Chapter 4: Du Ling

Du Rui was naturally well aware of what Fang Xuanling was worried about; it was nothing more than his future prospects—or rather, his next two meals. Given his current status in the Du household and the attitude of the Cui woman and the Du brothers toward him, it was not difficult for Du Rui to guess his impending predicament.

Although Du Ruhui was an upright official, he came from a prominent clan and possessed considerable family wealth. Having received the favor of Emperor Taizong, he was frequently bestowed with rewards. To say his wealth could rival a nation would be nonsense and would only tarnish the old man’s reputation, but at least it was enough for the entire household to live comfortably without lifting a finger. Furthermore, according to the old servant Du Zhong, Du Ruhui had acquired many estates during his lifetime. Unfortunately, these properties could only be inherited by the legitimate sons; someone with Du Rui’s status couldn't even get a foot in the door.

Initially, Du Rui thought he would soon be cast out of the house. However, thanks to that cheap father of his, the Cui woman and the Du brothers had been focusing their attention on the funeral arrangements, leaving no one to pay him any mind. This provided him with a temporary shelter, sparing him from sleeping on the streets immediately after his transmigration.

Sharing the same concerns were Du Ruhui’s other concubines and their daughters. During his lifetime, Du Ruhui had four concubines. Aside from Du Rui’s biological mother, Cao, who died during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, there were the Ma, Bai, and Ji women.

The wife, Cui, had given birth to the eldest son, Du Gou; the second son, Du He; the eldest daughter, Du Yunying; and the second daughter, Du Yunqian.

The Ma woman had given birth to the fourth son, Du Ping (who died young), and the third daughter, Du Yunfu.

The Ji woman had given birth to the fourth daughter, Du Yunzhuo, and the fifth daughter, Du Yunxi.

The Bai woman had no children.

Cao had given birth to the third son, Du Rui, and the sixth daughter, Du Yunlian.

Now that Du Ruhui was dead, the power of life and death over them rested in the hands of the jealous matriarch, Cui. It was no wonder these poor women were so worried.

Du Ruhui’s ancestral home was in Duling, Jingzhao. While it could not compare to the great, prestigious clans of Shandong or Guannei, it held considerable reputation locally, especially after producing a pillar of the state like Du Ruhui, which propelled it to become an emerging power in the region. Although the old man had passed away, his lingering influence remained. Moreover, both his younger brother, Du Chuke, and his two sons, Du Gou and Du He, held positions in the imperial court and were highly trusted by Emperor Taizong. Du He, in particular, was the fiancé of the Emperor’s beloved daughter, Princess Chengyang. It could be said that even though the old man was gone, the Du family tree remained lush and vibrant, showing no signs of withering.

The ancients placed great importance on the concept of returning the deceased to their hometown for burial to ensure they could rest in peace. When Du Ruhui was critically ill, Emperor Taizong had intended for him to be buried in the imperial mausoleum, but Du Ruhui insisted on returning to his roots, and the Emperor could not bring himself to defy the wishes of such a meritorious official.

Once the funeral rites were concluded, the brothers Du Gou and Du He began discussing the transport of their father’s coffin back to Duling for burial. According to ancient rites, the eldest son, Du Gou, was required to observe a three-year mourning period in Duling.

Du Rui had assumed that such matters would never involve him. To put it bluntly, no one in the household considered him a true member of the Du family, and no one would ever include him in their plans. To his surprise, the final decision included him as well.

Thinking about it, he felt this wasn't so bad. Since transmigrating to the Tang Dynasty, he hadn't had the chance to step outside the estate. He could take this opportunity of Du Ruhui’s burial to properly observe the customs and scenery of the Great Tang and see if it was as prosperous as the books described.

On the day set for the funeral procession, there were at least a thousand people outside Chang'an City to see them off. Among them were, of course, friends and relatives who had come with genuine intentions to bid Du Ruhui a final farewell, but the vast majority were there because they had received an imperial decree from Taizong and had to make an appearance.

Emperor Taizong had also specifically sent the Prince of Wei, Li Tai, to see them off. Du Rui hadn't gotten a clear look at this prince—who would later harbor rebellious thoughts and rely on a group of literary scholars—during his time at the Du estate. Now that the opportunity had arrived, he was determined to take a good look.

Li Tai appeared to be just over ten years old, but as a member of the imperial family, he was extraordinary. Even at such a young age, he appeared graceful and magnanimous, his every movement strictly adhering to ritual. Du Rui nodded repeatedly as he watched. However, while this won the praise of the veteran officials, it lacked a certain human touch.

After bidding farewell to those who had come to see them off, the group of over a hundred people began their journey toward Duling. Along the way, the procession grew steadily as Du family members from various places joined in. The pace of the group slowed down, as every time someone new joined, there had to be a round of chatter. Du Rui found this quite repulsive; many of these people had likely never even met Du Ruhui while he was alive, and their arrival now was probably just to curry favor with the new Duke of Lai, Du Gou, to secure their own futures.

Du Rui was inherently averse to such social posturing, but fortunately, he didn't need to be involved. He simply watched from the sidelines as the brothers Du Gou and Du He chatted endlessly with the Du family members who had come to join the fray. The journey to Duling, which shouldn't have been very long, took the funeral procession five full days to complete.

On the day they arrived in Duling, Du Rui could see from a distance the welcoming party arranged by Du Chuke, who had arrived earlier. Looking out, everything was white; there were at least a thousand people there to greet them. Seeing this, Du Rui couldn't help but sigh—even though the old man had passed on, his lingering influence was truly significant.

As the hearse approached, the people waiting to greet them, led by Du Chuke, all knelt on the ground. Suddenly, the sound of wailing filled the air, though Du Rui had no way of knowing how many of them were truly sincere.

As an illegitimate son of Du Ruhui, Du Rui was naturally not exempt. He followed behind the others, prostrating himself on the ground, using this posture—reminiscent of a Muslim pilgrimage—to express his grief.

After a long and bustling ordeal, the burial rituals were finally completed. Only then did someone remember they were hungry, leading to a chaotic arrangement for a meal. Du Rui and his younger sister, Xiaolian, were fortunate enough to receive a bowl of thin porridge. Though it was hardly enough to fill their starving bellies, it was enough to tide them over for a while.

During his studies in his previous life, the subjects Du Rui despised most were the Confucian classics, so he didn't have a deep understanding of the funeral process, which was considered a "major event for the deceased." Fortunately, he didn't need to take the lead; he just had to follow the others and blend in.

As an illegitimate son, Du Rui had no presence in this massive funeral procession. The focus of everyone’s attention was entirely on the new Duke of Lai, Du Gou, and the husband of Princess Chengyang, Du He. Although the old man’s remains were lying right there, few people went to pay their respects with genuine sincerity. Most of their time was spent on flattery, and the objects of this flattery were, naturally, the brothers Du Gou and Du He.

Seeing this scene, Du Rui, as an outsider, couldn't help but feel a deep sense of mourning for the old man, simply because he had truly sired two bastard sons. The old man’s body was not yet cold, and these two scoundrels were already floating on air, intoxicated by the bombardment of sycophantic words.

In particular, Du He, the future husband of the Emperor’s beloved Princess Chengyang, couldn't stop laughing, completely forgetting the gravity of the moment.

Du Chuke, who was busy receiving guests, shook his head repeatedly upon seeing this. It was a case of "a tiger father producing dog-like sons," a phrase that felt all too fitting for the Du family.

Du Rui was also filled with dissatisfaction. After all, he was now considered a member of the Du family. Seeing his two scoundrel elder brothers show such little regard for their late father, he couldn't help but worry that he would be implicated when others leveled their criticisms. People wouldn't bother to distinguish between which son was the scoundrel and which was the "good" one; when they cursed, they would simply say, "Du Ruhui’s sons are truly unworthy!"

Look at that! Du Rui hadn't provoked anyone, hadn't offended anyone, and was just quietly kneeling before the spirit tablet, kowtowing diligently, yet he was still destined to be caught in the crossfire.

Fortunately, these days of being the target of public criticism would not last long. After half a month of busyness, the old man’s funeral finally came to an end. As the eldest son, Du Gou was supposed to observe a three-year mourning period, but at this time, Confucianism had not yet become as rigid as it would in later generations. Even if one didn't strictly follow this ancient rite, few dared to jump out and criticize.

Considering that Du Gou was the new Duke of Lai and was about to be married, and naturally hoping that his old friend Du Ruhui would soon have descendants to carry on his legacy, Emperor Taizong made a special exception, allowing Du Gou to observe a three-month mourning period before returning to Chang'an to take up his post.

Leaving Du Gou behind, the funeral procession of several hundred people, led by Du Ruhui’s wife, the Cui woman, returned to Chang'an.

At this moment, Du Rui did not feel relieved that the old man was finally laid to rest and that he no longer had to accompany them in weeping and kneeling. A primary reality was now laid out before him: the future, and the time for his own fate to be decided had arrived.