Da Suining

Chapter 90

The sudden death of Eunuch Chang shocked the government and the public. Everyone knew that the emperor was not in a good mood to lose a confidant eunuch. At this time, whoever was closer was unlucky.So in the early court, everyone was very nervous, for fear of saying something wrong and causing the emperor to be angry.After a while, they all ran away without a trace.

After getting the news, Xiang Daying went to Mrs. Xiang's Dongkua courtyard and sat in silence for a long time.

Before the tea brought by Madam Su was stirred, Madam Xiang hung her head while rubbing the red beans on the plate, her silver hair became thicker.

Back from Dongkua courtyard, Xiang Daying didn't have much appetite either, and he didn't taste the salted duck, spicy fried rabbit meat, or steamed first-grade beef cooked in the kitchen.After a meal, I only drank half a bowl of japonica rice and red dates soup.

Tang Xiaoniang tore a salted duck leg and ate it, half a plate of rabbit meat, a dozen pieces of steamed beef with flour, half a plate of pickled radish in vinegar, and two bowls of japonica rice soup. It seemed that she had a lot of appetite.

"Eunuch Chang was also in power at the time, and he couldn't use up all the money in his hand. It's a pity that he had money but no blessings, so he died so soon." Tang Xiaoniang took the water handed over by the maid, rinsed her mouth, and spit it back. In the copper cup, wiped the corners of his mouth with a white towel, threw the white towel back into the copper plate, and took a sip of tea: "The master is with him, why don't you send him off for the last time?"

"Don't go."

"The relationship between the master and Eunuch Chang seems to have eased in the past two years. I often hear that the master said that Eunuch Chang is helping you talk. Eunuch Chang is gone. Is the master really not going?"

"Don't go."

"It's fine not to go. After all, he is a eunuch. Even if he gets face from the emperor, he is still an eunuch. There is no reason why he should go to see an eunuch off when he is the second rank of the court. No one will make people laugh. We are heirs of poetry and books. With integrity."

The Xiangfu is not going to go to the Changfu to pay homage.

Xiang Suining had to go alone.

Changfu.

The Ministry of Rites has already started to build the Lingtai.

Entering the alley where Eunuch Chang’s mansion is located, the short trees on both sides have been tied with white silk, a thousand-layered white flower is hung on the plaque of Chang’s mansion, and the wooden doors on both sides are also wrapped in white cloth. Half-grown children and house slaves, all of them wore white clothes and hats, and their shoes were covered with a layer of white cloth.

The rain was heavy, and the east wind was blowing in the face, and the east wind carried the rain and sprinkled it on the pedestrians, making them all wet.

The blue tiles of the Changfu were washed oily by the rain. A few people from the Ministry of Rituals took notebooks and directed a few eunuchs to work, to set up a tent here, to tie a few white flowers there, or to wrap white cloth on the lanterns, and to wrap the eaves with white cloth. Putting on the white tape, a few house slaves stood silently at the door, their heads bowed, unable to see their faces clearly, and two rows of imperial guards were on duty at the gate of Changfu, dressed in black, holding scabbards in their hands, dignified and dignified.

Not many officials came to Changfu yesterday.

After all, people take tea, and they are not relatives of the dynasty or a wealthy family that has been replaced by generations. After death, there are still descendants who can reuse them. Eunuch Chang is an eunuch after all. Even if he becomes the head of the eunuch, he will be fine after death He doesn't even have a legitimate heir, so what's the use of seeing him?Useless things, naturally no one will do them.

It's just those people who have been favored by Chang Gonggong in the past come to take a look, such as Tong Zheng, who went in to look at it and then sighed, "I entered the court with the seventh rank, and the official referral was low. They didn't even provide me with a place to sit. , I felt awkward standing there, at least Eunuch Chang moved a brocade stool for me and served me a cup of tea."

Another fifth-rank official nodded and said: "Who says it's not? That year outside the palace, a military general made me look bad in public, and he was about to attack me. Eunuch Chang said that he had something private with me, and insisted on taking me away. Going there is the last bit of my dignity saved."

Another seven or eight officials came that day, and they ran out after standing in the inner hall, only saying that there was something wrong with the house, and after giving money to the account book, they ran like mice.

It was only later that Xiang Suining found out that these officials didn't want to come, but the emperor heard that there were not many people going to pay homage to Eunuch Chang, so people made indirect remarks. These people's exquisite thoughts, the emperor just wanted to make Eunuch Chang's funeral look better, so they came to decorate the front That's it.That's why they came to recharge, and naturally they came and went quickly.

Xiang Suining climbed up the stairs, but was stopped at the gate of Changfu.

"What are you doing?" A guard stopped her with a knife.

Those who pay homage to Eunuch Chang are mostly bureaucrats. Xiang Suining, a girl in a thin skirt, came slowly. She didn't wear makeup, her hair was loose, and her long willow-blue skirt and white veiled hat flowed freely. This is the attire of an ordinary woman, not a palace attire. The imperial guards don't understand what kind of intersection she has with Chang Gonggong, a weak woman, and they only think that she is a melon-eating crowd to watch the fun. After all, many people pass by here these days, either looking for children, or The tofu sellers all stretched their necks to look in when they came to the gate of the Changfu, but they wanted to see how the emperor's favorite eunuch would do after his death, and they were idle anyway.

"We belong to Xiang's family, and this is our second girl." Mingzhu stood in front of Xiang Suining: "Please do me a favor, let our second girl in."

"It turned out to be the daughter of the Xiangda family. How offending." The imperial guard put the knife back into the sheath: "I don't want to come here to pay homage to Eunuch Chang, so let's come here. You are a girl, and I am afraid that it is not appropriate to visit suddenly."

There was some truth in what the Imperial Guards said. The reasoning was that Xiang Daying should come, and Xiang Daying refused, and Xiang Suining could not force his head to drink water.

Besides, she really wanted to send off Eunuch Chang herself.

"Let her in, she's my father-in-law's old acquaintance." Eunuch Baxi didn't wear eunuch clothes, but an ordinary white robe and hat, and came out from behind the tent to greet Xiang Suining in person.

Next to the account book, a gentleman was registering, and it could be vaguely seen that it read: 50 taels for Mr. Tong Zhengtong, 50 taels for Mr. Fan Xiufan, and 100 taels for the captain-in-law.

Baxi greeted Suining personally, and the imperial guards were happy to let him go.

Walking to the account book, Xiang Suining followed the example of Tong Zheng and others, and silently deposited 50 taels of silver.

"My father-in-law is very happy that the girl can come, so I won't bother the girl." Baxi returned the silver to Xiang Suining: "Tomorrow's funeral expenses, ranging from a coffin to a piece of white silk, are all expenses in the palace. It won't cost much, so the girl should take the money back."

"This is my wish, please accept it." Xiang Suining silently handed over the money.

Baxi didn't refuse any more, and the bookkeeper took a brush to write down, but he didn't know what to write down, so he raised his head and asked Xiang Suining, "Is it the girl's name?"

The accountant is a bit familiar.

Xiang Suining told him: "Just write about the old lady of Xiangfu."

Xiang Daying refused to come to pay homage, and although Mrs. Xiang did not express any objection, she took 100 taels of her dowry silver and asked Xiang Suining to express her heart. The general officials gave 50 taels, and Xiang Suining was not good at presumptuousness, so she followed suit. I gave 50 taels, but she is just a child, and it is more formal to write about the old lady of Xiangfu.

Baxi is in front, and Xiang Suining is behind.

Bypassing the screen wall, the courtyard is suddenly open, with lush flowers and plants, carefully trimmed, and several pots of green plants stretching their branches as if stretching their waists.

The stone table and benches are also clean. There is a well next to the stone table, and the wheels on the well are still wrapped with thick ropes. When there is nothing to do, Chang Gonggong still sits by the stone table and fetches a bucket of water to make tea. It is the hottest summer. When it’s time to eat, fetch a bucket of water to soak the watermelon, the watermelon is sure to cool your heart, eat a piece, it’s so comfortable, you can sweat all over your body.Sometimes I bring another bucket of water to drink for the parrots under the eaves, and then wash the parrots' cages.Even the flowers and plants by the well grow very gratifyingly because of the humidity.

The long corridor is deep, with carved corridors and painted buildings. The long corridor covered with gray blankets turns a few corners and extends to the backyard. There are several smaller bedrooms over there, where a few and a half master slaves are raised. There is also a small kitchen interspersed with it, another storeroom, and a stable.

Now the long corridor is covered with white cloth, Chang Mansion is clean and lonely, only the starlings in the corridor call out from time to time, "How hot is the tea, remember?" It is still the tone of Eunuch Chang.

Except for the white silk and white flowers everywhere, it seems that nothing has changed.When I close my eyes, I can still imagine Eunuch Chang reclining on the recliner and humming a little song, and the starlings on the porch flapping their wings and drinking water.

inner hall.

The inner hall is a bit dark.

In the past, there were many paintings hanging in the inner hall. Eunuch Chang didn’t read any books, and he didn’t like to be arty, but the emperor was happy to appreciate one or two paintings. To show Ron’s kindness, he framed them and hung them up. Buying some in the market, hanging them is very lively. After all, there are only him and a few small servants in the mansion. Hang more things, and you can see them when you look up, so as not to feel empty.

Now there is not a single painting on the wall, everything is empty, except for a big black white flower with inscriptions.Everything else that can be seen is covered with white silk.

Baxi explained: "Those paintings are put away, and the Ministry of Rites will paste them into the mourning hall."

Xiang Suining nodded.

There is a brass censer on the long table. The censer is filled with incense ash, and three sticks of incense are lingeringly burning. It is presumably sandalwood, with a faint sandalwood fragrance. white wax.

Under the long table, there are two rough-mouthed white porcelain vases half a person's height. Inside the porcelain vases are a person's tall and arm-thick Gao Xiang, and a few white flowers are covered on them.

Ahead of the porcelain vase is a sandalwood square table.

There are various offerings on the square table, chicken, meat, fruits, oranges, and apples.

At the bottom of the square table is a copper basin. On one side of the copper basin is a thick pile of yellow paper. There are already a lot of ashes in the copper basin. It seems that they were burned by the people who came to pay homage. The copper basin made a "woo-woo-woo", and the paper ash in the copper basin danced in circles, circled in the inner hall, flew to the beams of the house, and fell down again, covering the room with ashes, even the offerings on the square table. Also stained with dust.

The top-quality pineapple wood coffin is also painted with the best lacquer, which is bright and dense. It is said that there is a kind of lacquer tree outside Qingcheng. The lacquer is cut off and painted on the coffin. It can guarantee that it will not be damaged for a hundred years. Insect bites, but the yield of lacquer trees is small, and it takes a lot of time to cut the lacquer, so the price is expensive, comparable to gold.

The yellow pear wood coffin is already very valuable, and the lacquer made of this lacquer tree is used to wrap princes and generals, so it is not wronged.

Few families in Qingcheng can afford such coffins.

Xiang Suining knelt down and offered incense himself.

Baxi knelt in front of the copper basin and cried for a while, kissed two pieces of yellow paper and threw them in the copper basin, then wiped her tears and supported the pineapple coffin and said: "This coffin was rewarded by the emperor, let Qingcheng be the best." I also inquired about it. Since the founding of the country, no emperor has bought a coffin for an eunuch, and even asked the head of the Ministry of Rites. My master has a spirit in the sky, and he can rest in peace."

There was a crack in the yellow pear wood coffin, but it was not tightly closed.

"When Liuyunfang delivers the finished clothes and puts on my master's clothes, he will seal the coffin with long nails, so that no one will disturb him anymore."

There is a date for Liuyunfang to make clothes, unlike buying coffins in coffin shops, ready-made ones, just pick an expensive one.

We should thank Liuyunfang, otherwise Eunuch Chang would be sealed in the coffin, and Xiang Suining would not even be able to see him for the last time.

Similarly, Baxi is in the front, and Xiang Suining is in the back.

Baxi turned around and said, "Second Miss, my father-in-law is dead after all, and his face is not good-looking, otherwise, Miss, don't look at it, so as not to be frightened."

If a stranger died and was buried, Xiang Suining would never dare to look at it. In the previous life, he went to the river to wash the mud on his shoes and saw a corpse floating in the river. Xiang Suining was so frightened by the scene Had a nightmare for half a month.

But Eunuch Chang is not a stranger. In Xiang Suining's heart, he has long regarded him as a kind old man, and he has feelings for him in his heart, so even if he sees him dead, he doesn't feel afraid.

So he boldly took two steps forward.

Eunuch Chang lay there quietly, because Liuyunfang's clothes hadn't arrived yet, he was still wearing an ordinary brown jacket with buttons, his face was not purple like what Baxi said, but white like It will glow, the lips are moisturized, and there is still a tinge of red on the cheeks.The hair is also meticulously combed into a braid, which seems to be rubbed with tung oil, and the hair is also shiny.

"At the coffin shop, if you spend one or two taels of money to find a good one, you can clean it up decently for the master. This is the emperor's intention." Baxi hurriedly explained.

Except for his eyes being closed, Eunuch Chang's face has not changed at all, and he even looks better than when he was alive. It seems that the person who made up is really a good hand.

Eunuch Chang was lying there upright, and he didn't know whether his clothes didn't fit him well, or what, but a little of his neck was showing.

Baxi said: "Because I opened my father-in-law's mouth and stuffed him with road money, so his neck stretched a little and he looked longer. The original clothes didn't fit well and he looked short. Wait for the clothes from Liuyunfang to be delivered. "

Xiang Suining caressed the coffin, and couldn't help but take a second look.

"Second Miss is here too." A familiar voice came.

It's Lu Yu.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yu would come to pay homage to Eunuch Chang.

In my memory, he and Eunuch Chang didn't meet much, but Eunuch Chang chased him and called "little bastard" which was impressive.

Lu Yu knelt on the futon, pinched a few pieces of yellow paper to light on the candles, and muttered: "Elder Chang, you have a good journey, old man. The junior is here to salute you. Don't look back when you drive a crane westward. Don't be a eunuch in your next life." Why."

This is a good word, but it's awkward no matter how you listen to it.

Lu Yu is often beaten in Qingcheng.

This mouth is not good.

After burning the paper and throwing it into the copper basin, Lu Yu got up, bowed three times to Eunuch Chang's memorial tablet, and then came to the coffin after bowing.

Eunuch Chang's servant came over with a basin and handed over a towel thoughtfully. Lu Yujing cleaned his hands and talked with Xiang Suining: "Why are you here? A girl ran around at home, and your father will beat you again when you go back."

Seeing Baxi's expression on his face, Lu Yu stared at him for a while, looked up and down, and asked him with sideways eyes: "Who are you?"

Baxi sniffled and said, "Eunuch Chang is my master, my name is Baxi."

"Oh, so it's the eighth eunuch."

(End of this chapter)