Free Web NovelChapter 1827: Chapter 600: Grand Gesture
The founding ceremony designed by numerous Confucian scholars, including Ding Cangsheng, was exceptionally intricate, despite Chu Xisheng’s repeated requests to simplify all rituals.
By the time the entire ceremony was completed, it was already evening.
Even someone like Chu Xisheng, who possesses the Blood of Ten Thousand Ages, felt slightly fatigued; let alone Chu Yunyun, whose physical condition was a bit inferior to Chu Xisheng’s.
As everything concluded, and the two returned to the imperial palace in formal attire, they each collapsed into their seats, too lazy to move for a moment.
The main source of exhaustion was mental; the various complicated rituals greatly annoyed Chu Xisheng.
If it were up to Chu Xisheng, he would have simply issued an imperial decree and accepted a brief court tribute, without making it too complicated.
However, the ministers, including Jian Cangfeng, strongly advised against it, and even Chu Yunyun believed that etiquette must not be abolished.
The ancients valued ritual and law greatly.
Xunzi from another world once said, "Without etiquette, there is no life; without etiquette, things cannot be accomplished; without etiquette, a country cannot be peaceful."
It means that if people do not understand etiquette or abide by ritual constraints, it is difficult for them to find a place in society; without adhering to rituals, tasks cannot succeed; a country without rituals must live in a state without peace.
In this world, the situation is quite similar, even with more emphasis on it.
A so-called ritual law is essentially a set of rules and norms to maintain the operation and order of society.
Although ritual law also reinforces hierarchical systems, in ancient times, without the constraints of ritual law, common people would have led even more difficult lives, protecting civilians as well.
And a grand, solemn, dignified founding ceremony not only unites the hearts of officials and people but also announces legitimacy to the world.
The grand Dalv Dynasty is not a mere patchwork band, but is acknowledged as legitimate by all under heaven!
Chu Xisheng had no choice but to compromise.
He had to unite the hearts of hundreds of billions of people in the Divine Continent, gather even greater, tougher Dragon Energy comparable to that of Emperor Xuanhuang or the Three Generation of Saint Emperor, not able to act on impulse in certain matters.
Chu Xisheng rested for a full two minutes before regaining his strength.
He revitalized his spirit and summoned his ’Twelve Dragon God Heavenly Guardian’.
Chu Xisheng looked closely at the Dragon Energy spiraling around him and couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.
In terms of the intensity and purity of the Dragon Energy, he should be just a little stronger than Emperor Jianyuan, who was known as the ’Bright Emperor’.
In fact, whether ’Twelve Dragon God Heavenly Guardian’ or ’Sky Battle Seven Guards’, these Emperor’s Secret Techniques are essentially based on the secret technique ’Blood Coagulation and Vein Gathering’, unifying the Qi Blood True Essence and spiritual will of the citizens and soldiers to gain greater battle power.
Thus, the more united people’s hearts and wills are, the stronger the Emperor’s Secret Techniques become.
The Primordial Emperor Xuanhuang’s reputation was revered, coupled with the relatively prosperous population under his rule at the time, making Emperor Xuanhuang nearly invincible around the Divine Continent.
It is said that several Ancestor Gods at that time were defeated by Emperor Xuanhuang.
During the Three Generation of Saint Emperor’s era, the Human Clan suffered from the Daluo Ant Clan’s scourge, turning almost all northern states into barren lands.
Yet the Human Clan, under the looming threat of extinction, rallied under the Three Generation of Saint Emperor’s banner with unwavering unity, granting the Three Generation of Saint Emperor battle power comparable to the Ancestor Gods even at the super-grade tier.
But now—
Chu Xisheng couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.
Now, the Divine Continent’s population is exceedingly prosperous, just under his rule over half the Divine Continent, the population surpasses that of the Three Generation of Saint Emperor’s era by more than twice, yet the quality of Dragon Energy can only be considered passable.
Therefore, he couldn’t completely let go of political affairs; he still had to devise grand strategies, allot land, balance territories, northern expeditions, expansion, tax reduction, using his sword to oversee the ministers’ execution, unifying the people’s hearts to the greatest extent.
Even if viewed as a tyrant by those aristocratic families, it doesn’t matter; he must make sacrifices.
After all, ordinary people still make up the vast majority under heaven.
When Chu Xisheng retracted the twelve Dragon Energies, he noticed Lu Luanti beside him, still in an unfocused and absent-minded state.
To speak of it, this girl’s status had been off the whole day, almost like a wooden person, passively led by the ceremonial female officials throughout the process.
Chu Xisheng initially suspected his deceptive marriage strategy was inappropriate.
Could it be he misunderstood Lu Luanti’s feelings and did something excessive, causing Lu Luanti to be unable to accept it? Was this a counterproductive result?
Later, he realized something was off.
Chu Xisheng’s eyes gleamed slightly, and he smiled as he stood up to loosen his clothing: "Li’er, what are you thinking about? Hurry and remove your makeup and prepare, tonight marks our wedding night."
Lu Luanti’s mind was still in disarray.
Is what the note said true?
Her father isn’t Father, but the deceased Crown Prince of the Daning Dynasty?
How is that possible? The late Crown Prince died two months before she was born.
But the note said her mother was sentenced to death two months after the Crown Prince’s rebellion.
The timing matches.
Besides, Father never married throughout his life and spoke vaguely about her mother’s identity, only mentioning she was a woman from Jianghu, who passed away the year she was born.
Lu Luanti doesn’t believe these things, yet she cannot help but entertain doubt.
She turns out to be Chu Xisheng’s hated grandson of Emperor Jianyuan.
Moreover, the reason Chu Xisheng appointed her as Vice Empress today might be to win over the surrendered generals and retainers from the Daning Dynasty.
So today during the founding ceremony, she thought of this matter from morning to night.
She didn’t even listen to Chu Xisheng’s enfeoffment decree.
