Zhu Wuhuan looked at the solemn and majestic huge mausoleum dozens of meters away behind the Panlong Pillar.
What you can see from here is naturally the joint tomb of the founding emperor Feng Nanyu and the queen Ying Tianjiao. Above the round tomb, there is a large sphere that is big enough for one person to hug. From a distance, it seems that the sphere is carved with beautiful patterns of dragons and phoenixes.
Maybe it shows how beautiful the relationship between Feng Nanyu and Ying Tianjiao is.
Zhu Wuhuan and Feng Changye looked at the mausoleum at the same time. After a few seconds, they looked at each other.
Feng Changye nodded slightly.
He signaled to the ministers behind him, "Get dressed and follow me inside."
Outside the coiled dragon pillar is where the imperial guards who guard the mausoleum gather. To actually worship, one has to pass through the coiled dragon pillar and reach the altar at the front of the mausoleum.
"Your Majesty, do we want to go in too?"
The ministers looked at Feng Changye in astonishment.
They are outsiders, and even if they come, they should stand outside the Panlong Pillar. Only the descendants of the Feng family can go to the altar and get close to the mausoleum.
Feng Changye said nonchalantly, "Of course I have to go in. After this year, I will be 24 years old. Time flies by so fast. Maybe in 20 or 30 years, I will be dead. So my mausoleum must be prepared in advance."
As soon as he said this, all the ministers knelt down in panic.
He turned to look at the ministers and continued, "Follow me inside. If you have any good suggestions for the construction of my mausoleum, please feel free to bring them forward. If they satisfy me and allow me to sleep comfortably underground, I will reward you handsomely."
The ministers raised their heads and looked at the emperor cautiously.
Seeing that the emperor was talking to them about the construction of the mausoleum with a relaxed look on his face and had no taboo about talking about death, and the queen was smiling and didn't care, they felt relieved.
The emperor and empress are open-minded about life and death, so they should naturally listen to the emperor's instructions and think carefully about how to build a mausoleum for the emperor.
"Your Highness, I will obey your will."
So under the leadership of Feng Changye, all the civil and military officials followed him and Zhu Wuhuan through the Panlong Pillar and walked towards the altar far away.
Along the way from the Panlong Pillar to the altar, there is a kneeling bronze statue every ten feet on both sides. The bronze statue holds the lampstand high in both hands, and the lamp on it is filled with pine oil.
When it was almost dark, the mourners would come and light each lamp.
There is no night in the royal mausoleum.
Even at night, it will be as bright as day due to thousands of lights.
Although it is not dark today, the people keeping vigil have already lit the lamps in advance because the emperor is coming to worship the ancestors. Hundreds of people are kneeling under the altar to welcome the emperor.
Feng Changye and Zhu Wuhuan soon stood under the altar.
When the mourners shouted "Long live the deceased" three times, the couple looked at the nine steps quietly, then held each other's hands tightly and walked up the steps step by step.
Soon, they arrived at the altar.
The mourners had already prepared the incense table and incense bundles. The two of them lit the incense themselves and knelt down at the same time to worship their ancestors.
Civil and military officials also knelt down together.
Then, the Minister of Rites came out, unfolded a long sacrificial text, and began to chant.
The language is extremely gorgeous, and the whole article is praising the virtues of the current emperor Feng Changye, recording the great achievements he has made so far, announcing the good news to the ancestors on behalf of Feng Changye, and submitting a book of merit that will satisfy the ancestors.
After half an hour of praising the merits, the eulogy was finished.
Feng Changye and Zhu Wuhuan stood up.
Civil and military officials also stood up.
Feng Changye walked down from the altar and looked at the old man with white hair and a jade crown among the people keeping vigil.
This is the current patriarch of the Soul Keeper clan, Ying Yi.
His ancestor was the person who kept the body of the deceased emperor personally appointed by the founding emperor Feng Nanyu.
The funeral keepers have been developing here from generation to generation, and now a village has been formed at the foot of Xishan Mountain.
"Chief Ying, I would like to take the civil and military officials for a walk through the tomb complex. Please lead the way."
Feng Changye signaled all the people guarding the body to stand up, and then spoke.
As soon as Patriarch Ying Yi stood up, he heard Feng Changye say this. He looked at Feng Changye in shock!
Take a walk?
What kind of place is the emperor's mausoleum? Is it fun to walk around?
He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! The tombs behind this altar contain the six emperors and empresses from the founding emperor onwards. They are your father, your great-grandfather, your great-grandmother, and so on... You cannot bring hundreds of people with you and disturb the souls of the dead! Otherwise, the ancestors will be angry and punish you, Your Majesty!"
Feng Changye nodded, his face solemn. "Don't worry, Chief Ying, I will ask them to step softly and not speak. No one dares to disturb the spirits of our ancestors."
“…” Patriarch Ying stared at Feng Changye in a daze, his expression almost breaking.
He was almost choked to death by this lousy emperor who pretended to be ignorant even though he knew the truth!
Is that what he meant?
Did he think that the heavy footsteps and loud voices of so many people would disturb the souls?
He doesn't let outsiders in, as it would offend the ancestors!
He took a deep breath and bowed again to apologize.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my audacity. I dare not allow you to bring outsiders to offend our ancestors. Guarding the mausoleum is my duty, a heavy responsibility entrusted to my family by the founding emperor. I dare not let you go!"
After he finished speaking, he stood up, grabbed the lapels on both sides of his clothes and tore them open with force!
The next moment, he revealed the silver armor underneath.
There is a black five-clawed dragon pattern engraved on the iron armor. It is the iron armor given by the founding emperor to the patriarch who is guarding the body. For the descendants of the Feng family, seeing the iron armor is like seeing the founding emperor himself!
With the iron armor here, no one can enter the mausoleum without permission!
Feng Changye took a look at the iron armor, silently lifted his robe and knelt down.
"Feng Changye, the seventh emperor of Daning, pays homage to the ancestors."
He knelt down, and Zhu Wuhuan and the civil and military ministers naturally knelt down as well.
After politely saluting, Feng Changye immediately helped his queen stand up, and then looked at Patriarch Ying Yi calmly.
He said seriously, "Chief, it's not that I mean to embarrass you, but I'm already 24 years old at the beginning of the year. I'm already halfway through my life, and it's time to prepare my mausoleum. I want to take the civil and military officials to the back to see which location would be most suitable for digging my mausoleum—"
Ying Yi looked at Feng Changye in surprise.
He quickly said, "So the Emperor wants to choose the location of his mausoleum!"
He smiled and said, "Then Your Majesty, you don't have to choose it yourself, because the founding emperor has already determined the location of the mausoleum for his descendants. You only need to build the mausoleum according to the location he determined."
Feng Changye and Zhu Wuhuan looked at each other subtly when they heard this.
Hundreds of years ago, an old man actually decided the location of his mausoleum for his descendants and required everyone to be buried according to his wishes?
this……
Why does it sound a bit strange?
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