"Brother Han Ye, I've been on the road all day, and my clothes are all messy. Don't I need to change into a fresh set of clothes?" Lin Zaozao pulled at her somewhat sloppy clothes after hurrying down the road.
"Zhuzhu, becoming the female emperor of Han Country depends on strategy and courage, not on dressing up. Come with me and walk step by step to the supreme position above, accept the respect of the people of Han Country, and then become a qualified female emperor."
Facing Han Ye's sincere gaze, Lin Zaozao could not care about the clothes on her body at this time.
What Han Ye said was right. As a qualified female emperor, what she relied on was never how luxurious her own clothes were.
So Lin Zaozao held Han Ye's hand, under the lead of Uncle Zhang and Dashan, and walked step by step towards the stairs.
Zhao Cai and Jin Bao, like two loyal guards, followed closely behind Lin Zaozao.
While Ji Fantian, Xiao Taohua and Xiao Liuli and others stood quietly with the people of Han Country under the altar, watching Lin Zaozao walk step by step towards her throne.
As Lin Zaozao walked up the endless stairs, her heart grew heavier with each step.
It was as if not long ago, she had walked up and down the stairs countless times. There was solemnity during the sacrifice, and solemnity when the court convened, and more often, helplessness.
Until Lin Zaozao held Han Ye's hand and walked to the top step, what she saw in her eyes was a ground full of corpses.
Looking at the ground full of corpses, some of which she seemed to recognize, some she didn't. But the look in their eyes as they died towards her was both expectant and helpless.
The blood on those corpses gathered into a small river, slowly flowing down the stairs.
And the bloody scene made Lin Zaozao's eyes go dark, and her head began to throb.
Han Ye, who was standing next to Lin Zaozao, saw her abnormality, his eyes flashed darkly, and he quickly grabbed the staggering Lin Zaozao.
Zhuzhu, although I am reluctant for you to get hurt, we have already taken the last step to the supreme position. What remains must be walked by you personally.
Otherwise, what awaits you will be another disaster.
The fortunes of Canglan Country and Fengshuo Country can no longer deteriorate.
Once the female emperors of Canglan Country and Fengshuo Country become desperate, causing the people to live in misery, the resentment everywhere will directly affect your life.
"Zhuzhu, are you alright!"
Hearing Han Ye's concerned voice, the blood mist and corpses in front of Lin Zaozao's eyes disappeared instantly.
She looked back in shock at the concern in Han Ye's eyes. She wanted to tell him everything she had just seen, but when she opened her mouth, she didn't know where to start.
Swallowing back the words that were about to come out of her mouth, Lin Zaozao glanced at Uncle Zhang and Dashan, then turned her head to look at Ji Fantian, Xiao Taohua and countless people of Han Country standing under the stairs.
She also knew that this was not the time for her to answer Han Ye's questions.
What she should do now is to complete her enthronement as the female emperor of Han Country with Han Ye.
What she had just seen should have been her illusion! Such a majestic sacrificial altar could not possibly have corpses and blood.
"Brother Han Ye, I'm fine, let's continue with the ceremony!"
"Alright!"
Hearing that Lin Zaozao was fine, when Han Ye turned his head again, there was only endless gloom in his eyes.
After waiting for two lifetimes, he finally brought Zaozao back to where she belonged.
In this life, he must let Zhuzhu sit in that most noble position. Only when she becomes the female emperor of Han Country, will no one force her to do what she doesn't want to do.
The Zhuzhu of this life must be free.
She will no longer be trapped in that small place, fulfilling her responsibilities day after day.
Even though those responsibilities did not belong to her at all.
Han Ye let go of Lin Zaozao's hand and walked to the front alone. On the top of the stairs stood many people wearing golden masks.
Those wearing the golden masks were dressed in white, but the white clothes seemed to be stained with blood, making them look both creepy and full of mystery.
When Han Ye walked in front of them, he picked up a golden mask from the plate and put it on his face.
When Han Ye put on the mask, his whole aura changed instantly.
At a glance, there was only bottomless depth. What's more, there was a sense of boundless vicissitudes.
So as Lin Zaozao watched Han Ye in a daze, Han Ye and those behind him wearing the same masks took step by step towards Lin Zaozao, surrounding her at the center of the altar.
After Han Ye brought Lin Zaozao to the center of the altar, he looked quietly at her face for a while, then tapped her body. The next second, Lin Zaozao felt like she was a lifeless piece of wood that could only breathe.
She could see and hear, but could not move at all.
As for Lin Zaozao's strangeness, Uncle Zhang and Dashan standing by did not react at all.
They put on the same clothes and masks as Han Ye and those wearing the golden masks.
Forming a circle, surrounding Lin Zaozao in the center of the altar. Then they took knives handed over by the attendant and cut their arms directly.
The blood, along with Han Ye, Uncle Zhang, Dashan and those wearing the golden masks' arms, slowly filled the strange and intricate patterns on the altar along the grooves on the altar.
While Lin Zaozao standing in the center of the pattern watched those patterns turn blood red, her eyes also turned red little by little, then slowly turned golden, and finally turned back to black.
At this point, Lin Zaozao found that her soul seemed to have left her body, actually floating in midair.
She looked down at her own body below, like a piece of wood, following Han Ye and others in this bizarre and mysterious sacrificial ceremony.
After reciting the sacrificial words, Han Ye looked up at Lin Zaozao's hovering soul. He took a deep breath, threw away the knife in his hand, turned around with those behind him wearing masks and Uncle Zhang and Dashan, and knelt down towards Lin Zaozao's soul.
"Han Ye, the high priest of Han Country's sacrifice, possesses the power of two lifetimes. In this life, I am willing to use my life to replace the early death of the life of the female emperor Ming Zhu of Han Country.
Now I am willing to lead the twenty-eight priests of the Sacrificial Hall to use the rest of their lives to protect Princess Ming Zhu for the rest of her life. If I break my word, I shall be punished by the heavenly law, never to reincarnate for eternity."
As soon as Han Ye finished his oath, the overcast weather that had been gloomy just now suddenly cleared, and the glow of sunset shone straight down on Lin Zaozao.
At the moment when the sunset shone on Lin Zaozao's body, Lin Zaozao's soul fiercely returned to her own body.
When Lin Zaozao opened her eyes again, she felt that she had truly become one with this body, as if she had found her home.
As soon as Lin Zaozao felt that she could move, Han Ye walked to her side and led her straight to the front of the stairs.
As Lin Zaozao and Han Ye looked at the people below side by side, Han Ye directly grabbed Lin Zaozao's hand and shouted loudly:
"From today onwards, Princess Ming Zhu is the female emperor of our Han Country, the hope of our Han Country! She will have supreme power, whether civil, military or the Sacrificial Hall.
Those who dare to defy the female emperor shall be killed without mercy!"
As soon as Han Ye’s voice fell, the people below knelt down one by one, shouting Lin Zao Zao's name over and over again.
In the glow of the setting sun, Lin Zaozao watched everything in front of her. She felt her heart pounding nonstop.
No, it shouldn't be like this.
She felt that although everything in front of her was familiar, the process should not have been like this.
Her identity should not have been that of the female emperor. But what her original identity was, she couldn't say.
In short, everything should not have been like this.
To be more certain, her original position should be exchanged with Han Ye's.
She was the high priest, and Han Ye was the one who should be in the center of the crowd, receiving the worship of tens of thousands of people.
Han Ye, who was standing to the side, saw Lin Zaozao's complicated mood. He patted her on the head, and after looking straight into her eyes, said word for word:
"Zhuzhu, accept everything that is happening now in good grace. You are now the empress of Han Country. From this moment on, you will have supreme power. At the same time, you are free, not constrained by anyone," Han Ye said, his eyes flashing golden light in the cold night.
After staring blankly for a moment, she nodded her head absentmindedly.
"Yes, I am the empress of Han Country, and I am free."
"You're right, Zhuzhu. You are the empress of Han Country, having all this, you will always be free," Han Ye said.
As soon as Han Ye finished speaking, Lin Zaozao's eyes suddenly regained clarity.
She looked around awkwardly, and furtively pulled at Han Ye's sleeve, speaking somewhat awkwardly, "Brother Han Ye, I was too nervous just now. My coronation ceremony has somehow ended up here like this?"
"Yes, Zhuzhu, your coronation ceremony is over. From now on, you are the empress of Han Country, Your Majesty Ming Zhu," Han Ye said gently.
Hearing Han Ye’s gentle voice, Lin Zaozao couldn't help blushing as she turned her head to look at him with an embarrassed expression.
This was her coronation ceremony! How could she have zoned out!
Now her coronation ceremony was over. She only remembered part of it.
As for what she had forgotten, Lin Zaozao frowned, trying to remember, but could not recall anything.
Looking at Han Ye's gentle face like beautiful jade, Lin Zaozao scratched her fingers in embarrassment.
Her Han Ye brother had traded his life for hers.
And now!
Just now, in order for her to live safely for the rest of her life, he had made an oath to the heavens along with the twenty-eight people in the Sacrificial Hall, sacrificing their lives.
With such deep affection, how could she repay him?
Or rather, what did she have to repay him with?
But she! She had zoned out at this time!
Thinking it over carefully, Lin Zaozao felt that she was really worthless. When else could she not have zoned out? How could she have zoned out at such an important time!
Seeing Lin Zaozao's regretful appearance, Han Ye quickly hidden the dark light in his eyes. They would carry the memories of their past lives.
His Zhuzhu should completely forget the memories of her past life.
The present Zhuzhu was called Lin Zaozao.
Lin Zaozao and Ming Zhu from the past life were two completely different individuals.
Hiding the dark light in his eyes, Han Ye's eyes became gentle as water again. He looked at Lin Zaozao and said gently, "Zhuzhu, from now on, you are the empress of Han Country. You must do your best to keep the people of Han Country safe. Can you do it?"
"Brother Han Ye, I will try my best to do it," Lin Zaozao answered earnestly.
When the sacrificial ceremony ended, Lin Zaozao was still in a daze.
She didn't feel anything yet! She had somehow inexplicably become the empress of Han Country.
Her ascension to become the empress of Han Country was astonishingly swift. And the speed at which she accepted her new identity was frighteningly calm.
There was no grand coronation ceremony, nor complicated procedures, only the simple sacrificial offering in Han Ye’s Sacrificial Hall.
Or rather, it was the most extraordinary sacrificial offering!
But what happened before and after the sacrificial offering, why didn't she have a single memory of it?
She really was a pig! Such an important event, and she had forgotten it!
She really was beyond redemption!
