Cypress Boat Floating

The process of praying for the Dragon Boat Festival is complicated and tedious. The Fifth Prince Lu Mingyi, who is in charge of the Ministry of Rites, took nearly a month to arrange it with the officials of the Ministry of Rites. In addition, because the flood control in Nancheng last year was very effective, a dam is being built this year to divert water into the sea. Whether it is for the people of Nancheng or for the successful construction of the dam in Da'an, an additional item has been added to this year's prayers, asking the spirit girl to pray to the heaven for the successful construction of the dam. For this purpose, Nanlin also specially sent an envoy.

When praying, the emperor must bring the empress into the altar to worship. As members of the royal family, the princes and princesses should also worship together. The prime minister, ministers and other officials above the third rank in the court are all important officials and must also go to worship. The rest of the officials worship outside the altar and are not allowed to enter the altar at will.

Lu Ci Qiu changed into court robes early in the morning before dawn and followed everyone to the Circular Mound under the leadership of the emperor.

Circular Mound is located in the southern suburbs of Beijing. It is a three-story circular platform made of white marble. There are railings and steps on all four sides, and two walls around it. To the north is a round hall, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, which is a special palace for storing tablets of gods for offering sacrifices to the heavens. There is a circular wall outside the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and three brick arches on the south side, commonly known as the "Echo Wall".

Lu Mingyi, who arranged this series of prayer and sacrifice activities, brought some people from the Ministry of Rites and the spirit girl to the Circular Mound earlier than everyone else. His purpose was to check again and again to make sure everything was in order in case of any problems, and to see if the backup plan could be implemented smoothly.

After everyone was in place, the Minister of Rites handed the Zhengui to the emperor, who then wore a large fur coat, a robe inside, a crown with twelve tassels hanging from the front and back, and a large Gui inserted into his waist. Holding the Zhengui, the emperor had to stand facing west on the southeast side of the Circular Mound.

At this time, drums and music sounded together to inform the Emperor of Heaven, asking him to come down to enjoy the sacrifice. Then the emperor led the sacrifice to the Emperor of Heaven and slaughtered it. These sacrifices were placed on the pile of firewood along with jade bi, jade gui, silk and other offerings. The emperor lit the pile of firewood and let the smoke rise high into the sky so that the Emperor of Heaven could smell the scent.

Then, amid the music, the spirit girl appeared.

As the messenger of the Emperor of Heaven, the spirit girl had to talk to the Emperor in spiritual language first. On the one hand, the content of the conversation was to inform the Emperor of Heaven that he could descend upon her to enjoy the sacrifice and convey the next arrangements. On the other hand, she hoped that the Emperor of Heaven would be nicer to Da'an after enjoying the sacrifice and let Da'an have good weather and good harvests. Due to Lu Mingyi's special instructions, the spirit girl also instructed that the matter of Nancheng Dam could be completed smoothly.

After the conversation, the Emperor of Heaven possessed the spirit girl. The possessed spirit girl climbed up the Circular Mound and sat on the seat specially prepared for the Emperor of Heaven. In front of her were various ritual vessels for holding sacrificial offerings, such as jade bi, tripod, and gui.

After the spirit girl took her seat, the Minister of Rites first offered her the blood of the sacrifice, and then offered five kinds of wine of different qualities in turn, which was called Wuqi.

After the first two offerings of wine, whole animals, large soups, and stewed soups should be offered.

After the fourth offering of wine, millet and sorghum food were offered.

After the offering, the spirit girl will thank the offerer with three kinds of wine.

After drinking, the spirit girl will perform the Cloud Gate dance, which is said to be a dance performed during the time of Emperor Huangdi.

Finally, the emperor also had to share the wine and liquor used in the sacrifice, and the spirit girl blessed him and others. The emperor also gave the sacrificial meat to his clan members and ministers, and bestowed blessings on others.

The altar blessing ceremony was completed in this way. The ceremony went very smoothly. The emperor was very impressed with Lu Mingyi and gave him a lot of rewards afterwards, but that is a story for later.

After completing the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for blessings, the emperor brought all the officials back to the palace and gave a Dragon Boat Festival banquet in the palace. The Dragon Boat Festival banquet is held every year and is arranged by the queen every year, and this year is no exception.

The spirit girl never appeared in front of the crowd except when offering sacrifices to the heavens and praying for blessings, so when the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heavens was over, she naturally left the altar with the elders and did not stay for long. If others wanted to see her, they would not have the opportunity to do so.

This spirit girl...

Lu Ci Qiu frowned and looked at the spirit girl's back as she left. He was stunned for a long time and didn't know what he was thinking.

"Eighth brother, let's go." When Lu Zhixing was leaving, he saw that he was still staring, so he walked over to him and called him, "What are you looking at? Why are you so engrossed?"

Lu Zhixing's voice brought Lu Ciqiu back to his senses. He shook his head, but his face was full of doubts. Finally, he asked with hesitation: "Second brother, does the spirit girl who comes to pray for blessings change every year?"

"That's not certain. There are only a few spirit girls in Miao Village, and only a few lucky ones chosen by God. How could it be possible that one changes every year? Do you think spirit girls are just picked up randomly on the street?"

That would be strange.

With a lot of questions in his mind, Lu Ci Qiu followed Lu Zhixing to the carriage. He was in the same carriage with Lu Zhixing when he came, and he would naturally leave in the same carriage as Lu Zhixing.

He was already very curious when he saw the spirit girl during the sacrifice to heaven just now. Although he did not deliberately remember it, he remembered that the spirit girl who came to sacrifice to heaven in the previous life had never changed, but this year a different person came. Why is that?

He still remembered that the spirit girl in his previous life met with misfortune when she was returning to the Miao village from Da'an a few years later and died on the spot. She was later replaced by another spirit girl.

But, everything is fine now, and logically it should be the spirit girl who comes, why did she suddenly change someone?

If it was a temporary change of person, Lu Ci Qiu hasn’t done it yet, but it was after he knew that he was reborn, so could the change of person be caused by his previous series of actions?

He was always worried that some of the choices he made would change the fate of others.

When Ye Jianqing learned of his thoughts that night, he comforted him and told him that the butterfly effect was inevitable. The gears of history are always turning. If you change the beginning, the ending will certainly change as well, but everything will eventually return to normal track.

Although he didn't understand what Ye Jianqing was talking about the butterfly effect, he seemed to vaguely know that although he had changed the fate of other people, these changes were not necessarily bad things.

After the Dragon Boat Festival lunch, Lu Ci Qiu was able to escape and return to the palace. Last night, Ye Jianqing still persuaded him to get close to Jiang Wanyin, but he was still worried. He was eager to know how Ye Jianqing was doing.

Back at the palace, everyone was in a happy mood. Ye Jianqing, who was appointed by Lu Ci Qiu as the second in command of the palace, waved his hand and gave the servants a day off, leaving those who had no home to return to in the palace to eat and make rice dumplings together.

She also built a stove with bricks in a corner of her yard, and then placed it on an iron mesh. According to her, it was a pure barbecue grill.

Whether she had something to do or not, she liked to get together with Yuqin, Huaixi and others to have barbecue in her yard, with a bowl of light fruit wine, which was both refreshing and appetizing.

This is Ye Jianqing’s favorite food.

Today she specially called Du Rou to come over, saying that it would be boring for her to eat alone at home, so she called her over to join them in the fun.

Standing at the gate of the palace, Lu Ci Qiu looked at the lively home in front of him, feeling full of satisfaction. He had never thought of such a thing in his previous life.

In her previous life, Ye Jianqing was like a shadow, hiding behind him all the time and coming out only when he was in danger. Although he would occasionally call her out for a quarrel, the Ye Jianqing at that time felt different from the Ye Jianqing now.

At that time, Ye Jianqing was like a sword without temperature. She would stab wherever you told her to, without asking for reasons or justifications.

Now that Ye Jianqing is always by his side, he can truly feel this person. She loves to eat, to join in the fun, and to play, but her heart is filled with a magical justice that they cannot understand.

She would think that women should not just stay at home to take care of their husbands and children.

She thinks girls should also study.

She would think that the girls who were hurt were not at fault, but the person who hurt them was at fault.

She would think of giving all the girls a home.

Her thoughts were not bound to this world.

The sunlight jumped down through the gaps between the leaves and onto her body, and her face was illuminated at that moment.

Lu Ci Qiu looked up at the sky and thought to himself, "The weather is really good this year. It didn't rain during the Dragon Boat Festival."

For example, Lu Ci Qiu’s sentimentality. After Ye Jianqing discovered him, the first thing he wanted to do was to pull him into this environment. She just happened to see the moment Lu Ci Qiu looked up.

At that moment, she suddenly felt that Lu Ci Qiu was so lonely.

He was inexplicably reborn. From the age of eight to sixteen, what on earth did he go through alone during those eight years?

"Lu Ci Qiu." Thinking of this, she spoke. She didn't want Lu Ci Qiu to be so lonely. Since meeting was inevitable, then the two of them would move forward together. At least this way she wouldn't be lonely.

"Come over and eat!"

Lu Ci Qiu's sight shifted from the dazzling sky to the dazzling Ye Jianqing. He heard her calling him, heard her voice. A big smile appeared on his face.

Ye Jianqing always helps him at critical moments.

"I'm coming!"

Smelling the aroma of the barbecue, Lu Ci Qiu, who had not eaten enough at the palace banquet, could not help it. He ran to Ye Jianqing and when she was about to eat, he snatched the barbecue from her hand and put it into his own mouth.

While chewing, he did not forget to provoke Ye Jianqing.

Ye Jianqing was so angry when she lost her food. She decided to teach Lu Ciqiu a lesson, to let him know that you must never snatch food from a foodie!!!

This Dragon Boat Festival was the best one Lu Ci Qiu had ever had.

The Wise King, a title that even Lu Ci Qiu himself felt he could not bear.

Prince Xian’s Mansion, a courtyard where Lu Ci Qiu was terrified even when living there himself.

At this time, there is laughter, the aroma of barbecue, and carefreeness. Everyone, all worries, all plans, and everything seem to be relieved at this moment.

Holding the fruit wine handed over by Ye Jianqing, Lu Ciqiu smiled and toasted her: "I wish you good health and live well."

He said a secret code that only the two of them understood and drank the wine in his hand.

Live well.