Huai Wang - Dongfang Cheng Hao - looked at the young girl who stood straight and tall, her rosy cheeks wasn't there like the first time he met her nor the shining in her eyes. Everyone expected from her too much, that girl still a child herself but the servants and guards looked up on her for the orders. People couldn't even let her grieving properly for the lost of her father, she must had quickly greeted Imperial Eunuchs and palace attendants of Empress Dowager and Emperor.
The tears were gone, replaced by her small smile and the shine in her eyes were completely vanished, she looked lifeless.
Li Xi Yue couldn't feel herself, her heart didn't even beat faster anymore, she looked at every servants who carried their task orderly, then her eyes lingered on Han-shi who was carried away by her servants. There's no detest feeling nor any hurt, more like she was completely numb now.
She didn't even remember when or how her servants carried her into her room and changing her robes, she didn't even remember how she could kneel in his sacrifice memoir, while his body in coffin.
Not long Emperor's decreed come, there's to did Xian wang's ceremony burial as according to his rank, the Imperial palace's astronomer also said that the auspicious day would be in fifteen days, and Xian wang's status would be elevated to Xian Zhong Qinwang.
Every noble person, from third rank above, excluding these three in the palace and also the old Wang Ye, Wang Fei and Princesses were required to went to Xian Wangfu to mourn.
Everyone came and go, Li Xi Yue greeted them one by one, after that she just knelt in front of the coffin and burned a lot of paper money, not long after, Princess Qing He, Emperor's first daughter came,
"jiejie..." Princess Qing He greeted her, Princess Qing He, be Emperor's only daughter only born after Emperor ascended the throne, thus she was two years younger than Li Xi Yue, even so, both of them were very close and Princess Qing He treated Li Xi Yue as her real older sister, and Li Xi Yue also did the same to her, because they grew up together and had the closest blood relationships.
"Imperial younger sister." Li Xi Yue called out, her voice was hoarse,
"jiejie please go rest. Zhan'er will replace you a bit."
Li Xi Yue shook her head, "no. You will tire yourself."
Li Xi Zhan looked at her elder sister, this is the elder sister she always looked up to, she didn't bear to let her endure this kind of torture, she hear from her maid servants that her elder sister was knelt since her Uncle's body delivered into Wangfu, and it's afternoon now, it meant that she already knelt since last night,
"go to rest first. Ben gong will do it, and if Ben Gong tired, there's still other Junzhu and Wengzhu here to replace Ben Gong's place."
Li Xi Yue looked around her and found that there's actually three Junzhu and two Wengzhu present. The three Junzhu were An Hui Junzhu - daughter of Ning Wang -, An Hua Junzhu - daughter of Kang Wang -, and An Kun Junzhu - daughter of Rong Wang -, out of three of them, only An Kun Junzhu had slighty high status because she was the only daughter of Rong Wang Ye, one of Emperor's half-brother, but her status couldn't compare to Li Xi Yue much more Princess Qing He. And the Wengzhu were the daughters of Emperor's half-sisters, Princesses Min Le and Min Ke.
Li Xi Yue nodded and with her maid servants's help, she went to the side chamber to rest her tired body. She changed her robe, Bai Xia let her drank a warm lavender tea and let her lied on the bed. Li Xi Yue looked at the ceilings seemed lost in her mind, Yin Liu massaged her legs.
She couldn't believe it, she felt like it was just a terrible dream all over. How could he, her father, passed away just like that?
Just yesterday morning he came to her yard and drank a tea with her, and she personally changed his pouch, why he went just like this? Her Father-wang teased her that morning. The Captain of Imperial Garrison reported that Xian Wang's was assassinated by the rebels from South, the same place that Huai Wang Ye planned to go, but how could they stabilished themselves in capital Jian without Emperor knowing?
Li Xi Yue's sobs could be hear, now that her Father-wang was gone, how could she and her siblings live?
Her brother was just a small Shizi, both her and her sister were just Junzhu without real power and authority, she was only twelve years old, and without a marriage contract with other noble family that could speak on her brother's behalf. The Zhang family was the extremely loyal monarchist, they were only loyal to the Emperor, and him alone, they would not care about the battle for sucession, they only knew that their master was the one who got crowned in every ritual, the chance of them lend a helping hand were so low, she felt depressed thought about it.
***
Glossary:
Junzhu: Princess of the second rank; the title only guven to the daughters od Qinwang, or any females with Emperor'a decree
Wengzhu: is also a title similiar to Junzhu but only given to the daughters of Princess.
Zhong Qinwang: a title usually held by an old Wang Ye
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Historical FictionAn He Junzhu^ is a first daughter of Xian Qinwang^^ and his wangfei^^^, Zhang-shi. But after her parents passed away, leaving her with two younger siblings, Xian Wang Shizi^^^^ and An Le Junzhu who both are 9 and 4 respectively, what will she do? ...
