June, the sixth year of Yuanchu.
Jibei County, Lixia City.
This place is only one day's journey from Mount Tai.
Since the Emperor's arrival, the local area has been bustling with activity. Officials, accompanied by their retainers and county troopers, have been patrolling the mountains, driving wild animals into the forests and guarding against assassins.
According to ritual, offering sacrifices to the surrounding peaks of Mount Tai must precede the official Fengshan ceremony. This task certainly wasn't performed by the emperor himself, but rather by ministers. While a supreme honor, it was also quite tiring. The mountains were often hundreds of feet high, and some were even hundreds of miles away.
Not only Ning Que, but also the Prince of Lu, the Prince of Qi, and other pillars of the court were to be sent out. Ning Que didn't mind, as he was in good health and could just treat it as a trip. The Prince of Lu, on the other hand, was already overweight and bloated, and would be out of breath after walking even a few steps, let alone climbing a mountain.
The scenery near Mount Tai is also very nice.
There are many springs around.
Ning Que even joked with Shen Qinghe that when they settled in Linzi, they would definitely find a hot spring. If winter came, they could also soak in hot springs.
Only after they had completed their preparations did the imperial chariot officially set off. Emperor Feng sat atop it, carried by sixteen sturdy warriors. It was like climbing a mountain on a cable car, starting with the sunny slopes.
After walking four or five miles, they arrived at Zhongling. The cliffs had become steeper, now paved with stone steps. This project wasn't undertaken by Fengdi, but during the reign of the previous emperor. After the previous emperor recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, he had intended to perform a Fengshan ceremony. Unfortunately, after the incident with the former crown prince, he felt guilty towards his ancestors and never visited Mount Tai.
These stone steps were built less than ten years ago, and they were inspected by specialized craftsmen. Never question the bond between the craftsmen and the Nine Clans. Fengshan is a matter of national importance. If anything went wrong, how many people would have to be killed, from top to bottom?!
Ning Que walked calmly.
He has been practicing martial arts since he was young and has an excellent physique.
Climbing the mountain is as easy as walking on flat ground.
Lu Lixing, supported by his personal guards, could only reluctantly follow behind. He was out of breath every two steps. If it weren't for his personal guards, he would have probably fallen off.
"Prince Lu, you must walk this path carefully."
“When you’re older, walk slower.”
"Don't force yourself to go with Prince Ning."
"Prince Ning is young and energetic, so he's moving fast. But at your age, don't push yourself. The most important thing in life is to recognize reality. If you can't keep up, don't try to catch up. The most important thing is to keep your own path steady."
Tian Zhongxun was calm and composed.
Although it is not walking fast, it is quite steady.
Even at my age, I don’t need anyone’s support.
It was obvious that he had something else in mind.
Just be rude and strict!
Lu Lixing smiled innocently and said nonchalantly, "It's okay, it's okay. There's only one way up the mountain. Prince Ning is walking so fast, we all have to keep up."
"idiot!"
Tian Zhongxun snorted coldly.
His face was gloomy and he sneered continuously.
The King of Lu has always been weak and incompetent.
Adhere to the doctrine of the mean and don't offend anyone.
He is pedantic and incompetent and does not deserve to be crowned king.
She maintained her status purely by marrying into the Feng Emperor.
This was actually the method used during the reign of Emperor Wen.
In order to check and balance the kings of different surnames, Emperor Wen won over the King of Lu.
The purpose is to divide the kings of different surnames.
By using the Prince of Lu to deal with the Prince of Qi, Emperor Wen would be free to suppress the Princes of Chu and Jin. With the Prince of Ning's help, he would have an absolute advantage. It's a pity that the Prince of Lu has become weaker with each generation and is now completely suppressed by Qi.
"I think the King of Qi is also very stupid."
"You are not following me, you are following His Majesty! If the King of Qi can no longer walk, he can just tell me. There is no need to use the King of Lu as a shield. I think your body is really failing. How about letting the Divine Doctor Chang give you a couple of injections?"
"Heh... I won't bother Prince Ning with any worries." Tian Zhongxun's face was cold as he continued to quicken his pace, saying coldly, "You better think it through. Don't think you can rest easy just by following His Majesty!"
The two of them were at loggerheads, neither giving in.
The officials accompanying him looked embarrassed.
Once they speed up, the people behind them have to keep up.
It is an unparalleled honor to witness the Fengshan ceremony.
It just so happened that Ning Que and Tian Zhongxun seemed to be racing horses.
One in front and one behind, at an extremely fast speed.
Naturally, they are unwilling to fall behind.
I can only grit my teeth and follow closely.
But Tian Zhongxun soon realized that something was wrong.
He followed behind, sweating profusely.
Ning Que didn't even sweat.
Walk ahead with ease.
I also often deliberately slow down my pace.
It seemed like she was teasing him on purpose.
"Oh, the King of Qi's face is so red?"
"You must not force yourself."
"If anything goes wrong, I cannot be held responsible."
Ning Que walked in front with a half-smile on his face.
The steps are light and brisk, and it feels like walking on flat ground even though you are climbing a mountain.
He was deliberately making trouble for Tian Zhongxun.
Otherwise he could run ahead of the emperor.
Control the speed so that Tian Zhongxun thinks he can catch up.
When he is about to catch up, suddenly accelerate.
"How dare you play tricks on me?"
Tian Zhongxun was furious.
My back teeth are almost broken.
Ning Que smiled and said matter-of-factly, "I'm not kidding you. It's just that you're so old, yet you insist on following me. King Qi, it's important for a person to know his own limitations. If you can't keep up, don't force yourself to follow, or you'll make others laugh."
"Hahaha!"
Jiang Quan led the laughter.
This made Tian Zhongxun quite dissatisfied.
But there is nothing we can do about him.
Logically speaking, the State of Qi belonged to the ancestors of the Jiang family.
At that time, his relationship with Emperor Feng was also quite good.
However, the Tian clan later shamefully seized power, forcing the Jiang clan's ancestors to flee to Chang'an, hoping for Emperor Feng's help. Unfortunately, the Tian clan had already taken over power, leaving them with no hope of restoring their kingdom, and they could only remain in Chang'an to serve.
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