The spring scenery is bright and the wind is gentle and sunny.
God didn't deliberately come to increase his presence, and the good weather was a good start. On the sacrificial altar made of five-color earth, Emperor Liu's body, which he considered aging but was considered majestic in the eyes of many people, stood, wearing a crown robe that could only be worn a few times a year. For Emperor Liu, the burden of this imperial robe was heavier than that of the Zen ceremony.
The situation on the altar was clear at a glance. Emperor Liu appeared dressed up and looked independent. In fact, this grand sacrificial ceremony clearly carried out Emperor Liu's will, which was domineering and even arrogant.
The scene was huge, but the specific process was greatly simplified under Emperor Liu's wishes, compared with the complicated process compiled by Zhao Punagan who cited scriptures.
Of course, this is only relatively speaking. The most important thing is to reduce Emperor Liu's burden and not have to worry too much. A series of processes and a series of details are all handled by specialized etiquette officers, and all Emperor Liu needs to do is to stand in front of the stage, accept the attention of the crowd, and feel the destiny.
On the altar, everyone was very particular about their positions. Of course, Emperor Liu was the absolute protagonist in the C position. Beside him, the chiefs of ceremony, chief of bottles, chief of music, chief of washing, holding silks, holding titles, holding blessings, and burning blessings all stood respectfully around Emperor Liu, and these people basically covered the procedures of the ceremony.
On the right side of the altar, outside the cordon composed of ceremonial guards, there were tens of thousands of onlookers, ranging from the royal family, nobles and bureaucrats, to the civilians, businessmen, and people in Guizhou. They all stood in obedience and watched the ceremony.
The sea of people is endless and boundless. This is probably the only part of the Zen Ceremony where so many people participate in the ceremony. There were many people, but not much noise. The "quality" of the Han subjects was fully demonstrated in such an event.
Obviously, in such a scene, there are too many people worthy of submission and too many things worthy of awe. Everyone seems to be shrouded in a layer of invisible pressure. They all lower their eyebrows, restrain their actions, and restrain their bodies. Even thoughts.
As the Earl of Guangyang of the imperial court, on the occasion of this grand ceremony, Zhao Kuangyi also traveled north from Hunan and stood with Zhao Kuangyin in the camp of nobles, quietly observing the ceremony.
The altar is very high and far away, and the dense flags and flags further affect the field of vision. Even if you are standing in the front row, it is difficult to get a clear view of the conditions on the altar.
However, even though he was in a low position, the impression of that tall and tall figure became clearer and more profound in his mind. Under the spotlight of everyone, the light on Emperor Liu's body seemed to be even more dazzling.
The ceremony officer gave a speech of praise and congratulations, which were delivered loudly one after another. Everyone present knelt down in sequence and bowed their heads to the ground. This was a prescribed scene in the memorial process. Thousands of people were lying down, even causing a wave of people. Majestic.
On the altar, Emperor Liu did not completely stand out. He also prostrated himself on the ground. Although he knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, his posture was still high-spirited. For Emperor Liu, kneeling down was a different experience.
Directly in front of the altar, in the flat square, a ceremonial and music team composed of 128 people also performed the moon dance and blessings according to the rehearsal under the command.
However, the deafening ceremonial music and the vigorous sacrificial dance did not seem to be a gift to show respect to the gods of heaven and earth, but more like a flattery to Emperor Liu.
Although the entire first dedication ceremony revolved around Emperor Liu, Emperor Liu's sense of participation was not that strong. From the beginning to the end, Emperor Liu just prayed, offered incense, and then made a grand gesture of praying for "the world is safe and peaceful, and all the people are well." The rest was to stand there with an upright posture. As for other gifts, there were ceremony officials implement.
After Emperor Liu, the crown prince Liu Yang performed the ceremony.
After Liu Yang, it was Prime Minister Zhao Pu who paid the final tribute on behalf of his subjects. This is probably a landmark event that is always worth recalling in Zhao Pu's official career, almost reaching the peak of his career as prime minister.
Finally, there was a ceremony of drinking and receiving blessings, which was presided over by Emperor Liu himself. After that, the first day of sacrificial ceremony came to a perfect conclusion.
The emperor returned to the throne, his troops set off, and his subjects dispersed and exited in an orderly manner.
Compared with the other ministers, Emperor Liu's mood was not as exciting as expected. On the contrary, it was a little calm, and his intuition was as dull as water. In comparison, his tired body and heavy footsteps seemed more real.
On March 11th, in a more solemn and solemn formation, with stars holding the moon and surrounded by ministers, they set off for Mount Tai with a guard of honor and great fanfare.
The twists and turns of the mountain road leading directly to Dai Ding are surrounded by green and lush greenery. On the regular stone steps, ritual guards are spread out, which also go straight to Dai Ding. They are not only protecting the holy bow, but also guarding this "road to the sky."
Compared with the sacrifices at the foot of the mountain, this ceremony of enthronement was indeed a huge challenge for Emperor Liu, especially the physical test, which was extremely painful.
Wearing a ceremonious crown robe is already a heavy burden, and walking up the mountain in a solemn manner, even if the roads are paved, is still a huge exertion on physical strength.
However, at this point, Emperor Liu had no other choice. It would be ridiculous if he had to be carried up the mountain. Under the spring sun, among the shades of trees, Emperor Liu was alone, taking solemn steps, step by step, level by level, straight to the summit of Dai to ascend the altar.
The guards guarding the emperor along the way all held their heads high and bowed their heads in greeting when Emperor Liu passed by. Behind Emperor Liu, ten feet away, was the accompanying group composed of the prince, kings, Zhao Pu and other ministers. Compared with Emperor Liu's ease, they were more cautious and their posture was more awe-inspiring.
Emperor Liu walked for more than an hour on his way to the throne, and it was almost midday when he arrived at the Daiding Altar. After taking a short rest, the most important ceremony in the entire Zen ceremony was started.
There is no doubt that the nature of this enthronement ceremony is to show Emperor Liu's achievements and achievements to the clear sky and the vast universe, and to praise Emperor Liu.
The memorial text was drafted by Li Yu, and from time to time Emperor Liu would deliberately humiliate him. This was Zhao Pu's decision. It seems more convincing to express Emperor Liu's achievements from the mouth of Li Yu, a surrendered minister like Li Yu.
Facts have proved that Li Yu is not only good at writing poems and paintings, but also a good hand at writing this book. He has nearly ten thousand words of eloquent words, full of beautiful words, and every word is full of flattery.
Of course, it has been revised three times before it was completed. I don’t know what Li Yu’s mood was when he wrote this memorial, but Emperor Liu rarely blushed. Without him, he was too flattering.
The huge stele stands beside the Dengfeng altar, blending in with the mountain, which means it will last forever. The yellow silk cloth was torn off by Emperor Liu himself, and he felt a sense of sedimentation. The memorial book was burned, but the memorial text was completely engraved on the stone tablet.
Standing under the inscription, Emperor Liu raised his head and stared at the words carved on it, as if there was some magic that firmly attracted his eyes. The content of the inscription first begins with a trace back to the founding of the world, focusing on the troubled times of the late Tang Dynasty, the change of three generations, and the chaos of the ten kingdoms, and then begins with the birth of Emperor Liu, including the vision at birth.
He grew up in a feudal town and was unknown for more than ten years. He was a Khitan invader and the sky in the Central Plains fell. There was a thunder in the east of the river. He was the king's advance guard and sent troops out of Taihang. Recruiting heroes and chasing the Khitan in the north, he fought in Luancheng and became famous all over the world.
The great ancestor died and the country was in turmoil. The young man was ordered to rule the world, investigate the rebellion internally, and control the Hu Rong externally. He worked hard to govern and clear the world. Overthrow the old and eliminate the evil, enrich the country and strengthen the army, be far-sighted, and work step by step. For fifteen years, we have been in one house.
Qianyou has gone, Kaibao is in full swing, he will return to Helong in the west, flatten Dali in the south, cross the sea in the east, and attack Khitan in the north. The four realms are at peace, the eight wildernesses have surrendered, and all nations have come to court.
...
Emperor Liu was not completely immersed in those words of praise, but looking back, he realized that he had done so many things and achieved great achievements. His career as emperor so far could be considered a success. .
After climbing the mountain from Shanyang and descending from Shanyin, he was exhausted physically and mentally by the time he returned to camp. However, Emperor Liu's interest was still there, and he only felt bored when he was alone at night.
On March 12, Luan Jia set off again, heading south in a mighty way, crossing Wenshui River and reaching Liang Fu. There was the ennobling ceremony and the ceremony of surrendering the day before yesterday, but Emperor Liu didn't show much interest anymore. He was already tired.
The Zen ceremony ended calmly, which also represented the formal completion and perfect ending of this Zen ceremony. Of course, everything went smoothly on Emperor Liu's side during the whole process. Apart from Emperor Liu, there were inevitably some problems, but they were all within control. Zhao Pu's expectations were met. If there were no major omissions, it was a success.
In the conversation with Empress Fu that night, when Emperor Liu talked about his thoughts on Feng Chan, he clearly pointed out that he would never go to Mount Tai or Feng Chan for the rest of his life!
Yes, Emperor Liu regretted it the moment he ended the Feng Chan ceremony. After some self-analysis, it can be said that this grand ceremony was carried out to satisfy his vanity.
While following in the footsteps of previous emperors, Emperor Liu also wanted to use this method to declare his transcendence over the ancients. But when it was actually completed, the experience was not that good.
Along with the words of Feng Chan, negative words such as large-scale construction projects, waste of people and money, neglect of government and military... were constantly swirling in Emperor Liu's mind. In the voice of praising his virtues, Emperor Liu's selfish desires were most vividly reflected.
After self-examination, Emperor Liu felt even more embarrassed...
