Rebirth of the Princess Pearl

Everyone stood in front of the queen's bedroom for a long time, their grief was beyond words. As time went by, the palace began to prepare for the queen's funeral.

The eunuch in charge of the funeral came over and said to Xiaoyanzi, Ziwei, Erkang, Yongqi, Xiaojian, Qing'er and others, "My lords and ladies, we will now prepare for the burial of the queen. I hope you will all be patient and come with me to the side to rest for a while. Don't hurt yourself."

When Xiaoyanzi heard this, she immediately stood up and said loudly with red eyes, "No! I have to stay with the Queen, how can I leave at this time! I want to see the Queen go on this last journey with my own eyes, humph!"

Ziwei also stood up quickly and echoed, "Yes, eunuch, we can't leave. The Queen has been very kind to us, and we must accompany her the whole time, even if we just have to stay by her side!"

Erkang nodded and said solemnly, "Eunuch, please stop trying to persuade us. We have made up our minds. This is what we should do. If we leave now, how can we feel good?"

The chief eunuch sighed helplessly upon seeing this, and said, "Alas, I understand your deep affection, but the burial ceremony must be carried out according to the rules, and your presence here will inevitably be a hindrance. I hope you can understand our difficulties."

Yongqi stepped forward, clasped his fists and said, "Grandpa, we know there are many rules for this funeral, but we don't want to break them. We just beg you to let us stay where we won't get in the way, so that we can show our gratitude. Otherwise, we will be uneasy!"

The chief eunuch thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Okay, in that case, everyone please follow me to the side hall over there and wait. After the coffin is finished, we will prepare for the funeral and other follow-up matters. You can come over then."

Everyone then followed the chief eunuch to the side hall. Although they were in a side hall, everyone's hearts were still closely tied to the Queen Mother, and they looked towards the direction of the bedroom from time to time.

Soon, the burial was completed and the queen was placed in the gorgeous coffin. Everyone was called back and saw the queen in the coffin, with a peaceful face, as if she was just asleep.

Xiaoyanzi couldn't help crying again. She rushed to the coffin and shouted, "Empress, why are you lying here? Open your eyes and look at us, we are right here, wuwuwu..."

Ziwei also started to cry and said softly, "Empress, now that you are gone, you will really be separated from us. We will never hear your voice or see your smile again. How can we live like this?"

Erkang comforted her, "Ziwei, Xiaoyanzi, don't be too sad. The Queen lived a virtuous life. She passed away so peacefully. I believe she must have gone to that beautiful place. We should send her off well on her last journey."

Qing Er wiped her tears and said, "We need to cheer up and let the Queen pass away in a dignified manner. This is the last thing we can do for her."

The next day was the day of the funeral. Every day, many princes, ministers, and concubines came to pay their respects. Xiaoyanzi and others also came to the funeral hall early every day and stood by.

One day, an old prince came to pay homage. This old prince was of course familiar with Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei, after all, they were all well-known figures in the palace. When the old prince saw Xiaoyanzi and others, he said, "Oh, isn't this Princess Huanzhu, Princess Ziwei, and all the gentlemen? The Queen Mother mentioned you a lot when she was alive, and often said that you brought a lot of vitality to the palace. Now that she has passed away, you must be feeling bad."

Xiaoyanzi raised her head, tears still in her eyes, and said, "Your Highness, the Queen was so kind to us, but we haven't had the chance to repay her. Now that she's gone, we feel like there's an empty space in our hearts!"

Ziwei also said: "Yes, Your Majesty, the Queen is like our family member. We really don't want to let her go. We just hope to be able to accompany her more in her final moments."

The old prince nodded and said with emotion: "The Queen has worked hard for the harem all her life and treated people with kindness. Now that she has passed away, it is a great loss to the palace. It is rare for you to be so dedicated."

During the period of rest, people also talked about many past events related to the Queen with those who came to pay their respects.

A maid recalled: "I remember one time, the Empress saw a maid accidentally breaking a vase and crying. Instead of punishing her, she comforted her personally, saying that the vase could be replaced and no one was hurt. The maid was so moved that she couldn't help crying."

After hearing this, Xiaoyanzi said, "Yes, the Queen is such a kind person. She always thinks of others and never punishes servants easily."

Erkang also said: "That's true. I still remember one time when the palace held a banquet, the Queen even specially arranged some small performances for the servants to watch and enjoy together. She is so considerate of everyone."

As the days of resting the body came to an end, it was time for the funeral procession, with a long funeral procession, white flags flying, and mournful music playing.

Xiaoyanzi and others followed the coffin with heavy steps.

Little Swallow cried as she walked, "My Queen, rest in peace. We will always remember you. In our hearts, you will always be the Queen who loves us so much!"

Ziwei also shouted loudly: "Queen, please rest assured. We will live a good life, but we will never forget your kindness!"

Erkang, Yongqi, Xiao Jian, Qing'er and others also expressed their reluctance and wishes to the Queen. Their sorrowful voices echoed in the funeral procession.

The funeral procession moved forward slowly until the Queen was taken to the special mausoleum for burial.

When everything was over, everyone returned to their respective residences, but the grief in their hearts and the longing for the Queen took a long time to dissipate.

Xiaoyanzi sat in the room and said to Ziwei: "Ziwei, the Queen is gone. I feel so empty inside. From now on, there will be one less person who loves us in and outside the palace. Woo woo woo..."

Ziwei also said with red eyes: "Yes, Xiaoyanzi, I feel the same way, but we must remember the Queen's kindness and continue to pass on her kindness and generosity."

Erkang walked in and said, "You are right. Although the Queen has passed away, her spirit will always remain in our hearts. We must live well with this memory."

Yong Qi also nodded and said, "Well, from now on, every time we think of the Queen, we must make ourselves better, so as not to be in vain for her love for us."

After this grief, everyone gradually realized that they should continue to live a good life with deep affection for the Queen, so that her good qualities can continue in the world.

At this time, the emperor's condition also concerned everyone. During the period when the queen was seriously ill, the emperor stayed by the queen's bed day and night, personally asked about the diagnosis and treatment of the imperial physician, and his anxiety and worry were beyond words. But in the end, he failed to save the queen's life. When the news of the queen's death came, the emperor seemed to have lost his energy and spirit in an instant. He sat on the dragon throne for a long time without saying a word.

When the eunuch in charge of the funeral came to report on the funeral preparations, the emperor just nodded woodenly with a blank look in his eyes. His former majesty was completely gone, leaving only endless sadness.

When everyone was standing vigil in front of the queen's bedroom, the emperor also came with heavy steps. He walked to the queen's coffin, looked at the familiar but lifeless face, and couldn't help but burst into tears. He said in a trembling voice: "Queen, you and I have been married for many years. Now that you are gone, what should I do in the future..."

Xiaoyanzi and others felt heartbroken when they saw the emperor so sad.

Xiaoyanzi stepped forward and said to the emperor with red eyes: "Father, please take care of yourself. The Empress in heaven would not want to see you so sad."

Ziwei also said, "Yes, Father Huang, the Queen was virtuous all her life. She passed away so peacefully. I think she must have gone to that place. You must cheer up."

The emperor raised his head slightly, looked at Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei, nodded gently, and said: "You two children, the queen loved you the most when she was alive. Now that she is gone, you should not be too sad, and you should be well."

During the period of stay, the emperor would come to the mourning hall every day, either sitting quietly by the side or looking at the people who came to pay their respects, his eyes always revealing deep sorrow and remembrance.

One day, a minister came to comfort the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress has passed away. I hope Your Majesty will mourn and take care of your health. The world still needs Your Majesty to preside over the overall situation."

The emperor sighed and said, "I know, but the queen and I are husband and wife. The grief in my heart is hard to dissipate. How can I let it go easily?"

As the days of staying in the coffin came to an end, when the funeral procession was held, the emperor also wore plain clothes and walked at the front of the funeral procession. His back looked particularly lonely and sad.

The funeral procession moved forward slowly until the Queen was taken to the special mausoleum for burial.

When everything was done, the emperor returned to the palace. The originally bustling harem now seemed deserted. He sat in the empty palace, and the little details of his time with the queen kept emerging in his mind. The grief in his heart was still strong.

After Xiaoyanzi and others returned to their respective residences, they would often think of the emperor's sad expression. Knowing well the changes in the palace, they became more determined to live a good life with the memory of the queen. At the same time, they also hoped that the emperor could get out of this grief as soon as possible.