Chapter 667: Ambition (1)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Before long, the Emperor’s dragon carriage also appeared at Chengtian Gate. Thunderous shouts sounded near the palace door again.

When the auspicious time came, the Emperor’s carriage set off from the Chengtian Gate on time. The bright yellow flag representing the Son of Heaven swayed with the wind at the front and fluttered.

The royal guards in bronze helmets and iron armor had long cleared the path ahead of time. They stood guard every ten steps, blocking the commoners who had come to watch the commotion on both sides of the street.

“Look, His Majesty’s dragon carriage is here!”

With a shout, the commoners boiled like boiling water.

From afar, they could see a huge convoy escorting the dragon carriage at the front forward with illustrious voices. Wherever they passed, the commoners in the path cheered for long live, and there was a commotion.

Accompanied by 2,000 Imperial Guards, they protected the surroundings of the convoy like an iron bucket.

At a glance, what entered their eyes were dense heads and carriages. It was noisy.

Gu Yanfei was still sitting in Feng Yang’s vermillion carriage. Feng Yang was the Emperor’s aunt, so her status was naturally honorable. Her vermillion carriage followed closely behind the dragon carriage, and even the carriage of the Prince of the First Rank had to be ranked behind her.

The Emperor’s carriage set off from the west gate of the capital and headed west under the escort of the royal guards to the imperial mausoleum.

The imperial mausoleum was located on a plain at the foot of Tianxi Mountain. It was surrounded by three mountains, and a river snaked past in front of the mausoleum. It could be said to be beside mountains and rivers.

This was a treasure land with fengshui. Back then, it was personally chosen by Spiritual Master Celestial Rectifier Spiritual Master as the imperial mausoleum.

When the Holy Emperor arrived at the foot of Tianxi Mountain, the sun was already setting in the west.

According to the ritual given by the Ministry of Rites, this sacrifice needed three days. On the first afternoon, the soil-laying ceremony before the grand ceremony was held.

This soil-laying ceremony was like the custom of the common people to nurture soil and repair graves. It was a form of respect for their ancestors.

Everyone didn’t even have time to rest before rushing to the imperial mausoleum. The tomb guardian minister was already on standby.

Today, most of the officials accompanying him had to wait outside the mausoleum door and the Long’en Gate. Only a small number of princes and important ministers were allowed to follow the emperor into the mausoleum door. They lined up on the left and right in front, on either side of the square.

Under the joint auspices of the Ministry of Rites and the Ceremony Directorate, the Emperor put on yellow cloth protective shoes and personally walked to the high treasure roof. The guardian minister of the mausoleum knelt down and buried himself in the ground. The Emperor personally raised and applied the soil, adding pure land bit by bit to the treasure roof.

The entire ceremony was rather complicated. It was so quiet that there was no sound at all in a radius of one to two miles. Only the rows of pine trees planted in the imperial mausoleum swayed in the mountain wind, and rustling sounds rose and fell.

The atmosphere was solemn.

The kneeling princes and ministers below either looked at the Emperor, who was adding soil to the treasure roof, or at Feng Yang, who was standing at the front, with some judgment in their eyes.

After rushing for most of the day, Feng Yang, who was bathed in the setting sun, was in high spirits. His determined gaze looked in the direction of the treasure roof, as if he was looking at the Emperor, or as if it penetrated the long years…

She was like a sword hidden in a sheath. She had clearly restrained her sharpness, but it was impossible to ignore her existence.

She looked no different from when she was at the Chengtian Gate in the morning. She didn’t look sick at all, forming a sharp contrast to the few old officials beside her who were kneeling with sweat all over their faces.

Xiao Shoufu, who was at the front of the officials, stared deeply at every change in Feng Yang’s expression, his eyes dark and indescribable.

He maintained his kneeling posture without moving, but the expression in his eyes was unpredictable.

The few ministers behind secretly exchanged looks. Some were happy, some were regretful, and some sighed.

It looked like the Eldest Princess Feng Yang had really recovered from her illness. It wasn’t the legendary end of her lifespan…

Time slowly passed in the silence, and the sun gradually set in the west.

After the Emperor applied a total of 13 loads of soil, the ceremony ended. Then, the eunuch from the Ceremony Directorate announced the completion of the ceremony. The ministers sent the Emperor away respectfully in unison.

Following behind the Emperor was Feng Yang and a group of royal relatives. The officials kneeling on the ground got up one after another and turned around to bow in the direction the Emperor left.

Next, it should be the officials who left according to their level, but Xiao Shoufu, who was standing at the front of the officials, didn’t move. The others naturally didn’t dare move either, so their gazes gathered on Xiao Shoufu.

The Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was presiding over the ceremony, coughed dryly and called out neither softly nor heavily.

“Shoufu!”

However, Xiao Shoufu suddenly didn’t hear him and muttered to himself, “There’s not much time left.”

His voice was very soft, so soft that only he could hear it..