The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The next day.

Before dawn, officials from the Ministry of Rites arrived.

The mourning hall has been rearranged, with white banners hanging high, elegiac couplets drooping, and incense and candles swirling around.

Li Jinglong and his brother Li Zengzhi changed into their mourning clothes, coarse hemp clothing, with hemp ropes tied around their waists and straw sandals on their feet. Wearing this outfit, Li Jinglong felt a prickling itch all over his body.

"Brother, please bear with it," Li Zengzhi said in a low voice. "The people from the Ministry of Rites said that His Highness the Crown Prince will be coming today, along with various dukes and marquises."

Li Jinglong nodded.

These linen clothes are too rough. I'll have to ask the manor to make a few with linings, otherwise my skin will chafe after kneeling for a day.

The two brothers knelt on either side of the coffin.

Cry when you need to cry, stop when you need to stop, the main point is to create a great atmosphere.

"Second brother, take it easy," Li Jinglong reminded him. "This is just the beginning; there are still several groups of people coming later."

Li Zengzhi sniffed: "I couldn't help it."

"You can start your efforts when the Crown Prince arrives," Li Jinglong said irritably. "Don't be so embarrassed if you run out of tears and can only wail."

A voice came from outside the door shortly after: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Li Jinglong quickly composed himself.

A group of people entered, led by Crown Prince Zhu Biao, dressed in plain clothes with a solemn expression.

He was followed by a group of people, all of whom were important officials in the court.

Walking to Zhu Biao's left was Xu Da, the Duke of Wei, and next to Xu Da was Tang He, the Duke of Xin.

The younger generation following behind included Xu Yungong, Tang Yi, and Chang Mao.

Li Jinglong thought to himself.

Look at them, each one of them exudes an air of grandeur; they truly are sons of generals.

I'm far behind; they'll be fighting on the battlefield, while I'll be lying down and doing nothing.

Zhu Biao walked to the altar, took three incense sticks from the Ministry of Rites official, and bowed three times respectfully.

"Li Wenzhong, the Duke of Cao, is a pillar of the state and my cousin. Since raising his army, he has fought in the east and west, and has achieved numerous military exploits."

"He died young, a truly tragic loss."

After praising it profusely, the incense sticks were inserted into the incense burner.

Li Jinglong quickly kowtowed in return.

The Crown Prince possessed a refined and scholarly demeanor, and was composed and experienced.

It's a pity he died young; otherwise, Zhu Di would never have had a chance.

After offering incense, Zhu Biao stepped aside.

Xu Da stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the coffin, and remained silent for a long time.

"Wenzhong, after our two battles in the south and north, we only have one goal left: to completely defeat Wang Baobao."

He reached out and patted the coffin. "Why did you leave so soon? Wait for me down there. When we get down there, we'll continue to beat up Wang Baobao."

Tang He stepped forward and sighed, "Bao'er, we made a promise to go back to our hometown of Haozhou for a drink when the world is at peace. But you went back on your word."

He shook his head, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes.

Li Jinglong knelt to one side, deeply moved by the genuine emotions displayed by the two veterans.

These old comrades, who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood together, have a genuine bond.

but!

Xu Da, that old man, looks sickly, but he doesn't have much time left to live.

He's going to die in the eighteenth year of the Hongwu reign, which is next year. Then, one less of these old brothers will be gone.

Tang He, on the other hand, lived longer.

Alas, Li Guoxue may seem glamorous, but he paid for it all with his life.

My father risked his life for wealth and status; if I don't enjoy it, wouldn't that be a waste?

"Gentlemen, I would like to reserve some time for Uncle Tang and Uncle Xu at my cousin's mourning hall. Let them say a few final words to my cousin. The rest of you, please leave with me," Zhu Biao said at the opportune moment.

"Yes," the crowd replied.

Li Jinglong and Li Zengzhi also stood up and followed the others outside.

We got outside.

Zhu Biao stood below the steps, and a group of young generals naturally gathered around him.

Xu Yungong, Chang Mao, Tang Yi, and several other sons of noble families were all around twenty years old, with the arrogance of scions of military families between their brows.

Li Jinglong wanted to find a corner to hide in, but since he was the chief mourner, he couldn't leave and could only stand aside as a backdrop.

"The Duke of Cao was a hero throughout his life, and I admire him greatly," Xu Yungong said. "Back then, during the Northern Expedition, the Duke of Cao led his army out of Yehuling, successively capturing Xinghe and Chahannaoer, and went straight to Yingchang. In that battle, the enemy ruler and his descendants were all captured, which can be described as a remarkable achievement."

Li Jinglong nodded to himself: He's done his homework well; no wonder he's Xu Da's son.

Xu Yungong changed the subject: "My father often said that a man should stand on his own two feet in this world. I have already requested permission to go to Beiping to guard the border, to earn military merit on my own, and not to rely solely on my father's protection."

Li Jinglong: ? ? ?

Click on me? You think you're so capable?

"Yun Gong is right! This humble general is also preparing to go under General Feng Sheng's command to gain experience, fight the enemy and serve the country, so as not to live up to the name of the descendant of the King of Kaiping!" Chang Mao said.

Tang Yi, being slightly older, stood to the side, nodding slightly, appearing much more composed.

The younger generation surrounded the crown prince, all full of vigor and ambition, as if they were about to don armor and go into battle tomorrow to achieve great things.

Zhu Biao smiled gently.

"Jiujiang." He looked at Li Jinglong. "What are your plans after your mourning period ends? If you have any aspirations, I can request permission from the Emperor."

Li Jinglong's heart skipped a beat.

Here it comes! Old Zhu asked about it yesterday, and the Crown Prince asked again today. Did these two plan this beforehand?

"Your Highness, I don't really want to do anything. I'm not cut out for fighting, nor am I cut out for being an official. I just want to stay at home," he said awkwardly.

After these words were spoken, the surroundings became noticeably quiet for a moment.

Xu Yungong's lips twitched, and Chang Mao's eyes widened.

Even the usually composed Tang Yi frowned slightly.

"My older brother just wants to lie down, marry a few beautiful wives and concubines, build a big manor, and eat, drink, and have fun every day!" a voice said.

Li Jinglong suddenly turned his head.

Li Zengzhi approached at some point, looking very serious.

"He told me yesterday that being an official and fighting wars are things only fools do, and that lying down and eating is the most delicious thing."

"Shut up!"

Li Jinglong quickly covered his younger brother's mouth, his face turning green.

You little bastard! You're so young, and you've already learned to betray your own brother?

Li Jinglong wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Xu Yungong clearly looked down on him, Chang Mao's mouth dropped open, and Tang Yi shook his head slightly.

Zhu Biao, however, appeared perfectly normal.

"Ahem." Li Jinglong chuckled twice. "Your Highness, children speak without thinking. I am young and ignorant, and I am just talking nonsense."

"Please accept my condolences and observe proper mourning. We'll talk about the future later," Zhu Biao said.

These were polite words, but Li Jinglong could tell that His Highness the Crown Prince was clearly disappointed.

Well, his image is completely ruined; he's definitely a good-for-nothing.

Fine, I guess I'll just be a good-for-nothing.

After a while, Xu Da and Tang He came out of the mourning hall.

They bowed to Zhu Biao and then left with the younger generation.

Zhu Biao did not leave, but instead called Li Jinglong aside.

"Jiujiang," he whispered, "Father has already demoted Marquis Huazhong of Huai'an and exiled his entire family to Jianchang Guard."

Li Jinglong felt a chill run down his spine.

In the original owner's memory, it was Marquis Huazhong of Huai'an who was in charge of medical treatment and related matters during his father's serious illness.

Hua Zhong has now been stripped of his title and his entire family has been exiled.

First, they executed the entire family of the imperial physicians, and now they've taken over Huazhong.

This is getting more and more suspicious.

No, no, that's not right.

If Lao Zhu really wanted to kill someone to silence them, he could have just done it quietly. Why make such a big fuss?

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life," Li Jinglong said softly. "Your Majesty need not be so concerned."

Zhu Biao's eyes lit up, seemingly surprised by Li Jinglong's reaction.

"Father loved my cousin too much," he said helplessly. "He couldn't accept my cousin's sudden death and took his anger out on others."

Li Jinglong nodded slowly.

If that's what you say, then I'll believe you.

If the emperor wants to cause trouble at a hospital, who can stop him?

"After Mother passed away, Father became more and more..." Zhu Biao stopped midway through his sentence.