The Great Qin Dynasty: The egg of the Black Bird was revered as a national guardian beast.

"The offerings are presented to Heaven, and the prayers are proclaimed."

"The Great Qin, having received the Mandate of Heaven, enjoys eternal prosperity; the world is at peace; men find joy in their fields, women diligently pursue their careers; and all are content in their place!"

The chief priest stood on the altar, facing the densely packed subjects, and loudly proclaimed to them.

"May the Qin Dynasty last ten thousand years!"

"May the Qin Dynasty last ten thousand years!"

Amidst the cheers of the people, grand ceremonial music began again, and the subjects all around shouted their praises for the emperor's long reign.

When the roar of the mountains and the roar of the sea subsided, the sacrificial ceremony came to an end.

"Sending off the gods, hoping for a bonfire!"

To the urging of the priest, the shaman placed all the remaining offerings in the incinerator and burned them.

Of course, some of the sacrificial meat should still be left.

The leftover sacrificial meat from the Heaven-worshiping ceremony will be distributed to the officials who participated in the ceremony according to their rank, so that they can share in the blessings bestowed by Heaven.

White smoke swirled and drifted with the wind towards the heavens.

Whether it was the First Emperor or his subjects, everyone looked up at the rising white smoke.

The burning of offerings earlier was to welcome the gods and respectfully invite them to descend. Now, the burning of offerings is to send the gods off and respectfully invite them to return to their places.

No sound came from within.

The First Emperor looked at Xuan Ye, bowed slightly, and led his ministers behind him, saying, "We respectfully request the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird to return to its rightful place!"

The next moment, the people below the altar knelt on the ground, and shouts of encouragement rose from all directions, eventually merging into one.

"We respectfully invite the Celestial Bird of Destiny to return to its rightful place!"

"We respectfully invite the Celestial Bird of Destiny to return to its rightful place!"

"We respectfully invite the Celestial Bird of Destiny to return to its rightful place!"

As Xuan Ye listened to the thunderous roar, his feathers shone with a mysterious luster.

It spread its wings, flapped them gently, took flight, and circled the altar a few times.

Then it circled the white smoke and soared straight to the sky, its cries echoing.

As he traversed the nine heavens, Xuan Ye's thick, jet-black feathers gleamed with an eerie luster under the sunlight.

A long, slender tail feather adorns its back, resembling a tassel.

Even with the roar of voices below, Xuan Ye could clearly hear what the common people were saying.

"It's the Black Bird, the Black Bird of Destiny of our Great Qin!"

"May the Black Bird above bless my family with a bountiful harvest this year, may my family be safe and sound, and may I find a wife soon."

"May the Black Bird above protect me so I can find money on the street."

Hearing this, Xuan Ye let out a long cry, causing the leaves to rustle and fall to the ground.

Finally, it flapped its wings and disappeared into the clouds at an extremely fast speed.

The shouts grew louder and louder, and never faded.

Next, the First Emperor announced a general feast throughout the land, lifted the three-day night curfew in Xianyang, and celebrated with Heaven!

Amidst a burst of drumming music

This grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven has come to an end.

........

The entire day was filled with excitement, both inside and outside Xianyang.

As the First Emperor's imperial carriage gradually disappeared into the distance, the people around the site of the altar for worshipping Heaven remained unwilling to leave.

It seems that staying here for a long time will allow one to receive divine blessings.

It can absorb some of the aura of the gods and emperors, which can protect the health of the family, prevent disasters and misfortunes, and ensure good weather and abundant harvests.

However, nobody cares about these things anymore.

After the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, the First Emperor led his entourage back to the palace and held a banquet.

In the main hall, the First Emperor sat on his throne.

Xuan Ye stood on the back of the imperial throne, taking in the entire situation of His Highness.

The main hall was somewhat empty; those of lower rank were not allowed to participate.

Inside the hall were a group of court officials, divided into two rows, each seated in their own place.

On each person's table was a piece of sacrificial meat, even the First Emperor was no exception.

But judging from their expressions, they were quite complicated, as if they had eaten it before.

So I have some understanding of the taste of this sacrificial meat.

However, some of them seemed to have never eaten it before and were quite eager to try the sacrificial meat on the table.

But since the First Emperor had not yet given his word, no one dared to act rashly.

The First Emperor sat on the throne, rubbed his forehead, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Today, I, along with my officials, offer sacrifices to Heaven at the southern suburbs, to appease the hearts of the people and ensure the eternal stability and prosperity of our Great Qin Dynasty!"

"When the heavens are close to the people, the heavens send down a divine bird."

"This is to urge me on, so that I will not forget the ambition of Great Qin to expand eastward and contend for the throne!"

"The leftover meat from the sacrifice to Heaven shall be distributed among my ministers, in the hope that they may share my burdens and enjoy the blessings bestowed by Heaven."

After the First Emperor spoke these words, some people were left bewildered.

Li Si and Wang Jian, along with other veteran officials, sat there calmly, squinting at their own eyes.

The First Emperor spoke at length for a long time,

Finally, he raised his hand to signal: "Alright, gentlemen, please enjoy the sacrificial meat bestowed by heaven."

Having received the First Emperor's order,

The ministers below, whether they were aware of it or not, all lowered their heads and silently put the sacrificial meat into their mouths.

Li Si and other veteran officials were already mentally prepared, so their expressions remained calm and under control.

As for the others, they weren't so elegant.

Some felt like vomiting, and even though the filth reached their mouths, they ultimately forced it down.

They dared not vomit in the main hall at this moment.

Yes, although not to the point of vomiting, her face still involuntarily contorted.

When others asked, they dared not say anything else, only that the sacrificial meat was so delicious that it made them cry.

This scene...

Xuan Ye, standing on the backrest, was dumbfounded and speechless.

But soon after, Xuan Ye lowered his head.

He wanted to see what the First Emperor would be like if the ministers were like this.

However, it was blocked by the crown tassels on the First Emperor's head.

There were beads hanging down from both the front and back. Xuan Ye jumped down from the backrest onto the armrest and tilted his head to look at it.

The First Emperor picked up his chopsticks.

The sacrificial meat eaten by the ministers was a whole piece, while the First Emperor's meat had already been cut into small pieces by the imperial chefs.

He picked up a small piece and put it in his mouth.

It seemed as if it was swallowed without being chewed, and went down his throat into his stomach.

Good heavens, he exclaimed.

It's unbelievable that the First Emperor, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would resort to such opportunism, not only cutting the meat into small pieces but also swallowing it whole without chewing it.

Unlike the ministers, who were so honest, they couldn't swallow a whole piece; they could only chew it up before swallowing it.

The First Emperor raised his head and looked ahead.

Zhao Gao, who was standing beside him, beckoned him over and said something.

"Zhao Gao, you have served me for many years. Although you have not made any great contributions, you have certainly worked hard. I will give you the remaining sacrificial meat."

"Let you also enjoy the blessings bestowed by heaven."

Zhao Gao lowered his head. No matter what he thought in his heart, he could only kneel down to express his gratitude.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Then he picked up the food box from the table and walked to the side.

The First Emperor remained expressionless, but then noticed that Xuan Ye was tilting his head and looking at him. He straightened his expression and...

He coughed lightly and turned his head to look at Xuan Ye.

His face remained expressionless, but there was a hint of a smile in the corner of his eye that he couldn't hide.

He raised his head high, a hint of smugness in his eyes.