A loud and long bell sounded in front, because Chong'en Pagoda was surrounded by high walls, this bell sounded, and then echoed continuously, giving people a particularly shocking feeling.
As soon as he heard the bell, even Xiaoping, who was originally chattering, fell silent.
Because the child was too heavy, Ran Xiaoyu stretched out his hand and hugged the princess into his arms. Fortunately, the princess was also very attached to her. As soon as he got into her arms, he yelled "Yuyu" twice, and hugged her tightly. her neck.
At this time, a row of monks walked out of the Famen Hall ahead.
It was exactly what they saw before, the monks who greeted them at the door, headed by Monk Shikong, they were solemnly dressed, holding wooden fish in their hands, while watching, they recited the scriptures of parents' kindness and difficulty, and walked forward slowly go.
Seeing this scene, everyone around fell silent.
Even Princess Xinping, who was still a little noisy, opened her eyes wide and looked at them when she saw this scene.
Ran Xiaoyu leaned close to her ear and said softly, "Have you heard, Your Highness, what they are reading is the scriptures on parents' kindness that cannot be repaid."
"..."
"Your parents' kindness to you is as great as Mount Tai, especially the imperial concubine, who has suffered a lot in order to give birth to you."
"..."
"When you grow up, you must be filial to your mother and concubine."
"oh… "
I don't know if I understood, but Xinping still nodded solemnly.
Nan Yan couldn't help but smile.
Speaking of which, she gave birth to her without the consent of the child, and let her experience life and death in this world, so she is not qualified to ask her to be filial.
She only hoped that this child could live a happy and safe life, that was enough.
After a while, the monks had already walked under the high platform. However, they did not continue to go up, but divided into two rows, walked around the high platform to both sides, and placed a circle of futons around the high platform. There was one every three or five steps, and the monks stopped in front of their respective futons.
Until the two lines meet behind the high platform.
All the monks stood beside their futons and finished their recitations. At this time, there was another sound of drums in the distance.
They all sat cross-legged and recited "Amitabha Buddha" together.
The first part of the ceremony is over.
Next, it should be the second part of today's sacrifice.
That is—
Just as he was thinking, a second long bell sounded from afar. This time the bell sounded louder than before, echoing in the high walls on all sides for a long time.
After the bell stopped, the entire Chong En Pagoda was completely silent.
There was a sound of footsteps.
Everyone seemed to realize something. Everyone held their breath and looked towards the place where the footsteps came from. Nan Yan suddenly became a little nervous and couldn't help standing up from his seat.
What she saw was a dark cloud under the sun, slowly moving towards this side.
When walking on the avenue in the middle, the dark cloud slowly divided into four columns and scattered towards the four sides. Although the teams dispersed, they moved at the same speed. Although they knew it was not an army, they Gives people a feeling of sternness.
That is the students of Bamboo Academy.
They were wearing gray and white long gowns, which looked like dark clouds under the sunlight, with fluttering sleeves, flying with the wind as they marched, giving people a feeling of being in the clouds.
They walked along the four surrounding avenues and began to walk to the high platform.
And Nanyan's gaze was the same as before, and she immediately found the figure she was most familiar with in the middle, tall and slender, he was walking up the steps along the central avenue.
It's Jian Ruocheng.
Under the sun, everyone was tanned and sweating profusely, but he was different, his face was extremely pale, as if he was in a world of ice and snow, even just looking at him, Nan Yan felt a kind of piercing feeling. the chill.
so cold!
Subconsciously, she reached out and hugged her arm.
Ran Xiaoyu at the side sensed her strangeness, and said softly, "Ma'am, what's wrong?"
"..."
Nan Yan was speechless.
Until now, the grand ceremony is still going on smoothly, and Jian Ruocheng has no other expressions on her face, but for some reason, she just feels an indescribable palpitation.
She said suddenly, "Xiaoyu."
"yes."
"If—I mean, if something happens later, you must take good care of Princess Xinping."
"...!"
Ran Xiaoyu looked at her with wide eyes.
Under the scorching sun, a drop of sweat slid down Nanyan's forehead.
But cold sweat.
Ran Xiaoyu frowned, and glanced around—compared to the "pampered" Nan Yan, she had a more instinctive will to fight, and was much more sensitive to danger than her, and now, at least in this In the Great Mercy Temple, she didn't feel any danger, but Nanyan said so.
She was silent for a while, and said in a low voice: "Don't worry, empress, Princess Xinping will be fine."
"..."
"Neither will you!"
Nan Yan looked up at her.
At this moment, these students had already climbed up the high platform from the steps on all sides. Like the monks just now, they also stood around the high platform, but there were no futons beside them, but they stood straight with their hands The posture of closing and saluting, facing all directions.
Jian Ruocheng stood in the very center, in front of Chong'en Pagoda.
The master of ceremonies shouted loudly: "Recite the sacrificial speech!"
Hearing these words, Jian Ruocheng's eyes, which were frozen like ice, suddenly flashed another light, as if the ice layer was trembling at this moment and was about to shatter.
Nan Yan's breathing became even tighter.
Her heart almost reached her throat.
A small figure came out from the side, but it was the young monk Mingxin whom he hadn't seen for several days. He was holding a tray in his hand. On the tray was a pale yellow document.
That's a sacrifice.
Jian Ruocheng will recite these sacrificial words at today's grand ceremony in front of all the people who come to watch the ceremony, and those students standing around the high platform will repeat and recite a sentence every time they hear him recite a sentence , spreading in all directions.
In this way, although the Da Ci'en Temple is so big and there are tens of thousands of people who come to watch the ceremony, everyone can hear the emperor's sacrificial speech.
And the person who reads is the key.
Every word he read will be heard clearly in everyone's ears.
Jian Ruocheng lowered her head, looked at that page of documents, as if taking a deep breath, then slowly picked it up and held it in the palm of her hand.
At this moment, the entire Da Ci'en Temple was so silent.
Nan Yan stood on the spot, looking up at Jian Ruocheng, who was attracting everyone's attention at this moment, only felt that the palms of her hands were constantly sweating, almost wet|wetting her entire palms.
"Second Young Master Jian..."
She murmured.