The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Funeral procession!

As dawn broke, the Cao State Duke's mansion was already draped in white mourning clothes.

Li Jinglong, as the eldest son, held the memorial tablet and stood at the very front.

Behind him, Li Zengzhi was dressed in mourning clothes, her small face tense, her eyes red.

The appointed time was approaching, and officials from the Ministry of Rites were bustling about in the courtyard, checking the final procedures.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached.

Dozens of armored soldiers, dressed in mourning clothes, strode in.

He was wearing armor and his arms were wrapped in white mourning clothes.

The armor clanged, and the white silk fluttered.

The leader was Yuan Hong, one of his father's old subordinates, who was now the commander of the Taiyuan Guard.

Following behind Yuan Hong were familiar faces; they were all his father's subordinates, now all of whom were commanders or even generals.

"We, your humble servants, pay our respects to Prince Qiyang." Yuan Hong led the way, and dozens of generals knelt down in unison. "We have come to see Prince Qiyang off on his final journey!"

Li Jinglong's eyes stung with tears, and he bowed slightly: "Dear uncles and elders, please rise quickly."

Yuan Hong raised his head, glanced at Li Jinglong, and stood up. The generals behind him also stood up.

"Brothers," Yuan Hong strode to the coffin, "how did the Commander treat us when he was alive?"

"Your kindness is as heavy as a mountain!"

"Today, the Commander-in-Chief has passed away. What should we, his former subordinates, do?"

"Carry the coffin! Send them off!"

Yuan Hong waved his hand: "Then lift it!"

The generals behind him stepped forward one after another, eight of them carrying the coffin, and the rest guarding the sides.

"We will personally carry the coffin for Prince Qiyang."

"To bid farewell to Prince Qiyang!"

Li Jinglong held the memorial tablet and watched this scene.

These are true comrades-in-arms, brothers who would entrust their lives to each other on the battlefield.

An official from the Ministry of Rites glanced at the sky and announced loudly, "The auspicious hour has arrived; begin the coffin procession!"

"Rise!" Yuan Hong roared.

With the combined efforts of the eight generals, the heavy coffin was steadily lifted off the frame.

Funeral music began to play.

But Li Jinglong felt that none of these musical sounds could compare to the sound of dozens of combat boots stomping on the ground.

The large entourage marched out of the gates of the Duke of Cao's mansion.

White banners fluttered in the wind, and paper money filled the sky.

People had been waiting on both sides of the street. When they saw the procession emerge, they all knelt down.

"Commander! Farewell!"

Cries erupted from all sides.

The procession moved slowly forward, heading towards Zhongshan Mountain.

……

After the burial.

Shovelfuls of yellow earth were poured on top, gradually forming a new grave.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites led their entourage down the mountain first, and the servants also gradually withdrew.

On Zhongshan Mountain, the wind began to rise, causing the white banners to flutter in the wind.

In the end, only Li Jinglong, Li Zengzhi, and a few dozen generals remained in the funeral procession.

Li Jinglong knelt at the front, with Li Zengzhi kneeling beside him. Behind them, dozens of generals in armor knelt in unison.

The wind came from the north, howling through the pine forests of Zhongshan.

Li Jinglong knelt there, staring at his father's new grave.

Beneath the loess lies the man who donned armor and went into battle at the age of nineteen, a general whose might shook the world, and a father who treated his soldiers like brothers.

Now, he's buried in this pile of yellow earth.

The wind howled, whipping up the white banners on the grave mound, making a rustling sound, as if the father was responding to something.

Li Jinglong slowly stood up.

Having knelt for too long, his knees went numb, and he swayed. Li Zengzhi quickly reached out to help him up, and then stood up himself.

The two brothers stood side by side in front of the grave, with dozens of generals behind them.

Li Jinglong turned around and faced the armored soldiers kneeling on the ground.

Li Jinglong clasped his hands and bowed deeply.

"Dear uncles and elders, Father has been laid to rest. Thank you for traveling so far to see Father off on his final journey."

"Young Duke," one of them looked up, "everyone here is one of us. I want to ask, Commander, was he poisoned?"

This statement was met with considerable agreement.

"Yes! Did someone frame the Governor?"

"The imperial physician was executed along with his entire family, and the Marquis of Huai'an was stripped of his title and exiled. There must be something fishy going on here!"

"Young Duke, tell us the truth! We want revenge for the Commander!"

The crowd was outraged!

Li Jinglong raised his hand and pressed down.

Dozens of eyes were on him, waiting for him to speak.

Li Jinglong's gaze swept over every face, and he spoke:

"My uncles and elders, who is my father, Li Wenzhong?"

"My father donned armor and went into battle at the age of nineteen, first conquering Nanjing and pacifying the Zhejiang region."

"My father led a northern expedition into the desert, directly attacking Yingchang, capturing the enemy's heir apparent, and presenting him as a prisoner at the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

"My father, with only a few thousand men, defeated Zhang Shicheng's army of tens of thousands; with a lone army deep in enemy territory, he captured the Northern Yuan Khan from thousands of miles away."

Li Jinglong's voice grew louder and louder.

"Such unparalleled heroes are not people who can be killed by poison."

"My father was Huo Qubing of the Ming Dynasty! However, heaven is jealous of talent, and he died young! This was not caused by anyone's poisoned wine, but by fate! He completed the mission that heaven gave him, and then he went home."

The wind howled as it swept across Zhongshan Mountain, and the pine trees roared like fury.

"He is a divine general! A divine general, naturally, must return to heaven!"

"Uncles and elders, there's no need to ask about poisoning anymore. My father didn't die; he simply...retired to heaven!"

His voice echoed through the valley.

He has passed away... He has passed away... He has passed away...

The wind suddenly stopped.

The mountain was deathly silent.

Then, someone cried.

It wasn't loud wailing; it was the sound of these tough men sobbing, their shoulders trembling.

Yuan Hong knelt there, motionless.

After a long while, he suddenly lowered his head and his forehead hit the ground.

"Now that the Duke of Shao has said this, we have no further doubts."

Behind him, dozens of generals bowed down in unison, their foreheads touching the ground, their armor plates jingling.

"We have no further doubts!"

"I bow again to Prince Qiyang!"

Li Jinglong stood there, his mourning robes fluttering, tears streaming down his face.

Li Zengzhi stood beside him, looking up.

After kowtowing, the generals all descended the mountain.

Only the brothers Li Jinglong and Li Zengzhi remained at the tomb.

The two brothers knelt side by side in front of the grave.

Only a few sheets of paper money remained in the brazier, and the flames slowly swallowed them up, turning them into ashes.

It's all burned.

Li Jinglong stared at the pile of ashes, motionless.

"Brother," Li Zengzhi asked, "why didn't you tell these generals that Father's death was suspicious?"

Li Jinglong remained silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh.

"Firstly, I don't believe Father was poisoned. Secondly, even if it were suspicious, could I say that to these generals?"

"You saw it yourself, the way Uncle Yuan and the others acted. As soon as they heard that Dad might have been poisoned, their hands were already on the hilt of a knife. These people have followed Dad through thick and thin for so many years. Dad is their sky. If the sky falls, they're capable of anything."

Li Zengzhi's eyes flickered.

"Dozens of commanders and generals, commanding large armies, guarding a region. If one of them were to act rashly, it could lead to a major disaster."

"What will His Majesty think then? He'll think that our Li family was the one instigating things behind the scenes. Even if Father wasn't poisoned, it will still be seen as us plotting something sinister."

Li Zengzhi lowered his head and, after a long pause, asked, "Should we continue the investigation?"

"Investigate secretly," Li Jinglong said. "At least investigate that Pan Mei. That bastard tricked us at the funeral music event; there must be someone behind it."

Li Zengzhi thought for a moment and said, "Then these generals can help us."

"If we need help, we only need to find a few people; we don't need so many." Li Jinglong turned to his younger brother. "We can't let this cause a big stir. The fewer people who know, the better; the less noise we make, the safer we'll be."

Li Zengzhi nodded slowly: "I understand."

"Good, I understand." Li Jinglong stood up. "Let's go, let's go down the mountain too."

Li Zengzhi got up, patted the dirt off his knees, and followed behind him.

After walking a few steps, Li Zengzhi spoke up: "Brother, I feel you're different from before."

Li Jinglong paused, "What's different?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it." Li Zengzhi tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Before, all you did was listen to music, watch plays, and lead a bunch of people astray. Now, the way you talk and act is a bit like your father."

Li Jinglong paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Dad's gone, can I still be the same as before?" He patted his younger brother.

"Yes, this family depends on you, eldest brother." Li Zengzhi nodded.

Li Jinglong immediately rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that! The Cao family's wealth is so vast, it's enough for us brothers to eat and drink. We're all relying on our father, so we don't have to worry about anything in this life."