Chapter 335 Mingtang System

"Go and have someone prepare some carp. I want to eat carp for lunch today." Li Chengqian said to Wang Quan while walking in the Yu Garden.

"Yes! I will have someone notify the Shangshi Bureau to prepare it." Wang Quan said.

"By the way, send someone to call the etiquette officials and scholars to the Liangyi Hall. I want to discuss the issues related to Mingtang with them today."

"I'm afraid it will take too long to discuss the affairs of Mingtang. Fortunately, let these etiquette officials and scholars have lunch with me."

"There is no need to choose another place. Just set up a banquet in the Liangyi Hall. Today I will set up a full fish banquet in the Liangyi Hall to entertain everyone." Li Chengqian said.

"Yes!" Wang Quan accepted the order and wrote down Li Chengqian's words one by one.

Send people to notify the ritual officials and scholars to come to the Liangyi Hall for a meeting, and notify the Shangshi Bureau to prepare today's lunch. The emperor will set up a full fish banquet at noon today to invite these people to eat, so more fish must be prepared.

After receiving the notice, the ritual officials and scholars immediately rushed to the Liangyi Hall to meet the emperor. After meeting Li Chengqian, everyone went straight to the topic and discussed the topic of the Mingtang system.

The so-called Mingtang is actually mainly the place where the emperor worships the heaven and earth and ancestors.

Mingtang was also the place where the emperor met with the princes and held sacrificial activities in the pre-Qin period. It was the place where the emperor announced politics and religion.

The Mingtang system is a system that integrates politics, religion, patriarchal system, and social forms.

With Mingtang as the core, this system has formed a social regulation system that integrates religion, patriarchal system, politics, and education, reflecting the characteristics of the ancient society.

The establishment of the Mingtang system marked the highest level of ancient religious development. The Mingtang system became the only existence that monopolized all areas of social ideology.

The most basic value concept of ancient society was "respecting heaven and following ancestors"; the fundamental basis for the rationality of political rule was "no usurpation of the mandate of heaven"; the ultimate principle of the social ethics system was "matching virtue with heaven".

After the new emperor of ancient times succeeded to the throne, he would definitely place the tablet of the previous generation of emperors in the Mingtang, and enjoy the worship and sacrifice together with the Emperor of Heaven.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan posthumously conferred his father the title of Emperor Yuan. According to the Mingtang transfer rules, Emperor Yuan was placed in the Mingtang and enjoyed sacrifice together with the Emperor of Heaven.

Later, when Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan passed away, the ritual officer reported to Li Er, asking him to put the tablet of Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan into the Mingtang to enjoy the sacrifice together with the Emperor of Heaven, and to remove the tablet of Emperor Yuan.

However, since Li Chengqian ascended the throne, the ritual officer did not report separately to invite the tablet of Emperor Taizong into the Mingtang.

This was obviously a dereliction of duty by the ritual officer. For this reason, ministers such as Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang reminded Li Chengqian a lot, and even his uncles and brothers often mentioned this to him.

Li Chengqian was really annoyed by them, and then he remembered the problem of the Mingtang system.

If it weren't for their reminder, Li Chengqian would not have asked

about such things. To be honest, Li Chengqian didn't understand these things, and he didn't know them, and he didn't dare to ask.

Since so many people mentioned it, he couldn't help but take it to heart.

The most important affairs of the country are sacrifices and wars.

These are not just casual remarks, but the two most important national events in ancient times.

After the ceremonial officers arrived at the two ritual halls, they felt a little uneasy. To be honest, they were negligent in their duties and were afraid that the emperor would blame them.

Li Chengqian did not blame them. It was because he did not understand this at all and he did not care much. If it were not for Changsun Wuji and others reminding him from time to time, he would not have remembered the Mingtang system.

"Do you think it is feasible to move Emperor Gaozu Dawu out of the Mingtang and invite the late emperor into the Mingtang? Are there any etiquette regulations for this?" Li Chengqian said.

"Your Majesty! This is absolutely not allowed!" said a ceremonial officer.

"Why not? According to the Mingtang transfer rules of our Tang Dynasty, when I am in power, the late emperor should be in the Mingtang to enjoy the emperor of heaven." Li Chengqian said, he did not understand the details.

These ceremonial officials and scholars were professionals in this area, so they naturally knew more about it than he did. Since someone raised an objection, Li Chengqian felt that he must have a point.

Professional matters still need to be answered by professionals.

"According to etiquette, the late emperor should have been worshipped in the Mingtang, but now that so much time has passed, it is really not appropriate to remove the shrine of Emperor Gaozu Dawu." said the ceremonial official.

Then he explained to Li Chengqian why it was inappropriate, what was inappropriate, etc., which made Li Chengqian confused for a while.

Li Chengqian looked at the others, and they all nodded in agreement. In fact, they were worried that they would be punished for their negligence if they told the truth, so they had already colluded with each other on the way here.

Li Chengqian suddenly realized it, and looked as if it was so. The ceremonial officials and scholars were relieved, and they had gotten away with it!

"If that's the case, does that mean that the late emperor can't enter the Mingtang to worship the Emperor of Heaven?" Li Chengqian asked.

"That's not impossible. He can still worship the Emperor of Heaven." A scholar said.

"Oh! What do you mean?" Li Chengqian asked with a sudden enlightenment.

In fact, whether there is a solution or not is not important to Li Chengqian. If Zhangsun Wuji and others bother him again, he will just blame them. If

Zhangsun Wuji and others want to cause trouble, it will be their trouble, and it has nothing to do with him as the emperor.

The most important point is that if this problem can be solved, his tablet can be smoothly placed in the Mingtang in the future, and he can enjoy the worship of the world together with the five Emperors of Heaven.

Being able to be worshipped together with the Emperor of Heaven after death is very high-handed. Not everyone is qualified to be worshipped together with the Emperor of Heaven after death.

"I think that Emperor Gaozu Dawu can be accompanied by the five Emperors of Heaven in the Mingtang, and Emperor Taizong Wenwusheng can be accompanied by the five Emperors of Man, and they can also sit on the side of the Mingtang." said the ceremonial officer.

In this way, the problem of the previous emperor entering the Mingtang will be perfectly solved, and no one will cause trouble for them, and their dereliction of duty can be covered up.

"What you said makes sense, but is this in accordance with the rules?" Li Chengqian asked.

"This does not violate the etiquette at all, your majesty does not need to worry!" said the ceremonial officer.

"In that case, it is decided. You should handle this matter as soon as possible and invite the late emperor to the Mingtang."

"Emperor Gaozu is paired with the five heavenly emperors, and the late emperor is paired with the five human emperors in the Mingtang to enjoy offerings and sacrifices." Li Chengqian said.

Since there is no problem, these matters can be left to these professionals. He only needs to wait for news.

"We obey your order!" The ceremonial officials and scholars saluted.

They all breathed a sigh of relief, and finally got away with it. Fortunately, the emperor didn't know much about this. If someone who knew a little about the Mingtang system came,

they might not be able to get away with it.