Chapter 480: No Money for the Funeral

"Enough, stop arguing. Let us discuss the arrangements for His Majesty's funeral." Grand Secretary Li Liangcheng finally emerged from his emotional state, appearing aged and exhausted. However, he was still holding on, still stabilizing the overall situation.

"Should we summon the Princes and Imperial Princes? And the Inner Palace should also be notified."

"The Inner Palace can wait until daybreak. As for the Princes and Imperial Princes..." Li Liangcheng nodded heavily. "Send people to notify them now. Invite them to come immediately. Regarding His Majesty's funeral arrangements, the Princes and Imperial Princes cannot be absent."

"Wait a moment." Chen Guanfu stepped forward again. "May I ask the Imperial Physicians, why exactly did His Majesty pass away? During the day, wasn't everything fine? Only a few hours have passed, how could it be so sudden?"

His words abruptly disrupted the rhythm. It was equivalent to challenging the authority of Grand Secretary Li Liangcheng.

Li Liangcheng indeed wore a gloomy face, yet he did not voice any opposition.

Yu Zhaoan looked left and right, deciding to echo Chen Guanfu. "It is indeed necessary to clarify the cause of death first. Lest the Princes and Imperial Princes arrive later and cause a scene, and we are left unable to answer a single question, which would be a dereliction of duty."

"That is true. Imperial Physicians, please rise and explain the sequence of events clearly, so that we may have some understanding."

"Interrogate the palace servants who were on night duty, one by one, separately. Hand this matter over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Do not hand it over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Qiu Defu suddenly spoke up. "The palace has its own laws and decorum; it is not the place for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to intervene."

"Qiu Eunuch, at a time like this, you must not make a wrong move!"

"You might as well just say I am covering something up. But everything I do is in accordance with the rules. When palace servants commit an error, when has it ever been the turn of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to intervene in palace affairs? There has never been such a rule. Furthermore, what happened tonight hasn't even been investigated yet; how is it that you are already pinning crimes on everyone in the Taiji Palace?"

Qiu Defu was stern and unyielding.

When palace servants committed errors, the Twenty-Four Yamen of the palace had their own specialized personnel responsible for arrests and interrogations. Since when did the Embroidered Uniform Guard have the right to intervene in palace affairs? It was improper.

Yu Zhaoan stepped forward to make a decision. "Palace matters are not for us to interfere in. I must trouble Qiu Eunuch to take care of the interrogation of the palace servants. Imperial Physicians, you speak first. Explain everything clearly; as long as it is verified that you did your utmost, the Imperial Court will naturally not make things difficult for you."

With this guarantee from Yu Zhaoan, the Imperial Physicians opened up, presenting their observations, medical records, and prescription logs from the night, seeking only to save their lives.

At night, the Imperial Physicians were resting in the side hall. They had left two apprentices on duty in the bedchamber, instructing them to call out if there was any situation, so the physicians could arrive immediately.

Around the third watch, one of the apprentices ran to the side hall in a panic, saying His Majesty was failing. Upon hearing this, the physicians did not dare to delay for even a second, grabbing their medicine chests and rushing to the bedchamber.

To save time, the physicians had not been removing their robes or shoes while sleeping these past few days, and their medicine chests were kept by their pillows. Thus, once awakened, they arrived at the bedchamber without delay, save for the half-minute it took to run there.

By the time they reached the bedchamber, His Majesty had only half a breath left, lying in a coma, mouth agape, gasping for air. Before he could draw another breath, he passed away.

The physicians used every skill they had learned in their lives to resuscitate him—administering medicine, acupuncture, suctioning phlegm... they used every life-saving method in their arsenal, but it was to no avail.

What followed was accepting the fact of His Majesty's passing and notifying the high-ranking officials of the Imperial Court.

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

"We do not know."

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

"We had not yet had time to examine him."

"Absurd!"

"Examine him now. You must find out clearly. Why did His Majesty suddenly fall ill when he was fine, and pass away before he could draw another breath? This matter likely has hidden complications."

"What complications could there be? His Majesty had been in a coma for many days; in such a condition, it is perfectly normal for him to pass away in his sleep at any moment."

Before the physicians could even begin their examination, the officials began arguing among themselves.

Qiu Defu suddenly exerted his authority. "All of you, shut your mouths! You are disturbing His Majesty's peace! While His Majesty was alive, you argued incessantly. Now that His Majesty has passed, you still argue incessantly. This is the true absurdity. Imperial Physicians, proceed immediately to examine His Majesty."

Qiu Defu, as the Grand Eunuch and the person most trusted by His Majesty, carried significant weight within the walls of the Imperial Palace.

With his shout, the Imperial Physicians seemed to find their backbone.

Out of sight of others, Qiu Defu made a secret gesture, and a young eunuch slipped out, running swiftly toward the palace's specialized offices to summon the most professional and senior coroner-eunuch to inspect the body.

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

Therefore, this had to be done in secret, without alarming anyone. It had to be handled privately before His Majesty was encoffined.

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

Was it possible that these physicians had been bought off?

Was it possible that the palace servants attending to His Majesty had been bought off?

The Taiji Palace was not clean!

Although Qiu Defu accepted the physicians' claim that His Majesty could pass away at any time, he did not accept that His Majesty would pass away in the middle of the night.

Everything had been fine during the day, even after so much turmoil.

Why did something happen in the middle of the night?

Was it because he had been stimulated during the day and couldn't bear it? But His Majesty had clearly been in a coma, without consciousness or feeling.

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

After an examination, the physicians all stated that everything was normal and they found no issues.

If there was any issue, it was the long-term coma that had caused systemic organ failure. In such a condition, one could not live long.

The physicians' conclusion brought a sense of relief to the officials present, a feeling of having a heavy burden lifted.

Qiu Defu immediately took the initiative. "Please summon the Princes and Imperial Princes. Once they have paid their respects to His Majesty, he should be encoffined. The Ministry of Rites must handle the funeral arrangements, with the Imperial Board of Astronomy assisting. If the Ministry of Revenue lacks funds for the expenses, we shall draw from the Inner Treasury. However, I am but a lowly servant, and the amount I can authorize is limited. Ultimately, we still need the officials to determine the successor to the throne as soon as possible, to open the Inner Treasury, and to give His Majesty a grand burial."

"Funds are needed everywhere right now. His Majesty's funeral should be simplified!"

"Absolutely not!" Qiu Defu was the first to object. "His Majesty reigned for fifty years; such a thing is rare. His Majesty's life, his civil and military achievements, are worthy of Heaven, Earth, and his ancestors. Even if there were mistakes in recent years, they are permissible. In short, His Majesty's funeral cannot be simplified. Grand Secretary Li, what is your opinion?"

Li Liangcheng was very direct. "Based on your opinion, Qiu Eunuch, how much silver should be prepared for His Majesty's funeral?"

"In my opinion, His Majesty's funeral should cost no less than five hundred thousand taels."

"Absurd! We are currently in the season between harvests; the summer grain won't be collected for several months. The meager reserves in the Ministry of Revenue aren't even enough to pay off beggars, let alone the Three Great Camps waiting for pay. Unless the entire five hundred thousand comes from the Inner Treasury."

"Then what amount do you consider appropriate?"

"One hundred thousand!"

"Too meager."

"How about this: two hundred thousand. The Ministry of Revenue will provide one hundred thousand, and the Inner Treasury will provide one hundred thousand. Qiu Eunuch, state your position." Yu Zhaoan preempted Li Liangcheng to set the tone.