Chapter 1217 The Throne Ceremony
However, the appearance of Tang Lan and others quickly attracted the attention of all the civil and military officials present.
Everyone has received the news that the distinguished guests from the Tang Clan will attend His Majesty's coronation ceremony.
They had speculated countless times about what these high-ranking members of the Tang Clan were like, assuming they were similar to the experts of other major sects.
Unexpectedly, Tang Lan and the others turned out to be a group of young people, whose ages should be similar to those of His Majesty and the Princess.
They even suspected that the Tang Sect representative who came this time was not an important high-ranking member, since someone so young was probably only at the Soul Douluo level at most.
Tang Lan and the others bypassed all the ministers' seats and sat directly in the most important, left-hand seat.
This is the place where an emperor is closest to his coronation.
On the right side, although there were also tables and chairs, no one was sitting down.
This clearly demonstrates that the Tang Sect holds the undisputed top position in the Douling Empire, and no other force can rival it.
"Master, I'm here! Here!"
Just then, a pleasant female voice suddenly came from not far away.
Tang Lan and the others looked in that direction and realized it was Xue Yue.
Ever since that girl got drunk last time, she hasn't gone to see Tang Lan again, and nobody knows what she's been doing.
Seeing her today, this little girl still has as much energy and spirit as ever.
Xueyue had already changed into a formal royal princess dress. The black and white floor-length skirt made her look noble and elegant, and her skin appeared even whiter.
"Xueyue, why haven't you come to see us these past few days?"
Seeing that Tang Lan didn't speak, Vina took the initiative to greet Xue Yue.
"Hehe. Of course, I'm going to prepare gifts for my elder brother and master!"
"Today is the auspicious day of my brother's ascension to the throne. How can we not give him a gift?"
“My master has already given me a gift, so naturally I can’t be short of a gift too. But these must be kept secret for now, because it’s not time to reveal them yet.”
Xueyue explained to everyone with a smug look on her face.
As he spoke, he took the lead and sat down to Tang Lan's left, his movements so fluid and graceful.
Xueyue's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, making her look like a cunning little fox.
"Your Majesty is here!"
Just then, the shouts of eunuchs suddenly came from outside.
Then a group of skilled warriors, mixed with palace maids and servants, escorted the imperial carriage.
As they approached the stone steps, the dragon carriage stopped, and Xu Sanshi stepped down from it.
At this moment, Xu Sanshi was wearing a wide dragon robe, and his temperament was completely different from a few days ago, exuding majesty and nobility.
"We pay our respects to the Emperor!"
Upon seeing this, the ministers quickly stood up and knelt down to pay their respects to Xu Sanshi.
Only Tang Lan and her group did not kneel; they simply stood up and bowed slightly to Xu Sanshi as a gesture of respect.
The Tang Clan is currently considered the strongest sect in the entire Douling Empire, and its status is self-evident.
If it were the Douling Empire at its peak, the gap in status between the two sides might not be so large, but the Douling Empire is now in its twilight years.
The reason it hasn't collapsed yet is entirely due to the strong support from the Tang Clan, which prevents the Holy Spirit Cult from acting too arrogantly.
"My dear friends, no courtesy!"
"Today is the day of my coronation, and I am delighted to see all my beloved ministers present!"
After Xu Sanshi finished speaking, he smiled and strode towards the dragon throne at the head of the table.
Then Tianyang Douluo appeared, scanned the crowd, and said loudly, "I now announce that the coronation ceremony of the new emperor has officially begun!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the musicians not far away began to play a solemn yet festive melody.
Guided by his attendants, Xu Sanshi walked toward the hall where the ancestral tablets were placed above.
He first lit several incense sticks, then entered the incense burner in front of the three memorial tablets at the head of the hall, and immediately knelt down to pay his respects.
Without a doubt, almost all the memorial tablets in the main hall belong to the emperors of the Douling Empire throughout history.
To inherit the throne of the Douling Empire, one must not only offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, but also to one's ancestors.
Although it is unknown whether the so-called ancestors can actually see it, this succession ceremony has continued for thousands of years, and emperors of all dynasties have gone through it.
The elaborate ceremony lasted for more than an hour before it was considered to have come to a preliminary conclusion.
Then, at Xu Sanshi's command, the entire palace was filled with feasts and gifts, and everyone was immersed in joy.
In fact, the Douling Empire's grand banquet was not limited to the imperial city.
All expenses at taverns and teahouses inside and outside the capital city are waived; in other words, the Douling Empire is footing the bill.
At the same time, a general amnesty was declared, and all criminals who were not guilty of heinous crimes could be pardoned.
This was the first change that occurred after a brand new emperor ascended to the throne.
According to Tang Lan's understanding, the banquet would last for three days, and the banquet in the palace would last for seven days.
Such a gesture could probably only be made by a nation with a deep treasury and ample finances like the Douling Empire.
In other words, although the Douling Empire is the weakest in overall strength, its national treasury is the most abundant.
This is why all the various forces are eyeing the Douling Empire with covetous intent.
As the sun sets, the banquet comes to an end.
Tang Lan clearly saw a Soul Douluo hurriedly walk up and hand a secret letter to Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi glanced at it briefly, and his expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.
But it only lasted for a short time before Xu Sanshi's expression returned to normal.
"Sect Leader Tang, let's speak in private for a moment!"
Given his current status, Xu Sanshi remained very polite to Tang Lan.
The two then headed towards the side hall, leaving the crowd below looking bewildered, unaware of what had happened.
"But what trouble has the Holy Spirit Cult caused this time?"
The two stood by the window, and before Xu Sanshi could speak, Tang Lan asked with a smile.
At this moment, Xu Sanshi's eyes widened, a hint of surprise on his face, followed by a wry smile.
He nodded: "That's right, urgent requests for help have been sent from several cities in the west that border the Heavenly Soul Empire!"
"The westernmost cities of Xiyuan, Shayan, and Guyue have all fallen and are now in the hands of the rebels, or more precisely, the Holy Spirit Cult."
Xu Sanshi handed the envelope to Tang Lan and then began to recount the contents of the letter.
Tang Lan glanced at the letter and nodded. The letter also mentioned that the situation in the Heavenly Soul Empire was almost the same.
In comparison, the cities occupied by the Holy Spirit Cult actually number two more than those occupied by the Fighting Spirit Empire.
boom!
"The Holy Spirit Cult is far too arrogant. They want to devour both the Heavenly Soul Empire and my Fighting Spirit Empire at the same time!"
