Chapter 611 610 Preparation for Succession

Chapter 611 610 Preparation for Succession

"Yifu, you'd better come with me and go back to the palace. You are the Minister of Rites. You should be presiding over His Majesty's funeral in the palace at this time."

This visit to Prince Yu's Mansion was actually the cabinet's invitation to Prince Yu to enter the palace. On the one hand, he would preside over the funeral of Emperor Jiajing, and on the other hand, he would prepare for the enthronement ceremony.

The imperial edict has been shown to King Yu, and as expected, of course it states that King Yu will succeed Dabao.

The edict will be announced to the Fengxian Palace tomorrow after King Yu officially enters the palace, and then promulgated to the world.

By this time, everything was in accordance with the court system. Officials like Wei Guangde and Yin Shizhen who did not have real power in the court actually had nothing to do, that is, accompany the new emperor, King Yu.

Talk to him more and don't think too much.

After Chen Yiqin nodded, Gao Gong said to Yin Shizhen and Wei Guangde: "You will rest temporarily in the palace tonight, and I will ask Li Fang to prepare a room for you."

At this time, Gao Gong had no idea that he had entered the court as an official. He still regarded the palace as his one-third of an acre of land and made arrangements directly.

Wei Guangde turned his head and had no intention of arguing with Gao Gong, although he felt uncomfortable.

Yin Shizhen was similar to him. Although he was dissatisfied, he did not show it. He just nodded casually, seemingly agreeing.

Although Wei Guangde has not returned home for two days, his family must know that there is such a big commotion in the capital today.

He is in Prince Yu's Mansion, and Prince Yu will soon become the emperor, and his mother and wife should be happy to see it happen.

Gao Gong left with Xu Jie and others, and Chen Yiqin also followed. He came here for the purpose of checking the preparations of Prince Yu's Mansion.

The palace was well prepared and did not panic, which made Chen Yiqin very satisfied.

And he also knew that His Majesty had met His Highness and the Crown Prince at the last moment today, so he was no longer worried.

Now as long as the funeral of Emperor Daxing is done and the affairs of the new dynasty are prepared, the affairs of the Ministry of Rites will be very busy during this period.

In the evening, King Yu still didn't want to eat, but after the persuasion of Yin Shizhen, Wei Guangde and others, he finally started to eat.

Wei Guangde could only tell Li Fang quietly to bring more pastries and other snacks with him.

In the next few days, King Yu's life will not be easy.

Jinyiwei North Town Fusi Dungeon.

The transmission speed of Jin Yiwei's news is no slower than that of the official circles of the Ming Dynasty. After all, many of them are closest to the palace and know many things inside.

"I heard that the new emperor will pardon Hai Rui."

"I also heard about this. This old man Hai is really lucky. He was imprisoned and interrogated for two days. After that, he was given good food and drink. Those who didn't know it thought he was the uncle he invited back."

"What did I say when I came down with the order from above? This man should not have been killed. Otherwise, he would have been made to go through various torture instruments in the torture chamber."

"It should be in the past few days that we make some arrangements so that he can think of us well when he leaves. We have not treated him badly."

Several jailers were chatting together. There were no serious criminals in the prison. There were a few criminals who had committed crimes and were waiting for the emperor to be punished.

Those people had already confessed their crimes and had nothing to say. That was Hai Rui who dared to talk back to Qianhu and Zhenfu. He was not afraid of death.

The jailers still have a little respect for this kind of person, because he did it without any trouble.

Anyone else would have been beaten to pieces.

So, Hai Rui was miserable tonight.

After taking back the food box and taking out the sumptuous dinner, Hai Rui didn't move his chopsticks for a long time.

There are four dishes, one soup and five dishes, including fish, meat and chicken soup. The other two plates are vegetarian dishes. The most important thing is that there is a jug of wine. This is the standard configuration of the last supper for death row prisoners.

Yes, when Hai Rui saw the sumptuous food and wine tonight, he thought he would be dragged out and beheaded in public tomorrow.

Not to mention that if the emperor wants to kill someone before the Autumn Judgment, there is no need to wait for the Autumn Queen to kill the imperial prisoners. They can kill them whenever they want.

In fact, a person's mentality will change at any time due to changes in the environment.

When he first entered "Public Security", he was really determined to die. It could be said that he would die if he didn't succeed. This was why he had prepared the coffin.

But the next few months were uneventful, and Emperor Jiajing did not get angry and punish him.

Especially during this period, many officials who had barely spoken to him before intentionally or unintentionally chatted with him and established friendship with him, which made his life very nourishing.

Although there was no positive news from the palace and Emperor Jiajing still went his own way, Hai Rui really didn't want to die at this time.

It is better to live than to die, so why must we ask for death?

He also vaguely felt something from the changes in the people around him during this period. He seemed to have become the representative of Qingliu inadvertently.

Of course, I can't be called a leader yet.

When interacting with those Jinshi, he could still feel their subtle contempt for him.

After all, he was born in Juren.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, he was eventually caught. While he was still on duty at the household department, a group of Jinyi guards rushed in like wolves and tigers and took him away.

After interrogating him for two days, he was finally thrown into this prison and ignored.

After being imprisoned for so long, the jailer brought this sumptuous table of food and wine today. Hai Rui thought that today was not his birthday, nor was it an important day, so it could only be the last meal in his life: decapitation meal.

Hai Rui couldn't eat, so it was the same for Prince Yu in Prince Yu's palace.

No matter who it is, if his father is gone, this may be the case.

Only time may allow him to gradually recover.

Half an hour later, the jailer came to collect the food box. He stood outside the cell and looked inside. The food and wine had not been touched. Hai Rui just sat there in a daze, not picking up the food and bringing the food box over.

"Huang San, come here."

The jailer shouted to the jailer at the entrance of the alley.

"what's up?"

Huang San came over slowly and asked.

"Open the cell door. There seems to be something wrong with Mr. Hai inside."

The jailer who delivered the meal said.

"Really? It was fine before."

Huang San walked to the cell door and looked inside, and was shocked.

Although the light was dim, they had long been accustomed to the environment in the dungeon, and they could see that the food and wine had not been touched.

With the sound of turning keys, Huang found the three keys and quickly opened the cell and entered.

Hai Rui remained motionless as if he hadn't noticed any of these movements.

Arriving in front of Hai Rui, Huang Sanban knelt down and looked over. Only then did Hai Rui's eyes move, but she just stared at him.

Although he was reluctant to admit it, Huang San's heart trembled because he was actually being stared at by Hai Rui.

"Master Hai, these food and wine are not to your liking?"

Huang San asked bravely.

Hai Rui didn't answer, but still stared at him.

"Come on, you don't even have two meals in this prison. I thought I would prepare something for you before you leave. If you don't want to eat, forget it."

Although Huang San didn't know what was going on with Hai Rui, he didn't want to waste the food and wine on the table, so he called to the person next to him: "Master Hai doesn't want to eat, then let's eat."

"What do you mean when you say I haven't had a single meal in prison?"

A low voice sounded, it was Hai Rui who asked.

"You have stayed in the prison for a long enough time. You should be out soon, in the next two days."

The jailer said casually.

"Why was I released? I scolded His Majesty."

Hai Rui asked.

In order to avoid trouble in Fusi Prison in Beizhen, Hai Rui was directly detained in the dungeon, so the bells that kept echoing outside could not be heard here at all.

"The late emperor passed away today. No one will chop off your head again. I was still thinking about it."

Huang San said casually, but stopped suddenly when he said this.

"Wait, what did you say? Your Majesty... no! Ah."

When Hai Rui heard the news of Emperor Jiajing's death, he did not show any joy. Instead, he was very sad and retched.

"Master Hai, you are fine now. You should be happy. Why are you crying?"

The jailer was unhappy when he saw Hai Rui like this. The two quickly packed up the food and drinks without bothering to pay attention to him.

When he locked the cell again, he not only spat, "Students are hypocritical."

It doesn't matter who is the emperor, as long as the emperor doesn't fire them.

Not long after they left, Hai Rui, who was retching, finally calmed down. Not only did he start whimpering, but he also wailed twice from time to time, making the prison restless all night long.

For a scholar like Hai Rui, being an official naturally meant making decisions for the people and working hard for the country. When he saw Emperor Jiajing behaving recklessly, he risked his life to remonstrate, and he had to be scolded when he deserved it.

But in his bones, the idea of ​​loyalty to the emperor and patriotism had already penetrated deep into his bones. When he heard that the emperor passed away, he naturally couldn't help but cry sadly.

Many people in later generations regarded the ministers crying for the emperor at this time as acting. In fact, it was not the case. Perhaps only those officials who were half buried in the earth would have this idea. Most officials would cry because of the emperor's death.

Loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom and trust have been repeatedly mentioned by their teachers since they were in school. They have been more or less integrated into their bones and connected with their blood.

Only those who know destiny will understand that death is what it is and no one can escape it.

In the early morning in Beijing, heavy snow fell last night, turning the entire city into white.

The gate of Prince Yu's Mansion has been opened. Prince Yu wore the black-winged benevolent crown, green cloth robe, and black horn belt that had been prepared long ago and walked out of the palace and got on the carriage that had been prepared.

Yin Shizhen, Wei Guangde and others followed him and got into the carriage behind him.

Although the guards at the front and rear of today's motorcade were still fully dressed, they were also wrapped in plain clothes.

When they arrived outside Dong'an Gate, the motorcade stopped. King Yu got out of the car, carried the mourning utensils, and walked into the imperial city.

Walking from Dong'anmen to the Palace of Qianqing, he took off his crown, robes, and hair, kowtowed in front of the royal palace and cried. Only then did he give orders to the palace people, and officials inside and outside the gates stayed guard to pay their respects.

Emperor Daxing sent an announcement to the Fengxian Hall, issued a posthumous edict to the world, reported the obituary to the kings of the clan, strictly guarded the capital, and ordered the Ministry of Rites to meet with the Hanlin Academy to discuss the funeral etiquette.

This is what King Yu will do on the first day he enters the palace, and the Ministry of Rites has also prepared to hold a funeral ceremony for the Daxing Emperor. After all, this is a routine, and the so-called meeting of the Hanlin Academy of the Ministry of Rites is actually a formality.

On the second day, the Ministry of Rites conducted a grand funeral ceremony for the emperor, with detailed requirements for the ministers in Beijing, the ladies of each family, and what the military and civilians needed to do.

When Wei Guangde and the others left the palace, they were still sighing that there were so many etiquettes. From tomorrow on, he would be like other ministers, wearing plain clothes, black gauze hat, black horns, and crying outside Sishan's door. After that, those who were supposed to go to work would continue to go to work.

Wei Guangde doesn't need to go to the school recording hall these days. This is the order of King Yu, asking him to come to the palace every day.

Fortunately, he was only a fourth-rank official now. If he was promoted to a third-rank official, his wife would also come to Sishan and cry for three days.

After that, the funeral of Emperor Jiajing was carried out according to the rites and instructions. The first thing Wei Guangde did when he entered the palace every day was to look at the arrangements for the day, and then pick out the key points and discuss them with King Yu.

King Yu was in the mourning hall that day, and Wei Guangde came out to get some air. He saw Chen Yiqin walking quickly towards this side with a gauze hat wrapped in cloth, a hanging belt, plain clothes, a waistband, and hemp shoes.

In fact, all the officials are dressed like this these days, even if they return to the Yamen office after crying.

"Shuntian Mansion has been prepared. Tomorrow is the time when civil and military officials, soldiers and civilians, and elderly people will come in with instructions."

After walking up to Wei Guangde, Chen Yiqin whispered to him.

"Okay, then what officials will be mainly involved tomorrow?"

When the emperor succeeds to the throne, even if he has no choice as King Yu, he has to persuade him three times before he agrees. This is already a ritual.

Every time they persuade people to join, not only officials are involved, but the government also has to find representatives from the private sector, that is, young and middle-aged people and the elderly with innocent family backgrounds to participate.

"Tomorrow I will lead the group. They will mainly be officials of the rank of Vice Minister and the Earl of Beijing and other nobles. The rest will be those selected by Shuntian Mansion."

Chen Yiqin said in a low voice, "In the future, the six ministers and nine ministers will participate. The Marquis in Beijing will also be present. The people will change a group of people. Shuntian Mansion has made arrangements."

The last time to persuade him to come forward was, of course, another visit from the cabinet, ministers, and princes in Beijing and other dignitaries and people. This time, King Yu had to agree half-heartedly.

"Is there anything else to do today?"

Wei Guangde nodded and asked in a low voice.

"How are His Highness's crown robes prepared? Gao Shangshu asked me to ask."

Chen Yiqin replied.

Mianfu is the name of a dress in ancient China.

It is said to have appeared in the Xia Dynasty. It mainly consists of a crown, Xuanyi, a robe, a large white belt, a yellow kneecap, a plain gauze singlet, and a red waistcoat. It was the dress worn by the emperor in ancient times for major ceremonies.

The shoulders of Xuanyi are woven with sun, moon and dragon patterns; the back is woven with stars and mountain patterns; the sleeves are woven with fire, Chinese insects and Zongyi patterns. There are two patterns each of 𫄸shang weaving algae, pink rice, 黼 and 黼, which are the so-called "twelve coats of arms" patterns.

In addition, there are mid laners and knee coverings. Uniformly woven with algae, pink rice, embroidery, and embroidery patterns. In addition, there are six-colored large and small ribbons of yellow, white, red, black, pear and green, jade hooks, jade pendants, gold hooks, jade rings, and red socks and trousers.

The crown robe is the most noble dress among all the emperor's attire. It is only worn during major ceremonies. The enthronement ceremony is undoubtedly such an occasion.

"According to Eunuch Huang, it will be corrected within two days."

Mianfu is made of Xuan and Zeng, and the process starts with dyeing silk, which is very complicated. Of course, it will not be made temporarily, and there is no time at all.

Fortunately, there are many sets of crown robes in the inner court, all of which have never been used by Emperor Jiajing and are being modified according to King Yu's body shape.

Naturally, Wei Guangde had asked Huang Jin about these things a long time ago, so there would be no mistakes.