Chapter 832: Chapter 498: Thunder on the Mountain Peak and a Sense of Foreboding
Top of the Sacrificial Moon Mountain.
After Meng Zhengjun lightly flicked his sleeves and walked away with a huff.
Zhao Rong, with Gu Yiwu and other Justice Hall students, Xue Chan and eight Crescent Maidens of Li, along with officials from the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of Works, came to this cliff’s edge.
The young Confucian scholar glanced at the back of that Meng Xuezhen.
He really wasn’t looking for trouble, or fearlessly stroking her tiger whiskers; he truly had something to say.
In Meng Zhengjun’s mind, he should already be the next great bane of Mochi Academy after Fan Yushu.
As for his image, well, it seemed he’s known to enjoy a free meal, and now there’s even an additional frivolous and disrespectful trait, which doesn’t seem to matter much.
At this moment, Zhao Rong shook his head and first glared at Gu Yiwu and others from Justice Hall because they looked at him with ever-growing admiration, as if looking at a spiritual leader resisting oppression…
Zhao Rong, quite helpless, glanced at the sun, and directly pointed at his feet:
“Tomorrow, after the young Emperor completes the ceremony at the East Mountain Earth Altar, he will ride a red carriage drawn by white horses, traveling from east to west towards the Sacrificial Moon Mountain, approximately at this hour… At a quarter past eleven in the morning, arriving at the top of the Sacrificial Moon Mountain, he’ll dismount, come to this spot, and we shall change him into a yellow ceremonial robe.”
A quarter past eleven in the morning.
As for the yellow ceremonial robe.
The robe, a crown name, signifies the young Emperor Li Wangque wearing a yellow crown and putting on a black ceremonial robe.
Zhao Rong pointed towards the nearby soon-to-be-completed Heavenly Altar and carefully explained:
“At the Heavenly Altar, sealing the heavens and reporting to the heavens about the emperor’s merits, His Majesty needs to change into ceremonial attire. Great Li adheres to the virtue of water, hence the color black, and the ‘Rites’ state: The Emperor’s crown attire is a black robe. The color black, though primarily black, also contains red, suitable for the Li Dynasty to worship the heavens…”
The young Confucian scholar’s words cited classics and scriptures on rites, adding his personal understanding, and appropriately improving them, reasonable and well-founded.
Everyone listened and agreed, nodding frequently.
In the distance, a strict lady teacher seemingly admiring the scenery glanced at the young Confucian scholar’s tall silhouette at some point.
By the cliff’s edge, Zhao Rong then reiterated the meticulous requirements and rules for constructing the Heavenly Altar, which aren’t much different from the Earth Altar. Gu Yiwu smiled in response, saying they are doing exactly as he previously instructed.
Soon, Zhao Rong slightly relaxed, but what he was to discuss next was the most crucial aspect of this Heavenly Altar ceremony.
And it is also the highlight of this seal ceremony.
That is, to use a method understood by the Heavenly Dao to convey the message, reporting the merits of Great Li to Heaven.
What is the form of this ‘grand ceremony’?
As said earlier beside the Earth Altar, it can’t just be Zhao Rong holding an imperial edict, reading aloud.
Because he is merely reading to the surrounding crowd, who knows if Heaven can hear it.
At this moment, Zhao Rong’s expression became slightly solemn: “Xue Chan, Feng Yi, did you bring along those cultivators I asked you to find earlier?”
Xue Chan twirled a strand of hair on her shoulder and looked at Zhao Rong, nodding:
“As per Zhao Junior Teacher’s instructions sent a few days ago, I immediately sent someone on horseback to several Immortal abodes within the Great Li Territory, bringing nine cultivators who are adept at inscribing on cliff faces. They are now resting at a summer villa halfway up the mountain, awaiting Zhao Junior Teacher’s instructions.”
At this highest and most precipitous cliff edge of Great Li, Zhao Rong stamped his right foot on the ground, pointed downward with his index finger, “Have the cultivators inscribe a merit inscription of two hundred and eight characters on this cliff face, to be completed by four quarters past five in the morning tomorrow.”
Four quarters past five in the morning is six in the morning, with the planned seal ceremony scheduled to start at six quarters past five.
He took a rolled manuscript from his sleeve and handed it to Xue Chan.
Receiving it, she opened it, glanced at the contents, and nodded knowingly, “No problem. If it’s just over two hundred characters, without stopping, it can be inscribed by the third quarter of the night.”
She thought for a moment, then asked: “Zhao Junior Teacher, do you have any requirements for this inscription?”
Zhao Rong exhaled lightly, glanced at the nearby high cliff, and shook his head:
“Just inscribe it in my handwriting, the size and dimensions are marked there, follow it exactly… no typographical errors allowed, and apply gold powder afterward; the more eye-catching and magnificent, the better… This is intended for Heaven to see, hmm, hope that Heaven has eyes…”
He chuckled as he spoke.
Xue Chan nodded and said, “That’s only natural,” then she temporarily departed to arrange the inscription.
“Ziyu, brilliant, using cliff inscriptions as the ‘ritual’ to report the merits to Heaven.”
Gu Yiwu folded his arms, stroked his chin, nodding earnestly.
The surrounding students also concurred unanimously.
“……” Zhao Rong looked at the group of classmates who only knew how to slack off without offering any suggestions, his mouth twitching slightly.
Brilliant, what brilliance, this young master simply couldn’t think of anything else, similar to burying the Jade Silk Book under the Earth Altar, just using this straightforward method, hoping Heaven has eyes to see it…
By the cliffside, this group of people resembled candidates loitering in the hallway bantering before an exam, although at present they shared the same fate.
A burly Confucian scholar, seemingly perceiving his nearby friend’s thoughts, patted his shoulder solemnly, and shook his head:
“Ziyu, we refrained from presenting you misguided ideas to avoid disrupting your judgment, allowing you to maintain rationality and independent thinking.”
His tone was earnest, and the surrounding students quickly nodded. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novｅlfire.net
“Indeed, indeed”, “We trust Ziyu, surely auspicious signs will appear at tomorrow’s grand ceremony”, “I knew Ziyu could do it”…
A chorus of praises ensued.