Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 718: First sacrifice to the heavens
Hanyuan Hall,
The yard is full of busy figures!
The people Zhang Jinyu brought with him also set up the camp initially. At least the tents and other things had been built long ago. In addition, they set up pots and cooked in the flower bed under the east wall.

In addition, he fetched water from the backyard, slaughtered a fat sheep, and waited for the fire to be made and roasted.

Marquis Xiangyang was terrified. Marquis Luoyun was too bold. Those trees were the best camphor trees in the south of the Yangtze River. They kept away mosquitoes and provided cool air. Now, they had become chevaux de frise and fire starters. It was a waste of natural resources.
The key point is that the big cauldron, several soldiers had already gone over and started to rinse it with clean water, and couldn't help but persuade again;
"My Lord, why don't we find a place, dig a pit, and roast the sheep. This big cauldron is used for offering sacrifices to the heavens. As the saying goes, bathing and burning incense, if you enter this, it's fine if you don't offer sacrifices, but how can you be so disrespectful?"

Zhang Jinyu was sitting on a chair at this time. There was a table next to him, which was filled with fruits, cakes, and tea. The chairs and table were naturally moved from the side hall. It was really interesting to eat outdoors.

Seeing the nervous look on Marquis Xiangyang's face, Zhang Jinyu looked at the big tripod again. It was used for offering sacrifices to heaven. How could he not know about it? Chu Nian didn't tell him either.

However, since Xiangyang Hou said so, why not offer sacrifices to the heaven first?
"Brother Bai, don't worry. It's just a sacrifice to the heavens. Let's just offer it to the heavens first. Come on, get ready. Ningbian, you can bring incense."

"My Lord, we do have incense, but the ones we use are a bit ordinary, the ones used to start fires. If we use them to offer sacrifices to the heavens, wouldn't it be bad?"

Ning Bian was listening at the side and replied after a moment of hesitation, "How could anyone bring incense during the imperial examination? The incense used in the army is all used as ignition materials, which are not very good. Isn't this inappropriate?"

Zhang Jinyu looked ahead and saw the newly cleaned cauldron. It turned out to be a glittering golden color, not the bronze color he had imagined. If it was bronze, it must have rusted after being buried in the ground. Who said in the Tang Dynasty that a golden cup of clear wine could cost ten thousand? Ordinary people couldn't drink from a golden cup. It was really beautiful.
"You are wrong. As the saying goes, sincerity is the key to success. Let's pray together sincerely. As long as the incense is used, it is just incense. If it is useless, it is just a fire starter. Brother Bai, what do you think?"

Xiangyang Hou was also unable to refute Zhang Jinyu's words. He looked up at the large tripod in the center of the courtyard not far away. This act of offering sacrifice to heaven, no matter where it is, must be celebrated with great fanfare. However, with such simple conditions, one can only be sincere and sincere. All kinds of gods and Buddhas can only make do. That's all. It seems that Luo Yun Hou is determined. But why must it be used to roast mutton? So he asked;

"What the Marquis said does make some sense, but I don't understand why the Marquis would use it to roast lamb. The big cauldron is used to burn incense for offering sacrifices to the heavens, but I have never heard of using it to roast food."

Xiangyang Hou's question also made Ning Bian a little confused, and he was right.

But he didn't expect Zhang Jinyu to laugh and actually agree with his statement;

"Brother Bai is right. It is all God's grace. There must be a way to offer sacrifices to God. The dry food and other things we brought cannot be placed on the altar. Outside the pass, we can put all kinds of cooked meat on the altar."

Zhang Jinyu pointed at the entire Hanyuan Hall. It was empty and quiet, but he also felt something was wrong.

"The newly built hall is uninhabited. It happens to be the time for the special examination, so there are no taboos. As the chief examiner, it is my duty to offer sacrifices. Since sacrifices are necessary, why not just kill a sheep and put it directly in the big cauldron? Wouldn't that be better? This will make Hanyuan Hall more lively. What do you think, Brother Bai?"

"This"

The explanation seemed absurd, but it made sense. When Bai Guangju hesitated, a hearty laugh came from behind him.

"Ahahaha, Lord Marquis, you are right. I was just thinking about how to worship when the Dragon Gate is opened. Lord Marquis, now you have figured it out. It just so happens that I have brought a lot of sacrifices and the best incense."

Zhang Jinyu and the others heard the laughter and turned around to see that it was Master Chu Nian who had gotten off the carriage with a few thick sandalwood sticks in his hands.
"Ningbian, collect the things, have someone move a table and lay out the tributes. Remember, put the burnt ashes in the big cauldron and spread it out. Let's consecrate the hall first."

"Yes, Lord Marquis,"

Ning Bian clasped his fists, called a few people, and went over.
Zhang Jinyu pulled out a chair next to her and invited her;

"Master Chu, how come you look so cheerful and energetic right after returning? Come on, sit down and have a rest. I have troubled you these past few days."

Seeing Lord Chu Nian, his face was rosy and the dark circles under his eyes were gone. Of course, there were still some faint marks, but I was really curious about the way he looked like he was back to full health. Could it be that Madam Chu Nian helped and relieved Lord Chu Nian's fatigue?

"Greetings, Lord Marquis, and Brother Bai. Sorry for keeping you waiting!"

Chu Nian came closer, clasped his fists towards the two of them, bowed, and sat down beside them. However, the address of Marquis of Xiangyang also made Zhang Jinyu pay attention. Brother Bai, could it be that the two of them not only know each other, but are also very familiar with each other?

"Hurry up and sit down and have a sip of tea. This is the Jiangnan Cloud Mist Tea that I brought from my residence. By the way, Lord Chu, are you so familiar with the Marquis of Xiangyang?"

He asked casually, and took a tea bowl in his hand, poured a bowl of tea for Lord Chu himself, and pushed it over. Lord Chu took it, thanked him, took a sip of tea, and replied;

"My Lord, I can't say that I am familiar with the Marquis of Xiangyang. When I was in the Hanlin Academy, Brother Bai often came to borrow manuscripts. We got to know each other after a few visits. Later, I don't know why Brother Bai stopped coming to borrow manuscripts. I haven't seen him for a long time."

Chu Nian shook his head and chuckled, thinking back to the time when Bai Guangju had not yet inherited the title, he was studying in the Imperial Academy and often came to borrow reading manuscripts. He thought he was studying hard to learn the meaning of poetry and classics, but later he found out that he was copying them just to pass the teacher's inspection. There were days when Chu Nian didn't want to pay attention to him, and later, he stopped coming one day.

Xiangyang Hou sighed, blushing, and talked about this matter;
"Brother Chu, you blame me for plagiarizing the manuscript. I was ignorant at that time, and the teacher checked strictly, so I had no choice but to do it. Later, my father passed away due to illness, and I inherited the title. I didn't need to go to the Imperial College, so I put down the book. But I also want to thank you, Brother Chu. At that time, it was thanks to your manuscript. Otherwise, how could I get away with the teacher's inspection of the coursework."

Marquis Xiangyang couldn't help but sigh. It had been more than ten years since then.

This explanation made Zhang Jinyu look at the two of them more, especially the explanation of Xiangyang Hou. Isn't it just that he failed in starting a business outside, no, failed in studying, and returned home to inherit the family property? This is really naked showing off. Chu Nian is also a person of imperial examination after all, and he got there step by step. Just when he was about to say something back, he suddenly thought, isn't it the same for him?

"Oh, so Brother Bai also gave up studying halfway. So, among the three of us, Master Chu Nian is the most knowledgeable."

"My Lord, I am kidding. Your poetry is well-known all over the world. How dare I show off my skills in front of you?"

Upon hearing the praise from Marquis Luo Yun, Chu Nian did not dare to agree. It would be fine if others said it, but he could not even compare to Marquis Luo Yun in any poem he picked out. How could he be the most knowledgeable?

"Master Chu, you are too polite. Poetry is a gift, and learning is the result of hard work. If we consider it as a special examination, the Marquis of Xiangyang and I combined cannot pass it as well as Master Chu. Let's get down to business. Tomorrow the examiners will enter the palace, and the day after tomorrow the students will enter the palace. We will follow the previous discussion and take the unified examination. As for sleeping, we will sleep separately, and my personal soldiers will watch over us, and the inspectors will patrol to prevent cheating. What do you two think?"

Hearing Marquis Luo Yun's question, Chu Nian did not speak first, but glanced at Marquis Xiangyang. After all, he personally supervised the renovation of the entire hall, and the sleeping area was also made into partitions so that the beds would not interfere with each other. As long as someone was watching, cheating would never occur.
Seeing the two of them looking at him, Xiangyang Marquis Bai Guangju was a little dumbfounded. He hadn't even been here, so how could he know the situation inside? How could he dare to make random suggestions? He clasped his fists and smiled bitterly;
"It's OK for the Marquis and Lord Chu to decide. I haven't been here these few days, so I don't know the situation, but I know something about the Imperial Examination Hall. They are all separate examination rooms, and people can't see each other. From what the Marquis said about the unified examination, there are so many people in the hall, so I think it's the same as the palace examination. This is not bad, but I'm worried that those people will do something when they sleep or go to the toilet, or when they line up to leave."

This is also what Zhang Jinyu and Chu Nian are worried about, but there is a solution.
"Brother Bai is right. It's troublesome when people are mixed together. It's even harder to keep an eye on them when there are too many people. But it's easy to deal with. No matter what we do, we can just line up and walk. There are examiners watching us along the way. It shouldn't be a problem."

"My Lord, this is a good idea. However, the examinees will be fine and can sleep well. But it will be difficult for our invigilators. We need a lot of people. On Lord Nan's side, many officials in the Hanlin Academy are senior, and they can't stay like this."

When Marquis of Xiangyang heard the Marquis's idea, he thought it was a safe one. If more people lined up, there would not be chaos. However, a lot of examiners would be needed to maintain order. There has always been a limited number of examiners in the imperial examinations. Now that more people are needed in Hanyuan Palace, there will be fewer people in the Imperial Examination Hall. Lord Nan will probably not agree.

Seeing Bai Guangju thinking this, Lord Chu Nian also laughed.
"Brother Bai is very thoughtful. The Marquis has thought of all these. As for the Imperial Examination Hall, Lord Nan only sent me here. None of the officials from the Hanlin Academy came. Do you know who the Marquis asked to supervise the examinations?" "What? You are the only one here."

Bai Guangju widened his eyes in disbelief, and looked around again. Could it be that the number of personal soldiers around the Marquis was not enough?

"Master Chu, then tell me, the examiners and inspectors who will mark the papers, whom the Marquis wants, are nothing more than people from the Hanlin Academy, who are relatively free, right?"

"Brother Bai is wrong. In the capital, the most idle people are the censors and the six ministries. They have nothing to do."

Chu Nian has said this and will not say any more.

Only the Marquis of Xiangyang swallowed his saliva. It was impossible that the Marquis had asked the censors to come here to supervise the exam. The Marquis was really bold to ask those people.

"My Lord, could it be that you have asked those censors to come here?"

"Yes, I want it. I want a lot more. I think those censors are talented and courageous. They dare to say things that others dare not say. I like their fearless spirit. They are what the Dawu court lacks.
Lord Chu, Brother Bai, you also know that the court has many problems, especially corruption. Only these censors said what you wanted to say but didn't dare to say. What's wrong with that? I want them to supervise the exam. Those children of noble families, relatives of nobles, and members of prominent families who are just filling in the numbers, some officials dare not say or ask, but they dare. I want to see who is so stubborn and dares to cheat in the imperial examination. "

Zhang Jinyu had a cold face as he fumbled for the precious sword on his body. This time, it was feared that it would be difficult to investigate the case, so he could only deal with it with iron-blooded means. He asked his family to come forward and make a fuss, and then follow the clues to see if he could find any clues. After all, the money needed to buy the test questions was something that the examinees could not afford.

When the two saw Marquis Luo Yun's look, they were all silent, with more doubts in their hearts. Perhaps this was the method that His Majesty came up with. Thinking of this, the two of them took a breath and recalled last year's imperial examination. Although it was investigated, it was insignificant. Obviously, His Majesty still remembered it, especially Chu Nian, who was restless. If His Majesty really wanted to investigate these things, then Lord Nan would suffer an unprovoked disaster. After all, Lord Nan could not know who cheated.

While the three of them were thinking and keeping silent, Ning Bian had already led the people to prepare the cauldron. A slaughtered and skinned yellow sheep was placed inside the cauldron. To the south of the cauldron, there was a table with many tributes placed on it. At the front, there were several pottery bowls and a jar of wine on top. It looked like the arrangements were almost complete.

Then he went back and reported;
"My Lord, everything is ready. The sheep has been put on the rack. You decide when to offer the sacrifice to the gods."

Zhang Jinyu patted his sleeves, stood up and looked over. Indeed, it was almost done.
"Then what are you waiting for? Call everyone over and offer sacrifices together. May our imperial examination go smoothly. Lord Chu, Brother Bai, what do you think?"

Chu Nian and Bai Guangju stood up at the same time and bowed together;
"Listen to the Marquis, and pray to the heavens for a smooth imperial examination."

"Yes, please."

After saying "please", he took the lead and walked over.

Ningbian, who was behind him, shouted immediately;

"Assemble in line."

At the command, the busy guards of the Marquis' Mansion immediately put down their work and ran over quickly. Under Ning Bian's command, they stood on the south side of the altar.
Zhang Jinyu and the other two were the first to stand in front of the altar. They took a handful of soil and placed it on the altar. They lit three incense sticks and shouted:

"This year's imperial examination, thanks to your majesty's grace in allowing Hanyuan Hall to be used as the examination venue, is truly a favor from the royal family. It just so happens that the number of people taking the imperial examination this year is the highest in history. Our Dawu Dynasty is in a prosperous era, with peace and prosperity for the country and the people. I would like to use this precious land to offer sacrifices to ensure peace. Bow!"

After he finished reading, he lit three incense sticks and threw another handful of incense into the burning cauldron. Marquis Xiangyang and Chu Nian also lit incense and knelt down to worship.

This scene,
The Wu Emperor who had just walked into the Hanyuan Hall was also caught in the act. Looking at the neatly arranged team in the courtyard, Zhou Shihong narrowed his eyes and asked;
"What are Luo Yunhou and the others doing?"

"Your Majesty, I think the Marquis is offering sacrifices. Hanyuan Hall has just been built and is now in use. It is only natural that the Heaven should be informed of this. It seems that the Marquis is leading people to offer sacrifices to the Heaven."

Dai Quan looked into the distance.

In front of the group of people, Marquis Luo Yun and Marquis Xiangyang lit incense and threw the incense into the cauldron. However, on top of the cauldron, there was a lamb being roasted. It was a bit confusing. Shouldn't it be placed on the altar?

I was a little surprised, thinking that His Majesty should have seen it, so I secretly glanced at His Majesty's face, and as usual, I quickly lowered my head.
"Well, it's a good thing that he still remembered this matter. He did it smoothly. But, how come the camp was set up here?"

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong glanced around the courtyard. All the tents of Marquis Luo Yun were set up on both sides of the gate, leaving only one road. On both sides of the road, something was still being built. Looking at the long wooden planks that had not been repaired yet, he asked Yu Dingzhi, the imperial guard beside him,
"General Yu, what do you think these are for?"

At this time, Yu Dingzhi, with the imperial guards, followed behind His Majesty without saying a word. When he heard His Majesty's question, he quickly ran forward and looked at the long wood on both sides. It was obvious that they had just been cut down and were probably used to build a fence.

"Your Majesty, these long trees were just cut down. I think Marquis Luo Yun used them as fences to separate the camp from the road. Otherwise, if the camp and the road were mixed together, it would be bad if the candidates took the wrong path."

It is obvious that they are blocking the road. By the way, should their imperial guards also do the same? What if some candidates are not careful and take the wrong road after entering the palace? Wouldn't that be their fault? Thinking of this, his heart tightened. However, the number of imperial guards he brought is not small. When the time comes, they can just cordon off both sides of the road. Whoever dares to walk around recklessly can't blame him for not giving face.

"Yes, that's true, General Yu. Chongwen Gate is still some distance away from the main gate of Hanyuan Hall. You have to be careful about this distance."

Emperor Wu's words were a reminder to Yu Dingzhi. The Hanyuan Palace was under the responsibility of Marquis Luo Yun, while the Imperial Guards were responsible for the affairs outside the palace. Don't let anything go wrong and cause trouble for the court.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have a plan. The imperial guards have plenty of manpower. I will directly cordon off the road and will definitely not let the candidates walk around randomly."

"General Yu, just know it in your heart, don't make it difficult for the court."

Dai Quan behind him also echoed, there are some things that His Majesty cannot say, he can say, the reason why he was transferred here is because there are many rules in the palace, although this distance is not far, but there are some things that cannot be taken lightly, so, the intention is obvious, how can Yu Dingzhi not understand, he clasped his fists and said,
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will stay here for the next few days, and I'm sure nothing will go wrong."

"That's good,"

Left a message,
Emperor Wu had already led his men into the courtyard. Dai Quan then patted Yu Dingzhi's arm and followed closely behind him.
And in front,
Seeing that both of them had finished burning incense, Zhang Jinyu shouted again,
"Everyone kneels down,"

He took the lead, knelt down first, and shouted again;

"Bow down to heaven and earth, bow!"

(End of this chapter)