Chapter 145： sacrifice to heaven

"Report the situation of the imperial chariot and horse."

"After the rectification is completed, the minister of Taipusi is waiting outside the palace with the guard of honor, ready to drive at any time."

"Are the tablets, offering vessels, and offerings counted correctly?"

"Yes, His Royal Highness has been urging the sacrificial place for the past few days, and the members of the club have already arrived at the altar first."

"Your Majesty, Kaiyi."

"Thank you."

"What about the main road?"

"It's all cleared up."

"Qin Tianjian said that it will snow today, but I don't know if it is true."

"How's the weather outside?"

"It's very gloomy."

"If only it snowed..."

"How cold should it be when it's snowing..." Li Zichou interjected between Bai Qingyang's questioning and answering with several servants and officials.

Although the snow is not cold, but today is the winter solstice, no matter for the monarch, or for the whole country, it is an extremely important day of the year. She doesn't want to go to the altar to sing with a numb head.

Bai Qingyang patted her on the head: "Another fur collar for you?"

Li Zichou hesitated for a while, but still waved his hand: "Forget it, the shape of the sacrificial uniform can't be changed randomly, I'll just bear with it."

Bai Qingyang: "But I will feel bad."

Li Zishou blushed, and glanced at the busy servants around him: "Actually, it's not very cold..."

The cloth on her body is thick and decorated with complicated decorations, and the minimum guarantee is about ten kilograms. It is not cold to wear, but it is too heavy. The dress for worshiping heaven is so cumbersome, and adding clothes will really become a heavy-duty off-road.

"Isn't it cold?"

"Well, you need to wear more."

Bai Qingyang was afraid of the cold, it's just that Li Zichou was injured and poisoned before, and was nagged and taken care of by this person.

"I'm not cold either." Bai Qingyang said, as if to prove it, he raised his hands to her cheeks.

Li Zishou's face was just held in his hands, under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"Cough, cough... as long as it's not cold." Facing the eyes of everyone, Li Zichou was a little embarrassed, and raised his hand to pull away the other's warm hands.

Bai Qingyang blinked his eyes: "Are you starting to dislike me?"

"Dai Gunmian!" Li Zichou turned his face angrily to hide his shyness.

"Okay~" Bai Qingyang chuckled, time was running out, and he didn't tease her any more.

//

According to the predetermined plan, all the officials were waiting outside the gate of the fasting palace. On both sides of the main road on the central axis were the ranks of civilian officials and the ranks of military generals.

In the round hills on the outskirts of the city, bonfires have been burned in the furnaces around the altar, and the flames raise black smoke, which dissipates in the air, adding to the gloomy sky.

Sacrificing jade and silk, honoring zudou, and superstitious and theological symbols are, in the final analysis, just tools used by the ancients to pray for blessings, and they only serve as psychological comfort.

Things that seemed commonplace to others, Yang Dejin felt weird and weird. As a modern person, it was inevitable that she would feel delicate when participating in such activities. It's not that she can't understand this kind of psychology of praying for happiness. After all, only with hope can she be motivated to approach her goal.

Just like some people will make various sacrifices and various metaphysics before playing games to draw cards, in order to get the card they have dreamed of.

In this way, it feels that no matter what era people are more or less superstitious in metaphysics, it’s just that the form has evolved from conventional metaphysics to cyber metaphysics, which is essentially a good wish.

Yang Dejin: I think about it.

"Yu Jia is still on the way, why are you here?" Xie Zhi's voice brought Yang Dejin back to his senses.

Xie Zhi changed into an extraordinarily formal attire, black clothes, high crown and jade wat. Although she hadn't been promoted yet, the specifications of the sacrificial attire showed that she was already quite high and powerful in the court.

Yang Dejin: "Supervisor."

Xie Zhi suddenly realized: "Oh, that's right, you have a prince with you after all."

Before holding the sacrifice, the emperor usually sends the most trusted prince or minister to inquire about the preparation work of Supervising Yousi.

"Why didn't you come with Baiguan's team?"

"The officiant is my junior brother, Bai Qingyang asked me to tell him a few words."

"The officiant is miserable."

Not only the officiant, but other scholar-bureaucrats must have been told a lot in the past few days, and they are all under great pressure.

"He will do well, after all, he is a student taught by the teacher."

"What about bragging about yourself here?"

Xie Zhi chuckled lightly: "How could..."

"When will the team arrive?"

"Should be soon..." Xie Zhi was talking, when the mighty court team appeared in the corner of his eye, "Here we are."

Yang Dejin looked over and snorted.

Xie Zhi touched her: "I'm going over, you should hurry up and take your seat."

"Understood." Yang Dejin responded.

The queue of hundreds of officials was huge and orderly. The three-star flag fluttered in the cold wind, and Li Zishou and Bai Qingyang stepped onto the altar under the eyes of everyone.

The emperor's sacrificial clothing was re-woven by the Shangyi Department to make Li Zichou wear it more docilely. The clothing system is still the traditional Dagon Mian, Xuanduan Mian, and the outer clothing is embroidered with dragon patterns and twelve chapter patterns. It is luxurious and grand, calm and solemn.

The queen's gown that matched it, the top and bottom were connected, painted and embroidered with twelve lines of multicolored Huidi, which originally symbolized the noble virtues of women, but when worn on Bai Qingyang's body, it gave off a stern aura that even overwhelmed the aura of the emperor—she He didn't restrain the temperament he formed when he ruled the world at all.

After the people around realized this, they all lowered their eyes in unison, not daring to look any further. Li Zishou was rather happy, Bai Qingyang wanted to be equal to her, this was the attitude she should have.

Yang Dejin looked at the radiant two people, and nodded in relief. The man in dark clothes next to him saw him, and boldly asked, "Your Highness, are you in a good mood?"

Yang Dejin hummed, and said to herself, "Good match."

Cong Ji: "?"

Sometimes Prince Yu's words are really difficult to pick up. Cong Ji didn't dare to talk about the emperor, after a few polite words with her, he followed Mr. Zan Li to the process of offering sacrifices to heaven.

Chime bells, harps, drums and other musical instruments sounded together, forming a magnificent elegant music, which echoed throughout the round mound.

The ceremony begins with welcoming the gods. The officer in charge lights the firewood stove and burns the sacrificial cattle as a greeting from the human world to the gods and expresses respect to the gods. Li Zichou just needs to stop and stare at the process.

After watching Li Zichou finish, Li Zichou returned to his place of worship, and in front of him was a framed copy of congratulations. After solemnly reading the above content, Li Zichou would bow three times and bow nine times to the gods.

After welcoming the gods, there is laying jade and silk, which is a gift to the gods and ancestors, followed by Jinzu, Chuxian, and Yaxian... The procedure is complicated and exquisite. Every link strictly follows the ancestral system, and the division of time is accurate to the second, which shows that The ancients attached great importance to sacrificial ceremonies.

The courtiers were listed under the pedestal of the altar, with several senior officials at the head, and Xie Zhi looked particularly young standing among them. Yang Dejin stood with the officials of Taichang Temple who hosted the suburban ceremonies. As the only prince in Beijing, he supported Li Sheng's royal family.

The altar stands in the center of the mound, standing nine feet above the ground, and standing on it is enough to look down on civil and military officials. During the solemn sacrifice ceremony, receiving the attention and worship of all the officials, Li Zichou had never realized the difference between himself and them so deeply, and felt a sense of loneliness that was too high.

Fortunately, there are loved ones by her side, close friends watching over her, and ministers who are both teachers and friends, so she is not alone in this world.

After the final gift, the ceremony is not over yet.

"Ancestor Rong Yu, courtier and daughter Qing Yang, imprisoned by her father's injustice, long-term heart disease, Your Majesty took pity on my concubine, redressed the grievances, gave justice, devoted all my energy to worrying, long-cherished and fell asleep at night, and caused plots, and was bedridden for several months."

Bai Qingyang knelt on the futon and chanted his speech loudly, while Li Zichou looked at her sideways.

"The wolf in Shuobei is ambitious, the country is at stake, and the concubine has nothing to repay. She boldly regents, exercises the power of supervising the country, and stabilizes the grand dynasty. Now that the foreign enemies are gone, the country is stable, and the ministers and daughters are sincere and fearful. I will return to the Queen's Majesty. May the Li Sheng Dynasty last forever. , the country is long and long."

After finishing speaking, Bai Qingyang leaned over and kowtowed, and kowtowed again, three times. The salute at the side was presented with incense sticks, Bai Qingyang got up to take it, lit it with a burnt flame, and handed it to Li Zi.

Li Zichou took the incense stick with both hands, and inserted it in the center of the altar.

"Wen Tao Wu Lue, founding a country and proclaiming the emperor is called prosperity; the great ancestor pardoned the world and brought all nations to the dynasty, which can be called prosperity." Li Zichou said slowly, "The prosperity of the dynasty has never been as prosperous as it used to be, and the younger generations are ashamed .

"The first emperor's son is struggling, and I alone can inherit the great line. Even though I am a woman, I want to do my best to recast the glory of the great prosperity. I am worthy of the world, worthy of my ancestors, and worthy of my heart."

After Li Zichou finished his oath, he bowed solemnly to the god, and came over with a plate of red wood lacquer in praise.

As if foreshadowing something, the wind in the circular mound gradually became silent, and the white ice flowers inadvertently and slowly fell, melting into the golden cup filled with spirits.

Li Zichou paused when he picked up the wine glass, and everyone looked up at the sky in unison.

Snow falls on the winter solstice, a sign of great auspiciousness.

Li Zichou held up his wine glass, looked through the swaying jade cup, and stared at the sky filled with snowflakes in a daze. Bai Qingyang, who was standing side by side with her, called her.

Li Zishou came back to his senses: "Yes, I know."

"Heavenly auspiciousness, it's really rare to see..." Li Zichou and the chief priest looked at each other, then squeezed Bai Qingyang's hand tightly, and said loudly, "I want to change the name and call it 'Tianqing', in order to live up to the grace of heaven, to live up to In this situation, from now on, I will govern together with the empress, and I hope to encourage you all."

After she finished speaking, she turned the wine glass over, swiped her arm, and the wine in the glass slowly poured down, leaving a long and thin trail of water on the ground.

The priest then shouted loudly: "Congratulations to the two saints, Tianqing will last forever!"

Everyone clasped their hands together and bowed: "Congratulations to the two saints, Tianqing will last forever—!!"

Yang Dejin and her close friend looked at each other from a distance, and seeing the other party's calm appearance, she couldn't help but feel relieved: It seems that she has completely settled down.

To be supported and trusted by so many people, Li Zishou, is truly remarkable.

Thinking of this, Yang Dejin also bowed slightly, sending the most sincere blessings to her friend.

On the other hand, Xie Zhi also heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the scene where the emperor and empress stood together, and he was thankful in his heart that it was a good thing that such an ending did not recur this time.

The ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven is over, all the officials left in an orderly manner, and heavy snow fell over the Circular Mound. It is the grace of nature. Presumably, the coming year should be a bumper harvest year.

"Dazed again?"

Li Zichou looked at Bai Qingyang upon hearing this.

"What are you thinking about?"

"It feels...like a very strong drink."

Bai Qingyang raised his eyebrows: "It's true."

"The era of Tianqing..." Li Zichou said, "Qing Yang, please take care of me in the future."

Li Zichou looked serious, she looked at Bai Qingyang with watery eyes, she seemed to be begging, but she was actually promising.

Even though she was dressed so grandly, her serious expression revealed some cuteness. When Bai Qingyang saw it, his heart moved, he lifted the bead hanging from the front of her crown with his hands, and kissed her involuntarily.

Li Zichou was astonished, and before he had time to think about whether he would be seen by others, Bai Qingyang ended the superficial kiss.

Bai Qingyang smiled brightly, and the snowflakes in the background made her beautiful: "Then you must always stay by my side."

"certainly."

The author has something to say:

It's finally over! ! After thinking about how to end this story for a long time, I chose a relatively bland way after much deliberation. Even if the main text is written here, it is over. I wonder which character is the reader's favorite?

Although the length of the text is limited, their stories continue. There will probably be extra episodes from time to time in the follow-up. Readers can cue any genre they want to see in the comment area. I think I will pick a part and write about it.

Finally, thank you for your continued company!