jdhmnovel Chapter 1612 Mourning
Chapter 1612 Mourning
The messenger from Chenzhou Prefecture could no longer bear such feigned weeping.
He waited and waited, and when the time came, he immediately called out, "My lords, please rise!"
Having worked in this position for many years, I have never seen an official who is such a good actor.
Wow, everyone in Yuanlu County is a talent, a true movie star.
Sun Shan breathed a long sigh of relief upon hearing the end of the ceremony.
One second she was crying loudly, the next she was silent, switching between the two so easily.
He led the officials and their families to stand up and perform four prostrations. He then stepped forward to receive the official edict from the messenger.
The messenger said, "Lord Sun, Prefect Liu instructed that while we are grieving during the mourning period, we must continue farming as scheduled and not delay the important summer harvest and planting."
Sun Shan quickly accepted the order: "Please inform Prefect Liu that I will carry out the task to reassure the people. Please rest assured, Prefect Liu."
The messenger who came must be a confidant of Prefect Liu, and he must know Sun Shan very well.
Of all the county magistrates under Chenzhou Prefecture, none was more reassuring to Prefect Liu than Sun Shan.
Not only do they avoid causing trouble, they also perform meritorious service. They not only actively pay taxes, but also actively mitigate their tax burden.
Apart from being somewhat weaker in the cultural and academic examinations, Prefect Liu was generally quite satisfied with Sun Shan.
The envoy from Chenzhou Prefecture gave a series of instructions and then returned to the post station.
Sun Shan arranged for someone to follow closely behind and take good care of the messenger's three meals a day.
It's better to be at the mercy of the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings. These underlings in front of Prefect Liu have to be treated with care.
After seeing off their errands, everyone went home to their own mothers.
Of course, Sun Shan and his officials still needed to go back to help with the work.
When the emperor dies, officials and commoners follow a set of "Funeral Rituals for the Emperor", while officials, in particular, have a cold "Employee Code of Conduct Manual".
The first stage: hearing the news of death, which is the day the imperial edict arrives.
Sun Shan has already completed this step.
Phase Two: Dressing Up and Weeping at the Descent
Starting from the fourth day after hearing the news of a death, one needs to take off the plain clothes and put on the heavier mourning clothes (coarse linen mourning clothes).
An incense table was set up inside the yamen, and Sun Shan led a group of officials to mourn in the direction of the capital, morning and evening, usually for three days, with fifteen cries each time.
During this period, all members of the yamen (government office) were required to stay overnight at the yamen and were prohibited from drinking alcohol or eating meat.
Phase Three: Mourning and Office Work
After putting on the mourning clothes and crying, a 27-day mourning period begins. When working, one wears a simplified official uniform consisting of plain clothes, a black gauze hat, and a black horn belt. After leaving work, one puts on the mourning clothes again.
Only after the 27-day mourning period is over can one remove their mourning clothes and resume normal clothing and meals.
In other words, Sun Shan had to observe mourning for the late emperor for at least a month before he could live a normal life.
This is something the government has to do, and society also needs to mourn for the emperor.
The government banned musical weddings for 100 days, while the general public was allowed one month.
Slaughter is prohibited for thirteen to forty-nine days.
Ordinary men and women also need to wear mourning clothes for thirteen to twenty-seven days.
The government will abide by the rules.
If the people don't report it, the officials won't investigate. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, so who cares whether the emperor is alive or dead? People do whatever makes them comfortable.
Sun Shan returned to the yamen and said, "County Magistrate Wang, issue a notice as soon as possible to inform all townships and villages, so that the people can keep quiet for a month and cause no trouble for the yamen. Anyone who causes trouble during the national mourning period will be punished twice as severely."
Everyone understands the butterfly effect; in abnormal times, the probability of something big happening is particularly high.
Sun Shan didn't want to get involved or become cannon fodder.
Magistrate Wang accepted the order: "Yes, sir, I will take care of it immediately."
Sun Shan then brought in Yang, the most beautiful employee in Yuanlu County: "Yang, we are cracking down on gambling and entertainment establishments recently. Anyone who dares to disobey orders and open a business will be shut down immediately and fined double."
He paused, then added, "A month-long crackdown."
Yuanlu County is located in a remote area with average economic conditions. There are no large brothels, but small-scale brothels certainly exist.
In addition to gambling dens, there are many more underground casinos that have grown unchecked.
Taking advantage of the national mourning period, Sun Shan launched a crackdown to prevent low-class industries from growing stronger.
Yang, the head constable, replied, "Yes, sir. I will do it immediately."
Officer Yang was heartbroken at the thought that the casino in which he had a stake was about to close for a month, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed.
It was merely a matter of national mourning, using the pretext of greatness and glory, that compelled us to comply.
If we only talk about cracking down on things normally, it's just for show. But right now, it's for real.
Sun Shan is easy to talk to in ordinary times, but when it comes to his future, it's a different story.
If he doesn't follow the instructions, they might join forces with the local bully, County Magistrate Wang, to suppress him.
Emma, you damned traitor, you collaborator.
Yang, the head constable, secretly drew circles and cursed Magistrate Wang.
After a flurry of activity, Sun Dali, who had been serving as an official in Chenzhou Prefecture, finally returned.
Sun Dali brought news: Prefect Liu had arranged for Magistrate Zou to represent Chenzhou Prefecture in the imperial court's sacrificial ceremony in Beijing.
One of the rules in the Grand Rites Controversy after the emperor's death was that local leaders were strictly prohibited from leaving their posts without authorization, but they were required to appoint an official as their representative to go to the capital to offer condolences and participate in sacrificial activities.
Don't be fooled by the fact that this business trip is a long and arduous journey; only trusted confidants would have the opportunity to participate.
More importantly, an official's resume should contain a list of impressive experiences and achievements.
The meaning is simply that they traveled thousands of miles and endured hardships to participate in the sacrificial ceremony, which shows their unwavering loyalty to the emperor and their deep grief over the emperor's death.
Even if I haven't achieved anything great, I have still put in a lot of effort. Considering my loyalty to the late emperor, I should be forgiven for any mistakes I make in the future.
Sun Shan blinked and moved his mouth.
Prefect Liu gave Magistrate Zou this opportunity to "make a name for himself," clearly intending to give him a helping hand.
Despite the major flooding that occurred during the Lantern Festival, Prefect Liu remained steadfast in his support for Magistrate Zou.
Sun Shan frowned: Could it be that Magistrate Zou and Prefect Liu have some kind of unspoken relationship? If not, why would they be so determined to protect each other?
Prefect Liu was clearly giving Magistrate Zou a chance to redeem himself and ensure a smooth transition to power.
Sun Shan blinked again: It seems that Prefect Liu has already settled things with all sides in the capital regarding the flooding incident in Yuanling County, which is why Prefect Zou was able to come to the capital to offer sacrifices.
Wow, Prefect Liu is really capable; he managed to resolve the situation smoothly and calmly.
Sun Shan thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure out what the relationship was between Magistrate Zou and Prefect Liu.
No, it should be said that Magistrate Zou used some means to appease Prefect Liu, so that Prefect Liu did not give up on Magistrate Zou.
Sun Shan smiled helplessly, then stopped thinking about anything.
When the opportunity arises, I will take a look; for now, I must focus on mourning matters.
He instructed Sun Dali: "Treat the messenger well. Gather as much information as you can, but don't act too obviously or annoy him."
Sun Dali nodded: "Master, I understand."
He then added, "The messenger told me that Prefect Liu still greatly admires you, sir. He also said that last year, you levied taxes on behalf of Chenzhou Prefecture, which enabled Chenzhou Prefecture to pay the required amount on time. Prefect Liu is very grateful to you, sir."
Sun Shan: .....
Hearing this sent chills down my spine!
Damn it! What does Prefect Liu mean? Does he want Yuanlu County to continue imposing levies?
It's not that Sun Shan is overthinking things, but Yuanlu County has nothing but plenty of grain, and sooner or later it will become a fat sheep in other people's eyes!
Sun Shan is truly tragic!