Taiheiki

Chapter 281 Funeral
Both Liu Hong and Emperor Huan of Han were descendants of King Xiao of Hejian, so the successor should be chosen from among the descendants of King Xiao of Hejian, Liu Kai. However, King Xiao of Hejian had many offspring, including sixteen sons, and there would be even more grandsons and great-grandsons, so there was no need to worry about not having an heir to succeed to the throne.

"Lord Feng, do you have someone in mind?" Ying Feng suddenly asked.

"Me?" Feng Kun gave a bitter smile: "Uncle, you're joking again. Wei Cong has married Dou's daughter, so they're already in cahoots. They'll definitely make the decisions in this matter. What use would it be if I had someone in mind?"

"That's not necessarily true. If we unite with Zhang Huan and gather the strength of wise men and virtuous men from all over the world, even if Wei Cong and the Dou family join forces, they won't dare to act recklessly!"

"Things aren't that simple!" Feng Kun sighed. "Besides, what good would it do to fall out with Wei Cong and the Empress Dowager over the matter of establishing an emperor?"

"Lord Feng, haven't you seen it clearly yet?" Ying Feng looked at him with exasperation. "Do you remember what Wei Cong said when he joined us in raising an army? 'Eliminate the Dou family, and the emperor will rule personally.' And now? The emperor has died under mysterious circumstances, and he's doing just that, marrying the Dou family's daughter and sleeping in the same bed with her. Do you think someone like him will still keep his promise to make you and Zhang Huan the Three Dukes and grant you a title of marquis?"

"This—" After hearing this, Feng Kun also felt that Ying Feng's words made sense: "Then, what do you suggest we do?"

"Of course we must fight Wei Cong to the bitter end!" Ying Feng said coldly. "First of all, the emperor cannot die without a clear explanation. Secondly, the matter of appointing the emperor cannot be decided by a few people in private. Furthermore, the future arrangements of the court must be discussed with everyone!"

"This matter is probably not that simple!" Feng Kun said with a wry smile. "In the end, with the emperor gone, the empress dowager is the most powerful. The empress dowager's surname is Dou, and Wei Cong has troops at his disposal. If they unite, they will have both a righteous cause and the strength to stand against them."

"That's why I said we need to unite the wise and virtuous officials of the world. First, we need to find someone with prestige to mobilize the students of the Imperial Academy in Luoyang. You and Zhang Huan also have troops at your disposal, so we'll have leverage to negotiate with Wei Cong!"

Feng Kun pondered for a long time, and finally sighed: "Alright, but to be honest, I don't think this is a good idea. The title of 'wise scholars and officials' sounds good, but they all have their own ideas. They don't listen to the court, let alone you and me. I'm afraid it will be difficult to control the situation in the end!"

Just as Ying Feng was about to say a few more words of persuasion, a guard from outside came in: "Lord Wei has arrived, he's in the outer room!"

"Quickly, please come in!" Feng Kun had barely finished speaking when he realized something was wrong: "No, we should all come out to greet them together!"

Ying Feng nodded and followed Feng Kun out of the courtyard. He saw Wei Cong just getting off the carriage, followed by several guards, and said loudly with a laugh, "Please forgive us for disturbing you so late at night, Lord Feng!"

"I wouldn't dare!" Feng Kun knew that the relationship between the two had subtly changed, so he bowed deeply and said, "Lord Wei, please!"

"please!"

The group entered the house and sat down according to their roles as host and guest. Wei Cong smiled and said, "Lord Feng and I are old friends, so I won't waste any more words. Grand Commandant or Minister of Works, which position would Lord Feng like to be?"

"Huh?" Feng Kun was stunned. The Three Dukes of the Eastern Han Dynasty were the Grand Commandant, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Agriculture, corresponding to military affairs, civil administration, and supervision, respectively. Of course, their actual power had been largely usurped by the Secretariat, but their prestige was immense, and they remained the pinnacle of the court. Every scholar-official in the land considered the Three Dukes their goal. It was truly the first time that Wei Cong had directly asked Feng Kun to choose between the two.

"As you know, the Minister of Works is Yuan Kui, so only the Grand Commandant and the Minister of Works can be chosen. You can choose first, and the remaining one is Zhang Huan. I'm sure he won't blame me! As for the matter of being enfeoffed as a marquis, we'll discuss that after the new emperor ascends the throne. Your contributions in supporting the emperor can also be counted, so a stipend of ten thousand households shouldn't be a problem!"

Overwhelmed with joy, Feng Kun was speechless for a moment. He glanced at Ying Feng subconsciously before forcing a smile and saying, "Being able to serve as one of the Three Dukes is a blessing, how could I dare to choose!"

"That must be the Grand Commandant!" Wei Cong laughed. "As for Zhang Huan, we'll just have to make do with making him the Minister of Works!"

Compared to Feng Kun, Ying Feng was much calmer: "Lord Feng and the Grand Minister of Agriculture are both among the Three Dukes, so what about you, Marquis Wei? Are you going to be the Commandant of the Capital Region as agreed?"

"Actually, if it were up to me, I would rather go back to Jiaozhou and be the governor of Jiaozhou!" Wei Cong laughed. "Fighting against the barbarians, trading with the South Seas, developing farmland, and setting up factories—isn't that much better than working so hard in Luoyang?"

"So, Marquis Wei is still staying in Luoyang?" Ying Feng asked.

“Indeed!” Wei Cong nodded: “The Emperor has encountered misfortune and abandoned his ministers. General Dou is quite remorseful and wants to return to his hometown to live in seclusion in the mountains. The Empress Dowager wants me to succeed General Dou!”

"You're going to be the Grand General and concurrently the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?" Ying Feng exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s right!” Wei Cong said, “This is the Empress Dowager’s intention, but it hasn’t been announced yet and will be a few days later. However, since I have been through thick and thin with Lord Feng, I won’t hide it from you two.”

Ying Feng and Feng Kun exchanged glances, both seeing a wry smile in each other's eyes. No wonder Wei Cong was so easy to talk to, offering to select the Three Dukes and guaranteeing him a stipend of ten thousand households. It turned out that he himself had become the Grand General and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. As for the additional stipend, that goes without saying. The Imperial Secretariat was in his hands, so he could have as much as he wanted.

Compared to Ying Fenglai, Feng Kun was much more easygoing. Regardless of Wei Cong's character, at least he had kept his promise to him. What more could he ask for? As for vying for power, he was already this old, while Wei Cong was more than thirty years younger. They were practically buried in the ground. What was the point of fighting for power? It was better to say a few nice words and cultivate a good relationship. His descendants would need Wei Cong's help anyway.

"Rest assured, Lord Wei!" Feng Kun said, "I am not ungrateful. I have spent half my life on the battlefield, and my official rank is no higher than that of one of the Nine Ministers. If it were not for Lord Wei, how could I have ever been ranked among the Three Dukes and enjoyed a salary of ten thousand households?"

“Lord Feng, you have gone too far!” Wei Cong laughed. “Whether you are a high-ranking official or a marquis, you are all favored by the Empress Dowager and the court.”

"Yes, yes! I was mistaken. It is all thanks to the court and the Empress Dowager!" Feng Kun said with a smile.

After a few more words of conversation, Wei Cong stood up and said, "I had originally planned to have a long talk with Lord Feng tonight, but unfortunately I have to go to the Grand Minister of Agriculture, so I must take my leave!"

"Lord Wei, please wait!" Feng Kun hurriedly rose to see him off. As they reached the door, Wei Cong stopped, grasped Feng Kun's arm, and whispered, "Lord Feng, the position of one of the Three Dukes cannot be held for long. If you have any sons or nephews with literary or military talents, you can send them here. They can serve as officers in the Five Schools of the Northern Army or as officials in the Three Departments. I can assure you, at most five years, at least three, there will definitely be a way out!" With that, he gently patted Feng Kun's arm twice and turned to leave. "Respectfully seeing off Lord Wei!" Deeply moved, Feng Kun bowed deeply to Wei Cong's departing figure, only straightening up after Wei Cong's carriage disappeared into the night.

After seeing Wei Cong off, Feng Kun turned around and returned to the house with Ying Feng. Thinking about his actions just now, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He forced a smile and said, "I'm sorry for making a fool of myself, Uncle. But Wei Cong is a kind-hearted person!"

"Heh!" Ying Feng sneered, "He's been appointed one of the Three Dukes, another Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, and even his sons and nephews have been taken care of. Of course you think he's a kind man!"

“You can’t say that!” Feng Kun felt a little embarrassed knowing that Ying Feng had overheard Wei Cong’s private conversation with him. “Actually, Wei Cong had no choice. The emperor is dead, so he can only ally with the Dou family. Otherwise, what use would it be if he destroyed the Dou family? He has no right to speak on the matter of establishing an emperor!”

"Further words are useless, Lord Feng. Since you've already decided to side with Wei Cong, there's no need for more discussion. However, I must offer you a word of advice: this position of one of the Three Dukes isn't held for nothing!"

"Why do you say that?" Feng Kun asked, a thought striking him.

"It's very simple. Wei Cong is now at the pinnacle of his power, but he has also become the target of public criticism. He will have a lot of trouble ahead of him!"

“That’s true!” Feng Kun nodded. “But in my opinion, Wei Cong can handle it. After all, he encountered much bigger troubles before, and he got through them.”

"This old man has been blinded by the promise of high office and a marquisate; he won't listen to anything I say!" Ying Feng thought to himself, then said aloud, "Since Lord Feng has made up his mind, I won't say anything more!"

"Uncle, you didn't get any benefits from Wei Cong, and seeing that I've become one of the Three Dukes and been ennobled, you must be a little jealous. But it's not my fault. Who told you to have an old grudge against him? Wei Cong is already being magnanimous by not causing you any trouble!" Feng Kun thought to himself, but said aloud, "People's fortunes and misfortunes are all predetermined. We should just go with the flow!"

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Luoyang South Palace, Deyang Hall.

Situ Yuanwei, dressed in plain hemp, knelt to the right of the emperor's coffin. His pale hair and hemp clothing almost blended together. He stared blankly at the emperor's supine corpse in the coffin.

It was dusk, and the Deyang Palace was dark and quiet. The last rays of the setting sun slanted in from the outer room, casting a red glow over the massive coffin. The candles surrounding the coffin flickered, and heavy shadows gathered on the high walls before slowly and silently descending to the floor.

According to the rites and laws of the Han Dynasty, after the emperor's death, following the bathing, the meal, and the encoffining, the coffin would be placed in the main hall. All officials would weep before the hall, with the princes standing below, facing west and north; the princes of the imperial clan and the lesser princes of the four surnames would follow, also facing west and north, leading the Three Dukes to their positions, facing north. Next were the Grand Masters of the Palace, those of the rank of 2,000 shi; the marquises, those of the rank of 2,000 shi; those of the rank of 600 shi and the Erudites, and all other officials accompanying the emperor. After this, the Three Dukes would go to the coffin to collect the jade tablets and other funerary items. Since the position of Grand Commandant was vacant and the Minister of Works, Hu Teng, had died suddenly, this task, which should have been performed by three people, was done by Yuan Kui alone.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you, you died such a terrible death!"

Suddenly, Yuan Wei embraced the coffin and began to weep bitterly. The eunuchs in the surrounding hall were startled by the sight, but none dared to disturb him. They could only go to find the Empress Dowager at the back of the hall. The Empress Dowager was talking with Dou Wu and Wei Cong when she heard Yuan Wei weeping over the emperor's coffin in the hall. She raised her eyebrows and said, "This old dog actually dares to make things difficult for us during the emperor's funeral. This is truly outrageous. You few, go and drag him away!"

"Wait!" Dou Wu called out to the eunuch, "In the Deyang Hall, before the Emperor's spirit tablet, how can we resort to violence!" He turned his gaze to Wei Cong, "Mengde, what do you think should be done?"

"Damn it, they've given me another hard time!" Wei Cong cursed inwardly. He knew that in terms of etiquette, he was only slightly better than illiterate compared to old fogies like Dou Wu and Yuan Wei, who had spent decades studying Confucian classics. The emperor's funeral was a spectacle watched by everyone; any blunder he made would be remembered for decades, perhaps even recorded in history books. He had originally planned to feign death to avoid it, but he hadn't managed to escape it after all.

"General, what's the next step in the Emperor's funeral?" Wei Cong asked.

"According to the rites, the heir should weep and kowtow before the emperor's coffin. However, since the late emperor had no son, this step was skipped. The next step would be for the crown prince to ascend the throne before the coffin on the same day, and for the empress to become the empress dowager. However, there is no crown prince now, so we should first decide who will be the emperor."

"That's right. Then let's invite Minister Yuan to discuss who should succeed to the throne!"

"Very well!" Dou Wu said with a smile, "Someone, go and invite Lord Yuan here so we can discuss the matter of the new emperor!"

"That old dog got off easy!" Empress Dowager Dou sneered. "By the way, Marquis Wei, who do you think should be made the new emperor?"

"Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for me!" Wei Cong said with a wry smile. "To be honest, I haven't even figured out the genealogy of the descendants of the Prince of Hejian yet, so how would I know who should be made emperor? I would appreciate it if Your Majesty and the General would put in more effort!"

Empress Dowager Dou was secretly pleased to hear Wei Cong's words, but scolded him, "Marquis Wei, you're being cunning again! You're leaving all the trouble to us, father and daughter, while you hide away and enjoy yourself!" She paused slightly, then continued, "In my opinion, we should choose someone younger, so everyone can have less to worry about. Otherwise, like that one in the coffin before, he's young but full of tricks, causing so much trouble. Tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers have died because of him alone, haven't they? We can't let this continue!"

Dou Wu nodded slightly: "Lord Wei, what do you think?"

"The Empress Dowager's meaning is my meaning!" Wei Cong knew, of course, that the Empress Dowager wanted to find someone younger who would be easier to manipulate. The problem was that his position was now the same as the Empress Dowager's, so naturally he would love to choose someone who was still breastfeeding. It would be more than ten years before he could take over the reins of power.

"Look at what you're saying, Marquis Wei!" Empress Dowager Dou scolded. "But when that old dog Yuan arrives, he'll definitely say something about how a country has a wise and capable ruler, which is a blessing for the nation. Marquis Wei will surely have to say something then!"

"That's for sure!" Wei Cong said proudly. "In my opinion, a country with a long-lived ruler is not necessarily a blessing for the nation. If the emperor is like Emperor Ming or Emperor Zhang, that's fine, but otherwise it would be better for the empress dowager to rule as regent and select virtuous and capable people to serve as the Three Dukes and the Grand General. In the end, among emperors throughout history, there are few like Emperor Ming and Emperor Zhang, and many who are incompetent. It is only right for the emperor to rule by doing nothing!"

(End of this chapter)