Chapter 480: No Money for a Funeral

"Everyone stop arguing. Let us first discuss His Majesty's funeral arrangements." Left Chancellor Li Li Liangcheng finally pulled himself out of his emotions, looking aged and bent with exhaustion. Still, he could hold on, could keep the overall situation steady.

"Should we not summon the various princes and imperial princes, and also send someone to notify the rear palace?"

"The rear palace can wait until dawn. As for the various princes and imperial princes…" Li Li Liangcheng nodded heavily, "send someone to notify them right now, and ask them to come at once. This concerns His Majesty's funeral arrangements; the imperial princes and princes must be present."

"Wait a moment." Chen Chen Guanfu stepped forward once again. "May I ask the several Imperial Physicians—how exactly did His Majesty pass away? During the day, wasn't it said there was no problem? Only a few hours have passed, so how could it be so sudden?"

His words abruptly disrupted the rhythm. It amounted to a challenge to Left Chancellor Li Li Liangcheng's authority.

Li Xiang indeed wore a dark, sullen face, yet he did not speak out against it.

Yu Yu Zhaoan looked left and right, then decided to side with Chen Chen Guanfu. "Indeed we should first ascertain the cause of death clearly. Otherwise, once the imperial princes and princes arrive and start making a fuss, if we know nothing and can answer no questions, that would be a grave dereliction of duty."

"Well said. Several Imperial Physicians, please rise and explain the whole matter from beginning to end, so that we may have some idea of what we are dealing with."

"Take the palace servants on night duty tonight and interrogate them one by one, separately. Assign this matter to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"It cannot be handed to the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Qiu Qiu Defu suddenly spoke up. "The palace has its own laws and order; it is not the Embroidered Uniform Guard's place to meddle."

"Eunuch Qiu, at this point, you cannot afford to make any missteps!"

"You might as well say outright that I am sheltering someone. But everything I have done has been in accordance with the rules. When palace servants err, when has it ever been the Embroidered Uniform Guard's turn to step in? There has never been such a rule. Besides, what exactly happened tonight has not even been investigated yet—so what, you all want to pin crimes on every single person in Taiji Palace?"

Qiu Qiu Defu spoke with fierce, harsh words, yielding not an inch.

When palace servants err, the Twenty-Four Palace Bureaus have their own dedicated personnel responsible for arrests and interrogation. When has it ever been the Embroidered Uniform Guard's turn to meddle in palace affairs? What sort of propriety would that be?

Yu Yu Zhaoan stepped forward to make the decision. "Matters within the palace are not for us to meddle in. Regarding the interrogation of the palace servants, I must trouble Eunuch Qiu to take extra care. Several Imperial Physicians, you may speak first. Lay out the matter clearly. As long as it is ultimately found to be exactly as you have said, and you all did your utmost, the court will naturally not make things difficult for you."

With Yu Yu Zhaoan's assurance, the Imperial Physicians all opened their floodgates, presenting everything they had seen, heard, and done that night, along with their medical records and prescription logs, all in hopes of saving their lives.

At night, the Imperial Physicians all rested in Piandian. They left two apprentices on standby in the sleeping hall; should any situation arise, one call would bring the Imperial Physicians rushing over at once.

Around the third watch, one of the apprentices hurried to Piandian, saying His Majesty was failing fast. The Imperial Physicians, hearing this, did not dare delay for a single moment; they grabbed their medicine chests and rushed straight to the sleeping hall.

To save time, the Imperial Physicians had not removed their clothes, shoes, or socks while sleeping these past days, and their medicine chests were placed right beside their pillows. So once they woke, apart from the half-minute spent on the road, there was basically no delay. They arrived at the sleeping hall at the earliest possible moment.

When they reached the sleeping hall, the old Emperor still had half a breath left; he was in a coma, mouth open, gasping in great gulps. One breath he could not draw in, and he was gone.

The Imperial Physicians exhausted every skill they had learned in their lives to try to save him—pouring medicine, inserting needles, suctioning phlegm… every life-preserving pill from the bottom of their chests, every method that could be used was brought out, yet still they could not turn back the tide.

What followed was accepting the fact of His Majesty's passing, and notifying the various Court's Weight ministers.

"Why did His Majesty suddenly fall ill while in a coma?" Chen Chen Guanfu asked in a stern tone.

"We do not know."

"You are Imperial Physicians, and yet you do not know?"

"We did not have time to examine him."

"Absurd!"

"Examine him now. It must be thoroughly investigated. His Majesty was perfectly fine—why did he suddenly fall ill, and with one breath not drawn in, he was gone? There is something fishy about this matter."

"What fishiness could there be? His Majesty had been in a coma for many days; in a situation like this, he could pass away at any moment while in that state. It is perfectly normal."

Before the Imperial Physicians had even begun their examination, the ministers had already started arguing among themselves.

Qiu Qiu Defu suddenly asserted his authority. "All of you, shut your mouths for me! Your arguing disturbs His Majesty's peace! When His Majesty was alive, you argued without end. Now that His Majesty has passed, you still argue without end. That is the truly absurd thing. Several Imperial Physicians, step forward at once and examine His Majesty."

As Grand Eunuch of the Inner Palace, the most trusted man at the old Emperor's side, Qiu Qiu Defu still carried considerable weight when it came to controlling the conversation within the bounds of the imperial palace.

At his shout, the Imperial Physicians seemed to have found their backbone.

Turning away from the others, Qiu Qiu Defu secretly made a hand signal, and a young eunuch quietly slipped out, running swiftly toward the palace's relevant bureau to summon the most professional and experienced coroner eunuchs in the palace to come and inspect.

Of course, His Majesty's body could not be defiled by lowly men such as coroners.

Therefore, this matter had to be done in secret, without alerting anyone. It could only be handled privately, before His Majesty was placed in his coffin.

In his heart, he harbored suspicions about the several Imperial Physicians.

Could these Imperial Physicians have been bought off by someone?

Could the palace servants attending His Majesty have been bought off by someone?

Taiji Palace is not clean!

Although Qiu Qiu Defu accepted the Imperial Physicians' explanation that His Majesty could pass away at any moment, he did not accept that His Majesty would suddenly pass away tonight.

He was perfectly fine during the day, and endured all that turmoil without incident.

Why did something happen in the middle of the night?

Could it be because he was stimulated during the day and could not bear it? But His Majesty was clearly in a coma, unaware and insensible.

Qiu Qiu Defu speculated on many possibilities, but he did not rush to draw a conclusion.

After a thorough examination, the Imperial Physicians all said everything was normal; they had not found any problem.

If one had to point to a problem, it was that the prolonged coma had caused bodily exhaustion. In such a condition, one could not have lived long in the first place.

The Imperial Physicians' conclusion made the ministers present all heave a sigh of relief, feeling a lightness as if a heavy burden had been set down.

Qiu Qiu Defu immediately took the initiative and said: "Please summon the various princes and imperial princes. Once they have seen His Majesty, it will be time to place him in his coffin. All matters of the funeral rites must be handled by the Ministry of Rites, with the Imperial Astronomical Bureau assisting from the side. For all the expenses, if the Ministry of Revenue lacks funds, draw from the Imperial Treasury. However, I am but a mere servant, and the amount of Imperial Treasury funds I can draw upon is limited. In the end, we still need you ministers to determine the successor to the throne as soon as possible, open the Imperial Treasury, and give His Majesty a grand funeral."

"With money needed everywhere at present, His Majesty's funeral rites should be handled simply!"

"No!" Qiu Qiu Defu was the first to object. "His Majesty reigned for fifty years—how extraordinary. His Majesty's life was one of civil virtue and martial achievement, worthy of Heaven, Earth, and ancestors. Even if there were missteps in recent years, that is permissible. In short, His Majesty's funeral rites cannot be handled simply. Li Xiang, what is your view?"

Li Li Liangcheng was very direct. "Following Eunuch Qiu's wishes, how much silver should be prepared for His Majesty's funeral rites?"

"In my opinion, His Majesty's funeral rites must not cost less than five hundred thousand taels."

"Absurd! This is precisely a season of shortage; the summer grain harvest is still months away. The three major camps outside are waiting for money to be sent. The meager funds the Ministry of Revenue has at the bottom of its chest probably would not even be enough to send off beggars. Unless all five hundred thousand comes from the Imperial Treasury."

"Then what do you all consider appropriate?"

"One hundred thousand!"

"Far too meager."

"How about this—two hundred thousand, yes? The Ministry of Revenue puts up one hundred thousand, the Imperial Treasury puts up one hundred thousand. Eunuch Qiu, give us your stance." Yu Yu Zhaoan jumped in ahead of Li Xiang to set the tone.