The empress is wild and cool, and I'll help her secure her throne

The nineteenth day of the winter month in the Jiachen year.

It is advisable to clean and offer sacrifices, and do not do anything else.

To put it simply, the Qianqiu Festival is to make the emperor's birthday a national holiday.

Every year during the Qianqiu Festival, the two gates of the imperial city and the capital city would be closed, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

During the day, the common people had to stay at home, while the empress and all the civil and military officials would worship their ancestors together at the Tianshui Altar.

At night, a grand banquet and music and dance performances would be held outside the imperial city. The emperor would accept gifts from all officials and have fun with civil and military officials and the people.

At this moment, Ye Qianxuan was kneeling outside the Tianshui Altar with many civil and military officials, waiting for the arrival of the empress.

He was originally just a corpse tailor, and was only qualified to kneel here because he was favored by the empress, so he was at the very end.

To put it simply, Tianshuitan is a sacrificial altar built next to a small lake, right next to the Imperial Garden.

A winding corridor was built on the lake, connecting to the white marble altar in the center of the lake. There was a pavilion on the platform with a plaque on it with four large gold-plated characters written on it - Jianji Suiyou!

However, this lake is not an ordinary lake. Legend has it that it has a fascinating history that is related to the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This lake is called Qilin Lake, and there lives a Qilin mythical beast in the lake!

At that time, the founding emperor of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty successfully launched an army and divided the world into three parts with Northern Liang and Southern Wu, thanks to the help of this divine beast Qilin!

Just when the founding emperor was preparing to use the power of Qilin to sweep across the world and unify China, the demon race prospered!

The emperors of the Three Kingdoms put aside their ambitions and stopped fighting each other. All the gods and mythical beasts on earth came out, claiming to be the Jiazi Demon Slayer!

Sixty years later, the Sword Energy Great Wall was built under the leadership of a powerful man, and the demon race was isolated from the land of China.

The Qilin then returned to the lake and rested for hundreds of years.

Therefore, every time the Eastern Zhou Dynasty offered sacrifices to their ancestors, it was here to express respect and remembrance for the founding emperor!

Ye Qianxuan was skeptical about this legend.

Because since ancient times, founding emperors have liked to make up mythological stories to gild their own reputations.

At this time, although the sky was bright, the cold wind was still howling.

Ye Qianxuan was kneeling without any problem, but Duan Zhenggang, the Nine Gates Admiral who was three meters away, was shivering with cold!

Although the Nine Gates Admiral had a high official rank, he needed to maintain public order in the capital as soon as the sacrifice was over, so he knelt at the end, just to keep Ye Qianxuan company.

"Master Ye, why aren't you cold?"

Duan Zhenggang was puzzled. Wasn't Ye Qianxuan the same as himself, also in the Transformation Realm?!

It shouldn't be to the point where one can use Qi to keep out the cold!

Ye Qianxuan opened his cloth clothes: "I'm wearing a down jacket."

"What is a down jacket?" Duan Zhenggang looked confused.

"This is a new product I invented. You won't feel cold when you wear it." Ye Qianxuan didn't explain much.

He indeed did not promote this down jacket.

The main reason was that the breeding industry was not developed in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and there were not so many geese and ducks.

Duan Zhenggang immediately showed an envious look: "Master Ye, after the Qianqiu Festival is over, please make one for me too!"

The relationship between the two progressed rapidly, and Duan Zhenggang felt comfortable enough to make demands on Ye Qianxuan.

"Easy to say, easy to say!"

Ye Qianxuan did not refuse.

"By the way, have you prepared a gift for His Majesty tonight?" Duan Zhenggang asked casually. "This gift will touch His Majesty's heart and fulfill one of his wishes!"

Ye Qianxuan nodded: "Of course! Are you ready?"

Duan Zhenggang suddenly showed a bitter expression:

"I'm prepared, but I'm afraid it's no use!"

"I still haven't found any clues about the murder of General Fan Yangqi!"

"I only know that Fan Yangqi was framed by Li Youming, the embroidered envoy of Southern Wu. This matter may also be related to the Third Princess and the Grand Chamberlain, but I have never been able to find any evidence, let alone uncover any greater conspiracy behind it. The Empress is very dissatisfied with me!"

Ye Qianxuan shook his head: "It's not your fault."

It is very difficult to investigate cases involving the royal family!

"After the Qianqiu Festival is over, I'll study it with you!"

"Okay!" Duan Zhenggang's eyes lit up. He urgently needed the help of this genius in solving crimes!

With Ye Qianxuan's joining, the case will definitely make rapid progress!

Unconsciously, Duan Zhenggang had already regarded Ye Qianxuan as his backbone!

At this moment, the deep and powerful sound of bells and drums came, echoing in everyone's ears, and a sense of solemnity surged!

The two of them immediately fell silent and looked serious!

Amid the music specially used for sacrificial ceremonies by the Ministry of Rites, a huge group of people came towards the Tianshui Altar!

There were no horses, no carriages, and everyone walked.

The team participating in the ancestor worship was basically composed of royal family members, as well as figures such as the Left Prime Minister and the Grand Chamberlain who stood at the pinnacle of power in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

An Luoyu, who was in the lead, was wearing a bright red phoenix robe, her black hair was tied up with a golden hairpin, and her pretty face was full of coldness and arrogance!

She was ranked first on the list of the most beautiful women in China, and she was in her prime, coupled with the majesty of an emperor, which really made Ye Qianxuan moved!

On both sides of her back were the empress’ brothers and sisters.

The next ones to take care of the matter were the Left Prime Minister and the Grand Chamberlain.

Ye Qianxuan discovered something very interesting.

The Ninth Princess, this quirky and naive foodie, actually stood between the Left Prime Minister and the Grand Chamberlain, facing the Empress standing at the front, making the team form a rectangle.

The two short sides are composed of sisters An Luoyu and An Luowei.

Seeing the Grand Chamberlain and the Third Princess standing on the same side, Ye Qianxuan knew that there was indeed a reason for this stance.

This also proves that, except for the little Ninth Princess, the others are not on the same page with the Empress!

To the sound of music, the sacrificial team arrived at Tianshui Altar.

Kong Zhongzhi, the Minister of Rites and Minister of Taichang Temple, began to order his ministers to get busy.

The gods were invited and the troops lined up to prepare for the empress's subsequent ancestor worship.

When everything was ready, Kong Zhongzhi said loudly: "The spirits have been appeased, and we are now ready to welcome Your Majesty."

The sacrificial team kneels down at the same time.

All civil and military officials bowed their heads and kowtowed.

Ye Qianxuan was lying on the ground, watching with great interest. Suddenly, a strange feeling arose in his heart, and the curse of the demon corpse on his neck began to sting!

Something is wrong!

I just absorbed spiritual energy two days ago, so the tingling in my neck should last at least until next week!

Moreover, this strange feeling seems to come from...

He raised his head, subconsciously straightened his body, and looked towards the Qilin Lake!

Ye Qianxuan always felt that Qilin Lake was eerie, and it seemed to be the reason for the tingling in his neck.

"Kneel down! Don't look up!" Duan Zhenggang frowned and warned, "You've made quite a few enemies. Be careful not to be caught and reported for disrespect!"

"Hmm." Ye Qianxuan lowered his head, but suddenly he heard a strange sound coming from the lake in the sacrificial music!

The voice said intermittently: "...will...save...me..."

Ye Qianxuan was stunned for a moment and listened carefully, but the sound disappeared, and at the same time, the tingling in his neck also disappeared.

"Admiral Duan, did you hear any strange noises coming from the lake?" Ye Qianxuan looked at Duan Zhenggang not far away.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Duan Zhenggang whispered, "You're just deafened by the sacrificial music! Qilin Lake is the holy land of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the place where the founding emperor was blessed. What kind of strange noises can come from it? Don't talk nonsense."

"There are so many people here, including minions from the civil servants and eunuchs. Your sworn enemy, Xia Ruoxi, is also kneeling not far ahead. If you move around and talk nonsense, they will catch you and report you for disrespect. The Sub-Sage won't be able to save you this time!"

Ye Qianxuan fell silent immediately.

However, along with the stabbing pain in his neck, the strange voice came again, and this time he heard it very clearly:

"General Liu, save me, save me..."

The voice was shrill and suppressed, extremely creepy, like an evil ghost whispering in your ear!