Chapter 636 Star Return Festival
Just as everyone stopped, a team of about several hundred people came quickly from the flying bridge.
This team was all wearing leather armor and feathers on their heads, and they were obviously the elite barbarians.
"Great Commander, those are our Feathered Guards coming to greet you! There are only two thousand of them, and only the strongest warriors are qualified to join them. Moreover, even when the clan leader travels, they cannot be easily allowed to accompany him. Only when the clan leader summons the elders, wise men, and bimos to discuss matters with us, can we allow them to accompany us."
Soon, a brave Feather Guard came forward led by Lu Feng.
"Du Mu, a brave warrior of the Feathered Guard of the Xuhen Tribe, greets the commander-in-chief. We have been ordered to come and greet you!" Du Mu knelt on one knee and saluted.
Jia Cong nodded, and then, led by the Lingyu Guards, the team marched across the Feidu Bridge and entered the territory of the Xuhen Tribe.
…
The so-called Xuhen tribe uses "high" as "xu" and "behind" as "hen", which means the place where they live is behind the high mountains. This is the origin of the name of Xuhen tribe.
Entering the territory of the Xuhen Tribe, the road became more difficult to travel. On the narrow mountain road embedded in the cliffs, the Xuhen Tribe members led the way in front, and Jia Cong's ceremonial guards and soldiers followed behind.
The Xuhen tribe has hundreds of thousands of members. However, except for a small number of them who live in their ancestral land, most of them live on the mountainside or even on the top of the mountain.
As we go along, we can see scattered residences on the hillside.
Looking out, the mountains here are high and the clouds are low. The clouds hanging on the hillsides make the mountains look like a fairyland. Looking into the distance, you can see undulating hills and crisscrossing river gorges. Even at this time of year, there are layers of snow in some valleys.
"Look, Commander-in-Chief, the highest mountain ahead is Xiaoliang Mountain. The shorter one not far away is what we call Daliang Mountain. Our ancestral land is behind this mountain. There is a rare flat land there, surrounded by mountains."
"That's Mount Dawa. It's steep and beautiful, and it's rich in white stone. On the northern side of Mount Dawa is Gunlonggang, the sacred site of our tribe. Whenever there's a major event, our clan leaders and wise men will go to the sacred site to pray for the tribe."
Jia Cong smiled and nodded, saying, "Your department is located in a place with beautiful mountains and rivers. Although it is inconvenient to travel, compared to the chaos of the outside world, this place can be called a paradise."
" In the future, if I grow tired of the outside world's disturbances, I will come to your tribe and find a deserted mountain to build a hut and live there. That would be a beautiful thing."
"Hahaha, the commander-in-chief is the most important guest of our clan. Whenever the general comes, everyone in our clan will welcome him."
After entering the territory of the Xuhen tribe, it is not far from the ancestral land, but it takes four or five days to walk there.
That day, after setting up camp, Miaoyu once again brought food and drinks to Jia Cong's tent. Jia Cong had become somewhat accustomed to this by now, and after Miaoyu had laid out the dishes, the two of them would sit across from each other and eat and chat.
When they finished eating and it was time to light the lamps, Miaoyu was about to get up and say goodbye when Lu Feng walked in.
"My Lord, Shen Tumou said there's a small tribe not far ahead. It's the 'Star Return Festival' for the Southern Xinjiang tribes right now, and I'd like to ask if you're interested in experiencing the customs of these tribes."
The Star Return Festival is actually the Torch Festival. It does not have an exact time, and different tribes celebrate the Star Return Festival at different times.
Not only in southern Xinjiang, but even many tribes in Dali attach great importance to the Star Return Festival, such as the Naxi, Lahu, Bai, Yi, etc. Although the origins and legends of the Star Return Festival among these tribes are different, and even vary greatly, their worship of fire is the same. Moreover, as time goes by, the tribes have unified the name of the Star Return Festival and determined the approximate time of the Star Return Festival.
For example, tribes like the Xuhen and Wudeng are actually branches of the Yi people, and therefore , they attach equal importance to the Star Return Festival. Just like the Chinese New Year in the Central Plains, the Star Return Festival is also the most lively time for these tribes.
Jia Cong smiled and nodded, "Okay, let's go and take a look."
Lu Feng went to reply to Shen Tumou. Miaoyu, who was about to leave, said, "I wonder if it would be convenient for me to go with you? In our country of Qianxiang, some tribes also celebrate the Star Return Festival, but I have never seen it before."
"Then you go and get ready, and we'll go together later."
Seeing that Jia Cong agreed, Miaoyu happily left the tent.
Not long after, Jia Cong arrived outside the camp. Du Mu brought a hundred feathered guards to accompany Shen Tu Mou and they were waiting there. Lu Feng also brought a hundred personal guards with him.
"Commander-in-Chief, I have asked them to change into ordinary clothes in advance. Otherwise, it would only disturb their enjoyment."
Jia Cong smiled and said, "That's how it should be."
After waiting for a while, Miaoyu arrived with several female guards. She had changed into a crescent-shaped white dress embroidered with peach blossoms. Her delicate face was covered by a white veil, and a white jade hairpin with a flying swallow chasing the moon and a rolling bead was inserted in her bun.
At this moment, Miaoyu was like a fairy from the palace who had descended to earth. Even though her face was covered, she was still incredibly beautiful.
Afterwards, Miaoyu got on the carriage, and Jia Cong rode his horse directly and headed towards a place not far away.
After walking for only a quarter of an hour and turning around the foot of a mountain, we saw a cluster of torches in one direction. The sounds of men and women making noises could be heard, creating a lively scene.
"Commander-in-chief, the river ahead is called Jinkou River, and the flat shallows ahead is called Jinhekou. This small tribe is the Jinhe tribe. The population is not large, only about a few thousand people, and they live next to the Jinkou River." Shentu Mou introduced to Jia Cong.
As the crowd moved forward, more and more people came. Although Jia Cong and others were all strangers, the clansmen passing by still greeted Jia Cong and his group warmly and happily.
There were even women bringing garlands to Jia Cong. After all, compared to Shentu Mou, Du Mu, and the others, Jia Cong was far more handsome. Of course, many men also brought willow branches, with Miaoyu being the primary target. However, all of them were turned away by Lu Feng and Yue Ling.
After walking along the crowd for a while, he stopped at a two-story attic nearby.
Standing on the attic, looking down, Shen Tumou saw the bustling crowds below. He said with a smile, "Great Commander, every year during the Star Return Festival, the tribesmen will wear their most gorgeous clothes and pay tribute to the God of Fire in various ways. The young men and women in the tribes are especially enthusiastic about this festival."
"Those women who sent flowers to the commander-in-chief wanted to marry him. If he was satisfied, they could return willow branches and leave their names. The women would then wait for the man to come and marry them."
