Volume 4 Chapter 49: Sacrifice
After the nameless tablets came smaller tablets, escorted by groups of three. Names of famous heroes during the Jing Kang period, such as Zhang Shuye, Li Ruoshui, Liu Qian, Zhong Shidao and Wang Bing, began to appear, but the procession did not stop for a moment because there were too many tablets and soon the tablets became wooden tablets as wide as a palm that could be held by a single person.
Up to this point, the first few dozen tablets were still the names of well-known people, but the names behind them began to become a little weird... Zhang Bao, Wang Jin, Han Xiang, Sang Ji... Anyone can see that these people are probably not related to any famous scholars or ministers. They are probably just some ordinary soldiers who were recorded in the records and ordinary people who had rebelled.
Moreover, as the number of tablets increased, people with the same name began to appear. The person with the same name as Li Bao, the commander of the Imperial Navy, appeared three or five times in a flash.
But what was surprising was that the scene gradually began to take on a solemn atmosphere.
To be honest, when the blank wooden sign appeared, the emperor, ministers and dignitaries on the Yuetai could probably understand its political meaning. In addition, due to the etiquette, when Emperor Zhao, who rarely wore a twelve-chapter crown, removed his seat and stood up, everyone on the Yuetai immediately stood up in professionalism.
When some people's names appeared, many people on the stage seemed to know each other or were related to them, and some even looked sad.
However, the people of Tokyo who were watching below did not realize this. They were still watching the excitement and making noise... They did not know that the nameless wooden sign referred to someone they once knew. Although they felt a little sad about the places that appeared as place names, they just said that those places were now occupied by refugees from Hebei and the best fields had been taken back by the government.
After the names of Zhong Shidao and others appeared, the topic turned to whether the two saints had listened to the words of old Prime Minister Zhong Jinglüe, the Jin people might not have succeeded; how Master Li was so majestic and dared to rebuke Nianhan to his face; and how Zhang Longtu died when his car happened to pass through the old border between Song and Liao, and he probably became the local god of that place.
However, when the wooden name plaques, most of which were copied from the list of casualties in the Battle of Yaoshan, appeared, for some reason, the original commotion and noise gradually subsided. The discussions were still there, but they could not suppress the sound of the armor of the soldiers in the imperial camp as they marched.
"Two young servants."
The atmosphere in the viewing area gradually became strange. A young woman wearing a veil suddenly walked to the edge of the viewing isolation zone and called out to two young men who were talking with their hands clasped behind their backs. They were a Taixue student and a martial arts student.
The two students turned back to look at her. Although she was wearing a veil, it could not hide her pretty face and graceful figure. Moreover, her expensive clothes, exquisite accessories, and fashionable hairstyle were all conspicuous, not to mention how the smell of spices on her body stood out among the crowd of ordinary people. Even behind her, there were two strong servants and a young maid following her.
The two of them also realized instantly that this person was most likely the "Oiran" from a regular restaurant in the east of the city.
The two were just young men with vigorous blood. After hearing this, they immediately became a little impatient. The martial arts student even blushed immediately and said solemnly, "What do you want to say, young lady?"
"Greetings, Young Sheren Wang." The woman glanced at the three characters "Wang Zhongfu" on the other person's badge and bowed hastily. She was obviously a little impatient, but it didn't stop her from looking , and then bowed slightly to the almost teenager named Wu Yi. "Greetings, Young Sheren Wu... I'm sorry for being so abrupt, can you please let me go over there?"
Wang Zhongfu wanted to agree directly, but how could he do such a thing in front of Wu Yi? So he immediately showed his huge palm and pushed the other party away: "According to today's rules, you can't do that!"
"If you want to go, young lady, just go out from the back and make a circle, but don't break the rules." Wu Yi also reminded seriously.
The young lady glanced back at the procession of tablets, and was so anxious that she took something out of her sleeve, grabbed Wang Zhongfu's giant hand, and stuffed something wrapped in a handkerchief into his hand: "Please be kind, young servants. I just saw a wooden tablet with my brother's name on it, and it was about to pass by..."
Wang Zhongfu and Wu Yi looked at each other, but Wang Zhongfu broke free from the other with one hand, and threw the jewelry wrapped in the handkerchief to the maid behind the young lady, then stood with his hands behind his back, still serious: "According to the rules, you can't do that."
"Absolutely not!" Wu Yi repeated it.
However, the next moment, when the young lady was about to cry, the King of Wu and the other man each took a step back, and then turned their backs together... Wang Zhongfu also took the opportunity to take his arms around the two soldiers on duty and took half a step back together.
When the young lady saw this, she had no time to thank them and hurriedly passed between the two men, then continued to chase the tablet with her maid and companions. The King of Wu and the other man turned around and shook their heads.
There was no other reason. The young lady clearly had a local Henan accent. Given their identities, they already knew that most of these names were from Guanxi and were probably just duplicates.
Just a duplicate name.
According to the idlers in Tokyo, this kind of tablet was "invented" by Emperor Zhao at Bagua Mountain or Yao Mountain. There are more than 15,000 of them in total. It took more than a month and hundreds of craftsmen to make it, and it cost Emperor Zhao a full budget of 50,000 strings of cash. As a result, most of the troops under the command of Wang De, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Imperial Camp, who was responsible for moving the tablets, had to return to the Yuetai camp to move the second batch.
Densely packed tablets were constantly moved out of the camp, and together with the soldiers holding them, they formed a continuous iron stream between the sea of people above and below the platform. The visual shock was no less than the flames that had risen into the sky before, and no less than the mountains of helmets.
But what makes it different from those things is that it is almost endless.
Moreover, this setting of a soldier holding a tablet also reminds everyone that there are so many dead people with their names! It is only after so many people died that others can watch the excitement during the autumn harvest festival today, and think about the Imperial College Competition and Palace Examination after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and talk about defense and fighting.
However, it is worth mentioning that Zhao Jiu's feelings may be somewhat different, even more extreme... For example, he knew very well that the artillery vehicles were actually firing stone bullets, and while firing stone bullets, someone was igniting the gunpowder buried in the tunnel, otherwise how could they have such great power? How about a propaganda animation, where the catapult destroys everything?
If the power really reached this level, he could lead his troops across the river and take down Daming Prefecture first.
At the moment, it was just a warning to the envoys from Goryeo, Xixia and Dali who were accompanying them in the crowd, to boost their morale and intimidate some people.
The spoils of war were also a bit fake. Except for the flags which were truly preserved, most of the spoils were captured by Yue Fei from the battlefield in Jingdong. As for the spoils after Yaoshan, of course there were quite a few, but the helmets, armor and other things had already been repaired and distributed. How could they be used at this time?
These things piled up at this time will be sent to the Military Equipment Bureau for good use later.
Therefore, for Zhao Jiu, only these tablets are real, and only this iron stream is real.
The autumn weather was crisp and the noise became smaller and smaller, until in the end there was only the sound of the flags blowing in the wind and the sound of soldiers shaking their armor… This iron stream could not yet achieve consistent pace, but the rumbling sounds they made were enough to imitate thunder.
Finally, after spending more than half an hour, the tablet was finally placed in the rear part of the huge, trapezoidal Yuetai.
It is hard to imagine that the tablets, whose moving process was so shocking, only occupy such a small area when put together, which is less than one-third of the platform that has existed since the Warring States Period.
After the tablet was transported , Zhao Jiu began to perform the memorial service according to the ritual system… This time, the official did not need to ask anyone on the spot like he did last time at Yuetai, as officials from the Ministry of Rites had already taught him in advance and had rehearsed privately many times.
Of course, the people watching the ceremony on the opposite side of the Yuetai could not see clearly that Emperor Zhao was so diligent, and there was even a slight noise. On the stage, many people were almost in tears when they saw Emperor Zhao so obediently and conscientiously fulfilling the basic responsibilities of an official.
After all, at any time, a supreme ruler is willing to cooperate with everyone to do something that everyone thinks the officials should do, even if it seems to have no practical effect individually, it is still a great cooperation and respect for the bureaucratic system and the Confucian system.
The sacrifices, especially the sacrifices to heaven, earth and the dead at the same time, made everyone feel a different sense of security.
Back then, Emperor Renzong went out of the city to pray for rain. Although people still starved to death in Jingdong due to the lack of rain, the mere fact that Renzong carried his fat body out of the city won him praise and recognition from both the court and the public.
It is probably true that Emperor Renzong could do nothing but be an official.
In comparison, Emperor Zhao, who is seriously performing various complicated actions, is not very good at being an official. He can fight wars, win over prime ministers and generals, write "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", kill ministers, dig fish ponds, have only two concubines, issue orders to merge three provinces into the capital, make the name consistent with the reality, set up the Imperial Camp Army, issue national bonds, supervise the construction of more powerful artillery vehicles, and direct gunpowder bags... but he just doesn't do a good job as an official.
The memorial was very well written. It was drafted by several Yutang scholars and Zhongshu Sheren. It was composed of four-six parallelism and elegant literary style. Although Emperor Zhao did not quite understand the allusions in it, he had read it many times in the past few days and could recite it fluently.
At this time, the Emperor of Zhao Song, who claimed to succeed the Song Dynasty, was wearing a twelve-chapter crown, with his back to his civil and military officials and the people of the capital. He was surrounded by monks, Taoists, and cavalry from the imperial camp. Facing so many tablets, he held a piece of white silk with a sacrificial text written on it and responded calmly.
To be honest, this scene has moved many people - no matter what, at this moment, looking at it roughly, this young official still looks like a good official.
After reading the sacrificial text, under the guidance of the Minister of Rites Zhai Ruwen, the prime minister Lu Haowen stepped forward to offer the smoldering flint. Zhao Jiu personally inserted the incense into the incense burner at the beginning, burned the sacrificial text and prayed.
So far, the prayer process has been roughly concluded... According to the arrangement in which he personally participated and announced by Prime Minister Lu Gong, next, he, the official, should take the initiative to leave the stage, and the monks and Taoists will activate two large formations, and everyone from civil and military officials to commoners, servants and miscellaneous civilians, can freely go to the stage to burn incense and pay tribute.
But for some reason, after Emperor Zhao finished burning the sacrificial text, he actually felt a little unsatisfied, as if something was stuck in his heart that he couldn't help but express. It wasn't necessarily because the sacrificial text was bad, but Emperor Zhao just wanted to say it out.
"Where is Hu Quan, the editor of the Privy Council who is in charge of reporting matters?" As the Twelve-Chapter Royal Crown made it difficult to move, Zhao Jiu could only turn around and face the man straight before calling out.
Upon hearing this, Hu Quan, who was dressed in a green robe, immediately stepped out from the end of the queue, which was almost the back half of the Yuetai stairs, and hurried to the emperor to salute him, addressing him very solemnly: "Your Majesty, I will obey your order."
"Tomorrow's memorial will be signed jointly by me, the prime minister, and other important officials of the secret cabinet." Zhao Jiu gave the order proudly, which immediately drew the gratified looks of many civil and military officials present.
"I have received the imperial order." Hu Quan certainly had nothing to say about this.
In fact, at this moment, no one could stop the official's oral order, not even Prime Minister Lu, who had recently shown his majesty as a prime minister, could interrupt... On this occasion and at this time, the authority of Emperor Zhao was further enhanced.
"And then write a simple comment on the eulogy in my personal name, that is, in the name of Cangzhou Zhao Jiu." Zhao Jiu continued to give orders in a loud voice above the stepped Yuetai.
The civil and military officials around him were all nervous. Hu Quan was also slightly startled, and then he bowed his head: "I have received the order. May I ask Your Majesty, what is your comment?"
"All these words, in the final analysis, are just a few sentences... First, when the Song and Jin countries were at war, we Song people protected our country and the people and resisted the invasion. This is right, not biased! It is righteous, not violent!" Although he knew that even the people on Yuetai might not be able to hear all his words clearly, Zhao Jiu still spoke with all his might, and calmly encouraged himself in his heart - the cause I am doing now is just.
"I will obey the imperial edict!" Hu Quan, who was standing with his head bowed, flushed in an instant without even raising his head, and then suddenly raised his voice.
The civil and military officials nearby also became awed.
"Secondly, this war lasted for seven years from the seventh year of Xuanhe to the fifth year of Jianyan. Although the Song Dynasty suffered countless casualties and lost thousands of miles of territory, in the end, the Song Dynasty will win and the Jin Dynasty will lose! We survive and the enemy perish!" Zhao Jiu continued to speak loudly - victory will definitely belong to us.
"I will obey the decree!"
“Third, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles there are, I will remain determined and never give up until I have defeated Huanglong! I hope this will encourage the whole world!” Zhao Jiu’s tone softened - although the road will certainly be tortuous.
"I will obey the decree!"
The first person to respond this time was Prime Minister Lu Haowen, and he disregarded tradition and simply knelt down from one side, performing the kneeling ceremony that theoretically only happened when taking over as prime minister.
The civil and military officials were in panic for a moment, but soon they knelt together under the leadership of Prime Minister Zhao Ding and Zhao Yuanzhen, Privy Councilors Zhang Jun and Zhang Deyuan. Even the two envoys knelt in panic after hesitating for a moment. As for the Dali envoy, he knelt down at the first opportunity… This was not groveling, nor was it flattery, nor was it frightened by the so-called heroic spirit, but because at this moment, on this occasion of worshiping heaven, earth, and man at the same time, the words uttered by a legitimate emperor with military power and meritorious achievements at the end of the sacrificial ceremony were themselves the most irrefutable and absolutely authoritative words of this era.
Under this system, Emperor Zhao was now acting on behalf of Heaven.
Although there was no such subjective purpose, everyone knew that no matter how much noise and undercurrent there had been before, at this moment, the emperor's authority as an official had reached an unprecedented peak... It didn't matter whether he could be an official or not, he was an official!
