Son-in-law Heaven Emperor Xiao Yi-Chapter 457: Who Do You Think You Are?

"Excellent, excellent, excellent, truly my Tian'er!"

Xiao Zhengde clutched the letter in his hands, his expression wildly alternating between ecstasy, trepidation, and tension, eventually all emotions turned into hysterical laughter, "That rebel Xiao Yi actually dreams of surpassing Tian'er? Sheer lunacy! Someone, hurry, send out invitations to all the dignitaries within the capital... No, no need to rush the invitations, I will save this news for the ancestral worship ceremony. I'll announce it publicly when that rebel is at his proudest. I want him to live forever in torment, hahaha..."

Xiao Zhengde gripped the letter tightly, his eyes filled with uncontrollable pride.

Humming a tune, he looked at the young man before him, "Prepare the food and drink immediately, today the head of the family must have a good drink. Hahaha..."

"Head of the Family, is there some good news?" the young man asked, startled.

"Hehe, of course, it's terrific news, Tian'er has already..."

Pausing, Xiao Zhengde cleared his throat and said, "This matter is confidential, you will naturally find out at the ancestral worship ceremony. Now go prepare the food and drink for me!"

"Yes!"

Although the young man was full of curiosity, he did not ask any further and respectfully withdrew.

A moment later.

Xiao Zhengde sat alone in a small courtyard, savoring fine wines and dishes, admiring the beautiful starry sky.

Not long after.

Xiao Zhengde went to sleep with a radiant smile on his face, and only the faint sound of his talk in his dreams could be heard driftily, "Tian'er truly is my unicorn child... Xiao Yi... such disgrace..."

......

Time flew by.

The day of the Great Qian Dynasty's ancestral worship ceremony approached, and this could be seen simply from the atmosphere within the capital.

The entire capital was filled with a joyous mood.

Lanterns were strung up, and the air was filled with festivity.

From high-ranking officials and nobles to the common peddlers and laborers.

Everyone's doors were adorned with red lanterns, and splendid fireworks lit up the sky, as all the citizens celebrated together.

This ancestral worship ceremony was not just a royal ancestral sacrifice; it also marked the founding day of the Great Qian Dynasty. At this time every year, the entire Great Qian Dynasty was filled with songs and dances, an atmosphere of jubilation everywhere.

It was a truly universal celebration!

Wuuu wuuu wuuu!

A dull sound of horns suddenly rose.

The sound of the horns was like the rumble of thunder, spreading far and wide, and in an instant, it reached every corner of the capital.

"Quick, bring the tribute to the palace!"

"Xiao has already arrived outside the capital with the scepter of worship; he will soon reach the palace. Once the scepter is passed on, Emperor Qian will lead all the officials to Imperial Dragon Mountain. We must get ready!"

"This year, I must be the first to offer tribute..."

"Hahaha, don't even think about it, the first tribute will definitely be mine..."

Similar debates erupted all over the capital.

Since the first Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, there had been a rule that whoever could offer the first tribute at the ancestral worship ceremony, whether an official, merchant, or commoner, would be greatly rewarded: officials would rise one rank, merchants would earn a fortune, and commoners would receive a thousand acres of fertile land!

As a result, every ancestral worship ceremony would see countless mighty people vying with each other, competing for this esteemed position.

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Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Salvos of thunderous ceremonial guns exploded in the sky.

Glamorous, colorful, and diverse.

They illuminated half of the sky with exceptional brilliance, and under the light of these fireworks, Shadow Demon, dressed in full regalia, walked confidently towards the palace, surrounded by stars as if by a moon.

Along the way.

Many recognized the identity of the Shadow Demon, and they couldn't help but show a look of astonishment, "That's not right, isn't this the Hall Master of the Battle Hall, the Shadow Demon?"

"How could it be Hall Master Ying? Wasn't it supposed to be the head of the Xiaoshanhe Institute, Xiao Yi, who escorted the ceremonial staff? How did the person change so suddenly?"

"Could the rumors be true? Did Xiao Yi have a falling out with the royal family?"

"This... Xiao Yi is really too presumptuous, isn't he? This is the ancestral ceremony, and he's arbitrarily changed the person designated to escort the ceremonial staff. Is he not afraid that Emperor Qian, in a fit of anger, might strip him of his position as head of the institute?"

In the midst of all the discussions.

The Shadow Demon, however, was expressionless, and under the protection of a ceremonial guard formed by disciples of the Xiaoshanhe Institute, he arrived in front of the palace gate.

At that moment, the palace gate was wide open.

On both sides stood two teams of Imperial Guards in full regalia, each adorned in armor specifically crafted for the ancestral ceremony, both luxurious and precious, with the cost of each piece easily ten times that of a regular soldier's armor.

Wuu wuu wuu!

Behind the two teams of Imperial Guards were the ceremonial soldiers, each carrying a horn.

The somber sound of the horns echoed between heaven and earth.

It was majestic and solemn.

Upon hearing this sound, one would spontaneously treat the occasion with respect.

Huff!

The Shadow Demon took a deep breath, his hands holding the ceremonial staff, and he stepped up the solemn path leading into the palace, one step at a time.

The ceremonial staff had always been in the custody of the Xiaoshanhe Institute.

It would only be handed over to Emperor Qian by the chief celebrant at the ancestral ceremony once a year.

The primary celebrant would be chosen from among the princes, and then Emperor Qian would hand the ceremonial staff over to that prince.

This had always been so.

This responsibility had always been fulfilled by the head of the Xiaoshanhe Institute.

Never delegated to another.

The scene from within the Xiaoshanhe Institute flashed across the Shadow Demon's mind—Xiao Yi tossing the ceremonial staff to him as if it were trash—causing him to take a deep breath to calm his restless thoughts and continue forward with a composed face.

Meanwhile.

Golden Throne Hall.

Powerhouses from the Tianjian Sect, Vast Righteousness Pavilion, Three Seas Mountain, and the other top ten sects, as well as the four great families—Dongfang, Ximen, Nangong, and Beitang—and the Xiao Family and other powerful figures, along with the entire court of civil and military officials, were gathered here.

The ancestral ceremony was an unprecedented grand occasion for the Great Qian Dynasty royal family.

Even the ten great sects, which were notoriously independent on normal days, sent strong representatives to participate in this grand event.

The Tianjian Sect, in particular, sent a Deputy Sect Master, the Huihai Sword Master, a proficient swordsman of the Nirvana Realm Seventh Layer, whose combat power was exceedingly formidable. He and Emperor Qian were chatting and laughing, "Your Majesty, that Xiao Yi from the Xiaoshanhe Institute has indeed persecuted our disciples from the Tianjian Sect..."

Emperor Qian chuckled, "Oh, really?"

Huihai remarked indifferently, "The head of our division stationed in the imperial capital was blatantly extorted of a huge sum by Xiao Yi. Does Your Majesty, residing in the imperial capital, not know about this?"

"And our Three Seas Mountain, even a prominent elder was lured away by Xiao Yi!" a member of Three Seas Mountain said angrily.

"Boundless longevity to Buddha!"

A Taoist priest from Wendao Villa with a rosaceous nose and holding a horsetail whisk said sympathetically, "Xiao Yi is truly a disaster. Our Li Youruo from Wendao Villa was also deceived by him. I implore Your Majesty to stand up for Wendao Villa!"

The surrounding people couldn't help but look on with contempt.

Li Youruo and the others were people they had sent to stir up trouble with Xiao Yi but ended up being won over by him and subsequently joined the Xiaoshanhe Institute.

Yet in their mouths, it turned into cheating and swindling?

Emperor Qian, still chuckling, was about to speak when he heard Yang Kun beside him say lightly, "Father Emperor, in my humble opinion, Xiao Yi truly does not have the qualifications to be the head of the Xiaoshanhe Institute!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth,

Than a mocking laugh came from outside: "Who do you think you are? Even our institute head is something you can criticize and judge?"