Wanli Xinming

Chapter 425 Southern Tour ()

After a short period of repairs and preparations, on April 16, the 16th year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun, wearing the crown of the emperor, led the prince and officials across the Panshui Bridge and entered the Confucius Temple from the Lingxing Gate to worship Confucius with the dignity of an emperor. When the emperor worships heaven, he first worships the Lingxing. The purpose of building this gate in the Confucius Temple is very simple - to respect Confucius as he respects heaven.

The Lingxing Gate at this time is a wooden structure with four couplets and three bays, and the carved beams and painted pillars do not need to be detailed. After entering this gate, three archways stand in sequence.

When Zhu Yijun looked up, the first archway was the Taihe Yuanqifang handwritten by Zeng Xian, the then governor of Shandong in Jiajing. He nodded and sighed to the prince: "The person who wrote this memorial arch is Zeng Mian and Zeng Shitang. Do you know his deeds?"

The prince showed an embarrassed expression and replied, "I don't know."

Since there was no time to explain in detail, Zhu Yijun just concluded: "Zeng Mian was determined to make meritorious deeds and was punished severely. Although it was because of the frame-up by Yan Song and others, it was also because Shizong's work started in a hurry and ended in a tail-end, and he was too arrogant."

The ministers nearby looked at each other in shock after hearing this. I heard Zhu Yijun say to the prince: "A king should make a decision before taking action, and move without moving. The current reform is booming, which is inseparable from the promotion of the father and the king of Zhongxing who have never changed their original intention. If you encounter difficulties, just think If you take a detour, nothing will be done." The prince bowed in response, and all the ministers suddenly realized that this was the emperor seizing the opportunity to declare the reform policy and teach the prince at the same time.

The monarchs and ministers looked around as they walked, and saw that the bridges and structures everywhere were completely renewed, and the foreheads of apricot altars and monuments were painted with gold. The palaces and pavilions are magnificent in scale and exquisite in craftsmanship, which is worthy of admiration.

Zhu Yijun said to Yan Shenggong and Li Dai, the governor of Shandong: "My decision to sacrifice Confucius this time was sudden. You have prepared so thoroughly in such a short period of time, which shows that you have worked hard on weekdays." The two of them listened to Yuyin's praise and hurriedly bowed to express their gratitude. .

When they arrived at the square in front of the Dacheng Hall, the emperor took the prince to the side bedroom to rest. The ministers arranged their classes in order, the ministers and Duke Yansheng's Mansion arranged the sacrifices, and the dance troupe and musicians were all ready. When the auspicious time comes, the ceremony of worshiping Confucius begins.

The first emperor to offer sacrifices to Confucius was Liu Bang, the great ancestor of the Han Dynasty. In 195 BC, Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, visited Lu and worshiped Confucius in Tai Lao. He also ordered the princes, princes, ministers, generals and ministers to come to the county, visit the temple first and then engage in politics. Liu Bang not only set the precedent for later emperors to worship Confucius, but also set the precedent for later emperors to order local governors to visit the Confucius Temple before taking office and then engage in politics. This is a bit like taking an oath of office before taking office.

After Liu Bang, there were about a dozen emperors who went to Qufu Confucius Temple to worship Confucius. The one closest to Zhu Yijun was Song Zhenzong, who lowered the level of Fengchan Taishan. Emperors of the Ming Dynasty never came to the Confucius Temple to worship Confucius.

Therefore, the ceremony can only refer to the sacrificial rituals of emperors such as Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty: there were no more than three animals. The emperor used eight hundred pieces of music and dance to perform golden sounds and jade vibrations, simple and melodious Shao music, and chanted Confucius' virtues. The hymns of heaven and earth and Tao from ancient to modern times only follow the process of welcoming the gods, first offering, sub-offering, final offering, revoking and sending off to the gods.

The only thing that the emperor had to decide was whether Zhu Yijun knelt down to worship Confucius. According to research from the Ministry of Rites, the emperors of the Han Dynasty most likely knelt down to worship Confucius, because at that time, Chinese people mostly used kneeling to worship Confucius. However, there is no detailed record of whether the emperors in the Tang and Song dynasties knelt down to worship Confucius. The emperor must decide the matter.

Zhu Yijun listened to Wang Xijue's request before, and said in deep thought: "According to the system of our dynasty, I kneel three times and kowtow nine times to worship heaven; Confucius and even the saints and teachers are not as good as heaven, and they are not as good as the ancestors. When I see my teacher, I bow It’s just the body. When you see the ancestor’s statue, it’s better to kneel down and kowtow three times.”

After hearing this, Wang Xijue knelt down and said, "Your Majesty honors Kong Zhi! All the scholars in the world have heard this, and those who do not return to their hearts are worse than animals!" After saying this, he cried excitedly several times.

Since the first minister Zhang Cong demolished the statues of Confucius in the early years of Jiajing, only the main tablet of the god can be used to worship Confucius in Confucius temples. Zhu Yijun followed the designed procedure and knelt down and kowtowed in front of the Confucius tablet - all civil and military officials were moved to tears. The students of the Kong family clan who participated in the music and dance were also very excited and wished they could have died to repay the king's kindness. Only a few ministers had sneers on their lips, watching the emperor put on a show to win the hearts of the world's scholars.

By the time the solemn ceremony was over, Kong Shangxian, who presided over the ceremony, was already feeling very tired. But the young and powerful emperor was in high spirits. Before lunch, he said to Yan Shenggong: "I want to have a detailed tour with the queen and the prince. You can make arrangements later." After a pause, he said, "After the tour is completed, I and the prince will be here." I will listen to you read the scriptures in the Poetry Auditorium, and all the ministers will accompany you.”

Kong Shangxian listened and responded blankly. According to the procedures previously set by the Ministry of Rites, the emperor also had to go to the tomb of Confucius in Konglin to pay homage to Confucius. However, the emperor always spoke of the Constitution and whatever he said was what he said. Duke Yan Sheng had no room for comment, so he could only arrange for someone to inform him immediately. Mrs. Yan Shenggong and others went to the palace to pick up the queen and accompany her.

After having a meal with the emperor and the prince, Yanshenggong had some free time and asked his family: "Go to Konglin quickly to see if there is anything that violates the taboos? Why is it so good that the emperor won't go? Is there something wrong? It’s the villain who causes trouble.”

After Kong Shangtan heard this, he first arranged for the housekeeper to take a look, but then he felt uneasy and ran away by himself. I looked at the archway, stone bridge and other roads where the emperor was going to walk, and saw that the emperor's guards had already surrounded him from the front and back, and there was nothing unusual.

When he reached the stone tablet "The Tomb of King Wenxuan, the Most Holy Saint of Dacheng", Kong Shangtan suddenly remembered something, his face changed slightly, he turned around and ran back. When he arrived in front of Yan Shenggong, he lowered his head and said so and so. Kong Shangxian frowned when he heard this and said: "The emperor can't worship the king? What should I do? Where can I have time to engrave it again now?"

Kong Shangtan smiled and said: "The inscription is from top to bottom. Just use red silk to surround the words "Prince's Tomb". Our family has a high altar table. When we put tributes in the future, the emperor will not be able to see it."

Kong Shangxian nodded solemnly and said: "Just do it like this. Go and prepare quickly. When I find the emperor and I am happy, I will ask for the order again."

Zhu Yijun took a nap for half an hour, and when he got up to wash up, the queen came in. Zhu Yijun dressed under the queen's service.

The chamberlain came to report that Kong Shangxian and other ministers were still coming to accompany him. Zhu Yijun smiled and said: "They have been with me for many days, but they are exhausted. Let them have half a day off. Let them go to relax. Mr. Jing Shi and Yan Shenggong will accompany me." I'm going around with the queen."

Although the ministers wanted to see the queen's peerless beauty, the emperor was stingy and had no choice, so they all thanked her and left.

Because of the solemnity of the morning ceremony, Zhu Yijun did not leave the central axis of the Confucius Temple to wander around. In the afternoon, it was more relaxed. He and the prince were accompanied by Wang Xijue, the Minister of Rites, Kong Shangxian, the Duke of Yansheng, and others. The Duke's wife and the serving female officials accompanied the queen. Nearby tour inwards again.

Wang Xijue, Yan Shenggong and other ministers were afraid of being rude, so they had no time to look around. They all lowered their heads. All they could see were stone slabs except for the corners of their clothes. Only when the emperor asked, did he raise his head and explain something to the emperor.

There are four stele pavilions built in the square where the Yimen is located, which are the four famous stele of Confucius Temple. Emperors and ministers can't help but pay tribute to them. Zhu Yijun carefully read the content of the inscription and sighed with the queen and prince: "The ancestors of all generations have respected the most holy teacher, and I cannot be disloyal."

He ordered his left and right: "Bring a pen and paper."

Because Zhu Yijun was good at writing big characters, Duke Yansheng's family had already prepared them. So the four treasures of the study arrived in an instant, and there were servants carrying table felts, etc. They spread the fine gold Xuande paper on the felt and pressed it with a pandragon paperweight carved from mutton fat white jade.

When the queen saw Zhu Yijun taking one and putting it in the brush washer to start a pen, she hurriedly said to the prince: "Go and grind the ink for your father." The prince agreed and stepped forward to grind the ink.

Zhu Yijun asked: "The prince will gain something from visiting the Confucius Temple today?"

The prince replied while rubbing his ink: "It is magnificent and magnificent, no less than the Forbidden City."

Kong Shangxian, the Duke of Yansheng, changed his expression when he heard this, and hurriedly said: "How can my family temple dare to compete with the imperial city? The prince is ridiculous." When the little prince saw that Duke Yan refuted his words, his face showed displeasure.

Zhu Yijun frowned slightly at first, then smiled and said: "You don't have to be like this, Mr. Yansheng. The Confucius Temple is not your family's temple, but the temple of my Chinese Miao descendants for eternity. Since the saint came, the world has changed many masters, but only the saint has been blessed. It has been passed down forever. The so-called "revere the heaven and the earth, and master the virtues" is a model for all generations. "

When Duke Yan Sheng heard the emperor's words and the change of state, he didn't dare to answer, and he didn't dare not to answer. His face showed embarrassment.

Zhu Yijun ignored Yan Shenggong, who was hunched over, and dipped in ink and wrote the four characters "Teacher of All Times". Then he said to the prince: "You have been studying for many years now. Do you like the four books?"

When the prince heard this, his face was full of expressions.

(End of this chapter)