Chương 489: On the Eve of the Coronation

The ladies then stood up, still feeling unsatisfied, and walked back to their palaces, yawning.

As Zhang Ning left, she grabbed a cooled roasted sweet potato, saying, "Don't waste it."

Xiao Qiao had fallen asleep with her head on Da Qiao's shoulder, but was later woken up.

Cai Yan was the last to leave, turning back to look at Liu Ce: "Husband, you should rest early too."

Liu Ce nodded: "Okay, I'll sit for a while longer."

After everyone had left, Liu Ce looked at the densely packed names on the wall and then at the pale sky outside the window, his heart filled with emotion.

Nine years of fighting, countless lives and deaths shared.

Those who have followed him all the way, and those who have always been by his side, are his most precious treasures in this life.

Three days later, he will ascend the supreme throne and lead them to create an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity.

...

Three days later, on the first day of the first month of 193 AD.

Midnight, Luoyang, the Imperial Palace.

Inside the Zhangde Hall, the candlelight cast Liu Ce's shadow long and thin on the mottled wall.

The wind howled outside the hall, occasionally whipping up a few snowflakes that pattered against the windowpane.

He stood by the window with his hands behind his back. Outside, the night was pitch black, with only the torches in the distance, like a fiery dragon, winding and moving through the darkness.

He wore a plain white nightgown. According to etiquette, one must fast and bathe on the eve of the coronation and cannot wear colored clothes.

A night breeze blew by, the candlelight flickered, and his shadow swayed along with it.

I heard soft footsteps behind me.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Xun Yu stood side by side, the hem of their black court robes brushing against the blue brick floor, making a soft rustling sound.

They had been fasting for seven days, their faces were completely dry, and even their beards were neatly trimmed. Only the bloodshot eyes betrayed their exhaustion from the past few days.

Fasting means that for seven days you can only eat vegetarian food, not meat, not drink alcohol, and not have sex with women.

Fang Xuanling secretly complained to Du Ruhui, "For the past seven days, I've been so hungry that my eyes have turned green at the sight of flesh."

Du Ruhui replied, "Me too. Last night I dreamt of a roast chicken that chased me for three blocks."

"Your Majesty," Fang Xuanling spoke first, his voice low but each word clear.

"The Grand Master of Ceremonies personally inspected the altar. Every bluestone slab of the Circular Mound Altar was washed three times with clean water, the spirit tablets were brushed with tung oil, the jade tablets were carved from the finest white jade from Lantian, and the Grand Master of Sacrifices proofread the prayer text seven times against the 'Rites of Zhou,' and not a single word was wrong..."

He paused, then took a roll of paper from his sleeve and presented it with both hands:

"This is the celestial record just sent by the Grand Astrologer. At 1: 15 AM, a purple aura will appear in the southeast, reaching the Purple Palace Enclosure, which is an omen of the true dragon appearing in the world. All officials will gather outside the altar at 4: 00 AM, and the Tiger Guards and Feathered Forest Guards will have already changed shifts three times. Within a radius of ten miles, not even a single bird can fly in."

Liu Ce didn't answer, and continued to look out the window.

On the southern plains, the torches in the direction of the altar formed a fiery dragon, standing out conspicuously in the pitch-black night.

There, the three-story Circular Mound Altar, like a lurking beast, has been waiting for far too long.

"Let's go." Liu Ce turned around, his voice as calm as still water.

"Everything that needs to be prepared is ready, and what's meant to come will come."

...

At dawn, a thin mist enveloped the fields around Qianqiu Pavilion like a light veil.

The altar for worshipping Heaven gradually revealed its outline in the morning light.

The three-tiered Circular Mound Altar is built of bluestone, with nine steps on each tier, symbolizing the nine heavens.

In the center of the altar stands the tablet of the Supreme God of Heaven, made of nanmu wood and painted with vermilion lacquer. On it are written large golden characters, with vigorous and powerful strokes, written by Cai Yong himself.

Before the altar was an incense table, upon which were placed ritual objects such as jade discs, scepters, and jade tablets, which gleamed with a warm luster in the morning light.

To the southeast of the altar was a ten-foot-high altar for burning offerings, piled high with dried pine and cypress wood, emitting a faint fragrance.

After the sacrificial ceremony concludes, the prayer texts and jade and silk offerings will be burned here, with the smoke rising straight into the sky, symbolizing that Heaven has listened to our prayers.

Tiger-like Imperial Guards, each wielding a long halberd, stood on either side of the altar.

They were all brave warriors selected from the entire army, all over eight feet tall, dressed in black armor, with no expression on their faces, like statues.

A young guard, nervous, trembled slightly, and his halberd accidentally bumped into the armor of his companion next to him, making a crisp sound.

"What are you doing!" the captain hissed, glaring at him fiercely.

The young guard's face turned pale instantly. He quickly stood up straight, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

His hands trembled even more violently, and the halberd almost slipped from his grasp.

This scene was witnessed by Liu Ce, who happened to be walking over.

He stopped, waved to the captain, then walked up to the young guard and reached out to straighten his crooked helmet.

"Is this your first time attending such a big ceremony?" Liu Ce asked with a smile, his voice gentle.

The young guard was stunned, his mouth agape, unable to speak. After a long while, he finally reacted, kneeling down with a thud and saying, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

"Get up." Liu Ce helped him up and patted his shoulder.

"Don't be nervous. Just stand guard and protect the altar. That's a great achievement. After the ceremony, I'll reward you with a pot of wine and a pound of meat."

The young guard was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and he shouted, "Thank you, Your Majesty! This humble general will certainly stand guard well!"

Liu Ce smiled and turned to walk towards the changing tent.

...

At the second quarter of the hour of Yin (3: 45 AM), before dawn, the Circular Mound Altar in the southern suburbs of Luoyang was already brightly lit.

The torches illuminated the entire altar as if it were daytime, and the flickering flames reflected on the bluestone slabs.

The banners fluttered in the night wind all around, and the five-clawed golden dragons on the banners bared their fangs and seemed about to take off.

"All officials, take your positions!"

The voice of the usher broke the silence, echoing across the empty altar.

Civil and military officials entered in single file, according to their rank.

Civil officials stood in the east and military officials in the west, standing neatly south of the altar, facing north.

Everyone was dressed in brand-new court robes, with neat headdresses and belts, and jade pendants hanging from their waists, making a tinkling sound as they walked.

The group of several hundred people didn't make a sound, only the rustling of clothes and the crisp sound of jade pendants colliding.

"Your Majesty, please come in!"

The bugle call suddenly rang out, deep and resonant, echoing through the night sky and carrying far, far away.

Immediately afterwards, the chime bells and stone chimes rang out together, playing solemn and elegant music.

The Eastern Han Dynasty's Circular Mound Altar was a three-tiered circular structure, nine feet high and fifty-four feet in diameter, symbolizing the roundness of heaven and the squareness of earth, and the supreme status of the emperor.

Thirty thousand elite soldiers were divided into twelve formations, holding halberds and standing in a circle, stretching from the foot of the altar all the way to Pingcheng Gate. Their armor gleamed coldly in the torchlight, and not even a cough could be heard.

The 30, 000-strong column stood in perfect order, as if measured with a ruler.

The twelve yellow dragon flags on the top of the altar fluttered in the wind, with five-clawed golden dragons baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, as if they were about to take off from the flags at any moment. This was a unique flag system for the emperor.

Liu Ce was dressed in a black upper garment and a red lower garment, with the black upper garment symbolizing the sky and the red lower garment symbolizing the earth.