Prince of Chaos

Chapter 153
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The following text:
The spring is cold and cold, and it is covered with silver.

Once again, the entire Beijing city was covered with continuous heavy snow that lasted from winter to spring.

There are lights and festoons everywhere in Beijing, and firecrackers continue.The joy of the New Year has once again come to this ancient land.

Wanli’s 22-year journey has finally arrived as scheduled.

Zhu Changluo is also one year older in this new year.

Emperor Wanli was also a little richer.

Now the wheelchair he is sitting in has been replaced with a brand new one, and the old one can no longer sit in it.

There was laughter and laughter in the Palace of Compassion and Ning, and concubines from all the palaces came to congratulate Empress Dowager Li on the new year.

Empress Dowager Li is also dressed in auspicious clothes, wearing a noble and graceful phoenix crown, sitting on the main seat in the Cining Palace with a smile on her face, accepting everyone's auspicious blessings.

Empress Dowager Li asked Emperor Wanli beside her, "Why hasn't Chang Luo arrived yet?"

Empress Dowager Li had been waiting for a long time, and she had never seen Zhu Changluo come to pay her respects, so she asked about Emperor Wanli who was beside her.

Emperor Wanli said: "Mother, Chang Luo is now the crown prince, and it is inconvenient for me to embarrass myself in front of my ancestors with my current body. Therefore, this year's sacrifice to Tianjiao, I will order Chang Luo to replace me."

After listening to Emperor Wanli's words, Empress Dowager Li gave Emperor Wanli a reproachful look, and then said, "Chang Luo is so old, you are so cruel to ask him to worship in the suburbs of heaven on such a cold day! Anyway, what should I do?"

When Emperor Wanli heard Queen Mother Li scolding him like this, Emperor Wanli said aggrievedly: "My mother, when my son ascended the throne at the age of nine, didn't he also go to worship Tianjiao every year? I have never seen my mother feel sorry for her son."

Hearing Emperor Wanli's complaints, Empress Dowager Li said: "Are you the same as Chang Luoneng? He is the prince, and you are the emperor. It is your responsibility to worship the heaven and the suburbs. Are you still looking for a reason?"

Emperor Wanli said with a smile: "How can this be considered a reason? Shouldn't a son share his father's worries? Letting him go to worship in the suburbs is also a training for him!"

At this time, Zhu Changluo, who was kowtowing at the Temple of Heaven, had a red nose from the cold. He couldn't wear thick furs, so he could only wear the crown prince's court clothes and crown. May God bless the coming year with good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people.

In fact, the ancient rituals of offering sacrifices to heaven were quite complicated.Kowtow alone is no less than the number of times when Zhu Changluo was canonized as the prince.

The first item of the ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven is to welcome the gods. First, the ritual officials will light fireworks in the burnt wood stove. The rising fireworks express the emperor's respect for heaven.

After welcoming the gods, Zhu Changluo will, under the guidance of the ceremonial officer, kneel and worship in front of the throne card of the Haotian God, and then offer incense and kowtow in front of the throne of the ancestors of the past.

In fact, these two kowtows are not the end, this is just the beginning.

After kowtowing to the position of the ancestors, you have to go back to the worship seat in the main hall, and then kneel three times and bow nine times to the gods.

After finishing the work, lay jade and silk.That is to offer jade and silk to the gods and ancestors.These jade and silk usually write one's own achievements in the past year or expectations for the coming year, hoping that the gods and ancestors in the sky can see their achievements and requests.Of course, what is written here is not Zhu Changluo's credit and wishes, but what is written is Emperor Wanli's.

Before saluting, Tai Changqing guided Zhu Changluo to wash his hands, and then went to the god's throne to perform the third incense ceremony. The deacon will present the jade and silk to Zhu Changluo at this time.Zhu Changluo held the jade and silk, and went to the God and ancestor tablets to pay respects, bowed and paid homage, and then returned to pay respects.

The third step is: Jinzu.After the internal praise was promoted to the altar, Zhu Changluo, accompanied by the driver, went to the main seat and cooperated with the Jinzu. After the Jinzu was completed, Zhu Changluo returned to his original seat.

Next, make an offering at the beginning of the line.Zhu Changluo first went to the lord washing seat to receive the lord, wash the lord, remove the lord, and enter the lord, and then ascended to the altar to the wine hall, where the lord officer presented the lord to Zhu Changluo, and Zhu Changluo knelt down in front of the lord to worship and offer the lord, and offered three incense sticks At the same time, Si Zhu knelt down to read the Zhu text, and the ritual and music were temporarily suspended. After Si Zhu finished reading, the ritual and music resumed.

After the first offering, the second offering and the final offering, the procedure is basically the same as that of the first offering, except that the Zhu Wen is not read out.

After the final offering, Zhu Changluo has nothing to do.From now on, only the real emperor can do the following procedures, and no matter what the status of the substitute priest, he cannot drink blessings or receive ceremonies for the emperor.

To drink blessing is to drink a glass of blessing wine, and to receive a gift is to accept a piece of pork belly.

The ceremony of drinking blessings and accepting auspiciousness is actually not simple. First, the officials of Guanglu Temple will perform the ritual of drinking blessing wine and receiving auspiciousness.After the emperor had to kowtow and salute again, Bai Xing returned to the throne before the work was over.

But now that this province is gone, Zhu Changluo is not yet qualified to enjoy the blessings bestowed by heaven on the Son of Heaven.

Therefore, the program of offering sacrifices to the heavens skipped to the last step here.

This is the last step of sending God off.

The official who read the wish held the wish, the official who entered the silk held the silk, and the officer who held the sacrificial ceremony held the script, and then respectfully sent a piece to the furnace for burning.At the same time, under the guidance of the ceremonial officer, Zhu Changluo went to watch the burnt sacrifices at the Wang Liao seat. After the internal praise was played, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven officially ended.

"Why did the ancients like to do things so much? Is it useful to worship the heavens? I also have sacrifices every year in the winter. It really freezes me to death."

While watching the raging fire in the burner, Zhu Changluo slandered the matter of offering sacrifices to heaven.

Although, he didn't like it very much.

However, he had to do this, because the political significance of him offering sacrifices to heaven in place of the emperor was too great!

Therefore, when Emperor Wanli ordered him to worship on behalf of Tianjiao, Zhu Changluo played with three words and three concessions before agreeing to come. Otherwise, he seemed too active and it was not good after all.

After finishing the sacrifice to heaven, Zhu Changluo hurriedly put on a warm mink fur coat, wishing to shrink his head and rub his hands immediately.

However, it is not possible now, because now he has to accept a wave of worship from the accompanying officials who worship the heavens.

Zhu Changluo tried his best to show his own smile, then stretched out his hand and quickly went forward to help the Secretary of Taichang Temple and other officials.

Zhu Changluo said: "Everyone has worked hard, I am here to thank everyone on behalf of my father."

The Minister of Taichang Temple and all the courtiers hurriedly bowed to Zhu Changluo: "Your Highness, the crown prince, is serious. These are the duties that ministers and others should perform."

After Zhu Changluo said a few more high-sounding and obedient words, and after these officials complimented Zhu Changluo repeatedly, the activity of worshiping the heavens was completely over.

At this time, Zhu Changluo quickly got into his small heating car, and then nestled comfortably in the brocade couch on the carriage with a bronze small heating stove of auspicious beast Xiangyun.

"It's no wonder that so many emperors don't want to offer sacrifices to heaven and suburbs. This work is really hard. The ghostly weather in Beijing is really overwhelming. It seems that I will be the emperor in the future, and I don't think so. I will come to the Temple of Heaven to offer sacrifices to heaven. It is really unbearable!"

Zhu Changluo complained in his heart while tucking the blanket around him tightly.

And his guard of honor of the crown prince began to slowly move towards the Forbidden City.After arriving in the Forbidden City, Zhu Changluo had to kowtow to Empress Dowager Li again, and then go to Qianqing Palace, Kunning Palace, and Jingyang Palace.
This is how the first day of the Lunar New Year in the 22nd year of Wanli was completed in this way.

(End of this chapter)