At this critical juncture, it is of utmost importance who can represent the Emperor in conducting the ritual of praying to heaven for blessings.
It signifies the attitude of the Emperor.
Although Li Hongyuan is already the Crown Prince, whether he can succeed to the position is still an uncertainty.
The words that Lin Shimo taught Wenzan, allowed the Emperor to agree to the ceremony of praying to heaven for blessings.
And since the Prince of Zhao hasn't returned, the only choice is the Crown Prince.
As expected, the next day the Emperor issued a decree through the Bureau of Rites and the Cabinet, allowing the Crown Prince to pray to heaven on his father's behalf, seeking divine favor.
The Ministry of Rites and the Court of Judicial Review got busy at once.
The ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven was held at the Temple of Heaven on the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.
The next day, the twenty-seventh, it snowed heavily.