The time quickly arrived at the day when Emperor Zhezong and Empress Dowager Xiang were to be interred.

On this morning.

Xu Yun, having donned his attire in advance, followed Mr. Xie's lead, walking with dozens of servants from the mansion to outside the Vermilion Bird Gate.

According to the pre-arranged funeral procedures.

The guests' position was to be before the servants and after the family clan members, playing a transitional role.

Since none of Old Su's other children were in Bianjing, only one Xiaosu Six was standing at the front with Old Su today.

Accompanied by Xiaosu Six's three sons: Xiaosu Version One, Version Two, and Version Three.

As for the number of guests, it was relatively large:

Although initially, the Old Su Mansion had only three guests, recently, besides Xu Yun, civil servants or mathematicians like Zong Ze, Old Jia, and Liu Yi were also entered into the guest register by Old Su.

Thus, the current number of guests at the Su Mansion had reached eleven, slightly more than the number of main house members.

Standing next to Old Su's family were other meritorious figures from the capital, mostly within the Second-Grade Group, each exhibiting a courteous manner.

After all, though Old Su had retired, he was once a former Prime Minister and bore the title of Counselor to the Crown Prince and Duke Zhao.

Just like this.

After about an hour or so.

Dong dong dong—

Three massive bell chimes suddenly echoed from the nearby Daxiangguo Temple, closest to the Imperial Palace.

It was unclear what method they used, but it seemed to amplify the sound considerably.

After a while.

From the Right Changqing Gate, a vast funeral procession emerged, marching slowly.

This was a coffin-bearing team consisting of seventy-two people, the earliest professional funeral escort team from Bianjing and surrounding areas.

Over the past ten days, they had undergone numerous rehearsals.

The so-called rehearsals.

Referred to bringing a solitary dragon wood of the same weight as the coffin, with a full bowl of water placed atop it, to ensure the coffin team could carry it ten miles without spilling a single drop as a successful trial.

Following this coffin-bearing team.

There were those pulling a Yellow Dragon canopy, flanked by White Silk Curtains.

Further back were sixty-four flag-bearers with faces painted with strange colors.

They carried tens of thousands of citizens' banners and parasols, reciting something as they walked.

Next came the ceremonial guard unit, holding weapons and paper effigies high.

They were reminiscent of cosplayers in future conventions hoisting paper character spouses.....

Of course.

In this kind of setting, the presence of the sorna, a soul-stirring instrument, was also indispensable.

According to Old Su's prior introduction.

The entire Emperor Zhezong funeral entourage comprised one thousand six hundred and thirty-three people, with three shifts of pallbearers rotating to proceed to the Imperial Mausoleum.

And that was not all.

Having served as Emperor in the past and being successfully laid to rest knew.

Upon reaching the Imperial Mausoleum.

The successor emperor still needed to pour libations three times, place the ritual books and treasures onto the seats inside the Underground Palace, and cast auspicious soil into the gold well of the coffin bed.

Then, eunuchs held lamps as the successor emperor personally guided the Dragon Casket into the Underground Palace, with ministers following in subsequently.

Once at the coffin bed.

The Artisan Association removed the Dragon Casket and officially placed the Zi Palace, with the emperors and ministers performing rituals before departing the Underground Palace.

Lastly, the artisans set up the Dragon Mountain Stone... also the Coffin Stone, supporting with natural stones outside the stone door to fully seal the stone door and remove the wooden tracks to close off the Underground Palace.

Once the successor emperor and ministers returned to the surface.

They also had to grieve again before the Stone Five Offerings, escort the Divine Tablet to the Capital City for enshrinement at the Grand Ancestral Temple, completing the interment process.

However, not everyone could participate in this step:

Only officials of Senior Fourth Grade and above, holding actual positions, could tag along.

For someone like Old Su, already retired, the furthest he could go was outside the Vermilion Bird Gate—even as a former Prime Minister.

After Emperor Zhezong's coffin departed, it was Empress Dowager Xiang's turn to be interred.

Similar to Emperor Zhezong's grand affair.

Empress Dowager Xiang's procession still featured coffin bearing, banner holding, and sorna playing.

However, compared to the more than a thousand people in Emperor Zhezong's entourage, Empress Dowager Xiang's funeral procession was slightly smaller.

Xu Yun estimated that the numbers might only be around six hundred, at most eight hundred.

Just like this.

After three full hours, both coffins finally left Bianjing.

And this also signified the complete withdrawal of Emperor Shen Zong's two closest individuals from the historical stage.

The Great Song, formally entered the Grand Send phase.

According to regular history.

In another twenty years.

Emperors Huizong, Qinzhong, and Gaozong of Song, would perform a series of unparalleled and unrivaled farce actions in human history.

The mountains and rivers fell, the national fortunes collapsed.

A century later, in the Battle of Yashan, one hundred thousand citizens sacrificed their lives for the country.

Sealing this farcical yet humiliating operation with a tragic note of blood and tears.

After the funeral procession was completed.

With no further tasks, Xu Yun and others returned to the Su Mansion, continuing with their respective duties.

Just like this.

Days passed quietly, one by one.

On a certain day three months later.

On this day.

Xu Yun was instructing Old Jia and others on the solution techniques for quintic equations, while Old Su listened with keen interest, and Xiaoli was still sporting spiraled mosquito coil eyes.....

At this moment.

Mr. Xie the Chief Steward hurriedly walked over from afar, accompanied by a somewhat unfamiliar maid.

Xiaoli, having understood not a single word, was the first to notice the newcomers, raising an eyebrow in astonishment:

"Xiaoyun, why are you here?"

"Miss, something has happened!"

The maid, who had been trying to keep a composed face, couldn't hold it any longer upon seeing Xiaoli, instantly bursting into tears and saying:

"Master... Master has been taken away!"

....

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