Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 453 The Abdication Ceremony
In Qilin City, at the Gouchen Division office.

Tomorrow is the abdication ceremony. The Gouchen Division needs to coordinate with various government departments to ensure all procedures are in place before deploying guards accordingly.

This was the first time Fifth Dimension had been in charge of such important security work since taking office. With all the veterans of the Gouchen Division gone on Chen Qingzhi's northern expedition, leaving only a group of inexperienced newcomers, he dared not relax his vigilance. Every detail had to be meticulously explained, every arrangement had to be detailed to the last point…

He's exhausted... well, it's Nangong who's exhausted. He hasn't slept for three days and three nights.

Fortunately, she had extensive experience with insomnia, and during the break between the two meetings, she quickly closed her eyes to rest and take a short nap to recover her energy.

Not long after Nangong entered a light sleep, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if someone had grabbed his hands and feet and dragged him into the water.

She struggled desperately, but her limbs wouldn't obey her commands; she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out, and she could only watch helplessly as she continued to fall into the dark depths of the sea...

~~
"Nangong, Nangong..." The Fifth Dimension's voice awakened the sleeping Nangong.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and when she opened her eyes, a flash of golden light appeared in them before they returned to their clear black and white.

"The meeting has started," Fifth Dimension said softly.

Nangong nodded. She noticed that the room was filled with unfamiliar faces, but she wasn't surprised. She simply sat there calmly, listening to everyone speak.

Seeing that the meeting was over and she hadn't spoken yet, Fifth Dimension asked, "Is there anything to add?"

Nangong shook his head. His subordinates all breathed a sigh of relief; usually, Vice Commander Nan's "two additional sentences" would take at least half an hour...

I'm probably too tired today, so I'm finally letting everyone off the hook.

"Then let's adjourn the meeting." Fifth Wei waved his hand, and after everyone had left, he asked with concern, "Why don't you rest for a while, and I'll go and report to the Crown Prince myself?"

"No need." Nangong shook his head again, got up and walked out.

"..." Fifth Dimension frowned as he looked at her back. She seemed a little unfamiliar, as if she were a different person.

But there was no time to think it through, so he quickly got up and followed.

~~
Fifth Wei and Nangong arrived at the East Palace to request an audience with His Highness the Crown Prince.

The crown prince fasted and bathed three days in advance and was staying alone in a quiet room in preparation for the grand ceremony.

Upon hearing that the people from the Gouchen Division were requesting an audience, the Crown Prince said, "Please let them in."

Although foreign officials are not allowed to visit during the fasting and prayer period, the officials in charge of the grand ceremony and security are still required to be seen.

These people were reporting on matters related to tomorrow's ceremony. For example, how to better utilize the guards to avoid unforeseen circumstances tomorrow, and how to evacuate as quickly as possible... This was what the Gouchen Division needed to report.

A short while later, Wu Wei and Nangong arrived at the quiet room. Through the beaded curtain, Wu Wei greeted His Highness the Crown Prince, who was among the eunuchs.

Then he heard the eunuch behind him whisper and scold, "Why haven't you paid your respects to the Crown Prince yet?"

This was clearly not a reprimand. Fifth Dimension turned to look at Nangong, only to see her still standing there straight, gazing indifferently at the Crown Prince behind the beaded curtain.

That gaze was like that of the Buddha statue atop Purple Mountain…

~~
The abdication ceremony was to take place the following day. Before dawn, the gates of Jiankang slowly opened, and two squads of imperial guards in bright armor, led by their officers, marched out in neat formation and stood facing each other on both sides of Zhuque Avenue.

Inside the Vermilion Bird Gate, all the way to the Grand Marshal's Gate, the main gate of the Imperial City, the Imperial Guards were already lined up in neat rows. There was a guard every three steps and a sentry every five steps, maintaining a strict state of alert.

At the stroke of dawn, the temples throughout the city rang their bells in unison. Amidst the melodious chimes, the sun rose in the east, and the morning light dyed the sky a magnificent golden-red, as if adding luster to today's abdication ceremony.

Two thousand Imperial Guardsmen emerged from the Grand Marshal's Gate, their steps shattering the morning light. Clad in golden armor, they carried the Yellow Dragon Banner, the Big Dipper Banner, the Sun and Moon Banner, the Four Symbols Banner, and the Imperial Procession Banner, leading the massive procession slowly out of the city.

The emperor rode in a jade carriage in front, followed by the crown prince, and under the guidance of a grand procession, accompanied by high-ranking officials and nobles, they proceeded to the Altar of Heaven to offer sacrifices to Heaven and their ancestors, thus transferring power.

Xiao Yan, dressed in a robe with twelve embroidered patterns and wearing a crown with twelve tassels, sat solemnly on his throne, his left hand resting on the Imperial Seal and his right hand holding the Emperor's Sword.

His gaze was deep and resolute, showing no reluctance to relinquish the throne he was about to pass on. All those who achieve great things are people of unwavering resolve, who, once they make up their minds, will never waver.

After the disastrous defeat at the Altar of Heaven on New Year's Day two years ago, Xiao Yan already had plans to abdicate the throne... A throne that can only be secured by submitting to the gods is not worth clinging to.

Therefore, he was determined to break the shackles of the Ancestral Dragon's Curse, become a god, and then defeat the statue on the Purple Gold Peak!
However, he did not tell his children and the god with whom he had allied himself the whole truth: he did not need to go to Luoyang to become a god—the national fortune accumulated in the Imperial Seal of the State in his right hand for twenty years was enough for him to become a god!
However, due to the curse of the First Emperor, Xiao Yan had never dared to use it. Therefore, after passing the throne to the Crown Prince and severing the karmic hindrance of being an emperor, he could immediately extract the divine fire from the jade seal and become a god.

Then he led his army north to Luoyang, received the miracle created by Chen Qingzhi, and became an ancient god. As an ancient god, he commanded an army of 100,000 to sweep across the Central Plains, and with the miracle of unifying the north and south, he ascended to the position of chief god!

Once he achieves immortality and becomes the supreme god of the three realms, he will return to Jiankang, attack Zijin Mountain, flatten Tongtai Temple, and fight a decisive battle with the Buddha, who is also the Dream God!

Perfect……

~~
The jade carriage and the golden carriage came to a steady stop outside the Circular Mound Altar. Crown Prince Xiao Tong, dressed in a nine-chapter robe and wearing a nine-tassel crown, quickly jumped down from the golden carriage and came to the jade carriage to help his father get out of the carriage.

Xiao Yan looked at his eldest son, who was about to take over the throne. He saw that the boy was tall and handsome with a calm gaze, and already had the appearance of a ruler.

Xiao Yan nodded in satisfaction, convinced that he had raised a good emperor for the Liang Dynasty and its people.

He grasped the crown prince's hand, steadily disembarked from the jade carriage, and together they stepped onto the eighty-one-story altar for worshipping Heaven.

Sixty-four banners fluttered on the circular altar of heaven, and a raging fire had already been lit in the huge bronze furnace.

Below the stage, thousands of people, including princes, dukes, officials, guards, and musicians, were in their respective positions, quietly awaiting the auspicious time.

While waiting, some couldn't help but recall the New Year's Day sacrificial ceremony two years ago, the scene strikingly similar to today's. They couldn't help but silently pray that this time everything would go smoothly…

At three-quarters past Chen hour, the master of ceremonies loudly proclaimed, "Welcome the gods!"

The chief priest struck the gong nine times, and three hundred imperial guards, lined up on the sacrificial steps, holding halberds, chanted in unison:

“Oh, Your Majesty ...

With solemn and respectful sacrifice, wisdom and compassion are boundless. May their sincerity be upheld, and may they be pardoned and rewarded…

Amidst the deep and solemn singing, Emperor Xiao Yan and his son Emperor Xiao Tong ascended the altar from the eastern steps. After bowing four times to the Jade Emperor, Emperor Xiao Yan carefully placed the Imperial Seal of the State on the offering table.

(End of this chapter)