Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 158 Su Xun Passes Away!
Huaizuo, Jiangfu.

study.

Jiang Zhao held the brush, pressing down on the paper with one hand.

[Respectfully presented to Zizhan and Ziyou:]
In the bitter rains of late spring, I suddenly heard news of your passing at my father's tomb. Looking westward at the vast sky, the clouds surged like ink, and three things comforted my heart, which I dare to express in my heart:

First, the literary tradition continues; second, the virtues left behind live on; third, the mountains and rivers bear witness.

I recall that in the second year of the Jiayou era, scraps of paper fell like butterflies in Bianliang.
People praise the family for having "three Su brothers". With the people of the world in need of food, the two brothers should carry on their father's will and help the world, which is the greatest filial piety.

I lie on my pillow, tears streaming down my face, hastily writing this with the last flickering candlelight. This hasty writing cannot fully express my thoughts.

Respectfully presented by Jiang Zichuan of Huaizuo!

In about an hour, a letter of a thousand words was written in one go.

"call!"

Jiang Zhao took a deep breath, stood up, and waved his hands to the left and right, the ink stains drying.

"Hesheng, send it to Meishan," Jiang Zhao instructed.

"Yes." He Sheng approached, took the letter, and strode outside.

Jiang Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the blue sky.

This letter was sent to Su Shi and Su Zhe in Meishan.

Their father, Su Xun, one of the Three Su's, passed away while in office!
In the second year of the Zhiping era, Su Xun was recommended by Zhang Fangping to serve as a proofreader in the Secretariat, responsible for proofreading classics and verifying documents.

As a minor official of the eighth rank, he was not involved in political struggles and had little power; it could be described as a leisurely position.

Unfortunately, Su Xun was already fifty-eight years old!
An elderly man nearing seventy could be full of energy one moment and suddenly become listless the next.

Thus, he died in office.

Upon the memorial submitted by Sun Bian, Minister of Rites, he was posthumously awarded the rank of Fifth-Rank Official.

Su Zhe, overwhelmed with grief, escorted the coffin back to his hometown.

Su Shi, the prefect of Hezhou, also set off overnight to return home for the funeral.

As the eldest of the Seven Sons of Jiayou, he received a letter of comfort and solace when his two friends encountered a tragedy.

Jiang Zhao shook his head.

Things are impermanent!
Given Su Xun's health, who would have thought he would pass away so suddenly?

However, with Su Xun gone, Su Shi and Su Zhe had to resign from their official posts and observe mourning.

In Confucian societies, the concepts of mourning for parents and the five degrees of mourning are emphasized.

Among them, the mourning period was only for scholars.

If an official's parents pass away, or if the emperor or empress dies, the official is required to observe a period of mourning for three years.

Of course, when the emperor or empress died, it was a national mourning period, which was often expressed as days instead of months, with officials observing a 27-day mourning period.

During the mourning period, one must live in a mourning hut, eat vegetarian food, sleep on straw mats and pillows, and refrain from taking the imperial examinations, getting married, having children, attending banquets, or wearing fine clothes.

According to the "Tang Code Commentary on the Laws of Official Duties," anyone who hears of the death of their parents or husband and conceals it without reporting the loss shall be exiled two thousand li. If someone releases their mourning clothes and celebrates a good day before the mourning period is over, or forgets their grief and makes merry, they shall be sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

The act of observing mourning for one's parents is subject to social supervision. If someone reports it and the report is verified, the consequences range from dismissal from office to imprisonment.

With Su Xun's passing, Su Shi and Su Zhe were undoubtedly obliged to observe the mourning period for three years.

The five degrees of mourning are a system that applies universally from top to bottom in society.

Based on blood ties, they are divided into three categories: Zhan Cui, Qi Cui, Da Gong, Xiao Gong, and Si Ma.

The mourning period varies from three years to five months.

Among them, the "Zhan Cui" ceremony is for children to mourn their parents, wives to mourn their husbands, and subjects to mourn their rulers, and the requirements are roughly the same as those for mourning.

The difference is that the "cutting off the ailment" is aimed at ordinary people.

When an official is in mourning, he must be dismissed from his post, and the requirements are even stricter.

The common people, after their mourning period, had much lower demands and were allowed to work.

The remaining four types of mourning clothes—Qi Cui, Da Gong, Xiao Gong, and Si Ma—are universally applicable in society.

If it involves scholars, the same rules must be followed.

The difference is that the remaining four degrees of mourning do not require mandatory dismissal from office, and the degree of mourning becomes lighter and the requirements become lower.

Among them, Jiang Zhao is involved in the Qi Cui, one of the five degrees of mourning.

As a grandson, if Jiang Zhi were to pass away, Jiang Zhao would have to observe the mourning period for one year.

The practice of Qi Cui (a form of mourning) has never involved a mandatory requirement for dismissal from office.

The vast majority of officials experience a decline in status during their tenure, living a simple life with minimal travel and basic necessities.

The occasional official who voluntarily resigns and retires is undoubtedly a paragon of filial piety.

Jiang Zhao is one of them!

Moreover, he was dismissed from his post to attend to his ailing wife.

The reasons for this were twofold: first, to fulfill filial piety; and second, to gain favor from the new emperor.

There was nothing he could do; he was the old emperor's favorite minister!

He passed the imperial examination with top honors in the second year of the Jiayou era, and served as an official for less than a year, reaching the fifth rank. Three years later, he was transferred to a post outside the capital and entered the fourth rank.

In the sixth year, he was enfeoffed as Duke of Lu and promoted to the third rank.

Nine years later, he entered the capital and was promoted to the third rank, where he taught members of the imperial family.

With such a resume, who wouldn't say that the Emperor has shown him great favor?
Now, facing the change of imperial lineage, he naturally has to consider the future.

They had to find a way to get the new emperor to show him favor.

If there is a bond of gratitude between the ruler and his subject, then he has the opportunity to gain the new emperor's trust.

With the promise of being called "the greatest emperor of all time," he could remain active in the court for at least another ten years.

Ultimately, sometimes all that's needed is a way for the new emperor to show favor.

Most of the time, court officials did not have such a way out.

Taking advantage of his grandfather's serious illness, Jiang Zhao decided to go all out and resign from his post.

Anyway, since his teacher Han Zhang is the head of all officials, he is destined to have no shortage of opportunities to be reinstated.

Perhaps it was a meeting of minds, but the old emperor granted his request to resign and attend to his ailing wife without even asking the reason.

After this incident, once the old emperor passes away, the new emperor will certainly be eager for him to come to the capital.

For an emperor to maintain power, he needs subordinates.

He, Jiang Zhao, is a capable person most familiar to several members of the imperial clan!
Stretching, Jiang Zhao went back to his study and took out a list.

Song Huai was a very sensible man, and he submitted some official positions in Huainan East Circuit that could be adjusted.

Among them were positions such as prefectural governor and assistant prefect, as well as positions such as chief official of a prefecture.

The pacification commissioner was about to retire and wouldn't be involved in much affairs; he was essentially a part-time pacification commissioner.

Jiang Zhao glanced at it twice and made some gestures.

As the sun sets in the west, weary birds return to their nests.

Pushing a wheelchair, watching the sunset at dusk.

Lately, both the grandfather and grandson have been doing this.

He would push the wheelchair around and chat with the passengers from time to time.

However, perhaps it was the invention of the "wheelchair" that allowed the elderly to avoid walking, but gradually two more elderly people ended up with it.

Zhang Lin, Chen Yi.

Of the three elders—Jiang, Zhang, and Chen—Jiang Zhi is the oldest, at seventy-five.

The remaining two, Zhang Lin and Chen Yi, are both around sixty-six or sixty-seven years old.

The wheels made a soft whirring sound; the sound arrived before the person.

"Huaiyuan, you're not dead yet?" A slow, deep voice came.

After about ten breaths, two elderly people with deep wrinkles, pushed by two teenagers, slowly stepped forward.

Even with new clothes, there was still a faint, indescribable, peculiar smell.

Among them, Zhang Lin had lost all his hair, and his every move revealed his weakness and decay.

"Uncle." The two boys bowed in unison.

Uncle?

Jiang Zhao was taken aback and waved his hand.

I'm getting old!

“If you’re not dead, then I certainly won’t be either,” Jiang Zhibin said with a broad smile.

In this generation, the older generation has lived relatively long lives.

However, I estimate that's where it will end.

Recently, all of them have been suffering from serious illnesses.

If they hadn't been carried in sedan chairs and pushed into the mansion in wheelchairs, they would never have had the chance to reunite.

"Brother, thank you for your trouble." Chen Yi bowed with his bare hands.

Even though it wasn't explicitly stated, everyone knew what it meant.

Jiang Zhao's meteoric rise benefited both the Chen and Zhang clans considerably.

Many successful candidates in the imperial examinations and those who passed the county-level examinations went to work in Xihe Road.
In recent years, Jiang Zhong has been appointed as the Education Commissioner of Huainan East Road, and Chen and Zhang, both in their prime, have also entered the fifth rank.

The three tribes looked out for each other and grew stronger day by day.

“Jiang, Chen, and Zhang have always been of one mind.” Jiang Zhaoping smiled gently.

Chen Yi nodded and said nothing more.

Given Jiang Zhao's status, anything he says would seem meaningless.

"Let's see the sun."

Chen Yi sighed, "Every time we meet, it's one less time we'll see each other!"

(End of this chapter)