Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Let me follow him to inspect the palace?

Daiyu's face suddenly became strange.

She took a full nine hours' drive yesterday, speeding all the way without stopping for a moment.

The fact that I can still get out of bed today is all thanks to my tremendous perseverance.

The prince seemed to have grown into a sixteen-year-old young man, and he was said to have done things very steadily in the past.

How come you are so ignorant of the ways of the world when faced with such a big event?

Daiyu took a half step back and looked at Zang Ao with a smile: "General Zang is your majesty's personal attendant, and I am just a weak girl living in a secluded house. How can I compare with him in terms of his extensive knowledge and profound understanding of court etiquette?

"Second Prince did not invite General Zang, but is he worried that the Queen Mother will ask about it?

"Please relax! If the Queen Mother asks, I will explain it to you. You can just go and do your work."

Seeing the Second Prince about to speak with a look of disapproval on his face, Daiyu rushed to add, "The Queen Mother was in a hurry to go to the mourning hall just now!

"I'm a woman, and I walk slowly. It will probably take me until the afternoon to finish walking through the palace! The Queen Mother can't wait!"

Zang Ao just thought that the Second Prince's proposal was just right, but when he heard this, he immediately thought to himself, "Oh no!"

He hurriedly took a step forward, bowed and apologized: "It's all my fault! I forgot that Princess Yinzheng left the capital and arrived at the palace at midnight. It took her nine hours to sit in the car!

"I only slept for two hours last night before getting up to serve the Queen Mother. I haven't rested since this morning.

"I actually forgot to ask if we should ask the imperial physician to take a look. I didn't even stop the Second Prince from asking the Princess to visit the manor!

"I deserve the punishment... ahem, the punishment is great!"

Zang Ao doesn't like to talk.

One of the many reasons is that he offends people as soon as he opens his mouth.

Emperor Zhaoming was often so stunned by him that he could not say a word, so he later issued an order asking him to "keep his mouth as little as possible."

Sure enough, he got flustered today and spoke a lot, which choked both Daiyu and the Second Prince so much that they rolled their eyes.

But the Second Prince's state was naturally that his face turned red, and he was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do. He kept bowing to Daiyu and said that it was his own "negligence."

Daiyu smiled and shook her head, signaling Zang Ao: "General Zang, please follow the Second Prince. I will accompany the Empress Dowager to wait for your reply, and then we can go to the coffin."

The two of them hurriedly agreed and left in a hurry.

Daiyu looked at the strange two people, raised her eyebrows, turned around and asked Xiaohong: "I remember Aunt Cui said that the Second Prince and the Grand Lord have a deep affection for each other?"

Xiaohong pursed her lips.

Daiyu understood and sighed softly: "I also remember that during the New Year's greetings in Yuanzheng, although the Second Prince showed filial piety, he did not seem to be very familiar with the Grand Lord."

"Minister Tao once said that the Second Prince was loyal, filial, chaste and righteous, and that Concubine Kou taught him very well." Xiaohong stopped there.

Daiyu nodded in agreement.

If loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness can be achieved, for children of this age, it would probably just be a "should" or "must" rather than coming from the heart.

Leaving the Second Prince behind without giving him any more thought, Daiyu turned around and went back to the main hall of Jingfuzhai.

Xiaohong followed behind her and looked back at the direction where the Second Prince and Zang Ao left, a hint of coldness flashed across her brows.

Prince Kejin and the Second Prince acted quickly, and Zang Ao was unwilling to interfere. However, after more than half an hour, they came to invite the Queen Mother.

Everyone went to the mourning hall together.

The mourning hall was set up in the Wanshou Palace where Taishang lived when he passed away.

The body of Tai Shang was simply dressed neatly and placed on the dragon bed.

As the palace was small, Prince Kejin only replaced the bedsteads and window screens inside and outside with white ones, put away all the bright red, bright green, and bright purple ornaments, replaced the bright red candles with white ones, and all the eunuchs and palace maids serving inside changed into mourning clothes and wore hemp belts around their waists.

As soon as she stepped into the Wanshou Palace, the Queen Mother stared straight at the body of the Supreme Being on the dragon bed, and tears fell like beads from a broken string.

Since hearing the news of Taishang's death, Daiyu and Tanchun have been nervous and uneasy, and all they can think about are the various dramatic changes that have been caused by it.

Now that they had finally seen Tai Shang's body, both of them could not help but recall the conveniences and favors that Tai Shang had shown them overtly and covertly over the past year or so.

Even if the Queen Mother had some reasons behind this, even if Lin Ruhai had some reasons behind this.

The glory that the two of them have enjoyed till now was all heard from the Supreme Emperor and the Empress Dowager on the Supreme Emperor’s birthday last year in the Yanjia Palace.

However, there was chaos and turmoil in the capital. When the eldest grandson of the emperor, who had been carefully raised by the Emperor Taishang, and the Crown Prince, passed away, even though the Emperor Taishang was extremely angry, he did not really vent his anger on Tanchun, but allowed the Empress Dowager to protect her and put her in a nunnery.

Although he was a majestic emperor with deep scheming and capricious temper, he was ultimately a benefactor who came to their aid in times of need.

Tears fell, Daiyu and Tanchun supported the empress dowager on the left and right, and knelt down in front of the coffin, crying loudly.

The Second Prince and Prince Kejin also knelt down. Listening to the sorrow and crying of the three people, they felt so sad that they lowered their heads and started crying too.

This hearty crying continued until the Queen Mother began to sway slightly and almost fainted.

Daiyu and Tanchun immediately came to their senses from their grief, and while wiping their tears, they supported the empress dowager.

Aunt Cui gave Aunt Meng a look.

Aunt Meng, who was wiping her tears, finally reacted and rushed over to half-hug the Queen Mother. She pressed a finger on her wrist, paused for two or three breaths, and then advised:

"My lady, please accept my condolences. You are weak and you will not be able to bear it if you continue to be sad."

Daiyu had already wiped away her tears, and she gently helped to persuade him: "Take care of yourself, we will accompany you to visit the old lady tomorrow..."

The Queen Mother couldn't stop crying, sighed deeply, and nodded reluctantly.

Everyone hurried back to Jingfuzhai together.

After this round trip, it was already noon.

Daiyu hurriedly ordered food to be served to the Empress Dowager.

Before the empress dowager had finished her bowl of bird's nest porridge, someone outside reported: "The chief eunuch of the Palace Department, Tao Xingjian, the new vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zhai Daogong, and several officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works have arrived at the gate of the palace."

When the Queen Mother heard this, she immediately pushed away her bowl of rice.

Daiyu firmly held her hand and signaled Aunt Meng to continue feeding the empress dowager porridge: "You continue."

Then he turned around and ordered him: "Let Tao Jian and Zhai Daogong come in first.

"Go outside and arrange for the other officials to wash and change their clothes, have some hot water and hot soup, and then go over to pay respect to the Supreme Spirit Hall."

When the Queen Mother heard this, she sighed, swallowed the porridge in her mouth, and ordered, "Do as Princess Zhaoqing said."

A moment later, when the empress dowager had finished her porridge, wiped her hands, put on her coat, and sat upright on the bed, Tao Xingjian and Zhai Daogong came to the door to say hello.

The Queen Mother hurriedly ordered: "Send it."

The two men came in, looking exhausted, and knelt down together to pay their respects to the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother stood up and asked, "What did the Emperor say?"

Tao Xingjian stood up and crossed his arms respectfully: "Your Majesty has a few private words, and I would like to ask this old servant to speak to the Queen Mother alone first."