Chapter 242 The Winter Solstice Sacrificial Offering
In accordance with the customs, all members of the royal family were required to circumvent the city once before entering the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This signified that they would go through thick and thin with all the people.
During this time, the ministers and court officials trailed behind them. It was not often that one would witness such a bustling atmosphere.
Lin Mengya, seated on a sedan chair, had to maintain her deportment at all times wherever she was.
In fact, it was rather tiring to do that.
It had only been a while but Lin Mengya was already aching at her waist and back and she was also having leg cramps.
She wished she could get up and stretch herself but was afraid that the people might see her doing it and that might bring shame to Long Tianyu.
When they were barely half-way through the procession, she felt that her neck was almost breaking from the weight of her head.
The eight hairpins she was wearing were made of real precious stones and jewels. How was her delicate and thin neck able to hold up such a heavy weight.
Her only hope was for her neck to be able to move by the time they arrived at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
All the around them, the common people had gotten down on their knees to bow to them. There were reverence and fear on all their faces, young and old.
Lin Mengya had a sudden realization of why the common people looked forward to meeting a good sovereign. These very people who made up the entire nation knew that a life of peace and quiet was possible only if their ruler was one who was enlightened and wise.
Lin Mengya looked at Long Tianyu’s back as a thought came to her. Based on the Crown Prince’s character, he was definitely not meant to be a wise king of a dynasty. In this case, would Long Tianyu be the next best choice?
The sedan chair carrying the members of the royal family finally arrived at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Inside the temple, everything had been properly set up and prepared by the government officials. Before the sacrificial offering ceremony even began, Lin Mengya and Long Tianyu were expected to be ready and waiting at the side chamber.
Despite the fact that she was only required to participate in a handful of activities during the entire sacrificial ceremony, as a royal daughter-in-law, she was expected to be present for the entire duration.
The bejeweled shoes she was wearing on her feet were indeed gorgeous, and she was certain that she would be paralyzed if she were to remain standing in them the entire afternoon.
As she sat in the side chamber, her four maidservants were by her side serving her. Having followed her everywhere throughout the morning, they were surely aching all over, although they clenched their jaws and continued on.
“In a while, when I go out to participate in the sacrificial ceremony, all of you should remain here and take a rest. After all, I would be surrounded by the maids from the palace who would be reminding me of what I need to do. I suppose nothing could go wrong.”
The Crown Prince and the Queen would be the first to offer sacrifices and they would naturally speak some auspicious words in their prayer for agriculturally favorable weather. Thereafter, the princes and dukes, accompanied by their consorts would follow suit. Finally, the Crown Prince would lead both the civil and military officials to pay their respects. This would be the finale for the ceremony.
The entire procedure had to be carried out properly and strictly adhering to the regulations. Every action and gesture had to be in accordance with the specifications.
What was to be done was every bit related to the rise and fall of the entire nation, therefore no one dared commit any mistake.
All four of Lin Mengya’s maids had wanted to follow her, but eventually nodded reluctantly after Lin Mengya insisted.
“Your Highness the princess, the ceremony has started. Please go out to join in the ceremony.”
A voice sounded respectfully from an official outside the side chamber. Lin Mengya smoothed her clothes and walked through the door solemnly with reverence.
Ha, it was indeed such a grand occasion.
Back in modern times, she had once seen an imitation of the sacrificial ceremony of the olden times.
However, compared to what she was seeing at this moment, the imitation version was not as good as it looked.
The modern people were merely trying to entertain themselves. It was done mainly for the purpose of attracting tourists. It might look like a proper ceremony on the surface, but it lacked the sincerity in praying for blessings during the ancient times.
Regardless of the royal family, noble families or the families of the common people, all people were hoping for the blessing and joy of a rich harvest from heaven in the new year ahead.
Lin Mengya might not fully grasp the concept, she was nonetheless infected by the ambiance. Perhaps she ought to pray sincerely. After all, had she not experienced the transcending of the soul, which did not make sense to her?
“The Winter Solstice sacrificial ceremony officially starts now—”
A ceremonial official in dark red costume proclaimed with a deep and far-reaching voice, so much so that even the people afar off were able to hear him loud and clear.
All of a sudden, the bustling main hall of the temple became quiet. All the people bowed their heads and restrained their voices in fear that they would provoke the heavens.
The ceremonial official held up the prayer wishes written by the late Emperor on a golden scroll and started reading to the people aloud.
Lin Mengya looked straight ahead at the altar in front as she mumbled the things which Lord Qin had instructed her. In a while, she only needed to stay by Long Tianyu’s side to bow and worship, after which, she would stand stationary like a pillar. That was it.
In the great hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, all the people bowed down in reverence.
Lin Mengya knelt on her spot where she was able to have a strategic view of everyone and what was going on.
The Queen, dressed in royal yellow, was wearing a tall headgear which made her look exceptionally elegant and classy.
The Crown Prince, who had knelt down beside her, was also dressed in a royal yellow costume. The mother-and-son pair stood out among the rest at the sacrificial altar. They were unique in that they were the only ones dressed in royal yellow.
Lin Mengya snorted quietly and she thought the pair ought to think that the status of the Queen and the Crown Prince were the highest honor.
However, she was going to bring these two people down from the high places at the altar.
The thought of taking revenge for Elder Sister Yue Ting was always at the back of her mind like a thorn in her heart. She was unable to forget about it.
After the Queen and the Crown Prince went through the complicated bows and completed the rites, it was the turn of other members of the royal families to pay their respects.
Soon, it was Lin Mengya and Long Tianyu’s turn. According to the rules, she and Long Tianyu were supposed to obtain the incense burner with incense added from the ceremonial official. Thereafter, they could go to the temple to worship.
The ceremonial official, dressed in a dark red costume, went around Lin Mengya once. However, his face fell the moment he saw the phoenix on her costume.
“Princess Yu, is there anything inappropriate about your… your dressing?”
During the ceremony, the ceremonial official’s question did not seem obvious to her.
Nevertheless, Lin Mengya turned to look at him and smiled steadily, saying, “The dress had been delivered by the personnel from the Ministry of Internal Orders. Is there anything inappropriate with it?”
A mix of expression appeared on the face of the ceremonial official. Eventually, he ran all the way to the head eunuch who was in charge of this sacrificial ceremony.
“Eunuch Huang, quickly come and have a look. Something grave has happened!”
Eunuch Huang, who was waiting on the Queen, gave the ceremonial official a hard stare, dragged him aside and asked with a quiet voice, saying, “Do you need some spanking? How could you spout such nonsense? You’ve got to watch out lest you offend the important people!”
The ceremonial official did not dare make a big scene but whispered into Eunuch Huang’s ears all that had happened.
“This is a serious matter and you are not to speak without thinking. Are you sure of what you saw? Are you speaking the truth?”
The ceremonial official nodded immediately. Given that this was a matter of life and death, if he were to make a mistake, the ministers would skin him alive even if Eunuch Huang were to let him off.
“Alright, I understand the situation now. You may go. I have to speak to the Queen. Please ask Princess Yu to wait at the side chamber, then invite some of the ministers and royal elders over.”
The ceremony had been put on hold for now because of this matter regarding Lin Mengya.
Long Tianyu furrowed his brows as he looked at the perfectly dressed up woman by his side. He had clearly seen the expression on the face of that ceremonial official just now.
What complicating issue arose?
“What’s happening?”
Long Tianyu had a bad feeling about this. He knew the Queen’s ploy too well.
She would use a just and honorable reason to lay a hand on Lin Mengya. In this way, not only would she stop people from complaining about it, but not even General Lin could find faults with her.
He had gone through everything Lin Mengya was wearing before they left for the ceremony. Could he have left out any details?
“It’s alright, please go ahead to pay your respects to the ancestors. Thereafter, you may come to look for me. Otherwise, people may say that you delayed paying respects to ancestors because of a woman.”
Even since the day the costume had been delivered to Lin Mengya, she had the feeling that the Queen would find faults with her during the sacrificial ceremony.
Unfortunately, there was no way she could tailor another new costume in time for this. She had to make do with this ‘out of specification’ costume to attend the ceremony.
It was obvious that the ceremonial official had been planted by them. It was impossible for him to coincidentally spot the small mistake so easily and clearly.
Indeed this was exactly what the Queen was like, meticulous and thorough, so much so that it was hard to get away from her ploy.
“Your Highness Princess Yu, there really was something inappropriate about the costume you are wearing. Please come with me.”
Lin Mengya nodded, gave Long Tianyu a look of reassurance, and then strode towards the side chamber.
Music could be heard playing outside. The members of the royal family and relatives took their turns to pay their respects to the ancestors and she was the only one in the side chamber, awaiting her unpredictable fate.
“Your Highness Princess Yu, I’m the overall eunuch in charge of this sacrificial ceremony. A protocol officer reported that there is something inappropriate with your costume, so, I had you here to check it, but I mean no offense.”
The words of the eunuch who was the overall in-charge made sense and Lin Mengya found it difficult not to comply.
“What you said is indeed reasonable. The sacrificial ceremony is not to be trifled with.”
Lin Mengya sat upright and still, thinking that the Queen was indeed scheming.
There was a problem with Lin Mengya’s costume and now she was not allowed to enter the temple to offer sacrifices. Even if she eventually escaped the costume crisis, she would still be accused of being disrespectful towards the ancestors.
If she could not break free from the accusation regarding the costume, she would have to bear the guilt of committing an unforgivable crime. Either way, she had gotten into a worrisome situation.
Of course, if she was accused of the former, she could still blame it on the ceremonial official for making the mistake.
However, the Queen ought to have made a carefully calculated move. This time, Lin Mengya would not be able to get away and escape. The Queen was going all out to make sure this was the end of Lin Mengya.
Contrary to her expectation, even her father would not be able to protect her.
Eunuch Huang smiled obsequiously at Lin Mengya as he made her wait for a while. Lin Mengya sneered in her heart, fearing that she would meet her end soon.
“The Queen has arrived—”
“Prince Chongshan has arrived—”
“Prince Lishan has arrived—”
Halfway through the sacrificial ceremony, a few of the relatives of the royal family were led by the Queen to the side chamber.
Lin Mengya knew these princes. The Queen, in order to clear herself of any suspicion, had invited these upright and plainspoken members of the royal family to be the judges.
Adorned with an exquisite phoenix crown, the Queen looked at Lin Mengya with a pair of cold eyes filled with arrogance and contempt.
All Lin Mengya could do was to bow her head in greetings to the relatives according to the rules.
