Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2333 Fengshan (Thirty) Fengshan, promotion to the title!

As Zhu Yijun's carriage slowly left Qufu and headed towards Tai'an along the official road, the atmosphere of the entire team gradually became solemn. Tai'an, as the venue for the Fengshan ceremony, has been a holy place for emperors to worship heaven and earth and pray for peace and prosperity for the country and the people since ancient times.

The Fengshan Ceremony was undoubtedly the top priority during the emperor's southern tour. It was of great significance. It not only symbolized the divine right of the emperor and the longevity of the dynasty, but also symbolized that under the rule of Emperor Wanli, the Ming Dynasty was peaceful and prosperous, and its influence was felt throughout the world.

As the emperor arrived in Tai'an, the whole city of Tai'an was immersed in a solemn and expectant atmosphere. As a sacred place for Fengshan, Tai'an has carried the sacred mission of the emperor's communication with heaven and earth since ancient times. Zhu Yijun's Fengshan was not only a tribute to heaven and earth, but also a prayer for the future of the country and the people.

After arriving in Tai'an, Zhu Yijun began a three-day fast. During these three days, he would stay away from government affairs, ignore worldly affairs, and concentrate on inner purification and spiritual preparation - in other words, he would start fasting.

The emperor chose a quiet courtyard in the Tai'an Palace as the place for fasting. The environment there was peaceful and quiet, far away from the hustle and bustle, which was very suitable for the emperor to fast.

As for how this Tai'an Palace came about... it was naturally built temporarily last year. However, it must be emphasized that due to Gao Youshi's insistence, this palace was not funded by the national treasury, but was built by the emperor himself and directly ordered by Jinghua Infrastructure to "take the order" to build it.

Since the government's money was not spent, officials did not have a chance to show off. Only a few petty officials of the eighth and ninth ranks tried to persuade the government to "disturb the people". As a result, Gao Youshi arranged for people to scold them back. The construction project can boost local employment and bring extra income to many idle young men. In addition, the palace is located in a remote area and does not affect the production and life of local people. How can it be called "disturbance"? In this way, all kinds of noise disappeared.

Back to the ceremony. During the fasting period, the emperor's diet was prepared by a special imperial chef. The food was mainly light, and he did not eat meat or drink alcohol, to show respect for heaven and earth.

At the same time, the emperor also needed to bathe and change clothes, and wear special fasting clothes. These clothes were mainly plain and elegant, without gold or silver decorations, and without dragons and phoenixes embroidered on them, to express the emperor's humility to heaven and earth. Zhu Yijun directly wore a set of Lanshan prepared for the Confucius sacrifice, and stayed in the side courtyard of the palace to read.

At the same time, Gao Youshi, as the chief minister of the cabinet, led the ministers to start the final preparations for the various ceremonies of the Fengshan Ceremony. The first thing they had to ensure was that the ritual procedures of the Fengshan Ceremony were correct, including the order of sacrifices, the preparation of sacrifices, and the music and dance used during the sacrifices.

This is not difficult, after all, it was determined long before the emperor went south, and now the main thing is to do the final check. Gao Youshi once again personally checked the records of Fengshan in the past dynasties, and repeatedly discussed with officials from the Ministry of Rites to ensure that every detail conforms to the ancient rituals to reflect the highest respect for heaven and earth. He especially emphasized the importance of etiquette, saying that this is the key to the success of the Fengshan ceremony.

The preparation of the sacrifices was particularly critical. According to the ancient system, the sacrifices used for Fengshan included three kinds of animals (cows, sheep, and pigs), five kinds of grains, and wine, etc. Each one had to be carefully selected to show respect for heaven and earth. Gao Youshi specially appointed Fang Congzhe to be personally responsible for this matter to ensure the quality and quantity of the sacrifices.

  Gao Youshi was also not negligent in music and dance. Before going south, the Ministry of Rites had already selected the best musicians and dancers from the two capitals of the north and south, and conducted a long rehearsal to ensure that the Fengshan Ceremony would present the most perfect effect. The music should be solemn and sacred, the dance should be solemn and elegant, and every note and every dance step should reflect respect for heaven and earth.

The Ming Dynasty has always attached great importance to rituals and music, and the relevant talent pool is sufficient. After Gao Youshi's inspection, he found no problems.

In addition to the preparation of the ceremony, Gao Youshi also paid special attention to the construction and maintenance of the Fengshan Terrace. The Fengshan Terrace is the core location of the Fengshan Ceremony, where the emperor will offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for peace and prosperity for the country and the people. Therefore, the construction of the Fengshan Terrace must be solid and solemn, reflecting the majesty of the heavenly family. Gao Youshi personally inspected the construction of the Fengshan Terrace with a group of officials and conducted strict inspections on every detail.

Under the leadership of Gao Youshi, the officials performed their duties and carried out various preparations in an intense and orderly manner. At this point, everyone knew that the success of the Fengshan Ceremony was not only related to the emperor's prestige, but also to themselves. Oh, of course, it was also related to the stability of the court and the well-being of the people. Therefore, no one dared to slack off.

As the day of the Fengshan Ceremony approached, the atmosphere in the entire Tai'an City became more and more solemn. Even ordinary people spontaneously participated in the preparations for the ceremony. Under the arrangement of the government, they cleaned the streets and decorated the houses, expressing their respect for the emperor and the court in the simplest way.

In this series of preparations, Gao Youshi was always busy and determined. At this time, as the chief minister of the cabinet, he was not only the emperor's most important assistant, but also an important pillar of national stability and prosperity. He could truly be called "a white jade pillar supporting the sky and a purple gold beam bridging the sea." His every decision and action would undoubtedly profoundly affect every detail of the ceremony and the future of the entire country.

With the successful completion of the fast, the formal ceremony of the Fengshan Ceremony was grandly held at the Feng and Chan platforms in Tai'an - "Feng" refers to offering sacrifices to heaven, and "Chan" refers to offering sacrifices to the earth; the two are not in the same place and are not the same thing.

On the morning of the Fengshan ceremony, Tai'an City was in a state of silence. Emperor Zhu Yijun finished his final bath and changed his clothes in the temporary palace. He wore a specially made heavenly offering dress, a crown on his head, and a jade sceptre in his hand, ready to go to the Fengshan Terrace. Civil and military officials also wore court robes and were arranged according to their ranks to accompany the emperor.

As the morning sun rose, the emperor, accompanied by Gao Youshi, slowly climbed up the altar. The altar was towering into the clouds, and was decorated with various patterns and inscriptions symbolizing heaven, earth, and the state. The emperor stood in the center of the altar, facing the east, symbolizing his reverence and prayer to the sky.

The ceremony of offering sacrifice to heaven began with Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, as the master of ceremonies, reading out the sacrificial text for offering sacrifice to heaven. The sacrificial text expressed the emperor's respect for heaven and prayed for heaven's blessing and good weather, peace and prosperity for the Ming Dynasty.

After the sacrificial text was read, the emperor personally presented the sacrifices, including three kinds of animals, five kinds of grains, wine, etc. These sacrifices were placed on the altar by a special person, symbolizing the emperor's respect and gratitude to heaven.

As the offerings were presented, the musicians began to play solemn sacrificial music and the dancers began sacrificial dances. Both the music and the dances were carefully choreographed to express reverence and prayers to the heavens.

While the music and dance were being performed, Emperor Zhu Yijun held the jade sceptre in his hand, faced the sky, knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, and prayed for the will of heaven with the most pious attitude. Civil and military officials also knelt with the emperor, and the entire altar was filled with a solemn and sacred atmosphere.

After the ceremony of offering sacrifice to heaven, Zhu Yijun, under the guidance of Gao Youshi, moved to the altar of offering sacrifice to earth at the foot of the mountain. The altar of offering sacrifice to earth is located at the foot of the mountain on the south side of the altar of offering sacrifice to heaven, symbolizing respect for the earth.

Before the altar of earth, Yu Shenxing, the minister of rites, read out the sacrificial text again. The sacrificial text expressed the emperor's respect for the earth, praying for the earth to grant fertility, bless the Ming Dynasty with a good harvest and the people's well-being.

During the earth worship ceremony, the emperor also offered sacrifices, including grains, wine, etc., to show his respect and gratitude to the earth.

The musicians played the sacrificial music again, and the dancers performed the earth worship dance. The music and dance were also carefully choreographed, but they were different from the heaven worship. Of course, the theme was not much different, and they all expressed respect and prayers for the earth.

While the music and dance were being performed, Emperor Zhu Yijun held a jade sceptre in his hand, faced the earth, knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, and prayed to the earth with the most pious attitude. Civil and military officials also knelt with the emperor, and the entire altar was filled with a solemn and sacred atmosphere.

With the successful completion of the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, the second part of the Fengshan ceremony officially ended. Emperor Zhu Yijun, accompanied by Gao Youshi, slowly walked out of Mount Tai, followed by civil and military officials, and went to the Tai'an Palace.

The "ennobling" and "abdication" were all over here, but all the accompanying officials knew that the really important thing was about to happen - rewarding the officials.

As expected, after the emperor and his officials and envoys from vassal states arrived at the Tai'an Palace, they did not announce their disbandment, but held a court meeting in the main hall of the palace. At the meeting, they first affirmed today's Fengshan ceremony, and praised the weather and pointed out auspicious signs.

After these expected routines, Zhu Yijun suddenly stood up from the throne and said, "I have been on the throne for thirty-two years. Thanks to the blessing of my ancestors and the cooperation of all the ministers, I have achieved the status of having the whole world bow down to me and the people in the world at peace. Now that the Fengshan ceremony has gone smoothly, I should reward all the ministers as a token of gratitude from the world! - Chen Ju, announce the imperial edict." Upon hearing this, all the ministers immediately knelt down to receive the imperial edict under the leadership of Gao Youshi, and Chen Ju opened a scroll of the imperial edict and announced it aloud:

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

I believe that the governance of an emperor is not the result of one's own wisdom, but the assistance of all the ministers. I have inherited the great cause of my ancestors and have worked hard day and night, fearing that I cannot bear the burden. I rely on you, the civil and military ministers, to work together and help achieve the best governance. Today, the country is peaceful and the world is tranquil, all because of your concerted efforts and dedication to your duties.

I have seen you all, some of you have made plans and won battles thousands of miles away; some of you have pacified the barbarians and displayed your power in the desert; some of you have maintained internal peace and resisted foreign aggression and pacified the borders; some of you have managed the country's finances and enriched the people. All of these are what I have seen and heard personally, and they are deeply engraved in my heart.

Today, I have specially granted you a reward to show the court's generosity and to encourage the officials to be diligent and respectful:

All civil and military officials will have their salaries increased by one year as a token of my appreciation for your hard work in serving the king.

I grant the Grand Secretaries of all palaces, the Minister of Personnel, and the Left Censor-in-Chief sedan chairs in the Forbidden City to show my reliance on you to assist me in governing the country.

The officials of the six ministries and the nine ministers, those who have no official robes will be rewarded with a set of flying fish robes. Those who have official robes will be rewarded with a set of fighting bull robes or walking python robes with different levels. Those who have python robes will be rewarded with a set of embroidered gold cloud patterns with different levels, to show my appreciation for your diligence and dedication to their duties.

The officials of the six ministries, the nine ministers and below will be given an additional examination and evaluation, and an additional rank of literary honor, to show my encouragement to you for fulfilling your duties.

The nobles and military officials also share the same opinion, to show that I reward you equally for your contributions in defending the border.

I hope you will work harder and never Don't forget my instructions. You should all sharpen your reputation, abide by the official code of conduct, and jointly receive the good command and achieve the best governance.

Admire this. "

As the Prime Minister, Gao Youshi naturally took the lead in expressing his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace. Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long, long live the Emperor!" Then he stood up.

Normally, after the rewards were given out and everyone had their fill of praise, the emperor should have announced the adjournment of the court. However, neither the emperor nor the officials seemed to have any intention of adjourning the meeting, because there was one thing that everyone knew tacitly.

Sure enough, Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Youshi with a smile, nodded and said with a smile: "Prime Minister, I said a few days ago that the credit for my current position lies 30% with me, 20% with my ministers, and the remaining half with you. Now is a grand event, how can I not reward you for your merits? Chen Ju, announce the decree!"

Chen Ju, the chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, looked at Gao Youshi with a big smile on his face. He did not take the imperial edict presented by the junior eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, but bowed slightly and said softly, "Marquis Nanning, please accept the edict."

Gao Youshi seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if he did not dare to accept the reward easily, but because the reward was not clear at the moment, he had no choice but to kneel down and said, "Your Highness Gao Youshi accepts your order."

Chen Ju then took the imperial edict with a smile, opened it and read:

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

I have heard that the way of heaven is impartial and always favors the good. I have inherited the order of heaven and hold the imperial seal. I work day and night with a vigilant mind, thinking of long-term plans. I have wise ministers, including the Grand Tutor, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, the Grand Secretary of the Zhongji Palace and the Minister of Revenue, and the Marquis of Nanning Gao Wushi, who are selfless and have made great contributions to the country.

Since Gao Youshi entered the government, he has been loyal and diligent in his duties, working day and night without slacking off. His great achievements can be described as follows:

The southern barbarian countries were known for being wild and untamed. Gao Shishi used his civil and military virtues to appease the people and intimidate them, thus making the distant lands submit and the borders safe. His civil and military achievements brought glory to the country and happiness to the nation.

The Mongolian border in the north has been a threat to the country for generations. Gao Youshi led his army to the north and conquered the barbarians. The barbarians were not alarmed and the northern desert was peaceful. His far-sighted strategies and sophisticated military tactics made the country's borders stable and the people lived and worked in peace.

The rebellion of Haibai and Yang Yinglong was a disaster for the people. Gao Youshi either led the royal army or made strategic plans, thus eliminating the evil and restoring peace in the country. His loyalty and courage, eliminating harm for the country and relieving the worries of the people, made great contributions to the country and his name will be recorded in history.

  The East of Korea was a loyal vassal state of ours. When Japanese pirates invaded the border, the country was in danger of being destroyed. Gao Youshi led a powerful army to help Korea drive out the Japanese pirates, and the vassal state was re-secured, and the East was peaceful. His righteousness was unparalleled, he rescued the vassal state, and supported the ambition of the Celestial Empire. His meritorious service was outstanding and his name was known all over the world. Later, Korea annexed the country. Why wasn't it out of admiration?

The old land of the Western Regions had long been a foreign land since the Tang Dynasty. Gao Shishi had a broad vision and recovered the old land and expanded the territory, surpassing the ancients. Since then, Guanlong has been permanently settled, the desert is calm, and the vast west is all our Han territory. His great talent and outstanding achievements will be recorded in history forever.

He improved domestic affairs and brought order to the country. Gao pragmatically reformed the finances, making the state treasury sufficient; he opened the sea for trade, making the flow of goods abundant; he freed the feudal lords, making the people live in peace; he trained the imperial army, making the city stronger. His governance made the country rich and strong, and the people safe and sound. His achievements were remarkable, and the people were loyal to him.

All these six are the glory of the country and the blessing of millions of people. Gao Youshi is loyal, diligent, smart and wise. He is indeed a pillar of the country and the pillar of the court. He should be rewarded more! Now I specially promote Gao Youshi to the title of Duke of Jingguo to show the court's generous reward and to encourage the officials to be respectful.

Duke Jingguo is a man of high integrity and practicality. You should continue to work hard and not disobey my orders. All my officials should take Duke Jingguo as an example, work together, pool their wisdom and strength, so that the country can be long-term and peaceful, and the people can prosper.

The announcement was made at home and abroad, and the envoys heard about it.

  Admire this. "
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