Chapter 1476: Afterlife (4)

Although Zhao Changyu was very angry, he still let the ghost butler follow along. Even though the underworld has strict laws, there are always places untouched by them.

Zhao Zhongyu had just entered the underworld. According to his words, he was poisoned along with the Emperor by Liu Cong. Among the common people, there must be much sympathy and remembrance; looking at his expression, it was clear that he died heroically, garnering even more commemoration from the populace.

He now resembles someone who suddenly becomes wealthy overnight without realizing it, akin to a child carrying gold through the market.

The ghost butler soon caught up with Zhao Zhongyu, leading him to collect items from the ghost messenger—incense, money, and everything sent down from the human world.

In the underworld, not all offerings from humans can be received, as some people have peculiar whims and burn all sorts of nonsensical items.

With the ghost butler guiding him, Zhao Zhongyu learned that the flow of time is different between the underworld and the human world.

So it may seem as if he had just died and arrived in the underworld recently, but in reality, he had been dead in the human world for a while.

The most intriguing aspect is that even different areas within the underworld have varying time flows, which involves space and time laws. Not only does the ghost butler not understand, but even Zhao Changyu, despite his years of obsession, has not been able to figure out much.

"Therefore, all the things burned for the second master have surely arrived."

These items need to be claimed at the Yin Si Mansion.

Zhao Zhongyu is not a reckless person; although he does not want to stay with his elder brother, he wouldn’t chase away the servant ghost he sent either.

He calmly accepts the service of the ghost butler, who leads him to the Yin Si Mansion to collect items.

Once his name and birthdate are reported, the ghost messenger at the Yin Si Mansion changes their expression upon seeing him.

Furrowing his brows in confusion, Zhao Zhongyu sees a ghost messenger handing him a silver key, saying, "Follow me."

Seeing the silver key, the ghost butler’s eyes shine brightly, urging Zhao Zhongyu to follow quickly, whispering, "Second master, you have an entire storehouse of things."

In the human world, news of the Emperor and Zhao Zhongyu being poisoned has spread. Jin ministers within the Xiongnu are sobbing bitterly, and overnight, except for a handful of court officials, everyone else followed to their death, massacred by Liu Cong’s men.

This action evoked resentment not only among Jin ministers but also among Han ministers, Di Clan, and Jie Clan in the Xiongnu camp. Zhao Zhongyu’s remarks persuading the Emperor to embrace death calmly spread from the site of their downfall. It was heard he personally served the Emperor poison, then calmly faced his own death.

Due to the phrase "calmly embraced death," the humiliation and inferiority felt by the Emperor being insulted and poisoned by the Xiongnu were somewhat alleviated, turning into immense anger and murderous intent, along with sympathy for the Emperor and admiration for Zhao Zhongyu.

In the midst of nationwide mourning, clans and landlords spontaneously memorialize Zhao Zhongyu, and Zhao Hanzhang widely distributes announcements and papers calling for action against Liu Cong, leading the common people to join in.

Of course, they mourn the Emperor, weeping for him before sobbing for Zhao Zhongyu, occasionally including Zhao Changyu in their laments, believing the Zhao brothers are pillars of the Great Jin, but regrettably, they both died, sacrificing for Great Jin.

Common households certainly cannot afford expensive incense and fire oil, nor can they afford brocade; they only burn wheat straw or one or two sheets of ritual paper money.

Burning ritual paper money for deceased souls began in the Eastern Han and was initially limited in scope, as information spread slowly.

With the opening of Zhao Hanzhang’s paper mill, the paper industry rapidly advanced, handling various businesses, causing the cost of ritual paper money to swiftly decline. Coupled with the increase in deaths over the years, Zhao Hanzhang advocated for modest burials within her jurisdiction, even petitioning the court to issue proclamations of endorsement.

At that time, it was Zhao Zhongyu who reviewed and helped promote her ideas in the court.

The disparity in funeral expenses across social classes is too great.

Those who die from freezing or starvation are simply abandoned in the wild, with their bodies left to decay into bones without anyone to collect them. In contrast, wealthy families provide countless burial companions, and during funerals burn brocade, porcelain, clothing, various gold and silver jewelry, and even... people.

Human sacrifices have long been abolished, yet persist among the populace.

Such extravagant funerals exhaust a considerable amount of social wealth each year.

Honestly, wars abound, depleting social resources drastically, yet they continue burying and burning them in graves. Several times, Zhao Hanzhang almost followed Boss Cao’s previous policy, requiring immense willpower to suppress her urges.

Thus, Zhao Hanzhang began mass printing ritual paper money, promoting it, starting from Yu State, as the principal funerary currency, replacing brocade and similar items.

Before this, common folk often used cloth as a currency of value, burning brocade as the underworld’s currency.

Under her constant advocacy and leading by example, the custom of using ritual paper money for ancestor memorials and funerals spread, centered in Yu State.

During annual clan memorials and Qingming grave sweeping, the Zhao Family also switched to ritual paper money, discarding brocade and the like, with only the five sacrificial animals and beverages remaining unchanged.

This was accomplished with the strong support of Zhao Zhongyu, Zhao Song, and Zhao Ming. Even so, there remained many dissenters within the clan.

Zhao Zhongyu once asked, "Can paper money burned in the human world really be used in the underworld?"

"Of course it can," replied the ghost butler, with a face full of gratitude and respect. "Whose great merit is this? Who among our kind could afford to burn cloth and objects? Burning a handful of wheat straw is considered good; ever since paper money appeared, even impoverished families can receive some money during New Year celebrations or remembrance days."

The ghost messenger walking ahead turned back to say, "Paper money has long been used in the underworld. However, not many people burn it, and the Great Emperor once instructed ghosts to visit their families in dreams. As a result, whether unclear or not, the families of poor ghosts would only burn wheat straw, occasionally offering a bowl of white rice or three large buns, while wealthy ghosts’ families would burn brocade and all sorts of household items, never hitting the mark each time."

In truth, they prefer humans using paper money due to its affordability. Even the poorest families can buy a stack for one cent to give to their deceased relatives.

The wealth disparity in the underworld has somewhat eased.

Previously, it was less apparent because souls quickly reincarnate, staying in the underworld briefly. Whether rich or poor, they finish tallying their life’s deeds, settle on a reincarnation plan, drink Meng Po Soup, cross Naihe Bridge, and leave.

Very few ghosts ever utilize the wealth brought down, hence the relative fairness of the underworld.

However, now there are too many lingering spirits in the underworld, exposing differences. The poor have no wealth, while the rich grow richer, displeasing the Great Emperor.

The Great Emperor believes that while he cannot enforce equality among living human beings, once they die, ghosts in the underworld should be equal. Yet with lingering souls, wealth disparity rises from earth to sky, becoming too large.

Consequently, managing the underworld has become difficult, as there are ghosts who often attack and rob incense, upsetting the meticulous Great Emperor and King Yanluo greatly.

The ghost messenger led Zhao Zhongyu to a warehouse, opened it to reveal money and items stocked inside.

All were specified by people in the human world to be sent to him.

Zhao Zhongyu’s jaw dropped in surprise.

The ghost butler was so envious that his eyes were nearly red.