A grand and solemn ceremony to worship heaven.
It started at 6 o'clock and didn't come to an end until nearly half past noon.
During this period, you will sing and I will appear.
So lively.
Half past noon (twelve o'clock noon in later generations.)
"Go up to Heaven and listen!"
The old eunuch Zhan Zhu looked up at the high platform and read loudly in his highly recognizable voice.
Emperor Zhengde straightened his jet black dragon robe,
He strode towards the bronze tripod.
From the side of the bronze tripod, take down three incense candles that are more than one meter long.
After the incense candle is lit.
The civil and military officials below looked up and could clearly see three streaks of blue smoke rising into the sky from Emperor Zhengde's hands.
Emperor Zhengde faced the priest's writings and turned his back to everyone.
Holding three huge incense candles more than one meter long, he solemnly bowed deeply towards the priest's writing and bowed three times.
Immediately, he inserted the incense candle in his hand into the bronze tripod with great solemnity.
"Pray for blessings from the clan!"
After Emperor Zhengde finished all this, he turned slightly sideways, and the voice of the great eunuch Zhan Zhu sounded again.
Xu Zhen, who was at the front of the lineage, looked serious and put the white jade plate in his hand into his sleeve.
He reached out and took the incense candle from the eunuch at the side.
He walked towards the bronze tripod under the high platform with a slightly faint pace.
"The Great Zhou Dynasty! Jin Wang Xu Zhen, on behalf of the Xu clan, prays for God's mercy!"
"Bless me a prosperous week and good weather in the coming year!"
Xu Zhenzi said in a clear voice, then he knelt on his knees and kowtowed three times in front of the bronze tripod.
After getting up, you can clearly see that Xu Zhen's forehead is slightly red.
Insert the three incense sticks in your hand into the bronze tripod under the high platform.
Xu Zhen once again walked back to the line of clan members with slow steps.
"Civil officials pray!"
After Xu Zhen lined up again, the great eunuch Zhan Zhu said loudly again.
The words just finished.
Among the first row of purple-robed nobles came an old man who was about sixty years old.
The purple-robed old man, like Xu Zhen, stepped towards the bronze tripod under the high platform.
"Official ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty! Wenyuange University Scholar Shangguan Ludai thousands of officials in the world, praying for mercy from heaven!"
"I wish our great Zhou Dynasty good weather and good weather next year, and the people can live and work in peace and contentment!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shangguan Lu, the chief minister of the dynasty who was over 60 years old, knelt down on his knees and knocked his head three times.
When Shangguan Lu Shangxiang turned around, traces of blood were already oozing from his forehead.
I don't know if he is competing with Xu Zhen, or if he wants to show his selflessness for the country and the people.
"Pray for blessings, general!"
The great eunuch Zhan Zhu read aloud with an expressionless expression.
The words just finished.
Li Guangli strode out from the ranks of generals.
After reaching out and taking the incense from the eunuch.
At a speed far exceeding the previous two people, they strode towards the bronze tripod!
"Bang!"
Li Guangli knelt down heavily on his knees and made a crisp sound.
I really felt a sharp pain in my knees after listening to it.
"Your Majesty! Li Guangli, the great general of the Zhou Dynasty! Pray for God's mercy!"
"Wish my great Zhou Dynasty good weather and no disasters in the coming year!"
"Bless our great Zhou dynasty, may our borders be safe forever, and our people live and work in peace and contentment!"
After he finished speaking, there were three sounds of his forehead touching the ground, like a pebble being thrown into the tranquil water.
Spreading quickly towards the surroundings.
When Li Guangli offered incense.
When turning around again.
The blood on his forehead slowly dripped down the bridge of his nose.
Looking directly at the hundreds of officials below, they all looked sideways.
Xu Yi stared expressionlessly at Li Guanghua, who was slowly returning to the team.
He couldn't help but curse in his heart: "In order to suppress my second uncle and Shangguan's chief assistant, I really did everything possible."
"He is quite a ruthless person."
"It's a pity that I used too much force."
Do you really think that Emperor Zhengde is a fool? How could he, an emperor who has been on the throne for twenty-nine years, not see this scheming?
"play music!"
After all three people have finished praying.
The great eunuch Zhan Zhu said loudly again.
In an instant.
Countless royal musicians played solemn sacrificial music on the Temple of Heaven.
at the same time.
Crown Prince Xu Yong, wearing a dark jade unicorn robe, stepped towards the bronze tripod.
Behind him were several eunuchs holding mahogany trays with countless incense candles placed on them.
When the crown prince Xu Yong stood up straight.
A prince wearing a black four-clawed green dragon robe strode out of the line of clan members.
The prince stepped forward and stopped half a step in front of Crown Prince Xu Yong.
The head lowered slightly. This shows respect for the prince of a country.
Crown Prince Xu Yong took the three sticks of incense handed to him by the eunuch behind him, held them up in both hands and placed them in front of the vassal king.
Every move shows royal etiquette.
After the vassal king returned from offering incense, another person walked out of the team.
Xu Yi, who originally thought that the heaven-sacrifice ceremony was coming to an end, only then realized how naive his thoughts were.
Of course, Xu Yi cannot be blamed for this. After all, all he knows about the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony is from books.
In the books, the record about the end is indeed that the head of the civil and military clan came forward to pray.
The prince stood on a bronze tripod and watched the civil and military clan members offering incense and offering sacrifices.
However, what Xu Yi never expected was that these steps were not carried out at the same time, but one after another...
Less than half an hour later.
Xu Yi straightened his python robe and stepped forward.
Like everyone before, he bowed slightly to show respect for the prince of a country.
Unexpectedly.
Xu Yong, who was originally very skilled in movements, after meeting Xu Yi.
For some reason, his palms trembled and he almost dropped the incense stick on the ground.
Fortunately, it only took two or three breaths for Xu Yong to come back to his senses.
According to the procedure, hand the incense to Xu Yi.
Xu Yi raised his head, stepped forward, and inserted the three incense sticks in his hand into the bronze cauldron reverently.
When he turned back, he took a deep look at Xu Yong beside him from the corner of his eye.
Only then did Xu Yi completely see Xu Yong's entire face.
Slightly chubby, with a fair face and a thick beard on his chin.
In his words and deeds, he was quite dignified as a prince of a country.
But for some reason, Xu Yi always felt that Xu Yong was secretly looking at him from the corner of his eyes at this moment.
Xu Yi's expression remained as usual and he walked forward slowly.
All the details of the previous salute were replayed in his mind.
"When he saw my face clearly, his palms trembled slightly."
"This is obviously a natural reaction after being stunned for a moment."
"Why is Dudu so stunned after seeing me?"
Xu Yi returned to the queue and looked forward expressionlessly, but in fact he was still looking at Xu Yong from the corner of his eyes.
After a while.
An unintentional remark Xu Zhen said when he first met him a year ago flashed through Xu Yi's mind: "Yier, you and An'er are so similar."
Gradually, Xu Yi had a bold guess in his mind.
Perhaps, what really made Xu Yong panic was not his appearance.
After all, Li Guangli could step forward to investigate the situation as soon as he stepped off the carriage.
Li Guangli is the uncle of the prince Xu Yong. Therefore, Xu Yong obviously knew that he would appear in the heaven worship ceremony today.
Therefore, what really made Xu Yong stunned and panicked for two or three times was actually his face that was somewhat similar to that of the former prince Xu An.
