First, it was announced that in roughly two weeks’ time, on the day of His Highness the First Prince’s birthday, everyone present was invited to send him off in a grand parade, starting from the palace all the way to a distant part of the capital city, where the temple of Guanyin chosen for his dedication ceremony was located.
Amid the whisperings of the crowd over this irreversible confirmation of the rumors, a group of priests serving Guanyin was called in to accept the honor and implore the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion for her blessings.
Sprinkled within a lengthy prayer that one of them intoned were praises for His Highness’ worthiness to take on Guanyin’s mantle here on earth, as well as for His Majesty’s infinite benevolence and devoutness in offering him to her.
Then, they s
