On March 20th, Shao Xun returned to Pingyang from Xiangling and summoned the Xianbei envoy at the Chongming Temple inside Ning Shuo Palace.
The envoy was a man around thirty years old, short and sturdy in build, resembling Jin Zheng in appearance.
His name was Baba Rui, a noble from the Baba tribe—one of the seven tribes most closely allied to the Tuoba clan.
Under the escort of the guards, after weaving through a maze of corridors, they arrived at a terrace.
Chongming Temple was a large water pavilion structure, also serving as a place for ritual sacrifices.
The deity worshiped there was called Tai Dai.
The temple covered more than ten acres, housing pavilions and a pond.
The pavilion was very tall.
Liu Cong often climbed to the top level to look down upon the entire palace city, feeling almost as if he was floating among immortals—after all, immortal dwellings are always high up.
The pond was not large, only a few acres, serving not only as scenery but also as part of the palace city’s water supply and drainage system.
After all, the Fen River experiences both floods and droughts, and rainfall is uneven.
Chongming Pond helped regulate the water volume accordingly.
Around the pond, flowers and trees were planted gracefully, creating a refined atmosphere.