The Imperial Ancestral Temple was built in a separate palace on the left side of the imperial palace. Inside were the memorial tablets of the ancestors of the royal family and some people who had made great contributions to the country.
At ten o'clock in the afternoon, the Emperor led the civil and military officials and the commoners of the capital to gather at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. After a ritual prayer, the Emperor knelt in the middle of the palace hall with the Empress. Their attitude was pious.
Behind them knelt the Prime Minister and other first-rank ministers.
The commoners of the capital knelt at the outermost area and bowed. They prayed silently and were very pious.
There were many people, but it was abnormally quiet and solemn.
