Enshrining is a very solemn ceremony in ancient China. Emperors such as Qin Shihuang and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty all held grand enshrining ceremonies. Here "Feng" means offering sacrifices to heaven, and "Zen" means offering sacrifices to earth. Together they mean offering sacrifices to heaven and earth.
As the saying goes, "the great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs." On the surface, Fengchan is just a form of sacrifice, but in fact Fengchan is not an ordinary sacrifice, so there is another mystery behind it, and it is also an important part of the emperor's power.
Fengchan itself originated from people's awe and worship of "heaven and earth". Due to limited scientific knowledge and production materials, people in ancient times could only interpret their understanding of heaven and earth based on their own life experiences. They believed that God controls the sun, moon, thunder and rain, etc., and has the ability to destroy itself; while the earth nurtures the growth of all things and uses them to Human beings are rewarded and punished based on the quality of their crops.
The history of Fengchan is very long and can be traced back to the Wuhuai family before Fuxi. Sima Qian recorded a conversation in "Historical Records: Fengchanshu". The general idea is that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Qi Huangong wanted to hold a Fengchan ceremony after he became hegemonic. Guan Zhong thought it was inappropriate. Then he quoted from scriptures and talked about the origin of Fengchan.
Guan Zhong said that the ancients granted Mount Tai and 72 families who worshiped Mount Liangfu. The famous ones include Huai, Fuxi, Shennong, Emperor Yan, Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, and King Cheng of Zhou , all received the order and then obtained Zen status. In other words, being granted the title of Zen is not something you just want to do, but you need a proper reason.
The ceremony of Zen can only be held when there is a change of dynasty or when the country is in the state of revival, and there is a sequence. Generally, sacrifices are made to the heaven first and then to the earth. The locations for worshiping heaven are unified, and they are all held at Mount Tai, because Mount Tai is Dongyue, the east is the main source of life, the beginning of all things, and the place where yin and yang alternate. There are many places for worshiping earth, such as Yunyun Mountain, Tingting Mountain, The locations of Liangfu Mountain, Dushou Mountain, Suran Mountain, Kuaiji Mountain, etc. are not consistent in different periods.
At the same time, as a national-level super-large-scale ritual activity, the form of Fengchan is complex and mysterious. Fortunately, however, two people later standardized the process and content of the Zen ceremony, which was followed by later emperors. These two people were Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han.
It is said that after Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, he wanted to hold a ceremony to enshrine the Zen, so he summoned the scholars in Xianyang City and asked how to do this. The result is very confusing. Some people say that Feng Chan should ride in a cattail cart to avoid damaging the vegetation of Mount Tai; some people say that the floor should be swept and the ancestral hall should be made of straw.
Obviously, none of these Confucian scholars got to the point. As the first emperor of the ages, Qin Shihuang didn't care about these details, so he directly decided the process according to his own will.
He first took a car from the south slope of Mount Tai to the top of the mountain, where he laid stones to chant virtues and worship God. Then he came down from the north slope and meditated on Mount Liangfu. Therefore, it can be said that Qin Shihuang formulated the 1.0 version process of conferring Zen, that is, one letter and one Zen. To this day, there are still relics of Emperor Qin Shihuang's enthronement in Mount Tai, such as Mount Tai stone carvings, Five Doctors Pine, etc.
When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty arrived, he enriched the process and content of the Zen ceremony and formed two Zen ceremonies. That is, first worship the earth from Liangfu Mountain, and then set up an altar to worship the sky in the east at the foot of Mount Tai. Then, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty led a few ministers to the top of Mount Tai and worshiped heaven again on the top of the mountain.
On the second day, we descended from the north side of Mount Tai to the nearby Suran Mountain to offer sacrifices again. It can be seen that this process is more complicated, and subsequent emperors basically followed this process in granting Zen status.
Of course, when consecrating Zen, the materials used were also very particular. The materials used by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty mainly included the three-ridge grass produced in the Jianghuai area, and the feathers and furs of precious birds and animals from various places, which were sealed with five-color soil.
Amidst the solemn music, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, dressed in yellow clothes, knelt down and worshiped in person, announcing to heaven and earth. After the conferment, he ordered the change of Yuan Dynasty, and also ordered the princes to build a "residence" at the foot of Mount Tai.
Having said this, it can be seen that Feng Chan is obviously a large-scale activity that wastes people and money, so it must be based on a stable social environment and strong economic strength, and has strict etiquette regulations. If you want to be a famous teacher, it is destined to be impossible. Held often.
According to research, the emperors who held Zen ceremonies in history include Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, etc. Those who wanted to be granted Zen status but failed in the end included Emperor Ming of Wei, Emperor Wen of Song, Emperor Wu of Liang, Emperor Wen of Sui, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Taizong of Song, etc.
Forget about other emperors, Tang Taizong, as the "Heavenly Khan" of all nations who came to court, initiated the "Government of Zhenguan". It stands to reason that he has every reason to carry out the Zen ceremony. Why was it not completed?
In fact, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty also wanted to show off his grandeur through the Feng Chan, but Wei Zheng poured cold water on him: "Your Majesty's eastward Feng Feng will attract thousands of people from all over the world. You will need thousands of horses to pay for the account, mobilize several states, and your household registration will be depressed. Why can I give it?”
You see, even during the Zhenguan period it was difficult to hold a decent ceremony for consecration, which shows that consecration is indeed an activity that wastes people and money. Fortunately, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was considerate of people's livelihood and listened to Wei Zheng's opinions, so he did not hold a Zen ceremony.
Since the Feng Chan ceremony is so troublesome, why do all ambitious emperors want to perform the Feng Chan ceremony? As a "veteran minister" who has worked conscientiously in an ancient court for nearly thirty years, Gao Pragmatic believes that there are three possibilities:
One is to announce to the world that there has been a change of dynasty, announcing that the new emperor is "ordered by heaven" and that his rule of the world is in line with the will of heaven and has unquestionable legitimacy. This situation usually occurs when the old and new regimes change. Qin Shihuang is a typical example of this type.
Second, Feng Chan can whitewash peace. As mentioned before, Feng Chan is a national ceremony that can only be held in "peaceful and prosperous times". There is also a reason to hold Feng Chan when the country appears to be in a state of resurgence, such as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty. Moreover, if the country can organize a decent ceremony to enshrine the emperor, it can also put gold on the emperor's face and leave his name in history.
Third, Feng Chan is also a "muscle show" to show the country's strength. Because when enshrining the throne, kings and leaders from surrounding affiliated forces are often invited to participate. This way, the economic and political strength of the dynasty can be demonstrated to them, and in the name of being blessed by God, it can intimidate them and make them surrender forever. .
However, there is actually a big trouble in the Ming Dynasty when it comes to Feng Chan, that is, since the Song Dynasty, Feng Chan has been abolished in form, but its essence is still retained - the Ming Dynasty established the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth in Beijing, and held ceremonies there. Ceremonial activities for worshiping the heaven and the earth, so much so that in the original history, the Tatars also held the activities of worshiping the heaven and praying for grains at the Temple of Heaven.
In other words, the current Fengzen ritual should have been replaced by offering sacrifices to heaven in the Temple of Heaven. So the question arises, does Shen Guan's so-called "Feng Chan" mean a sacrifice to heaven at the Temple of Heaven? No, Shen Guanyi made it clear in his essay. He suggested recovering and immediately preparing for Mount Tai to be enshrined in Zen!
Since the Ming Dynasty has the Temple of Heaven, why do we still need to go to Mount Tai to enshrine it? Shen Guangyuan obviously did this just to promote the "Feng Chan" event, and ignored the starting point of the Ming Dynasty's establishment of the Temple of Heaven to avoid abusing people's power.
What he wants is for the emperor to go to Mount Tai to enshrine Zen, and what he wants is a grand national ceremony!
The reason why Gao Jingshi was shocked was because Shen Yiguan's move was actually a conspiracy. Although anyone with a discerning eye could see what he was planning at a glance, compared to conspiracy, conspiracy is more brilliant than anything else. It’s useless if you see through it.
Because when Shen Guanyi came up with this plan, he had already succeeded more than half of it. Even if the enshrinement of Zen was finally blocked later, it would not affect the success he had achieved.
What success? The first to advocate Feng Chan!
According to Guan Zhong, to be granted Zen status requires "acceptance of orders"; according to Gao's pragmatic analysis, three conditions are needed to be granted Zen status. In fact, whether it is Guan Zhong's somewhat mysterious words or Gao's pragmatic and clear analysis, they actually say the same thing - Feng Chan has conditions and purposes.
Now is not the time to change dynasties, but the Wanli Dynasty under Zhu Yijun's rule for nearly 30 years does meet the standards of "ZTE" based on its achievements: it regained its homeland, quelled civil strife, defeated its old enemies, and subdued the vassal state. The country has even made extraordinary achievements in domestic governance.
Since the Wanli Dynasty, sea trade has flourished, clan restrictions have been lifted, post roads have been self-sufficient, and all industries have prospered. As a result, the treasury has been increasing day by day, and the debts accumulated by the imperial court since Jiajing have been paid off long ago; the soldiers are well-prepared, and the army of 1.6 million can frighten the world. In addition to the fact that natural disasters are still frequent and it cannot be called peace in the world, who dares to say that the four words "Wanli ZTE" are not worthy of the name?
And for this reason, the Fengchan Taishan Mountain not only prays to the heaven and earth to revitalize the Wanli calendar, but also shocks the barbarians all over the world. This ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth can also be seen as the emperor praying to heaven for good weather and for the people to be free from illness and disasters... Isn’t this what an emperor should do?
It can be said that this memorial, which basically completed the establishment of the North Korean province, gave Shen Guanyi a good opportunity to "initiate the enshrinement of Zen", because the emperor's civil and martial arts have reached the pinnacle of his reign!
Even if his merits and virtues are not said to be greater than Taizu who expelled the Tartars and restored China, but if it is said that Chengzu is more powerful than the Five Expeditions of Mobei and still cannot destroy the residual Yuan, I am afraid that the people of the world will not be dissatisfied.
Nowadays, with such civilized and martial arts, why shouldn't we be enshrined in Mount Tai!
The reason why Shen Yiguan's move was a conspiracy was because as long as he initiated it, it would be a great achievement that could not be erased in the emperor's mind. Even if the matter failed in the end, it would not affect the status of this achievement in the emperor's mind.
And Gao Pragmatic, who has always been highly politically sensitive, also thought that Shen Guangyuan might have expected that the resistance between the DPRK and China would not be too great. Although the majority of the above civil and military achievements must belong to the emperor, if you really want to take a closer look, most of them are Most of them were achieved by the pragmatic school led by Gao Pragmatism.
Once the title of Zen is successful, the merits of the Shi School will not be covered up in any way, and his contribution to Gao Pragmatic will also be mentioned everywhere, so there will not be much resistance from the side of the Shi School - even if Gao Pragmatic himself does not agree with the title of Zen, I am afraid There is no way to stop the urge of the entire Practical School to realize this huge achievement.
You know it in your heart, but you dare not stop it, or are unable to stop it. This is called conspiracy.
Shen Yiguan made his move clearly this time. He was betting that no emperor could refuse the huge attraction of Fengchan Taishan, and that even the Shi School, which had made great achievements, could not refuse such an attraction.
As for whether Gao Pragmatic will refuse, Shen Guanyi is not worried. In Shen Guanyi's view, it is good to be pragmatic and not refuse. Everyone gets what they need.
Even if he refuses, it doesn't matter, because in this matter, even being highly pragmatic may not be able to stop the emperor - well, even if Wang Jiaping is added, so what? Shen never felt that Wang Jiaping could influence the emperor's will on such a major matter.
After taking another 10,000 steps back, things still failed in the end. For Shen Yiguan, it was just 100% turned into 80%, and the harvest was enough. He believed that by initiating the conferment of Zen, the emperor would definitely understand that among the court ministers, he was the only one who completely stood by the emperor's side and followed the emperor's wishes in all matters.
Gao Pragmatic is indeed very talented, but so what? You are pragmatic and academic, and you have acted like an "imperialist" for many years, but are you really willing to follow the emperor's wishes in everything? Impossible, there are still many places where you will restrict the Emperor, and there are even many places where the Emperor will be worried.
Apart from anything else, what proportion does your practical school account for in the court now? Do you have too much power now? Especially you, who is highly pragmatic, is your influence so great that even the emperor will look at you with suspicion?
However, I, Shen Guanguan, am different. Everything I do obeys the emperor's wishes. To strive for the dignity of being enshrined in Mount Tai and to be famous throughout the ages for the emperor, to limit the ever-expanding power of the pragmatic school and the ever-increasing prestige of Gao pragmatism... All of these are the value of I, Shen Yiguan, in the court, and the emperor will not understand!
Gao pragmatic saw that Zhu Yijun was deep in thought instead of speaking, and he understood the emperor's intention. Which emperor doesn't want to have such a ceremony to prove his greatness?
Wang Jiaping said that the contribution of the founding of North Korea to the province was not as good as that of the extermination of the remaining Yuan Dynasties. He was right, at least for the Ming Dynasty, but Wang Jiaping was wrong to say so.
Wang Jiaping made a mistake on two points. First, merit should not be viewed solely. Shen's consistent advocacy of enshrining Mount Tai was not just for the sake of North Korea. Although Gao Wuzhen has not seen the original text of his essay, he is fully confident that this essay must list all the great achievements since the emperor came to the throne, and use various great achievements to support "receiving orders and then becoming a Zen".
The second one is even simpler. Wang Jiaping made the mistake of ignoring Zhu Yijun's reaction and taking the initiative to oppose Feng Chan. You must know what Chen Ju just said. Shen Yiguan clearly stated in his memorial that he is the "Two Sages of Virtue and Conduct"... At this time, Wang Jiaping is opposed to Feng Chan. Does that mean that he is not worthy of the "Two Sages of Virtue and Conduct"?
Gao Pingshi felt awe in his heart, and he had an intuition that Wang Jiaping's words were so straightforward that they might be bad. According to Shen Yiyi's consistent behavior, in addition to initiating the title of Zen to demonstrate his own value and consolidate his status, he might also be at ease this time. Other thoughts.
Taking into account Wang Jiaping's personality, we cannot rule out the possibility that Shen Guanyi, in the interests of Feng Chan, who is also the Shi School, coerced Gao Pragmatic into agreeing to Feng Chan, and might also simply take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of Wang Jiaping.
As for the reason... Wang Jiaping has been obviously leaning towards pragmatism recently. Isn't this enough?
"Seeking truth."
A soft call made Gao pragmatic subconsciously turn his head to look at Zhu Yijun.
The emperor looked at him with a half-smile but not a smile: "Mr. Shen Ge's proposal is somewhat similar to some of your past practices. They are both inconsistent with the ancestral tradition... What do you think?"
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Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "The Sun and the Moon Never Set on Hawaii" and "tatsuya_c" for their monthly support, thank you!
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PS: I did a rough count today. From the time of the epidemic and the illness of the elderly at home to the end of the New Year, based on one update a day, I should have owed a total of 32 chapters. In the future, there may be two updates a day more often to make up for the arrears, but I still want to state in advance that there is no guarantee that there will be arrears every day. It still depends on whether I can spare time on the day or something.
(End of chapter)
