In the wind and snow that covered the sky, Du Weifeng stood on the side of the altar, and glanced at Wei Xingzhen who was standing at the head of Wenchen from time to time.

The prayer officer recites the prayer in the center of the altar, and the bronze vessels are cooked over a blazing fire to the sound of solemn music.

The prison cow in the wok, steamed out a white mist with the smell of meat, but before the aroma could dissipate, it was immediately carried away by the howling cold wind.

The annual winter solstice sacrifice has always been like this - the Great Zhou Dynasty is rich and abundant, and the cattle are fat, not only to tell the ancestors and ancestors of the people and the people of the year, the monarch and the ministers, but also to pray that God can continue to bless this side of the water and soil in the coming year.

The priest with the bell in hand chanted, singing and dancing along the altar, and everyone stared in silence and waited.

Du Weifeng secretly moved the two feet under his robe and stood for more than an hour, although he was not tired, but he was really bored.

Obviously, the burden on his shoulders has accumulated more and more during this time, but he can only stand here and wait, and by the way, help watch this fake "Wei Xingzhen", so as not to go wrong-but when the sacrifice is the most rules, what can go wrong?

Du Weifeng forcibly held back a yawn.

Who made him a Heavenly Master...... If he hadn't been there on this occasion, he wouldn't have been able to say anything about it.

I knew it earlier, and asked Wei Xingzhen to pinch a dummy for him......

The music on all sides slowly stopped, and at the other end of the altar, two soldiers slowly stepped forward with a huge horn, and the chimes stopped, but the drums were connected.

Du Weifeng was a little excited in his heart, it seemed that the outdoor part of this winter festival was coming to an end soon—next, it was up to Sun Youwei to ask the heavens and pray for the omen of the coming year.

This process is Du Weifeng's favorite, on the one hand, because as soon as it is over, the entire winter festival can be transferred to the main hall, Sun Youwei and the courtiers will meet the winter officials of the state capitals on the throne, and listen to them tell about the agricultural events that happened in various parts of the Great Zhou this year, it is not a serious court meeting, but more like a concentrated auspicious gift.

At that time, although he will not be able to leave, he will not have to be at the front of everyone like he is now, so he will be able to listen to other people's stories and do some official business in private.

Another reason is that the process of "Heaven responding to the prayers of the world" is beautiful in itself, and people will raise countless flags on the hill opposite the altar.

One side of the flag was black, with solid sun, moon and golden dragons embroidered with gold and silver thread, and the other side had nothing.

The northwest wind generally blows on Daizong Mountain in winter, so when it rises, the cold wind will blow its front - the golden scales towards the sun, which is solemn and magnificent.

This is a symbol of God's promise.

However, a long time ago, there was a year when the wind direction changed abruptly during the winter festival, resulting in a black bald flag floating in the mountains and forests opposite after the empress Tianwen, and almost no official in Beijing had a good year that year, since then, in addition to being more cautious in the selection of the winter festival time, everyone also secretly replaced a batch of single-sided black flags with double-sided gold stripes - so that even if there is any accident later, it is better to leave some room to make amends.

A dull trumpet sounded, and the people on the snow no longer stood apart, but gathered together in silence, and then bowed slightly towards the altar.

Feng Ge's first assistant and the six Shangshu need to be listed separately, as do Du Mock Feng and Yin Shiyun.

They stood in a shallow arc, with Sun Youwei's back in front and countless courtiers behind them.

Du Weifeng had just stood firm, when he suddenly heard Yin Shiyun's voice in his ears.

"Lord Wei, this is the first time that you have followed Your Majesty to participate in the Winter Festival?"

"For the first time." Wei Xingzhen replied expressionlessly.

"What a coincidence, it's my first time, too." Yin Shiyun said.

Du Weifeng's heart suddenly lifted.

"Before that, it was my master who stood in my position." Yin Shiyun continued, "Lord Wei should ...... There is still an impression. ”

Wei Xingzhen laughed quite sincerely, "Hmm." ”

Du Weifeng shouted in his heart.

How can this still talk about heaven......

He pricked up his ears as he thought about how to intervene to make them stop.

In the afterglow, he clearly saw that Yin Shiyun's eyes were a little colder—it was obvious that Wei Xingzhen's smile just now was full of mockery in his eyes.

Don't say it's Yin Shiyun, even if it's himself, it's quite unaccustomed to seeing Wei Xingzhen's gentle and frugal expression......

"I sometimes want to ask," Yin Shiyun said softly, "Lord Wei dreams back at midnight, and thinks of those who died because of you, don't you feel afraid?" ”

Wei Xingzhen looked at Yin Shiyun a little innocently, "I didn't think about it." ”

"......" Yin Shiyun narrowed his eyes slightly.

Du Weifeng coughed, "Let's be quiet." What's the matter, let's talk about it when the festival is over, all the officials are behind, what are you two talking about here? ”

Yin Shiyun frowned, facing forward and stopped talking.

But after a while, Wei Xingzhen turned his head to look at Yin Shiyun again, "What does Lord Yin think I should be afraid of?" ”

Du Weifeng clenched his fists - no one is talking, why are you still finding fault here?

Yin Shiyun sneered, "...... It's nothing. ”

Wei Xingzhen retracted her gaze, "I think so." ”

Yin Shiyun gritted his teeth, and was about to ask, "What is it?" Du Weifeng shouted the names of him and Wei Xingzhen in a reprimanding tone.

Wei Xingzhen was not annoyed, he withdrew his gaze, and his expression returned to his usual calmness.

Not far away, Sun Youwei had already gotten up, she took the jade mallet handed by Tang Sanxue, and then gently hit it on the copper chime in the center of the altar.

The brass chime made a deep sound that did not match the force of the blow, and the ministers knelt down at this moment.

The drums beat fiercely.

In the music like a wave, countless flagpoles finally appeared on the top of the opposite mountain, three of which were extremely high, about a zhang long, they were controlled by spiritual power, at this time all the flags were only attached to the flagpole, and the guards were waiting for Sun Youwei's next order.

The brass chime sounded again.

The flag officer at the head shouted, "Get up!" ”

Countless black flags fluttered in the wind and snow.

Today's sky is extremely overcast, and although the wind is in the right direction at the moment, the gold stripes on the black flag really look a little dull in the huge wind and snow.

Hundreds of officials are already behind him, wishing the prosperity of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In the sound of the mountain, Sun Youwei looked at the sea of flags in the distance, and felt ominous in his heart.

But in any case, she had seen the response from heaven, so she raised her hand, and was about to strike the last brass chime to show that the winter sacrifice had been completed today, when she suddenly heard a slight unusual sound.

There was a creaking sound, like the sound of a tree branch before it was about to be crushed by the thick snow—Sun You looked at the empty altar around him, there were no trees around at all, and even if there were, such a slight sound would be muffled by the wind......

She frowned, a little skeptical that she had misheard something.

The next moment, however, the flagpole on the opposite side broke.

The black flag at the top quickly got out of control, and in the roaring wind, it quickly flew high into the air with the wind and snow—