Chapter 55 Chapter 55 A moment of loss of composure.
Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. Although the Winter Sacrifice Ceremony does not begin until dusk, preparations had already begun yesterday, especially the Ministry of Rites and Guanglu Temple, which have been busy preparing for the Winter Sacrifice for several months.
The list of participants in the Winter Sacrifice Ceremony had already been submitted by all prefectures before today. The Ministry of Rites completed the verification last night, so there should be no mistakes.
Zhang Jingxuan looked at the roster and frowned slightly.
But he was too busy with trivial matters today to worry about it. Suppressing the thought in his mind, he put the list aside.
As usual, Zhang Jingxuan went to the Eastern Palace to pay his respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He ran into the Minister of Rites who came to consult with the Crown Prince about the regulations for the Winter Sacrifice Ceremony. He paused, his thoughts racing, and he called out to him,
"Lord Fan."
Minister Fan of the Ministry of Rites was a little surprised: "Master Zhang?"
Zhang Jingxuan nodded slightly and said, "I have a question that I need to ask Master Fan. Master Fan, do you have time to chat for a few minutes?"
"It's just a few words. I don't have anything urgent to do." Lord Fan was easy to talk to. He said cheerfully, "I wonder what Master Zhang wants to ask?"
Zhang Jingxuan twirled his fingertips gently and said calmly, "I wonder if Lord Fan knows if there are any errors or omissions in the winter sacrifice list submitted by the Ministry of Rites?"
Although the Minister of Rites was wooed by Prince Yu, not all of the Ministry of Rites were connected to Prince Yu. Minister Fan, who had always been neutral, said with certainty upon hearing this:
"There must be no mistakes or omissions. We checked every prefecture yesterday."
Zhang Jingxuan nodded slightly, lowered his eyes to look at the list, paused for a few seconds, then raised his eyes and said:
"The Winter Sacrifice Ceremony, logically speaking, all officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital, as well as their direct descendants, should attend. But if their names aren't on the list, what's going on? Could it be... that someone in power has tampered with this?"
Lord Fan immediately shook his head and said, "How is that possible? Who would dare to interfere with the Winter Sacrifice list? If it's not listed on the list, then that family's official family voluntarily chose not to participate. For example, your grandfather, Master Zhang, is very old and never participates in such grand ceremonies. Didn't the Zhang family report it?"
Zhang Jingxuan lowered his eyes to hide his emotions and bowed slightly: "Thank you, Master Fan."
Lord Fan nodded, and the two men passed each other, and Zhang Jingxuan stepped into the East Palace.
The Crown Prince was in the East Palace, wearing his dragon robe, a complete and dignified look. When he noticed the visitor, he smiled sincerely and said,
"Jingxuan, hurry up. Have you arranged everything for tomorrow's winter sacrifice?"
"Your Highness, everything is settled."
Zhang Jingxuan said slowly, "Your Highness needs to fast and bathe in advance tomorrow. At the beginning of the You hour, Your Highness will depart for the Temple of Heaven in the southern suburbs. At exactly You hour, the sacrificial ceremony will begin. As the crown prince of the current Great Zhou Dynasty, Your Highness should lead the civil and military officials in kneeling and welcoming the gods, and offer sacrifices of cattle and sheep in order. The emperor will chant the prayer, and Your Highness should stand quietly to his left and right to show his piety and solemnity."
After a few breaths, he continued, "Waiting for music and dance to please the spirits, with wine and food frequently added, the atmosphere of the ceremony reaches its climax. The civil and military officials participating in the ceremony will take this opportunity to advise on who they believe is the right candidate for the crown prince. There have been precedents of crown princes being changed during the ceremony, but more often than not, the emperor does not base his decision on the voices expressed during the ceremony. I have already made all the arrangements for Your Highness, so there is no need to worry. Once the sacrificial official has chosen a candidate, he will be recognized as the next monarch. He will read the prayer, kneel before heaven and earth, and finally lead everyone in respectfully bidding the gods and ancestors farewell."
"good."
The prince showed satisfaction and said, "With you here, I can always trust you with the most important matters."
Zhang Jingxuan bowed with neither arrogance nor servility: "It is your humble servant who should thank you for your kindness."
He stayed to take care of some trivial matters, and was then invited by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to stay for lunch. After noon, he said goodbye and left.
After walking out of the East Palace gate and getting on the Zhang Mansion's carriage, Zhang Jingxuan rubbed his forehead with his fingertips, feeling a little tired.
The words that the Minister of Rites, Master Fan, had said earlier came back to his mind. He pondered for a few seconds, and finally called Huaizhou, who was sitting outside the carriage, and ordered:
"Go and find out, but don't let anyone find out."
Although he didn't say what he wanted to know, Huaizhou still understood. He answered yes, quietly got off the carriage, and in an instant he was lost in the crowd.
Thinking that he would take a while to come back, Zhang Jingxuan did not plan to stop and wait. He told the driver to continue driving and leaned against the wall of the carriage to close his eyes and rest.
Unexpectedly, there was a crowd of pedestrians ahead, and the carriage was forced to stop. After a short delay, Huaizhou hurried back and said:
"Sir, the convoy ahead is the engagement convoy sent by the Xue Mansion to the Liu family!"
Zhang Jingxuan suddenly opened his eyes, frowned slightly, and said, "Impossible."
The Xue Mansion has been as quiet as ice these days, without any rumors. Why did they suddenly send the engagement gift so urgently?
Especially since they deliberately chose the day before the Winter Sacrifice Ceremony... Today is obviously not a good day for Naji, and choosing this time is unlucky and unfavorable, neither joyful nor celebratory, and it can be said to be hasty.
Huaizhou said quickly, "Sir, maybe that's not the case. There are quite a few people talking and watching on the street ahead. Do you want me to go and ask around?"
Only then did Zhang Jingxuan realize his momentary loss of composure.
It was this vague feeling of being out of control that made him feel a little irritated.
He pressed the table with a little force, suppressing the emotions in his heart. After a few breaths, he raised his eyes and said calmly to the driver:
"The carriage turned at the intersection ahead."
The carriage could not move when it reached the engagement route, so the driver parked it at a corner where it was neither in the way nor conspicuous.
Zhang Jingxuan leaned against the wall of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and saw the sedan chair bearers carrying the engagement gift procession moving forward, with more and more people on both sides of the road.
It must be said that the Xue family's sudden move to bring the engagement gift caught everyone in the capital off guard, and many people didn't even receive the news. Some people heard the commotion coming from the street and came out to watch the excitement, whispering to each other as the convoy carrying the engagement gift arrived.
"I heard that the Marquis of Qing'an doted on his only daughter so much that he searched through all the poorer sons and found the most outstanding one to be Miss Xue's son-in-law."
"It seems that the Marquis of Qing'an is very fond of this son-in-law and is eager to get him married before the winter sacrifice..."
Zhang Jingxuan looked up. The engagement ceremony convoy had a fixed route and passed by the moat in front.
Guards in front dispersed the crowded crowd and left a path for the sedan bearers. The people on both sides were civilians, and they were afraid of bumping into the marquis's mansion, so they retreated and left space between each other.
Zhang Jingxuan clenched his fist and then twisted his fingertips slightly.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
There was a cry of panic and surprise from the sedan bearer, and the wheel of the leading carriage fell off with a bang. The horse was frightened, neighed and raised its front hooves. The sedan bearer and the groom tried hard to hold the frightened horse, but they had no time to care about the heavy carriage.
In an instant, the carriage overturned and the people around it hurriedly avoided it. The carriage's gifts rolled down, slid down the slope, and fell into the moat with a splash.
This sudden change caused an uproar among the crowd.
The sedan bearer's face looked extremely grim. He gritted his teeth and called out to the people behind him to jump into the freezing cold river to retrieve the gift box.
If they could fish it out, they could deliver it on time, but the gift box contained real gold and silver, and was very heavy. If they couldn't find it, not only would it delay the time, the engagement ceremony would probably have to be cancelled, and they would also be scolded and punished by Marquis Qing'an.
Huaizhou also saw this scene and said in surprise, "Why did the Xue Mansion's gift-giving convoy suddenly flip over? Didn't they check the wheels before leaving? I'm afraid they're going to miss the schedule. Can we still make the reservation?"
After saying this, he suddenly thought of something and turned to look at his master, but he only saw a piece of his finger joint when he lowered the curtain.
Zhang Jingxuan lowered the car curtain, lowered his eyes, and played with the stone he had just picked up on the roadside with a gloomy expression.
The stones are sharp, and if they accidentally poke something, it might cause trouble.
Better to lose it.
He reached out his fingertips from behind the curtain and lightly flicked the stone, which fell onto the weed-covered ground without attracting any attention.
Huaizhou scratched his head and asked uncertainly: "Master, what should we do next..." should we go back home or somewhere else?
Zhang Jingxuan calmed the energy that had just surged in his dantian, and after a while, he said gently:
"The Zhang family is the most prestigious and aristocratic family in the capital, and has always been renowned for its philanthropic work. Today, we encountered common people jumping into the icy river. It's not the Zhang family's style to ignore them. Blow a whistle to summon the Zhang family guards. Tell them to prepare new cotton-padded clothes and serve a bowl of ginger tea to these bearers who have caught the cold when they reach the shore."
Huaizhou was deeply moved and bowed for the sedan chair bearers going down the river:
"The eldest master is truly warm-hearted and kind. I'll take note of this."
Zhang Jingxuan calmly instructed the driver, "Let's go to the Xue residence. Since we've met, we can deliver an engagement gift and celebrate our former friendship."
The driver agreed, rode off, and headed towards Xue's mansion.
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The carriage of the Zhang Mansion was very spacious, and there was always a gift box on the carriage. It contained some impeccable gold, silver, calligraphy and paintings, etc., which were not expensive, but could be used to save face. It was just to prevent emergencies like today's, so that there would be nothing to use.
The carriage arrived under the mulberry tree at the corner of the street outside the Xue Mansion. The driver stopped the car and waited for a while. There was no movement in the carriage. The driver turned around and asked in confusion. Zhang Jingxuan slowly raised his eyes and clenched his finger bones, which turned a little blue.
He calmly instructed, "Pick out a perfect gift box and hand it to the concierge."
Since Huaizhou was not at home, there was no need to trouble Master Zhang to do these trivial matters himself, so the coachman took the job and picked up the gift box and delivered it to the gatehouse.
Servants from other mansions also came with them and came to present gifts.
Who knew that after a stick of incense, the driver took it back as it was and said, "Young Master, the gatekeeper of the Xue Mansion won't accept it."
Zhang Jingxuan's voice was cold: "Why?"
The driver hesitated for a moment and said, "They said... they reported it to the young lady, and she refused to accept it."
Zhang Jingxuan took the gift box and slowly clenched his palm. After a moment, his expression returned to its usual gentle and calm state, but his voice became a little duller.
"The Zhang family only came to deliver a gift, so why were they turned away? Are you sure the concierge informed Miss Xue and not anyone else?"
The driver apologized in panic: "Please forgive me, my dear master, I didn't hear any of this..."
A hint of sarcasm flashed across Zhang Jingxuan's face.
He came here specifically to give a gift, but it was rejected, which made him look like a loser. When had he ever been rejected by the concierge for the second time?
He pressed the gift box firmly with his palm and said calmly, "If you don't want to accept it, then don't accept it. The Zhang family is not so willing to act according to the will of a marquis. Drive back to the mansion."
The driver breathed a sigh of relief, quickly agreed, and drove back home.
The wheels of the carriage rolled over the bluestone road, gradually moving farther and farther away, slowly leaving the Xue Mansion behind. It became smaller and smaller, gradually becoming invisible, and finally shrank into a black dot.
Just like two non-intersecting lines, there is no longer any intersection.
Just like the path he would take in the future, he should also leave everything about her behind.
The carriage turned into Chungui Alley and immediately entered the residence of a group of civil officials in the capital.
Zhang Jingxuan brewed a pot of tea and took a sip. The carriage jolted, causing the strong tea in his hand to slosh out a little, scalding his skin, which was as cold as white jade.
He suddenly clenched the teacup tightly and placed it on the table, making a crisp sound. At the same time, he called to the driver:
"parking."
The driver stopped in confusion and turned around and asked, "Sir?"
Zhang Jingxuan lowered his eyes and gently wiped the red mark on his palm caused by hot tea with a handkerchief. His face was still handsome and gentle, but there was a hint of darkness in his eyes.
He clenched the handkerchief tightly, almost crumpling it into a ball, but his voice was very light and calm when he spoke.
"I suddenly remembered that I have a jade pendant that she hasn't returned yet. It's not right to leave personal belongings on someone else. Please send the carriage back again."
The driver was stunned for a moment: "Sir, what did you say?"
"Can't you hear me?!"
Zhang Jingxuan suppressed the fury that surged in his heart. His gentle expression suddenly turned cold, and he uttered a few words, word by word:
"I said, go back!"
The driver was so frightened that his face turned pale. He nodded repeatedly, turned the carriage around and drove back to Xue's house.
Zhang Jingxuan lowered his eyes, smoothed out the wrinkled towel, and went back to wiping his burned palms.
His overly calm eyes seemed completely unable to detect the struggle and momentary loss of composure that he had just revealed.
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The author has something to say: *The sacrificial process was based on relevant information + the author made it up himself.
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