The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 309 Ancestor Worship Ceremony

The Empress asked with concern, "The hem of your dress is a bit long, are you used to it?"

"It's a habit."

Zhichun and Zhicheng exchanged a glance.

Even though it wasn't the first time they'd seen such a scene, they still felt a little uncomfortable.

Although they are not biological mother and daughter, the Empress treats the princess better and better, and now seems to care for her even more than a biological mother.

"That's good," the Empress said, looking at Zhichun and sternly instructing, "Take good care of your princess."

Zhichun: Ha!

The empress wanted to use her as a scapegoat; what could she do? She could only endure it.

She was a favorite of the princess, and the queen needed her help, so she was usually treated well.

But those high and mighty people love to play this game.

She understands, and is even quite willing to cooperate.

Anyway, the Empress will find an excuse to send her compensation later.

Zheng Xun, along with the Emperor and Empress, rode in a sedan chair all the way to the Golden Altar where ancestral worship was held.

On the third-level platform of Jintan, there stands a huge stone tablet decorated with cloud dragons and beasts, with ancient and square characters carved on it, the content of which is a beautified tracing of the royal family's origins.

On the platform below the stone tablet, there is a bronze nine-dragon cauldron that is so large that it would take more than a dozen people to hug it. The cauldron is engraved with the majestic "Da Yong Xu".

Zheng Xun followed the Emperor and Empress, carrying incense and offerings, and slowly walked up the steps.

Behind them stood the civil and military officials of the Great Yong Dynasty, with troops lined up on both sides, heavily guarded, and palace servants carrying lanterns standing respectfully with their hands at their sides.

The horizon peeked out from the side, then spread out in shades of gold and red.

The hems of the three people's clothes trailed on the carpeted stone steps, and the embroidered patterns on their clothes seemed to shimmer with golden light.

Beneath the golden altar, Zheng Jin watched this scene intently, his lips slightly moving: "Brother, are you unwilling?"

Her voice was barely audible, but the crown prince beside her heard it clearly.

The prince's pupils trembled slightly.

"No."

He heard himself utter the two decisive words.

But is it really not true?

Actually, no, it was a lie he made, but he said it as frankly and calmly as possible.

He also thought he wouldn't be resentful, after all, he had always felt that the position of crown prince was more of a burden than a benefit to him.

But when the moment actually came, he could only stand below and watch others revel in glory.

At this moment, his feelings were amplified, and the stark difference was laid bare before him.

He seemed to witness firsthand how his former status and power slowly slipped away from him, along with the pressure he had been trying to escape and was unwilling to bear, falling onto Yuan Jia's shoulders.

He should have been happy to have those burdens that had weighed him down removed, but it was only then that he realized how good the position of crown prince was.

Glory, status, the power to turn the world upside down...

All of this is something that countless people yearn for but cannot obtain, yet he personally pushed it away.

The Third Prince curled his lip: "Liar."

If there were a glass mirror in front of the Crown Prince at this moment, he would surely see his own expression: panic, confusion, regret, and a sense of loss...

Extremely complex.

The second prince remained calm: "Brother, don't worry. Think about it from another perspective. Even if you don't give up voluntarily, you still can't defeat Yuan Jia. If you make things ugly, you'll be the one who loses face."

Crown Prince: Thank you for your tact. But losing face is a small matter; losing your life is a much bigger one.

The Third Prince nodded in agreement: "The difference is too great, it's normal for eldest brother not to be used to it. It's okay, he'll get used to it after being hit a few more times."

Crown Prince: Thank you for your frankness. Thinking about the future, he began to feel that his life was miserable.

Zheng Jin coughed lightly: "I think Big Brother is quite lucky. He hasn't seen Yuan Jia seriously kill someone. If Big Brother really can't bear to do it, he can try to snatch it himself."

Crown Prince: Why do you seem to really want me to go and get beaten up?

The Third Prince asked curiously, "Have you seen Ah Jin before?"

"No, and I don't want to."

However, given Yuan Jia's personality, anyone who tries to reach for what she wants will have their claws chopped off.

Yuan Jia really wanted to scheme against me, but could my elder brother escape?

It's not that she looks down on her older brother...

Okay, that's true to some extent, but it's also a fact.

Sixth Prince: "That's enough, I feel sorry for my eldest brother!"

The crown prince was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

Unexpectedly, his sixth brother, who was the least familiar to him in the past, turned out to be the one who cared about him the most!

Despite the Crown Prince's excited gaze, the Sixth Prince remained calm and said, "Reality will only be more cruel. My elder brother is already pitiful enough. What's wrong with us comforting him?"

Crown Prince: I misjudged you!

He looked at the Eighth Prince with hopeful eyes.

The Eighth Prince hesitated, "Well, I don't know anything about it."

He's only been back in Beijing for two years. Pretending to be stupid shouldn't be a problem, right?

As he thought this, his clear gaze gradually became cloudy.

"Aba Aba..."

I'm still young, big brother, please don't pressure me!

The crown prince was furious and sneered, "I misjudged you! You're twelve years old, not two!"

If he can't bully the big ones, can't he at least bully the small ones?

His eyes darted around, and his wicked hands landed on the Eighth Prince's face, giving it a hard squeeze.

The Eighth Prince pouted, pulled his hand away, and looked at Consort De, who was looking this way, silently complaining, "My elder brother is causing trouble!"

Crown Prince: ...

Kids will be kids; all they do is tattle.

But it must be said that filing a complaint does indeed have an effect.

The crown prince considers himself to be proud, and if he causes trouble at this time, others will probably think he is very resentful.

After some lighthearted banter, his bittersweet feelings gradually subsided.

So be it.

Since you've already made the decision, don't hesitate any longer.

When he was the crown prince, he rarely did anything decisively. Now, for the last time, he should let go freely and generously. Perhaps this will even lead to a legendary tale of Yao and Shun.

So he suppressed his excessive emotions and regained his composure.

The other siblings exchanged glances, feeling both relieved and relieved.

The Emperor, Empress, and Zheng Xun finally arrived in front of the Nine Dragon Cauldron.

They arranged the offerings they had brought and respectfully lit three incense sticks.

Then, the three of them slowly turned around.

Zheng Xun shuffled around to the side and behind the emperor. The hem of her robe was too long, so she lifted her foot and kicked it neatly behind her to avoid tripping.

Good heavens! This outfit looks great, but it's just so inconvenient!

No wonder emperors and crown princes had to practice martial arts. Just imagine, if you weren't agile enough, you might trip over your robes during ancestral worship... how embarrassing!

The emperor, who was about to speak: ...

He didn't know if others would trip over it, but it's true that he almost choked to death on his own saliva.

Empress: The clothes I prepared were not comprehensive enough, but Yuan Jia doesn't seem to really dislike them.

As long as she's satisfied, that's fine. She also has a daughter far away on the border. Letters are always edited, but they can't compare to the directness of reading them through the celestial screen.

She still has to rely on Yuanjia's Sky Screen to see Jiaojiao!

The emperor coughed lightly, picking up where he left off: "It was the fourth or fifth year of the Dayong reign, the year of Yisi, when all things were about to rest, and the new year was beginning..."

What are you saying in your gibberish?