The bell in the Golden Summit Temple on the Three Saint Mountains tolled for the third time. It was exactly a quarter past noon, the time set by the calendar for the ceremony.
The northern yin energy thrived, and the purple star descended. All things were about to change. It was time to conduct the sacrifice in the ancestral temple.
The courtiers and royal relatives stood in the Mountain and River Hall. Led by Xia Chuli, the royal relatives were on the left, and the noble courtiers were on the right. Facing the dragon throne in the main hall, they all bowed their heads, quietly waiting for the supreme being of Li Xia.
The bell tolled for the fourth time. The Mountain and River Hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Although everyone was filled with doubts, no one dared to utter a word.
Shen Qingfeng stood three feet behind Xia Chuli. This position was quite forward. Logically, with his status, he wasn't supposed to stand here. However, according to the Li Xia's ancestral law: "Those who receive the heavenly sacrifice shall have one or two officiants, standing at the front, praying here."
Although since the founding of Li Xia, the "two" had only been used during the sacrifice in the founding year. After that, there had always been only one officiant. Now, Shen Qingfeng was that "two". Although it was different from usual, since the ancestral law stated so, no one could say anything.
Shen Qingfeng tilted his head slightly. As expected, the seat of Queen Qi on the side of the royal family was empty. He then turned his head back and continued to lower it.
He wanted to see where Lu Yan was standing. But although Lu Yan was considered a royal relative, he also held the title of Marquis of Dingbei. He was standing at the back of the royal relatives, out of Shen Qingfeng's sight.
Finally, the bell tolled for the fifth time.
At the door, Chen Qi finally trotted in, bowing. He walked on the red carpet and stopped in front of everyone. Then he screeched in a high - pitched voice, "Announcement: King Jie enters the seat!"
Everyone knelt down and shouted, "Long live the king! Long live! Long live!"
After that, King Jie of Xia arrived late. He was wearing the sacrificial robe of the black bird and a crown with jade beads. An imposing aura emanated from him. But to everyone's surprise, the elegantly dressed Qi Yan was following obliquely behind him on the left. It was supposed to be the king's seat, but now there was a king and a queen. It was truly absurd.
Shen Qingfeng knelt on the ground. Due to his special position, King Jie of Xia noticed him at a glance. Seeing him standing beside Xia Chuli, the king sneered and waved his sleeve as he walked onto the golden dais.
"All ministers may rise," King Jie of Xia said in a voice full of authority as he took his seat.
Everyone stood up. As soon as Shen Qingfeng looked up, he saw that Queen Qi walked naturally to the side of the dragon throne and calmly accepted the bowing of everyone to King Jie of Xia.
It was really sad. King Jie of Xia had never shown any cruelty to Qi Yan. She had bewitched the king completely. But in the previous life, when he and Xia Chuli forced the king to abdicate, she had easily revealed the king's hiding place.
Shen Qingfeng still remembered the look in that woman's eyes at that time, fanatical and selfish. She had long forgotten the king's affection for her. She thought she could plead with Xia Chuli for her life. But after she finished speaking, Xia Chuli had directly stabbed his sword into her heart.
Chen Qi walked to the steps again and read in his harsh and shrill voice,
"The divine black bird descends, giving birth to Li Xia. Its land is vast. The ancient emperor commanded Xing Tian to rule the four directions.
He appointed the king, who then ruled over the land. The previous kings of Li Xia received the mandate and never slackened. They were victorious everywhere.
Ten chariots with dragon flags carried the great sacrifice. The capital was a thousand miles wide, where the people lived. It expanded to the four seas.
The people from the four seas came to pay tribute, in great numbers. The land was surrounded by rivers. Yin received the mandate appropriately and enjoyed all blessings."
After he finished reading, King Jie took the lead. The diviners in the Temple of Divination blew the sacrificial horn, and everyone knelt down.
The bell on the Three Saint Mountains tolled for the sixth time. Due to the delay, King Jie ordered everyone to go directly to the Golden Summit Temple on the Three Saint Mountains.
A grand procession set off from the Bian Palace. The sacrificial musicians played continuously, and the imperial guards lined up on both sides. On the Wutong Long Street, the common people bowed their heads to the emperor's carriage. Xia Chuli walked at the very front of the procession, followed closely by Shen Qingfeng. Then came the royal ancestral temple and the golden carriage. Finally, there were the courtiers and the noble families.
The road from Lige City to the Three Saint Mountains was not very far. As soon as they left Lige City, they could see half of the huge golden statue of Xing Tian in the Golden Summit Temple. An hour later, when they reached the foot of the Three Saint Mountains, they could only see the head of the statue when looking up.
Everyone continued to move forward. Xia Chuli was wearing the sacrificial robe and holding the scepter. The robe was a bit long for him, so Shen Qingfeng bent down and held the hem in his hand. He followed behind Xia Chuli as they wound their way up the mountain without stopping. They arrived at the temple at the hour of Wei.
The Golden Summit Temple was extremely large. The abbot at the door was said to be over a hundred years old. The disciples stood on both sides to welcome the emperor into the temple. As soon as they entered, they could see a ten - zhang - high golden statue of Xing Tian. The statue was extremely vivid. The eyes on its nipples showed a murderous aura, and the mouth on its navel showed fangs. As the saying goes, "Xing Tian wields his shield and battle - axe. His brave will remains forever." This was the root and soul of Li Xia.
After that, the Temple of Divination got busy. Shen Yu, the chief official of the Temple of Divination, led the people there to arrange everyone's positions and invited King Jie of Xia and Queen Qi onto the high platform.
Everything began to proceed according to the procedure that had been rehearsed countless times before.
Xia Chuli walked onto the sacrificial platform, and everyone knelt down below.
The chief official of the Temple of Divination shook the sacrificial bell, and the bells and drums for the sacrifice rang loudly.
The abbot of the Golden Summit Temple walked right in front of Xia Chuli. He twirled the Buddhist beads between his four fingers, put his palms together, and chanted solemnly, "The sage kings' system of sacrifices stipulates that those who have bestowed laws on the people should be sacrificed to, those who have died in the service of the people should be sacrificed to, those who have established the country through hard work should be sacrificed to, those who can defend against great disasters should be sacrificed to, and those who can ward off great troubles should be sacrificed to."
The sacrificial music sounded again. Xia Chuli started to dance in response, mumbling, "O great sky above, shining upon the earth below. Gather the spirits of the earth and bring down sweet rain. Let all things find their proper places, all living beings, old and new. I pay homage to the blessing of Xing Tian on this vast land. Receive the divine power from the sky and bring down sweet rain. Let all plants and things thrive. May it be peaceful and serene. I pay homage to the spirits of the earth below. On the auspicious day of a certain month and year, the light shines on the upper and lower worlds. Diligently bestow upon the four directions and create a harmonious atmosphere. Pay homage to the immortal Li Xia and rectify the people below to enjoy boundless blessings!"
The ancient emperors were able to listen to the people from their high positions. Only by being true could they rule the four directions.
Now, although King Jie ruled the world, the court was corrupt, and the eunuchs were in power. Yet he dared to write such a boastful prayer. Shen Qingfeng really didn't know how he could feel at ease.
A hint of mockery flashed in Shen Qingfeng's eyes, but he didn't dare to slack off in his heart. So far, there had been no problems with the sacrifice. But for some reason, the uneasiness in his heart didn't decrease at all. Instead, it became stronger. Shen Qingfeng looked up slightly and saw that on the platform, Xia Chuli had already danced ten circles. A thin layer of sweat had appeared on his forehead. He looked serious and determined.
After three more circles of dancing, the sacrifice would be completed. Shen Qingfeng gritted his teeth secretly and looked around, but he didn't see anything amiss.
As the sacrifice was coming to an end, the sacrificial bell and music became extremely loud. Everyone in the Golden Summit Temple bowed their heads and murmured silently.
After Xia Chuli finished the last circle of dancing, Shen Qingfeng finally felt relieved. He straightened his body, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and looked at the out - of - breath Xia Chuli on the platform. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Unexpectedly, suddenly, a strange smell filled the air. Everyone was shocked and looked up. They saw a thick cloud of smoke suddenly billow out from behind the ten - zhang - high golden statue of Xing Tian. Shen Qingfeng's pupils shrank sharply. He knew something was wrong and quickly turned his head to shout that there was a fire.
But it was too late. The flames suddenly shot up and burned along the statue at an astonishing speed. In less than a moment, the entire statue was engulfed in flames.
Everyone screamed and fled. Screams, doubts, and curses filled the air. But Shen Qingfeng seemed to be rooted to the ground. He looked at the Xing Tian statue that had instantly turned into a sea of fire in disbelief. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.