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At dawn the next day, the dark red sun had just broken through the clouds, sprinkled the faint light on the tile roof of every palace room in the Jian'an Palace, and the officials stationed in Beijing above the third rank of the Great Zhou Dynasty were dressed in court clothes, holding jade gui, stepping on the marble slabs dyed orange by the rising sun, taking cautious steps, and under the guidance of the ceremonial officials, they lined up and entered the open Nanchang Gate.

According to the etiquette of the Great Zhou Dynasty, on the day of the new emperor's accession to the throne, Si Tianjian and other officials first set up incense cases and ritual utensils in front of the coffin of the first emperor in the Taimiao, and respectfully invited the new emperor to officiate. The new emperor wore filial piety clothes and knelt down in front of the coffin of the first emperor to pray as a sign that he had taken over the whole world from the hands of the first emperor. At the same time, the ceremonial officials would also go to the Yuanqiu, Taisha, Shenongtan and other places to worship the gods of heaven and earth, the gods of the shrine and the ancestors of the generations, and announce the major events of the change of power.

When the auspicious time arrives, the palace bells and drums will ring, and the new emperor will change into a crown dress that can only be worn during solemn ceremonies, and burn incense and pray in front of the Chaotian Gate outside the main hall to communicate with the gods.

In this process, the ministers who have entered the palace can not enter the main hall, but can only wait in line on the square behind the Nanchang Gate, until the new emperor's prayer ceremony is completed, enter the main hall, sit on the dragon bed, they can enter the edict, bow down to the new emperor to congratulate. After Si Tianjian, who presided over the ceremony, read the edict to the ministers, the enthronement ceremony was officially completed.

At this time, a ceremonial officer hurriedly ran from the gate of the road. This unceremonial act made the ministers who were waiting for drowsy suddenly refresh.

The ceremonial officer found Helan Chu among the ministers, and said in a slightly trembling voice without bothering to salute: "Taishi! Princess, princess is missing! ”

This was like an earth-shattering piece of news, and the ministers who heard it couldn't help but say, "Ah? "Yes. Then everyone didn't care about the order, and they gathered around one after another. The new emperor disappeared on the day of the enthronement ceremony, which is really an unprecedented anecdotal.

Helan Chu's expression barely changed.

Today is the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, in order to maintain order in the palace and ensure that there are no mistakes, Wei Wei issued an order to strengthen the investigation as early as six hours ago, except for the officials who entered the court today, no one is allowed to enter the palace - tacitly, even the new emperor himself is no exception. So this result is logical, and it is strange that the princess can come back. However, he has not received a report that an "unknown person" intends to enter the palace - Li Kaizong's meeting gift, he can consider accepting it.

In the eyes of others, Helan Chu showed a calm and composure that was accustomed to watching the situation.

"In front of the hundred officials of the court, Hugh should be alarmist. What happened, you know. ”

"Master, my lords! The stakes are serious, how dare the lower officials be a little rash. The ceremonial officer said in a voice that was about to cry out in a hurry: "At the fifth watch, when Lord Si Tianjian went to Yongning Palace to invite the princess, the palace people of Yongning Palace had already said that the princess was not in the palace all night. Lord Si Tianjian did not dare to leave, and assigned everyone to preside over the temple first, and he and the lower officials waited in the Yongning Palace. As a result, until now, the auspicious time is approaching, and there is still no trace of the princess! Lord Si Tianjian had to send an official to come and tell the Grand Master! ”

"How so?"

"Where's the princess?"

"How's that okay?"

……

The ministers were talking for a while.

Helan Chu said lightly to the ceremonial officer: "Go and bring the princess's personal palace maid and guards for questioning." ”

The ministers slowly quieted down. The ceremonial officer was also shocked by Helan Chu's composure, and turned around to leave.

"Wait," Helan Chu said loudly, "The situation is very special, there is no need to stick to ordinary etiquette." You ride your horse and go as fast as you can. ”

"Yes! Be! The ceremonial officer turned his head and said yes, ran to the distant hitching post, untied the reins, mounted the horse, and galloped away.

A thin minister with gray sideburns stepped forward, it was Zhang Fengshi, the doctor of Right Guanglu. He twisted his gray beard and said worriedly: "According to Si Tianjian's calculations, the auspicious time to ascend the throne is today's Mao time, and now it is the middle of the Mao time, and there is only half an hour left before the end of the auspicious time, I don't know where the princess is at the moment." ”

Another minister next to him frowned, and then answered: "The lower official heard about it...... The princess had been out of the palace for two days without permission a few days ago...... disappeared this time, I don't know if it was also because of lingering outside the palace? ”

When the minister said this, many people couldn't help but sigh and shake their heads secretly. I had heard a lot of stories about this unruly princess who was idle and profligate the loser, but it was so ridiculous that she lingered outside the palace on the day of her accession to the throne was indeed beyond their expectations.

"The ancestral system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, once the new emperor misses the auspicious time to ascend the throne, he must keep filial piety for three years before he can choose an auspicious day to ascend the throne." Zhang Fengshi looked up at the sky that looked extremely vast in the dim morning light, "If the princess misses the auspicious time this time, I'm afraid she will have to wait three years before she can inherit the throne." ”

"A country cannot be without a king for a day, let alone such an autumn of sorrow?" A minister who looks like a military attache is a little excited, and his voice is like a Hong Zhong, and he is not at all as scrupulous as the civil officials, "My Great Zhou Empire has only been established for ten years, and there are cool people in the west who provoke every year, and there are Turkic people in the north who are eyeing you. If the throne is empty for three years, won't he take the opportunity to give away the two thieves? ”

The military attaché's words pointed directly at the key point, which made the whispering officials all fall silent, and their expressions became even more solemn. Although it was not a blessing to let that unruly princess ascend to the throne, her accession to the throne was in accordance with the law, and courtiers should naturally follow this legal system; Second, having the emperor in power is better than the emperor's empty throne and giving foreign enemies a chance to take advantage of this truth, everyone understands, so the ministers who have always been not optimistic about the princess are looking forward to her appearing in time.

At this time, there was a sound of horses' hooves in the distance. The ministers followed the sound with hope, and saw that the one who ran from the road gate was the official who had just been ordered to pass on the palace people of Yongning Palace, and he was carrying two horses behind him, the appearance of a palace maid and a guard, and he did not bring any surprises at all.

A group of three horsemen came to the open space that the ministers had left behind, rolled the saddle and dismounted, and all knelt down in front of Helan Chu.

"Tell the Grand Master and my lords, these two people are the chief of the guard and the personal palace maid in the Yongning Palace." The ceremonial officer hurriedly said.

"I've seen the Grand Master, my lords." The guards and palace maids all bowed to the hundred officials.

"Is the princess really not in the palace?"

"You two, tell me where the princess has gone?"

Before the two of them could straighten up, several anxious officials had already gathered around to ask questions.

The chief guard clenched his fists, "Back to my lords, since yesterday evening, no one in the palace has seen the princess, and until now, the princess has not returned to the palace." ”

When a minister heard the chief of the guard say this, he immediately asked, "The gate of Yongning Palace is guarded by you day and night, how can you not even know that the princess has left?" ”

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