it must be completed and submitted before the funeral!" The funeral has just begun, and her father has not yet been formally encoffined. The guests who have come to pay their respects are still considered to be offering private condolences. However, once the encoffining is over, the body will be kept in the palace, and she, her siblings, and other family members will all have to enter the palace to await the funeral.

The reason why Princess Yunyang had to endure the pain of losing her father and quickly sort out all the land and assets granted to her in the Eastern Capital was because once she entered the palace, these family records would no longer be so easy to access and retrieve.

She needed to quickly sort out the family business in Dongdu and leave a record for the court before the funeral, so that she would have proof whether she wanted to return it to the country or continue to manage it under Yan'en's rule.

Without this guarantee, the siblings would be unable to return to the Eastern Capital for several years after the funeral and return to Chang'an to observe the rites. In such a time, if any wicked servants were to embezzle their property, there would be no way to verify their actions.

In particular, some government officials would take advantage of the absence of a head in the household and use the name of the Prince of Qi's mansion to commit illegal acts. If they were impeached by the Ministry of Justice, it would be a huge hidden danger for their family, who had lost their father's protection.

Princess Yunyang didn't understand these principles at first. It was her aunt, Princess Yuzhen, who told her these things when she entered the Daoist path a few days ago, reminding her to be vigilant and take precautions.

Her father was already bedridden, her brother was delirious and neglected family affairs, and the princess and her concubines were all pampered noblewomen who did not understand hardship. Her two younger sisters were still young, and she was the only one left in the family.

This was originally intended to prevent the officials and servants from embezzling and concealing their wealth, so she naturally couldn't entrust it to outsiders and had to do it herself.

Who wouldn't grieve over their father's passing? Because she was more sensible than the others in the family, she had to endure misunderstandings and even criticism from others, wiping away her tears to handle these complicated household chores. Thinking of this, Princess Yunyang's eyes welled up with tears again.

She was once a carefree young girl, but with her father gone, her carefree girlhood also came to an end.

Now, after a hasty and hurried investigation of the Dongdu family affairs, Princess Yunyang lay listlessly on the table, silently shedding tears. Although her eyes were filled with tears, her gaze was empty and confused.

She cried silently for a while, until tears welled up in her eyes and soaked the sleeves of her mourning clothes. Only when the chill seeped into her body did she stop crying. She took out a brocade handkerchief but did not wipe her face. Instead, she held it in her hands and stared at it blankly. Gradually, her eyes became cold and sharp, and even a hint of hatred flickered in them.

If Zhang Dai were still here, he would recognize that the handkerchief in the county princess's hand was the one she used on the night of the star-praying ritual. By now, the vomit on the handkerchief had long been cleaned and steamed with spices, giving it a pleasant fragrance.

While others couldn't smell it, Princess Yunyang could. The fragrance of the handkerchief was mixed with a lingering, chilling odor that even woke her from nightmares. It reminded her that the world was not safe, and that malice was not like swords and shadows, but rather like a gentle breeze and spring rain, making it impossible to guard against!
When Zhang Dai returned to the front residence, the procession of the mourners had already dispersed.

After the initial excitement of being selected as mourners, everyone now understands what kind of task they will be undertaking. Many people have bitter expressions on their faces, clearly feeling the same way as Zhang Dai and others had in the morning.

Making these academically challenged students memorize hundreds or even more poems is worse than killing them.

Although the Prince Qi's mansion was spacious, it couldn't accommodate so many people. Some officials, such as Zhang Jun, had already returned to the capital to take up their duties, and the Jinwu Guards stationed inside and outside the city had also been rotated.

The mourners were all exhausted, but there were no accommodations arranged for them at the mansion. So they were temporarily placed in the Shanting Courtyard in Huixunfang. They could also practice in the Shanting Courtyard during the day, which would not interfere with the funeral arrangements at the mansion.

So the group left the Prince Qi's residence and marched in a grand procession toward the Shanting Courtyard in Huixunfang.

As the procession reached the Wei King's Pond in Luonan, a refreshing early summer breeze blew across the lake, invigorating everyone. Suddenly, someone sang loudly: "The imperial procession marches along the road, court robes are sent to the capital. Outside the Qianqiu Valley Gate, the bright moon shines on the western garden!"

This is the dirge they learned to sing tonight, and its sudden rendition on the lakeside in the dead of night is truly chilling.

A muffled thud came from the back of the group, followed by the sound of rushing water, and then a furious roar: "Which bastard is wailing like that? You scared me half to death! If it weren't for the bamboo rafts outside the dike, those thieves would be singing your dirge tomorrow morning!"

Hearing the shout, everyone burst into laughter. Some, eager to stir up trouble, even gathered around the embankment and yelled, "Stop the embankment and don't let him come up! Ask him who this slave is! Shout it out, shout it out, or he's not allowed to come ashore!"

The dozen or so teenagers were utterly inhuman, indulging in whatever they wanted. Zhang Dai, walking at the front of the procession, heard the laughter echoing around the Wei King's Pond and was speechless. The King of Qi had passed away, and the Emperor had been so grieving that he couldn't eat for dozens of days. If he heard you all laughing like this, he would kick you all into the lake to feed the turtles!
(End of this chapter)