The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Upon arriving near the palace gates, one could see a continuous stream of carriages heading to the palace to mourn.

The carriage gradually slowed down.

Everyone then got off the carriage and walked there.

At this time, attitude is very important.

If one is not careful, one could be accused of disrespecting the Empress.

At the palace gate, Zhang Ping'an also encountered someone with green eyes. The two only exchanged glances and did not speak.

Guided by palace attendants, everyone proceeded in order of their rank and wept in the Shouning Hall.

Perhaps because so many white banners were hung, everything was a ghastly white, which made the atmosphere in the palace look very desolate.

There was a strange sense of melancholy.

Zhang Ping'an, being of higher rank, was ranked at the front, but Zhou Ziming was not seen. The Crown Prince was in charge of the overall situation, with the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince sitting to his left and right.

Only the second prince is missing.

Empress Wei was the Crown Prince's birth mother, and her passing naturally caused the Crown Prince, as her own son, immense grief.

She looked much more haggard than usual.

At this point, it's impossible to see any trace of the splendor of the Buddha Bathing Festival at Daxiangguo Temple from many years ago.

It was like a piece of dried-up wood, all its essence squeezed out.

Zhang Ping'an truly felt that sitting on the position of Crown Prince was extremely difficult.

He was far less shrewd and capable than his father, Zhou Ziming, who could control the entire court and the people.

Such a mild-mannered crown prince would likely be devoured by his covetous ministers after Zhou Ziming's death, leaving not even a trace.

A weak ruler and a strong minister is a historical taboo.

No wonder Zhou Ziming had to plan for his son, helping him to kick away and crush all the obstacles in his path.

Lost in thought, more than half an hour passed.

The people kneeling before the main hall were hot, thirsty, and exhausted, drenched in sweat but unable to complain.

Not long after, the long-absent Second Prince appeared in everyone's sight, thanks to the eunuch's shrill voice.

Several years have passed, and he has completely transformed from a boy into a young man, with a handsome face.

With thick, long, dark eyebrows that swept into his temples, a tall and slender figure, and a calm yet sharp gaze, he looked like a very imposing person.

He's even more like a prince than the crown prince himself.

It's hard to imagine that he was so arrogant and domineering during the autumn hunt many years ago.

He grew up in the exact opposite way to the Crown Prince.

Although he was not favored by the emperor, the second prince was still a prince, and everyone bowed to him.

The Crown Prince said in a hoarse voice, "Second Brother, you're finally back."

"Yes, elder brother, I'll go in and see Mother first."

Compared to the Crown Prince's excitement, the Second Prince, though his eyes were also filled with sorrow, remained relatively calm.

The crown prince was clearly very disappointed, but he said nothing.

The Second Prince did not return alone this time; he was accompanied by Master Yuantong, the abbot and national preceptor of the Great Xiangguo Temple.

The marks of time are not very obvious on this national teacher, but they have polished him to be more kind and benevolent. After he has shed his former sharpness, he truly looks like a compassionate and merciful Buddha.

But Zhang Ping'an didn't believe it at all.

What monk who has renounced all worldly desires would be so obsessed with power?

As the empress of the nation, Empress Wei was a model of virtue for the country, so her funeral ceremony was naturally of the highest standard and extremely complicated. It mainly included the following steps: initial death, minor encoffining, major encoffining, dressing in mourning clothes, court offering, lying in state, funeral procession, burial, ancestral temple, and mourning period.

Today's weeping was just the beginning. It wasn't until it was completely dark that Zhang Ping'an followed the crowd back to his residence to rest.

Zhang Lao Er and his grandson Xiao Yu'er had been waiting anxiously in the mansion for a long time.

Seeing Zhang Ping'an return, Xiaoyuer quickly ran over and helped him sit down.

"Father, how is the situation in the palace?"

Zhang Ping'an's voice was tired, "For now, things seem quite calm. The Second Prince has returned from outside the city with the Imperial Advisor."

"The Second Prince? We rarely see him. With the Empress's death, he probably won't be able to go to his fiefdom for the time being."

“Yes, that’s right,” Zhang Ping’an nodded. “However, the enfeoffment and enfeoffment are already decided. Even if he doesn’t have to go for the time being, the emperor will definitely bestow titles upon him. The third prince and the fourth prince will definitely have to go.”

"This is too coincidental. I think something's going on inside," Little Fish pondered, rubbing his chin.

Zhang Ping'an smiled and said, "It's not just you; many others think the same way. But His Majesty didn't show up today, so we don't know what's really going on. The official news we've received is that Empress Wei died suddenly from illness, but the truth is hard to say. Alright, I'll definitely be very busy these next two days. Keep a low profile and stay in the manor. Don't go out."

"Okay, I know, Dad, you don't need to worry about me. I'm not a child anymore," Xiaoyuer smiled, and indeed seemed to have taken on some adult responsibilities.

"Is your mother alright?" Zhang Lao Er asked, seizing the opportunity.

"Before I left the palace, I asked a palace servant to go in and check on her. Fortunately, my mother is old, and people usually take care of her in these situations."

"So during the day... were you hiding something from us?" Zhang Lao Er asked, somewhat uneasy.

"It's nothing serious, but the Empress's sudden death is a big deal. We definitely need to be extra careful during this sensitive time. With me here, Mother will be fine," Zhang Ping'an explained gently.

Judging from what happened this afternoon, he felt that the situation wasn't as bad as he had thought.

Although the Empress's death was indeed sudden, it was actually advantageous to him, at least for the time being he no longer had to worry about his own safety.

The family chatted until late at night before going to sleep.

The next day, Zhang Ping'an entered the palace early again, and this time Zhou Ziming appeared.

The terminally ill emperor seemed to have aged ten years overnight, leaving only a withered body that could no longer support his dragon robe. Only his eyes still revealed the shrewdness and vigor of his youth.

Zhang Ping'an could clearly sense that Zhou Ziming had become much quieter, and a sense of dejection and listlessness emanated from him.

Even when facing him, the subtle sense of confrontation was greatly reduced.

The funeral proceeded in an orderly manner, with many monks and nuns being invited to the palace to chant scriptures and perform rituals.

Of course, to avoid suspicion, the monks stayed in the square outside the main hall, while only the nuns were allowed to enter the main hall.

Three days passed peacefully, and after the funeral period, Lady Xu was finally able to leave the palace and return home.

Zhang Ping'an waited for her at the palace gate.

But Xu was not as happy as he had expected.

Exhausted, yet also tinged with fear and unease.

"What's wrong, Mother?" Zhang Ping'an frowned and asked quickly.

"Let's talk about it once we get in the car!" Xu said in a low voice.

After getting on the bus, Zhang Ping'an realized that his mother's hands were ice cold and had no warmth at all.

"What happened, Mom? Don't scare me."

After a long silence, Madam Xu said in a low voice, "I saw your third sister. She's not dead."

A thunderclap struck on a sunny day.

But Zhang Ping'an seemed to sense something and asked in return, "Has she become a nun now?"

"How did you know?" Xu asked in astonishment.