tallest building

Chapter 384 The Grand Tutor Dies

On the first day of the tenth lunar month, the first snow fell in the capital.

Ying Shan also breathed her last on her hospital bed.

The small coffin had been prepared long ago, and after the body was placed in it, it was carried out of the palace.

This is a rule in the palace: apart from the emperor, empress, and the retired empress dowager, no one else may linger without an imperial decree.

The Empress had long anticipated this outcome, but when she actually heard the eunuch report Ying Shan's death, her heart still skipped a beat, perhaps because she felt that the sins she had committed were too grave.

"I'll burn some incense for him! May he rest in peace." The Empress said, standing up. "This child is so pitiful."

But before the incense stick had burned halfway, another eunuch rushed in.

This is very against the rules in the palace and would be punished with caning.

But the Empress couldn't care less about that at the moment; her brows twitched wildly, and her ominous premonition grew stronger.

"Your Majesty the Empress, the Grand Tutor's residence has sent a letter saying..." The eunuch hesitated somewhat.

"What did you say?!" the Empress pressed urgently.

"The Grand Tutor... the Grand Tutor is unconscious. We request that the Imperial Hospital send a physician to examine him as soon as possible..." There were some things the young eunuch dared not say, so he could only stammer.

"Nonsense! Yesterday I asked the imperial physician who treated the Grand Tutor, and he said he was doing very well." The Empress glared at him, as if she could disregard his words if she could frighten the little eunuch.

"This servant wouldn't dare lie! It really was someone from the Grand Tutor's mansion who told me." The little eunuch was terrified and at a loss. "I don't know the specifics of what happened."

"Where is the Emperor's brother-in-law? Hasn't he come to the palace?" the Empress asked angrily.

In fact, he knew perfectly well that if the Grand Tutor was truly terminally ill, then Dong Sicheng and Dong Siyue would have no time to enter the palace.

"The messenger was a servant from the Grand Tutor's mansion; the Emperor's brother-in-law did not enter the palace."

"What a useless piece of trash!" The Empress angrily summoned Zhou Quan, Yu Lu's apprentice, and said, "Go to the Imperial Hospital now and find Su Qingyun. Go with him out of the palace and ask the Grand Tutor's mansion what exactly happened."

Zhou Quan dared not delay and rushed to the Imperial Hospital, but Su Qingyun had asked for leave today and did not enter the palace.

Zhou Quan had no choice but to ask Judge Wu to leave the palace with him and go to the Dong family.

Other doctors were already there, but they were clearly helpless. Upon examination, Physician Wu found that Grand Tutor Dong was unconscious, drooling from the corners of his mouth, and on his deathbed.

"He was fine at dinner last night." Dong Sicheng paced anxiously on the floor. "But this morning, I couldn't wake him up no matter what I did."

"Old Jian's condition is like a cold spring followed by a hot autumn; there's nothing we can do about it." Wu Yuanpan shook his head; he was powerless to change anything.

"Please, please think of another way," Dong Sicheng persisted, still stubbornly clinging to his beliefs. "At all costs, please wake my father up."

"Your Excellency, if I may speak disrespectfully, this pulse is so severe that even Hua Tuo and Bian Que would find it difficult to cure. If you two do not believe me, you are welcome to invite other doctors." Wu, the Imperial Physician, knew that he had to make his point clear at this moment.

"Where is Doctor Su? He's always been the one treating my father. My father even praises his medical skills, saying they're effective," Dong Siye asked. "Why didn't he come along?"

"Imperial Physician Su has taken leave for the past two days," Zhou Quan said. "We have already sent someone to his house to invite him." But after a while, the eunuch who went to invite Su Qingyun returned and said, "The Su family's gate is locked, and there is no one there. We don't know where they have gone."

Everyone was stunned by what they heard.

"Could it be that he did something?" Dong Sicheng suspected, but had no concrete evidence.

As Su Qingyun's teacher, Wu Yuanpan naturally defended his apprentice: "Your Excellency, this is impossible. He only administered acupuncture to the Grand Tutor, and it was indeed effective. The Grand Tutor's illness should be unrelated to him. Elderly people often suffer from such sudden and severe illnesses, which are beyond the help of even a miracle cure!"

Dong Sicheng was at a loss for what to do, so he asked Judge Wu again, "In your opinion, what should we do now?"

“Your Excellency, as I mentioned before, the Grand Tutor’s pulse is undoubtedly terminal. While he still has a breath left, please change his clothes quickly.”

He knew that someone of Grand Tutor Dong's status would have his coffin and burial clothes prepared well in advance.

"Then...should we report this to the Emperor?" Dong Siye asked.

“Of course we have to submit a memorial.” Dong Sicheng looked at him as if he were an idiot. “I’ll go write the memorial. You stay here and watch them change their clothes.”

When Grand Tutor Dong's deathbed report was presented, the Emperor immediately issued an order for the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs of the Palace to handle the funeral arrangements, and bestowed upon him the Huangchang Ticou (a type of ancient Chinese musical instrument) and the Dongyuan Secret Treasures.

The Empress fainted several times upon hearing the news; she never imagined her father would suddenly pass away like that.

The Emperor came to see her and said, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences! The imperial physician said that the Grand Tutor passed away in his dream; wasn't that a peaceful death?"

"Your Majesty, my father devoted himself to the country. How will Your Majesty handle his funeral arrangements? And how will Your Majesty treat the Dong family?" The Empress asked tearfully, though her heart was sinking.

"Grand Tutor's merits are outstanding, and I will certainly not treat him unfairly. The Empress can rest assured on this point. As for other matters, we can discuss them after the Grand Tutor's funeral. Everything should be done with the deceased in mind." The Emperor spoke in a businesslike tone.

"This is no coincidence," the Empress concluded. "Father must have been murdered."

The death of Grand Tutor Dong actually calmed her down. She realized that it must have been the Emperor's will that took Grand Tutor Dong's life.

"The Empress is too heartbroken and needs to rest properly." The Emperor didn't want to talk to her anymore. "I have many things to attend to."

The snow fell for three days, and during those three days, the Grand Tutor's mansion was bustling with activity as countless people came to offer their condolences.

After the coffin has been kept for seven days, it will be carried out of the city for burial.

At this time, both the army of the King of Zhao and the army of the King of Chu were rushing to the capital as quickly as possible.

The men under the command of the King of Changliu kept sending messages, reporting on the whereabouts of the King of Zhao's army.

"Pass down the order!" The King of Chu could wait no longer. "From this day forward, each person will only eat two meals a day and carry one pound of dry rations. They will only be allowed to rest for one hour after every three hours of marching!"

“Your Highness, this will exhaust both men and horses,” Prince Changliu stopped him, “This is not the way to lead an army.”

“I know you’re right, but I can’t wait any longer. You can take your army and wait a bit longer; there’s no need to be in such a rush.” The King of Chu’s attitude was extremely firm. “Pass down the order! Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law.”

“Your Highness, I know you are eager for revenge, and I cannot stop you. How about this, we will keep a slight distance from you, but not too far apart,” said the Prince of Changliu. “We can catch up within a day at the latest. If you encounter the Prince of Zhao’s army first, do not start a battle rashly. Hold him off until we catch up.”