Zhi Xuan

Amidst the sound of ceremony and music, Prince Huai slowly stepped onto the altar.

Plain silk is laid on the altar, and a sacrificial tripod is placed on the silk.There are nine tripods of the same type, which are specially cast for sacrifices.The patterns on the tripod are complicated, depicting offerings to the gods and praying to the people.This kind of pattern is not common, and it can only be used in the funeral of King Ren.

There is an elephant head in Ding Nei Sheng, which is dedicated to the southern princes.

The elephant head is huge, and the sharp tusks exceed two meters, extending to the outside of the tripod.The winding bright red blood threads at the fracture point flowed and gathered in the copper tripod, forming a shallow depression, condensing a large area of ​​dark red.

Prince Huai stood still in the center of the altar, folded his hands and raised his forehead flatly, and worshiped in all directions accompanied by the sound of ritual music.

Under the altar, witches chanted sacrificial words loudly and danced with sacrificial vessels in hand.After Prince Huai finished the salute, the voices of the witches suddenly became louder, not like human voices, but howling like wild animals.

Amidst the witch's long whistle, the musicians stopped playing, and the sound of rites and music came to an abrupt end.

The rumble of drums took its place.

In front of the nine-faced giant drum, a strong young man stands bare-chested, with a beast's tail tied around his waist and a beast's skull on his head.The totem that symbolizes the royal family climbs all over the back, the edges extend along the ribs, meet at the heart and mouth, and twine into an ancient character, which is the surname of the royal family.

In Wu's sacrificial speech, nine youths raised their arms high, and the drum hammers fell alternately, hitting the drum heavily.

The sound of the drums was deafening, like thunder, resounding through the earth and shaking the heavens.

On the altar, Prince Huai stood in front of the tripod, holding swords in both hands, the sharp point of the sword pointing down, piercing the head of the elephant in the tripod.

The sound of silk tearing and bone breaking sounded one after another.Half of the sword body was submerged into the elephant's head, and the incision was neat without a trace of blood spilling out.

The drums kept beating, Prince Huai drew his sword and stabbed again, nine times in a row.The sword is sharp, cutting iron like mud, and there is no gap on the edge.Nine incisions were left on the top of the elephant head, criss-crossing and inwardly sunken, proving that the skull had been chopped up.

After completing this link, Prince Huai held the sword flat with both hands, and then worshiped in all directions.

The witches walked to the pyre, jumped around the campfire, and muttered words.The voices are sometimes high-pitched and sometimes low-pitched, and the intonations are different in length, intertwined and fused into an ancient and unique melody.

The witch dance entered a climax, the faces of all the witches were red, and sweat spread all over their bodies.

The long-awaited members of the royal family stepped forward, carried the sacrifices one by one, and climbed up the stone ladder.Walking to the highest point of the bonfire, everyone threw sacrifices from above, causing the fire to explode, and the flames rose instantly.

"Feast!"

The moment the flames rose, Wu raised his arms to the sky and screamed loudly, his knees touched the ground, his cheek muscles trembled constantly, and the Wu Wen on his face and neck seemed to come alive.

The drums continued, and the ritual and music sounded again.

All around the altar, the princes and clans shouted loudly in unison, the voices were louder and louder than the waves, like a turbulent wave hitting the shore continuously, and the earth was also shaken.

Prince Huai stood on the top of the altar, with a tall and straight body and a solemn face.

The wind rolled up the wide sleeves, sparks meandered upwards, wrapped around his body like a dragon, and then fell into the cauldron.

The sun had completely set, the stars and the moon were covered by clouds, and the sky and the earth were pitch black, leaving only the blazing flames.

Looking up at Prince Huai, the older princes and clans can't help but recall the former king.Comparing the two, it is not difficult to find the similarities and differences between father and son.

Based on Prince Huai's various performances, as long as he is given a chance, he will definitely make a difference in time, and his achievements may surpass those of the previous king.

It is a pity that the reason why the hypothesis is a hypothesis is that it is difficult to become a reality.

Everyone's gaze wandered under the altar and caught the figures of the four princes, especially the young Xiyuanhou and Nanyouhou, and they couldn't help sighing in their hearts.

The Marquis of Xiyuan was married to the Marquis of Nanyou, the Marquis of Nanyou was the son of the Marquis of Bei'an, and the Marquis of Dongliang was the cousin of the Marquis of Xiyuan.

The four major vassal states check each other, but they are also connected with each other.

Looking at the future situation of the world, the decline of Zhongdu City is irreversible.The only difference lies in how ambitious the four princes are, how they plan to do it, whether to devour it or plan it slowly.

The sacrifice lasted until late at night, and the witch's prayers never stopped.

Thousands of sacrificed heads were thrown into the fire, and the flames were also stained scarlet.

The smoke is like a mist, fluttering with the wind, spreading in the night.The air was filled with the smell of burnt fur, mixed with the scent of wood, and mixed into a pungent smell.

Under the altar, the sound of ritual music and drums gradually increased, and the short robe on the musician's body was soaked with sweat, and the color changed from light to dark.When the wind blows, the cloth sticks tightly to the body, and the coolness invades the skin, causing a shiver.

Zhi Xuan stood under the altar, his legs were a little numb due to inactivity for a long time.

Every time Wu Ba raised his voice, everyone would echo him.Let alone once or twice, the number of times is too many, the throat becomes uncomfortable, the throat becomes dry, and when the sound is made, it is like a knife being cut, which is extremely difficult.If this continues, Zhi Xuan is not sure if he can hold on.

When he couldn't bear it any longer, the sacrifice was finally coming to an end. Prince Huai finished all the sacrifices and walked down the altar along the earthen steps.

The elephant head and sacrificial tripod were left in place to be eaten by birds and beasts in the wind and sun.

After the nine sacrificial offerings are over, the king will be buried, and the bones and ivory will be sealed in the mausoleum along with the sacrificial tripods, and will be used as funerary objects along with the other eight sacrificial tripods, and will accompany the king to his eternal rest in the ground.

At the end of the sacrifice, the bonfire cannot be extinguished immediately, and special personnel must be sent to guard it until the sacrifice is completely burned.

Most of the guards are descendants of the royal family, and they are similar in blood to the king.After Prince Huai ascended the throne, they will all enter the court.Even if the talents are not good, they will be reused with loyalty and will be regarded as the new king.

After completing the first sacrifice, Prince Huai drove back to the city.

From the beginning to the end of the sacrifice, Prince Huai's performance was remarkable, his words and deeds were sophisticated, and he seemed to have a plan in mind, which was very commendable.

In fact, as soon as he drove out of the city, Prince Huai was tense and shocked, his palms were sweating, fearing that there would be problems during the sacrifice, or that some links would not be thoughtful enough, so that he would make a fool of himself in public.

Fortunately, everything went well, and nothing he worried about happened.

After boarding the carriage and turning his back to everyone, Prince Huai let out a long breath.

After this pass, there are still eight sacrifices to be held, and each one is more important than the other, so he can't be negligent.It is necessary to ensure that there are no mistakes in the middle, but also to guard against people with ulterior motives.Until the king entered the mausoleum and the whole funeral was over, he had to remind himself all the time not to relax in the slightest.

Because there was no formal succession, Prince Huai's guard of honor bypassed the palace gate, stayed for a while, and went straight to the Prince's mansion.

When the monarchs and clans of various countries returned to the camp, they lined up neatly and orderly according to their positions when they left the city.

Armored soldiers armed with torches guarded both sides of the road.

When the team entered the city, the road was shrouded in flames, and with the brightly lit camp, half of the city was as bright as day.

Zhi Xuan's chariot returned to the camp first.

Due to standing for a long time and keeping one posture still, the legs will inevitably become numb.After a short rest in the car, the stiffness and numbness did not relieve, but intensified.

When Zhixuan got out of the car, for the first time ever he needed a servant to help him.Even so, the footsteps were still a little staggering, and the speed was more than twice as slow as usual in just a short distance.

Fortunately, the night was already dark, and the camp was all his own people, so Zhi Xuan didn't need to deliberately cover up, nor would it be known to outsiders.

Back in the big tent, the waiter has already prepared hot water.

Zhi Xuan tested the temperature of the water, waved away the waiter, untied his belt, and removed his robe.Pulling off the jade ornament on his forehead, and submerging his body in hot water, Zhi Xuan closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

The warm water relieved fatigue, and Zhi Xuan poured water on his face, feeling alive.

"Eight games left."

Thinking of the next eight sacrificial offerings, Zhi Xuan squeezed his forehead, feeling a headache unavoidably.

Participating in the royal family sacrificial ceremony in person, we know that the process is tedious.In comparison, the sacrifices in the princely states are nothing short of trivial.From Zhi Xuan's point of view, the scumbag's funeral was already grand enough, and it was still not worth mentioning compared to the king of men.

Funeral rituals are complicated, which means that the princes stay longer.

For Zhi Xuan, this is a god-sent opportunity that must not be missed.It is far more convenient to contact the monarchs of various countries during the interval of sacrifices than to deliver the letter of credence after returning home.

Everyone sits together and talks face-to-face, and it is clear at a glance what each of them thinks, whether they agree or disagree.

With Zhao Hao's full support, the Marquis of Bei'an is in favor, and the Marquis of Dongliang knows current affairs, so he will certainly not sing the opposite.

The four princes are twisted into one rope, and the vassal states should follow.Coupled with the active monarch, Zhi Xuan is sure that once the alliance is proposed, more than half of the vassal states will express their support.The remaining vassal states, even if they do not support it, will not openly oppose it, and are more likely to swing left and right.

In this way, things are well regulated and controlled.

Thinking of this, Zhi Xuan suddenly felt anxious.Perhaps there is no need to wait too long, and a letter will be sent tomorrow to invite all the monarchs to come and discuss.

Do it when you think of it.

Zhi Xuan made up his mind, and his exhaustion was swept away.Grab the cloth towel and robe that were put aside, and prepare to write overnight, and send people over the camp at dawn tomorrow.

Before he could step out of the screen, the curtain suddenly lifted from the outside, and a sound of footsteps came, paused for a moment inside the tent, and then walked straight to where he was.

To be able to directly enter the big account without a report, except for Zhao Hao, he didn't think about it.

As expected, Zhi Xuan picked up a cloth towel to wipe his hair, and his slender figure circled the screen and stood in front of him.A handful of blue silk fell on his shoulders, and there was still a little moisture on his body, obviously just after taking a bath.

Zhi Xuan raised his eyebrows, and was about to speak when the cloth scarf in his hand was suddenly snatched away.The next moment, the whole person soared into the air, was taken out of the screen, and walked straight to the bed.

Not right.

Zhi Xuan wrapped his arms around Zhao Hao's neck, met those pitch-black eyes, caught the undercurrent of the moment, and instinctively sensed that the situation was different.

Zhao Hao didn't make a sound, and didn't give Zhi Xuan a chance to speak.

Walking to the couch, Zhao Hao bent down, put Zhi Xuan on the couch, pressed Zhi Xuan's shoulder with one hand, and his breath instantly approached.

"Junhou," the deep voice flowed in the tent, and the candlelight illuminated the dark eyebrows and eyes, thick and colorful, like a demon enchanting the world, "I don't know something, and I need Junhou to clarify."

Zhi Xuan looked at Zhao Hao in puzzlement, brushed Zhao Hao's chin with his fingertips, his eyes revealed doubts.

"What's the matter?"

"I heard that the Marquis of Eastern Liang met with the Marquis privately, and was alone in the tent, and his words were very secretive. Is there such a thing?"

Zhao Hao leaned over while speaking, his eyes fixed on Zhi Xuan, and his fingers tightened accordingly.Under the shrouding of the breath, there is no gap left, as if Zhi Xuan is going to be locked up and hidden, so that the world will not be allowed to peep.

Zhi Xuan was stunned, his eyes met Zhao Hao, he saw that the tails of his eyes were red, and the corners of his mouth curled up, which was extraordinarily attractive but also extremely dangerous.

In an instant, a chill ran down his spine like an electric current.

Thinking of the beauty's hidden attributes, Zhixuan's scalp suddenly went numb, and there was only one thought in his mind: It's over, we're in big trouble!