The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 96 Ceremonial Guard
For the next three days, Xiao Yi focused on reorganization and training.

In addition to his unique training methods, he also incorporated weapons, archery, and horsemanship. However, it was just a simple formation, with repeated thrusts and slashes.

Every morning, they would run four laps around the palace wall carrying heavy loads, covering about twenty li, their shouts echoing through the air. In the evening, they would sing. Soon, the various guards of the Imperial Guards got to know this new inner palace guard unit.

On November 24th, I had just returned from leading a team on a weighted run when I saw a eunuch waiting between the two corridors.

Xiao Yi had met the other party once before, and stepped forward to ask, "Are you Eunuch Wang, the Deputy Envoy of the Pavilion?"

“I cannot be called ‘Eunuch’. General Xiao, you still remember this old servant. Just call this old servant Wang Yan.”

After Wang Yan finished speaking, he cleared his throat twice and said, "The Empress Dowager's decree is hereby issued to Xiao Yi, the Commander of the Inner Palace Guard! You are to lead twenty men to relocate to the Zichen Palace."

Xiao Yi was slightly taken aback.

His current superior is Wang Yin, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, and above him is Guo Wei.

He was not very familiar with the rules and did not know whether Empress Dowager Li's transfer of him was in accordance with regulations.

Wang Yan smiled knowingly and said, "At noon today, Lord Guo and the ministers will be going to the palace to discuss matters. If General Xiao thinks that the Empress Dowager can't mobilize you, well, this is the Imperial Guard's order. So be it."

At this point, Wang Yancai handed Wang Yin's warrant from his sleeve.

It was clearly written above that from now on, Xiao Yi and Li Chongjin would take turns guarding the inner court on odd and even days.

There was clearly an order, yet this still happened. It must be that the Empress Dowager was deliberately using tricks to gradually cultivate his habit of acting according to imperial decrees.

Xiao Yi also gave him face and replied, "This humble general respectfully accepts the Empress Dowager's oral decree."

"Good, good, General Xiao is a clever man."

Wang Yan wanted this attitude, and a smile appeared on his face as he returned to the inner court through the straight gate.

Although Xiao Yi guarded that door, he had never been inside...

He selected twenty soldiers of similar build and began to don the inner palace armor.

This is the finest uniform for imperial guards—the Fine-Scaled Bright Armor.

It differs from his original lamellar armor in several ways.

The main breastplate was a gleaming silver mirror, adorned with fine scales on both sides. Xiao Yi's breastplate also had a ring of bronze studs around the edge, distinguishing it from that of ordinary soldiers.

When Lao Pan helped put on the armor, he couldn't help but exclaim, "This armor is so exquisite, the scales are even smaller than a thumb!" It took the two of them, Hua Nong and Lao Pan, working together to tighten the leather belt.

In addition, the shoulder guards were made of black leather covered with silver-plated wrought iron and carved with swallowing beasts; the waist guards were three inches wide, which made the figure look tall and could also support the waist; the leg armor was decorated with fine scales; the helmet was a phoenix-winged helmet with feathers and a veil that was usually flipped up and only fell down when encountering an assassin.

It is indeed heavy, weighing about thirty kilograms.

"General, that's so impressive!"

"The general is truly valiant; I am far inferior to him..."

During this armor-changing ceremony, the brothers Lü You and Lü Chou happened to be nearby again. They no longer dared to say that Xiao Yi was on par with them in appearance, but the two of them kept repeating the same few words and couldn't say anything good.

Zhang Mantun did tell the truth.

"I wear armor to kill people, while the general seduces women. Neither of us fights or kills enemies. Isn't that just nonsense?"

"Get out of here, you guys go train."

Xiao Yi put on his belt, adorned with various ornaments, and a purple silk tassel hung on his sword. A bronze plaque was used to signify that he was the Commander of the Capital Garrison, and his goldfish pouch contained his entry into the palace.

Finally, they meticulously checked everyone's armor and badges, adjusting every detail.

Once fully equipped, they were no longer as rugged as before; their demeanor was refined yet imposing, cold yet meticulous.

"set off!"

The inner door slowly opened.

Upon entering the palace, they passed through the long Yongxiang alley, flanked by towering red walls, with only the sound of their orderly footsteps echoing around them.

Xiao Yi always valued demeanor, and today, dressed in armor as a palace guard, he stood even more upright, taking standard square steps.

His posture and gait have been meticulously practiced and honed. He has always been outstanding in his ability to stand in for others, including their backs, hands, feet, muscles, and various movements.

An aura of power pressed down on him, causing the armored soldiers behind him to stand in awe and follow silently.

Upon reaching Jiafu Gate, the old eunuch verified Xiao Yi's identification token and said with a fawning smile, "So it's General Xiao. After passing through this gate, you'll enter the inner palace. There are many rules there, so please be careful, General."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi said little and led his team inside.

Sure enough, the atmosphere changed immediately after entering.

Palace maids walked lightly, all their eyes fixed on him, and occasionally the low shouts of older female officials could be heard.

"Still looking? Don't you know the rules?"

"But that general is so heroic and handsome."

"He walks so gracefully..."

Xiao Yi kept his eyes straight ahead and continued walking through the Yongxiang Alley and passing through the Taiji Gate.

Ahead lay a vast plaza, where the Zichen Palace stood, appearing even more majestic in the daylight.

The hall features double-eaved roofs and layers of bracket sets.

He ascended the steps, arranged for his subordinates to line up in the outer corridor of the hall, then removed his sword and helmet before stepping into the hall to report to Empress Dowager Li.

The Zichen Palace was still so cold, as if the cold air was seeping out from the cracks in the blue bricks.

Upon entering, one sees a large vermilion pillar wrapped with white silk, the tassels of which hang down.

The throne was removed and replaced by a makeshift mourning hall, which was quite simple.

The coffin was covered with a plain gauze, and a bronze square cauldron was placed in front of it, with smoke swirling around it, mixed with the soft sobs of the eunuchs.

On a mourning table lay sacrificial offerings of three kinds of animals, with two plain white banners fluttering gently beside them. There were no officials in the hall, only eunuchs and musicians, creating a somewhat desolate atmosphere.

Empress Dowager Li sat in the mourning tent to the east of the coffin, dressed in a loose-fitting hemp robe. All the gold and jade hairpins on her head had been removed, leaving only a bamboo hairpin. She wore no makeup, her skin was pale, and her eyes were slightly red, yet she still maintained her dignity and composure.

Beside her was a young woman, presumably Empress An, also dressed in mourning clothes, her hair hanging down in a bun, tied only with white hemp thread.

Empress An knelt with her hands pressed to the ground, motionless like a statue. Xiao Yi walked more than ten steps but did not see her move an inch.

"This humble general pays his respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, and asks you to take care of your grief."

Xiao Yi stepped forward and bowed.

Last time, Feng Dao didn't bow, so neither did he. This time, he was in armor, so naturally he couldn't perform the full ceremony.

Empress Dowager Li turned her head and said, "Xiao Yi, see His Majesty off."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi, unaware of etiquette, simply stepped forward to the coffin and lit three incense sticks.

Thinking of the young man who was stabbed to death by the edge of the woods, he stood silently for a moment, lit incense, offered a cup of sweet wine, and gently sprinkled it on the white felt in front of the spirit tablet.

Empress An didn't know how she saw him lighting incense, but she took action at this moment. She got up, stepped forward gracefully, pulled out the nearly burned incense sticks from the square cauldron, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and handed the handkerchief to a palace maid.

Xiao Yi caught a glimpse of her face; she was extremely beautiful, with an oval face, a well-proportioned figure, and a dignified demeanor. There was not a single flaw in her features.

He had seen many beauties, and thus knew that few could perform such demeanor, because they were all too thin... Empress An was not fat, but rather had a well-proportioned figure, and her appearance reflected the peace and prosperity of the nation.

But it's too wooden; it's just a pretty face.

Her expression seemed somewhat sorrowful, but in reality, she had no expression at all; she was neither sad nor angry, and she lacked any "vitality," like a mannequin performing with a mere shell.

Xiao Yi turned to Empress Dowager Li.

"This humble general is ordered to move to the Zichen Palace. Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

"The Emperor's funeral is so quiet, I'm sorry General Xiao had to see this... I heard that Your Majesty was found by you, please tell me about the situation."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi recounted everything in detail, only omitting his conversation with Wei Renpu and Song Yanwo in the forest.

He was uninhibited and spoke differently from his contemporaries, telling stories with dramatic twists and turns, downplaying Liu Chengyou's tragedy and emphasizing the process of searching.

As the story progressed, the surrounding palace servants listened with great interest. The young eunuch in charge of the charcoal brazier even forgot to stir the fire, his eyes fixed on him with shining eyes. These expressionless palace servants, it turned out, could also slack off like ordinary people.

Presumably, Liu Chengyou was not a friendly person, and everyone forgot their sorrow as they were lost in thought.

Only Empress Dowager Li sighed, clutching her handkerchief even tighter, muttering to herself, "What do I have left in this life?"

Xiao Yi couldn't help but feel guilty, and whispered to comfort her, "The dead are gone, but the living must go on. The Empress Dowager is in her prime; she must not give up on herself."

A flicker of surprise crossed Empress Dowager Li's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure as the ruler, saying, "In the end, His Majesty was harmed by these sycophantic courtiers."

Empress An cried twice in agreement.

Her acting is mediocre, and it seems she doesn't intend to further refine her performance to portray the empress well.

Xiao Yi said, "The dead flow back to the sea, the living are like lone boats on the river. A few courtiers are nothing but duckweed on the river. Your Majesty need not take it to heart."

"A storm has forged you into true gold."

Empress Dowager Li made a polite compliment, then waved her hand, signaling Xiao Yi to stand guard at the palace gate.

About half an hour later, just as the palace servants had swept the snow off the stone steps, Feng Dao arrived with his civil officials.

Dressed in mourning clothes and leaning on a bronze and wooden mourning staff, he slowly entered the hall, kowtowed three times to the coffin, and stood in the first position of the civil officials on the east side.

Before long, Guo Wei arrived with a group of military generals. They were wearing armor and simply covered with a mourning robe, which looked like a cloak, and they exuded a majestic aura.

He certainly failed in his duty as a subject, yet he has not even held a funeral for the entire family who have died.

"I am in armor and cannot perform the full ceremony. I hope you will forgive me."

According to the rules, Guo Wei should have been in the western group of meritorious officials, but after he finished speaking, he walked towards the eastern group, towards the position where Feng Dao was.

He strode forward with great strides, his armor clanging loudly, and with each step he took, the ranks of civil officials tensed up.

Looking at him, Xiao Yi felt that Feng Dao, a withered old man, was like a lone boat under a giant wave, about to be blown apart at any moment, under the oppressive aura of Guo Wei.

Just when he thought Guo Wei was going to take over the first class, Guo Wei stopped and solemnly bowed to Feng Dao.

“Lord Feng, the situation is not stable now. Although I hold military power, I am not clear about many things in terms of etiquette and government affairs. I still need you to mediate.”

Xiao Yi glanced at the expressions of Wang Jun, Wang Yin, and the others, and saw that the generals were all staring intently at Feng Dao, as if forcing him to submit immediately.

However, Feng Dao not only did not avoid it, but also did not help Guo Wei up. He nodded slightly, still holding the bronze and wooden mourning staff with both hands, and accepted the ceremony calmly. He slowly said, "The funeral of the late emperor is a matter of national dignity. As the head of the civil officials, I should do my best to do my 'last bit'."

"I deeply admire and respect Mr. Feng for his dedication to the country."

Guo Wei then lowered his hands and stood at the west end.

Instantly, the civil officials visibly breathed a sigh of relief, while some of the military officers behind Guo Wei showed resentment, but the situation remained subtly calm.

It is extremely difficult to keep warriors from retaliating.

In their brief exchange, Xiao Yi pondered Feng Dao's discretion and Guo Wei's strategic vision, secretly thinking that this was probably a test, and also a way to set a tone of "civilian assistance and military governance," which would somewhat change the prevailing social atmosphere.

From heavily fortified cities and layered defenses, to selling grain to suppress prices and reconsidering old cases, and now to attending the national mourning and respecting Feng Dao, at least in Xiao Yi's eyes, Guo Wei's process of assuming power was very steady, forming a stark contrast with Shi Hongzhao.

After the simple funeral rites, the crucial moment of the palace council soon arrived.

"Your Majesty."

Empress Dowager Li spoke, her voice soft and mournful, yet it resonated throughout the hall.

"The nation has suffered such misfortune, and the imperial regalia cannot be without a master for even a day. We should select a virtuous person from among the 'Liu's' to establish a ruler in order to secure the country... Let all officials discuss this together."

(End of this chapter)