With a final cold snort from his mouth, Zhu Yuanzhang turned and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Finally, amidst the eunuch's long cry of "Court dismissed," the civil and military officials exchanged glances, divided into factions, and departed in succession.
...
"Chongba, do we really have to cancel the morning court today?"
Inside the sleeping chambers, Empress Ma, after a long absence, personally helped Zhu Yuanzhang put on his dragon robe.
While assisting him, Empress Ma casually asked this question.
Gazing at the still pitch-black sky outside the window, Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "There isn't enough time. Let's cancel today's morning court..."
"After much thought, I truly owe Qingyunzi Zhenren an explanation!"
"Back then, if I hadn't deliberately instigated him while he was drunk, he wouldn't have died..."
At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment, saying with emotion.
"Today is the day of Qingyunzi Zhenren's burial. I must go early..."
"If I cannot witness Qingyunzi Zhenren being laid to rest, my heart will never be at peace!"
Behind him, Empress Ma's movements in adjusting his robe paused upon hearing this.
She tied the sash of Zhu Yuanzhang's dragon robe, walked in front of him, bowed slightly, and said, "Chongba, your concubine wishes to accompany you."
"Empress, what is the need for this? Forget it... forget it..."
Zhu Yuanzhang's heart ached upon hearing this.
He had known for a long time, ever since Qingyunzi Zhenren had spoken so much while drunk that day!
What his wife, the Empress who had accompanied him through decades of storms, was worried about.
And this worry had now become an illness; her complexion was clearly worsening day by day.
But, after that day, had his own heart ever felt at ease?
With a gentle sigh, Zhu Yuanzhang embraced Empress Ma and comforted her, saying, "My Empress, do not worry. After Qingyunzi Zhenren is buried, I will invite the most skilled physicians in the land to treat your and Biao'er's health..."
"Believe me, I possess the nine provinces and four seas, the entire world. Even if I sacrifice everything, I will cure you both..."
"Chongba, there's no need to say more. Your concubine merely wishes to see Qingyunzi Zhenren off, nothing more."
She forced a smile and gently pushed Zhu Yuanzhang away.
Things in this world are always unsatisfactory, even for an Emperor.
Only one knows their own body best.
Empress Ma had long felt her body beginning to run out of energy.
However, at this moment, her greater concern was for the health of her eldest son, Zhu Biao.
"Alas, the Son of Heaven, truly the most laughable joke in the world..."
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and no longer pressed, saying, "Fine, fine, let us go together."
After speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang walked out of the sleeping chambers.
For various reasons, both Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were in no mood to dine and immediately ordered attendants to prepare the carriage.
Once everything was ready, Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma left the palace together.
Outside the imperial palace, ministers, carriages, and horses had been waiting for a long time.
According to their status and seniority, Zhu Biao and Zhu Di stood at the forefront of everyone.
The two brothers also knew that Zhu Yuanzhang was not attending the morning court today and was going to "see off" Qingyunzi, and they intended to accompany him.
Although what Wu Tao had said that day was unfavorable to them in all aspects!
However, how should they put it, even if the brothers had reservations in their hearts, they could do nothing to a dead man.
When Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma's carriage emerged, Zhu Biao and Zhu Di, along with the assembled officials, bowed to their father and mother.
On the carriage, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his two most outstanding sons and felt a sudden impulse, thinking about something.
However, on the surface, he spoke as usual, saying, "You are all excused," and then asked, "Biao'er, Di'er, and all you ministers, you have all come. Are you all going to see Qingyunzi Zhenren off on his final journey?"
Zhu Biao and Zhu Di responded affirmatively, and the officials behind them echoed in unison.
After some arrangements, the procession was divided into several groups.
At Zhu Yuanzhang's command, everyone followed seniority, and tens of thousands of people proceeded solemnly towards the outskirts of the city.
It turned out that Qingyunzi Zhenren had altered the fate of the Great Ming Empire for the Emperor, offending heavenly principles, and was struck down by the five-colored divine lightning when discovered by the Dao of Heaven!
It is unknown who leaked this news beforehand, causing the entire capital to be aware of it.
Even more terrifying was that the current Emperor actually considered this as a debt owed by Qingyunzi Zhenren.
The posthumous title bestowed by Zhu Yuanzhang upon Qingyunzi Zhenren was enough to make all the Taoists in the world gasp in envy and jealousy.
Early in the morning, the civil and military officials of the capital had already risen by the third watch.
The grand eunuch Huang Minghao rose even earlier, as he had not slept at all the previous night.
Under such circumstances, how could he dare to sleep!
Clearly, Huang Minghao realized the importance of this funeral for Qingyunzi Zhenren to Zhu Yuanzhang.
In fact, even a grand eunuch like Huang Minghao admired Qingyunzi Zhenren's character.
Huang Minghao never considered himself a good person.
Why did he castrate himself and enter the palace to become a eunuch, neither male nor female? Was it not to become superior to others?
To live a good life, to be able to defecate on others' heads?
Although he strongly disagreed with Qingyunzi's selfless intentions, he still admired him.
Early morning.
The sky remained dark, without a trace of dawn.
Only the torches in everyone's hands could reflect a faint glimmer of light.
The north wind howled, blowing on the face like a sharp knife.
Zhu Yuanzhang made the funeral arrangements for Qingyunzi as if he were burying an emperor.
Along the way, the extravagance and luxury were evident everywhere.
The burial was handled jointly by the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Guards, and the Imperial Household Department, with immeasurable expenditure.
Zhu Yuanzhang chose a tomb site in Dongping, a place with excellent feng shui.
The coffin was entirely made of Yunnan golden nanmu.
When the coffin was brought out, seventy-two people carried it out of the main gate of the capital.
Leading the procession were sixty-four banner bearers, holding Taoist flags and umbrellas; followed by a Taoist ceremonial procession of several hundred people.
They held various weapons, banners, and a variety of paper or silk-made "effigies" (烧), a grand and magnificent spectacle.
Behind the coffin were fully armed Imperial Guards.
Then came the Emperor and Empress, the civil and military officials, and the imperial relatives!
Interspersed within the funeral procession were a large number of monks, Taoists, nuns, and Taoist nuns.
Clad in ceremonial robes, holding ritual instruments, they continuously played music and recited scriptures.
The entire funeral procession stretched for more than ten li, from the capital to the burial ground, covering several hundred li along the route.
Finally, Zhu Yuanzhang offered a stick of incense for Qingyunzi, and others followed suit upon seeing this.
Because of Wu Tao's interference, the fate of the Great Ming Empire was extended by several hundred years, and the Qing Dynasty never came to be in history.
Because of Wu Tao, Zhu Yuanzhang lived twenty years longer than in historical records, reaching the age of ninety-six.
Also, Zhu Di did not rebel, and Zhu Yunwen did not become Emperor, but the Emperor was not Zhu Biao.
The one who finally ascended the throne was Zhu Biao's youngest son, Zhu Heng!
There are not many records of Zhu Heng in the original historical timeline.
According to historical records of the Ming Dynasty, he is known only as Zhu Biao's youngest child.
However, in this distorted timeline, his historical evaluation is comparable to that of Zhu Yuanzhang.
He took over from his grandfather, Zhu Yuanzhang, and created the "Hengxing Prosperous Era."
It was no less than Zhu Di, and even stronger, laying a profound foundation for the Great Ming Empire's subsequent five hundred years of reign.
That's right, five hundred years!
Because of Wu Tao, the Great Ming Empire changed its national policy!
Emperors throughout the dynasties chose to attack smaller surrounding countries and madly plunder land resources, diverting all internal conflicts outwards!
With the peak power of the Great Ming Empire, it was effortless to conquer ordinary small countries!
They succeeded. Since the population grew and there wasn't enough land to go around, they went to seize it. As long as the country was strong enough and the land seized was abundant, there would naturally be enough to share.
To eliminate potential threats, the Zhu Yuanzhang era annexed many neighboring small countries, and the national strength began to soar!
And when conquest became a habit, a mere change of emperor could not stop it, especially since the benefits brought by conquest were enough to benefit all strata of society.
Under these circumstances, the upper echelons of the Great Ming Empire discovered that no means of wealth accumulation was as fast as war; war brought them all the profits.
The increasingly powerful Great Ming Empire found it easier and easier to deal with other countries.
It was like rolling a snowball; it was very difficult at first, but it became easier and easier as it progressed.
War brought land to the Great Ming Empire, war brought resources to the Great Ming Empire, war brought everything to the Great Ming Empire.
It was only after conquering the entire Eurasian continent for several hundred years that the Great Ming Empire, lacking any countries to conquer, began to decline.
There is an unofficial historical record that Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, received the Daoist Qingyunzi in the imperial palace. On that day, the Daoist master, in high spirits, composed five hundred songs, each representing one year.
Later, if Zhu Yuanzhang had not stopped him, and he had continued to sing, perhaps the national fortune of the Great Ming would have been even more prosperous.
The Great Ming Empire's sixteen emperors also became thirty-six emperors!
Through the repeated posthumous ennoblements by the thirty-six emperors of the Great Ming Empire, Qingyunzi was elevated from a human to a divine immortal.
He became one of the highest-ranking divine immortals among the Taoist pantheon.
This is not all. If one consults Taoist scriptures, one will find that Taoism after the Tang Dynasty also revered Qingyunzi as a Daoist master, ranking only below the Three Pure Ones, the founders of Taoism.
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