When Liu Chengqian heard that his father was taking him into the palace, he subconsciously looked at his brothers and sisters who were chasing and quarreling away in the corridor not far away. He looked a little reluctant. Rather than entering the palace, he obviously wanted to follow him. The brothers went to play together.
"Dad, you and your mother can go to the palace if you want. Why do you have to take me with you? It's so deserted and uncomfortable. What's the point of going there?"
Liu Mingzhi looked down at the somewhat reluctant Liu Chengqian, his eyes suddenly becoming majestic.
"You bastard, this year is your grandfather's three-year cycle and your uncle's new funeral. As a nephew, how can you not go to worship."
Liu Chengqian looked at his father's serious eyes, couldn't help but shudder, and snuggled up to his mother and the third princess.
"Let's go, kid, let's go together!"
The third princess looked at her husband's somewhat angry face towards his son, and hurriedly took Liu Mingzhi's hand and sandwiched it between the father and son.
"Husband, Cheng Qian is still young, so don't be as knowledgeable as him."
"Are you still young at ten years old? You don't understand any rules. You don't even pay attention to your grandfather's funeral. You have lived ten years in vain."
"Yes, yes, my husband is right. It's all my fault. It's because I didn't teach you well. I will definitely discipline you well when I come back."
Sensing the slight worry in the third princess's tone, Liu Mingzhi breathed out gently and patted the back of the third princess's hand.
"Yan'er, don't take it to heart. My husband is not angry with you. This boy has a different status from Chengzhi and Chengfeng. He will have to endure far more things in the future than his elder brother and younger brother, and yet he is so carefree. How can you live a carefree and idle life?
My husband's tone just now was a little harsh, don't feel uncomfortable, I will apologize to you when you come back in the evening."
The third princess looked at her husband's apologetic eyes, smiled and nodded: "I understand, I understand."
"Let's go into the palace."
Looking at the back of her husband who was rushing away first, the third princess flicked Liu Chengqian, who was slightly aggrieved.
"You kid, your father is teaching you for your own good. He just came out of the ancestral hall to pay homage to your ancestors of the Liu family. Don't you know how important today is?
Hurry up and catch up."
"Oh, I understand, mother."
Liu Chengqian silently followed the third princess towards the door.
It's not that he doesn't know that today is the day to worship ancestors.
But the impression he had on his two elders, his grandfather Li Zheng and his uncle Li Baiyu, was not that profound.
I only saw my grandpa once a year. At that time, I was so young that I didn’t leave any deep impression on him at all.
After my uncle ascended the throne, he followed his father to Northern Xinjiang, and the number of times he met him became even less frequent.
Outside the gate of Liu Mansion, Liu Mingzhi helped the third princess, Liu Chengqian, mother and son into the carriage, and patted Liu Chengqian on the head.
"You brat, stop following your elder sister Yue'er and do some irrelevant things in the future, and focus more on business. You are ten years old, and you are no longer young at all. Things you should know in the future. Don't be stupid, got it?"
Liu Chengqian looked at his father's soft eyes and nodded silently: "I understand, father, and I know I was wrong."
Young Master Liu said, "You are a good boy." He got on his horse and nodded to Liu Song.
"Royal Palace!"
"Yes, Master."
"drive!"
By the time Mr. Liu and his family of three arrived at the palace gate, many civil and military ministers had already begun to come in and out of the palace gate.
Some, like Liu Mingzhi, had just arrived, while others had already finished paying homage and started leaving the palace.
After greeting a group of officials for a while, Liu Mingzhi took the lead, and the three princesses, mother and son, followed behind them and rushed towards the Qinzheng Hall.
During the tea time, Liu Mingzhi saw a large number of officials standing on the school grounds outside the Qinzheng Hall, one by one heading towards the ancestor worship platform built by the Zongren Mansion to offer incense.
Seeing Young Master Liu and the others arriving, many people nodded respectfully and gave up their positions.
Liu Mingzhi did not show any politeness and stood closer to the front. In such a solemn scene, pushing and shoving would inevitably be considered inappropriate.
When it was their turn, the three of them took the incense handed from the little eunuch's hand, and the three of them walked towards the incense table with solemn expressions.
Liu Mingzhi lit the incense candle in his hand and inserted it into the incense burner where countless incense candles were already burning.
The third princess, mother and son, did the same thing. They inserted the lit incense candle into the incense burner, and then followed Young Master Liu three steps back to the futon in front of the incense table.
Liu Mingzhi glanced back at the officials and royal family members behind him, lifted up his clothes, knelt on the futon, and kowtowed several times.
Looking at a large number of tablets, Liu Mingzhi stared at the two tablets placed at the bottom in a daze.
It is the tablet of Li Zheng, Li Baiyu and his son.
'Father and brother, the situation in this world is what you think, but not what you think.
Changed, everything changed.
Now that you are gone, I don’t know how to face the upcoming situation.
Father, my son and I have no regrets in my heart. I hope that you have a spirit in heaven and can protect your son and your Majesty, the king and his ministers will be in harmony, and will not turn against each other.'
After the third princess and Liu Chengqian kowtowed, they looked blankly at Liu Mingzhi, who was kneeling on the futon and looking at the tablet, motionless. I wonder what was wrong with him at this time!
However, Liu Mingzhi, the head of the family, did not get up, and they could only accompany him.
Although the officials behind him were equally confused, they did not say anything to urge them. At this time, the only wisest thing to do was to stay quietly and pay homage to the two late emperors in turn.
I don't know how long it took, but Liu Mingzhi sighed silently, stood up slowly, nodded to the third princess, and then walked towards the free space on the side.
Seeing this, the officials behind him naturally took the incense candles handed by the eunuch and started their own memorial ceremony.
Liu Mingzhi looked around and saw a group of concubines standing behind the Empress Dowager Nangong Meng. He found the figures of Chen Jie and He Shu. He gave the three princesses a look and walked towards Nangong Meng's position.
The spirit in heaven that paid homage to Li Zheng, and a group of beauties from the harem who were not buried in the clan's palace also appeared again.
Looking at the somewhat lonely figures of these noble women in the past, Liu Mingzhi shook his head silently.
Once you enter the palace gate, it is as deep as the sea.
Behind the glory and wealth is often boundless loneliness.
"My son, Liu Mingzhi, pays homage to the queen mother, and to all the royal concubines, I wish you a thousand years to live."
"My son, Li Yan, has met with his mother and queen, and with all the royal wives, he may live a thousand years."
"My grandson Liu Chengqian pays homage to all your grandmothers. He is a thousand years old."
"No gifts, no gifts, no gifts quickly!"
"Thank you, Queen Mother, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you grandma!"
"Queen Mother, dear royal wives, this lady has passed away, so I express my condolences."
"So what if we don't express condolences? Can they come back to life? The Ai family has already looked away."
Liu Mingzhi was speechless and could only nod silently and retreat to the side.
"Empress, dear queens, I will go to the emperor's sister-in-law first to pay my respects, and let Yan'er and Quan Zichengqian accompany you to talk."
Nangong Meng nodded kindly: "Today is different from the past, just do what you want!"
Nangong Meng had no objections, and the rest of Li Zheng's concubines naturally did not dare to have any objections.
At this time and that time, without Li Zheng and the others, not to mention Liu Mingzhi, the side by side king, even the fifth-rank Zongqing of the Zongren Mansion would not take them seriously.
Some concubines who came from well-known families had a good life due to their natal families.
However, some concubines from ordinary backgrounds did not live a bad life. They had three meals a day, which can only be said to be a little better than ordinary people.
Looking at Young Master Liu, who has been favored as the king from more than ten years ago to today, the more than thirty concubines suddenly felt deeply.
"My younger brother Liu Mingzhi has met the two imperial sisters-in-law."
"Uncle, no gifts."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Chen Jie and He Shu who were returning the gift. He glanced at He Shu calmly, as if he had forgotten what happened yesterday, and then looked at Chen Jie.
"Emperor's sister-in-law, my father had a small situation a few days ago. The emperor's sister-in-law summoned my younger brother, but he was unable to meet him in time. I hope that the emperor's sister-in-law will not be surprised."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. The Ai family has already learned about Liu Weng from the emperor. How about it? Liu Weng should be fine now, right?"
"I'm safe and sound. Thank you, Madam-in-law, for your concern.
I don’t know what the emperor’s sister-in-law is talking about when she summons my brother!”
Chen Jie glanced at He Shu, who was standing aside, and gave him an apologetic look: "Uncle, can you step aside for a moment? There is something about the Ai family that I would like to ask my uncle for advice."
"Of course you can."
Liu Mingzhi nodded slightly to He Shu: "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry."
He Shu didn't seem to take it to heart that sister Chen Jie wanted to say something to Young Master Liu behind his back, and nodded silently: "Business matters are important!"