After being forced into a marriage with a wealthy family, the virtuous wife caused a huge uproar.

She hasn't fully recovered the money she won from gambling yet. Gu Ce doesn't want her to worry about it; he'll get it all back for her.

"If he dared not give it to me, I would have asked him for it that very day. I also brought my precious horse back and kept it in that separate courtyard. Once you are fully recovered, I will take you horseback riding again." Princess Jinyang was very friendly to Rong Yingluo.

Ever since she met Mrs. Gu, she has had good luck.

Her mother privately instructed her to befriend Madam Gu, as the young master Gu was deeply trusted by the emperor, and as long as the emperor was still in power, the young master Gu's position in the court would be as secure as Mount Tai.

Currently, she is the only princess who has not married. If a princess is truly needed for a political marriage, Prince Gu could very well influence his father's decision.

The Crown Prince would never consider her feelings; instead, he would push her away.

"That's wonderful. I was worried that Prince Xuan would try to renege on his promise," Rong Yingluo said with a smile.

The two chatted and laughed as they followed behind the group.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple is not far from the Imperial City; it only took half an hour to walk there.

Rong Yingluo got off the carriage and saw that the vermilion gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple was already wide open.

Nine layers of white marble steps descend from the base of the main hall, and massive pillars support the triple-eaved glazed roof.

There were very few female relatives accompanying them this time, only a few princesses and juniors serving by their side; no one was allowed to bring any servants.

Upon entering the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Princess Jinyang consciously returned to the Empress's side.

Rong Yingluo walked at the very back of the female members of the family.

She couldn't help but look around; this was the first time she had ever been to such a solemn place.

She saw the firewood inside the bronze cauldron gradually ignite, and the blue smoke rose straight up.

No one made a sound; only the sound of footsteps could be heard, as if the world itself had held its breath.

Officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices had already arranged everything.

The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was none other than Yu Yingsheng, the father of Consort Yu who was praised and promoted by Rong Yingluo, and the maternal grandfather of Princess Jinyang.

Take a short rest.

The best time is at 3:45 AM (辰时三刻).

Yu Yingsheng, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, lit the first bundle of wormwood in front of the incense burner. As the blue smoke rose, the officials who had followed him lined up neatly outside the gate.

The master of ceremonies loudly proclaimed: "The Son of Heaven ascends the throne, following in the footsteps of Heaven and Earth..."

Emperor Taikang wore a nine-dragon imperial robe, with twelve tassels hanging from his crown. Each jade bead was exquisitely polished and rounded, making his expression even more serious and earnest.

He strode forward and entered the sacrificial hall, followed by the crown prince.

Next came the two old princes, Prince Xuan, Prince Xuan's heir, and then the officials arranged by rank.

Actually, there weren't many people, only a dozen or so.

Inside the ancestral hall are the memorial tablets of the emperors of the Southern Xia dynasty, with a portrait in the center depicting the founding emperor of the Southern Xia.

The Southern Xia Dynasty lasted for 150 years, with eight emperors ascending the throne.

The women could only follow at the back, kneeling and bowing with the Empress, but they could not enter the hall to perform the ceremony; they could only do so outside the main gate of the Hall of Offering.

All the formalities were carried out in an orderly manner.

Rong Yingluo was quite familiar with these rituals, as they were things that every Taoist practitioner had to do when paying homage to the gods of various paths.

Royal ancestors are, in fact, like deities in the hearts of the people.

The process of royal sacrifices is actually similar to the annual grand sacrifices in Taoist temples.

Rong Yingluo devoutly followed the master of ceremonies' call to bow and kneel.

She did not stand up until the master of ceremonies announced the end of the ceremony.

She and Princess Jinyang were the youngest and got up the fastest. Seeing that the Empress was having some difficulty getting up, she immediately stepped forward and helped her up with Princess Jinyang, saying, "Your Majesty, please slow down."

"It's alright." The Empress smiled gently at the two of them and stood firm.

The Empress knelt for quite a while during the entire sacrificial ceremony, and her legs became somewhat uncomfortable.

Rong Yingluo habitually touched the Empress's pulse and felt that it was deep, thin, weak, and feeble, indicating a deficiency of both the heart and spleen.

Isn't she a Buddhist? How could this happen?

It is said that people who worship Buddha have the most stable mindset, but the Empress's condition is clearly a symptom of worry leading to illness.

Twenty-one years have passed since the Second Prince went missing, and she still hasn't recovered?

If things continue like this, the Empress may not live much longer; she is only forty-three years old.

Rong Yingluo felt sorry for the Empress. What good was her noble status if she was unhappy?

But she didn't want to reveal her medical skills yet, and she couldn't find a suitable opportunity to help the Empress. This matter needed to be considered carefully, but fortunately, the Empress was not in immediate danger.

After the sacrificial ceremony, the emperor and empress would have lunch at the Imperial Ancestral Temple before leaving.

After each sacrificial ceremony, Emperor Taikang would sit quietly in the ancestral hall for a long time, talking with his ancestors and not allowing anyone to disturb him.

Rong Yingluo and Princess Jinyang helped the Empress to her resting room. As her attendant, Princess Jinyang dared not leave the Empress's side.

This is her main task for the day; otherwise, the Emperor would not have agreed to let her come.

Rong Yingluo also wanted to stay and take care of the Empress, but the Empress waved her hand and told her to leave.

Then she can have a proper tour of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Women are not allowed to enter the main hall, but they can still visit other places.

Besides honoring the royal ancestors, this place also commemorates renowned figures who made significant contributions to the nation throughout history. The Duke of Zhenguo is one of them.

She started looking at the left side hall.

This is the place where celebrities are honored.

Each celebrity has a statue sculpted and painted, and they are made to look very realistic. Whether they actually resemble the person is unknown. Each statue is accompanied by an explanation of the individual's achievements.

Rong Yingluo had heard her master talk about some famous figures in history, such as those who proposed reforms and brought benefits to the people.

There are also famous figures who made outstanding contributions to the country, such as generals who invented certain weapons and heroes who fought against the Beicang and Western Jin states.

These famous figures, regardless of dynasty, are all enshrined here so that future generations can pay their respects; this is, in fact, a form of historical inheritance.

Being granted the honor of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple was the highest honor bestowed upon ministers and renowned figures by emperors throughout history.

To be able to share incense offerings with the emperor after death is a greater honor than being granted a title or high position.

Rong Yingluo walked and looked around, carefully observing each statue.

"Little Taoist priest." A man's soft voice sounded behind Rong Yingluo.

Rong Yingluo froze, then turned around abruptly.

A young man with a face as fair as jade was standing a few steps behind her; he looked to be no more than twenty years old.

The young master stared at her in shock.

"Young Taoist priest, is that you?" The young master was not quite sure, but the longing in his eyes was obvious.

Rong Yingluo frowned; she didn't recognize this person.

"Young Taoist priest, it must be you, right?" The young master stepped forward, only a step away from Rong Yingluo.

He wanted to reach out and hold Rong Yingluo's hand, but he put it down halfway through.

"Don't you remember me?" The young man lowered his eyes in disappointment.

"Who are you?" Rong Yingluo really didn't remember.

"Beiyuan City, Liaowang Mansion, do you still remember the boy you pulled out of the water?" The young master was very excited.

"Are you Li Xuanye, the heir of the Liao Prince's Mansion?" Rong Yingluo asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's me." Li Xuanye was glad that she still remembered him.

Nine years ago, when he was only ten years old, he accidentally fell into the water. At that time, he couldn't swim.

Just then, a young Taoist priest happened to pass by and jumped into the water without hesitation to save him. She was only seven years old at the time, yet she swam so well.

Having survived a life-or-death ordeal, he matured completely, diligently practicing martial arts under his father's guidance and earnestly learning how to swim.

He went into battle to fight the enemy at the age of thirteen.

However, he never had the chance to see the young Taoist priest who had saved him back then, but he remembered her appearance firmly and often wondered what she would look like when she grew up.

Today, while following behind an official, I happened to turn around and saw a woman who looked remarkably like the girl he remembered.

Although she had changed a lot as she grew up, her features were still familiar to him.

He noticed the prominent black mole on her neck again, in the same spot he had seen years ago.

So when he saw her come to this side hall, he couldn't help but follow her, wanting to confirm it.

It really was her; I was overjoyed beyond words.

"What are you doing here?" Rong Yingluo asked in confusion. Shouldn't he be in Beiyuan City?