Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

Guo Qian returned at 3 PM.

"You're back?"

"Well, things are basically finished." Guo Qian took off his sunglasses and rubbed his temples. "The last batch of goods was shipped out this morning, so it's considered a done deal."

Li Yinxun walked over and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Guo Qian looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and reached out to pull her into his arms.

"Hehe, is there any reward?"

The two hugged for a moment before letting go.

Li Yinxun: "How's the acquisition going?"

"Don't worry about me. I can go back to the Tang Dynasty now and ask my sister for a warehouse."

The two little ones ran over, waving their little hands, "Uncle."

Guo Qian smiled at them, and just as he was about to speak, the two little girls grabbed his legs on either side.

"hug!"

Guo Qian looked down at the two clingy little ones, then at Li Yinxun who was smiling innocently beside him, and helplessly bent down, picking up the two little ones with one arm each.

"Let's go, your uncle will take you home."

"Let's beat him up."

It was six o'clock in the morning on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Li Yinxun was fast asleep when the door was pounded on loudly.

"Auntie, open the door quickly!" Li Lizhi's voice came from outside the door.

Li Yinxun resignedly got up, opened the door, and saw Li Lizhi standing at the door, with Li Chengqian in a wheelchair behind her.

Both of them looked anxious.

"It's six o'clock, if we don't go back soon we'll be too late." Li Lizhi stamped her foot anxiously.

"Too late for what..." Li Yinxun rubbed her eyes, her mind still not working.

"For the Dragon Boat Festival ceremony," Li Chengqian began, "Auntie, you must be at the Lizheng Hall to change into your formal attire at 3:45 AM. The auspicious time cannot be missed."

Li Yinxun finally came to her full senses.

The two little ones were still snuggled in the blankets, sleeping soundly on their backs.

Li Yinxun gritted her teeth, grabbed one of the two little ones in each hand, and pulled them out of the blankets.

The little princess opened her eyes groggily, tilted her head, and leaned it against her shoulder.

Chengyang was even more decisive; he didn't even open his eyes when he was picked up.

Li Chengqian pushed his wheelchair himself, and the group rushed into the basement, opening a time-space portal.

Lizheng Hall.

The hall was already bustling with activity.

A dozen or so palace maids were divided into two groups, each holding a copper basin, a towel, and a comb, and stood guard on both sides.

Neatly stacked on the corner cabinet were ceremonial robes, with sharp edges and corners: pheasant-shaped robes, floral crowns, hairpins, sashes, and jade pendants, arranged from top to bottom in the order of wearing them, not a single item out of place.

Princess Yuzhang and Princess Qinghe had been waiting for a long time. When they saw the group appear, they immediately came forward and each took a sleeping little girl from the group.

"I'll hold the baby rhinoceros."

"I'll hug Chengyang."

The palace servants gathered around and quickly began to dress the two little princesses.

The little princess kept her eyes closed the whole time, nodding her head slightly.

Chengyang looked the same, with droopy eyelids, both obedient and dull.

After they were dressed, the two little ones sat side by side on the low couch.

She is both innocent and dignified, a charming contrast.

Li Lizhi changed into the formal dress of the eldest princess, a high-waisted pheasant-patterned robe with wide-sleeved shawls, her demeanor dignified and solemn, exuding nobility.

Li Yinxun stood in front of the bronze mirror, looking at the ancient clothes she was wearing, her expression subtle.

It's like wearing someone else's clothes; the aura is completely different.

"Forget it, I'll just make do." She gave up on trying to fix it.

Guo Qian emerged from behind the screen, dressed in a deep robe and belt, his posture upright. The casualness of a modern person was mostly suppressed by the ancient clothing, giving him a more composed and refined air.

"Not bad." Li Yinxun looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow. "You seem pretty much right."

Guo Qian laughed and said, "You're not bad either."

Li Yinxun waved his hand and turned to look at Li Chengqian.

The Crown Prince has already changed into his imperial robes.

Li Yinxun stared at the crown for two seconds, then suddenly spoke.

"Chengqian, that hat of yours, if you turn your head too fast, it'll slap your face."

Li Chengqian's lips twitched, unsure whether to be speechless or laugh.

Guo Qian chuckled quietly to himself, only to be glared at back by Li Yinxun.

"What are you laughing at? You don't look that good in this outfit either."

"You just praised me."

"I'll be polite."

Li Lizhi, who was listening nearby, rolled her eyes. "Auntie, let's go, the auspicious time is almost here."

Just then, a faint snoring sound came from behind.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the little princess sitting on the low couch, fast asleep again.

Everyone immediately burst into laughter.

Ancestral worship at ancestral temples was originally limited to members of the imperial family and important officials; outsiders were not allowed to enter.

Li Yinxun thought she wasn't qualified, but Li Shimin made an exception and allowed them to follow the ministers.

When the imperial decree was issued, there were no objections in the court.

After all, the special status of these two individuals is already common knowledge.

Guo Qian drove a truck, carrying everyone from the Lizheng Hall, through the Zhuque Gate and straight into the imperial city.

When the truck drove onto Zhuque Avenue, the officials along the way all made way and bowed.

The journey was smooth and unobstructed, leading directly to the ancestral temple.

The ancestral temple is located in the southeast of the imperial city, with red walls and green tiles, surrounded by pine and cypress trees.

The sacrificial vessels and animals had already been set up in the square in front of the temple. The three kinds of sacrificial animals and nine tripods were arranged in order, and the food containers were all in their proper places.

Li Shimin and Li Yuan had already arrived.

Li Yuan, dressed in a dragon robe and crown, stood beside the altar, leaning on a cane, looking remarkably vigorous.

The royal family members arrived one after another.

The altar had three tiers, each covered with a reddish-yellow carpet. Incense cakes mixed with sandalwood burned in a bronze cauldron, the smoke rising straight up and lingering in the morning light.

The chime bells and chime stones are arranged on both sides, the musicians are in place, and the drummers are waiting to be ordered.

The ceremonial atmosphere of the grand ceremony was instantly heightened.

The auspicious time has arrived.

The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices stepped forward, bowed, and reported: "Your Majesty, the auspicious time has arrived. Please perform the rites."

Li Shimin straightened his ceremonial robes, his expression solemn, and slowly ascended the altar. He washed his hands, burned incense, offered sacrifices, and read the prayer.

The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices unfolded the sacrificial text and read aloud: "On the Dragon Boat Festival of the sixth year of Zhenguan, the succeeding Emperor Shimin hereby announces this to the ancestral temples and all ancestors..."

The eulogy was so long that both Li Yinxun and the little princess were drowsy.

After the ancestral worship ceremony at the ancestral temple was completed, everyone moved on to the Taiji Hall.

The scene was far more lively and grand than that at the ancestral temple.

In the square in front of the palace, the full set of imperial guards had been lined up.

The Imperial Guards, armed with swords, stood in rows on both sides of the imperial road, their golden armor gleaming in the sun, their cold light chilling. The flag bearers of the Left and Right Guards respectively held up the Sun and Moon Flag, the Dragon and Phoenix Flag, and the Twenty-Eight Constellation Flag, their banners fluttering and obscuring the sky.

The imperial carriages were arranged on both sides, with the jade carriage in the center, the gold carriage on the left, and the elephant carriage on the right. The imperial tent was set high in front of the palace, and the curtains swayed slightly in the wind.

The officials waited outside the palace in advance, congratulating each other in small groups and exchanging quiet greetings.

Suddenly, the sound of drums arose.

The deep, resonant drumbeats echoed one after another above the Taiji Hall.

The officials immediately fell silent, ceasing their whispers and lining up in formation according to their ranks.

The procession stretched from the gate of Taiji Hall all the way to Chengtian Gate.

Li Yinxun stood under the corridor beside the hall, looking at the scene, too shocked to speak.

She had watched countless period dramas, but none of them had captured this kind of grandeur.

That was a truly prosperous era, with tens of thousands of people attending court together.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the assembled officials had finished their ranks.

The sound of carriages could be heard outside the palace. Li Shimin helped Li Yuan, and they stepped into the palace gate amidst a retinue of ceremonial guards.

On both sides of the steps, the Imperial Guards, armed with halberds, struck the ground with a clanging sound that reverberated throughout the palace.

Li Shimin steadily ascended the nine-tiered steps, adorned in a dragon robe and crown, his gaze piercing.

Li Yuan sat on the throne next to the Emperor Emeritus's seat, while Li Chengqian stood beside the steps.

The morning assembly officially began.

The Chamberlain stepped forward, holding a congratulatory letter, and read it aloud.

"On the Dragon Boat Festival of the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, the sky was clear and the earth was peaceful, and the whole country was at peace. Your Majesty's holy virtue shines brightly, benefiting all people, and the ancestral temples and the state will be secure for ten thousand generations..."

After the congratulatory remarks were delivered, a bell rang once inside the hall.

All the officials knelt down on both knees and performed the highest level of bowing and kowtowing ceremony.

Li Shimin sat upright on the dragon throne, looking down at the sea of ​​court officials in the hall, and slowly raised his hand.

"All of you, rise."

"My ministers and I shall work together to revitalize the nation and live up to the trust placed in us by the people!"

The ministers bowed again and responded in unison.