kingnovel Chapter 897 Mountain Collapse
Chapter 897 Mountain Collapse
This caused quite a stir among everyone.
Zhang Ping'an suddenly stood up: "It's the palace's death knell tolling!"
After saying this, he immediately ordered his servants to fetch his outer robe, preparing to enter the palace for an audience.
Based on the frequency and number of chimes just now, the emperor must have passed away.
However, it's not possible to be 100% certain before going to the palace to confirm.
Xu was a titled lady, and Zhang Lao Er had lived in the capital for many years and was now quite knowledgeable, so they both understood what he meant.
They all frowned: "Could it be that His Majesty has passed away?"
"Probably!" Zhang Ping'an said with a sigh.
Such a thing had just happened in the palace, a very sensitive time in itself. Now that the death knell was tolling, no one dared to delay.
Zhang Ping'an didn't even finish his breakfast before changing his clothes and heading out.
When I went out, I saw that my neighbors on both sides had also rushed out, and the coachman had already prepared the carriage at the door.
Normally, neighbors might greet each other and chat for a bit, but now they can only nod in acknowledgment, or even cautiously pretend they didn't see each other.
When the waters are not calm, self-preservation is the best policy.
Zhang Ping'an lived relatively close to the capital, so he was considered early when he arrived at the palace gate.
Only after asking the guards at the gate did they confirm that it was indeed His Majesty who had passed away.
"When did this happen?" Zhang Ping'an asked in a deep voice.
The guard's expression was also not good. "Reporting to you, sir, just three-quarters of an hour ago, His Majesty suddenly collapsed while having breakfast with the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin. By the time the imperial physician arrived, His Majesty had already passed away!"
The guards could not say anything more.
Zhang Ping'an didn't make things difficult for him, assuming that was all the other party knew.
After a night of cleaning and tidying, the palace is now exactly the same as before, with no trace of the fighting from last night.
When they arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Grand Tutor Qian and his family had already arrived and were kneeling outside the hall.
Several other important court officials who lived closer to the capital also arrived.
The King of Qin was instructing the palace servants to change the funeral banners.
There were also people specifically assigned to bathe, change clothes, and place jade in the mouth of the deceased Zhou Ziming in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a process commonly known as a small encoffining.
Only after all these steps are completed can we help change the person into burial clothes and place them in the coffin.
Zhang Ping'an found an open space and knelt down as well.
No one whispered to each other; everyone wore a stern face, and the atmosphere was terrifyingly serious.
The only sounds were the busy footsteps of palace maids coming and going and the rustling of clothes as they hurried along.
Although the Hall of Mental Cultivation looked the same as usual after a night, a lingering smell of blood still permeated the air.
This was the power center of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, the most sacred and inviolable place, but also a place where people could kill without shedding blood.
Before long, officials arrived one after another.
A large group of people knelt outside the hall.
More than an hour later, Abbot Yuantong of Daxiangguo Temple also arrived.
Zhang Ping'an didn't know why he was unharmed, and his mind was filled with doubts, but he could only suppress them for the time being.
It wasn't until almost noon, after the Ministry of Rites had prepared Zhou Ziming's body and placed it in the coffin, that the Crown Prince emerged from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
His eyes were bloodshot, and the shadows under his eyes were very heavy. He walked unsteadily, making him look like he was about to fall.
The sadness is visible to the naked eye.
Zhang Ping'an looked up and could sense that Zhou Ziming's death had been a huge blow to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince looked even more devastated than he had been the night before.
After yesterday's events, everyone agrees that the Crown Prince should succeed to the throne.
With the King of Qin and Cui Ling on the side, one a civil official and the other a military commander, guarding and assisting them, no one dared to act recklessly.
According to custom, at this time, in front of the late emperor's coffin, members of the imperial family, grand secretaries, ministers of the imperial court, and other important officials would kneel and kowtow to earnestly request the crown prince to succeed to the throne.
This is also a necessary ceremony and procedure before a new emperor ascends the throne. According to Confucian rites, a new emperor cannot immediately show his desire for power.
First, one must show great grief and repeatedly decline the position, stating that one's virtue is insufficient and one is unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility; this is commonly known as "persuading one's succession" and "courting one's way out."
Only after these two ceremonies were completed could he "reluctantly" accept the throne under the continuous pleas of his ministers, thus demonstrating that his succession was ordained by Heaven and the will of the people.
Holding a simple enthronement ceremony like the one held yesterday for the Second Prince would actually be against proper etiquette.
The prince cooperated in a daze, saying very little.
Zhang Ping'an was fortunate enough to be among the high-ranking officials who pleaded for the emperor's life, and was thus able to see the emperor's remains up close.
Zhou Ziming's face was a purplish-brown color, with a hint of grayish-white. His brows were still furrowed, and he did not die peacefully, as if he had many unfinished business in life.
The dead can no longer die.
He really has passed away!
Fortunately, it is winter now, and there are a lot of ice, flowers and spices in the coffin for preservation, so there is no odor.
Although Zhang Ping'an felt somewhat conflicted and distressed, he also felt a little more at ease. If Zhou Ziming had died suddenly, then he should be safe and sound.
Based on Zhou Ziming's behavior and status, he concluded that it was impossible for him to publicize the unusual things about him and his godfather everywhere. There must be very few people who knew about this, except for Qin Qingshan, there was probably no one else.
In addition, the new emperor had just ascended the throne, and the most important thing was to stabilize the court as soon as possible, while also dealing with the case of treason.
With so many people dead, it's impossible to launch a major attack against him, the Privy Councilor, for the time being.
There was no time to think too much. The Ministry of Rites quickly helped the Crown Prince change into a dragon robe and led the officials to kowtow, chanting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Only after ascending the throne can the Crown Prince legitimately hold a funeral for Zhou Ziming.
His first imperial edict was to announce the death of the new emperor and to publish the true contents of his will so that the whole world would know.
As for determining the reign title, it would need to be discussed with the officials before a decision was made, and it would be officially adopted after the enthronement ceremony.
Although the Crown Prince was distracted, the King of Qin and Cui Ling were both very capable. With these two in charge, affairs inside and outside the palace proceeded in an orderly manner.
The emperor's funeral was the highest-level national mourning in ancient times, known as "the collapse of the mausoleum," and its procedures were extremely complex, lengthy, and rigorous.
The coffin, or spirit coffin, was not immediately buried. It was kept in the palace for 27 days for members of the royal family, officials, and foreign envoys to pay their respects.
During this period, elaborate ceremonies such as the initial sacrifice, the grand sacrifice, and the final sacrifice were held, and the temples and monasteries in the capital were required to ring their bells continuously to pray for the emperor's well-being.
For one hundred days, no music was allowed to be played throughout the country; for forty-nine days, no slaughtering was permitted; and for one month, no weddings were allowed.
Officials in Beijing were required to observe a 27-day mourning period, were not allowed to return home, and had to eat vegetarian food and stay overnight in their official residences.
Therefore, Zhang Ping'an and the others could not go home after mourning the dead.
With Zhou Ziming's death, Lord Wang and others under Zhang Ping'an no longer openly targeted him.
When we went to the government office, I politely asked if you wanted to come along.
Just as Zhang Ping'an was about to agree, the King of Qin detained him.
The others, being quite perceptive, left first.