Chapter 283: Mourning Across the City
The novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation.
“Mother, please, try not to be too sad,” the king said gently, trying to comfort the dowager.
“The Jingxi’s son is still so young. You need to hold everything together!” The Grand Princess noticed how pale the dowager looked and worried she might faint. She quickly mentioned Yu Zhou to distract her.
“Yes, yes, Yu Zhou is still here,” the dowager mumbled, her voice trembling with sorrow. “Poor Yu Zhou,” she added, wiping away her tears. “He’s not even ten years old and has already lost his father. What are we going to do?”
“Where is Yu Zhou?” someone asked.
Little Chao Chao poked her tiny head out from behind a curtain. “Don’ know! Maybe he hidin’ somewhere, cryin’?”
“Mother,” the king continued, holding the dowager’s hand, “Father left us too soon, and now everything is on your shoulders. You must stay strong.” His eyes were red, but he tried hard to keep his tears from falling.
“Let’s go to Duke Jingxi’s Mansion,” the dowager declared. Though her heart ached terribly, she knew she couldn’t afford to collapse. She forced herself to stand.
“Your Majesty, this may not be appropriate,” a court official suggested cautiously.
The dowager’s eyes flashed with anger. “Not appropriate? That’s my son! Who dares say it’s not proper?”
The officials lowered their heads and stepped back, not daring to say another word.
“We will go to Jingxi’s Mansion first,” the king announced firmly. “Jingxi is my blood brother, and I want to see him off myself.”
“And Yu Zhou—he’s just a child. How can he manage this on his own?” The king waved his hand, stopping anyone who tried to persuade him otherwise. “Where is your conscience?” he scolded, leaving everyone silent.
The royal family rushed out of the palace, and the civil and military officials hurried to follow.
“Quick, quick, get the mourning clothes ready.”
“Hurry back and tell your wives to come with me to Jingxi Mansion for the mourning,” the dowager ordered. The officials didn’t dare hesitate, fearing they might fall behind the king. Their carriages sped so fast that sparks flew from the wheels.
Inside the carriage, the dowager leaned back, her face blank, her breathing heavy.
“Jingxi came to greet me just this morning,” she murmured, her voice hollow. “He seemed perfectly fine. How could he just be gone like that?” She felt as if all her strength had drained away. She had already sent off her husband; now she had to send off her beloved youngest son. It felt like her heart was being carved out of her chest.
“Maybe it was a sudden illness,” someone suggested.
“Yu Zhou is so young, he can’t really explain what happened,” the king sighed deeply, his brow furrowed with sorrow.
“Yu Zhou is just a few years old and has already lost his father. What will he do in the future?” The dowager’s voice trembled as she recalled a recent memory. “Remember the last time? You gave Chao Chao a drop of wine, and then you beat Yu Zhou so badly he couldn’t get out of bed for three days. Looking back, do you regret it now?”
The dowager shot a sharp look at the king, her tone filled with blame.
A pang of guilt crossed the king’s face. He remained silent, unable to refute her words.
“From now on, don’t treat Yu Zhou like that again,” the dowager continued, her voice firm. “A child who grows up without a father is bound to be more sensitive. My poor Jingxi, and my poor Yu Zhou… and the princess consort too.” She raised her hand to wipe her tears.
“If anyone dares to lay a hand on Yu Zhou again, I won’t forgive them!” she declared, her voice trembling with emotion. “I have already lost Jingxi. Yu Zhou is Jingxi’s only child. No one is allowed to touch a single hair on his head.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Who could bear to be harsh to a child who had lost his father so young?
“We’ll do as Mother says,” the king replied.
“If Mother doesn’t want to part with him, let Yu Zhou stay by your side so you can teach him personally,” the king suggested, and the dowager nodded slightly, her face softening just a bit.
The Grand Princess, too, felt a deep sense of regret. Just a few days ago, when Xie Yu Zhou misbehaved and tried to give Chao Chao wine, she had specifically told Jingxi to punish him severely. That decision had left Xie Yu Zhou bedridden for three days. Now, thinking back, she felt nothing but guilt.
Inside the carriage, soft sobbing could be heard as the Grand Princess and the dowager wept quietly.
A grand procession of carriages arrived at Duke Jingxi’s Mansion. Outside the mansion, it was eerily quiet. Not a single mourner could be seen.
Eunuch Wang helped the king out of the carriage. The dowager and the Grand Princess followed closely behind, while Yuhua carried down little Chao Chao.
Tears streamed down the dowager’s face as she choked out, “The princess consort is still young and inexperienced. Jingxi has passed away, yet the lanterns in the mansion haven’t even been changed. The white mourning decorations haven’t been prepared either…”
“I bring that coffin!” Little Chao Chao pointed at a dark, sandalwood coffin placed by the front gate. She had spent a fortune and searched the entire city to find it.
“Chao Chao is so thoughtful,” the dowager said, patting her tiny head.
“Quickly, order someone to knock on the door. The mansion must be in chaos, with no one to take charge,” the dowager urged, trying to pull herself together, though her face was drained of color.
Eunuch Wang went to knock on the door himself. After several knocks, the gatekeeper finally responded, yawning as he shouted.
“Coming, coming!”
When he opened the door, he was so shocked that his legs gave out. With a thud, he fell to his knees. He had seen the king’s entourage.
“You fool, get out of the way!” Eunuch Wang ordered, and the gatekeeper was dragged aside as he supported the king through the gate.
The civil and military officials had already changed into mourning clothes. They bowed their heads, looking solemn as they followed behind.
The group entered the mansion in a grand procession. Inside Duke Jingxi’s Mansion, it was eerily quiet. As soon as the dowager stepped inside, she frowned.
“This is ridiculous! Nothing has been arranged!” The dowager felt heartbroken that her son had died and no one was there to take charge. She was both sad and angry.
“Quickly, bring the coffin inside and settle Jingxi first,” she sobbed.
The servants of the mansion looked completely bewildered.
“Your Majesty, dowager, dowager, and Princesses…” The chief steward of Duke Jingxi’s Mansion knelt on the ground, his face full of confusion.
“Wait, what’s with the coffin?”
Why is everyone crying? Why are the civil and military officials dressed in mourning clothes?!
“Where is Jingxi? Has he been settled?” the dowager asked through her tears.
“Settled?!” The steward’s pupils shook in disbelief. What was this talk? Clearly, the prince and princess had just finished their lunch and were now napping.
The king’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. He had a bad feeling about this.
“Take me to see Jingxi!” the king ordered, too anxious to explain.
The chief steward wanted to report back first, but seeing everyone’s serious expressions, he led them to the backyard.
The king kicked the door open.
Startled, Xie Jingxi shot up from his bed. “What the… are you trying to scare me to death with all this noise?!” His voice trailed off as he saw his elder brother, the dowager, the Grand Princess, and others… all swarming into his bedroom.
He glanced behind him, and a sea of people filled the room—the civil and military officials were all here!
“What… what’s going on? Did I break a law by taking a nap?!” Xie Jingxi jumped out of bed, scared, and fell to his knees. The princess consort hid under the blanket, too embarrassed to show her face.
The dowager’s sobs caught in her throat as she stared in shock at her very much alive son. The Grand Princess’s eyes were so swollen they looked like walnuts. She squinted slightly at her foolish brother.
Eunuch Wang swallowed hard. This was a huge misunderstanding.
“Why are you here?” The Grand Princess’s voice was already hoarse. She looked at him, gritting her teeth.
“If I’m not here, where should I be?” Xie Jingxi looked confused. [I was just taking a nap. What on earth is happening?!]
“You shouldn’t be here. You should be in the coffin,” little Chao Chao pointed to the dark, wooden coffin outside the door.
The novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation.
“Bah, bah, bah! What bad luck! What nonsense are you spouting? I’m alive and well; why would I be in a coffin!” Xie Jingxi almost could form a proper sentence at the sight of the coffin.
The king was furious, his teeth grinding. “Xie Yu Zhou has been spreading rumors all over that you died!! The whole city is at your doorstep, here to mourn you!!”
The king’s cold words made Xie Jingxi’s vision go black.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gate of Duke Jingxi’s Mansion shook with loud knocks.
“Open up! I’m back!” Xie Yu Zhou squinted his eyes with a satisfied smile. [Avoided a test and escaped a beating—how nice, how nice… I’m so smart!]