The sound of the death knell soon spread throughout the capital.

The Son of Heaven is dead!

When the people heard the sound of the death knell, they knelt down one by one in the direction of the palace, kowtowing and weeping bitterly. The civil and military officials had already prepared, changed their mourning clothes, and entered the palace to cry.

The eunuchs and relatives of the official eunuchs with the order level also changed their mourning clothes and flocked to the palace together.

The carriage outside the palace gate was discharged for several miles.

However, no one dared to make a noise.

Columns of guards of the Imperial Forest Army in armor stood inside and outside the palace gate, holding sharp blades in their hands, staring closely at the inside and outside of the palace gate. At the slightest movement, they draw their long knives from their waists.

The death of the Son of Heaven is the most chaotic and unstable time in the palace, and it is also the time when it is most likely to cause chaos. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered that 10,000 Imperial Forest soldiers be dispatched to guard the palace.

The officials and ladies who are qualified to enter the palace to cry and mourn the spirits can only enter the palace after their identities are strictly checked. None of the long-term followers or maids around can be brought into the palace.

At dusk, the palace doors were tightly closed.

……

The Son of Heaven Mourning Hall is located in the Baohe Palace.

This is where the Son of Heaven deals with government affairs, and the apse is where the Son of Heaven lives every day. Since a few months ago, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has quietly prepared the funeral materials at the direction of the crown prince.

It is also a loss to have been prepared early, and the Son of Heaven died today, and the mourning hall was arranged within half a day.

Today is the end of the year, and the red palace lamps were originally hung everywhere in the palace, but now they have been taken down, and the palace attendants are wearing mourning clothes, and they are all plain as far as the eye can see.

Emperor Xuanhe was lying in a coffin made of heavy golden silk nanmu, his face was calm, as if he was asleep.

The princes kneeling in the mourning hall were led by the six princes, followed by the royal family of the clan, the noble generals and the civil servants knelt in order according to their ranks.

There is no room for so many people in the mourning hall, and those with lower official positions have to kneel under the eaves of the porch outside. In the cold winter wax moon, the cold wind is cold, and when you kneel for a while, you will be blown cold all over.

However, at this time, no matter how cold and bitter it is, you have to grit your teeth and hold on.

When the Son of Heaven dies, he will stop for forty-nine days. These forty-nine days are also a national mourning, all the people have to mourn for the Son of Heaven, they can't do happy events, they can't listen to songs, they can't have sex with husband and wife, etc., the rules are very cumbersome.

The six princes knelt in front of the coffin and quickly cried hoarsely.

The eldest prince, the fourth prince, and the fifth prince were next to the sixth prince, crying more fiercely than the sixth prince. The Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince were a little further back, and they also cried sadly.

I don't know if they were sad because their father died, or because their mother was about to be martyred.

The inner mourning hall is located in the Jiaofang Temple.

Empress Pei wore a filial piety dress and knelt in the mourning hall. The concubines knelt down one after another according to their ranks, and then there were the ladies of the command.

No matter how old you are and whether your body is weak or not, as long as you have the rank of fate, you have to enter the palace to cry.

For example, the Duchess of Yasukuni, who rarely goes out to see people when she has a minor illness on weekdays and a major illness on five days, but today she also entered the palace tremblingly with the support of her daughter-in-law to cry.

Mrs. Pingguo also came. Compared with the frail and sickly Duchess Yasukuni, the Duchess of Pingguo is much tougher. However, there can be no charcoal basin in the mourning hall, and it is cold. Mrs. Tai knelt for an hour, and then she felt tired all over.

During these forty-nine days, everyone stayed in the palace and wept and could not leave without permission.

It was getting dark very quickly.

The weeping spirit must also eat. The palace dining room prepared white flour steamed buns and warm water. Regardless of the size of the official position, each person has a steamed bun and a bowl of warm water.

Queen Pei didn't eat a bite, just knelt there, her slender back was sad and gloomy.

Concubine Wei Xian, Zheng Jieyu and others, who were kneeling behind Empress Pei, also did not eat.

The funeral has been written into the will, and the four of them will be buried in forty-nine days. They only have forty-nine days left in their lives.

No amount of resentment, no amount of anger, no amount of unwillingness, is useless. Of course, the taste of waiting to die is very uncomfortable, but what else can they do?

They can't hide, and they can't hide. In order for their sons to live, they must die.

Zheng Jieyu's expression was numb, and there was no sadness in her eyes, only hatred.

Concubine Wei Xian's eyes were red and swollen, and she bit her lip hard from time to time, and her lips were almost bitten off.

The biological mother of the seventh prince and the biological mother of the eighth prince were not much better, and their bodies kept trembling.

Concubine Gu Shu's eyes were also swollen from crying, she got up and went to Queen Pei's side, and whispered comfort: "The emperor died, and the mother was sad and sad in her heart." No matter how sad you are, you have to eat something. Otherwise, how will we survive the next 49 days? ”

Yu Meiren also wiped her tears and persuaded Queen Pei in a low voice: "Niang Niang Feng is weak, if you want to survive the forty-nine days of vigil, you have to eat." ”

Empress Pei didn't hear it, and knelt in a daze, unaware of the passage of time.

Gu Shufei and Yu Meiren couldn't persuade them, so they had no choice but to stop.

……

The physicians also had to kneel.

Their official positions are not high, and all civil and military officials kneel outside the Baohe Palace. Cheng Jinrong is the only exception. She couldn't rest assured that Queen Pei would kneel in the Jiaofang Palace.

The Lady of the Decree is occasionally noticed, and she will not talk much.

The Son of Heaven died, and soon, the crown prince would ascend the throne as the new emperor.

He Qi is the prince's confidant, and Cheng Jinrong and the prince are like sisters and brothers. Queen Pei's favor and love for Cheng Jinrong is well known. It's too late for everyone to show goodwill, who is going to talk more.

Cheng Jinrong ate the steamed bun tastelessly.

After it was completely dark, the crying in the mourning hall gradually became quieter. The palace people quietly led the ladies to the empty house and slept for two hours. On the fifth watch, he continued to kneel.

Otherwise, if you really keep kneeling, no one will be able to bear it. Within a few days, the knee was broken by his knees.

When it came to the third watch, there were only a few concubines left in the mourning hall. The queen hasn't rested yet, and the concubines naturally have to kneel together.

There are fewer people, and Cheng Jinrong can finally see Queen Pei's figure.

The delicate back was overflowing with sadness.

Cheng Jinrong's eyes were a little warm. She silently lowered her eyes to hide the sadness in her eyes.

Emperor Xuanhe finally died, and she didn't feel relieved. The heart is heavy, as if it is pressing a thousand catties of boulders, and the breathing is not smooth.

Empress Pei finally moved.

Yu Meiren, who was kneeling on the side, quickly stepped forward to support Queen Pei: "Niangniang has been kneeling for so long, it is time to rest." ”

Queen Pei didn't mean to sleep, she turned her head and said to the concubines: "You all go and rest for two hours, and the palace can kneel here." ”

The concubines were already tired and responded lowly.

Zheng Jieyu was still numb, and was helped away by the palace maid.

It was Concubine Wei Xian, with a strong resentment in her eyes, staring directly at Queen Pei.

It's all because of her. Emperor Xuanhe will make a few of them martyred! They are all women of the Son of Heaven, she is a treasure, are they just grass?