Two days later,
Early in the morning,
Jiang Hao rose early, bathed and changed clothes, and put on a black robe trimmed in gold. Lu Zhi and Susu rode in the same carriage, while Xiao He, Duke Lu, Cao Can, and the others followed in the carriages behind. The procession left Pei County.
Ten li outside the city, at the foot of Dingyang Mountain, Jiang Hao discovered that four or five thousand people had already gathered there. More than two thousand workers were building the Daoist temple, while several thousand Pei County residents had come as well. The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see.
At the front of the crowd, Jiang Hao also saw the Pei County magistrate, local officials, village elders, and others.
Ji Bu, Han Zhong, and Lu Xin had long since led their respective troops into formation on either side. Rows upon rows of soldiers stood before the crowd, maintaining order.
Daoism was now Great Qin's state religion. How could local officials dare neglect a grand worship ceremony held by the Imperial Preceptor? Jiang Hao stepped down from his carriage. Lu Su and Lu Zhi were both dressed as Daoist acolytes, carrying the Peace Talisman and the Celestial Master Jade Seal in their hands.
The group climbed the mountain on foot. By then, a broad Stone Slab Staircase had been built up the slope, and construction sites could be seen from time to time on both sides of the path. Many foundations had already been cleared, with timber and stone piled on the ground.
Seeing this, Jiang Hao recalled records he had once read. Back then, the Quanzhen Ancestral Court, Qinling Zhongnan Mountain Chongyang Palace, had around 5,048 halls and buildings. Its grounds stretched east to the Laoyu River, west to the Ganyu River,