Qing Tong crawled two steps on his knees in fear, gritted his teeth, and then said, "It was my fault, it was my mistake, please forgive me, Master."
"Your subordinates were incompetent; they neither knew nor expected this..."
Before Qing Tong could finish speaking, he was interrupted by He Jingyan's somewhat hoarse voice.
He took a deep breath and opened his dark eyes: "Enough, stop talking..."
Qing Tong remained kneeling, his back straight, his eyes filled with remorse as he looked at He Jingyan: "...This subordinate deserves to die."
He Jingyan didn't speak. He stood there for a moment, then closed his eyes tightly, his expression cold as ice: "Go and receive your punishment. Fifty strokes of the cane."
"Yes, Your subordinate accepts the punishment."
After saying this, Qing Tong glanced at He Jingyan with concern, then turned and left.
...
The Fengshan ceremony was held on Heyan Mountain in the suburbs of Beijing. It was a matter of great importance to the country and the people, and it also served to establish friendly relations between the two countries. Therefore, the Daqian Dynasty attached great importance to this ceremony, and the procedures were particularly complicated.
The emperor, officials, foreign guests, and all female relatives who participated in the sacrifice had to fast for five days in advance.
During fasting, one should bathe and burn incense, eat a light diet, and purify one's mind and reduce desires to show piety to heaven, earth, and the gods.
After a unified fast and rest at the foot of the mountain, a mountain climbing ceremony and a investiture ceremony will be held to worship heaven and earth. After the ceremony, the emperor will hold a banquet and reward those who have made contributions.
Besides the emperor, all the concubines of the harem who held the rank of concubine or above, as well as those who had given birth to children, participated in the Fengshan ceremony.
Apart from the Crown Prince, all the princes and princesses were present, along with some officials, musicians, and attendants from the previous dynasty.
So the procession stretched for dozens of miles from the city gate of the capital.
Song Xizhi and Madam Xin were in the same carriage. As soon as she left the city gate, she lifted the curtain and looked at the scenery outside.
As the winter solstice approaches, the further into the mountains you go, the lower the temperature becomes. You can see patches of white snow piled up on the grass and frost on the tree branches.
Song Xizhi felt both relaxed and intrigued.
In her previous life, she had never experienced anything like this. The only time she left the capital in her previous life was to help He Yunce treat the epidemic.
At that time, the area outside the capital had become a living hell, with starving people everywhere and corpses strewn across the fields. Compared to the icy and snowy landscape of today, it was like heaven and earth.
Seeing Song Xizhi looking so intently, Madam Xin followed her gaze and looked outside. She suddenly sighed, "I finally understand what kind of scene you were trying to depict with that woody incense."
Song Xizhi looked at her with delight: "Right? But that woody scent was something I imagined. This is the first time I've ever seen such a scene."
Madam Xin smiled: "After that, you will see many things for the first time, such as His Majesty, and princes and princesses. But it's a pity that you won't be able to see the Crown Prince this time."
Her eyes darted around, as if she had thought of some gossip, and even her voice became softer:
"In truth, very few people have ever seen the Crown Prince's face. In fact, the entire Han family is full of beautiful women. The previous Empress was the most beautiful woman in the capital, and her own brother was the dream man of countless young women."
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi recalled their backstory and said, "That's a pity."
Madam Xin nodded in agreement: "It is a pity that almost no one has ever seen the Crown Prince's face. I have heard that he is handsome and tall. If it weren't for what happened in the past, he would probably be the dream man of countless young ladies."
Upon hearing Madam Xin's string of adjectives, Song Xizhi's thoughts drifted, and the image of He Jingyan came to mind.
The one I dream of in my spring boudoir?
If it were her past life, she would probably be the same as these unmarried girls. But it was only after becoming a woman that she realized what kind of man is good.
Of course, it's a strong and fit man like He Jingyan!
In his previous life, He Yunze rose to the position of prime minister and became the object of countless girls' dreams, but he was not a man at all.
The carriage swayed and rocked. Seeing Song Xizhi's absent-mindedness and unpredictable expression, Madam Xin suddenly leaned closer to her, her face full of gossip.
"What are you thinking about now? I mentioned the Crown Prince, and you're not going to be thinking about your dead husband again, are you?"
As soon as Song Xi turned his head, he was met with Madam Xin's gossipy gaze.
Her lips twitched slightly, then she nodded again: "I'll tell you a story."
Song Xizhi recounted his childhood in detail, which moved Madam Xin to tears.
While wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, she hurled insults and abuse at everyone in the Song household: "So it was your husband who saved your life! Song Ruo'an is no human being!"
“It was my fault. I will never advise you to find another husband again. There is an ancient temple on Heyan Mountain. Since we are here, let’s go and pay our respects. Heaven will see your sincerity and surely bless your husband to wake up soon.”
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi smiled and touched the hairpin at his temple.
There's no need to pray to gods or Buddhas anymore. Her husband has already woken up. If she still wants to find another man, that man will definitely tear her apart.
Half a day later, the carriage finally stopped at the foot of Heyan Mountain.
At the foot of the mountain is a mountain villa, similar to an emperor's temporary palace, which was specifically used to accommodate the personnel who came to perform the Fengshan ceremony.
Lady Xin received the message that His Majesty was tired from his journey, so everything would be kept simple and he would no longer make an appearance. He asked everyone present to rest and fast.
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi did not react, but Madam Xin sighed: "His Majesty's health has not been good lately. He said it was due to the long journey and he may have fallen ill. The fasting period may have to be extended."
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