Chapter 698: Heavenly Sacrifice
On the day the altar was opened for the rites.
The officials entered the palace early in the morning. Arranged by the Ministry of Rites, they filed into the space outside the great hall one by one.
An event as monumental as the heavenly sacrifice required the attendance of even minor first-rank officials. As a result, the entire plaza outside the great hall brimmed with them—a dense, unbroken sea of humanity stretching as far as the eye could see.
A single path was left clear through the center of this sea of people.
The imperial guards stood arrayed on both sides, clad in armor and wielding long spears and greatswords.
Looking down that path, a massive Ritual Cauldron stood at the center. Three incense sticks, each a zhang tall, burned within it, sending curls of green smoke straight up to the firmament.
The official of the Bureau of Celestial Mandate held his Wooden Sword, standing before the Ritual Cauldron.
He stood there for two shichen.
The heavenly sacrifice had to align with the celestial timing. The officials had to wait before the great hall without moving or speaking.