Free Web NovelChapter 1606: Chapter 7: Joint Sacrifice_2
However...
He Fu, as her only brother, to avoid troubling the Crown Prince, dared not seek office, dared not seek title, and even when earning a little extra money, would immediately stop at the slightest sign of trouble.
He Zhen, as the only son of her brother, at over thirty still led an aimless life, loitering in brothels all day. Although He Zhen was not competent, there were plenty of incompetent people in this world holding plump positions. The fact that he could touch nothing was also because he was enduring hardships for the Crown Prince, wasn’t it?
The Queen might not speak of it, but every time she saw her dear brother growing older, how could she not feel pity?
If He Zhen had committed any crime, it would have been another matter. But today, he merely spoke a few words, albeit loudly, and Jiang Wuyou treated him like a pig or dog, which was incredibly excessive!
He showed no regard for her as the Queen of Daqi!
She was unwilling to let this matter pass easily today, firstly to establish her dignity as the Queen of Daqi, secondly because of her discontent, and thirdly to probe Jiang Wuyou’s confidence.
She wanted to ask what Jiang Wuyou intended to do.
Now that his name had been called, Jiang Wuyou could no longer pretend not to hear. He turned around and respectfully saluted the Queen: "Mother."
"There’s no need for courtesy." The Queen raised her hand to stop him but refused to drop the matter: "Tell me, what happened just now, Wuyou?"
Although her voice wasn’t severe, the entire atmosphere in the mourning hall suddenly became tense.
"Alright, Mother." Jiang Wuhua spoke to ease the situation: "Today is Xiao Shiyi..."
"Did I ask you, Crown Prince?" Without turning her head, the Queen silenced the Crown Prince.
At this moment, He Zhen’s feelings were both nervous and excited.
How many years had it been?
His aunt, the Queen, had finally stood up for him!
And it was right in front of Lord Hua Ying!
Was this the beginning of the peak of his life?
Looking across Linzi City, who would dare to provoke him, Elder He, in the future?
But this mixed feeling of nervousness and excitement was quickly doused with cold water.
Jiang Wuyou merely glanced at him indifferently: "Then he might as well not leave, just stay here and annoy the Imperial Father."
Feng Gu, the chief eunuch of the Long Life Palace, kneeling outside the hall, remained motionless like a statue.
Jiang Wuhua was silent, and He Zhen was frozen.
Even Jiang Wuyong, who had been kneeling by the coffin sobbing quietly, forgot to shed tears.
The corner of Jiang Wang’s eye twitched.
The Third Imperial Princess said she merely had a bad temper before; that was truly modest...
"Wuyou, you truly have grown up."
The Queen coldly finished her sentence, then turned to He Zhen: "What are you standing there for?"
"Ah?" He Zhen hadn’t reacted at all.
There was no anger on the Queen’s face, she only said lightly: "Lord Hua Ying told you to leave, didn’t you hear?"
Jiang Wuhua patted He Zhen’s back for comfort: "Ah Zhen, you’d better leave first."
He Zhen lowered his head.
"This commoner... takes his leave."
He walked out disheartened, and just outside, he saw several significant figures halted midway, namely Spring Death Army Commander Cao Jie, Prisoner Electric Army Commander Xiu Yuan, and Imperial Court Adviser Chen Fu.
These significant figures were clearly aware of the events inside the mourning hall and wished to avoid getting entangled with the Tian Family’s troubles, thus hesitated here for a moment.
He Zhen felt even more humiliated.
He even thought that everyone seated at the memorial banquet at that moment was secretly laughing at him...
Wouldn’t everyone find it laughable?
But what could he do?
He could only lower his head further. freёwebnoѵel.com
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Inside the mourning hall, Jiang Wang remained silent.
He realized that he might actually have arrived a bit too early, as the mourning hall was almost entirely filled with the Imperial Clan, with him being the only outsider, feeling particularly awkward and uneasy.
Maybe he shouldn’t have mocked Chongxuan Pang, for coming early hadn’t earned him any good fortune...
Watching the Royal Family eyeing each other here, saying something would be inappropriate, and saying nothing would be equally awkward, truly made it somewhat hard to bear.
When Jiang Wuhua walked in, he cast a comforting glance.
Beside him was the Crown Princess Consort, Song Ning’er, a woman of graceful appearance and natural beauty, displaying elegance in her every move. However, her temperament did not seem rigid. Her gaze towards Jiang Wang, a prominent young figure of Daqi, held a hint of curiosity.
Jiang Wang, on the other hand, was not curious about the Crown Princess Consort; he merely felt that her natural beauty was somehow different from Jiang Wuyou’s, but he couldn’t pinpoint the difference.
The Queen of Daqi walked ahead, expressionless, her demeanor gracious, with phoenix eyes exuding authority.
The accompanying palace maidens and eunuchs remained outside the hall.
No one spoke within the hall, nor was there any other sound.
This made the Queen’s light footsteps seem heavy.
Jiang Wuyou silently moved aside from the place beside the coffin without saying a word, walking straight to Jiang Wang’s side, though he didn’t sit down immediately. He just glanced at the chair that He Zhen had sat in.
Jiang Wang realized this and quickly got up, swapping the position of that chair with the one next to it.
Only then did Jiang Wuyou brush off his robe and sit down, still not speaking.
The place where Jiang Wang was sitting was at the outermost circle of the mourning hall. From there, a slight tilt of the head allowed him to see Feng Gu kneeling outside the hall... he seemed to age three times a day, his haggardness invoking a sense of pity.
Jiang Wang felt it inappropriate to stare at Feng Gu, nor was it suitable to speak with Jiang Wuyou; of course, he couldn’t stare at the Crown Princess Consort either. Hence, he fixed his gaze on the coffin in the hall.
No matter how gloriously radiant a person may have been, nor how beautifully crafted a coffin is, in the face of the eternal significance of death, they remain unremarkable.
The Queen’s hand rested on the edge of the coffin.
Her voice carried a faint mournfulness: "Little Eleven, you have suffered. Your health has been poor since childhood, it was not easy growing up to this age, yet... Mother failed to take good care of you, truly at fault within her heart."
Crown Princess Consort Song Ning’er supported her, gently persuading: "Mother, please restrain your grief. Eleventh Brother’s spirit in heaven would not wish for you to be saddened."
The Crown Prince walked alone to the other side of the coffin, approaching Jiang Wuyong.
Jiang Wuyong intended to rise and give way, but was held down by the Crown Prince’s hand.
He knelt beside Jiang Wuyong, one hand placed on his shoulder and the other holding his hand: "Wuyong, you lost a benevolent brother, I lost a wise sibling, we..."
His voice choked, unable to continue. Only holding Jiang Wuyong’s hand tighter and tighter.
Jiang Wuyong only called out "Brother," and then tears streamed down his face.
In fact, there were no cushions or mats for kneeling on the ground, so they knelt directly on the cold floor.
And inside the coffin lay someone who could neither hear the cries nor see the tears.
Cao Jie, Xiu Yuan, and Chen Fu, three high-ranked figures of Qi Country, entered together at this moment.
They spoke little, performing the proper etiquette towards the Queen and Crown Prince before offering incense at the altar.
The Queen invited them to sit first, so they each found a place to sit.
Jiang Wuyou, sitting next to Jiang Wang, disrupted the order, so they sat quite casually as well.
Chen Fu appeared to be a person of great wisdom, his eyes deep, hair slightly gray; after offering incense, he chose a spot behind the Crown Prince to sit.
Xiu Yuan, who emanated both elegance and sharpness, silently found a chair on Jiang Wang’s side to sit.
Among the military and political elite in Linzi, others could afford not to be present, but he could not. After all, it was Jiang Wuqi lying in the coffin who had helped clear his name.
Cao Jie, with his perpetual look of suffering, sat silently next to Chen Fu.
Among these three, Jiang Wang was only familiar with Cao Jie. He had met Chen Fu a few times, but this was the first time he saw Xiu Yuan.
The trio responded benevolently to Jiang Wang’s nod of acknowledgement. The undercurrent between the Queen of Daqi and Lord Huaying went unnoticed by them.
A voice, resonant and mournful, echoed outside the hall, "Born in winter, after death the city is covered in snow."
The Ninth Prince of Daqi, Jiang Wuji, entered the mourning hall in this solemn atmosphere.
Looking at the coffin placed in the hall, he sighed, "Even with a True Man buried alongside, the arrival of a deity bleeding in sorrow, how could it match you, Jiang Wuqi?"
Meeting Jiang Wuji today again, he was dressed in mourning attire, long hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, his usual slightly devilish and carefree demeanor significantly restrained.
He walked slowly to the front of the coffin, placing a droplet-shaped white jade inside, at the sole of Jiang Wuqi’s foot.
Only then did he salute the Queen beside the coffin: "Mother, please restrain your grief, do not be overly dispirited."
"Wuji..." The Queen, looking at this exceptionally handsome prince, spoke warmly: "What did you place with Wuqi?"
"Soul Calming Jade," Jiang Wuji said softly: "Though I know it’s useless... it’s a form of solace."
The Soul Calming Jade, a precious item suitable for spirit cultivation, Jiang Wuji had somehow acquired it and casually used it as an accompaniment for Jiang Wuqi, an indisputably heartfelt gesture.
Thus, all the heirs of Daqi Royal Family qualified to vie for the throne were present.
All gathered to pay tribute to Jiang Wuqi.
