The Yuanjing Emperor was the first to bear the brunt of it. He fell to the ground amidst the powerful energy fluctuation. The high platform shook violently, and the ancestral tablets on the table toppled over.
Offerings and utensils were scattered on the ground. Some of the flying tiles landed on the Yuanjing Emperor's body.
The scene immediately turned chaotic. The patrolling Imperial Guards quickly regrouped and swarmed toward Sang Po.
The watchmen by the lake rushed to the sacrificial procession to protect the imperial family and the officials.
"Assassins, protect His Majesty."
"Protect the Empress, protect the Princess …"
"Protect the Grand Secretary …"
Shadows flashed. The watchmen were ten Jinluo experts from the yamen, the five imperial guards, and the imperial family experts. In an instant, at least ten high-ranked martial artists flew into the air and landed on the high platform and the winding corridor, protecting the Yuanjing Emperor.
The commotion only lasted for a few breaths because the sword aura that broke through the clouds quickly dissipated, and the lake returned to its calm state.
There were no assassins. As the commotion died down, everything was stable. There were no casualties or suspicious people.
Wei Yuan was the leader in charge of the sacrificial procession's security. He walked along the winding corridor and strode up to the high platform. He bowed with his hands in front of his chest.
"I have failed in my duty. I deserve to die."
At this time, the Yuanjing Emperor had regained his composure. It was just that after this incident, his indifferent immortal aura had completely disappeared from his face.
He was no longer a Taoist who had cultivated for more than twenty years. Instead, he was an unfathomable and majestic emperor with power in his hands.
The Yuanjing Emperor said in a low voice, "Everyone retreat from the altar. Do not approach."
All the high-ranked martial artists, including Wei Yuan, stood up and responded.
The Yuanjing Emperor straightened his clothes and dusted them off. He pushed open the temple door with a serious expression and entered.
…
Beside the willow tree, Xu Qi 'an, who had shouted, did not hear any more strange cries for help. As time passed, he calmed down. His head was still in pain, but it was no longer as unbearable as before.
Only now did he have the energy to observe the situation around him.
His colleagues had long since left to protect the civil and military officials, as well as the members of the royal family and the royal family.
The high platform was empty, but the winding corridor was full of high-ranked martial artists, led by Wei Yuan.
The Yuanjing Emperor was nowhere to be found.
What surprised Xu Qi 'an the most was that the beams on the roof of the temple, which was said to be worshiping the Godly Sword, were broken, and a large hole had appeared.
Something had happened to the ancestor worship. Had the secret of Sampo reappeared?
A thought flashed through Xu Qi 'an's mind. He pressed down on his throbbing head as he gathered with the rest of the team.
Because of his identity as a watchman, he was not stopped.
"What's wrong with you?" Song Tingfeng examined his new colleague. "How's your physical condition?"
Song Tingfeng did not associate the abnormality of Mulberry Lake with Xu Qi 'an's previous abnormality.
It's like you wouldn't associate the roar of a weak chicken with a magnitude 10 earthquake.
"I've been training too hard these past few days, so I suffered a backlash." Xu Qi 'an found a reasonable explanation and said, "Fortunately, I have recovered. Oh right, what happened just now?"
He said in a low voice, "The Yongzhen Temple of Mountains and Rivers suddenly exploded. A sword aura rushed out of the temple and caused the whole of Sampo to boil.
"The Yong Zhen Mountain River Temple suddenly exploded. A sword qi rushed out of the temple and caused the entire Sang Lake to boil, as if there was an earthquake. "But it doesn't seem like an assassin."
Xu Qi 'an looked at the high platform again. Was the hole in the temple pierced by the sword aura? If the divine sword had such power, then the one asking for help must not be a sword spirit.
He looked down for a moment, collecting all his emotions and thoughts. Then, he hurried to the Princess Royal's side and said with a fist salute,
"Is the Princess Royal alright?"
The scene had been restored to order. Although there were whispers everywhere, it was generally quiet. They were all waiting for the Yuanjing Emperor to come out.
Xu Qi 'an's shout attracted the attention of the people around him. There were his colleagues who were working on the night shift, the imperial guards, the eunuchs, the eldest princess, and the royal family members around her.
The Eldest Princess was beautiful, but her expression was as clear and cold as frost and snow. She tilted her head. Xu Qi 'an's figure was reflected in her limpid eyes. Her voice was as cold as jade.
"I'm fine!"
Xu Qi 'an was relieved. "I'm relieved."
He knew when to stop. After making a wave of his presence known, he immediately retreated and meticulously guarded his surroundings.
"Huaiqing, this little gong admires you very much." A gentle voice sounded. It was the Second Princess behind the Princess Royal.
Huaiqing was the title of Princess Royal, but she preferred others to call her Princess Royal.
The Yuanjing Emperor once commented on his eldest daughter. She was as competitive as any man, and as domineering as the Emperor.
The Second Princess was extremely beautiful. Her round face was dotted with a pair of bright peach blossom eyes. Her red lips were bright, and her smile always revealed a passionate charm.
She was the complete opposite of Princess Royal. The relationship between the two sisters had always been bad.
The Princess Royal said lightly, "I don't admire you. I just know how to repay your kindness."
Xu Qi 'an's foreshadowing of the Celestial Commissioner and his attitude just now had successfully established an image of "gratitude" in the heart of the Princess Royal.
The Second Princess covered her mouth and chuckled, "Everyone in the capital knows the charm of Sister Huaiqing. The students of Yunlu Academy are infatuated with you. Even the scholars are like this, let alone the night watchman."
The other princes and princesses were watching the show with great interest. They did not comment on the Second Princess's hidden words.
"Lin 'an!"
The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace frowned and reprimanded, "Silence."
Lin 'an was the title of the Second Princess. In the face of her brother's reprimand, she curled her lips and stood with her head down, putting on a dignified and elegant manner.
The royal family all knew that the Princess Royal and the Second Princess were not on good terms.
The Princess Royal was the daughter of the Empress, while the Second Princess was the daughter of Imperial Concubine Chen. There was still a difference in status. However, the Imperial Concubine was more favored than the Empress.
When they were young, the Second Princess liked to provoke the Princess Royal and find fault everywhere.
However, the Princess Royal was domineering and maverick. She asked her servants to capture the Second Princess, but the servants did not dare to do so. So she did it herself. With a roll of bamboo slips, she chased the Second Princess and beat her.
From south to north, from north to south.
The maids and guards in the palace did not dare to stop them. In the end, they disturbed the Yuanjing Emperor who was cultivating.
The Imperial Concubine Chen brought her bruised and swollen daughter to complain about the Princess Royal. The Yuanjing Emperor planned to punish the Princess Royal severely and called her to the Imperial Study.
The Princess Royal was already prepared. She brought more than a dozen books such as the Book of Rites, the General Code, and the Law of the Palace to the Imperial Study. She quoted the classic sentences and expressed her feelings.
In the end, they won the lawsuit. Yuan Jing Emperor gloomily sentenced the First Princess to be acquitted and released her. He then went back to cultivating.
After becoming an adult, the Princess Royal became much more introverted.
…
The Yongzhen Temple of Mountains and Rivers.
The majestic man in a yellow robe and crown stood with his sword. The door of the temple was closed. The Yuanjing Emperor stood in front of the statue of the Founding Emperor and stared at the dusty bronze sword silently.
"So what? You should have a long life, but you are still affected by the luck of the human world and live a few years longer than ordinary people. "The Yuanjing Emperor seemed to be talking to himself, but also to the ancestor from 600 years ago.
"I ascended the throne at the age of 20 and defeated all my enemies. No one could stand side by side with me. But in the end, I found that the biggest enemy was time."
The Yuanjing Emperor slowly moved his eyes away and stared at the ground under his feet for a long time. Then he began to check the decorations in the temple. He even climbed up to the altar and touched the statue of the Founding Emperor and the bronze sword disrespectfully.
The process was meticulous and long. In the end, the Yuanjing Emperor let out a sigh of relief.
His expression became relaxed. He knelt on the cattail hassock and kowtowed to the Founding Emperor. Then he left the Yongzhen Temple.
The Yuanjing Emperor stood on the high platform and looked down at the civil and military officials and the royal family. His voice was like the evening drum and morning bell. "The ancestral worshipping ceremony continues."
He did not explain the reason for the anomaly.
The Five Imperial Guards and the night watchmen dispersed again. They restored order in an orderly manner and patrolled the surroundings.
Rows of eunuchs walked quickly with their heads down. They cleaned the broken tiles on the high platform and sorted out the offerings and the memorial tablets of the royal family's ancestors.
Xu Qi'an returned to his post and muttered in his heart, "This is strange. Logically speaking, when something like this happens during the ancestral worshipping ceremony, it is a bad omen. The Yuanjing Emperor should be furious."
But he seemed to be mentally prepared for it. He did not scold Duke Wei and the commanders of the imperial guards. Well, it was not necessarily because he was mentally prepared. He knew the real source of the anomaly.
Then, it was something that could not be discussed in public.
Sampo Lake really hid an unknown secret.
