Chapter 65: The Grand Ceremony of Heaven Worship and Roasting Chestnuts
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
The king halted momentarily, his gaze stupified.
During this pause, the crown prince, who had been earnestly reciting the ceremonial prayers dedicated to the heavens, shifted his gaze downwards. It was then that he caught sight of Lu Chao Chao’s small, curious face peeking over.
Caught off-guard, the little crown prince faltered mid-sentence, but quickly regained his composure. In a subtle move, he tried to obscure Lu Chao Chao from view, as if to shield her presence from the assembly.
How did she manage to crawl her way up here?
Lu Chao Chao, with her tiny hands brought to her lips as if to warm them with her breath, then gestured towards the base of the altar.
[It’s cold down there, it’s warm up here.] she explained by silently pointing towards the large cauldron that was central to the heaven worship ceremony.
The king, upon witnessing this scene, felt a surge of what should have been fury, ready to demand severe consequences for such an intrusion. However, the vivid dream he experienced the night before caused him to hesitate, closing his mouth without uttering a word.
His hesitation was noticeable even to the official from the Ministry of Rites, who stood nearby with a look of utter astonishment. The elderly official, his hair as white as the snow outside, widened his eyes in disbelief at the sight of the chubby child nonchalantly sitting in front of the ceremonial cauldron, yet he remained silent, not daring to voice his shock.
The situation was extraordinary: a child had brazenly climbed up to the sacred worship altar, and the king seemed to be tacitly protecting her. Under normal circumstances, had it been a young prince in her place, the consequences would have been dire, potentially even fatal, and the repercussions would extend to his mother being exiled.
Unbeknownst to many, the king’s protective stance was influenced by a dream he had the previous night, a dream that foretold the downfall of North Zhao, not through military defeat but through a demise fueled by unbridled love and neglect of duty. In the dream, the crown prince succumbed to a plague, and an imposter took his place, squandering the kingdom’s legacy in pursuit of romance, eventually handing over the reigns to a woman proclaimed as Empress.
The dream was so vivid that the king also encountered the long-deceased old king, who passionately declared that there was still hope for their lineage, emphasizing that the prosperity of the Xie family would continue for millennia. He urged the king to take good care of little Lu Chao Chao, threatening to reprimand him from beyond the grave if he failed to do so.
Thus, amidst the falling snow, which began to blanket everyone’s shoulders, making them shiver from the cold, the king’s gaze towards Lu Chao Chao softened significantly.
Lu Chao Chao herself, after taking a few sips of milk and feeling somewhat forlorn, suddenly brightened up, her attention captured by the paper burning copper basin, which she pulled over to herself by using a stick she found.
Observing her actions, the king watched in silent astonishment as she reached into her clothing and retrieved a handful of chestnuts, tossing them into the basin.
The king was visibly shocked, his mouth agape in disbelief.
As the cold wind blew and snowflakes continued to fall, the officials around started to notice the delightful aroma of roasting chestnuts wafting through the air.
The scent was irresistibly sweet and strong, especially tempting to those who had been standing in the cold, their stomachs empty.
The chestnuts popped open, releasing their warm, nutty fragrance.
Lu Chao Chao, showcasing her three little teeth, managed to open a chestnut. She took a bite, followed by a sip of milk, her expression one of pure bliss.
“Wah wah wah, these chestnuts are so fragrant and sweet, so soft and mushy…” she inwardly exclaimed in delight.
The little crown prince, still focused on his ceremonial recitations, found himself struggling not to be distracted. The aroma of the chestnuts seemed to him the most challenging test he had faced in his young life. The sacred texts in front of him might as well have been the bursting chestnuts.
After the chestnuts were consumed, the ceremony still wasn’t finished. Lu Chao Chao then produced a handful of peanuts, their scent even more intoxicating than the chestnuts’, filling the air to such an extent that some might joke it only lacked a bit of liquor to complete the scene.
Seated in front of the copper basin, the fire illuminated her small face, turning it a rosy red. She then added a thumb-sized sweet potato into the mix.
Soon, the sweet, earthy smell of the sweet potato joined the mix, enveloping the area with its aroma.
Lu Chao Chao, with traces of soot around her mouth and occasionally taking sips of milk, caused the king to blink in exasperation. He thought to himself, somewhat helplessly, that indulging her was in line with his ancestor’s wishes.
The officials, overwhelmed by hunger, couldn’t help but marvel at the audacity of someone bringing snacks to such a solemn ceremony and enjoying them solo. The humble chestnuts, peanuts, and sweet potatoes seemed unusually tempting amidst the biting cold.
Lu Chao Chao, after contentedly drinking her milk and burping, patted her belly satisfactorily and waved at the king and the crown prince. She then discreetly descended the altar using a hidden ladder.
The eunuchs, witnessing this, were astounded, their faces as white as sheets. They wondered when she had managed to ascend the altar.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Seeing the king and the crown prince’s indulgent demeanor towards her left them even more astonished.
The chief eunuch took mental note of Lu Chao Chao’s growing importance, foreseeing that the humble household of the Marquis, led by Lu Yuan Ze of modest means, was on the brink of receiving unexpected fortunes.
At that moment, Madam Xu was kneeling at the altar’s base, turning her head in panic…
Her face drained of color as she realized: Chao Chao was nowhere to be seen.
“Mama…” Lu Chao Chao remarked, pulling at her clothing and tilting her head adorably.
Madam Xu, feeling a wave of relief wash over her, cautioned, “Chao Chao, please don’t wander off. If there’s a mishap during the heaven worship ceremony, the consequences could be severe.” She recalled an incident from the year before last when a small error during the ceremony had resulted in the king’s grave displeasure.
The individual responsible was immediately dismissed, subjected to a harsh punishment of thirty lashes, and nearly lost both his life and his official position. It was a stark reminder of how quickly years of a family’s hard work could be undone.
Lu Chao Chao, with a puzzled frown, wondered how she could possibly be punished. After all, her uncle the king and her brother the crown prince were the epitome of kindness and benevolence.
“Why is your mouth so black?” Madam Xu inquired, noticing the darkened corners of Lu Chao Chao’s mouth, puzzled over what she might have eaten in secret.
Scratching her head sheepishly, Lu Chao Chao had to admit the sweet potato she had eaten was burnt, which explained the black marks on her teeth.
Madam Xu, understanding her daughter’s penchant for sneaking snacks, chose not to comment further.
Just then, a snowflake landed on Lu Chao Chao’s shoulder, causing her to sneeze. The crown prince, noticing from afar, momentarily paused his recitation before hastening the pace.
Soon after, the ceremony came to an unexpectedly swift conclusion.
“This year’s heaven-worshipping ceremony ended quite quickly,” Madam Xu observed, somewhat bewildered. Normally, such a ceremony would last at least half a day, yet this time, it concluded in just half an hour.
Rubbing her stomach, Madam Xu felt the pangs of hunger acutely, wishing she could have eaten something during the ceremony, yet knowing it was forbidden.
“I wonder who was daring enough to bring roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes. If caught, ten heads wouldn’t be enough to pay for such boldness,” she lamented, her hunger making her more reflective.
Chao Chao, overhearing, remained silent, choosing not to divulge that she was the one who had daringly roasted snacks on the altar, right under the noses of the king and the crown prince.
“Anyway, \ wasn’t… not me, Chao Chao!” she declared, patting her noticeably full belly. “Chao Chao! Good, good baby,” she replied, looking up with an air of innocence.
Madam Xu, smiling softly, affirmed, “Of course, I know you’re a good child, our Chao Chao, always so cute and well-mannered, never causing any trouble.”
She reflected on how Lu Chao Chao was born without a single cry, and how, unlike other children, she hardly ever cried, whether she was hungry or in discomfort. In Madam Xu’s eyes, there was no child as sensible and easy to care for as her Chao Chao in the entire capital.
Unbeknownst to her, this very filter of adoration made her completely oblivious to the fact that her daughter was indeed the mastermind behind the unauthorized culinary escapades during the sacred heaven-worshipping ceremony.