Chapter 463: Heaven Worship

The altar was in sight.

The Brocaded Guards blocked the way.

"You may go no further. Hand the prisoner over to us, the Brocaded Guards, and you may withdraw."

How arrogant.

We're all brother agencies, all living off the public's rice—can't you speak a little more politely?

The Six Doors men were the first to protest. "We received orders from above to escort the prisoner to the foot of the altar. There's still some distance from here to the altar."

"That little distance won't trouble you. We of the Brocaded Guards are now taking custody of the prisoner, the Great Ming King. This is an official document, and moreover an imperial order. Are you refusing to obey?"

The Six Doors men exchanged glances; the quick-witted ones had already slipped away from the group to seek instructions from their superiors.

Chen Chen Guanlou signaled the jailers to hold steady and let the Six Doors take the lead. If the Six Doors yielded, the Heaven Prison would follow procedure and handle the handover paperwork. If the Six Doors insisted on opposing the Brocaded Guards, the Heaven Prison would just sit back and watch the show.

With Chen Chen Guanlou as their backbone, the jailers all fell quiet, hearts untroubled, people unruffled. Their job, after all, was only to escort the prisoner.

Besides, there was only a short distance left to the altar, and the surroundings were filled with Brocaded Guards and Six Doors men—no need to worry about anyone trying to rescue the prisoner from the cart.

And so the jailers became, oddly, the most relaxed group on the scene.

Chen Chen Guanlou guessed that the Six Doors' refusal to back down was probably about saving face. In front of so many agencies, they couldn't afford to lose face. Even if they fought to the end and gained nothing, at least they'd shown their attitude, letting the other agencies know the Six Doors weren't afraid of the Brocaded Guards. That alone was enough.

Face, after all, is something you earn yourself.

Before long, higher-ranking officials from both sides arrived at the scene. After some negotiation, the Six Doors yielded.

The Brocaded Guards produced their official document. Chen Chen Guanlou, representing the Heaven Prison, signed and sealed it, accompanied the Brocaded Guards in verifying the prisoner's identity, and then completed the handover.

The Great Ming King had been watching the whole scene coldly. Just as he was about to fall into the Brocaded Guards' hands, he suddenly shouted at Chen Chen Guanlou: "Chen the Jailer, don't forget what you promised me, don't forget our great cause."

Chen Chen Guanlou: …

He simply raised his middle finger at the man.

With death at his door, still trying to drag him down—as expected, one must never be too kind. His usual politeness toward the Great Ming King had given the man the nerve to climb all over him.

But the Great Ming King burst out laughing. "Chen the Jailer, just you watch—watch what this world will become. Hahaha… What does the death of one man like me matter? When I die, thousands upon thousands will rise. The Great Qian dynasty is doomed!"

"Take him away. Gag him." The Brocaded Guards weren't about to be polite to the Great Ming King, nor speak nicely to him. Straight gag!

The Great Ming King struggled half-heartedly a couple of times, then gave up.

Chen Chen Guanlou waved at him, silently mouthing two words: "Serves you right!" This is what happens when you run your mouth.

But the Great Ming King laughed, laughing as he faced the cruel life ahead.

Chen Chen Guanlou ordered Xiao Jin to take the jailers straight back to the Heaven Prison—no dawdling.

"What about you, my lord?"

"I have my own arrangements. I need to go check on things at Hou Fu."

Xiao Jin understood perfectly, decisively led the jailers away, not wanting to join that commotion.

The Six Doors men, however, all stayed. They had been ordered by the Ministry of Justice to handle outer security. For today's grand Heaven Worship ceremony, they couldn't let the Brocaded Guards have the stage to themselves. The Six Doors had to play their part and contribute.

When the time came to reward merit after the event, the Six Doors could share in the glory.

That's what they called "rain and dew shared equally"!

The nearby teahouses and taverns had all been booked by noble houses and great families, not accepting any private walk-in guests.

Chen Chen Guanlou hadn't yet developed the habit of throwing his weight around, so he simply gave up on indoor space and found a rooftop to hide on. With his eyesight, he could see everything happening on the altar clearly enough.

The Court of Astronomy's people were busy on the altar, while officials from the Ministry of Rites were putting the finishing touches on the final rehearsal, leading officials through their positions.

Everything was ready, only the east wind was missing.

Today was the day for the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Astronomy to show off. The people from these two agencies were all brimming with energy, yet tense. The dark circles under their eyes proved they hadn't slept much these past few days.

Indeed, such a massive event—it's no exaggeration to say today's Heaven Worship ceremony concerned the fate of the nation. Who wasn't on edge, terrified that some small detail had been overlooked and would go wrong at the actual ceremony?

Fortunately, the heavens smiled: today was fine and clear. Though the northwest wind still blew, it was far better than the dreary, rainy days of the past few.

When even the heavens were so generous, how could the Heaven Worship ceremony fail to succeed?

The hour had come!

His Majesty the Emperor, guided by Ministry of Rites officials, surrounded by palace attendants, and escorted by the Imperial Guard, finally arrived at the altar. The Minister of Rites personally led the way, guiding the old Emperor up the steps, one by one, toward the altar at the very top.

Every few steps brought a small ritual. Ministry of Rites officials chanted the sacrificial text, then burned it. Then they continued upward. Step by step, all following ancient rites—the beauty of ceremony was on full display today.

The Court's Weight followed one step behind, trailing the old Emperor, also ascending the altar at a measured pace.

The entire venue—guards, staff, and all—numbered in the thousands, close to ten thousand, yet was so quiet you could hear a mosquito hum. Apart from the voices of the Ministry of Rites officials conducting the ceremony, no one spoke; all faces were solemn, even their breathing softened.

This was the display of national strength, of imperial authority, of court majesty, of "peace under heaven." Many at the scene truly believed that once this Heaven Worship ceremony was complete, the realm's rebels would vanish like ash, and peace would be instantly restored across the land.

Some of the veteran officials were already weeping.

So moved!

The heavens of Great Qian must not fall!

The traitorous rebels must die without question!

Even the noble families watching from the outer perimeter held their breath. In that moment, they felt the majesty of the Great Qian dynasty, blessed by the heavens above.

Chen Chen Guanlou's heart was calm—neither moved nor cold. It was like watching a complete film; he only wanted to use his eyes to see it, his mind to record it.

What a rare scene—might not see another like it in decades to come.

Remember this scene; later it'll be bragging material.

This was his second time seeing the old Emperor. The last time was the night Grandmaster Cheng Cheng Lingzi came to Jingcheng. Was it an illusion? He somehow felt the old Emperor looked sturdier, younger. His steps up the altar were full of strength, showing no sign of frailty.

Was this the state of a man whose body was gradually failing?

The ceremony was long and tedious.

The steps, only a few dozen meters high, took a full half-hour to climb before the old Emperor finally set foot on the altar at the top.

Next came an even more tedious and lengthy ceremony.

Today was not only a test for the Court of Astronomy and the Ministry of Rites.

It was even more a test of the stamina of every official, young and old, present. With such a long ceremony, who knew whether that group of old fellows could hold out.