January 20th.
Today is the first grand court assembly of the first year of Kaiping. According to custom, all officials, relatives and in-laws in Luoyang, regardless of their rank or position, must attend.
As dawn broke, many officials arrived at the square outside the Southern Palace.
Meanwhile, Commodus, the Roman prince who was staying at the inn, got up early and began to put on the clothes required for worshipping the emperor, and practiced the various rituals required for worshiping the emperor over and over again.
At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), all the officials, relatives, and in-laws in Luoyang arrived outside the Southern Palace. The censors of the Censorate solemnly examined the officials' demeanor and arranged their positions.
Half an hour later, the palace gates opened, and the officials entered the palace one by one, heading towards the Deyang Hall.
Along the road from the palace gate to Deyang Hall, eight thousand Imperial Guard soldiers stood guard every five steps, their armor gleaming.
The officials knew that such a grand display today must be related to the Roman mission.
Before long, all the officials gathered in the Deyang Palace, and Liu Hong also wore the twelve-tassel imperial crown, a rare sight for him.
Previously, Liu Hong had found the crown quite heavy and had rarely worn it. But today, he found it surprisingly light.
After discussing the various matters for the year with a group of civil and military officials as usual, Liu Hong turned his head and winked at Zhang Rang beside him.
Zhang Rang understood, and immediately stepped forward, loudly announcing, "Summon the Roman envoy to an audience!"
"Summon the Roman envoy to an audience!!"
Upon hearing Zhang Rang's shout, the guards in front of the hall immediately shouted back.
"Summon the Roman envoy to an audience!!!"
The Imperial Guards, lined up on both sides of the palace road, loudly relayed the emperor's orders, their voices carrying further and further away until they reached outside the palace.
Commodus, who had been waiting outside the palace, immediately straightened his clothes after receiving the summons from inside the palace. He personally carried the Roman letter and gift list, and with his entourage, followed behind an official from the Ministry of Rites, into the palace.
As soon as Kang Maode and his entourage entered the palace, the Imperial Guards soldiers lined up on both sides of the road turned their heads to look at them.
Seeing the tall, well-armored Han soldiers staring at them with sharp eyes, Kang Maode and his group paused, their faces showing a hint of panic, clearly frightened by the sight.
The official from the Ministry of Rites leading the way said with a smile, "Your Highness Commodus, these soldiers are His Majesty's personal guards, the most elite troops of our Great Han. His Majesty specially arranged for them to come here to show his welcome to the Roman delegation."
"I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's favor!!"
Upon learning that the Emperor of the Han Dynasty had actually sent his personal guards to welcome him, Kang Maode was flattered and bowed deeply towards the direction of Deyang Palace.
Just then, Wang Yue, wearing a bright red cloak, strode over and gave Commodus a military salute: "Please, Your Highness Prince Commodus of Rome, inspect my Imperial Guards!"
"Please inspect!!"
As Wang Yue finished speaking, the Imperial Guards soldiers on both sides of the road shouted in unison, clenching their right fists and striking their chests with a loud "bang!"
"this……?"
Upon seeing this, Kang Maode was slightly taken aback, and then looked at the official from the Ministry of Rites with a puzzled expression.
When he was at the inn, no one taught him these things, and he didn't even know what an inspection meant.
The official from the Ministry of Rites smiled and said, "Your Highness Kang Maode, you only need to keep your eyes on our soldiers and walk slowly forward!"
"Okay!"
Upon hearing the explanation from the Ministry of Rites official, Kang Maode nodded, and then, guided by Wang Yue, he looked at the Imperial Guards soldiers and slowly walked forward.
These Imperial Guard soldiers were all dressed in bright red cloaks, and their helmets were adorned with the iconic red pheasant feathers. They were all in high spirits.
In addition, the weather was exceptionally clear today, with bright sunshine shining on the armor of the Imperial Guard soldiers, reflecting a dazzling light.
In Commodus's eyes, these tall, upright Imperial Guard soldiers were incredibly majestic, like the guards of God.
Moreover, Kang Maode sensed an inner confidence and an air of dominance emanating from these Imperial Guard soldiers.
Previously, Kang Maode thought that the 10,000 naval soldiers were the most elite troops of the Han Dynasty, but today he realized that those naval soldiers were still far inferior to these Imperial Guard soldiers.
Commodus was certain that these Imperial Guard soldiers would be invincible in Rome.
"The Emperor's personal guard is indeed extraordinary. It's terrifying that the Han Dynasty has such a powerful army!" Kang Maode thought to himself as he walked.
Before long, Kang Maode and his party finally passed through Deyang Gate and arrived at the square in front of Deyang Hall.
"My goodness, is that the palace where the Emperor of Han Dynasty resides?"
"Gods above, I have never seen a palace of such scale!"
As soon as Kang Maode stepped onto the square in front of Deyang Palace, he heard a series of exclamations of surprise coming from behind him.
Commodus also raised his head, his gaze passing over the long steps in front of him and looking up at the main hall above.
With just one glance, Commodus's mouth dropped open, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
The roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles, which reflect a golden light under the sun. The swallows carved from sandalwood...
Further down, there are hundreds of thick red pillars, a balustrade base carved from white marble, and countless ornate beams and painted rafters.
From a distance, the main hall, situated atop the steps, resembles a palace in the heavens, its golden splendor exuding an air of supreme majesty.
After taking a deep breath, Kang Maode followed the Ministry of Rites official to the steps and then walked up them.
With each step he climbed, Commodus would count in his mind until he reached nine hundred and ninety-nine.
"The Roman delegation is here to pay their respects!!"
At the same time, the guards standing at the entrance of the main hall also shouted in unison.
Hearing the shouts outside the hall, Liu Hong sat up straight and looked towards the entrance of the hall. All the officials also straightened up, held their heads high, and looked straight ahead, displaying the demeanor expected of ministers of the Celestial Empire.
Soon, guided by officials from the Ministry of Rites, Kang Maode and his entourage crossed the high threshold and entered the hall.
Although Commodus had rehearsed the scene of paying homage to the emperor countless times in his mind, he still felt nervous and uneasy after entering the main hall.
As they walked, they never dared to look up at the figure sitting on the dragon throne.
"Your humble servant Kang Maode pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty. May His Majesty live ten thousand years, and may the Great Han Dynasty live ten thousand years!!"
After standing still, Kang Maode immediately shouted in somewhat broken Chinese, and then respectfully bowed to Liu Hong.
"Rise!" Liu Hong's powerful and authoritative voice drifted into Kang Maode's ears, sometimes near, sometimes far.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
