Between heaven and earth, everything is silent.
The cool north wind blew by at night, dancing with the bonfire, but adding a bit of agility and vitality to this solemn night.
"Tick tock, tick tock"
The copper kettle drip is still flowing slowly, as if everything has nothing to do with it. But it was obvious that thousands of pairs of eyes were staring in its direction.
Of course, that doesn't matter. No matter what others think, quietly following his own pace and accumulating bit by bit is his proper role. Things are like this, and so are people.
Standing on the high platform, overlooking the thousands of people below, Zhao Kuo was not looking forward to the passage of time like others. On the contrary, Zhao Kuo would rather stay at this moment forever. This is a moment where the decision is undecided, but victory is certain.
It's a pity that in the slow ticking sound, that familiar mark finally appeared in Yu Qing's eyes.
Without any hesitation, Yu Qing immediately walked to the edge of the high platform and nodded slowly to Li Mu under the high platform.
Li Mu, who had been paying attention to the high platform, naturally received Yu Qing's message immediately. Without stopping, the long sword on his waist was unsheathed almost at the same time when he saw Yu Qing, and then he raised it high to the sky and shouted: " rise!"
Immediately, the red flags rolled up and down under the steps, and the bells and drums on the mounds moved at the order.
"Dong...dong...dong..."
"Woo..."
The melodious sound of drums and horns suddenly resounded between heaven and earth!
The ceremony of "sacrifice to heaven and earth" has officially started...
More than an hour passed, and as the green smoke curling up from the bronze cauldron gradually faded away and became infinite, the complicated ceremony of worshiping heaven began.
The formula finally came to an end.
The group of people immediately returned to Handan City under the protection of the army! In Handan City, there is also the last agenda of worshiping heaven and earth - worshiping ancestors in the Ancestral Temple.
It took more than half an hour to return from the altar. There is no way, most of the team is composed of pampered officials. Those who are not good enough do not have carriages to ride in. They have managed to survive just by relying on their physical strength, which is pretty good now.
As the huge Handan City gradually appeared in front of everyone's eyes, they saw wisps of golden light covering the entire Handan City from the east.
For a moment, all the ministers were inexplicably excited - this was a good omen!
Well, okay, it must be a coincidence. After all, if it hadn't been for a sunny day, there would never have been the scene where the golden light was leaking to the ground. Of course, regarding the time issue, it was obviously carefully calculated by Pingyuan Jun and others.
In any case, this wisp of golden light really excited all Zhao Chen, and even the fatigue from a long night of running around was dissipated a lot.
Soon, the team slowly entered Handan City facing the rising sun.
Handan City, which had just experienced an all-night carnival, once again fell into a sea of joy.
It turned out that many people did not see Zhao Kuo leave the city last night, and the children who were accustomed to hearing the stories about the wise and powerful Zhao King Kuo were even more anxious and cried loudly.
So, under the unwillingness of the adults and the crying of the children, the people simply guarded the city gate with their wives and children, hoping to wait for Zhao Kuo's return.
But waiting is not a problem. The people in the city had an idea and simply built a small shed along the street with their families, lit a small stove, and set up a table.
There are a few tables and the whole family sits together. Although it is not as warm as home, it is still very comfortable.
The purpose of reunion is never the empty house, but the family gathering together. Home is where your family is, and where you have home, you can stay up late.
This move quickly spread from place to place.
It attracted people to follow suit. Those who lived in Handan took out tables, chairs and stoves, and those who came from other places took out the food from their bags. Soon people in twos and threes gathered together. Even reunions are no longer limited to one’s own home.
Don't tell me, under the moonlight, beside the main road of Handan City, people from all over the world are keeping up the New Year's Eve together with the Zhao family members, telling the secrets of the Changping Battle and boasting about their king's information. The enemy is like a god, while slowly waiting for Zhao Kuo's return, it really has a unique flavor.
This is also the State of Zhao! In any other country, there would be no such happy scene.
It's just that this kind of behavior has caused hardship to the government officials in Handan City. I had just escorted the army out of the city, and was about to go home to watch the New Year with my wife and children, when suddenly I was told to go to the streets to maintain order.
Fortunately, when they got to the main street, everyone discovered that the people of Handan had spontaneously arranged everything properly. The middle road was left empty, which did not affect the passage of cars and horses. Even the sheds on both sides were opened every two or three times. A section will also be intentionally left open for the convenience of people moving around.
Looking at this orderly scene, there is no need for them to maintain order.
It’s just that even though we’ve come here, we can’t just wait and see! Why don't the government officials take over their own homes?
He was pulled out of his home and shamelessly joined a certain shed on a certain stretch of the road that he was responsible for.
Well, how should I put it? Just have fun with the people and watch the New Year together!
So, with the official announcement, there were more and more people on the streets!
When the clattering horse hooves stepped into the city of Handan again, the number of people on the street was even greater than when they saw him off last night. The people who had been waiting all night saw their king returning, and naturally cheered again, almost instantly. The atmosphere ignited to a climax.
Although Zhao Kuo was a little tired after a night of complicated rituals to offer sacrifices to heaven, but fortunately he had been sitting in the carriage, which was naturally better than others. Seeing the people of Handan calling him so enthusiastically, Zhao Kuo naturally couldn't dampen the interest of the people.
Immediately, Zhao Kuo stood up again, waved his arms gently, and slowly greeted the people. And Zhao Kuo's actions of being so close to the people undoubtedly gave him a lot of points in the eyes of the people.
Surrounded by the people, the motorcade quickly arrived outside the Ancestral Temple. Pingyuan Jun, Lian Po and others were awakened by their respective subordinates. They were all elderly, so Zhao Kuo naturally arranged a carriage for them to accompany them. On the way back to the city, several old people had already fallen asleep deeply.
The moment I opened my eyes, I saw that Handan City was still as lively and bustling in the morning light, as if it was a lifetime ago! Needless to say, these people must have been waiting all night. Lord Pingyuan and Lian Po looked at each other in disbelief, but also with a little admiration and excitement. The people's will is what Zhao Guo is worried about!
Before you have time to think too much, the Zhao Guo Ancestral Temple is already in front of you!
Rearrange your clothes and heart
Xu, Lian Po and Ping Yangjun followed Zhao Kuo to the left and right and walked into the Ancestral Temple. As for Yu Qing and all the officials, they could only kneel and worship outside the palace.
After three bows and nine kowtows, a ceremony that was not inferior to worshiping heaven and earth, the ceremony of worshiping ancestors was finally completed in Pingyuan Jun's not high-pitched "ritual".
By the time Zhao Kuo walked out of the Ancestral Temple, the sun was already very high.
He got on the carriage again and went around to the east gate of the palace. With the sun rising higher and higher, the carriage slowly drove into the palace.
The bells and drums will ring again!
In front of the political hall, the chariot stopped for a moment. Zhao Kuo got off the carriage, climbed up the steps from the main road, entered the palace, walked to the side hall, changed out of the heavy crown robe, put on a slightly lighter auspicious dress, and then went to the main hall. , sit upright.
The eunuch ordered to follow Zhao Kuo closely. After Zhao Kuo sat down, he tidied up his clothes and clothes for Zhao Kuo. After everything was ready, I looked at the copper kettle dripper next to me. After waiting for a while, I finally saw the sign. Immediately, the eunuch ordered Fang to bow to Zhao Kuo, then turned around and took a step forward, saying loudly: "The auspicious time has come, all the ministers pay homage to the new king!"
The instructions of "worship" were passed to the ears of Pingyuan Jun and others one by one from the eunuchs.
After the last eunuch finished his speech, Lord Pingyuan bowed loudly and said: "Weak ministers, pay homage to my king! I will be king for ten thousand years!"
After you finish speaking, you should first prostrate yourself to the ground! All the ministers behind him knelt down and kowtowed three times.
"Come in!" Zhao Kuo's words came from the palace.
The officials headed by Lord Pingyuan then walked forward in small steps, walked up both sides of the main road, and stopped outside the main hall.
Lord Pingyuan bowed again and said: "Weak minister Zhao Sheng, lead hundreds of officials, bow to my king again, I will be king for ten thousand years!"
After finishing speaking, he kowtowed three times again.
!
"Come in!" Zhao Kuo answered again.
So Lord Pingyuan, together with all the officials, filed into the main hall through the side door of the main hall.
After standing still for a moment, Mr. Pingyuan glanced behind him with his peripheral vision and saw that all the officials had entered the palace. He immediately bowed three times and said: "My minister Zhao Sheng, lead all the officials to pay three obeisances to my king and congratulate my king! Ten thousand years for my king!"
After saying this, he led hundreds of officials to perform three kowtows.
With Zhao Kuo's "Get up!", the three bows and nine kowtows of the officials were finally completed.
Immediately afterwards, envoys from various countries came to pay their respects.
"Meet the envoys!" the eunuch ordered and sang again after the ministers slowly returned to their seats.
Not long after, all the envoys came to the palace one after another. It's just that unlike the last meeting of envoys, there were not six envoys this time, but seven. The extra one is Zhou Envoy. Due to the arrival of the Zhou envoys, the order of the envoys also changed slightly.
The first row is the envoys of Zhou and Qin, with Zhou on the right and Qin on the left; the second row is Chu and Wei, with Chu on the right and Wei on the left; and the last row, from left to right, is Yan, Qi and Han.
This is an order that has been weighed by many parties. According to the order arranged by Yu Qing, who was in charge of diplomatic affairs, the envoys of Zhou were ranked in the first row alone, the envoys of Qin and Chu were in the second row, the envoys of Wei and Qi were in the third row, and the last It is the Kingdom of Yan and the Kingdom of Han.
It's a pity that Qin will certainly not agree to be ranked second, let alone behind Zhou Envoy.
So in desperation, Yu Qing could only let the envoys of Qin and Zhou stand side by side. It should be said that Yu Qing had given Zhou Envoy a lot of face. Although he was forced by Qin Envoy to let Qin Envoy and Zhou Envoy walk in the same row, he still insisted on letting Zhou Envoy walk in the same row.
to the more noble right side.
But obviously, Zhou Envoy didn't appreciate it. In addition, the State of Zhao offered sacrifices to heaven and earth without reporting them to the Zhou court, and did not use the Emperor's meat. In the eyes of the Zhou envoys, they were almost the same as rebellious officials and traitors.
Seeing that they had arrived at the Zhao Kingdom's court, a sharp light flashed in Zhou Envoy's eyes, and a crisis had quietly come to Zhao Kuo and his Zhao Kingdom.
