As everyone saw Lin Tian standing behind Ying Zheng, preparing to perform the sacrificial rites with him, many eyes turned red with envy.
To vanquish Han, offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, and announce it to the world – this was an occasion of unparalleled solemnity. To stand beside Ying Zheng on such a grand stage was an honor countless people yearned for. Even the current Prime Minister of Great Qin, Changping Jun Mi Qi, considered Lin Tian a remarkably fortunate young man.
Soon, the Yuzhou Ding was brought forth and placed beside the other nine dings. The nine dings, assembled together, were arranged according to their geographical positions on the map of the world. Following this, the great sacrificial beasts were laid upon the altar.
At this juncture, however, the attendant Zhao Gao whispered a few words into Ying Zheng's ear. Upon hearing them, Ying Zheng abruptly turned and asked Lin Tian, "You actually captured an evil dragon??"
"Your Majesty, it is not truly a dragon. Dragons have horns, but this creature does not. Its real name is actually 'alligator'!" Lin Tian replied. "It is only because of its massive size and fierce appearance that many people call it an evil dragon!"
"Oh!!" Ying Zheng nodded, his mind seemingly occupied with other thoughts. After a moment, he instructed Zhao Gao, "In that case, let us include this evil dragon in the sacrifice to heaven and earth!"
"Yes!!"
The sacrificial rituals were exceedingly complex, but specialists were responsible for overseeing such matters. Lin Tian simply followed Ying Zheng's lead. The initial steps alone took a full hour, leaving Lin Tian feeling somewhat numb. Especially as he had to remain close behind Ying Zheng and could not make any minor movements, this further exhausted him.
However, he had certainly garnered considerable attention. Throughout that hour, countless eyes were fixed upon him. Among them, many were filled with admiration. Yet, some individuals sensed that something was amiss. Particularly when Lin Tian mirrored Ying Zheng's movements during the sacrifice, they noticed an uncanny resemblance between their postures. Their demeanor was so similar that others found it impossible to replicate.
Had they not known Lin Tian's true identity, they would have undoubtedly believed that the figure standing behind Ying Zheng was a youthful version of Ying Zheng himself. Furthermore, observing both Ying Zheng and Lin Tian's features, they could discern a striking similarity to Ying Zheng's countenance, which deeply shook many.
"Such a coincidence, how can there be so many coincidences?"
"There must be a significant issue here!" Many astute ministers and generals began to sense something unusual. Even General Teng, who was a bit slower to grasp the situation, now realized it. When he had looked at Lin Tian before, he had found him somewhat familiar and had unknowingly developed a favorable impression. Now, with Lin Tian standing beside Ying Zheng, this sense of familiarity became crystal clear. Lin Tian's aura was indeed remarkably similar to Ying Zheng's.
However, even though they detected something amiss, none of them voiced their suspicions. For they had no idea what Ying Zheng's intentions were. After all, Ying Zheng had not announced Lin Tian's identity. Therefore, they all faithfully followed Ying Zheng and completed the sacrificial rites.
"The sacrifice to heaven begins! Bring forth the evil dragon!"
Soon, the alligator was brought forward. Its ferocious appearance startled many, and a sense of unease spread amongst the ministers.
"What… what is this?"
"A dragon! This looks like a dragon!!"
"What? It truly resembles a dragon! I heard before that an evil dragon had appeared in our Qin, and this beast is so ferocious, could it be that one??"
The appearance of the "evil dragon" captured everyone's attention. Even the common folk couldn't help but murmur amongst themselves. They had never seen such a fearsome creature before, and their reactions were a mix of fear and curiosity.
At this moment, Ying Zheng himself announced the origin of the evil dragon. "This evil dragon is the one that, while General Lin Tian was retrieving the Yuzhou Ding, attempted to bite through the rope and prevent General Lin Tian from recovering it!"
"However, despite its ferocity and terrifying nature, General Lin Tian has subdued and captured it alive!"
Upon hearing this, many turned their gazes towards Lin Tian once more. Regardless of his identity, this display of strength alone was enough to earn him the awe and respect of countless individuals. Even King Han, Ji An, who had surrendered, could not help but be astonished. He knew Lin Tian possessed great power, but he had not anticipated his combat prowess to be so formidable. Capturing an evil dragon alive was akin to the deeds of legendary immortals. In that instant, King Han An's surrender felt truly and utterly justified.
Ying Zheng then continued, "Since it dared to obstruct our Great Qin in retrieving the Yuzhou Ding, it is an enemy of our Great Qin!"
"Guards, slay the evil dragon! Collect its blood and use it to fill the nine dings, then offer it to heaven and earth!"
At these words, guards immediately stepped forward with their swords, intending to kill the alligator on the spot. However, when their swords struck the alligator's back, they did not penetrate directly. Instead, they produced a loud clang, as if the swords had struck metal or stone. This left the guards bewildered and momentarily uncertain.
The next moment, Ying Zheng pushed one of them aside. "Make way, I shall do it myself!" With that, Ying Zheng drew his personal treasured sword, the Lu Lu sword, and thrust it forcefully into the alligator's head, pinning the beast to death on the spot. This elicited cheers from the multitude of commoners.
"Guards, collect the dragon's blood and offer it to heaven and earth!"
"We pray for the unification of the realm, we pray for peace throughout the land!!"
As Ying Zheng offered his prayers, all the ministers and commoners joined him, offering their sincere wishes. They earnestly hoped for the unification of the realm and an end to warfare, so that the aspirations of the old Qin people to expand eastward would not be in vain, and the populace could finally live in true peace and stability.
Following the sacrificial rites, the next item on the agenda was the formal act of King Han An representing Han in surrender. This was a straightforward matter: the King of Han's title would be revoked, and he would be bestowed new honors. Indeed, King Han An and the nobles of Han received enfeoffments from Qin. Although they lost their former power and status, they remained aristocrats. Within Great Qin, their lives would still be immeasurably better than those of ordinary citizens.
From Lin Tian's perspective, this presented a potential future problem. It was possible that, later on, they might leverage their noble status to rally their former subordinates and oppose Great Qin. Therefore, Lin Tian's inclination was to eliminate them entirely. However, his influence was still limited, and despite recognizing the danger they posed, Lin Tian chose not to voice his opinion.
After the sacrifices to heaven and earth and the announcement of the arrangements for the Han nobles, the grand ceremony was considered concluded. Subsequently, Ying Zheng turned to Lin Tian and said, "The rewards for the soldiers will be distributed tomorrow!"
"Tonight, you will attend the royal banquet in the palace!!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!!" Lin Tian did not fully comprehend Ying Zheng's motives, but attending the royal banquet was indeed a fortunate occasion for him.