funbook-pk Chapter 503 Shaking Through Chengtian Gate
Chapter 503 Shaking Through Chengtian Gate
A long, high-pitched chanting sound came from the Chengtianmen city tower, and the emperor appeared in the center of the Chengtianmen city tower, surrounded by his officials.
In an instant, all the palace guards, officials, and even the onlookers at Chengtian Gate knelt down in unison, and a thunderous roar of "Long live the Emperor!" resounded through the sky.
"Long live my emperor! Long live!"
The people in the Liangzhou birthday celebration delegation had never seen such a scene before. They all lowered their heads as if they wanted to find a hole in the ground and bury their heads in it.
Following the etiquette they had practiced repeatedly, they shouted loudly. Their voices were a little unsteady due to nervousness, but as the waves of sound spread, their voices gradually became steady and powerful.
Gu Yan stood not far from the emperor, looking down, and caught Cheng Wan's figure with just one glance.
“Awan…” Gu Yan’s lips moved, his eyes fixed on Cheng Wan without blinking, his burning gaze enveloping Cheng Wan’s kneeling figure.
Finally, he saw Cheng Wan appear before him in person.
That was Cheng Wan, alive and breathing.
For some reason, Gu Yan felt an urge to cry at this moment.
"Flat body."
The emperor's voice, relayed by his eunuchs, echoed clearly across the square.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Everyone stood up as instructed, but still kept their heads bowed, maintaining a respectful posture.
The emperor looked down at the dark mass of people below the city gate. His gaze first fell on Prince Jing, who was at the head of the crowd, and then shifted slightly to see Cheng Wan, who was behind Prince Jing.
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to see Cheng Wan's face clearly, or perhaps just casually, before turning his gaze to the people of Liangzhou.
These are his people.
They are people from Liangzhou.
The emperor's face revealed the most genuine smile of the day.
Prince Jing, standing in the square, took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed to the emperor on the city wall:
"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to welcome the Liangzhou birthday celebration delegation to the capital."
Today, I have successfully completed my mission and safely brought the entire Liangzhou birthday celebration delegation to the outside of Chengtian Gate!
The people of Liangzhou, deeply grateful for the Emperor's grace, have specially selected representatives who have traveled for several days to present the most sincere gifts and blessings from the people of Liangzhou on the Emperor's birthday!
We humbly request Your Majesty's permission for the Liangzhou delegation to present gifts for the Emperor's birthday celebration!
The emperor came here from Xuanzheng Hall to watch the Liangzhou birthday celebration delegation present their gifts, so naturally he wouldn't refuse.
Upon receiving the emperor's permission, the crowd in the square immediately sprang into action.
First, people other than Prince Jing, Cheng Wan, and the others from the Liangzhou birthday celebration delegation quickly evacuated from the center of the square.
Before leaving, Cheng Wan couldn't help but look up at the city tower one last time.
Jin Jin told her that Gu Yan was on the city wall and had been watching her the whole time.
Gu Yan, who had been staring at Cheng Wan, met her gaze.
Gu Yan's heart stopped for a moment.
Despite the distance, Gu Yan couldn't see the details in Cheng Wan's eyes, but he could clearly feel the comfort and tenderness in her gaze.
With red eyes, Gu Yan nodded instinctively, very slightly, and with great restraint.
Cheng Wan received it, and then, regardless of whether Gu Yan could see it clearly or not, she raised her eyebrows and gave Gu Yan a faint smile.
After interacting with Gu Yan, Cheng Wan quietly retreated to the edge of the square with the palace guards who were leading the way, and joined up with Old Madam Lin and the others.
"Awan!"
Seeing Cheng Wan approaching, Grandma Lin and the others could no longer contain their worry and joy and quickly went to greet her.
Wang tried to support Cheng Wan, but quickly withdrew her hand just before it touched Cheng Wan's right arm.
What happened to your arm?
Grandma Lin and the others all focused their attention on Cheng Wan's right arm.
Cheng Wan grinned, pretending to be nonchalant: "It's not my arm, I accidentally fractured my right wrist. It's nothing serious. The doctor has already examined me and said that if I keep it immobilized for a month to a month and a half, it will be almost healed."
Did you accidentally break a bone?
Wang blinked hard, suppressing the sob rising in her throat: "Then...that's good, that's good..."
Grandma Lin and the others didn't press the issue further, partly because they were afraid of attracting the attention of the palace guards and partly because they didn't want to worry Cheng Wan, so they all put on a forced smile.
Despite her face looking like she was about to faint, Cheng Wan smiled genuinely and brightly: "I choreographed the performance for the Liangzhou birthday celebration delegation, so you all have to watch it carefully later!"
Looking at Cheng Wan's pale yet spirited eyes, Old Lady Lin and the others were both amused and exasperated.
"You've really been keeping busy the whole way here." Old Mrs. Lin, her eyes red, playfully tapped Cheng Wan's forehead, the touch so light it barely touched her skin. "Don't worry, we'll definitely keep our eyes wide open and watch carefully!"
Cheng Wan was supported by her family members and spoke quietly with Grandma Lin and others.
Over there, Prince Jing had already ascended the city wall and walked to the emperor's vicinity, preparing to watch the ceremony together with the emperor.
Thinking of the scenes he had witnessed in the past two days, Prince Jing couldn't help but glance at Mu Yao, and then arrogantly raised his chin.
He was confident that the emperor would be overjoyed.
As the person who welcomed the birthday celebration delegation to the capital, he would certainly receive the emperor's commendation.
"With so many people, what gifts are they preparing to present? I haven't seen anyone carrying anything."
"I think I saw some banners. Could the gift be those banners?"
The officials on the city wall watched the people below moving around and couldn't help but huddle together and whisper among themselves.
"Hey, what the gifts are doesn't matter. The fact that these people are standing here is already the best gift. Don't you all feel that His Majesty is in a much better mood than before?"
The official's words were immediately echoed by the other officials.
After the emperor arrived at the city wall, his mood was visibly improved.
However, these officials soon realized they were wrong.
What the gift is is very important.
The emperor could be even happier.
Many years later, the officials who accompanied the emperor to the ceremony today still remember the scene of the Liangzhou delegation presenting gifts to the emperor to wish him a happy birthday...
In the square, the people of Liangzhou made their final preparations.
Entrusted with an important task by Cheng Wan, Cai Shu took a deep breath, shakily stuffed the wooden whistle in his hand into his mouth, and then blew the whistle with all his might.
"Hee--"
A crisp, loud, and penetrating whistle suddenly rang out. Just as the emperor and his officials were wondering what was going on, the people of Liangzhou in the center of the government office stirred.
The 666 Liangzhou residents seemed to be a single entity, using their bodies as pens and the square as scrolls, moving, gathering, and dispersing silently and swiftly.
Because of their elevated position, those on the city wall could see that many Liangzhou residents initially appeared quite tense and their steps were somewhat hurried.
But soon, the people seemed to find their rhythm again, and their steps and directions became more determined.
"What nonsense, this pretense..."
The word "mysterious" was on Wei Hufeng's lips, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it.
To everyone's astonishment, after a dazzling display of maneuvering, the people of Liangzhou actually managed to form a giant "寿" (longevity) character with a rigorous structure and distinct strokes on the massive Chengtian Square!
This character, composed of human figures, not only resembles a human body in form but also possesses a calm yet powerful aura.
A suppressed gasp of amazement rang out from the city tower.
Even the emperor and Crown Prince Mu Yao stared blankly down below.
They had seen countless rare treasures, but never such a... vibrant, so full of life, congratulatory gift.
However, this is just the beginning.
The wooden whistle in Cai Shu's mouth rang out again, this time with two short "hoo! ho!" sounds.
"The Big Dipper shines brightly over the imperial land, and auspicious clouds float over the Southern Mountain to offer longevity!"
The 111 people in the first group spoke with deep breaths and booming voices that echoed through the sky.
Immediately following, the second group joined in with a majestic voice: "The golden palace opens to the phoenix's reign, the jade steps rise with the dragon's tassels for a thousand years!"
"Iron horses and icy rivers are now a thing of the past; in the spring breeze, the rice and millet on the ridges are plentiful!"
"The East China Sea surges with auspicious waves, and the border city's beacon fires are extinguished, as all nations sing in praise!"
"The pine and cypress stand tall, their spirits gleaming like amber; the cedar tree, eight thousand years old, is a gift from heaven!"
The verses flowed one after another, like waves crashing on the shore.
Finally, as the echoes of the phrase "Not needing to borrow five hundred years from Penglai, may the sun, moon, rivers, and mountains remain forever" still reverberated in the square, the 666-member Liangzhou birthday celebration delegation, facing the Chengtian Gate tower, bowed deeply and, with all their might, uttered a thunderous chorus:
"Congratulations, Holy Lord!"
"The sun and the moon will shine forever, and the mountains and rivers will never grow old!"
May the heavens and earth be filled with spring, and may you live a long and prosperous life!
Quiet, extremely quiet.
Whether it was the people on the city wall or the onlookers at the edge of the square, they were all enveloped in a silence of immense shock.
The air seemed to freeze, with only the thunderous cries of birthday wishes still faintly echoing between heaven and earth.
Suddenly, on the Chengtianmen city tower, the emperor took a step forward and slammed his hands heavily on the battlements!
The emperor's usually dignified and composed face was now flushed with undisguised excitement.
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent 'May the sun and moon shine eternally, and may the land never grow old!' Excellent 'May heaven and earth enjoy springtime, and may you live ten thousand years!'"
Before the emperor could say anything more, Prince Jing quickly moved closer to him and whispered, "Father, it's not over yet."