Mid-Autumn is approaching, and the maids and eunuchs in the Zhao Palace are constantly rushing between the various towers, preparing everything to worship the moon.
Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history of worshiping the moon. At first, people prayed for a good harvest and reunion. Since the Spring and Autumn Period, the war between princes has become more and more intense, morals have been corrupted, and rituals have collapsed. People are more willing to place their beliefs in ghosts and gods. Even today, nobles, The scale of the clan's moon worship is unprecedentedly grand.
In addition to preparing royal sacrifices, Zhao Yong also ordered the clan to prepare a lot of rough cakes to distribute to the elderly in Handan City.
The rain in autumn is like the warm wind in spring. Every time it rains in autumn, the temperature becomes a little colder.
As soon as the white dew passed, several light rains fell in Handan, and the temperature dropped a lot. The most obvious thing was the clothes on people's bodies. The thin veils worn by young ladies in the past have now been replaced by loose dresses.
The autumn harvest went very smoothly. The first crops of millet harvested from various places were transported to Handan one after another, and the results of the field farming also ushered in the harvest season for the first time.
In Jinyang alone, the annual harvest of millet and millet is as high as 100,000 shi.
Although this year's flood disaster submerged the North China Plain, the farming strategy also shared the pressure of Zhao State.
Now that I think about it, Qi, Wei, Zhongshan and other countries may not feel very comfortable. One thing lasts and the other fades away, Zhao Guo has a lot to do.
Zhao Yong rarely smiles these days.
However, the situation in various countries today seems to have become more complicated. It is indisputable whether countries are enemies or friends, including Song and Vietnam.
Song and Yue had been on friendly terms with Zhao for many years, but now Song is attacking Wei and Yue is attacking Chu, and they are not saying hello to Zhao at all. In the past, the alliance letter was like a blank piece of paper. Secretly, the two countries may have fallen into the arms of Qin long ago.
The State of Qin set up counties in Yinjin and changed Yinjin to Ningqin County, further oppressing the State of Wei. Gongsun Yan gave up his post and fled into the mountains and forests. The King of Wei appointed Zhang Yi as prime minister, and Zhang Yi sent troops to the Song Dynasty to withdraw their troops.
Qin again condemned envoys to enter Zhao, saying that Qin and Zhao had good relations with each other. The situation was unclear, and Zhao State did not dare to act rashly, and exchanged letters of credence with Qin. The Five Nations failed to unite and failed again.
…
…
The weather was not good, it was mid-autumn, and there was still light rain falling in the sky. Gray clouds pressed down on the sky, completely blocking the bright mirror behind me. Don't even think about admiring the moon, but Zhao Yong still has to fulfill his responsibilities as a king.
The sky gradually darkened, and the light rain continued. On the sacrificial platform of the Zhao Palace, a high fire was bright and the fire was burning. The meager rain could not extinguish the mark of the fire.
Zhao Yong was wearing a red and green royal robe and a crown, and he knelt down in front of the sacrificial tripod with a solemn expression.
Behind him were several of his concubines kneeling down in order, and further behind him were the clan members and ministers of the Zhao Kingdom.
(Zhou Li said: For all sacrifices, praise jade and bean curds, recommend them after selection, and go to the bean edge.) Since Zhao Yong did not establish a queen, all the decorations of the sacrificial vessels were completed by the concubines.
Whole sheep, whole pigs, grains, and fragrant wine were placed in front of the sacrificial tripod.
At a quarter of an hour, the deafening sound of trumpets rose into the sky, and the high priest of Zhao State read out the sacrificial text on the high platform.
The high priest of Zhao is not as disheveled as a savage as people imagine. Instead, he is an old man in his 60s or 70s wearing a crown and shoes. The high priest is full of anger and recites obscure words loudly. of memorial.
The memorial text was read for two full moments.
After the ceremony, the high priest suddenly shouted to the sky: "Bow!"
In front of the cauldron, Zhao Yong took the lead, and the crowd of figures behind him slowly bowed their heads and kowtowed.
After worshiping heaven and earth, the high priest shouted again: "Retreat!"
Zhao Yong then stood up and walked to the harem with the support of the eunuch.
As Zhao Yong left, everyone also walked down the platform silently with their heads lowered.
A moon-sacrifice ceremony that had been carefully prepared for more than ten days came to an end in a few words.
When Zhao Yong walked to the eaves, he couldn't help but turn his head and look back. In the dim light of the fire, the old man was the only one left on the altar, kneeling in front of the cauldron, as if praying for something.
*
Sacrifices during the Warring States Period were divided into national sacrifices and family sacrifices. National sacrifices were to pray for God to bless the prosperity of the Zhao Kingdom, and family sacrifices were to pray for the prosperity of the descendants of the Zhao family.
After the national sacrifice was over, Zhao Yong had to go to the Zhao family temple for another family sacrifice.
Outside the Zhao family temple, the children of the Zhao family who had returned first were already kneeling on both sides waiting for Zhao Yong.
Family sacrifices are not as solemn as national sacrifices. There is a group of young actors in traditional costumes on the altar. They are all children of the Zhao family. They wear strange and wide masks and slowly play the song of Qing Temple.
Zhao Yong once again led everyone through the etiquette, followed by a salute from the priest. On the square outside the family temple, the traditional Chinese sacrificial dance "Nuo Opera" performance began.
The Nuo opera team led by the sacrificial witch began to perform traditional dances that have been passed down from ancient times, which means offering sacrifices to gods to pray for prosperity, drive away plague, and avoid epidemics. While dancing, they sang a song expressing good wishes: "There will be plenty of millet and crops in the good years, and there will also be high crops, trillions of rice grains. For wine and sweet wine, the rice will be given to the ancestors. In exchange for hundreds of gifts, blessings will be brought to everyone." "
Affected by the atmosphere, Zhao Yong couldn't help but start reading along with his lips. Another soul in his body obviously expressed great interest in this group activity. Perhaps Zhao people prefer dancing and music. On this grand festival today, many Zhao children followed the Nuo dance crowd and danced.
If you look down at Handan City at this time from a high altitude, you can see the sparks lighting up the entire Handan City. Every household in the city lit expensive incense and candles as offerings to the empty gods. They spontaneously organized and walked on Baima Street, chanting prayers at the corners of their mouths, and bowed toward the sky.
The disaster in Zhao State has passed. On this day of praying for a good harvest, everyone prays: After today, the weather will be smooth.
*
Suddenly, the rhythm of the prayer chanting was disrupted by the noisy sound of horse hooves.
Before people could react, a knight wearing red and green armor had already broken into people's sight. The knight's face was dripping with sweat, and the horse was panting heavily. Judging from his appearance, he must have been running for a long time.
There were three long red feathers on the knight's helmet. Facing the crowd praying for blessings, the horse obviously had no intention of stopping. The crowd hurriedly retreated in fear.
The horse passed through the crowd and continued to run towards Nancheng, seemingly galloping towards the palace.
As the knight walked away, the sound of the 'ding-ding-ding-ding' bells on the horse's neck still echoed in people's minds.
With the three red feathers, the non-stop knights, and the copper bells on the horses, everyone from Zhao who has been in the army knows that this is the "Red Feather Messenger" at the border.
Red Feather Couriers are only used when there is an emergency military situation at the border, and along the way, they change horses but not people. Every time they arrive at a post station, they don't even bother to eat, and they are dealt with directly on the horse.
"Is there another war at the border?"
