Thief Emperor

Chapter 1173 The Emperor's Affairs Concluded (The Grand Finale!)
Soon, the auspicious day determined by the Imperial Observatory arrived. His Majesty the Emperor, accompanied by a group of officials, set off from the Taishan Palace, ascended Mount Tai, and arrived at the Taishan Fengshan Platform.

At this time, everything was ready, and a group of strongmen were slaughtering livestock in the divine kitchen to prepare sacrifices for the heavens.

The sacrificial ceremony had not yet begun. His Majesty the Emperor, together with Prime Minister Du and Prince Jin, took a tour of the Divine Kitchen. He looked at the sacrificial offerings sent out from the Divine Kitchen, turned to Li Zheng, and said, "Third brother, after the sacrifice is over, have these things cooked and distributed to the people who are with us."

There are two kinds of sacrifices. One kind is that after the sacrifice is completed, the blood of the sacrificed people is sprinkled on the ground, and then the offerings are burned and offered to heaven.

In most cases, the accompanying people would share the food, since meat was indeed hard to come by in that era.

However, the Fengshan ceremony was already the highest-level ceremony for worshipping Heaven. According to the Ministry of Rites, it was better to burn the offerings completely to Heaven.

Li Zhenggang bowed his head and replied, "Yes." Du Xiangong, who was standing nearby, coughed.
Prime Minister Du was also resting nearby. Hearing this, he looked at Li Yun and was about to speak when His Majesty the Emperor waved his hand and said with a smile, "You all say that I am the Son of Heaven. Since I am the Son of Heaven, then the offerings to Heaven are considered to be from my family. I can make the decision, so there is no need to say more."

Lord Du nodded and said nothing more.

After inspecting the area, around noon, the group rested under the makeshift shelters erected at the foot of the Fengchan Terrace. Emperor Li sat under the shelter, looked up at the towering Fengchan Terrace, and then gazed up at the sky.

To be honest, he used to be a pure atheist. He didn't believe that there were any gods looking down on all living beings in the heavens.

However, he is now starting to waver.

His very existence is shrouded in mystery.

He truly seems to be the chosen one of this era.

Because if he weren't, by now there should have been a "Grand Magus" capable of sending meteorites from the sky, forcefully overthrowing the Li Tang dynasty and bringing the world back to its old course.

Now, almost twenty years later, there have been only a few sporadic rebellions throughout the world, and no strong opposing forces have emerged.

Thinking of this, Emperor Li's thoughts drifted.

There is also the possibility that his actions over the years have not changed the original trajectory of the world.

But none of that matters anymore.

His Majesty the Emperor gazed up at the azure sky, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.

Zhong Can, the Minister of Rites of the current dynasty, was already standing in front of him, holding a memorial in his hands, and respectfully handed it to him: "Your Majesty, this is a document that I and Prime Minister Du have repeatedly confirmed. Please take a look at it one last time. In about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Fengshan ceremony will begin."

The so-called Fengshan ceremony, Feng being a sacrifice to Heaven and Shan being a sacrifice to Earth, was a grand event that all feudal emperors dreamed of. Even Li Yun was immersed in the atmosphere. He nodded, accepted the memorial to Heaven, and unfolded it to take a look.

After reading it once, he noticed this sentence.

"Today, purple clouds rise from the Luo River region, and auspicious clouds gather at the summit of Mount Tai. This is not something I could achieve with my wisdom and courage, but rather it is the work of God who, through my humble efforts, cleansed the universe and reopened the sun and moon."

The emperor frowned slightly and looked back at Du Qian.

"Why didn't I see this sentence last time I looked at it?"

Following Li Yun's gaze, Prime Minister Du looked at the spot and then said with a smile, "When I showed it to His Majesty last time, there was a similar sentence. Perhaps His Majesty didn't look closely and overlooked it."

Prime Minister Du paused for a moment, then continued, “Your Majesty’s pacification of the North and South is a great achievement. This is certainly due to human effort, but here it cannot be called human effort; it must be called a divine achievement.”

He said quietly, “All the billions of people in the world have human strength, but not everyone has divine merit. Your Majesty must be ordained by Heaven, so that those who are audacious and reckless will not dare to act rashly.”

The emperor grunted, shook his head, and didn't seem to care.

He didn't really care about such a title, but just now, while contemplating the heavens, he suddenly saw this sentence and was moved.

He paused for a moment, looked at Du Qian, and said quietly, "Brother Shouyi, do you think there are gods in the sky?"

Du Qian stood behind Li Yun, thought for a moment, and shook his head slightly, saying, "Your Majesty, if it is as the Buddhist and Taoist sects say, that there are many gods in the Nine Heavens who form a court, and that there are ordinary rulers and ministers, and ordinary men, women, and children, I don't really believe it."

"But I believe that there is a constant God in the unseen realm who illuminates the world."

He looked at Li Yun and continued, "I will not live for Yao, nor will I perish for Jie."

The emperor smiled and was about to speak when Zhong Can, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward respectfully and bowed to Li Yun, saying, "Your Majesty, the auspicious time has arrived."

"Please ascend the platform to offer sacrifices to Heaven."

The emperor stood up, straightened the twelve-beaded crown on his head, and turned to Du Qian and Li Zheng with a smile, saying, "Come on, let's go up on the stage together, and you two will accompany me in the ceremony."

This matter had been decided long ago, and Li Zheng and Du Qian were also prepared. They were already dressed in formal attire, and the two rose together, following behind the emperor as they left the hut and looked up at the Fengchan Terrace. At Minister Zhong's command, solemn ceremonial music rang out. His Majesty the Emperor straightened his clothes, looked back at the two behind him, and then looked up at the Fengchan Terrace.

Holding the memorial for the sacrificial ceremony, he strode towards the high platform.

At this moment, His Majesty the Emperor was relatively calm, but Prime Minister Du and Prince Li Zheng were extremely nervous. They both breathed very carefully as they followed behind Emperor Li, step by step, up the high platform.

After the emperor ascended the Fengshan Terrace, he looked around.

Besides the imperial guards, a large crowd of gentry and commoners had come to watch the ceremony, forming a dense circle around the area.

When His Majesty the Emperor ascended the high platform, all of them knelt down, not daring to raise their heads.

The fire on the altar had already been lit, and Minister Zhong swallowed hard before shouting, "Your Majesty, please offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth!"

After offering his prayers, Emperor Li unfolded the document in his hand, cleared his throat, and spoke in a loud and clear voice.

"Your subject Li Yun dares to solemnly announce to the Emperor Heaven."

"I humbly beseech the Heavenly Firmament above, whose profound virtue is impartial. It governs the four seasons and displays its omens, and it controls the six directions with impartiality. In the third year of the Xiande era, I, a commoner from Jiangnan, observed the celestial phenomena and examined the hearts of the people. Seeing the land in turmoil and the world in chaos, I took up my sword and rose from the humble lands, vowing to sweep away the chaos and purify the world. Ten years of conquest, blood staining the Central Plains. By the grace of Heaven and the silent assistance of divine power: First, I pacified Jiangdong and equitably distributed land, reforming the salt administration to nourish the people. Second, I conquered Luoyang to restore the orthodox dynasty, abolishing the oppressive policies of the Zhou and establishing new laws. Third, I subjugated the Khitan in the north and brought peace to the border people in Youyan. Fourth, I opened canals to facilitate trade between the north and south, and established the Ever-Normal Granary to regulate the economy." Grain prices fluctuate wildly. Today, auspicious purple clouds rise from the Luo River region, and auspicious clouds gather atop Mount Tai. This is not due to my wisdom or courage, but truly the work of God, who, through his humble hand, cleansed the universe and restored the sun and moon. I humbly offer the great bells and chimes, along with jade tablets and precious stones, as offerings at Mount Tai. I establish the state in the Central Plains and restore the traditional attire of the Chinese people. I only wish that the celestial sphere will be in harmony, and the heavens and earth in perfect balance: —that the elderly may live in peace in the fields, and the young may receive education in schools; —that merchants may travel freely on the roads, and soldiers may lay down their arms and return to their fields; —that the rivers may be calm, the mountains free of wild beasts, and all the lands to submit to the king, and that war may cease forever. Though I rise from humble origins, how could I not be fearful and trembling day and night to protect the people?

After reading these words, Emperor Li looked up at the sky.

Suddenly, a thunderclap boomed in the clear blue sky, followed by a gust of wind.

Originally, there were only a few clouds in the sky, and no dark clouds could be seen for half a day, let alone any signs of rain. But now, a few dark clouds have drifted in!

This thunderclap also resounded in Li Yun's heart.

He stood there, stunned, without saying a word.

Minister Zhong also looked up at the sky, and it wasn't until a strong wind blew that he came back to his senses, looked at the emperor, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, please continue reading."

Emperor Li nodded, placed the document directly above the altar, looked up at the sky, and shouted.

"Now I inform the Heavenly Emperor and the gods of mountains and rivers."

The emperor's voice became loud and clear.

"The Mandate of Heaven resides in virtue, and orthodoxy resides in the people. No law can be established, only the hearts of the people can uphold it."

"May you enjoy this meal."

At this point, the document was finally read aloud.

Du Xiangong looked up at Li Yun's back and took a deep breath.

Without further hesitation, the emperor threw the document into the altar.

As the fire ignited the documents, the wind and thunder in the sky vanished, and the few clouds that had been blown in by the strong wind also gradually dispersed.

His Majesty the Emperor wiped the sweat from his brow, turned around, looked at the two men behind him who were also sweating profusely, and said with a smile, "Let's go, it's all done."

The thunderclap startled Lord Du so much that he could barely stand. Li Yun had to help him to his feet. He looked at Li Yun, then at the sky, and murmured, "The might of Heaven is overwhelming, the might of Heaven is overwhelming..."

The emperor also turned to look at the sky and smiled.

"Don't scare yourself; maybe it's just a strange gust of wind?"

"But no matter what, this is something our generation should do."

Emperor Li helped the two up and led them down the Fengshan Terrace.

He looked at the people below the Fengshan platform, his steps firm, and his voice light and cheerful.

"That's almost it."

【Complete the book. 】

(End of this chapter)