Emperor Wu of Liang pursed his lips, slowly let out a sigh, and looked solemnly at the ancestral tablets on the sacrificial table.
He first had to bow three times to the ancestral tablets to express his respect and remembrance for his ancestors.
Then, Emperor Wu of Liang held the jade sceptre in his hand and bowed three times to the ancestral tablets to show his respect for his ancestors.
Then, Emperor Wu of Liang put down the jade sceptre, picked up the wine pot, poured the wine into the wine glass, and then placed the wine glass on the altar.
After completing all this successfully, Emperor Wu of Liang felt slightly relieved.
He was terrified with every step he took, fearing that strange forces would appear again and restrict his movements.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly and there were no more accidents.
Emperor Wu of Liang tilted his head slightly and his eyes fell on the three incense sticks placed on the left side of the altar.
Next, he should light incense and candles to express his piety and respect for his ancestors. The smooth burning of incense and candles not only symbolizes his remembrance of his ancestors, but also represents his blessings and expectations for his ancestors.
For some reason, when he looked at the three incense sticks, he felt inexplicably nervous.
What kind of accident could happen when lighting incense? The incense has been checked, the candle is not extinguished, and it is burning well.
Emperor Wu of Liang glanced at the burning candle flame, and finally his eyes fell on the three incense sticks again.
Ma Ximing stared blankly at Emperor Wu of Liang who was performing the ancestor worship ceremony step by step on the altar, thinking frantically in his heart how to escape this disaster.
The sacrifice was already in progress, and he dared not stop it at this time.
It was he who calculated the date and supervised the construction of the altar. Now he says that the ancestors are not satisfied. That is just slapping himself in the face and thinking that he has lived too long.
Hey~
When Ma Ximing saw Emperor Wu of Liang go to get three incense sticks, he closed his eyes heartbrokenly, sighed heavily in his heart, and could not bear to look at Emperor Wu of Liang.
Even though the ancestor worship is so grand, if our ancestors are not satisfied, it means that something is not done well.
The ancestors' instructions were to have Emperor Wu of Liang go to the royal cemetery to pay homage in person.
But now is a turbulent time, and Emperor Wu of Liang's image has been damaged, so I'm afraid he will not be willing to go to the royal cemetery.
The mood of the civil and military officials was not as heavy as Ma Ximing. After suppressing their smiles, they looked up and watched Emperor Wu of Liang performing the ancestor worship ceremony.
Emperor Wu of Liang took a deep breath and picked up three incense sticks with trembling fingers.
Then, he held his breath and placed the three incense sticks towards the candle flame, not daring to breathe for fear of blowing out the candle flame.
Following Emperor Wu of Liang's movements, the ministers' gazes were all focused on the candles.
Normally, the incense will smoke after being placed on the candle and burning for a while, but today, no smoke came out after being lit for a long time.
Emperor Wu of Liang frowned as he stared at the incense sticks that had been blackened by the candlelight but had not yet burned. His anger suddenly flared up.
If it weren't for the ancestral tablets in front of him suppressing him, he would have immediately dragged the Imperial Observatory out and chopped off its head.
The civil and military officials were also dumbfounded. They looked at each other, their eyes full of fear and worry.
The incense can't even be lit. Is this because the ancestor is dissatisfied with Emperor Wu of Liang?
When Ma Ximing saw that the situation was almost the same as he had expected, he immediately lost all hope.
His body went limp and he couldn't stop sweating all over. In just a moment, his whole body was soaked as if it had been doused with water.
Emperor Wu of Liang watched as the incense took a long time to light, a hint of anger rising in his gloomy eyes, and glanced at Ma Ximing who was lying on the ground at the foot of the stairs.
"emperor...."
Yu Huaqian walked up from the side stage with a hunched back and handed three new incense sticks to Emperor Wu of Liang.
When he saw that the incense could not be lit, he immediately went to get new incense. After following Emperor Wu of Liang for so long, if he did not have this kind of foresight, his head would have moved several times long ago.
Emperor Wu of Liang withdrew his cold gaze and glanced at Yu Huaqian indifferently.
He handed the blackened incense in his hand to Yu Huaqian and took the new incense from him.
Emperor Wu of Liang slowly let out a breath, tensed his nerves, and once again held the three incense sticks to the candle flame and lit them.
At this moment, everyone held their breath, staring at the three incense sticks, praying silently in their hearts that no more accidents would happen.
Unfortunately, whatever you fear will surely come true.
Emperor Wu of Liang watched helplessly as the three incense sticks in his hand were roasted black again, but there was still no sign of smoke.
Yu Huaqian swallowed, took out three more incense sticks with trembling hands, and handed them to Emperor Wu of Liang hesitantly.
It's been so dry for so long that everything feels dry to the touch. How come the fragrance has become damp after two consecutive times?
Besides, he could clearly feel that the fragrance was not moist at all, but rather dry and burnt.
If looks could kill, Emperor Wu of Liang would have chopped these useless ministers to pieces long ago.
Emperor Wu of Liang looked at the three incense sticks in Yu Huaqian's hand, and a murderous look flashed in his eyes.
He calmly took the three incense sticks from Yu Huaqian's hand and placed them directly on the candle flame to light them without any hesitation.
When he saw that the three incense sticks were still not lit, Emperor Wu of Liang raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth.
When people are speechless, they will smile unconsciously.
Seeing Emperor Wu of Liang's evil smile, the dumbfounded civil and military officials felt their hearts pounding and swallowed in fear.
Their eyes quickly glanced at Ma Ximing.
Seeing Ma Ximing limp like a puddle of mud, their eyes were filled with sympathy.
Working at the Imperial Observatory is a really difficult job. You always have to be careful.
Emperor Wu of Liang turned his head and looked straight at the ancestral tablet.
He really couldn't figure out why his ancestors were dissatisfied with him.
Could it be that the ancestors were furious because the imperial seal was stolen?
He has sent people to look for it, and every night he secretly hides in his bedroom to carve a new imperial seal.
He was so familiar with the Imperial Seal that he could even draw it with his eyes closed.
It was just that the national treasury, private treasury, and even the entire capital were robbed, and he couldn't find the right materials, which delayed it until now.
Can’t our ancestors understand his difficulties?
There is no such thing as three times the limit. He has already tried to light the incense three times but failed, so he can't do it the fourth time.
If he fails to order the fourth time, rumors will spread that he is extremely unfilial.
Wouldn't everyone then have a reason to attack him? This is absolutely unacceptable.
"Your Majesty, I just calculated that our ancestors have changed their schedule, so today's ancestral worship should be canceled..."
Ma Ximing shouted loudly, risking his life.
Whether he sticks his head out or hides it, he will be cut. He might as well give it a try.
Emperor Wu of Liang was now in a difficult situation and absolutely dared not light the incense for the fourth time.
He had to find a way for Emperor Wu of Liang to save face.
This can be considered as a way for him to survive. It depends on whether he can convince Emperor Wu of Liang later.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
