In the early morning, Li Xuan had his consistent attendant Li Dalu carry a basket of freshly brewed bone soup, accompanying him to the metropolitan Chenghuang Temple near Jiming Temple in the north of the city.
There were many Chenghuang Temples in Jinling, and as it was the capital of the nation, The Court had officially bestowed it the title of Metropolitan Chenghuang Temple. It was considered the highest authority among the southern Chenghuang and all other Chenghuang Temples in Jinling, theoretically exerting control over all others to the south of the Yangtze River.
With the Ghost Festival approaching on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the Metropolitan Chenghuang Temple was brimming with devotees. When Li Xuan arrived, the place was already crowded with people hustling and bustling.
