Being nearly 2000 years old, he was comparable to the God of Longevity, perhaps in appearance[1] as well…
Ning Xuemo started speculating what the Ancestor looked like.
……
When the palace gates opened, Ning Xuemo followed the welcoming party out of the gates and finally got to lay her eyes on the Ancestor‘s… carriage.
It was that same sedan he sat in the last time she saw him, with the same young girls carrying it. There were also the same pretty little boys clearing the road and following behind the sedan, were those tall youths with straight backs, walking like models on a catwalk.
Other than the Ancestor’s procession retinue, everyone else solemnly prostrated themselves towards his sedan, not even daring to breathe loudly.
With a wave of Emperor Le Xuan’s hand, the officials behind him knelt. Naturally, Ning Xuemo could not just attract attention by remaining standing, so she knelt as well.
Emperor Le Xuan performed a ceremonial greeting while speaking, “Welcome, Ancestor.”
“Exempt greetings…” From within the carriage, its occupant, who seemed to treasure words like gold, finally spoke.
Ning Xuemo’s heart moved; she finally heard the Ancestor’s voice.
This voice did not sound like it belonged to an old man or a young man. Rather, it sounded ethereal and light like a mountain wind gently drifting into people’s ears.
Emperor Le Xuan continued speaking, something along the lines of how the Ancestor’s visit was an honour and other conventional flattery. Although he did not kneel down like everyone else, Emperor Le Xuan’s greetings did contain worship and respect.
Ning Xuemo’s knees began hurting as she kept kneeling. She cursed in her mind. This Emperor was even more long-winded than people giving reports!
‘But you have to acknowledge that the Emperor’s ability to improvise is really quite remarkable. At least he does not sound like he read off a script like a news reporter…’
She heard that this Ancestor loved peace and silence, disliking people who were long-winded. So why was there an exception this time?
Could this just be another method to build his image?
She could not resist raising her head slightly to stare at the sedan. ‘The Emperor has spoken for a while already, just make a sound please…’
But, the procession just remained silent; not even a cough could be heard. The person sitting in the sedan did not utter half a word either.
Allowing Emperor Le Xuan to continue his one-sided conversation, the Ancestor did not seem to have the slightest inclination to get off his sedan.