Chapter 33 Sacrifice Could this be where he's hiding his secrets?
The Summer Solstice Earth Sacrifice was held at Fangze Altar on the outskirts of Beijing.
Su Panyue was woken up early in the morning and Feixue Feiyan helped her change into the court dress she would wear for the sacrificial ceremony and combed her hair into a heavy bun. She yawned and let them do as they pleased.
As Feiyan applied rouge and powder to her face, she said, "Your Highness's complexion is getting better and better."
Su Panyue also looked up at herself in the bronze mirror, and indeed she looked much better than before.
Perhaps it was because he ate and slept well in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, didn't have to work or live in fear, and could look at Xie Lanzhou's handsome face every day, that his mood improved a lot.
She looked herself over, feeling that her appearance had improved even further, and nodded with great satisfaction, thinking to herself:
[This is what it means to be born into wealth and privilege! Being the emperor's woman is truly wonderful. Xie Lanzhou, I love you to death!]
When Xie Lanzhou, who had just finished dealing with the matter, stepped into the hall, he heard the second half of her heartfelt words.
He lowered his eyes to hide his smile and asked, "Are you all packed?"
Su Panyue then noticed that he had returned and turned to look at him.
Today, he had changed out of his usual dark clothes and into a bright yellow gown. The front of the gown was embroidered with two five-clawed dragons in gold thread, and the belt was inlaid with a white jade pendant with auspicious patterns. Even the crown on his head was a bright gold, which made him look exceptionally dashing and full of the majestic aura of a superior.
He stood with his hands clasped inside the hall, slightly raising his head to look at Su Panyue, as if waiting for something, and then he heard her innermost thoughts:
How much did this outfit cost?
Frowning slightly, Xie Lanzhou asked again, "Are you all ready, Miss Su?"
When Su Panyue was called out again, she snapped out of her daze and quickly replied, "Okay, okay."
Xie Lanzhou: "Then let's set off."
Su Panyue responded and walked with difficulty, carrying her elaborate court dress. Feixue Feiyan followed behind her, holding up the back of her dress and reminding her to walk slowly and watch her step.
Xie Lanzhou frowned as he glanced at her cumbersome court robes and heavy makeup. This outfit concealed her natural lively temperament, making her seem more like trapped in a shell of etiquette and rules.
Without saying a word, he walked straight forward and picked the person up in his arms.
Su Panyue disregarded everything else and nervously adjusted her magnificent headdress and hairpins, afraid of losing even a single one, before speaking: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xie Lanzhou scoffed lightly and strode towards the carriage leading out of the palace, carrying her in his arms.
She held her hair up with both hands and couldn't help but remind her, "Your Majesty, slow down, you're going to knock the hairpin off."
Xie Lanzhou looked at her cautious posture, with her hands covering her head, and reminded her, "If you don't support me, believe me, you'll fall down first?"
Su Panyue immediately backed down, raising her arms to hug his neck, thinking to herself: [You jerk, you want to hug me but you're also threatening me.]
Xie Lanzhou ignored her and, as he placed her on the carriage, leaned close to her ear and said, "So what if she's gone? She was just a burden to begin with."
Su Panyue understood his unspoken meaning, looked up at the man so close to her, and, as if possessed, gently kissed his cheek, whispering, "Okay."
Xie Lanzhou curled his lips and stared at her gradually reddening earlobes without saying a word.
Su Panyue raised her hand and gave him a push: "It's time to leave."
Xie Lanzhou lifted the curtain and left the carriage, getting into the bright yellow sedan chair in front.
The Imperial Guards led the way, with the Embroidered Uniform Guards standing guard on both sides, and the group set off from the palace in a grand procession.
The crowds of onlookers on both sides of the road were cleared away. Su Panyue secretly lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the rows of shops and vendors outside with curiosity in her eyes.
She was sent to the palace as soon as she arrived in Daqi, and had almost no chance to wander among the common people. Therefore, she had no understanding of the diverse lives of people in the Lu Kingdom, which were so different from those in the Lu Kingdom.
The carriage arrived smoothly at Fangze Altar. The high-ranking officials and imperial relatives had already arrived and lined up on both sides to welcome the imperial carriage. Su Panyue quickly lowered the carriage curtain and silently recited the blessing in her heart.
Xie Lanzhou stepped down from the imperial carriage, and the assembled officials knelt and bowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
"No need for formalities." Xie Lanzhou raised his hand to let everyone stand up.
Then a master of ceremonies stepped forward to offer praise, and the wind and musical instruments played in unison, officially commencing the sacrificial ceremony.
Xie Lanzhou stepped onto the Fangze Altar, faced south, and performed a sacrificial ceremony, placing the offerings into the sacrificial pit beside the altar while reciting prayers.
After the recitation is completed, the mother of the nation should continue to chant the second half of the blessing.
Upon hearing him finish reading, Su Panyue, the temporary replacement for the First Lady, nervously began to speak. Then, she heard a constant murmur of discussion below. Standing on the stage, she clenched her fists and braced herself to continue.
Then her hand was tightly grasped by the man. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xie Lanzhou standing beside her. Her heart calmed down slightly, and the discussions below the stage seemed to disappear.
She sang the last line with a tight breath, and breathed a sigh of relief as if she had finally completed a task. Then she felt the man squeeze her fingers, as if to encourage her or to comfort her.
At the end of the sacrificial ceremony, Xie Lanzhou took her hand and walked towards the burning altar. He picked up a torch and lit the prayer tablet and silk paper. The smoke rose straight into the sky, and everyone looked up at it. Until the offerings were burned out, the Ministry of Rites played the chapter of peace.
The sacrificial ceremony was considered complete at this point, but Xie Lanzhou raised his hand to interrupt the Ministry of Rites' music and said loudly, "Sacrifices are meant to commemorate ancestors and pray for divine protection, but if ancestors have been wronged, how can they be protected?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager slowly stepped out of the sedan chair.
The entire audience was in an uproar. Su Panyue was also very surprised. In less than a week, the Empress Dowager looked like she had aged ten years. Her hair had turned mostly white, but she still combed it meticulously.
She let go of the head palace maid who had been supporting her and walked to Fangze Terrace on her own.
His aged and cloudy eyes gave Xie Lanzhou a deep look until the latter nodded slightly.
She then turned to the assembled officials and began to recount the events of that year, from the late emperor's scheme to bring His Majesty's birth mother, Consort Chun, into the palace, to the suppression of the old Duke. When she spoke of the fire at Zhongcui Palace, a small, inconspicuous ball was suddenly thrown at her.
Thick smoke immediately billowed from the Fangze platform. Most of the court officials and nobles below had attended the banquet where they had recently received the envoys from the Yan Kingdom, so although they were in a panic, they were much better off than before. Everyone knew that even if there was an assassination attempt, the target would only be the people on the platform.
Amidst the thick smoke, Xie Lanzhou tightly gripped Su Panyue's hand, pulling her into his arms.
Apart from the man in the bright yellow dragon robe in front of her, Su Panyue could see nothing but the sound of weapons clashing.
Recalling her experience of fainting at the sight of blood, Su Panyue simply raised her hand and covered her eyes with her sleeve to prevent herself from fainting again.
Then a strong wind suddenly blew up on the north side of the altar. While the people who were fighting were stunned, the smoke was blown away and their vision returned to clarity.
Su Panyue looked north in the direction of the wind and saw several huge fan-shaped vehicles standing on the northern city wall.
She had seen this before; it was usually used by farmers to blow away the rice husks when harvesting rice. She never imagined it could be used like this.
Once the thick smoke disappeared, the situation quickly turned around.
The Imperial Guards protected Xie Lanzhou and the Empress Dowager, while the remaining Imperial Guards quickly surrounded the remaining assassins.
The person surrounded by assassins was none other than Prince Rui, who had escaped from the Dali Temple.
Xie Lanzhou said coldly, "Didn't anyone teach you? The same trick won't work the second time."
"Take it down for me."
The Imperial Guards stepped forward, pinned him down with their arms crossed, and made him kneel on the ground.
"No, Your Majesty!" the Empress Dowager cried out hoarsely, trying to rush towards Prince Rui, but was stopped by the Imperial Guards on either side.
Xie Lanzhou walked up to her and said to the Empress Dowager in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "You haven't finished what you promised me, so it's difficult for me to keep my promise."
Looking into his cold gaze, the Empress Dowager sighed in despair and admitted to the fire she and the late Emperor had started in Zhongcui Palace.
Although this matter was a royal secret, everyone present had heard about it to some extent. Now that the truth has come to light, everyone has different thoughts.
Ignoring the commotion below the altar, Xie Lanzhou raised his voice and said, "Emperor Jing's virtue is unworthy of his position. He has persecuted loyal officials and harmed the innocent. The fire at Zhongcui Palace was an act of evil that arouses the wrath of both gods and men and is intolerable to Heaven and Earth. Empress Dowager Shunde aided and abetted the wicked and harbored evil intentions."
"Now the evidence is conclusive and irrefutable. The late emperor has passed away. His title is hereby revoked. This is hereby proclaimed to the world. A stone tablet shall be erected to comfort the spirit of the deceased in heaven."
After saying this, he looked at the Empress Dowager beside him and continued, "Empress Dowager Shunde, strip her of her title, exile her to the imperial mausoleum, and never support her again."
"Order: Thoroughly investigate all those involved in the case from that year, and punish them severely according to the law, regardless of whether they are alive or dead, as a warning to others!"
As Xie Lanzhou finished speaking, he looked down at the assembled officials, none of whom dared to meet his gaze. They all knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"
The sacrificial ceremony was then concluded. Xie Lanzhou took Su Panyue's hand and left. As they passed by the Empress Dowager, she tugged at his sleeve.
"Siyuan, let your brother live as an ordinary citizen."
Xie Lanzhou glanced at Prince Rui, who was still struggling beside him, and shook his head: "It was impossible from the moment he colluded with the Yan Kingdom."
The Empress Dowager said sternly, "You promised me. Are you going to go back on your word?!"
Xie Lanzhou said calmly, "Of course not, I will arrange a good place for him."
After saying that, he pulled out his sleeve and left with Su Panyue without looking back.
On the return journey, Xie Lanzhou did not ride the imperial carriage he had come in, but instead boarded a horse-drawn carriage with Su Panyue.
During that scene, Su Panyue remained silent the entire time, trying her best to be invisible. Only after returning to the carriage did she relax and lean against the side, lost in thought.
Xie Lanzhou, who was sitting next to her, glanced at her.
Su Panyue sat up abruptly, picked up the teapot on the table and poured him a cup: "Your Majesty has said so much, please have some water."
Xie Lanzhou asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"
Su Panyue looked puzzled: "His Majesty hasn't punished me, so why should I be afraid of you?"
But I must say, you were quite assertive today.
Xie Lanzhou stared intently into her eyes, remaining silent for a long time.
He had seen countless eyes filled with awe, flattery, fear, greed, hatred, and disgust, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a purely lustful gaze as hers.
Su Panyue felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, so she turned her head and lifted the carriage curtain a crack to look outside.
Xie Lanzhou did not have the Imperial Guards clear the way, but only arranged for a few Embroidered Uniform Guards to accompany and protect him, and the streets and alleys returned to their bustling state.
The passing pedestrians, the bustling vendors, and the dazzling array of trinkets on the street stalls quickly captured Su Panyue's attention.
A man's voice suddenly came from behind: "Want to go for a walk?"
Su Panyue turned her head, her eyes shining, and asked, "Is it alright, Your Majesty?"
Xie Lanzhou nodded, told the Imperial Guards driving the carriage outside, and the carriage turned into a small alley.
Su Panyue asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, where are we going?"
Xie Lanzhou: "You want to go shopping dressed like this? Go change your clothes first."
The carriage stopped at an inconspicuous courtyard. Su Panyue got out of the carriage and looked around curiously.
"Let's go, this is my private property." Xie Lanzhou stepped inside.
Su Panyue followed closely behind, and as they walked, she suddenly remembered something: "Your Majesty, do you have any women's clothing here?"
Xie Lanzhou nodded.
Su Panyue immediately imagined: [Could this be his secret hideout? He appears indifferent to women, but he actually keeps many mistresses outside the palace, frequently venturing out for pleasure—it's a secret no one knows.]
Xie Lanzhou frowned upon hearing this, and beckoned Feixue over to ask, "Have you bought it yet?"
Feixue replied, "Your Majesty, it has been purchased."
Su Panyue asked curiously, "What are you buying?"
Feixue: "His Majesty instructed me to buy these clothes for you. Let me help you change."
Realizing she had overthought things, Su Panyue awkwardly said "oh" and followed her into the room.
Xie Lanzhou also went to another room to change out of his dragon robe. Eunuch Fu reported, "Your Majesty, the Seventeenth Prince has returned to the capital with Miss Su's man..."
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Author's Note: On-site reporter reporting: We're about to witness a face-slapping moment! [Clown]
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