Chapter 2 The Ancestor Recognition Ceremony
The next day, after breakfast, Zuo Siming had Zuo Song and Zuo Zhu tidy up the small ancestral hall in their home. Lu Ye and the others were going to perform the ancestor recognition ceremony later.
Everyone gathered at the entrance of the ancestral hall.
The male members of the Zuo family entered the ancestral hall to pay respects, while the women and guests stood outside to watch.
After the male members finished their worship, Lu Ye, Lu Yun, and Lu Yu personally arranged the offerings for the ancestor recognition.
Zuo Siming first knelt before the ancestral tablets, introduced Zuo Hanchen and the three Lu brothers, and after offering three sticks of incense, he stood up.
At this moment, Lu Ye, Lu Yun, Lu Yu, and the four children knelt before the ancestral tablets according to their age and generation, kowtowing and offering incense.
After the ancestor recognition was completed, Zuo Siming entered Zuo Hanchen and Bai Li Ranran's lineage into the family genealogy:
Eldest son Zuo Ye, second son Zuo Yun, third son Zuo Yu, eldest daughter Zuo Hua.
Eldest daughter-in-law Bai Sheng, eldest grandson Zuo Jinye, second grandson Zuo Jinrui, third grandson Zuo Jinyi, eldest granddaughter Zuo Jinhua.
Granny Wu, who was standing outside the ancestral hall, heard "Eldest daughter-in-law Bai Sheng" and her lips moved. She had an urge to tell Zuo Siming that the eldest daughter-in-law's real name was Huang Xuesheng, and that she had temporarily given her the fake name "Bai Sheng" to help hide her identity.
However, the time was not yet right. Revealing the name "Huang Xuesheng" too early would be truly dangerous.
After all, when the only princess of the Qinghuang Kingdom, and the future Empress, was born, purple clouds coiled in the sky, and a hundred birds circled the Princess's Danxue Palace for three days. Withered trees bloomed again, and withered flowers regained their luster. Such auspicious signs made the name Huang Xuesheng known throughout all the continents and countries.
Granny Wu sighed and decided against it. After all, the family genealogy could be modified later, but it would be disastrous if it brought danger to Sheng'er.
On that day, when Zuo Ye and Bai Sheng returned to the capital, they brought their grandparents with them. The grandfather was seriously ill, and being by Bai Sheng and Granny Wu's side made it more convenient to treat him.
Zuo Siming also planned to take the children to the capital. This time, he brought along the two young girls, Zuo Zhi and Zuo Gui. All the children wanted to learn martial arts from Uncle Xiaoye, so it was a good opportunity to send them to school as well.
As the second daughter-in-law said, girls are just as capable as boys and deserve to learn and see the world. He had been too narrow-minded before.
Before leaving, Bai Sheng secretly placed a spatial stone in the Zuo family's home. From now on, coming to the Zuo family would be as quick as a blink of an eye.
Upon returning to their residence in Yuhua Lane, the family was greatly surprised to learn that the eldest uncle's family had not only recognized their grandparents but also their three great uncles, and had changed their surname to Zuo.
The eldest uncle's family had merely gone out for a spring outing, and they could come back with recognized relatives? Moreover, who could have imagined that Tutor Zuo was the eldest uncle of the eldest uncle's family?
It was indeed a bit strange how relatives of the eldest uncle's family kept appearing one after another in the past two years.
However, in the vast sea of people, it was a great fortune for lost relatives to reunite and recognize each other. It indicated that the eldest uncle's family was gathering people and the family was beginning to prosper.
However, because the maternal grandfather's unjust case had not yet been overturned, the two characters "Lu Residence" outside the house would not be changed for the time being, to avoid attracting attention.
In the third month of spring, Tasha Commandery was covered in new greenery. A few days ago, there was another spring rain, which irrigated the trees and crops, stabilizing their growth. This autumn was sure to yield a good harvest.
For this, the common people were even more grateful to Prince Yu and Magistrate Ji. Many people went to the Temple of Prince Yu to offer incense and pray daily.
Soon, the news that the people of Tasha Commandery loved Prince Yu, and had erected a stone statue and built a temple for him, offering him incense and worship, spread throughout the capital.
The Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this. During the morning court, in front of all the civil and military officials, he greatly praised Prince Yu and immediately promoted him to a seven-bead Prince.
This action caused an uproar in the court.
The civil and military officials began to discuss amongst themselves, secretly trying to fathom the Emperor's intentions. Was the Emperor's great favor towards Prince Yu a sign that he intended to weaken the Crown Prince's authority and pave the way for Prince Yu?
Since the Jiang family had fallen, and the Empress and the Crown Prince had committed many unvirtuous deeds, the Emperor had become increasingly biased towards Prince Yu.
Hearing the discussions of the court officials, the Crown Prince was inwardly furious.
After the court session ended, he angrily went to the Empress's Xiangyun Palace.
Seeing the Crown Prince's face full of rage, the Empress chided, "Xian'er, what has happened? How can you be so impatient?"
The Crown Prince glanced at the Empress, then turned to the palace maids and eunuchs standing by and ordered, "All of you, leave!"
The palace maids and eunuchs bowed and all withdrew.
A person wearing a black mask and a black robe, standing beside the Empress, walked over and closed all the doors and windows.
As soon as the Crown Prince sat down, he angrily slammed the table, "Mother, just now in court, Father greatly praised the Fourth Prince, saying that he governed the border regions with great merit and was deeply loved by the people, hence he was promoted to a seven-bead Prince!"
"What? A seven-bead Prince?" The Empress was so shocked that she jumped up from her seat. "The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, with a maximum of nine beads. Xia Jingyu actually became a seven-bead Prince? This is completely disregarding us!"
The Crown Prince let out a deep breath, looked at the Empress, and said sternly, "Mother, we must quickly find a solution. If this continues, I, the Crown Prince, will become a joke to the entire court, merely a figurehead. Whether I can successfully ascend the throne in the future is truly uncertain."
The Empress's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Good. Since the Emperor disregards us mother and son so much, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Mother, have you thought of a good plan?" the Crown Prince asked with eager eyes.
The Empress said, "There are still more than twenty days until the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Dynasties, when envoys from all countries will come. If, on the eve of the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Dynasties, the Emperor suddenly falls gravely ill and passes away..."
The Crown Prince's eyes lit up. "The country cannot be without a ruler for a day, especially at such a crucial juncture!"
The Empress nodded. "Xian'er is the Crown Prince, and will legitimately inherit the throne and receive the envoys from all countries."
"However, Mother, how exactly should we do it?" the Crown Prince asked. "If... we poison him, it will be difficult to deceive the imperial physicians."
The Empress looked at the black-robed person behind her. The black-robed person stepped forward, took out a silver box, and handed it to the Empress.
The Empress beckoned the Crown Prince over, and the Crown Prince leaned his ear towards her. The Empress whispered in his ear, "Xian'er, this is the Shadowless Poison brought with great effort from the Northern Qi Kingdom by the Black-Faced Fox. After taking it, it can make a person appear gravely ill, but no one can ascertain the cause. You can use it with confidence."
"Oh?" The Crown Prince's face lit up with joy. "The imperial physicians won't be able to find out either?"
The Empress smiled and said, "Naturally, they won't be able to find out."
"Good! Mother, please arrange it as soon as possible! I will have Prime Minister Dong make preparations as well!" The Crown Prince stood up. "Black-Faced Fox, have your people make preparations as well, and be vigilant against any accidents."
"Yes!" the black-robed person replied respectfully.
After the Crown Prince left, the Black-Faced Fox placed a hand on the Empress's shoulder and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, everything is within our control."
The Empress sighed and leaned her head on his arm.