(This chapter describes the bloody and historical aspects of sacrificing human animals, which may cause slight discomfort. If you don’t like the discussion, you can skip the subscription!)
Good health comes from heaven, and good harvests come. Come and have a holiday, and your blessings will be boundless. Gu Yu Sangchang, Tang Sun's general. ——"Ode to Liezu of Shang Dynasty"
There are four seasons for worship: spring sacrifice is called Chun, summer sacrifice is called Qi, autumn sacrifice is called Chang, and winter sacrifice is called Hao.
Mengchang's taste indicates that he was born on the day of the Autumn Festival, so the reference does not mean tasting. Common people mostly name their names based on the season or recent major events. This is the best they can know. Elegant words are like the founding, greatness, and army building of later generations. This is also a kind of elegance of the times.
Dashang’s autumn harvest ceremony this year to worship ancestors and heaven is better than previous years, but slightly lower than the enthronement ceremony. The main reason is that this year’s autumn harvest is too profitable, so it should be a big sacrifice to show the ancestors the great achievements of the descendants of Emperor Xin. great deeds.
One of the places of sacrifice is at the Great Shang Ancestral Temple. Three animals are usually used for sacrifice. The main sacrifice is to make soup, three white cattle, and three hundred other cattle types, from Taijia, Pangeng, Wuding, Wending, Diyi, etc. in total. The twenty-nine ancestral kings of the past dynasties, as well as the thirty-nine ancestral leaders of the Shang tribe since Ku and finally before becoming Tang.
The sacrifices to twenty-nine kings and thirty-nine ancestors were complicated and lengthy, and the number of animals used was also extremely staggering. A total of one thousand oxen, three thousand sheep, and three thousand dolphins were used.
Sheep and dolphins are just that, but these one thousand cattle made Bigan heartbroken. He didn't feel it before, but now that the farming method has transitioned from grass to plow, the cattle are no longer beasts of burden, but become They have become a treasure of farming. If Wu Bigan tried his best to dissuade them, and Meng Bo and Nong Yinsi argued hard, these two thousand cattle might not be able to be protected.
Bigan, who was as powerful as Uncle Wang and Prime Minister, could not shake the traditional sacrificial customs. He could not save humans and animals, let alone these animals.
Today, Mengchang is taking Huang Feihu to hide in a farmhouse in the west of the city. He is lying flat on the hay pile with a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth. He looks a little worried. The ears of grass like wheat ears are moving from side to side. The swing to the right resembles Meng Chang who is extremely anxious and uneasy.
"You really don't want to go to the main altar to watch the ceremony? This is something everyone considers honorable. I really don't understand why you have to pity those human beings. Our wise and powerful Uncle Meng is not afraid of riding alone on the battlefield. Here we are. Today, I’m actually afraid of a mere five thousand sacrifice ceremony.”
Mengchang didn't reply, but felt unhappy in his heart. Bigan couldn't even save two thousand cows. What kind of person was he? He couldn't stand human sacrifice, so he said a few more words and was directly scolded by Du Yuanxian. He heard that the great witch Matsuri was also extremely dissatisfied with this.
However, it is not completely useless. At least the human sacrifices were replaced from Huaxu people by barbarian and Rong captives and slaves. In Mengchang's view, sacrificing human sacrifices should not continue in the first place. In ancient times, it was like This method is used because there is insufficient productivity, there is not enough food to feed so many captives and slaves, and different races eat each other, so they find an excuse to sacrifice all these remaining unstable factors to various gods and ancestors.
However, under the continuous evolution of the Xia and Shang dynasties, this power was controlled by ritual and shamanism, and divine power became popular. As a result, it became the current fragmented scene, with sacrifices for the sake of sacrifice.
The method of dealing with surplus labor has become a way to please the ancestors and gods, and has become a universal value that demonstrates force.
"Okay, don't act like a little daughter like a mother-in-law. You have already worked hard. This is not something you can contend with. Don't blame the king. The witches and the royal family are responsible for the sacrifices. It is the king's order. In line with the will of the 'god', the Great Witch Festival and the royal clan can forcibly reject it. Instead of thinking about this, why don't you give me a good idea. Now that the Huang family is in danger, I was ordered to take care of my father at home. I haven't returned to the court for a long time. "Sir, if things continue like this, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me, the Huang family, to gain a foothold in Chaoge City. Since Uncle Meng asked me out, he must have some countermeasures for this matter."
Mengchang was about to speak when he heard screams coming one after another in the undeveloped wasteland outside the west city gate.
"Ah! This is the beginning of the human sacrifice!"
When Meng Chang was a child, Meng Xiong took him to Chongcheng to see him beheading his head as a sacrifice. This was the easiest and easiest way, and Meng Chang could bear it.
This was the case with Yuan Futong at that time. He had presided over the Beihai ceremony and knew better than anyone the pain of sacrifice. The body was tortured and the soul was beyond redemption. It was the most tragic way to die in the world. The half-crazy inhumans were so frightened that they burst into tears.
After watching the Chongcheng sacrifice, Meng Chang suffered from vomiting and diarrhea and cried for more than a month. He often had nightmares for two or three years and shivered in his mother's arms countless times.
What kind of disgusting, dirty, and filthy world is this?
He was a six-year-old kid, what could he do? The youngest sacrificial animal, which was about the same age as him, had been put into a clay pot and killed. He could only watch, helpless. If he had dared to shout out and challenge the Great Witch Sacrifice at that time, he should have been the six-year-old sacrificial victim who was killed in an urn at that time.
A young heart has been closed since then, forgetting all modern civilization. The more he thinks about these things, the more his soul trembles, until a cold general, a general who proudly goes to death, pulls him out of the dark inner world. After being dragged out, he realized that he was a modern soul after all. He could only survive by escaping, but he could not redeem himself.
Why does Meng Chang think so highly of Ji Dan? He knew that training Ji Dan would most likely create a difficult opponent for him, and he might also create an excellent helper. He did not hesitate. No matter what the outcome was, Ji Dan, who was still in his teenage years at this time, was worthy of his training.
If nothing else, it is because of the bans that were abolished one after another during the Zhou Dynasty. Many people always have mixed praise and criticism for Zhou Rites, thinking that they are outdated and feudal ideas. The order of superiority and inferiority in them also cultivated Knowing the servile nature of the descendants of Yan and Huang, Mengchang didn't know what their basis was.
First of all, the rites and music described in Zhou Li are regulated by various cumbersome and complicated etiquette, and it is very important to correct people's values.
Wang Mang advocated the revival of Zhou rites in the Eastern Han Dynasty, so he failed, because human consciousness is constantly evolving through civilization, and pursuing ancient rites itself is a step backwards.
But in today's era, when Mengchang listened to the enthusiastic cheers from the nobles to the common people in the Shang Dynasty outside, he understood that Zhou etiquette was applicable to today.
The iteration of human thought is like a baby, establishing social morals and values step by step. This is the value of Ji Dan and the Zhou rites he created. It may be beneficial to the consideration of governance, but the moral aspect cannot be ignored because of ruling thoughts. merit.
Of course, Ji Dan is still half a blank piece of paper. Meng Chang has nothing to do with him. What matters is the relationship between the enemy and ourselves. What he cares about is passing on his ideas of promoting the progress of the times to him, so that Ji Dan can overcome the innovation from 0-1. Stand directly on yourself, stand on your own shoulders, and look at the more distant world.
This is the value and meaning of time travel.
We can't blame them one by one, saying that the kings of the Shang Dynasty were ignorant. Pan Geng moved the capital several times in history, but Pan Geng was working hard for change. However, the inertia was too great, and it wouldn't take long for them to return to the right path. Regardless of whether the kings of the Shang Dynasty No matter how it changes, this characteristic of personal sacrifice has always been implemented in the history of the Shang Dynasty for four to five hundred years.
At least for now, due to the influence of the labor force, Meng Di has abandoned human sacrifice and is gradually leading the elimination of human sacrifice. He just wants the world to recognize him, but he still needs a strong medicine. The Western Zhou Dynasty completed the transition by establishing a new dynasty. Then when Wu Geng conquered the Zhou Dynasty, he used the strongest national power of the Western Zhou Dynasty to forcefully reverse the situation.
In the current era, Mengchang chose to cut the flesh with a soft knife, dig out his fundamental legalism, and use the theory of benevolence and righteousness to directly advance the process. The only fly in the ointment is that there are not enough troops. The war is not just about victory or defeat, but also about occupation. And rule, either recuperate and one day end the troubled times like the First Emperor, or wait until one day, his reform fails. There are still two great pioneers in this world, the Zhou State represented by Ji Dan, and the Meng Dynasty where Jiang Ziya is located, Those who can take over his path continue to move forward.
The road is being paved, it depends on how far everyone can go.
Some people can be saved, because they will not affect the general trend of the reform after being saved, but some people cannot be saved, and the whole body will be affected by a single move, such as the Autumn Festival that is currently wailing!
If it is to conquer directly by force, can it be implemented?
As long as the fundamental continuation does not change, the ending will return to inertia again. Xiang Yu and Liu Xiu have handed in their answers for this.
Meng Chang and Huang Feihu sat in silence in the room. After a long time, the noise outside gradually faded away. Meng Chang just sighed and explained Huang Feihu's last question melancholy.
"The king wants to conquer Dongyi, and he can no longer suppress him. Since... Empress Jiang died, the king has been suppressing a fire in his heart. In addition, Dongbohou has been unable to eliminate Dongyi. This battle will be fought sooner or later. We have to face a fight, but Prime Minister Bi Gan asked me to go out with the king, so only the general and the prime minister in Chaoge City can suppress the situation."
"Chang, this invitation means that I have something to ask of the general. I would like to join hands with the prime minister, the senior official Shang Rong, and the royal family Zhengzi Qi to jointly request the king to allow the general to officially return to the royal court and take charge of the Chaoge Army. At the same time, I will also I hope the general will take good care of Ji Dan and Qian Yin and help them continue their responsibilities as Nong Yin."
Huang Feihu pondered, Ji Dan knew clearly that the recent division of warehouses had made this young man stand out in Chaoge City. The Prime Minister and Meng Bo who stood behind him had two major backers, which had attracted countless nobles and clans to reciprocate their favor. , plus he is the son of Xibohou himself. In Chaoge City today, Ji Dan, who is slightly famous, has become an upstart who has been forced to join the ranks of countless powerful people. For Huang, who has always been on good terms with Xibohou, this request is not too much.
"Young Master Dan still needs my help? He is already on the verge of taking off. He just needs to slowly continue Meng Bo's path. Sooner or later, in Chaoge City, he will have a chance to make his mark. As for Qian Yin...who is this?"
"I dare to ask the general, if I relinquish the responsibility of Nong Yin to your son Huang Tianhua, would you be willing to exchange it for the five-color sacred cow you sat on?"
Huang Feihu frowned. He was as close to the five-color sacred cow as a brother. He was better off with it than his two brothers Huang Feibiao and Huang Feibao. How could it be possible...
It's not impossible. The old Huang family has a "sage". Not to mention the five-color sacred cow, the position of the general can also be discussed. After thinking about it carefully, Huang Feihu understood what Meng Chang meant. He likes to get something for nothing, and there are countless people who pick the fruits of others. , Now that the young Ji Dan does not have the support of the military, it is really hard to say how far he can take it.
"And what Qian Yin did was to select and breed good seeds. It is something that has no immediate benefits. If you look at it in the long run, breeding good seeds will be a good thing that will last forever. If I were not in Chaoge, he would not It must be able to withstand the bites of those wolves. If someone directly destroys the fine seeds, or slightly interrupts the breeding process, it is equivalent to repeating the process all over again. Therefore, after Mengchang goes on an expedition in the future, he will have to rely on the general. Protect its stable breeding!”
Huang Feihu didn't understand what breeding was, but he could tell from Meng Chang's seriousness that this was not a simple matter, so he could only express his solemnity and do his best.
There was a second loud noise outside the door. Meng Chang spit out the bitten dog's tail grass in his mouth and walked out the door.
"Hey, let's go. The sacrifice should be over. Go see the waves of wheat and smell the fragrance of rice. This is the prosperous scene that the world should have."
The two of them walked out hand in hand, and happened to see Wang Jia, who was walking in unison, leading the royal guards and a huge crowd. In the crowd, a white-haired old man wearing a strange red mask aroused Meng Chang's attention. Notice.
"Is he the Great Witch Festival?"
"He is my great merchant, great shaman, witch ①"
One's tone was mocking and contemptuous, while the other's tone was respectful and awe-inspiring. This is the influence of Wu Jin.
Di Xin stood on the emperor's chariot and had discovered them a long time ago. The cheerful Di Xin did not blame Meng Chang for his absence. He was not the only one who didn't like human sacrifice. There were still many people in the royal court, so it was not a big deal. .
There is a bumper harvest this year. If there is such a harvest every year in the future, in ten or twenty years, the population of Dashang will really usher in a spurt of development as Meng Chang said. By that time, what Dongyi, Jingchu and Chu will all face the terrifying Great Shang army and welcome the might of the Great Shang army.
When everyone stopped, You Hun bowed forward with a jade cong in his hand and presented it to Meng Chang.
"The grain of Shang Tang is the fate of Xuanniao. The king of the Great Shang said: Mengchang of the Gaoyang family has made great contributions to the common people. He changed the grain types and planted them to clear up wasteland. He should be the first in the world to promote agriculture. His virtuous name spreads far and wide, and his martial arts are everywhere. With authority from all directions, I specially enclose the entire territory of Beihai. The title of the enfeoffment is Meng Ji. I receive the jade cong of the royal family. I hope that I will be safe and protect the people and spread my kindness. I now declare the king's order. I am so proud of you!!"
The people knelt down and worshiped, the ministers bowed down, and even the king and the great shaman bowed their heads and praised: "Congratulations to Uncle Meng Ji, congratulations to Meng Ji for having a virtuous king without borders, and congratulations to Great Shang for a prosperous autumn that will last for thousands of years!"
Yu Rongyan, at this moment, only the men from Northern Xinjiang stand tall and straight, and only the Meng Jiguo sergeant is a hero. Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, who have always rejected cultivated land, can't help but have blurred eyes when they look at the scene of mountains roaring and tsunami. Looking at the man in front of him who was covered in mud and looked like an old farmer, but with a majestic and upright posture, he exclaimed: "A man should be like this!"
The breeze blows gently through the wheat fields, and the rustling sound is the celebration of the waves of wheat. The cutting sound is the harvest harvest of the farmers. What is faintly heard in the distance is the farmers' joyful singing. The five tones are mixed together, which seems to be the harmony between nature and humanities. Singing together, they seemed to celebrate Uncle Meng Ji in unison.
"If you open a hundred rooms, they will be full, and the women will be quiet. When you kill a male, you will poke his horns. It is like continuing, and continuing the ancient people."
Finally, he went a step further. Although he was not granted the title of Marquis, the territory of Beihai was the territory of the Marquis. With this territory, even many marquis countries were far inferior to the vastness of Mengshiji Country. Perhaps, the twenty-one-year-old Marquis was too appalling. Well, Mengchang is already satisfied to be able to take over the entire Beihai territory.
Beihai, no, Mengji, or Jiguo, is adjacent to the sea. It is a good place for farming. With Daizong as a natural barrier, it is definitely a unique and excellent fiefdom in northern Xinjiang. Otherwise, Yuan Futong would not be able to expand to Want to attack the great merchants.
But, the name Ji Bo seems a bit strange? !
PS: Wu Jin: refers to the ancient times when witches were called Wu and wizards were called Jin, collectively called "Wu Jin". It hurts my brain to name them, so I thought it would be better to call them Wu Jin.
This chapter was actually very exhausting. I spent an entire night alone revising it. I read "Jian Shang", "Zuo Zhuan", "Historical Records·Yin Ben Ji" and "Shang Shu". I also combined some personal opinions. Maybe there will be more in archeology in the future. Various new discoveries echo the previous article. Those who are interested in history can join the group to chat in detail.
(End of chapter)
