Above the source of Tao

The two of them came to the street and walked around aimlessly. They saw that the people in the city had become different. Their faces were filled with happy smiles, which was very festive, as if they were attending a year-end sacrifice.

Mortals will choose a sunny day at the end of the year to offer sacrifices and prayers to their ancestors to celebrate the year's harvest and to ensure that the ancestors will bless the next year's harvest and the family's health and safety.

Ancestors are all those above the father's father who are called "ancestors". The king of the dynasty would also choose a day at the end of the year to offer sacrifices to their ancestors in order to bless the dynasty with good weather, peace and prosperity. The emperor had to offer sacrifices to the nine ancestral temples, that is, eight generations above the grandfather's father, as well as the emperor's ancestor, that is, the king who founded the dynasty.

Take out some of what you have gained in the year and place them on the ancestral altar, then place the ancestral tablet in front of the altar and offer three cups of tea. After that, some auspicious words will be said. After that, you will offer wine to the ancestors and pour three cups of wine on the ancestral tablet. Any wine will be fine. The rich will choose some high-quality wine, while those who have no money will choose some cheap wine. Among them, osmanthus wine is the most chosen wine in Chuwang City.

At this point, a simple sacrifice is completed. Of course, those wealthy people will invite some Taoist priests to exorcise evil spirits and eliminate harm for them to report their safety.

"Is it time for them to offer sacrifices? Why are they so happy?"

"Impossible. The sacrifice in Chuwang City will be held in the middle of the year. Now is only the beginning of the year."

The two were very puzzled. Since it was not the beginning of the sacrifice, why were all the people on the street smiling? So they caught a passerby and asked him. The man told them that a few days ago, a Taoist priest came to the royal city to sell elixirs. At first, he only sold them in Xidoufang. Later, people who bought from him felt that the elixir was very useful. Even people who had been bedridden for years were instantly cured after taking the elixir, and their appearance became younger.

Later, the fame of this elixir grew, and many people in the city went to Xidoufang to buy the elixir, but it was hard to get one. Originally, one elixir cost twenty taels, but as more and more people bought it, the price soared, until it reached a point where it cost one thousand taels.

Later, several Taoists came, claiming to be disciples of the Taoist from Xidoufang. They were ordered by the Taoist master to sell the elixir in large quantities after seeing its miraculous properties. There should be no one in the city who is without the elixir by now.

After the man finished speaking, he left in a hurry, saying that he had just bought the elixir and wanted to send it home for his wife to use.

Before Yun Chang'an and the other man had the chance to ask where to buy it, the passerby left.

At this moment, a carriage drove over from the distance. The carriage looked very familiar. Soon, the carriage stopped next to Yun Changan. From the side window of the carriage, a young woman stretched out her slender hand and lifted the side curtain. Yun Changan and Chu Xiaoxiao recognized the woman in the carriage at a glance. It was Han Lan, who was rescued in the Ebony Forest that day.

"Two heroes, I finally found you."

So, Han Lan in the carriage wanted to get off.

When Chu Xiaoxiao saw that the person coming was Han Lan, she wanted to turn around and leave, but Yun Changan stopped her.

"Senior Sister Chu, this Han Lan is from the Chu Dynasty. If you want to rescue your mother, this Miss Han Lan may be a good opportunity."

Yun Chang'an leaned over and whispered in Chu Xiaoxiao's ear.

After listening to his words, Chu Xiaoxiao felt that there was some truth in them. Perhaps she could enter the dynasty through Han Lan and see her mother. This would be much safer and easier than sneaking into the dynasty herself.

It will also avoid unnecessary trouble.

When Han Lan came down, he said to them, "I have been looking for you two in this city for many days, and I thought you two had already left this Chuwang City."

Unexpectedly, just when Han Lan was about to give up, she ran into the two of them on the street.

"My two benefactors, I had to conceal my identity at the beginning. I had no choice. Please don't blame me."

Miss Han Lan turned sideways, clasped her hands together, and respectfully apologized to Yun Changan and Chu Xiaoxiao.

"Miss Hanlan, there's no need to be so polite. We have long since let go of what happened that day. It was us who were rude and offended your two brothers."

After Yun Chang'an and Han Lan apologized to each other, they let the matter go.

Afterwards, Han Lan tried her best to invite the two of them to dinner, and the two of them did not refuse and followed Han Lan to Zuixianlou.

The Zuixian Tower is indeed much more magnificent than what others describe. Standing in the middle of Chuwang City, it is dozens of stories high and reaches into the sky. It is a classical architecture with a square cabinet, carved dragons and painted phoenixes. The main door is also very magnificent. The two doors are carved with hollows in the middle and there is a golden ring on the door, which is used to knock the wooden wedge on the door to remind the arrival of guests.

Following Han Lan, we entered Zuixian Tower. The center of the building was open with a platform, which seemed to be the place where the performing girls performed. There were tables and chairs around the platform for diners to eat, and it was also the best place to appreciate the gracefulness of the performing girls.

Upstairs are rooms, each of which is very spacious, with carved beams and painted rafters, making it look extremely luxurious.

Led by the waiter, they came to a room on the seventh floor. Han Lan ordered dozens of dishes and a pot of Drunken Immortal Wine to entertain Yun Changan and Chu Xiaoxiao.

"Miss Hanlan spent a lot of money."

"As an apology, this is nothing."

After taking their seats, Yun Changan expressed his gratitude again, and Han Lan also shook his head modestly.

Soon, the food was served, and Chu Xiaoxiao asked Han Lan, "I wonder if Your Highness the Ninth Prince has heard of the popular elixir in the city recently."

Han Lan was stunned for a moment, then thought, "This is what Miss Xiaoxiao is talking about." He took out a jade bottle from his arms.

"This bottle should contain the elixir you mentioned."

Yun Chang'an looked at the jade bottle and was suddenly shocked. This jade bottle was exactly the same as the ones in his hands, with no difference at all.

Looking at Chu Xiaoxiao, he also showed an expression of disbelief, but the two of them immediately returned to normal.

"Can you show it to me? We are also curious about what the elixir that people outside are rushing to buy looks like."

"If you want to see them, just take them. I have a few more here."

After taking the jade bottle, Yun Changan poured out the pills in the bottle and placed them on the palm of his hand.

Sure enough, it was exactly the same pill that Shopkeeper Sun had given.

The two looked at each other and knew that this matter was not that simple.

"May I ask if Miss Han Lan also bought this elixir from that market?"

"No, this is something my fifth brother gave me. He said it can calm the mind and concentrate the qi, and it also has the effect of nourishing and replenishing qi."

His fifth brother had been feeling uneasy since returning to the royal city after learning about the last attack in the Ebony Forest, so he gave Han Lan these pills.