"No, no, this position needs to be adjusted!"
The wicked man stood in front of the Taishan Palace, waving his hands repeatedly at the honor guard in front of him.
"Grand Commandant, how many times have we adjusted this already..." Grand Master of Ceremonies Sun Kai said with a bitter expression.
"No matter how many times, it's not enough!" the wicked man glared. "This is the ceremonial procession clearing the way for His Majesty; there can be no carelessness! Look at these two teams, standing crookedly and awkwardly—what kind of spectacle is this!"
Zhang Erhe suppressed a laugh. This was the eighth adjustment, and his Grand Commandant was still not satisfied.
"Come on, let's rearrange the ranks!" The wicked man stepped down the steps and personally directed the process. "Drummers, line up at the front; place the bells and drums on either side. Flag bearers, stand at the back. Remember, hold the flags high so everyone down the mountain can see them at a glance!"
Seeing that the line was finally neatly arranged, the wicked man suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, where's the bell for the sacrificial ceremony?"
"Here it is." The craftsmen carried in a huge bell. "Grand Commandant, please look..."
"No!" The wicked man shook his head before the bell was even properly placed. "This bell is too small; the sound won't carry far. Recast one for me, twice the size of this one!"
"But Grand Commandant..." the craftsmen said with worried expressions, "Such a large bell, just transporting it up the mountain would be..."
"Can't it be transported up?" the scoundrel sneered. "Are Xianglihe and his cranes just for show? Besides, this is a bell used for sacrificial rites to Heaven; its sound must be deep, resonant, and carry far. Otherwise, how can it live up to the name 'Fengshan'?"
The craftsmen looked at each other in bewilderment and had no choice but to comply and leave.
"Grand Commandant," Zhang Erhe said, leaning closer, "look at this honor guard..."
"Oh right!" the wicked husband slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot the important thing. Come on, let's rehearse!"
Standing on the high platform, the wicked man began to direct the rehearsal.
"The drums sound!"
Suddenly, a thunderous drumbeat erupted, shaking everyone's eardrums.
"No, no!" the wicked man waved his hands repeatedly. "Your rhythm is too chaotic. It needs to be synchronized! It needs to be majestic! It needs to sound incredibly powerful!"
The drummers wiped their sweat and started again. This time, the drumbeats were perfectly synchronized, echoing through the mountains like muffled thunder.
"That's more like it!" The wicked husband nodded in satisfaction. "Remember this feeling. On the day His Majesty ascends the throne, you'll knock like this!"
Just then, Xiangli He and Zizhen rushed over: "Grand Commandant, the wind chimes are installed!"
"Where is it? Let me hear it!"
"Look..." Xianglihe pulled the wicked husband to a corner of the hall, pointing to the eaves, "This is a specially made bronze wind chime, with several sound tubes inside. When the wind blows..."
Before the words were finished, a mountain breeze swept by. A clear, melodious "tinkling" sound rang out, lingering and pleasant.
"Brilliant!" The wicked husband's eyes lit up. "But..."
"Does the Grand Commandant see anything else amiss?"
"The sound is pleasant, but it's a bit quiet," the wicked husband mused. "Here's what we'll do: make a few more and hang them all over the ceiling. On the day His Majesty ascends the throne, when the wind rises, the entire palace will resound with celestial music!"
"That's easy!" Zizhen laughed. "But Grand Commandant, we have a surprise in mind..."
What surprise?
"Look at this..." Zizhen pulled a small bag from his pocket, "This is our newly formulated gunpowder. Not only can it draw various patterns in the air, but it can also continuously change colors!"
"Really?" The wicked man grabbed it. "Quick, let's find a place to test it!"
The three of them arrived at an open space, and Zizhen carefully lit the medicine packet.
With a "whoosh," a golden light shot into the sky, exploded in mid-air, and transformed into countless stars.
The stars were first golden, then gradually turned green, and finally transformed into a dazzling purple.
"Fantastic!" The wicked man clapped his hands. "That's the effect! Prepare plenty, and play this the moment His Majesty ascends to the summit!"
"Rest assured, Grand Commandant," Xiangli He said. "We've already prepared tens of thousands. We'll release them all at once, from the mountains to the valleys, and I guarantee the whole world will be amazed!"
Just then, a minor official under the Grand Commandant came to report: "Grand Commandant, envoys from various regions are requesting an audience. They say they wish to come up and take a look..."
"What are they doing here now?" The wicked husband frowned, then chuckled. "Fine, let them see what we're capable of. Go, invite them up!"
Soon after, envoys from various countries filed in. Upon seeing the grandeur of the palace, they all widened their eyes in astonishment.
"Gentlemen, please take a look," the wicked man said smugly, standing on the steps. "This is the temporary palace that our Great Qin has prepared for His Majesty. What do you all think?"
The messengers looked at each other, unsure how to react.
They had never seen such a magnificent building before.
Without waiting for their reply, the wicked man continued, "That's nothing! Men, beat the drum!"
Suddenly, a deafening drumbeat resounded, followed by the sounds of wind chimes and horns, creating a magnificent spectacle.
Just as the envoys were stunned by this imposing manner, the wicked man waved his hand again: "Release!"
With a few whooshing sounds, fireworks burst in the sky, colorful and beautiful.
The envoys were stunned, and some of them even staggered and nearly fell to the ground.
They exclaimed repeatedly, "Great Qin is mighty! Great Qin is mighty!"
"This is just a rehearsal," the wicked man said smugly. "On the day His Majesty ascends the throne, you'll see what true grandeur is!"
After dismissing the messenger, Zhang Erhe smiled and said, "Grand Commandant, what brings you here...?"
"That's called striking first!" the wicked man said, stroking his chin. "Let these barbarians see the grandeur of our Qin Dynasty's Fengshan ceremony. When they go back and tell the whole world, they'll know just how magnificent it is!"
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