When the auspicious time came, the imperial carriage set out from Chengtian Gate on time, with the bright yellow flag representing the emperor swaying in the wind at the front and rustling.
The imperial guards, wearing bronze helmets and iron armor, cleared the road in advance, with a guard post every ten steps, blocking the people who came to watch the excitement on both sides of the street.
"Look, the Emperor's dragon chariot is coming!"
With a shout, the people began to boil like boiling water.
From afar, one could see a huge convoy surrounding the dragon chariot in the front moving forward with great momentum. Wherever it passed, the people lining the streets shouted "Long live the dragon chariot" in unison, and the crowds were deafening.
There were also thousands of flag bearers and soldiers accompanying the emperor, guarding the convoy like an iron barrel.
At first glance, all you can see are dense crowds of people, carriages and horses, and a noisy and bustling scene.
Gu Yanfei still rode in Fengyang's red-wheeled carriage. Fengyang was the emperor's aunt, so her status was naturally noble. Her red-wheeled carriage followed closely behind the dragon chariot. Even Prince Zong Lingli's carriage had to be placed behind Fengyang.
The imperial carriage set out from the west gate of the capital and headed westwards to the imperial mausoleum under the escort of the imperial guards.
The Dajing Imperial Mausoleum is located on a plain at the foot of Tianxi Mountain, surrounded by mountains on three sides. A river meanders in front of the mausoleum, which can be said to be surrounded by mountains and water.
This is a Feng Shui treasure land, and it was personally selected by Tiangang Zhenren as the Dajing Emperor's Mausoleum.
When the Holy Chariot arrived at the foot of Tianxi Mountain, the sun had already set.
According to the rituals given by the Ministry of Rites, this sacrifice will take three days. In the afternoon of the first day, the soil-spreading ceremony before the grand sacrifice will be held.
This earth-covering ceremony is like the folk custom of adding soil to repair tombs, which is a way to respect the ancestral spirits.
Without even having time to rest, everyone rushed directly to the imperial mausoleum. The ministers guarding the mausoleum were already on standby.
Most of the officials accompanying the emperor today had to wait outside the Mausoleum Gate and the Longen Gate. Only a few princes and important officials were allowed to follow the emperor into the Mausoleum Gate. They stood on the left and right sides in front of the square city.
Under the joint supervision of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department, the emperor put on yellow cloth protective shoes and personally walked up to the high top of the tomb. The ministers guarding the mausoleum knelt down to add soil, and the emperor personally lifted the arch to spread the soil, adding pure soil to the top of the tomb bit by bit.
The whole ceremony was quite elaborate and it was so quiet that there was almost no human voice within a mile or two. Only the rows of pine and cypress trees planted in the imperial mausoleum swayed in the mountain breeze, making rustling sounds one after another.
The atmosphere is solemn and dignified.
The princes and ministers kneeling below were either looking at the emperor who was adding soil to the top of the pagoda, or looking at Fengyang who was standing in the front, with a bit of scrutiny in their eyes.
After traveling for most of the day, Fengyang, bathed in the sunset, was full of energy. His resolute gaze looked towards the top of the pagoda, as if he was looking at the emperor, and seemed to penetrate the long years...
She is like a sword hidden in its sheath. Although her edge has been hidden, it is impossible to ignore her existence.
She looked exactly the same as she did in the morning at Chengtian Gate, without the slightest sign of illness, which formed a sharp contrast with the several old ministers kneeling beside her, sweating profusely and looking exhausted.
Prime Minister Xiao, who was sitting in the front row of all the ministers, stared at every change in Fengyang's expression, his eyes were deep and indescribable.
He remained in the kneeling position motionless, but his eyes were unpredictable.
Several ministers in the back secretly exchanged glances, some were happy, some were regretful, and some were sighing.
It seems that Princess Fengyang has really recovered from her illness, and it is not as rumored that her death is coming...
Time passed slowly in silence and the sun gradually set.
The ceremony was considered over only after the emperor had covered himself with thirteen loads of soil. The eunuch from the Imperial Household Department then announced the end of the ceremony, and all the ministers respectfully saw the emperor off.
Following behind the emperor were Fengyang and a group of royal relatives, while the officials kneeling on the ground stood up one after another, turned around and bowed in the direction the emperor was leaving.
Next, the officials should have left according to their rank, but Prime Minister Xiao, who was standing at the front, did not move. Naturally, the others did not dare to move either, so their eyes were all focused on Prime Minister Xiao.
The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites who presided over the ceremony coughed dryly and called out in a neither light nor heavy voice: "Prime Minister!"
However, Xiao Shoufu seemed not to hear anything and muttered to himself, "It won't be long."
His voice was very soft, so soft that only he could hear it.
Prime Minister Xiao's eyes became deeper, and past events flashed through his mind. He thought of the incident that happened in the imperial mausoleum twenty-one years ago, and then he thought of what King Kang told him. His mind was in a state of confusion, with a hint of regret.
If Fengyang this time... how great it would be! Xiao Shoufu sighed in his heart, clenched his fist hidden in his sleeve, tried to calm down, and advised himself to be patient... all the thoughts turned into a determination to burn the boats.
He slowly raised his head, without showing any strange expression on his face, and followed the backs of Gu Yanfei and Feng Yang as they left, finally landing on Feng Yang's thin but tall back.
Feng Yang, who was as perceptive as she was, could naturally feel the burning gazes from behind her, but she did not look back or stop. She just walked slowly through the Mausoleum Gate and Long En Gate with Gu Yanfei.
After arriving at the temporary palace from the imperial mausoleum, the tired emperor went towards the Taiji Palace in the center. The others, led by the eunuchs and palace maids, also went to their respective palaces.
"Your Highness, Miss Gu, this way."
Ruosu walked at the front slowly, leading the way for Fengyang and Gu Yanfei.
In the evening of April, the evening breeze brings a hint of coolness.
Gu Yanfei and Fengyang walked forward leisurely, their sleeves and skirts blown up by the wind, their skirts fluttering like butterflies, and even their hair at the temples was messed up by the mountain breeze.
The old and the young were free and easy in their every move, and they looked surprisingly coordinated when standing together.
Fengyang has been to this palace many times. She doesn't like coming here. Every time she comes here, she will think of that night twenty-one years ago when the palace was stained with blood.
But in order to worship Taizu, she had to come every year.
As Feng Yang walked forward, she told Gu Yanfei about the past event twenty-one years ago that was engraved in her memory and would never fade away: "At that time, my father had just passed away and left a will asking me to assist in governing the country. The late emperor was unwilling to accept this and wanted to kill me..."
At that time, she was immersed in grief because of the death of Taizu. The late emperor thought he had an opportunity and secretly mobilized troops, but he did not expect that his actions could not be concealed from the eyes and ears of Fengyang.
At that time, Fengyang still had some sisterly affection for the late emperor, and she was also gambling, hoping that the late emperor had the intention but not the courage to do it and would not go to the last step.
But the late emperor still took action against her, and led his troops to surround the palace, but he was too cowardly to face her in person...
Feng Yang's eyes were stern, and there was a faint sense of wind and thunder, as if he had returned to the night twenty-one years ago.
Gu Yanfei was a good listener and listened quietly to what Feng Yang said.
She couldn't help but feel curious, so she leaned over and whispered to Fengyang, "Your Highness, I heard that when Taizu was in power, he planned to pass the throne to you?"
Fengyang could tell that Gu Yanfei was just purely curious, so he smiled at the little girl and raised his gray eyebrows, without commenting.
Fengyang laughed out loud, his brows softening, as if this was a very interesting question.
She raised her chin, looked up at the sky with a bright sunset glow, and said bluntly: "Of course."
"Who doesn't want this supreme position?!"
"I am just a mortal, not a saint. I have greed and ambition."
Fengyang's words were so straightforward that Ruosu, who was leading the way, was shocked. She suppressed the urge to look back and continued walking forward.
"That's right!" Gu Yanfei agreed and nodded.
If I put myself in her shoes, I think being an empress is quite interesting.
Feng Yang didn't realize that he had said anything outrageous or shocking. His expression was calm, and there seemed to be two clusters of blazing flames burning in his eyes.
Since she was born and could understand things, Taizu personally taught her to read and write, and to practice martial arts to strengthen her body. He told her that women are not inferior to men in any way, and as long as she has enough ability, she can go to the battlefield or stand in the court.
She lived up to Taizu's expectations, and Taizu often said that she was his proudest daughter.
She often heard the military officers and civil officials around Taizu say that it was a pity that Fengyang was not a man, otherwise...
But Taizu never said such a thing.
In the 29th year of the Tianli calendar, when Taizu first proposed to depose the crown prince and make her the crown princess in the court, Fengyang was tempted and thought that she would be a better emperor than the previous emperor, but the ministers opposed it, and the Dajing Dynasty was in crisis at that time, with internal and external troubles...
After a long time, Feng Yang pursed his lips slightly, and the wrinkles between his lips became deeper, as if he exhaled a heavy sigh from the depths of his chest, "Compared to the throne, what I want more is the prosperity of Dajing and the happiness of the people."
As he spoke, Fengyang's eyes showed sadness and nostalgia. He thought about the things when Taizu was alive, and said in a hoarse voice: "This is the country that Dad built with his own hands."
She had a turbulent life.
When she was young, she had witnessed the corruption and chaos of the previous dynasty; when she was young, she fought with Taizu, witnessed the chaotic times, and experienced the ruthless fighting on the battlefield;
When she was young and strong, she watched Taizu gradually make the country, which was originally riddled with problems, prosperous...
She had seen a lot and experienced a lot, and she understood best how difficult it was for Taizu to conquer this vast territory.
People only saw Taizu's wisdom and bravery, and only remembered the romantic and legendary stories of his life, but they did not know that Taizu achieved his achievements with his flesh and blood, and that he had experienced countless life-and-death crises on the battlefield. His body was covered with old wounds, which deeply tortured him in his later years...
But Taizu had no regrets.
Fengyang's whole body was shrouded in an aura of sorrow, her chest heaving violently, and tears blurred her vision.
After walking a little further, she continued, "I once heard my father say that he hopes that the people of this country can have enough food and clothing, that no one will sell their children anymore, that government-run medical offices can be opened in every state and county, that the average life expectancy of the people of Dajing can be over 60, that cement roads can be built between most towns, and that Dajing's ships can cross the vast ocean to another continent..."
Taizu still had many, many ideals that had not been realized. In the last few years of his life, he often said with emotion that if he could be given a few more years, he could do more...
Feng Yang suddenly stopped and turned to look at Gu Yanfei, and their eyes met.
Feng Yang said seriously: "Yan Fei, I want Da Jing to become such a Da Jing."
"Rather than repeating the mistakes of the previous dynasty for the sake of the throne, with constant internal and external troubles, that would be a step backward, not forward."
For the big view.
She can give everything she has for the prosperous world that her father talked about.
Fengyang has always been firm in his belief, and only wavered nine years ago, when Gu Ce died in battle, Nanyue captured Yangzhou, and Chu Yi had to be sent to Nanyue as a hostage. The series of misfortunes put Dajing in danger...
Fortunately, everything did not develop to the point of no return; fortunately, Dajing was able to return to the track that she and Taizu had hoped for.
She believed that with the efforts of the current emperor and Chu Yi, father and son, the Dajing Dynasty would be able to reach a higher level than that of Taizu.
Feng Yang's eyes were extremely resolute, as solid as a rock, and unshakable.
Gu Yanfei gazed deeply at Feng Yang, and was impressed by the firm belief that emanated from her at that moment.
She was stunned for a moment and her eyes widened slightly.
Feng Yang now looked just like her sect's all-around senior sister.
The eldest sister's personality is like this. Her mind is as broad as the vast stars, and she is open to all things, not caring about personal gains and losses.
Gu Yanfei smiled happily, with curved eyebrows and sparkling pupils.
Gu Yanfei held Fengyang's arm affectionately, pressed Fengyang's pulse calmly, continued to walk forward, and said with a smile: "Your Highness, you are so beautiful!"
As pretty as her senior sister! Feng Yang looked at the little girl in confusion, and always felt that this girl suddenly jumped out of the ordinary.
"Your Highness, I will have dinner with you tonight."
Gu Yanfei smiled lewdly and walked towards the southeast of the palace with Fengyang.
The two of them passed through doors, walked through winding corridors, and passed by flower forests... They didn't know how long they walked, but before the sunset completely disappeared, they arrived at Fengyang's palace.
Almost at the moment the door curtain fell, Fengyang stumbled and fell forward.
Gu Yanfei was already holding Fengyang's left arm, and he quickly supported her right shoulder with his other hand. Ruosu, who was following behind the two of them, also reacted quickly and supported Fengyang's right arm.
"Your Highness." Ruosu whispered nervously.
Gu Yanfei and Ruosu quickly helped Fengyang to sit on a chair nearby, letting her lean against a large pillow to rest.
They all knew that Fengyang had been able to hold on until now because Gu Yanfei had been giving her acupuncture all the way in the carriage, which had barely allowed her to gather some energy, and now that energy had finally been released.
The palace maid hurriedly served Fengyang tea, and Gu Yanfei pressed several acupoints on Fengyang's hands and head.
An oppressive atmosphere permeated the palace, like an invisible net binding everyone.
(End of this chapter)