On the last day of the first lunar month in the thirteenth year of Tiancheng Lingwei, the emperor offered sacrifices to the gods at Changmi Terrace. Three jade seals appeared at the same time, and the sun and the moon shone brightly for a moment.
According to legend, the deity Dai Yu, who oversaw the Five Living Souls and Five Evil Ghosts, took a nap on the last day of the first lunar month after a busy year. While the deity was napping, the Five Evil Ghosts escaped and wreaked havoc on the world. To restore order and repair the lost moon, the Five Living Souls crafted a jewel. Attracted by the brilliance, the Five Evil Ghosts devoured the moon, eventually alerting the deity and reclaiming it.
From then on, the last day of the first lunar month had no moon and was called the dark day.
According to Tiancheng custom, the emperor would hold a three-day ceremony to offer sacrifices to the gods in the Yuanqiong Hall within the walls of the Quecheng Palace to ensure prosperity for the country and safety for the people in the coming year.
However, this year's New Year's Eve sacrifice is very different from previous years.
The victory at Bijiang was a great one, and a ceremony to honor the heroic spirits was a must. Furthermore, this was the first ceremony since the return of the three national seals of Tiancheng.
The long-lost secret seal had finally been found. For the historians eager to record this event in the annals of history, this ceremony could not be more grand and dignified. The ceremonial officials jointly petitioned the emperor to hold the ceremony at the Changmi Terrace outside the palace to demonstrate its solemnity.
Changmi Terrace is located in Jiaosong County, not far to the west of Quecheng City. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one side. It has been recommended since ancient times as a place to connect with the sky and gather spirits, and is highly revered by alchemists and witches.
The Yeokhyeon dynasty had a long history of worshipping the gods, and the Baekjang and Hyunyeong ceremonies were imperial secrets. Following the fall of the Yeokhyeon dynasty, the royal rituals of the past were lost to history along with the old royal family. The content and location of the Hyunyeong ceremonies are no longer traceable, but the site of the Baekjang ceremonies remains: Jangmitai, known as the highest platform in Chiju.
In fact, regardless of the shifting political landscape or the shifting power dynamics, rulers throughout history could not avoid discussing spirits and gods. At the very least, they would mention both medicine and witchcraft, with shrines dedicated to gods and ghosts growing in abundance. Other practices included slaughtering oxen to pay tribute to the gods, dispelling evil spirits and warding off disasters, all of which were more important than these practices.
The art of witchcraft and the huge power struggle are like vines wrapped around the roots, deeply entangled and cannot be easily separated. Therefore, even though dynasties have long since changed, Tiancheng still appoints ritual officials to conduct grand ceremonies and sacrifices, which continue year after year and cannot be abandoned.
Reopening Changmi Terrace was a big deal. After the news spread inside and outside the palace, the ministers also discussed it heatedly. Villagers and people from all directions of Jiaosong County gathered together and almost squeezed down several stone bridges that the county government had painstakingly rebuilt.
Although the Changmi Terrace is majestic and towering, and it is impossible for outsiders to get close to watch the ceremony, this does not in the slightest reduce the enthusiasm of the people of Tiancheng who enjoy watching the excitement.
The white breath from countless eagerly expectant faces filled the entire Jiaosong with clouds and mist. Those figures of different heights and weights were not afraid of the severe cold in the cold winter and stood there for a whole day. They crowded together, talked, looked forward to it, and began to write down in their hearts this moment worth remembering for a lifetime.
Royal sacrifices have always been a private and distant legend. The incantations and solemn rituals enclosed within the high palace walls all exude an aura of sacredness and inviolability.
The Tiancheng Emperor was notoriously reclusive, having rarely left the palace in his early years, seemingly due to poor health. Now, not only was he personally leading the army, but he was also publicly appearing in public, akin to a legendary deity descending to earth. Wouldn't it be a lifelong regret to miss out on such a grand spectacle?
According to the real-time retelling of the gossipers who crowded in the front row that day: Some said that the emperor had a very tall figure and a handsome face, while others said that the emperor had lost a lot of weight after returning from the expedition and looked a little sickly, but more people still complained that they were too far away and did not see anything.
Of course, Xiao Nanhui is not among these people.
At the end of the ceremony, the emperor will personally award the lacquer box and swords to the soldiers who have made great military achievements. A total of 17 generals will be ranked according to their merits and official ranks, and will personally receive this honor.
As one of the leading generals, she was standing only ten steps away from him.
Today he looked more formal than ever. His black hair was tied up in a red gold crown, and his layers of top and skirt were complicated and heavy. His robe with a black background and twelve-chapter pattern had wide sleeves, a narrow waist, and was covered with a very thin gauze on the outside. However, it did not make him look bloated, but only made his figure look much more sturdy than usual.
Xiao Nanhui felt that she did not intend to peek at the emperor, but he really looked particularly good today. Everyone loves beauty, and she had long forgotten that a year ago she was determined to look down on such a frail and handsome man.
The most eye-catching person at the center of the ceremony, apart from the emperor, was the high priest who led the ceremony.
He was an old man with long eyebrows, dressed in equally formal attire, holding a flower-wrapped staff. He was sitting in the center of the altar at this moment, and was the focus of everyone's attention.
This person is the legendary Fuqiu Tianshi who came from the north and named himself the Beihongji Sect.
Beihongjimen sounds even more mystical than Buxu Valley, and in reality, it's a land that thrives on spirits and gods. Its leader, Fuqiu, boasts a witch clan ancestry while also practicing natural, heavenly principles. He assisted the Su clan in their early years of establishing their kingdom, and later became a prominent figure in annual national sacrifices. He now commands a large following in both Huozhou and Chizhou.
A few hours ago, Xiao Nanhui, as the guard general of Guangyao Camp, escorted the ceremonial officers into Changmi Terrace, and paid close attention to the distinguished guests who came from afar.
The entire Beihongji Gate was extremely grand. Except for Fuqiu himself who was an old man, all the other servants were handsome men and beautiful women. In the cold winter, they were all dressed in fancy clothes. They looked more like monsters from some cave or grotto than fairies.
Although Fuqiu Tianshi himself has a somewhat immortal-like appearance, the green ox he is riding is armed to the teeth with gold and silver. The exquisitely carved saddle is decorated with white mirage and purple gold flowers, and nine-colored silk ribbons embroidered with silver thread hang all over the ox.
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