Catching Monsters

Chapter 609 The Saint is Coming
The enthronement ceremony is, normally speaking, an extremely complex and tedious process.

Generally, the imperial edict will be read first to confirm the legitimacy of the succession. Then, the entire ceremony and process will be prepared within one to three months after the late emperor's death.

Of course, because Xiao Jingqing was extremely anxious, he simplified everything and reduced many things from complicated to simple.

Even on the day of the official coronation ceremony, there are still some necessary procedures.

In simple terms, it involves formally bathing and changing clothes upon entering the palace, offering sacrifices to Heaven and informing ancestors. First, one goes to the sacrificial site to inform Heaven, and then to the imperial mausoleum to inform the ancestors.

At this point, the ceremony is basically complete. The final step is to enter the imperial court and receive the homage of the officials.

At this moment, Xiao Jingqing had changed into a brand new dragon robe, with Qi Lang and Qin Hong by his side. In secret, he had also arranged for many Tongyou Guard experts to protect him.

Minister of Rites Gao Lingshan was in charge of the ceremony. Afterwards, Xiao Jingqing led the officials slowly toward the direction of the Altar of Heaven.

The Altar of Heaven is located on the east side of the inner city of the capital. It is a huge sacrificial site, about five meters high, carved from bluestone.

It was also a place specifically used by the Zhou emperors to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

The area around the altar of Heaven was now completely protected by the Imperial Guards. However, many people from the surrounding streets and houses had come to witness the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne.

Among the crowd, Jiang Yun, Xiao Jingzhi, Qi Da and others were nearby, watching Xiao Jingqing lead the civil and military officials slowly approach. Xiao Jingzhi's face showed anxiety, and he whispered to Jiang Yun, "Brother Jiang, the most important part of the entire enthronement ceremony is this sacrifice to Heaven."

“If this ceremony is completed, Xiao Jingqing will be the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty in a legal sense, and it must be stopped.”

As the eldest prince of the Zhou Kingdom, Xiao Jingzhi was naturally well-versed in astronomy and geography. He was already very familiar with the enthronement process and had even secretly imagined how he would organize his own enthronement ceremony.

Jiang Yun looked toward Xiao Jingqing not far away. At this moment, many officials from the Ministry of Rites had taken their places and were preparing to formally begin the sacrifice to Heaven.

Jiang Yun lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, we can't act rashly right now. Qin Hong is by Xiao Jingzhi's side, and many experts from the Tongyou Guard are probably hiding in the shadows to protect him. If we make a move, we'll probably just die."

Jiang Yun was also extremely anxious, constantly looking around, wondering why Lord Tiger Saint hadn't arrived yet...

Could it be that Tiger Saint has disregarded his promise to himself?
Although the Eastern Garrison Commander was loyal to him, Jiang Yun understood that it would be presumptuous for the Eastern Garrison Commander alone to stand against Xiao Jingqing, who controlled the entire Zhou Dynasty court.

Xiao Jingqing, dressed in a dragon robe, looked quite spirited. Gao Lingshan, the Minister of Rites, holding a proclamation to Heaven, slowly walked up to the high platform. He coughed lightly and said loudly, "The late Emperor Zhengde has returned to Heaven. The country cannot be without a ruler for a day. The Crown Prince is wise and virtuous, and will succeed to the throne..."

Gao Lingshan continued chanting above, and all the officials present looked solemn and devout. No matter how high their official rank, no one dared to act recklessly during this ceremony to worship Heaven.

Finally, Gao Lingshan slowly finished reciting, and looked at Xiao Jingqing below with a complicated expression. Xiao Jingqing was wearing a dragon robe and slowly walked towards the sacrificial altar.

Once he stands on the high platform and finishes reciting his petition to Heaven, and as long as there are no unusual celestial phenomena, indicating that Heaven does not object, he will be the legitimate supreme ruler of the Zhou Kingdom.

At this moment, his breathing became slightly rapid.

I can't wait to get this step done.

For many years, ever since his mother was treated with contempt, he had secretly vowed that he would make something of himself in the future, and that day was about to arrive.

When the time comes, I will grant my mother the title she did not have.

He will kill everyone who dares to oppose him.

Standing on the high platform, Xiao Jingqing closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then took out a sacrificial document written on yellow silk. He slowly said, "Your subject Xiao Jingqing respectfully bows and reports to the Supreme God of Heaven:

The late Emperor Zhengde reigned for twenty-nine years, diligently governing and caring for the people, winning the hearts of all under heaven. Now, he has passed away, leaving a will that my subject succeed him. I am of mediocre talent and fear I may fail in fulfilling the mandate of Heaven, yet I dare not disobey the late Emperor's trust and the hopes of the people..."

Before he could finish reading, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from the silent crowd.

"I object!"

Xiao Jingzhi pushed through the crowd and rushed forward. He was wearing a gray scholar's robe and was stopped by the Imperial Guards.

"Who dares to stop me? I am a prince of the Great Zhou! Get out of my way!" Upon seeing this, Xiao Jingzhi began to fight with the imperial guards.

Seeing this, Jiang Yun frowned, knowing that the eldest prince could no longer sit still. Jiang Yun rushed forward and kicked the imperial guards who were blocking Xiao Jingzhi away.

"hiss."

Many ministers present were stunned, while those civil officials who had met Xiao Jingzhi beforehand breathed a sigh of relief. In such a situation, it was naturally inconvenient for them to stand up and oppose Xiao Jingqing's ascension to the throne.

So they were secretly anxious, and only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the eldest prince come out.

However, their brows soon furrowed as they realized that the eldest prince's appearance at the time of the crown prince's ascension to the throne would likely not end well.

"Xiao Jingqing, shut up! What right do you have to worship the heavens!" Xiao Jingzhi was on the heavier side, but walked with a steady gait. He strode to the foot of the altar and looked at Xiao Jingqing, who was dressed in a dragon robe: "Don't you know how Father Emperor died?"

Xiao Jingqing wasn't surprised by Xiao Jingzhi's sudden appearance. He knew his older brother's personality; he would never let the matter rest.

He ignored Xiao Jingzhi and continued reciting the sacrificial document to Heaven. He had to complete the sacrificial document to Heaven as soon as possible so that he would be the legitimate ruler of the Zhou Kingdom.

Finally, he said, "Your subject is filled with trepidation and trepidation, and bows his head repeatedly to report this."

After he finished speaking, there was no change in the sky above, and Xiao Jingqing breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Legally, he had become the legitimate ruler of the Zhou Kingdom.

At this moment, his gaze slowly turned to Xiao Jingzhi below, his eyes filled with contempt, and he said, "Brother, why don't you kneel before me?"

Then, Xiao Jingqing's gaze slowly turned to the civil and military officials: "Why don't you kneel?"

Upon seeing this, Qi Lang hurriedly knelt down and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty has bestowed a mandate from Heaven! The fate of the world rests on its own. Qi Lang, the commander of the Imperial Guards, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Once the first one did it, soon more and more officials began to kneel down.

Xiao Jingzhi's eyes were bloodshot as he turned around and shouted, "You are not allowed to kneel! Xiao Jingqing murdered the Emperor, he is a patricide, what right does he have to ascend the throne and become Emperor!"

Among the civil and military officials, many had already knelt down.

It's quite obvious now; they're choosing sides. Kneeling down means acknowledging Xiao Jingqing's authority.

Not kneeling means standing on Xiao Jingzhi's side.

At this moment, many civil officials still had complicated expressions. According to the law, Xiao Jingqing was already His Majesty the Emperor.

Yet they were also deeply connected to Xiao Jingzhi. Many people's eyes were turned towards Yan Hua, the Minister of Rites.

Yan Hua closed his eyes, put his hands behind his back, and made no move to kneel down.

Upon seeing this scene, there were more than thirty civil officials standing tall and straight in the crowd, quite conspicuous.

Both Xiao Jingzhi and Xiao Jingqing looked at the civil and military officials and remembered which ones did not kneel.

"Guards! Xiao Jingqing has defied Heaven and disrupted the coronation ceremony! Seize him!"

Qin Hong stood still and nodded slightly. At his signal, a hidden expert from the Tongyou Guard made his move instantly. It was Vulture.

The vulture leaped up, stretched out its palm, and flew towards Xiao Jingzhi.

In an instant, the whisk of the Three Pure Ones flew out and grew to be more than twenty meters long, instantly binding the vulture.

The vulture was instantly subdued by the whisk.

Holding the Three Pure Ones Flying Brush, Jiang Yun stepped forward and slowly said, "Vulture, the First Prince is of noble status. It would be best if you did not attack him. I am doing this for your own good."

The vulture used its magic to try to break free from the Three Pure Ones' whisk, but to its surprise, no matter how much it struggled, the whisk only tightened around it.

Qin Hong's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Jiang Yun, you are also a member of the Tongyou Guard. I order you to leave immediately."

After speaking, Qin Hong waved his hand slightly, and eight top experts from the Tongyou Guard instantly appeared on the eaves around the altar.

Jiang Yun glanced around and his heart sank. These eight experts were at least at the second rank. If they joined forces to attack him, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand more than a few moves.

His face darkened, and he thought to himself, "This is bad."

Qin Hong slowly stepped forward and said, "See? This is not a place for you to run wild. Get out of the capital."

It must be said that Qin Hong was still thinking about saving Jiang Yun's life at this moment, after all, he was his subordinate.

If Jiang Yun had listened to his advice and left the capital immediately, he would have been able to survive.

Jiang Yun's face also showed hesitation. The key question was whether Tiger Saint could come!
If Tiger Saint doesn't come and I don't retreat, I'm afraid I'll lose my life here.

At the same time, Xiao Jingzhi was determined to die and looked at Xiao Jingqing above him: "Eighth brother, your personality is not suitable for ruling. If you ascend the throne and become emperor, the accumulation of our Great Zhou Dynasty for more than three hundred years will probably be destroyed in your hands."

"If I cannot stop you from ascending the throne today, I will shed my blood and die here!"

After saying that, Xiao Jingzhi actually pulled out a dagger from his bosom.

Xiao Jingqing almost shouted "Good luck!" and urged him to commit suicide immediately. Gao Lingshan, the Minister of Rites, hurriedly said, "Absolutely not! Bloodshed at the enthronement ceremony is a terrible omen. Your Highness, things have come to this, why must you do this?"

Gao Lingshan was able to serve as the Minister of Rites because he was a Confucian official who came from the Imperial Academy. He had known Xiao Jingzhi for many years and had even taught the eldest prince a great deal of knowledge.

How could one find the eldest prince committing suicide here?

Xiao Jingzhi took a deep breath, looked up at the heavens with a serious expression, and said, "Your Majesty! Please open your eyes!"

“If my eighth brother is truly superior to me, I, Xiao Jingzhi, understand the principle of yielding to the virtuous. If he ascends the throne, I will have no complaints.”

“But after my eighth brother became the crown prince, he appointed his relatives and friends. In just a short time, he forced the Zhenchi Army to mutiny. If he continues to hold power, the three hundred years of beautiful land of our Zhou Kingdom will be destroyed in an instant.”

"I, Xiao Jingzhi, am not one to covet the throne, but I do wish for the people of this world to live in peace and prosperity. I implore Heaven to open its eyes and bestow a miracle..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingqing's eyes turned icy as he rebuked, "Shut up! This is my coronation ceremony, how dare you spout nonsense here! Qin Hong! Kill him and Jiang Yun immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lingshan, the Minister of Rites, hurriedly advised, "Your Highness, this is unacceptable! Bloodshed during the ceremony is an ominous sign."

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jingqing kicked Gao Lingshan to the ground: "Your Highness the Crown Prince? I have already ascended the throne, and you still call me Crown Prince. It seems that you are also one of Xiao Jingzhi's accomplices."

"Qin Hong, why aren't you making a move?"

Qin Hong's expression changed slightly. He took a deep breath. Now that Xiao Jingqing had ascended the throne, how could he possibly disobey his orders?

His lips moved slightly, as if he was about to give an order.

Suddenly, the clouds in the sky changed. All the clouds swirled up, as if they had become a vortex. In an instant, a strong wind arose, and Xiao Jingqing, who was standing on the altar, almost lost his footing.

The many people present were already happily enjoying their melon, chatting for hours about every little thing that happened in their lives.

Moreover, this is a great show of the Crown Prince and the First Prince vying for the throne, and the surrounding people are watching with great interest.

Unexpectedly, the sky changed drastically.

"Wow, has the heavens truly moved the First Prince?"

"Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince is truly unsuitable to ascend the throne and become emperor?"

Many people present couldn't help but mutter to themselves.

Many civil and military officials shared the same thought: such strange weather during the enthronement ceremony was rather unusual.

Only Qin Hong's expression was solemn. He looked up, his body trembling slightly, and shock appeared in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "The Sage has arrived..."

Qin Hong was shocked. How could this be? How could this be...?

The whereabouts of the human sage are unknown. Could it be that the human sage has appeared?

Or is he a saint of the demon race?
But why would a saint of the demon race appear here at this time?

boom!
Above the sky, all the clouds slowly turned black, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and an immense pressure slowly descended.

Xiao Jingqing looked up, a blank expression on his face. He had no idea what was going on.

But a strong sense of unease crept in.

(End of this chapter)