According to the practice of the founding of the dynasty for more than 100 years, the 100-day memorial of the former emperor was not a particularly grand royal ceremony. As said in the "Book of Filial Piety", when parents are mourned, those who are sons of men should keep filial piety for three years. However, for the emperor, who has a lot of opportunities, three years is inevitably too long.

Since the emperor could not really keep filial piety for the deceased emperor and the empress dowager for three years, there were so-called well-educated people and ministers of the court who were well-educated and courtiers in order to cater to the holy will, and concoctuated many reasons for the emperor, and the period of filial piety for the former emperor and the empress dowager was constantly shortened, and it was shortened from three years to one year, and then to three months, until it was shortened to 3721.

According to this new statement, from the day of the death of the former emperor or the queen mother, once the three sevens are out, everything can be restored to normal in the court and the palace...... It seems that it is already a new dynasty and a new atmosphere, and the existing sad atmosphere of the whole country has completely disappeared.

However, this year's 100-day commemoration of the former emperor has become particularly eye-catching because of the willingness of Concubine Li's mother and daughter to be buried as the former emperor.

Although the martyrdom of wives and concubines and the martyrdom of children and fathers have existed in ancient times, they have occurred in the royal family, and it is a unique thing at least in the more than 100 years since the establishment of this dynasty.

The day after the emperor learned the news of the martyrdom of Concubine Li and the eldest princess of Changning, he was moved in his heart and immediately issued a holy decree: on the day of the 100th death of the emperor, the emperor will personally lead the harem concubines, court nobles, civil and military officials and other people to Nannei to personally send the funeral of the concubine's mother and daughter to the funeral, so as to show his deeds.

In this way, in the eyes of the civil and military forces of the Jiang Dynasty, and even the people living in Chang'an City, the 100-day ceremony of the former emperor, which turned out to be just a scene, became extraordinarily grand.

However, just three days earlier, Li Jinzhong had personally brought him into the Yanying Palace, and a message about the blatant erection of the banner of King Ying in the camp of the rebel army in Puzhou had put the emperor in a dilemma.

If the news that Li Shu, the king of Jiangling, had taken refuge in the rebels in Puzhou, then not only would the emperor's eldest son, King Mu, who had placed high hopes on him to revive the imperial family, be very likely to have suffered an accident, but what made the emperor feel very embarrassed and lose face was that in this way, the real reason for the suicide of the concubine's mother and daughter was almost certain to say that it was to send a warning to the relatives outside Chang'an City to prevent the king of Jiangling from returning to Beijing.

And if all this is true, wouldn't the emperor know that Concubine Li's mother and daughter were friends and foes, and still have to come to Nannei to give her a funeral? Even before he ascended to the pole, in front of his former rival Empress Zhang, how could he endure such a shameful humiliation?

On the night when he received the news that King Jiangling had defected to the rebels, the emperor tossed and turned in the Yaohua Palace, almost sleepless all night, so that Wanrong shyly told him that he was pregnant again, but it did not make his mood improve in the slightest.

The next morning, after a night of repeated deliberation, the emperor finally made a difficult decision: the 100-day sacrifice of the former emperor would continue as usual, and he would still drive to Nannei to give a funeral to Fuling, the biological mother of the rebel leader.

Today is the day of the 100-day festival.

It was still the fourth watch, the sky was slightly dark, and the emperor had already woken up with burning eyes and no sleepiness. He turned over from the bed and sat up, and whispered to Wanrong, who slept on the same bed and was awakened by him, but still full of sleepiness: "There are many people in Nannei today, and it is too lively, so you have a person with a body, and you don't have to accompany me to go over at dawn." Stay in the palace and rest for yourself. ”

Wanrong struggled to sit up from the bed, arguing unwillingly, "How can that be done?" If the concubine's body is not tight, it will not be possible to make today's grand ceremony, and the emperor will only be accompanied by Sister Jing alone. Moreover, as the daughter-in-law of her father, the concubine should also go to Nannei in person to fulfill this filial piety. ”

The emperor was worried that the unformed fetus in her womb would be lost, and when he was about to open his mouth to persuade again, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Wang Bao'er standing sideways at the entrance of the hall, looking into the hall with his head probed, so he raised his voice and shouted at him and asked, "You slave, what are you doing standing alone and secretly at the entrance of the palace?" If you have something, just come in and talk back. ”

Wang Bao'er listened to the emperor's call, hurriedly trotted into the hall, knelt down far away from the dragon couch, and kowtowed again and again: "The little one should be damned, the little one has no long eyes, and it disturbed the long-lived Lord and Niangniang." It's just that half an hour ago, Concubine Hui's phoenix has arrived outside the palace to wait, and Gonggong Wu is now accompanying her, and the little one doesn't dare to ask Concubine Hui to wait outside the palace for a long time, just to come in and see ......if the long-lived Lord and Niangniang have woken up."

"Xuan'er is more concerned about his father's 100-day ritual than me." The emperor motioned to Ying'er, who was standing on the side, to change his clothes, and instructed, "Wang Bao'er, in this way, you can go to the Zilan Hall now and tell Ashina and Zheng Jieyu that Concubine Li is unwell and cannot accompany me to Nannei to participate in the ceremony, regardless of which of them you want, you will accompany me as you wish, and immediately come to Yaohua Palace to wait." ”

Wang Bao'er lay on the ground but didn't move, raised her head, and asked boldly: "If the two mothers are willing to go, the little one doesn't know how to reply in front of them, and I ask the master to make it clear." ”

"Then call them along." The emperor replied casually, and when he saw that Wang Bao'er still hesitated to leave after getting up, he asked strangely, "What else do you have to go back?" ”

Wang Bao'er replied with a smirk on her face: "Just outside the palace gate, Jing Niangniang once asked the little one about Xing'er's whereabouts. In the past two days, the little messenger has made a detailed inquiry to the prison army guarding the twelve gates of Chang'an City, and only one of the defenders at the Anyuan Gate in the north of the city has seen a young man of the same age as Lai Xing'er riding out of the city gate at noon two days ago, and he doesn't know where to go. The little one is afraid that you are worried about this in your heart, so you will go back and forth first. ”

"Hmm. After today's deed, you will send someone to Anyuan Gate for twelve hours to guard me, and as soon as you see Lai Xing'er returning to the city, immediately tie him up to see me. The emperor was reminded by Wang Bao'er, and then remembered that once he found out that Lai Xing'er had disappeared in the palace, he did make a will, asking Wang Bao'er to find out the specific whereabouts of Lai Xing'er as soon as possible and arrest him back to the palace. At this time, I heard him say that he had a clue, so he took the green salt from Sakura's hand and rinsed his mouth, while indistinctly commanding.

"The little one obeys." Wang Bao'er agreed crisply, turned around and walked out of the dormitory like a gust of wind, and ran to the Zilan Hall to pass the message to the two Jieyu.

"The concubine heard that Lai Xing'er had returned to Chang'an from Luo, why did she disappear in the palace again? The concubine has long said that this kid's origin is unknown, which is really reassuring. If he finds him in a few days, what does the emperor plan to do with him? Wanrong has always been dissatisfied with the emperor's reuse of Xing'er, and took the opportunity to ask. (To be continued.) )