Knife splashing

Chapter 563: Three Animals Lead the Way, Dance Zhong Kui

The Fifth Prince Xiao Jinghong was shocked.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, "Brother, what do you mean by this?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes when he heard this.

Sometimes one has to admit that the lineage of the King of Shu has really good genes. Compared to the fat Prince of Chang'an and the bear-like Prince of Wuchang, the princes and princesses of the King of Shu's Mansion are all superior to others.

This eldest prince was half a head taller than the fifth prince, with fair skin and handsome features, but there was a hint of harshness and viciousness between his brows, which made people feel uncomfortable when looking at him.

He was playing with a Siamese blood amber ruyi in his hand. When the sun shone on it, it seemed as if blood was shining on his face. "Old Five, don't pretend."

"We've been fighting here to the death, but I didn't expect you to have secretly made a move. What a good move..."

The news leaked!
Xiao Jinghong finally understood what was going on.

He has always kept a low profile and stayed away from disputes. In fact, he has already made arrangements. As long as nothing unexpected happens, he will be the final winner.

I never thought that when the time came, there would be so many variables.

Ming Shanzi also had a gloomy expression at this moment.

As for Li Yan, he looked at Xiao Jinghong calmly.

He had no feelings for this prince who lived a life of luxury and did not care whether he lived or died, but unknowingly, the two sides had become bound together.

Whether it is capturing criminals and fugitives from heaven, or helping the Dragon Girl build a temple to attract worshippers, this person's help is indispensable.

If something goes wrong, it will be more difficult to do what you want to do.

Fortunately, Xiao Jinghong can still withstand the pressure.

Looking at the jealous, vicious, or resentful eyes of his brothers and sisters, Xiao Jinghong straightened up, no longer concealing his feelings, sighed, and looked towards the direction of the palace, "Don't think too much."

"My father, may you live a long and healthy life. It's ridiculous to argue here during the festival."

"Oh, Fifth Brother is really filial."

The other prince smiled faintly, but his words were piercing.

This is the Fourth Prince. Compared with the Great Prince who has a close relationship with the army, he has a better reputation among the Confucian scholars and is also a disciple of the great Confucian scholar Yang Duo in Shu.

Although he maintained his composure, murderous intent was already brewing in his heart.

He was always respectful to Yang Duo, giving him generous gifts during festivals and often visiting him for advice.

However, he did not expect that the other party would secretly push the Fifth Prince with such great strength.

A feeling of betrayal is like a poisonous snake lurking in my heart.

Xiao Jinghong remained calm and changed the subject, saying meaningfully: "Everyone, how long has it been since you last saw my father..."

After saying that, he no longer paid attention to the crowd and stood in the team with his eyes closed.

Seeing him like this, the others also had different expressions.

They are not really stupid. Xiao Jinghong mentioned twice that "the King of Shu will live a hundred years", which is not groundless.

Come to think of it, no one had seen the King of Shu since he became seriously ill.

Could it be that the father was pretending to be sick to test them?

For a moment, everyone's eyes were uncertain.

This little episode did not affect the progress of the sacrificial ceremony.

But then a eunuch in charge of the seal walked out slowly, holding the golden book.

The corner of the crimson purple robe dragged a winding trail on the snow, and he spoke loudly in standard Mandarin:
"The auspicious time has arrived, let's begin the ceremony!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of drums roared in the distance.

Boom boom boom!
The covered drum shocked the mind and nine cannon shots were fired outside the Duanli Gate.

The great events of the country are in the army and in the sacrifice.

The Chinese people attach great importance to various festivals and ceremonies, and those of dignitaries and royal families are even more grand.

After the cannon was fired, thirty-two bare-chested warriors came over on the snow, carrying a sandalwood chariot. On the chariot was a golden lacquered shrine with three animals for the Kitchen God:

The Liaodong pig king with black mane and green hooves has rubies embedded in his eyes.
The sheep's horns are wrapped with a banner woven with Shu brocade and inscribed with the words "Abundant Harvest".

There are sixty-four gilded bells tied to the ox head.

Just these three animals are enough to make an ordinary family wealthy.

The drums rumbled, and the various bits and pieces hung on the three animals jingled as the shirtless men walked.

Twelve yellow-robed boys walked in front of the chariot, throwing stove horses cut out of gold foil. In an instant, the snow-white ground was covered with countless golden scales.

This is what is called "three animals clearing the way."

"Please move to Chengyun Palace!"

After the three animals were sacrificed, the eunuch in charge of the seal sang the ceremony loudly.

Everyone moved and passed through the palace gates on both sides.

Only the King of Shu and the Emperor were qualified to walk on the central palace avenue, and at such times it was called the Shinto, the place where gods walked and mortals stayed away.

Passing through Chengyun Gate is Chengyun Hall.

This is also the center of the royal palace.

Two hundred soldiers who were offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God were seen lined up in front of the battle formation, holding flags and pennants with cinnabar-painted pictures of the Kitchen God stepping on clouds. They had short peach-wood spears hanging from their waists and were wrapped in red silk soaked in chicken-blood wine.

The flag-bearing officer, a man who was tall and almost as big as Wuba, was holding a three-meter-high "Dongchu Siming" flag and waving it slowly.

The army formation for offering sacrifice to the Kitchen God immediately scattered on the snow like a dragon with its tail swinging. It seemed messy, but looking down from a high place, one could see the pattern of the Chinese character "Shou".

The sound of cowhide stepping on the ground harmonizes with the sound of drums.

The copper bells hanging on the corners of the brackets in Chengyun Hall were also rustling with falling snow.

The King of Shu had led his troops and made great achievements, so the Kitchen God worship ceremony also absorbed the characteristics of the military, being solemn and intimidating, with a hint of murderous spirit.

It was the first time for Li Yan to see it and he watched it with great interest.

However, the princes and princesses, as well as the officials of Chengdu, were somewhat absent-minded, turning their heads from time to time to look at Chengyun Palace in the back.

At this time of year in previous years, the King of Shu would always show up to watch the ceremony.

But this year's scene was far greater than that of last year, yet the gate of Chengyun Palace remained tightly closed. Coupled with the words just spoken by the Fifth Prince, it was inevitable that everyone felt uneasy.

Without Cheng Jianxian's presence, the martial arts world in Shu is becoming increasingly chaotic.

Similarly, although many of the actions of the King of Shu were unsatisfactory, his every move could also trigger a storm in Chengdu.

Especially when the news of his serious illness spread, various forces became restless and were secretly interacting with the prince who they favored.

If they were really pretending to be sick, wouldn't they be in trouble...

The Kitchen God worship ceremony lasted for a full hour.

When the ceremony was over, many people felt dizzy from standing, especially the older officials.

Ordinary people can't see this kind of thing.

But for them, it is a chore.

And this is not over yet.

In the afternoon, we will perform Zhong Kui dance.

At night, there are shaman rituals, Nuo dances and torches to drive away evil spirits.

In short, it should last all day.

Rumble!
Just when they were about to lose their balance, the door to Chengyun Hall behind them finally opened, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

The eunuch in charge shouted expressionlessly:
"Please move to Chengyun Palace and enjoy the feast."

Everyone then realized that inside the grand hall, both sides were already filled with long tables and chairs, and the ceremony was carried out strictly in accordance with the etiquette.

Under the command of the guards, everyone entered the hall one by one.

Naturally, there are some requirements for this seat.

The princes and princesses were arranged in the front, followed by the officials from Chengdu, who sat down in order according to their rank.

Fortunately, the Shu Palace is not too stingy.

There were also arranged seats behind the front seats. Although it was crowded, at least Li Yan and Ming Shanzi had a place to sit.

Afterwards, maids came in carrying food boxes.

They opened the lacquered wooden food boxes and took out blue and white porcelain plates, which soon filled up each table.

Needless to say, the banquet at the Prince of Shu’s Palace was magnificent.

The braised beef slices are extremely thin, stacked like petals, and drizzled with amber sauce, giving off an oily luster...

The pickled goose feet are frozen crystal clear, the pickled bamboo shoots and pickled cucumbers are barcoded into the Bagua pattern, and the brine peanuts are plump... The sugar melons eaten during the Kitchen God Festival are small and sweet.

Both hot and cold dishes are extremely exquisite.

Even the wine is warmed Luzhou Laojiao, which is old enough and exudes a fragrant aroma.

Li Yan smelled it, nodded to Ming Shanzi and others, and quickly picked up the beef and stuffed it into his mouth.

He never missed out on delicious food at any time.

But those princes were still absent-minded.

The Grand Duke looked at the empty throne above him, and finally couldn't help asking the eunuch in charge of the seal, "Eunuch Liu, isn't my father coming?"

The eunuch in charge of the seal bowed his head and replied: "The prince is in poor health..."

"What about the Queen Mother?"

The eldest prince stood up suddenly, with a look of impatience on his face.

Among the several princes, he was most dissatisfied with the King of Shu.

According to the rules, he should have been the crown prince long ago, and his mother was still alive. She was a legitimate princess, and his mother's family was also a military general.

But now we have to compete with others for it.

The second son knew how to behave himself and had contacts with many officials and wealthy businessmen.

The third brother was cruel and ruthless, but luckily he was shot dead.

The fourth brother was highly respected by those scholars and often held poetry gatherings.

The fifth brother, who is usually low-key, is doing great things quietly.

If we follow the rules, there won't be all these troubles.

Xiao Jinghong's reminder made him suspicious. It was bad enough that the King of Shu was seriously ill, but when he thought about it carefully, the King's Concubine had not been seen for a long time.

Seeing his expression, the eunuch in charge of the seal lowered his head and said: "Prince, calm down. The princess wants to take care of the prince. Today..."

"I do not care!"

The Grand Duke said fiercely, "I must see my mother today. I don't see who dares to stop me!"

The eunuch in charge of the seal had a bitter look on his face, "I will report it right away."

The Grand Duke was angry, and everyone saw it. They exchanged glances with each other and remained silent.

They, too, wanted to know what happened.

During the banquet, only Li Yan ate heartily. Everyone was talking among themselves in low voices, and before they knew it, it was already noon.

The eunuch in charge of the seal appeared again and shouted:

"Please move aside and pay respect outside the palace."

Everyone walked out of the hall, and the eunuch in charge of the seal fell behind and bowed to the Grand Duke, saying, "Grand Duke, the princess said that after you dance Zhong Kui, you can go to the harem to pay your respects."

"it is good."

The eldest prince snorted coldly and nodded.

Everyone walked out of the temple and stood behind the stone railing outside.

But one saw eighteen community drums coming from the Duanli Gate, with rumbling drum sounds and the sound of golden gongs, playing the opera troupe's music.

Amid the sound of drums and music, a man walked out in a square step.

He is dressed in a bright red official robe, has red hair, curly beard, a dark face, official boots on his feet, shoulders raised, and in his hand he holds a huge Luo umbrella with the Yin-Yang and Eight Diagrams embroidered on the umbrella.

He was walking in the Yu Steps, and in front of him were five men dressed as ghosts, somersaulting and leaping, with colorful fireworks coming out of the bamboo tubes on their bodies, which looked bizarre and magnificent.

As for "Zhong Kui", he flew into the air wearing his official boots and let the little ghosts somersault while he kept moving forward by stepping on their backs.

It looked like it was running in mid-air.

"What a light gong!"

“It wasn’t this lively in previous years.”

"Whose team is this?"

Many people around were immediately attracted and started asking about it.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes with murderous intent.

Ming Shanzi next to him noticed something was wrong and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong?"

Li Yan moved his mouth slightly but made no sound.

But Ming Shanzi's pupils suddenly shrank.

He could see Li Yan’s lip shape: ghost troupe!
The actor who played Zhong Kui was none other than Situ Qian. Although Li Yan had never seen this actor before, his movements were exactly the same as those of his predecessor in the opera world, Situ Bo.

It turns out that these monsters were really hiding in the Prince of Shu’s Palace.

At times like this, they naturally could not speak, lest someone use supernatural powers to hear them, so Li Yan and Ming Shanzi communicated verbally.

"What do you want?"

"Cover me later."

"Okay, be careful."

The two of them moved their mouths slightly, and a plan had been made.

Li Yan came to the Prince of Shu's Mansion not just to watch the show.

There are also talismans outside the Shu Palace, and they are even more powerful. If you use magic to enter, you will inevitably be discovered.

After the "Zhong Kui Dance", there is a witch sacrifice and exorcism ceremony at night, just in time to investigate the situation of the King of Shu's Palace while it is still dark.

As for the others, some were attracted by the wonderful "Zhong Kui Jumping" ceremony, while others were absent-minded and discussed in low voices.

In previous years, the Zhong Kui dance on the Kitchen God Day was performed not only by a living person, but also a paper-made Zhong Kui image. At 3:15 pm, the King of Shu would hold a red pen and point at Zhong Kui's eyes.

But looking at the situation today, this item is most likely no longer available.

Finally, the "Zhong Kui Jumping" ceremony ended.

Everyone's eyes turned to the Grand Duke.

It had been a long time since the great prince had enjoyed such attention. He snorted coldly, shook his python robe, and followed the eunuch in charge of the seal to the harem.

What everyone didn't notice was that Ming Shanzi suddenly took a few steps forward. The people around him seemed to be affected and shifted their gazes, as if they were completely ignoring this place.

This is the Cheng family's step: a leaf blocking the view!
It is also the basic skill of practicing Sword Immortal. Even if it does not arouse the evil spirit, it can make others subconsciously look elsewhere.

If one practices to a deep level, one can achieve the legendary Shadowless Sword.

Li Yan quickly stepped back, leaped up, stepped on the beams and pillars, and went into the dark corners of the brackets in the hall.

He used the Dragon Snake Card to restrain his breath and stared at the distance.

Chengyun Hall is the highest point in the Shu Palace, and you can see everything around it clearly.

But the men beating gongs and drums left the right side of the square, passed through the side door and entered the side hall.

These were the training exercises of the guards of the Prince of Shu's Palace. They were taking off their clothes one after another, chatting and laughing, and changing into their soldiers' robes.

And that "Zhong Kui" swaggered away with the five "little ghosts" around him.

Looking at the direction, it is exactly the area where the harem is located.

Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something. He quickly pinched the magic formula and chanted in a low voice: "I am following the command of the Emperor of Fengdu. Fengdu God, Fengdu God, come quickly. The golden hammers are dancing wildly, the iron rods are crossing, and the generals of Fengdu, come quickly..."

Wow!
In the leather bag around his waist, eight paper figures flew into the air, and the Yin Qi rose and revolved around him.

Exploring the Prince of Shu's Palace is like venturing into a dangerous place.

It will be safer with the support of the eight generals of the outer altar.

Summoning the power of the Eight Generals of the Outer Altar, Li Yan was immediately enveloped by black fog.

Even with the Dragon and Snake Plate covering him, Ming Shanzi below still seemed to be aware of something. He felt something in his mind and slightly flicked his fingers.

Call ~
Inside the Chengyun Hall, the curtains quickly caught fire.

This is a simple fire-lighting spell used to light incense and candles. When Mingshanzi used it, no trace was left.

"It's on fire!"

Someone smelled smoke and shouted immediately.

The guards and palace maids rushed into the hall to put out the fire.

In the chaos, no one noticed that in the dark corners of the hall, the black fog had dissipated and Li Yan had disappeared without a trace...

(End of this chapter)