The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

On the fifth day of the fifth month, in the twenty-fourth year of the reign of Emperor Dingding.

At 3:45 AM, the sky was still a deep, dark blue, with a few scattered stars. The area around the buildings was already awakened by the urgent but not panicked sound of watchmen's clappers.

Soldiers, their armor clattering softly, knocked on doors one by one, their voices flat and emotionless: "By imperial decree, all those attending the ceremony are to immediately prepare and proceed to Tianhuan Square. Those who are late will be punished."

There was no explanation, no discussion, only an unquestionable order.

Li Shimin, who was lying down fully clothed, immediately got up upon hearing the noise. Li Chengqian, Li Jiancheng, and others were also awakened and quickly woke their families. Inside the residence, there was a suppressed rustling sound. The children's cries were quickly covered up, the women hurriedly combed their hair, and the men exchanged surprised and uncertain glances with solemn expressions.

They were like chess pieces manipulated by an invisible hand, in the heart of this divine capital, without even the right to know where their next move would be.

The Li clan members were driven out of the building and joined the silent flow of people emerging from other buildings. Li Shimin saw more familiar and unfamiliar faces: representatives of the various branches of the five surnames and seven clans, as well as other families that had either married into the Li Tang dynasty or were once prominent in the previous dynasty but are now also fading away.

Everyone was dressed in plain or slightly worn clothes, shivering slightly in the crisp pre-dawn air. No one spoke, only heavy footsteps and suppressed breathing could be heard as they marched towards the unknown "Tianhuan Square" under the silent "escort" of the soldiers.

After passing through several still-sleeping, quiet streets and alleys, the view suddenly opened up ahead.

Li Shimin gasped.

Before him lay a vast space, entirely planned by human hands, unlike anything he had ever imagined in his life.

The ground was paved with massive, neatly cut blue stones, perfectly fitted together, flat as a mirror, stretching endlessly into the distance until it disappeared into the deepest darkness before dawn, as if directly connecting with the sky. The square was large enough to easily accommodate the entire imperial city of Chang'an with room to spare. Hundreds of thousands? Perhaps even a million could be comfortably arranged!
At this moment, the giant bowl-shaped square was already packed with people. However, this sea of ​​people was by no means chaotic. By the light of the "wind lamps" hanging from the tall poles at the edge of the square, emitting a steady white light, it could be seen that the crowd was strictly divided into countless neat square formations. Between the square formations, there were wide, straight passages, like the lines on a chessboard.

Each formation seemed to be led by a low-ranking official or soldier. Everyone—scholars, farmers, artisans, men, women, young and old—and even some groups that were clearly foreign envoys or merchants, stood solemnly in their designated positions. Despite the enormous number of people, apart from the inevitable rustling of clothes and a very low, indistinct "buzzing" noise, there was hardly any commotion. A sense of silent oppression was palpable.

The Li family and other prominent families were led to a slightly elevated viewing platform on the west side of the square. This viewing platform was made of cement and had a stepped shape. The location was quite good, and one could clearly see the straight and wide "sacred way" in the center of the square that led to the majestic palace in the distance, as well as the giant sacrificial tower at the end of the sacred way, which appeared even more towering and imposing in the gradually brightening sky.

The sky changed from dark blue to a crab-green hue, and the east began to lighten with the first light of dawn. The number of people in the square seemed to be increasing, but the order remained perfectly maintained, with only the low, buzzing sound growing slightly louder.

Li Shimin strained his eyes, trying to glean something from the hundreds of thousands of faces. There were solemn elders, excited youths, serene women cradling sleeping children, and merchants with gleaming eyes… a complex mix, but what he lacked was the general resentment and exhaustion he had anticipated from those forced to rise early and gather here. Instead, there was a profound solemnity, imbued with the grandeur of the ceremony, and… a subtle, indescribable anticipation of what was to come.

"when--!"

A deafening bell rang out without warning, as if it had fallen from the heavens or surged from the depths of the earth, instantly silencing all other sounds in the square!

The bell's tolling was powerful, deep, and long, sweeping across the entire square with a strange penetrating force, touching the hearts of everyone present. In that instant, all whispers, coughs, the rustling of clothes, and even breaths seemed to freeze for a moment.

Silence fell.

True, absolute silence descended upon this vast space that held hundreds of thousands of people. Only the lingering echo of the first chime still reverberated in the air, cleansing away all distracting thoughts.

Li Shimin felt his heart leap with the sound of the bell, his blood seemingly freezing for a moment. Beside him, Li Chengqian's mouth gaped slightly, while Li Jiancheng's eyes were tightly shut, his body trembling almost imperceptibly. Not only them, but all the members of the aristocratic families on the viewing platform, and even some of those at the front of the ranks in the square below, all showed varying degrees of shock.

"when--!"

The second chime followed immediately, even clearer and more resonant than the first.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned towards the end of the sacred path, towards the majestic palace.

The palace gates burst open with a roar the moment the first golden rays of dawn pierced through the clouds.

First came two rows of black-armored guards, their steps perfectly synchronized, their armor clanging like a moving steel wall, silently jogging along both sides of the sacred path, standing facing each other every ten zhang, forming a long and majestic ceremonial procession.

Immediately afterwards, flags appeared like a forest. Flags depicting the sun, moon, and stars; flags depicting mountains, rivers, and the nation; flags depicting the four divine beasts; and many other banners with strange patterns that Li Shimin did not recognize, fluttered in the morning breeze, with sharp spear tips gleaming coldly at the top of the flagpoles.

Two long processions, each composed of civil and military officials, members of the imperial family, and representatives of nobles, surged forth from the palace gates. The civil officials wore purple robes and jade belts, while the military officials were clad in gleaming armor; all wore solemn expressions and moved with measured steps. The formations were equally orderly, clearly the result of countless rehearsals.

Surrounded by the civil and military ranks, six white steeds, pure white, exceptionally fine, and far larger than ordinary warhorses, pulled a strangely shaped giant chariot made entirely of some kind of dark metal and crystalline jade, slowly ascending the sacred path.

The carriage was not overly ornate, its lines flowing smoothly yet powerfully, its top resembling a flowing cloud, gleaming with a restrained yet noble luster in the morning light. The only person standing atop the carriage was Hua Di Yi Huawei.

Although they were still far away, Li Shimin's eyesight allowed him to make out their features clearly. They were exactly the same as those fleeting glimpses he had seen on the walls of Luoyang twenty-four years ago!

He still possessed that same majestic and elegant bearing, his handsome and extraordinary face seemingly frozen in time. However, his overall demeanor had become even more unfathomable, as deep as an abyss and as imposing as a mountain. He did not wear an elaborate crown, but only a simple purple-gold hair ornament to tie up his long, jet-black hair. He wore a black sacrificial robe with gold patterns, the style of which was also simple, yet it exuded an imperial majesty that commanded the eight wastelands and governed the heavens and the earth.

Yi Huawei stood with his hands behind his back at the front of the carriage, his gaze calmly sweeping over the endless square and sea of ​​people ahead. Wherever his gaze fell, a tangible pressure seemed to pass by.

Following the imperial carriage, five smaller phoenix palanquins each carried a stunningly beautiful woman. Some were dignified and graceful, others aloof and ethereal, some naturally alluring, others spirited and heroic, and still others mysterious and enigmatic—all possessed beauty rarely found in this world.

"Long live your Majesty! Long live! Long live!"

Starting from some unknown formation, like a wildfire ignited, a deafening roar of "Long live the Emperor!" suddenly erupted, instantly engulfing the entire Tianhuan Square!

Hundreds of thousands of people shouted in unison, their voices forming a mighty torrent that soared into the sky, making Li Shimin's eardrums ring and the ground beneath his feet seem to tremble slightly. The fervor, awe, and heartfelt support contained in that sound were so real and intense. Everyone was shouting with all their might, their faces flushed with excitement, their arms waving involuntarily.

Amidst this terrifying uproar, Li Shimin keenly noticed that the vast majority of the Han Chinese citizens in the square, with their black hair and eyes, regardless of social status (scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants), stood upright, hands clasped, and chanted in unison, yet not a single one knelt! Meanwhile, those foreigners with deep-set eyes and high noses in specific formations—envoys and merchants from Persia, Arabia, India, the Western Regions, and even more distant countries—were as if struck by an invisible wave, prostrating themselves on the ground, foreheads touching the earth, performing a profound prostration, their posture devout and even humble. The difference between Han and barbarians was starkly revealed in this act of kneeling and standing.

He even saw several elderly noblemen on the viewing platform, perhaps out of decades of habit, or perhaps because the scene was too awe-inspiring, their legs buckled and they were about to kneel the moment the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" But they were immediately supported by soldiers on duty nearby, clad in black armor with silk ribbons wrapped around their arms, who said in a low but clear voice: "His Majesty has decreed: the people of the Han Chinese race shall only kneel to Heaven, Earth, ancestors, and their closest parents, not to the Emperor. Please rise and perform the cupped-hand salute."

The old men were stunned, ashamed, and somewhat bewildered. They were helped to stand up straight again and awkwardly cupped their hands in greeting, mimicking the soldiers. This detail, like a fine needle, pierced Li Shimin's eyes and sank deeply into his heart.

I will not kneel before the emperor! I will only kneel before heaven, earth, and my parents!
Yi Huawei not only surpassed all previous emperors in territory, wealth, and military power, but he was even reshaping the empire's most fundamental etiquette and hierarchical concepts! He was attempting to break down the most symbolic layer of physical submission beneath the "divine right of kings," stripping "loyalty" and "reverence" from simple kneeling, perhaps leading to a more complex and intrinsic connection? What kind of confidence and control does this require? What kind of signal does he want to convey through this?
Amidst deafening shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", the chariot proceeded unhurriedly along the sacred path towards the central altar beneath the tower of sacrifices in the center of the square. Wherever it passed, waves of sound surged, only to quickly subside after the chariot's arrival, replaced by an even more solemn gaze. It was a perfectly controlled fervor, a display of an orderly, powerful, and awe-inspiring collective will.

Li Shimin felt a chill creep up his spine. He had witnessed the people's adoration for a wise ruler before, but the scale and intensity of this collective emotional expression were unprecedented. This was not merely the result of Yi Huawei's personal charisma, but rather the monstrous cohesion fostered by his ruling system, which combined extraordinary power, practical benevolent governance, strict laws, and even this subversive ritual.

The world is vast, but at this moment, Li Shimin felt that this Tianhuan Square was a compressed microcosm of the entire world. And Yi Huawei was standing at the center of this miniature world, receiving a kind of worship that the old world could hardly understand.

His gaze involuntarily returned to the towering sacrificial tower that pierced the clouds. Its pure white body seemed to melt into the azure sky in the increasingly bright morning light. The spherical structure at its summit, at this moment, resembled a cold, indifferent eye gazing down upon the earth.

The sacrificial ceremony to heaven is about to begin under that "eye of heaven".

And these former noble families and aristocratic clans of the previous dynasty were forced to gather here to watch this grand ceremony. Was it a humiliation, a shock, or... some kind of more obscure "revelation"?
Li Shimin was unaware. He only knew that his heart was pounding like a drum, and his palms were cold and sweaty. The image of "Huamin will not kneel," the earth-shaking shouts of "Long live the Emperor," the eternally youthful profile of Yi Huawei, and that towering pagoda were deeply etched into his mind, never to be erased.

"When~~"

The bell rang for the third time, its sound distant and solemn, officially commencing the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven.

The enormous chariot stopped at the end of the sacred path, at the edge of the most expansive circular altar paved with white marble beneath the base of the sacrificial tower. The ranks of civil and military officials halted in unison around the altar, standing in complete silence, their eyes fixed on the chariot that symbolized the supreme power of the empire.

Yi Huawei did not rush to get out of the car. His gaze seemed to pass over the towering tower in front of him and be directed towards the golden-red sky in the east, which was gathering power to burst forth.

The morning breeze stirred the wide sleeves and hem of his dark-colored robe with gold patterns. The sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers embroidered on it shimmered in the growing sunlight, making him seem to merge with the world, the tower, and the hundreds of thousands of silent people beneath his feet, becoming the core of some grand ritual.

The phoenix carriages of the five imperial concubines had also come to a stop. They rose almost simultaneously, their movements light and dignified, and with the gentle support of their personal maids, they stepped down from the carriages and stood half a step behind Yi Huawei.

Standing on the viewing platform, Li Shimin could now observe these five women, who stood at the pinnacle of imperial power and charisma, more clearly. Their attire, demeanor, and bearing were strikingly different, yet they miraculously formed a harmonious and powerful overall image.

Closest to Yi Huawei's left was a woman dressed in a bright red court robe embroidered with gold phoenixes and wearing a crown with nine pheasants and four phoenixes. Her face was dignified and imposing, with both the grace of an empress and the calm dignity of someone who had long held a high position.

Her skin was radiant, her demeanor noble, and with each movement her skirt swayed gently, her jade pendants jingling softly. Her pace was steady, each step seemingly measured. Her gaze swept calmly across the distance, without any deliberate attempt to intimidate, yet naturally inspiring respect.

Li Shimin guessed that this should be Yi Huwei's empress, perhaps of extraordinary birth, and well-versed in the ways of managing the harem and assisting in internal affairs.

Beside her stood a woman dressed in a flowing, moon-white dress with wide sleeves, over which she wore a light blue silk shawl. Her long, black hair cascaded down her back, loosely tied back with a single white jade hairpin. Her face was ethereal and otherworldly, her skin as white as snow, her features exquisitely beautiful, yet she possessed an air of detachment and purity, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world. In her hand she held a whisk (not in the Taoist style, but rather more ancient and elegant), and a faint, ethereal aura seemed to surround her, as if she were untouched by worldly concerns. She tilted her head slightly, gazing at the top of the sacrificial tower, her eyes vacant, as if communicating with the heavens and earth. The empress's demeanor reminded Li Shimin of those legendary celestial maidens. (End of Chapter)