Chapter 1238 - 305: Conquering Chu (Part 2)

Chapter 1238: Chapter 305: Conquering Chu (Part 2)

However, it wasn’t for the Third Prince that they cried, but for themselves.

At the thought,

that father killed one of his own sons, who was the same kind as Ji Chengfeng;

while the other similar ones could foresee this result early on, yet he was late to realize it;

they were all born of the same father,

how could this be!

Ji Chengjue’s eyelids lowered slightly,

and he said calmly;

"The sons of the Ji Family shed blood, not tears, they are accomplished."

A younger brother speaking to his elder in such a manner was quite disrespectful, but when Ji Chengjue spoke, it seemed normal, and Ji Chengfeng accepted it naturally.

He wiped his eyes,

forcibly calming his emotions.

Ji Chengjue bypassed Ji Chengfeng and walked onto the official path outside the palace gates.

Ji Chengfeng turned his head back in curiosity to look behind him.

There,

a group of young officials walked in unison, unlike the other ministers, these young officials wore joyful red cloth instead of the mournful white cloth.

They were neither silent nor mourning, but instead had smiles on their faces.

They laughed heartily as they approached.

Ji Chengfeng recognized many among them; the majority of them were officials who had entered through the imperial examination in the past few years.

"How dare you behave so audaciously!"

During the morning court,

there were eunuchs responsible for order both outside and inside the palace gates, wielding whips as the palace gates opened for morning court, and also maintaining order.

However, the latter duty was rarely needed since officials attending court were mindful of their status and did not dare to act improperly.

Yet on this day, the day of the Third Prince’s funeral, the ministers who arrived first were in mourning, but this group wore conspicuous red and came laughing.

The leader of the group was none other than Hu Zhengfang, the fastest-rising official among the recent batches of examination graduates, already the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue at a young age, his diligence being a factor, naturally along with Ji Chengjue’s support.

Hu Zhengfang faced the eunuch who rebuked them,

and laughed heartily:

"Dare I ask, on what grounds do you accuse us of audacity?"

"Today is the day His Majesty decreed a state funeral for the Third Prince, the nation is to collectively mourn, yet you all..."

"Step aside!"

Hu Zhengfang suddenly took a step forward, his chest nearly touching the eunuch.

The eunuch instinctively stepped back two steps, realized his loss of dignity, and immediately raised his whip.

It was at this moment,

the eunuch’s hand was grabbed from behind by another hand, and he turned back angrily only to be shocked, for the one who held his hand was the Sixth Prince, Ji Chengjue.

"Sixth Prince, you, you are..."

"Ask clearly before acting; these are the country’s pillars, they would not act without reason, if wrongly accused, any action taken cannot be reversed."

The eunuch was taken aback by these words.

He, of course, knew how cohesive this group of officials from the imperial exam was, and understood that in the coming years, their proportion in the Yan court would surely increase.

If he had whipped just now, the dignity of the palace would be preserved but his life would likely be forfeit.

The eunuch’s gaze towards Ji Chengjue held a touch of gratitude.

He hadn’t realized that it was indeed this Sixth Prince before him who could most mobilize these examination officials.

This wasn’t a secret in the Yan court; several times in previous court conflicts, many of these examination officials acted as vanguards for the Sixth Prince.

Ji Chengjue looked at Hu Zhengfang, speaking loudly:

"Give me an explanation."

Subsequently,

Hu Zhengfang and the officials behind him, draped in red, bowed in courtesy.

Hu Zhengfang opened his mouth to declare:

"Our Yan state, how has the ancestral domain of eight hundred years been preserved?

By successive generations of Yan region sons fiercely battling barbarians and other countries, the ancestral temples have been protected thus far;

our Yan tradition,

when foreign enemies invade,

those who die in battle, have a happy funeral;

those attending the funeral, wear red ribbons;

singing aloud: as you go ahead, as you proceed slowly, as you wait for me, as you set the wine, as you lay the mats, we will soon follow!"

Hu Zhengfang surveyed the surroundings,

pulled on his red ribbon,

raised his arms high,

and shouted:

"Now, as the Chu Slaves harbor unyielding malice, sending assassins in treasonous acts, fortunately, thanks to the Emperor’s divine fortune and the Third Prince’s utmost sincerity and filial piety, our Yan’s supreme honor remains intact!

Yet,

since the Chu Slaves have drawn their blades,

how can we, blooded sons of the Yan region,

continue to sit idly by?

Third Prince, go ahead first, proceed slowly, wait for us, set the wine, lay the mats..."

In the next moment,

all the young officials behind Hu Zhengfang shouted in unison:

"We will soon follow!"

Such momentum truly made the palace gates seem to quiver slightly.

This is the fervor of Yan.

Ji Chengjue’s gaze slowly swept over them,

for a long time,

Ji Chengjue took off the white cloth from his body,

extended his hand forward,

and said:

"Is there still red silk?"

Hu Zhengfang stepped aside, and the others also stepped aside, there, stood over a dozen men pushing carts loaded with red ribbons, waiting.

Ji Chengjue stepped forward, took a red ribbon, and wrapped it around himself.

Then,

Ji Chengjue pointed to the rows of ministers waiting outside the palace gates,

and said:

"Distribute them, all consequences, I will bear, today, let the national mourning be joyfully conducted!"