In the past month, the emperor's illness has become more and more serious. Therefore, for the death of the emperor, the court and the ceremonial supervisors in the palace, and the internal officials and supervisors have been prepared, and after the emperor's death, the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the eunuchs in the palace began to act in an orderly manner.

Set up a mourning hall in the palace, arrange the palace, cleanse the emperor, prepare mourning clothes for the courtiers, and so on.

As soon as Fang Zheng walked out of the door of the dormitory, he saw Wen Sen with red eyes, holding a white mourning dress, putting it on for him without saying a word, and finally tied a white silk ribbon for him around his waist.

Fang Zheng took a deep breath, the deceased is gone, what he is doing now is just a formality, acting for the living, the only thing that makes him feel a little relieved is that the emperor walked very peacefully after all, and he has no regrets.

"What about the prince?" Fang Zheng looked left and right, but did not find the figure of the fat man, only a group of ministers wearing mourning clothes, kneeling under the corridor in front of the dormitory. Crying so hard that I was overwhelmed with grief.

"When the emperor died, the prince fainted from crying, and woke up after being treated by the imperial doctor, and then he was taken to Jingyang Palace by a group of officials of the Ministry of Rites to arrange the deployment of a funeral ceremony." Vinson replied respectfully.

"Where's Changping?"

"Her Royal Highness the princess was extremely grief-stricken, and the prince was worried that she would hurt the child in her belly, so he forced the eunuchs in the palace to send her back to the lord's mansion."

Fang Zheng nodded, this is okay, if you have fulfilled your filial piety before your death, you don't have to make do with the funeral of Nalao Shizi after the emperor's death, which makes the living uncomfortable and the dead uneasy.

The forbidden soldiers in the palace were also covered with a layer of white veil outside the armor, and the lanterns, flowers, trees, and even the roof of the palace were covered with white veil, and the entire palace was shrouded in a depressing gloomy mist.

All the ministers knelt in front of the dormitory and wept very much, and the eunuchs of the internal officials and eunuchs went in and out, busy cleaning and changing clothes for the emperor and carrying them into the coffin. Not long after, a group of monks and Taoists dressed as people entered the palace from the north palace gate, and began to build the altar spirit platform on the square in front of the dormitory, for the emperor to exceed.

Fang Zheng sighed. The ancients attached great importance to etiquette, especially the death of the emperor, which was carried out in a grand and extravagant manner, but what is the point of doing this? When the emperor was alive, you didn't let him worry about it, and when he died, he was not at peace, looking at those ministers kneeling on the ground and crying, Fang Zheng didn't know why, and a ridiculous feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

Feeling that his sleeve was being pulled, Fang Zheng turned around, but saw that the little princess of Changle was holding her invincible magic weapon donation box, looking up at herself with her chubby little face in her eyes.

Fang Zheng felt a pain in his heart, bent down and picked up the little princess, looked left and right, and said angrily: "Which little princess is taken care of by the slave?" How did you get her here? ”

Fang Zheng is an important minister of the first emperor, and he has a good relationship with the new emperor, and he is also the princess's concubine, a hereditary marquis, it is conceivable that when the new emperor ascends the throne, he will become the auxiliary minister of the new dynasty. The greater the authority.

Therefore, as soon as Fang Zheng was angry, the eunuchs and palace maids who followed the little princess were so frightened that they knelt down, and they didn't dare to say a word.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law...... Father, what's wrong with him? The little princess's chubby little hands wiped her tears, and her little face was full of sadness.

Fang Zheng looked at her, his heart was full of pity, from Changping's mouth, he knew that Changle was born by Concubine Li of the harem, Concubine Li had a difficult birth when she gave birth to her, and died after giving birth to her, so the emperor has always been very doting on her, even the ministers of civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty liked this little princess who was only five years old, so that the little princess was holding the donation box in the solemn Jinluan Hall to ask Fang Zheng for money, and the ministers and officials of the Manchu Dynasty did not care, but spoiled her to mess around in the Jinluan Palace.

Now that the emperor has also died, the little child has become a fatherless and motherless orphan, although she is a princess with golden branches and jade leaves, but how can the dignity of status make up for the lack of family affection?

"Little princess, your father is ...... He was tired, so he wanted to get a long night's sleep, maybe for many years......" Fang Zheng endured his grief and said softly.

"Is my father so tired that he wants to sleep because he has no money?" No matter how elf Changle is, he is only a five-year-old child, and he has a vague concept of life and death, and he intuitively thinks that his father may be tired because of lack of money.

Biting his lip and thinking for a while, Changle patted the donation box in his hand and said generously: "I will give all the money to my father." Father will wake up, right? “

Fang Zheng smiled bitterly and sighed: "No, no matter how much money you have, your father won't be able to wake up......"

Changle's little face was suddenly full of disappointment, and his clear eyes were full of tears: "It turns out that money can't buy everything......"

Fang Zheng smiled: "Yes, money is not everything, so, little princess, you might as well give me all the money, and I will keep it for you." ”

Changle immediately vigilantly hugged the donation box tightly in his arms, and stared at Fang Zheng with big eyes defensively: "You want to cheat children out of money?" ”

Fang Zheng opened his mouth and stammered: "No...... No, I didn't mean that......"

Changle's eyes were full of accusations: "You not only cheated the children out of their money, but also wanted to quibble......"

“…………”

Why did this little guy become so shrewd when he encountered something related to money?

Fang Zheng laughed with the little princess for a while, the little princess was in a much better mood, the death of her father, for a five-year-old child, it was really difficult to experience much grief, Fang Zheng teased her for a while, she giggled, and finally Fang Zheng ordered the eunuch palace maid to send her to Fang's mansion to be with Changping. It's more reassuring for the sisters to stay together.

Looking at the large group of eunuchs and palace maids who were sincerely frightened and hugged Changle away, Fang Zheng couldn't help but sigh, he planned to have a good talk with the fat man after the funeral, and take Changle from the deep palace to the Fang Mansion to live, although this is not in line with the etiquette system, but it is much better than a little girl hiding in a cold and uncared palace, the Fang family has a father and mother, and Changping Yanran and them, I believe that they will take good care of the little princess.

I don't know how long later, the officials of the Ministry of Rites came out surrounded by fat people. The mourning hall has been erected, and the main hall is located in the main hall of the Golden Luang Temple. The fat man looked in a trance, the tears in his eyes had dried, standing in front of the dormitory square, like a puppet, letting the eunuchs put on filial piety clothes for him, seeing Fang Zheng, the fat man's expression finally had a little warmth, nodded to Fang Zheng, and Fang Zheng also smiled at him from afar. Two friends who share the same suffering, at this time, silence is better than sound, and between the eyes meeting, words of comfort and persuasion are no longer necessary.

The funeral ceremony is very cumbersome, the fat man is dressed in filial piety clothes, and his expression is indifferent to the officials of the Ministry of Rites, kneeling in front of the mourning hall, telling him to cry and crying, and kowtowing to him.

Fang Zheng, as a second-class minister and the emperor's son-in-law, must kneel in the mourning hall with the ministers, crying again and again, but unlike when he sent the emperor to the end, Fang Zheng was purely fake crying at this time. People die like lights going out, no matter how sad they cry here and now, the emperor will not feel it, the so-called funeral ceremony is completely a play for the ministers and the world, Fang Zheng will not be as sad as when he was in the palace.

"Whoa...... Old Wen, woo, get me some water to drink, my throat is a little hoarse......" Fang Zheng cried and instructed Wen Sen, who was kneeling behind him.

"Wow woo woo...... My lord, where are my subordinates going to find water for you at this time? Whining. The officials are all staring at it, woo, when the subordinates get up, they will definitely participate in the next subordinate...... Whining. Vinson didn't cry very sincerely.

"Wow woo woo...... It's so***inhuman! Are these officials full of food? Woo, Lao Wen, after this matter is over, ask the brothers to collect the evidence of a few officials and pull out a few Sven scum...... Woo, let people not live, even water is not allowed to drink......"

"Don't worry, my lord, my subordinates will definitely make my brothers investigate carefully, woo, my subordinates don't believe that these officials are clean......" Vinson cried and gritted his teeth.

In the middle of a word, the two immoral spy leaders stared at the officials who were crying in the mourning hall for the trivial matter of drinking water.

At this moment, a figure rushed into the mourning hall quickly, knelt on the gold brick floor dozens of steps away, knelt all the way to the emperor's coffin, climbed in front of the coffin, desperately hugged the coffin and cried, crying miserably, making people heartbroken.

When the ministers who were guarding the spirit saw this person crying, it was as if he had aroused his emotions of grief and grief, and the entire mourning hall was filled with a torrent of painful weeping.

Fang Zheng and Wen Sen knelt on the side and cried hoarsely, their hands still pounding the ground vigorously, looking at the appearance of these two people, it seemed that they would faint if they couldn't breathe.

"Wow woo woo...... Who is the guy who is holding the coffin and crying? Crying so sadly, as if his own father was dead......" Fang Zheng muttered to Vincent as he cried.

"Woo...... My lord, it's true that his own father died...... Woo, don't you know him? He is His Royal Highness the King of Thailand, and it looks like he has just rushed back to the capital......"

"Huh? It's really his own father...... Ah! Fang Zheng hurriedly knelt in front of the coffin, and stared at it, sure enough, it was the King of Thailand, who was lying on the coffin, crying so that his eyes were red and swollen, and he was full of tears.

"Brother Three Emperors, mourning!" The fat man also walked up to the King of Thailand, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him with a choked voice.

"Brother Huang, I'm a step late!" The king of Thailand turned around and hugged the fat man and cried: "I haven't been able to see my father for the last time, I'm not filial!" Father! Why did you leave in such a hurry, you didn't even have time to take a last look at Erchen, the regret in Erchen's heart was like a huge * monstrous, at this time, how painful! ”

Fang Zheng leaned aside and cried: "His Royal Highness the King of Thailand take care of himself, the emperor died, the whole country grieves, a generation of Ming Jun Holy Emperor, this is the misfortune of the country, His Royal Highness the King of Thailand, woo, the pain of the minister, no less than His Royal Highness!" ”

The King of Thailand turned his head to look, and saw Fang Zheng kneeling beside him crying breathlessly, he suddenly became more and more sad, turned around and hugged Fang Zheng again, and cried: "Lord Fang has a heart, my father is in the spirit of heaven, if I know that Lord Fang is such a loyal minister, my father will be relieved and smile......

Fang Zheng heard the words and hugged the king of Thailand tightly, and the two of them hugged their heads in the middle of the mourning hall and cried bitterly, a handful of snot and tears, and the feelings of pain and sorrow moved and respected the ministers of civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty. The courtiers reused by the first emperor were really loyal, and the first emperor didn't see the wrong person.

Only the fat man knew Fang Zheng's temperament well, and when he saw Fang Zheng crying, his fat face couldn't help twitching, and then he turned around and returned to the right position of guarding the soul of the first emperor, and Fang Zheng was free to play.

After a long time, the eunuch of the celebrant came forward and finally persuaded the grief-stricken two, the eunuch helped the king of Thailand to go down to change his filial piety clothes, and Fang Zheng wiped his tears and returned to the court, still sobbing and choking.

"Woo, please mourn, take care of yourself! Whining...... Hey? My lord, what do you have in your hand? Wen Sen looked at the green jade pendant in Fang Zheng's hand and asked curiously.

Fang Zheng wiped his tears with grief, and when he heard this, he looked down at his hand, and then cried sadly: "...... Woo, this seems to be the jade pendant worn by His Royal Highness the King of Thailand...... Whining. ”

"Why is the jade pendant of the King of Thailand in your hand?" Vinson wondered.

"Woo...... I don't know? He hugged me and cried, and I hugged him and cried...... Woo, isn't that easy, I'll take it off......"

Wen Sen's head was full of black lines, and Man Lingtang cried miserably, you actually have the leisure to lead the sheep and steal the jade pendant of the King of Thailand, your adult is really a talent......

Wen Sen couldn't help but worry about the Manchu civil and military forces in this mourning hall, and the ministers were sad and weeping, but they were afraid that they would have to raise some spirits, taking into account fire prevention and theft prevention, and the adults worked hard......

"Your Excellency...... Why don't you give it back...... It wouldn't be good if the King of Thailand found out that the jade pendant was missing......" Vinson smiled bitterly as he wiped his sweat.

Fang Zheng burst into tears, staring at Wen Sen with his red and swollen eyes, as if he had seen the enemy who killed his father.

"Uh...... It's yours, this jade pendant is yours, there is no owner, when the virtuous live in ......it," Wen Sen immediately changed his words.

Fang Zheng turned his anger into relief, and took the jade pendant into his arms without changing his face, then the corners of his mouth twitched, his hands pounded the gold brick floor vigorously, and he began to cry again: "Your Majesty! You are in such a hurry, Weichen is grief-stricken, life is better than death, Emperor! Soul, return! Woohoo lament......"

-----------------------------

In the side hall, the eunuch of the celebrant is changing the filial piety clothes for the king of Thailand.

"Huh? Where is the king's jade pendant? The King of Thailand touched his waist and said in surprise.

The entourage of the King of Thailand said strangely: "Lord, before you entered the palace just now, the little one saw it hanging on your waist with your own eyes......

"That's right, why did this king disappear as soon as he left the palace?"

"The little one will help you find it."

"No need to look for it." After a little thought, the King of Thailand knew what was going on, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

As soon as we met, I touched the king's jade pendant, Fang Zheng, Fang Zheng, you are really capable.

------------------------------

On the day of the small funeral, the various procedures of the funeral rites are carried out in an orderly manner according to the arrangements of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Supervisor.

In the side hall of the Jinluan Palace, Fang Zheng sat on the Taishi chair and gasped for breath, the death of the first emperor, for Fang Zheng, it was a sad thing, but the funeral ceremony of the officials of the Ministry of Rites was such a row, stipulating when the prince and officials should cry and when to worship, it was like a farce that disturbed the dead and tossed the living, so that Fang Zheng's grief was completely gone, and the mechanical numbness was at the mercy of him.

At this time, Fang Zheng was tired of crying, so he withdrew from the mourning hall and sat in the courtroom, staring at the white-clothed palace outside the window with his eyes open, not knowing what he was thinking.

Some ministers appeared in front of Fang Zheng in twos and threes, complimenting and talking a lot of nonsense. Now everyone in the Manchu Dynasty knows that after the crown prince ascends the throne, he will reuse this former classmate and friend of the cloth cloth in trouble, and Fang Zheng's power and official position will be higher and bigger than now, and the position above one person and ten thousand people is not necessarily, depending on how the new emperor arranges it, it is certain that it will not be smaller than now. If you don't shoot Lord Fang's sycophants at this time, when will you stay?

Sent away a group of officials who came to pat the sycophant, Fang Zheng sneered in his heart, Lao Tzu waited for the fat man to ascend the throne, and then resigned to the old man, what is the use of you sycophants coming to pat my sycophants at this time?

As soon as the room was quiet, the curtain outside the door was lifted, and another official stepped in.

Fang Zheng sighed, this is endless, isn't it much more direct for you to shoot the fat man's ass? Why do you have to circle around me?

"This lord, don't worry, I will speak well for you in front of the new emperor, you better let me be quiet......" Fang Zheng said without replying.

"Humph! Lord Fang, this official is not here to pat your ass! The officer who came in snorted heavily.

Fang Zheng looked back in shock, but saw that the person who came was none other than Du Songjun, the head of the household.

"Yo, Du Shangshu, you come to the court in person...... Rest, huh? Fang Zheng was full of smiles and greeted warmly.

Jun Songjun glared at him, and then snorted heavily: "Lord Fang is polite, this official specially came to you." ”

Fang Zheng blinked and said with a smile: "How can the lower official He De, dare to work Du Shangshu to find me in person?" If you shout at the top of your voice, the subordinate will immediately appear in front of you......"

"Humph! I'm afraid that the official won't be able to call you, Lord Fang, since you and I are ministers in the same hall, the official will say something directly. Jun Songjun stared at Fang Zheng and said: "When the emperor was alive, he once had a decree that his lord would hand over all the dirty silver that had been confiscated from the prince's mansion to the treasury, and the official was in charge of the treasury, but he didn't see any action from the lord, may I ask Lord Fang, what do you mean?" ”

Fang Zheng's eyes widened in astonishment: "Du Shangshu, are you mistaken?" Didn't the lower official hand it over? The proceeds of the raid of the prince's mansion have been ordered by the lower officials to hand over all the money to the national treasury, and there is not a penny missing. ”

Jun Songjun's face twitched a few times rapidly, took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart, and said in a deep voice: "Lord Fang, you have to rely on your conscience to speak and do things, the silver you handed over to the treasury has been checked by the official, and it is only 500,000 taels, Lord Fang, are you teasing the official?" ”

Fang Zheng was taken aback: "Du Shangshu, don't give such a big hat to the lower officials, how dare the lower officials tease you?" It's true, the lower officials have indeed all been handed over to the national treasury......"

"Then why is it only 500,000 taels?"

"Well...... Fang Zheng rolled his eyes and said, "Why is it only 500,000 taels......

Jun Songjun's expression froze: "Yes, why is it only 500,000 taels?" ”

"Because...... It was originally only 500,000 taels. ”

Jun Song: "............"