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Chapter 224 Magistrate Lu's Sorrow Flows Like a River
The news of the late emperor's death was delivered to the provinces by the Office of Transmission via the 600-li express courier service, and then forwarded to the prefectures and counties by the Provincial Administration Commission.

As soon as the messenger bringing the news of the death arrived at the prefectural government office, Prefect Jia quickly led his subordinates, including the assistant prefect and judge, to set up an incense table at the ceremonial gate of the government office and kneel to receive the imperial edict.

After verifying that the fire-retardant paint was correct, Prefect Jia opened the letterbox, trembling as he took out the imperial edict, and read it aloud with a sob in his voice:
"By imperial decree of the Empress, the Office of Transmission hereby announces to the world that on the first day of the fifth month of the eighteenth year of the Hongzhi reign (1548), the announcement of the passing of the late Emperor was made at the Fengxian Hall!"

Upon hearing the news, all the officials prostrated themselves on the ground and wept bitterly. Prefect Jia also knelt on the ground, kowtowing and wailing in the northeast direction. This tragic news came so suddenly and unexpectedly that it caught everyone off guard, and grief overwhelmed them.

Moreover, these heartless officials were almost entirely genuinely saddened, with little pretense.

Because the Hongzhi Emperor, who has already passed away, was the most humane emperor after the Renzong Emperor of the Ming Dynasty...

He may lack the ability to realize his ideals. He may be too weak, always manipulated by his cabinet ministers. He may be too sentimental, favoring the foolish empress and her wicked brothers.

Even his "Hongzhi Restoration" might not be entirely accurate...

But no one can deny that he was a good man and wholeheartedly wanted to be a good emperor. He adhered to Confucian principles of governance, accepted advice, valued frugality, rejected treacherous officials, appointed virtuous and capable people, cared for the people, and allowed them to rest and recuperate. Except for a few days when he was ill at the end, he worked diligently, fearing that his negligence would jeopardize the affairs of the nation.

Even if he didn't implement any successful reforms or solve any of the empire's chronic problems, at least under his rule, the people lived peaceful lives. For over a decade, there was no major unrest across the country, and the harassment from enemies on the steppes was limited to the borders, unlike in his grandfather's time when they frequently attacked the gates of Beijing…

This was enough to make his subjects feel immense grief at his departure.

~~
After leading his men northward in a tearful farewell, Prefect Jia rose again and continued reading the imperial edict:
"I, in my humble state, have inherited the great legacy and ascended the throne. For eighteen years, I have revered Heaven and served the people diligently, upholding filial piety and governing with utmost care. I have been constantly vigilant, only fearing that I have failed the late Emperor's trust. Now, I am afflicted with a terminal illness and am likely beyond recovery. Life and death are natural laws, which even the wisest cannot defy. However, I have found a worthy successor, so what more could I ask for?"

"The Crown Prince Houzhao is intelligent, benevolent, and filial, possessing innate virtue, and is fit to ascend the throne. He shall diligently uphold the established laws of our ancestors, serve the Empress Dowager and the Palace Mother with filial piety, pursue learning and cultivate virtue, appoint the virtuous and capable, practice frugality and love for the people, and be neither arrogant nor negligent. All civil and military officials, both within and outside the court, shall wholeheartedly assist him, so as to jointly safeguard the dynasty's prosperity for ten thousand years... This edict is hereby issued to the whole world, so that all may know it!"

After reading the imperial edict, Prefect Jia and others immediately changed into mourning clothes made of raw hemp without any seams. They also set up a temporary memorial tablet in the main hall to enshrine the spirit tablet of the late emperor, performed the four-bowing ceremony, and wept three times in mourning.

This is what is called 'crying at the time'. When crying at the time, the crying must be sorrowful and measured, and cannot be perfunctory.

Meanwhile, the clerks in the yamen hurriedly wrote the obituary on plain paper and affixed a blue seal. Then, the clerk led the yamen runners to post the obituary at the four gates of the city, stating the date of the late emperor's death and the core content of his will—to whom the throne was passed!
The obituary will also announce the etiquette and taboos during the national mourning period. According to regulations, the national mourning period should last for one hundred days, during which music and weddings are prohibited in the general public. Entertainment venues, theaters, restaurants, and even temple fairs and market performances must be suspended.

However, the late emperor, out of compassion for the people, decreed that the days should be replaced by months, the mourning period should end on the 27th, the offerings should be made with plain food, and music and weddings should not be prohibited.

In short, people should continue with their lives as usual, and nothing should stop...

However, local government funeral rites were still subject to strict regulations; otherwise, they would not be sufficient to educate the people, maintain the dignity of the imperial court, or demonstrate loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.

Upon receiving the temple name and posthumous title of the late emperor, Prefect Jia immediately ordered the production of an official memorial tablet for the late emperor, which read—

'The spirit tablet of Emperor Xiaozong of the Great Ming Dynasty, who attained enlightenment, possessed pure sincerity and uprightness, and was revered for his literary, martial, benevolent, and virtuous conduct!'

A permanent mourning hall called "Ku Lin Suo" was set up on the east side of the main hall. Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM) and Shenshi (3-5 PM), officials were required to lead their subordinates in mourning and offering sacrifices, continuing until the coffin was sent off on the 27th day.

Twenty-seven days later, the officials changed into the second-best mourning clothes, the "Qi Cui" style, which were still made of raw hemp cloth, but with sewn edges.

One hundred days later, one can change into 'Si Ma' made of fine linen, which is the lightest form of mourning clothing, and wear it until the New Year.

During this period, all officials were prohibited from wearing brocade or ornaments, and from drinking alcohol or eating meat.

At the same time, government offices ceased using vermilion seals and temporarily switched to black seals. Plaques and lantern covers were covered with plain cloth, and celebratory documents such as those for birthdays and expressions of gratitude were suspended. Officials were prohibited from holding weddings or banquets in their homes; violators would be dismissed from their posts.

Although the military commissioner's office did not directly govern the people, it was no different. Huang Bingxian was an important official who had been summoned by the emperor several times, and he was in charge of etiquette, so all funeral rites were naturally even more meticulous. This was not only true in the office, but also at home, where he meticulously followed all the proper etiquette.

Now Su Lu will have even less chance of seeing Huang E...

~~
On the day the mourning ceremony was set up, Magistrate Lu also came from Hejiang to mourn and offer sacrifices.

Wearing a hemp hat and an unhemmed hemp tunic, with a knotted rope around his waist, he staggered into the mourning hall, knelt before the late emperor's memorial tablet, and wept bitterly until he was choked with sobs, his hemp clothes soaked with tears...

At this point, the officials had all stopped crying. Only Magistrate Lu's wailing filled the hall. It was more than just grief; it was as if he had lost his parents!

The official in charge of rites called out three times to "stop the mourning," but Magistrate Lu remained prostrate on the ground, weeping bitterly, clinging to the legs of the incense table and refusing to rise. His clothes were stained with tears and dust. He couldn't spit out his last phlegm and collapsed, sobbing, before the late emperor's coffin.

"Lord Lu!"

"Quickly call the physician!" the officials exclaimed. Fortunately, the physician from the state medical office was also on the scene. He quickly performed acupuncture and moxibustion to promote blood circulation and finally managed to expel the phlegm from the man's throat.

Magistrate Lu's life was saved, but he was completely devastated and lay motionless on the ground.

Seeing this, Prefect Jia had no choice but to send men from the county government to carry him back. Steward Tian, ​​who was waiting outside the prefectural office, quickly helped the magistrate into the carriage upon hearing the news, and at the same time ordered someone to go to Heshan Academy to invite Su Lu.

During such difficult times, someone needs to be there at home!

As for Su Lu, the academy had already resumed classes, but upon hearing the news, he immediately asked for leave and went down the mountain. Magistrate Lu had been very kind to him, so he had to be kind in return!
He encountered Magistrate Lu's carriage on the street and moved closer to the blue sedan chair, but was stopped by Steward Tian:

"The master is in the carriage and cannot ride in a sedan chair for the time being."

"What? It's that serious?" Su Lu was taken aback and asked in a low voice, "What did the physician say?"

"They said his body is fine," Steward Tian said, pointing to his chest. "But this injury is quite severe."

He said softly, "Young master, please comfort the master."

“Of course.” Su Lu nodded. Steward Tian then lifted the carriage curtain and helped him into the carriage.

~~
Magistrate Lu, dressed in mourning clothes, lay stiffly in the carriage, looking emaciated. Through the fine linen curtain, he stared blankly at the street.

Although the people on the street were not forced to wear the most dreadful clothes, they had all changed into plain black, white, and gray garments, with no one wearing red or bright colors. Shop signs were also covered with plain cloth, and the people spontaneously set up incense tables to pay their respects to the late emperor…

The streets were filled with paper money and funeral banners, truly illustrating what it means for the whole country to mourn.

A gust of wind blew through the street, carrying a few pieces of paper money into the carriage. One of them landed on Lu Zhaoye's face, but he didn't even reach out to brush it off.

"Please accept my condolences, sir." Su Lu called out softly, and had no choice but to remove the paper money from Magistrate Lu's face and throw it out of the carriage window.

"Please accept my condolences..." Lu Zhaoye's throat trembled slightly, and his eyes filled with tears again. He said with a sorrowful voice, "How can I possibly accept condolences?"

"Everyone thinks I'm grieving for the late Emperor, but actually I'm crying for myself..." As he spoke, Lu Zhaoye burst into helpless sobs again, clinging to Su Lu and refusing to let go.

Su Lu could only gently pat Magistrate Lu's back to prevent him from choking on phlegm again.

Seeing this from outside the carriage, Steward Tian sighed inwardly, "See? I told you it was a blood relative."

He couldn't help but praise himself for his excellent judgment.

~~
On the carriage.

“Hongzhi, tell me, why am I so unlucky? I was abandoned in this remote mountain valley for twelve years, unable to move. Finally, I saw hope, put in all my strength, and finally achieved results. The harvest season has arrived.” Magistrate Lu lay beside Su Lu’s legs, as sad as a fifty-year-old child.

"Then this hurricane came out of nowhere and wiped out my entire harvest, leaving me with nothing but disappointment..."

"If I had known this would happen, I would have become the Yongning Deputy Envoy," he said regretfully. "I wonder if that position is still available?"

"Don't be so pessimistic, sir. Our phonetic symbols have proven to be successful. They won't become ineffective just because the emperor has changed. The new emperor might even reward you," Su Lu comforted him.

“Impossible. The teachings of the benevolent ruler were what the late emperor preferred.” Magistrate Lu shook his head and said, “The new emperor will focus on new areas and will no longer concern himself with the legacy of the late emperor.”

"Besides, with a new emperor on the throne, the officials in the court have so many things to do, including implementing all the decrees in the will. There's simply no time for us." He sighed dejectedly, then couldn't help but lament:
"If His Majesty had lived a few months longer, perhaps he would have included the implementation of phonetic symbols in his will. Wouldn't that have been wonderful?"

Su Lu couldn't help but shake his head. What kind of time is this to be thinking about such things?

He still had to continue to comfort her, saying, "At least Prefect Jia and Military Commissioner Huang have already submitted petitions on your behalf, sir. The province will definitely show some response."

“There will definitely be some, but Emperor Xiaozong is no longer here, and neither the Censor nor the Provincial Governor will care anymore. In the end, it might just be a piece of paper with a self-deprecating smile.”

"Alas, this is fate, Hiroshi. I am destined to be like someone who 'draws water with a bamboo basket but ends up with nothing, toiling and busy for whomever I am.'" He couldn't help but feel sorry for himself again.

"Don't be pessimistic, sir!" Su Lu had no choice but to continue encouraging him, "You've already achieved real results! The province won't miss it. Even without special promotion, your performance will still be outstanding! You'll still get promoted!"

"Alas, there's a lot of shady stuff going on there. Once the officials who passed the imperial examinations have colluded, I don't know where I'll rank," Magistrate Lu said pessimistically, gripping Su Lu's hand tightly.
"Hongzhi, I can only rely on you now, you must live up to my expectations!"

P.S. Still asking for monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)