The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs!
This sentence comes from the record in "Zuo Zhuan·Chenggong·Thirteenth Year of Chenggong": "The Duke and the princes courted the king, so he attacked Qin from Duke Liu Kang and the Duke of Chengsu. The princes of Jin attacked Qin. Chengzi was praised by the society and was disrespectful.
Liu Zi said: "I have heard that the people live in the heaven and the earth, which is called destiny." Therefore, there are rules of action, etiquette, justice and majesty to determine destiny. Those who are able to cultivate will be blessed, and those who are unable will be disadvantaged by failure. Therefore, a gentleman should be diligent and courteous, and a villain should do his best. There is nothing better than paying tribute to someone who is diligent and courteous, and nothing better than being sincere in doing your best. Respect is to nourish the spirit, and dedication is to keep the industry.
The major affairs of the country lie in offering sacrifices to the army. The sacrifices must be carried out, and the soldiers must be punished. This is the great festival of the gods. Now that I have become lazy, I have given up my life. Isn’t that the opposite?'"
Sacrifice and military administration have been one of the two most important events in the country since ancient times.
Throughout the dynasties, there have been strict regulations and systems for this, and a complete set of national sacrificial systems have been established. Generally, there are two. The first is the central court sacrificial system, which is divided into major sacrificial rituals, medium sacrificial rituals, and minor sacrificial rituals; the second is the local sacrificial system. Sacrifices are held at the provincial, prefecture, state, county, township and other levels.
And "the great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and Rong." The sacrifice and Rong expressed here actually mean sacrifice.
Sacrifice refers to the ritual form of worshiping ancestors, offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, etc., while Rong refers to the form of sacrificial rituals before and after going out for war. In other words: the major affairs of the country are actually sacrifices.
In fact, there is a sentence in the "Book of Rites" that "there are five classics in rituals, and nothing more important than sacrifices." It can be seen that sacrifices are the most important part of our country's traditional ritual system.
Why do our ancestors pay so much attention to sacrifice?
To put it bluntly, sacrifice is actually a way for our ancestors to communicate with the gods. We use sacrifices to please and bribe the gods in order to obtain the blessings of the gods and ancestors.
Why do you say that?
As we all know, our ancestors came from the primitive tribal life of eating hair, drinking blood, and drilling wood to make fire. At that time, everything our ancestors had was heavily dependent on nature.
From hunting prey to living caves, to wind, rain, thunder and lightning, nature was extremely mysterious to humans at that time. Scorching heat, cold, and plagues would cause a large number of ancestors to die.
So at that time, people were extremely afraid and reverent of this heaven and earth, as well as the sun, moon and stars that revolved on it. For this reason, they even imagined them as gods in the sky.
The mystery and fear of nature have made our ancestors always maintain awe of nature. They believe that "everything in the world has aura". Even the dead have their own souls, and they are still wandering in the world, causing trouble. The living.
Therefore, the ancients were particularly in awe of nature and all things, and they also had great reverence for the dead. This led to the saying "the dead are the greatest".
It is precisely because of this kind of awe that the ancient ancestors found a way to offer sacrifices, and used this method to communicate with the gods of heaven and earth and pray for their protection.
From this point of view, the matter of sacrifice has never been a matter of one person, but a matter of a country, a city, and a family!
Zhang Cheng had considered this matter when he returned from a trip to Henan to aid in the suppression of the intruders, so he built the "Baozhong Temple" at the foot of Chicheng Mountain, leaning against a stream, to commemorate the fallen soldiers who followed him in the battle.
During the time when he led the army to Liaodong, the scale of Baozhong Temple expanded a lot. On the high slope in front is the main building of Baozhong Temple, and behind it is a large mound of earth, where the souls of the fallen soldiers are buried. .
A square has been laid out in front of the Baozhong Temple, which is enough for thousands of people to gather here to worship the souls of the fallen soldiers of the Xuanfu Army.
Back then, when the Baozhong Temple was first built, it was a bit hasty as it was a last-minute idea. Zhang Cheng only found some monks and Taoist priests to chant scriptures in order to bring peace to the souls of the fallen soldiers who aided in the suppression of Henan Province.
However, now, Baozhong Temple has been completely built, and a very complete ceremony has been formulated for it with reference to the sacrificial rites of the country, and sacrifices are offered with the righteousness and great joy of the country.
Special priests have also been set up. The priests of Baozhong Temple enjoy the standard treatment of the commander of the Wei Department. This is also the highest treatment that Zhang Cheng can give at this time.
Although the priest of Baozhong Temple is not included in the military roster of the Xuanfu, the salary he receives is entirely paid by Zhang Cheng himself, but if it exceeds this standard, he is afraid that people with bad intentions will use it to criticize him. Talking point.
…………
On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the 14th year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty, more than 3,000 officers and soldiers of the Xuanfu Army and thousands of civilians from military households gathered in the square in front of the Baozhong Temple, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Most of them are the family members of the soldiers who died in the Liaodong expedition. There are also some survivors of the soldiers who died in the previous suppression of bandits and aid in the suppression of Henan Province. However, ordinary people cannot go to the square here to participate in the ceremony.
Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng and Xuanda Governor Zhang Fuzhen had fasted for two days after returning to Chicheng Castle. They were accompanied by Xuanfu Governor Jiang Yuxu and other officials, as well as Xuanfu Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lin Dengyou, staff generals Liu Guangwu, Guo Yingxian and other generals. , come to Baozhong Temple to pay homage to the loyal souls of the fallen heroes.
Even the two generals, Wang Pu and Li Fuming, came to Chicheng together to watch the Xuanfu army's ceremony to pay homage to the loyal souls of the fallen soldiers in the Liao campaign, and to pay homage to the souls of the soldiers. They are now standing beside the governor Jiang Yuxu.
Prior to this, all the senior officials of Zhang Cheng's shogunate also rushed to Chi Castle early, and the families of the soldiers who died in the battle also came to Chi Castle to pay homage to the heroes' souls.
In addition to inviting the men who died in their own families to the Baozhong Temple, they also come to Chicheng Castle to receive their own pensions, as well as nameplates and documents unique to the families of martyrs, with which they can directly receive routine annual pensions in various places in the future.
In addition, young children in the family who study, work, enlist in the army, etc. can receive priority care with this ultimatum, and the nameplates of the martyrs' families can be hung on the lintel, and future tax payments and military service can be approved by the local government. take care of.
There is no need for Zhang Cheng to take care of all this personally. Jin Xinpeng, Yan Qingrong, Wu Zhizhong and others are responsible for it. Even the former Kaiping Wei Dynasty's manager Qian Wang and the governor Liu Zhi have now become Zhang Cheng's capable generals.
With trusted people like them, Zhang Cheng no longer needs to do these complicated things personally. He only needs to make decisions, and the specific things will naturally be completed by the following people.
After Zhang Cheng and Zhang Fuzhen returned to Chicheng together, there was no delay at all. Although most of the soldiers from each battalion returned to the flood areas, Chicheng Battalion, Dushi Battalion, Cavalry Battalion, and Huwei Battalion all stayed outside Chicheng.
In addition, the newly attached troops of Guo Yingxian, He Zhenxiong, Kuang Yongzhong, and Tang Xiancheng were also temporarily stationed outside Chicheng. In addition, officers with outstanding performance from other battalions were also ordered to come to Chicheng.
They are all fighting heroes that Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng hold up with one hand, and they are role models of the times for those who come after them to worship and imitate. As a latecomer, Zhang Cheng knows the power of role models all too well!
Therefore, when he sent troops to Liaodong this time, he vigorously collected the outstanding heroic performances of his soldiers and prepared to vigorously publicize their bravery.
Make their deeds become legends in the land of Xuanfu, and also give them the greatest reward, thus motivating more soldiers under their command to follow suit.
In addition to staying in the Red Castle to wait for their titles and rewards, they will also visit the main hall of Baozhong Temple as representatives of the soldiers to pay homage to the souls of the fallen soldiers after being worshiped by officials and generals of the Xuanfu.
On the second day after Zhang Cheng returned to Chicheng, he buried the bones of the fallen soldiers in the big tomb behind the Baozhong Temple amidst the sounds of mourning and music. He even shoveled the soil himself. Governor Zhang Fuzhen, regardless of his old age and frailty, accompanied him. Work together beside Zhang Cheng.
After the bones of the fallen soldiers were buried, the following matters such as repairing and erecting plaques, etc., were handled properly by the responsible officials of Baozhong Temple in accordance with the regulations. It was not until all the spiritual plaques were brought into the temple that the grand worship ceremony began.
As the priest appeared and took his place, the sacrificial ceremony began, the sacrificial music also played at this time, and the entire sacrificial procedures were carried out meticulously.
As the ceremony progressed, various sacrificial animals and sacrificial vessels were set up one after another. The officiating priest shouted loudly: "The worship has begun, let's have fun!"
Another accompanying priest shouted loudly: "Dance!"
The eight notes, such as gold like a bell, stone like a rock, bamboo like a pipe, gourd like a sheng, earth like a xun, leather like a drum, silk like a harp, and wood like a bamboo, also sounded one by one. In the deep elegant music, people danced or danced. Holding a pipe, a sheng, or a drum, they dance gracefully to music and dance.
Accompanied by music and dance, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng and Xuanda Governor Zhang Fuzhen served as the officiants. In accordance with the priest's singing orders, they solemnly and solemnly worshiped according to the ritual process and recited the sacrificial inscriptions.
Although Zhang Cheng's thinking was much better than that of people of this era, he was still unable to compete with today's scribes in terms of writing articles. Therefore, today's memorial article was written by Governor Zhang Fuzhen.
After that, in the large square in front of the Baozhong Temple, all officials and soldiers, including Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng, held arms.
The officers and generals in the front row all raised their swords, followed by the Yunzhou cannons, and then the cavalry with their tiger lances raised high. They were all wearing official uniforms and armor, solemn and solemn.
Everyone sang in unison: "The generals are raising their swords, riding their horses to determine the world, the generals are surrounded by stars, the warriors are crescent... The loyal and brave soldiers are here, they will endure through thousands of calamities, the sky and the earth are black and yellow, the true spirit will always exist..."
The golden sound vibrates, the sound of elegant music is elegant and melodious, the dancers in front of the temple are magnificent, and nearly ten thousand people sing together in the square. The sound can be heard for miles, echoing in the Chicheng Valley, full of shock. The appeal of the human heart!
During the caroling, not to mention the officials and soldiers present, but also the common people watching from behind and around, all shed tears. There were even many businessmen, scholars, and scholars who came from other places such as East Road and Zhencheng. The people also burst into tears.
Many people even choked and said: "If you have to accept this sacrifice, you will not be unjust even if you die in battle..."
As the ceremony progresses, the dancing stops, the music stops, and the sound stops.
Under the guidance of the priest, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng and Xuanda Governor Zhang Fuzhen led the officials into the Baozhong Temple, offered incense and knelt before the altar, while the priest brought a group of accompanying priests to represent all the fallen soldiers. The family members of the family paid tribute at the altar.
The officers and generals retired immediately after paying their respects, and then the generals of each battalion of the Xuanfu Army and the family members of the fallen soldiers went to the temple in order to offer sacrifices.
The expressions on their faces were extremely complicated, including sadness, pride, and envy. The men in each family followed the general and died in battle. How could they not be sad?
However, their spiritual tablets can be admitted to the Baozhong Temple to receive worship during the four seasons, and they are even more respected by all people. The hearts of the family members are also warm and proud. The family man, his death was not in vain!
The other officers and soldiers in the Xuanfu army were extremely envious of him. They all came from military families and were born to serve as soldiers.
Previously, in addition to being ordered around by the superiors, planting crops and doing housework for them, they were just like slaves under the superiors, but even so, they were still destined to go to the battlefield.
But at that time, whenever there was a war, they, ordinary sergeants, were just cannon fodder. Not only did they have no pay, silver, grain, or even decent armor or weapons, they had to be sent to lead the charge, or they had to fight for the superiors and their servants. After breaking.
As today, you are well paid, equipped with high-quality armor and weapons, and receive tangible military rewards every time you face a battle. Even if you are unfortunate enough to die in battle, you can enter this magnificent Baozhong Temple and receive worship for eternity. What an honor is this?
This was treatment that they had never dared to imagine in their dreams before, even in their wildest dreams!
They all thought about Uncle Yong Ning's kindness in their hearts. Didn't all these changes happen only after Uncle Yong Ning came to Beilu?
On the other hand, the officers and soldiers in other parts of the Ming Dynasty were not the same as before. Even the Xuanfu had such changes only under the rule of Uncle Yongning.
Many soldiers hope that Uncle Yong Ning can live a long life. Only in this way can their glory as soldiers be long-lasting. In the hearts of the Xuanfu Army soldiers, Zhang Cheng is like a lamp Buddha from thousands of families, illuminating everything for them.
…………
Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng came to the memorial tablet of Yang Guozhu, the former commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, and respectfully offered him three sticks of incense. Yang Guozhu's bones were left in front of the Liaodong battle and buried in Liaodong according to his last wish to accompany his father, brother, children and nephews.
But Zhang Cheng was grateful for Yang Guozhu's care for him, and in order to pay tribute to his comrade who had twice killed slaves side by side, he set up a spiritual tablet for him in the Baozhong Temple.
Standing in front of Yang Guozhu's shrine, Wang Pu was filled with emotion. He was also very familiar with Yang Guozhu. In the eleventh year of the Tartar invasion, he was transferred back to Datong and was unable to participate in the Battle of Julu.
At that time, he was extremely happy in his heart, but with Zhang Cheng's rapid rise, he also secretly regretted it. If he had had the friendship of the bloody battle with Julu, he would not have become Yong Ningbo's closest comrade today.
But at this moment, watching Xuanda Governor Zhang Fuzhen offering incense to Yang Guozhu's shrine, I couldn't help but feel in my heart: No matter how famous or rich you are, it's not as good as living!
But Li Fuming next to him held a different view. He felt that if his life could be as glorious as Yang Guozhu's, even death would be worth it.
What he thinks more about is his wife and children, and his status in the family. If he unfortunately dies in the future, as long as Uncle Yong Ning is still around, he will definitely treat him like he did to Yang Guozhu today.
If you fight to the death, you can give him a wife and a son, so that your name can be written in the family tree and passed down through the ages.
Even if you die, it's still worth it!
(End of chapter)
