The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Li Jinglong pondered for a while, going over the details of the past few days in his mind.

"The person who presided over the funeral at the Duke of Cao's mansion was Pan Mei, the Vice Minister of Rites. Did this person have a grudge against our father?" he asked.

Li Zengzhi frowned: "That shouldn't be the case. When our father pacified Jiangnan, he accepted the surrender of a group of officials who had surrendered from Zhang Shicheng, and Pan Mei was one of them."

"Come to think of it, our father must have been kind to him, right?" Li Jinglong pondered. "He's been very polite to us these past few days."

"But he must know if the music is played wrong," Li Zengzhi said doubtfully. "Does he think our father should be treated with the respect due to a prince?"

Li Jinglong's expression turned wary: "That's setting us up. Once the mourning period is over, the officials' memorials will pile up like mountains, 'The Duke of Cao's mansion has exceeded the prescribed mourning regulations, transgressing etiquette and law; their intentions are despicable.' How are we brothers going to explain then? Say, 'The Ministry of Rites submitted the memorial themselves; we didn't ask them to'? Who would believe that?"

Li Zengzhi's gaze turned cold.

"So, he came here specifically for us."

"Ungrateful wretch!" Li Jinglong gritted his teeth. "And our father even promoted him back then!"

Li Zengzhi asked in bewilderment, "Why does he hate our father? I can't figure it out."

Li Jinglong's mind raced.

"That needs to be investigated. But I've heard that although our father pacified Jiangnan and destroyed Zhang Shicheng, the gentry of Jiangnan still remember Zhang Shicheng with gratitude."

Li Zengzhi nodded: "Yes, I've heard Father mention this before. Zhang Shicheng has been managing things in Jiangnan for many years, with light taxes and levies, and he is deeply loved by the people. After our Great Ming conquered Jiangnan, those gentry outwardly submitted, but secretly they still remembered Zhang Shicheng's good deeds. His Majesty even increased taxes for them because of this."

"If His Majesty increases taxes in Jiangnan, things will become even more complicated," Li Jinglong shook his head.

Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude towards the landlords and gentry in Jiangnan was one of love and hate. He loved their wealth and resources, but hated their power.

The gentry in Jiangnan were all incredibly wealthy, owning vast fields and shops everywhere.

"They have the power to control the government and the ability to seize the wealth of ordinary people," Li Jinglong sneered. "These people are more effective than the government in the local area."

Li Zengzhi blinked: "Brother, when did you become so cultured?"

"Listen to the important part," Li Jinglong said irritably.

"So what's the key point?"

"The point is, what does all this have to do with our father?" Li Jinglong asked, looking puzzled. "When our father pacified Jiangnan, he was indeed fighting Zhang Shicheng. But after the battle, he didn't go on a killing spree. Instead, he adopted a lot of appeasement policies, pacified the people, and recruited officials. He was very popular with the people."

Li Zengzhi shook his head and shrugged: "I think the important thing is to quickly change to funeral music."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Li Jinglong slapped his thigh and stood up.

The two brothers quickly walked out of the mourning hall.

In the courtyard, Pan Mei was standing under the eaves, holding a roster in her hand, explaining something to several officials from the Ministry of Rites.

Li Jinglong was about to speak.

Footsteps approached from outside the mansion gate, accompanied by a high-pitched, loud voice:

"Imperial edict has arrived!"

Inside and outside the mourning hall, everyone knelt down in unison.

A young eunuch strode in, carrying the imperial edict.

The funeral music was still playing; it was still that same music for the vassal kings.

The young eunuch paused noticeably.

He listened intently, his brow furrowing slightly. His gaze swept over the musicians in the mourning hall, then over the crowd kneeling on the ground.

Li Jinglong's heart sank.

It’s over.

They were caught red-handed, and the culprit was apprehended on the spot.

"Stop! You're playing the wrong music! Who gave you permission to play this music?" Pan Mei, who was kneeling in the front row of the crowd, turned around and shouted.

Li Jinglong and Li Zengzhi exchanged a glance.

Holy crap.

Are they waiting for us here?

"This is funeral music for a prince, didn't you know?" Pan Mei was furious. "I was only gone for a short while, and you dared to change the music without my permission? Who gave you the audacity?"

The musicians were terrified, their faces turning ashen.

"Who gave the order? Speak!" Pan Mei shouted coldly.

The band leader trembled all over, glanced hesitantly in the direction of the two brothers, then quickly lowered his head and dared not utter a sound.

But that one glance was enough.

For a moment, the guests and officials kneeling on the ground began to whisper among themselves.

"Why is the Duke of Cao's mansion presenting a memorial to a prince?"

"This is against etiquette."

"Yes, although Duke Cao is a member of the imperial family, he is still only a duke. How can he be treated as a prince?"

"This is going too far! This is extremely disrespectful."

"Alas, Li Wenzhong was a hero of his time, but his son is so irresponsible that he can even mess up a funeral like this."

The two brothers knelt on the ground, completely numb.

Now I'm in a bind.

Li Jinglong's mind raced as he tried to think of an explanation.

"Please forgive me, Eunuch Wang. I was negligent and careless, allowing my subordinates to commit such a grave error. I will apologize to His Majesty for this matter. However, it is truly heartbreaking that such an overstepping of the bounds has occurred so soon after the death of Duke Cao," Pan Mei said.

Li Jinglong cursed Pan Mei's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind.

"Continue playing the music," the young eunuch said.

Pan Mei was taken aback, thinking she had misheard: "Eunuch Wang, what did you say?"

"I say this music is correct. Continue playing." Eunuch Wang repeated.

The entire audience was stunned.

Pan Mei's expression changed: "Eunuch Wang, I am the Vice Minister of Rites and am well-versed in etiquette. The regulations for funeral music for princes and dukes are completely different. You are not an official of the Ministry of Rites, so this is not your responsibility."

"Lord Pan, you're wrong this time," Eunuch Wang snorted.

"How could I be wrong?" Pan Mei said coldly. "Eunuch Wang, matters of etiquette are not child's play."

An official from the Ministry of Rites chimed in, "Indeed, Eunuch Wang, Lord Pan is well-versed in etiquette; how could he be wrong?"

"Haven't you heard of him, Your Excellency?" another official from the Ministry of Rites shouted. "Vice Minister Pan, the Chief of Rites and Ceremonies!"

"Brave Eunuch Wang!"

Li Jinglong shouted out as if possessed.

The air freezes.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Li Jinglong was stunned.

I just wanted to pick up on a joke!

"Young Duke, do you realize you've overstepped your bounds?" Pan Mei asked.

Li Jinglong blinked blankly, "Overstepping boundaries? What overstepping boundaries? I don't understand this music at all. Is this 'Midnight Song' or 'Drunken Spring Breeze'?"

Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

Yes, Li Jinglong is a spoiled brat.

He would lead a group of noble sons to listen to music and watch plays, and he could even hum along to pieces like "Midnight Song" and "Drunken Spring Breeze".

As for funeral music? He doesn't know anything about it.

He doesn't even know the tune.

"Then the Second Young Master knows." Pan Mei's face stiffened.

Li Zengzhi raised his head, his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm still a child," he said, his voice trembling with tears. "I know nothing about funeral music. My father is gone; I can't even keep up with all the kowtowing. Besides, wasn't this all arranged by your Ministry of Rites?"

Everyone looked at Pan Mei.

Yes.

The funeral was presided over by the Ministry of Rites, the music troupe was invited by the Ministry of Rites, and the music was determined by the Ministry of Rites.

Those two brothers, one a spoiled brat and the other a child, what do they know about funeral music? You blame the bereaved family when something goes wrong? Isn't that blatant bullying?

"Eunuch Wang, the funeral music is wrong, it needs to be changed." Pan Mei's lips twitched.

Li Jinglong was also puzzled.

Why did this eunuch Wang say that funeral music was the right thing to do?

In the original owner's memories, this eunuch's full name was Wang Jinghong.

There is such a person in historical records who accompanied Zheng He on his voyages to the Western Ocean.