plumnovel Chapter 25: Da Nuo!
Chapter 25: Da Nuo!
1:15 PM.
The lingering effects of the Laba Festival had not yet faded when dusk quietly enveloped Yongcheng.
At this moment, an even more ancient and mysterious ritual is about to begin—the Great Nuo!
Nuo
This ritual, deeply rooted in the blood of the Chinese people, can be traced back to the time when our ancestors were ignorant. Its original purpose was to drive away evil spirits and plagues.
The day before or on the day of the Laba Festival.
People wear masks with ferocious or majestic faces and beat thunderous drums to drive away evil spirits with the most primal power.
In order to expel the yin energy and plague of the old year and welcome the yang energy and new life.
At the palace banquets established by Ying Zheng, the scale of the Great Nuo ritual reached its zenith.
There stood a burly warrior dressed as the "Fang Xiang Shi," clad in a bearskin symbolizing bravery, with a four-eyed golden mask covering his face, and gripping a sharp spear tightly in his hand.
Like a deity descending to earth, he led hundreds of boys and girls dressed in colorful clothes, making a grand procession through the majestic palace complex.
In an instant, the sound of drums thundered within the palace, and the innocent shouts of children surged into a torrent.
It was as if it wanted to completely sweep away all misfortune.
Zou Yun and Shi Gong stood side by side on the high ground, looking down at the Nuo dance below, while Feng and Zheng stood behind them.
"It does resemble the Yingge dance from Chaoshan in my past life," Zou Yun thought to himself.
He watched with great interest, but the stone master beside him looked disappointed.
In the past, the honor of presiding over this grand Nuo ceremony always belonged to the Taoist priests of the Immortal Temple.
Today, however, Zou Yun and Shi Gong can only stand silently outside the crowd as bystanders.
Watching the familiar ceremony being performed by others, Shi Gong could not hide his loneliness, and his sighs almost overflowed from his chest.
Seeing Shi Gong's expression, Zou Yun couldn't help but think to himself, "This old man, if he weren't worried about losing face in front of us younger generation, he probably would have burst into tears on the spot."
So even though he was quite interested in Nuo dance, Zou Yun still tugged at Shi Gong's sleeve and said in a deep voice, "Let's go, Shi Gong, it's almost time for the banquet to start."
"Ah...?! Oh... let's go." Shi Gong replied.
Then, the four of them turned and left against the flow of people, no longer paying attention to the noise behind them.
As night deepened, the Zheng Palace was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang, dressed in a black dragon robe, sat majestically behind his desk, exuding an aura of power and authority.
On his table were delicacies from all over the empire: dried beef and mutton from the north, fresh oranges and pomelos from the south, and abalone and dried scallops from the East Sea...
The vastness of the Qin territory and the wealth of its palace are fully displayed here.
Zou Yun and Shi Gong sat at tables neither too far nor too close to the throne, but just close enough for Zou Yun to see that Ying Zheng seemed to be in a good mood.
However, for Master Zou, who had been busy all day, all of that was just a passing cloud.
At that moment, all he wanted to do was eat a few more bites.
Therefore, Zou Yun completely disregarded the fact that this was a royal banquet and began to feast on his food.
This caused the nobles in the neighboring seats to frequently frown and glance at him, and even Ying Zheng, sitting on the throne, let his gaze linger on him several times without leaving a trace.
However, when the displeased nobles realized that this impudent fellow was none other than the recently rising Grand Master Zou Yun, their displeasure vanished instantly.
Instead, there is an almost deliberate understanding.
It seems that Zou Yun's unconventional way of eating was not impolite at all, but rather became clear evidence that immortals were unconcerned with trivialities and were free from worldly concerns.
In short, these guys at the top of the empire have mastered the art of judging people by their appearance, switching roles seamlessly.
"Oh!"
Zou Yun looked around and saw smiling faces all around him, and he couldn't help but sneer.
He then stopped bothering with these old foxes and focused on attacking the food in front of him.
Zou Yun's indifference did not affect the liveliness of the banquet in the slightest.
After several rounds of drinks, when the banquet was in full swing...
Ying Zheng slowly raised the bronze wine cup in front of him, the jade beads on his crown swaying gently with his movement.
His gaze was sharp as he slowly surveyed the assembled officials below.
In the candlelight, those eyes, half-hidden by jade beads, remained as sharp as an eagle's, gleaming with undeniable majesty and vitality.
"After the Jiaping ceremony, the gods enjoy peace and tranquility among the people."
His voice wasn't loud, but it had a strange penetrating power, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Today we gather wine to celebrate the year's success with our ministers. May the Qin state be forever secure, and the people live in peace and tranquility."
"Gentlemen, raise your cups!"
As soon as he finished speaking, all the civil and military officials on the steps bowed their heads in unison, the sound of their robes rustling in perfect unison, and no one dared to slacken in the slightest.
A moment later, Li Si abruptly rose from his seat, raising his jade tablet high, "Congratulations on your great victory! May Your Majesty live a thousand years...! May the Great Qin Dynasty last ten thousand years...!"
The crowd responded in unison, "Congratulations, Jiaping! May His Majesty live a long life, and may the Great Qin Dynasty last ten thousand years!"
The voices of over a thousand people mingled together, overflowing the palace walls of Yongcheng, the majestic Yongshan Mountain, and the blood pool altar still shrouded in blue smoke, drifting all the way eastward.
Only at this moment did the entire La Festival ceremony truly come to an end.
After a busy day, Master Zou hadn't even had a chance to catch up on his sleep when Zhao Gao, with a beaming smile, invited him over.
-----------------
Qinian Palace.
When Zhao Gao led Zou Yun into the hall, there was only Ying Zheng sitting alone on the couch in the vast space.
"Your Majesty, Grand Master Zou Yun has arrived," Zhao Gao reported, bowing slightly.
"Okay, I understand. You may leave."
Ying Zheng's voice was flat and emotionless; he didn't even look up at Zou Yun.
This is exactly the same attitude he has shown towards Zou Yun recently.
Since the last meeting, regarding Zou Yun.
Ying Zheng neither rewarded Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng as lavishly as he had done, nor entrusted Xu Fu with important responsibilities, nor even received him as frequently as he had received Shi Gong.
It's as if this emperor, obsessed with immortality, suddenly changed his ways.
However, just as Zhao Gao bowed and left the hall, the door shut out all outside noise.
This emperor, who was once a figure of unparalleled composure, has changed his demeanor.
Completely disregarding imperial decorum, he abruptly stood up, strode over to Zou Yun, and reassured him.
"Master Zou, please don't be offended. I feel very guilty that you have suffered such injustice these past few days."
Before he finished speaking, he grabbed Zou Yun and, holding his hand, practically half-pulled and half-supported the sorcerer as he led him to the throne.
This series of actions made Zou Yun's heart skip a beat, and he felt a chill run down his spine.
Fortunately, he also knew that during the Qin and Han dynasties, it was perfectly normal for men to walk hand in hand as a gesture of etiquette. Far from having any negative connotations, it was a sign of great trust.
That's why he was able to suppress his physical instincts and not pull his arm out of Ying Zheng's hand.
If this happened in later generations, and a man dared to treat him like that, he would definitely slap him twice across the face.
Ying Zheng pulled Zou Yun to a stop, staring intently at him, but remained silent for a long time.
The only sound inside the hall was the soft crackling of the burning candlelight.
This silent pressure made Zou Yun quite uncomfortable. He finally couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty summoned me in the dead of night. What is the matter?"
"Oh? Nothing else of importance." Ying Zheng seemed to have just come to his senses and slowly shook his head.
Then, changing the subject, his tone became serious, "There are a few important matters concerning the 'Taiyin Refinement' that I need to inform Master Zou about."
He took a step back and lowered his voice.
"I have ordered people to go to Kunlun to mine the jade needed for the jade burial suit, and in accordance with Master Zou's requirements, only the purest and most flawless top-grade white jade will be selected."
"The internal structure of the Lishan Mausoleum was also adjusted and modified according to the drawings previously drawn by Master Zou."
"Now everything is ready... except for two crucial things."
"Firstly, based on the fallen star, the Twenty-Eight Constellations array, which communicates with celestial phenomena, was laid out within the mausoleum; secondly..." Ying Zheng turned around, his gaze refocusing on Zou Yun, his eyes becoming exceptionally profound.
"It is the item that Master Zou needs to personally search for... his natal object."
When it was mentioned that Zou Yun needed to find this, Ying Zheng's tone became somewhat unsteady, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
He stared intently at Zou Yun, carefully comparing the appearance of the person before him after he uttered those words, checking for even the slightest abnormality.
However, Zou Yun remained calm and composed, his gaze clear and serene.
Seeing this, Ying Zheng didn't know whether he believed it or not, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he did something that surprised Zou Yun even more.
This emperor, who looked down upon the world, bowed deeply to Zou Yun in his supreme position.
He spoke clearly, word by word, "This matter concerns my grand plan for immortality, so... I entrust it entirely to Master Zou!"
Seeing that Ying Zheng had bowed to him so respectfully without any hesitation, Zou Yun's opinion of him rose a few notches.
At least in this pursuit of immortality, this emperor demonstrated extraordinary determination and sincerity.
Zou Yun dared not be negligent in the slightest, and quickly stepped forward, firmly supporting Ying Zheng's arms with both hands to prevent him from bowing deeply.
He repeatedly declined, saying, "Your Majesty, you mustn't do this! I will do my utmost to repay your kindness in granting me enlightenment."
The two of them went back and forth several times in the empty Qinian Palace, one insisting on bowing and the other insisting on being helped.
In the end, Ying Zheng did not bow deeply, and Zou Yun did not accept his bow.