Ren Daoyuan looked thoughtfully at Shen Canghai, only to see his old friend's lips curl up imperceptibly. Then he lowered his head and took a sip of tea.
In the curling tea fragrance, Mr. Yan had quietly left in his wheelchair. Outside the hall, the sun shone brightly, gilding the name "Liu Ruyan" on the list. It was like a sword hanging above everyone's heads.
Shen Cuiyu stood under the corridor, watching the scene in the hall from afar with a calm expression.
She knew that this play had just begun.
...........
After the candidates were determined in the deliberation hall, the Directorate of Ceremonial presented the results to the palace.
A few days later, an imperial edict was issued from the palace, summoning Liu Ruyan to the palace for an audience.
Liu Ruyan left proudly. A few days later, the court issued an imperial decree, announcing that Liu Ruyan would be the priest for the upcoming grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven.
The news spread like wildfire. In no time, not only in the Wanhxiang Academy but also in the streets and alleys, people were talking about Liu Ruyan during their meals and leisure time!
On the day the imperial decree was issued, Liu Ruyan rode in a special imperial carriage through the capital. The gold - embroidered patterns on the carriage glistened in the sunlight. How glorious she was!
Liu Ruyan even specially ordered the coachman to drive around the city three times. Along the way, there were storytellers arranged in advance shouting loudly:
"The goddess has descended to the world, bringing blessings to all the people! Priestess Liu has received the imperial grace and will preside over the grand ceremony. It is truly a blessing from Heaven for our dynasty!"
With such a flamboyant display, within half a day, the anecdote of "the reincarnation of the goddess" was spreading in all the major teahouses and restaurants in the capital. Moreover, embroidery workshops worked overnight to make sachets embroidered with Liu Ruyan's portrait, claiming that they could ward off evil spirits. Once they were on the market, they were sold out in the streets!
The news spread back to the academy from the capital. Many disciples came here out of admiration and blocked the classroom where Liu Ruyan and others were, eager to catch a glimpse of her.
Dongfang Xiao was munching on sunflower seeds while watching the excitement. She asked in some confusion:
"Why is Liu Ruyan so confident? As a Yellow - rank cultivator, can she really use her spiritual power to communicate with Heaven and Earth and bring down rain without any magical tools?"
Cui Rui squeezed out of the crowd with difficulty. She smoothed her disheveled hair wearily and said:
"Don't you know? Liu Ruyan planned a 'Thanksgiving Dharma Assembly' yesterday..."
According to Cui Rui, after Liu Ruyan returned to the academy, she set up an incense altar in the main hall, burned incense and prayed in public. She also deliberately chose some magical tools with excellent visual effects. When she cast the spell, rays of colorful light shot out, which made the on - looking disciples exclaim in surprise...
In the following days, Liu Ruyan never showed up in the classroom again. Whenever a teacher asked about her, her followers would proudly explain on her behalf:
"Ruyan is fasting and taking baths, devoting herself to the study of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven."
Zhong Shengwan looked at the noisy classroom in the past few days. His handsome face was as black as thunder:
"The grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven hasn't even started yet, and Liu Ruyan is already so flamboyant. After the ceremony, won't she go wild?"
Hearing this, Shen Cuiyu just gave a faint smile and didn't answer.
..........
As the date of the grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven drew near, the entire palace was bustling with activity. Pei Yu rarely stayed in the academy.
The whole capital was enveloped in a solemn and solemn atmosphere. The streets were cleaned with water, the shops were decorated with lanterns, and even the most naughty children stopped playing around.
After all, the grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven was the most important event in the Daxia Dynasty, which was held only once every few years.
The last sacrificial ceremony was held when the emperor ascended the throne, more than twenty years ago. This time, it was held again, attracting the attention of the whole country and making the people look forward to it!
Therefore, three months ago, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory had already started to carefully prepare for the items needed for the sacrificial ceremony. The etiquette was extremely complicated, and they dared not make the slightest mistake.
Forty days before the sacrifice, the sound of music never stopped in the Temple of Heavenly Music in the Temple of Heaven. The musicians and dancers rehearsed repeatedly in the Ningxi Hall. Every movement had to be perfect.
Twenty days before the sacrifice, the princes and princes went to the sacrificial site in person to inspect the sacrificial offerings. The emperor and the queen moved to the fasting palace, and all the civil and military officials fasted and took baths in their yamen.
Until ten days before the sacrifice, a group of palace servants came to the Wanhxiang Academy with a vermilion - lacquered box in their hands. The leading eunuch unfurled a bright yellow scroll and announced loudly:
"Bestow upon Liu Ruyan, the chief priest of the grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven -"
After Liu Ruyan thanked the emperor for his grace, she stepped forward in a flattered manner. Inside the box was a black sacrificial robe embroidered with the sun, the moon, and the stars in gold thread. The hem of the robe was surrounded by cloud patterns, shining brightly in the sunlight!
There was also a seven - treasure crown with a night - pearl as big as a pigeon's egg in the middle, extremely dazzling.
Liu Ruyan took the sacrificial robe under the envious gazes of everyone. Her fingertips gently stroked the delicate brocade.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Ruyan will surely do her best to pray for blessings from Heaven with the secret methods of the Xuanmen!"
After bidding farewell to the eunuch, Liu Ruyan deliberately turned to the direction where Shen Cuiyu was standing and held the sacrificial robe high so that the bright gold thread could be fully illuminated by the sun.
"Such a precious sacrificial robe. I'm afraid some people will never get a chance to touch it in their lifetime." Her voice was soft, but it was loud enough for the surrounding disciples to hear clearly.
Several of her followers around her immediately echoed:
"Ruyan is a genius. How can an ordinary person compare with her?"
"On the day of the grand sacrificial ceremony, we must let the whole world see the elegance of the goddess!"
Liu Ruyan smiled with the corners of her lips. Her eyes swept over Shen Cuiyu, who remained silent all the time. A hint of pride flashed in her eyes. She walked slowly closer and said in a voice that only she and Shen Cuiyu could hear:
"Shen Cuiyu, you've lost. You'll always be my defeated opponent."
She stared directly into Shen Cuiyu's eyes, with a blatant sneer on her lips.
This look was very familiar to Shen Cuiyu. In the cave in her previous life, Liu Ruyan had said the last "goodbye" to her with almost the same expression and tone.
All the disciples held their breaths and watched the scene in front of them. They always felt that the two of them would fight at any moment.
Cui Rui, who was standing beside them, silently rolled up her sleeves. If the two of them really fought later, she would never let Cuiyu suffer!
But the tense situation that everyone had expected did not happen.
Shen Cuiyu just calmly looked back at Liu Ruyan, and a faint smile slowly spread across her lips.
"Goddess," her voice was soft but every word was clear, "I hope you'll be as lucky as before this time."
The smile was so bright and calm that it made Liu Ruyan frown involuntarily.
For some reason, a sense of uneasiness suddenly flashed through her heart.
But before she could ask further, Shen Cuiyu had turned around and left, her clothes fluttering in the morning wind.
Liu Ruyan was stunned for a moment, then she thought that Shen Cuiyu was just putting on a brave face. She quickly forgot about this momentary uneasiness.
She stayed in the academy for a while longer, until all the disciples had engraved the image of her in the luxurious sacrificial robe deeply in their minds. Then she left gracefully.
Early the next morning, everyone in the Wanhxiang Academy got on the carriages heading for the capital, ready to witness this grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven that only happened once every twenty - odd years.
The carriages rumbled along, carrying everyone with different thoughts towards the altar that would determine the fates of many people.