Chapter 28. Chapter 28 of the *Erya* (a Chinese dictionary) states in the section on "Explanation of Heaven": "...
The Erya (a Chinese dictionary) states in its section on "Explanation of Heaven": "The spring sacrifice is called 'ci'."
The poem "Nine Songs: Donghuang Taiyi" also says: "On this auspicious day and at this fine hour, the Supreme Emperor will be joyful and serene."
As the god of spring and the emperor of the east, Donghuang Taiyi was usually worshipped on an auspicious day after the beginning of spring. That is to say, the worship of Donghuang Taiyi had already ended before Meng Yi arrived in Shouchun.
But is Meng Yi such a person who gives in so easily?
No.
Never.
But he also knew that he couldn't act rashly.
Shouchun was originally the capital of the former Chu state. Four years ago, King Fuchu of Chu was captured, and Prince Changping of Chu was strangled by the Qin army in Huainan. Xiang Yan, a Chu general who resisted Qin, died in battle, and some members of his family were also executed. The First Emperor ordered the forced relocation of Chu nobles and wealthy households to Guanzhong and Shu for surveillance, such as the main branches of the three major clans of Qu, Jing, and Zhao, severing the Chu royal family and core nobles' roots in the Chu region.
The Qin dynasty established prefectures and counties here, relocated some people to Shouchun, dispatched soldiers to garrison the area, and treated the nobles who voluntarily surrendered with goodwill. Currently, at least the upper echelons of Shouchun are submissive, and Shouchun, as the capital of Jiujiang Prefecture, is functioning smoothly.
But things weren't that simple. In the short term, Qin destroyed Chu's ability to restore itself and militarily crippled Chu, but its methods were extremely cruel.
The common people at the grassroots level do not have a high level of approval for Qin, and Meng Yi cannot afford to escalate the conflict further.
For most ordinary people in the Chu region, they did not care about the change of the country, but rather whether the monarch above them could provide them with a stable life and ensure that their families were well-fed and clothed.
Unfortunately, neither the State of Chu nor the State of Qin succeeded. Therefore, the common people, whose most basic needs could not be met, were bound to eventually rise up and overthrow the mountain that weighed them down.
In fact, everything unfolded exactly as Meng Yi had predicted.
The oppressive policies sowed the seeds of rebellion against the Qin Dynasty, and a prophecy circulated in the Chu region: "Even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin." After the First Emperor's death, his successor, Meng Yi, was able to suppress rebellions across the land. Chen Sheng, the first to lead the rebellion against Qin, was from Chu; Xiang Yu, whose rebellion was massive, was from Chu; and Liu Bang, who ultimately seized power, was also from Chu.
Deep-seated hatred propelled the people of Chu to become a key force in the downfall of the Qin state.
Of course, Meng Yi was unaware of these matters. He simply relied on his intuition to avoid further escalating the conflict between Qin and Chu.
A ritual has three main figures: the high priest as the chief priest, and the assistant high priest and junior priest.
He first tried to appease them, then resorted to force, bribing the chief priest and the junior priest with large sums of money and precious jade and silk.
Meng Yi's large sum of money had no effect on the renowned shaman.
Meng Yi was not discouraged.
He toured the Qin army's garrison in Shouchun, and led a group of brave Qin warriors to the Great Witch Gate with the First Emperor's personal order.
There wasn't even a need for the next day; the high priest sent a letter that very day instructing Meng Yi to prepare items for the sacrificial ceremony.
Meng Yi, along with Liu Ji and a group of soldiers, waited by the altar that had been set up in the east of the city. At the height of the midday sun, the high shaman finally arrived in the eastern suburbs with his men.
Wang Qi rebuked them, "Damn it! You Chu sorcerers are really good at dawdling, waiting from dawn until noon. If you miss the auspicious time, can you take responsibility?"
The high priest, dressed in sacrificial robes, gripped his longsword tightly, his gaze cold.
Liu Ji stepped in at the opportune moment to smooth things over: "Dongjun is the god of spring, the god of the sun, and the emperor of the east. We've come too late; we've missed the auspicious day after the beginning of spring. Noon is the perfect time to offer sacrifices to Dongjun."
"I thought you Qin people didn't understand etiquette and rules, but I didn't expect there would be someone who knows the rules of worshiping the gods in Chu so well." The Great Shaman knew that Wang Qi was Meng Yi's henchman, and sometimes Wang Qi's attitude reflected Meng Yi's attitude. She could be a little slow in dealing with him because Meng Yi needed her help at the moment, but she couldn't keep being slow.
She caught a glimpse of the sacrificial mat woven from jade grass, the jade ornaments placed at the four corners, and the precious branches and fragrant herbs inserted on the altar. Her dissatisfaction with the Qin people lessened somewhat.
The high shaman composed himself and slowly stepped onto the altar.
The moment Shaozhu struck the bronze bell, the high shaman touched his sword in reverence, and the jade bells worn by the dancers jingled softly with each movement.
The great shaman drew his bronze sword, pointing it at the sun, the shimmering light of which reflected in Meng Yi's eyes.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
On this auspicious day and time, may the Emperor be filled with joy and reverence.
I stroke my long sword, its jade hilt gleaming softly.
......”
At first, Meng Yi could roughly understand what the shaman was saying, but later, the shaman's pronunciation became increasingly similar to the ancient Chu language, and increasingly obscure and difficult to understand.
Her voice seemed to resonate with the mind and body through a certain frequency. This resonance, along with the music, created a sensory bombardment for the onlookers.
The music of the zither and lute began gently, then became passionate.
The high shaman chanted something, tapping the jade pendant with the tip of his sword. The chief priest offered fragrant dishes and cassia wine in turn, and then burned beef, mutton, and pig meat in turn.
As the smoke rose, Meng Yi asked Liu Ji, "What is she singing?"
The only Chu person in the pair scratched his head and said thoughtfully, "The high shaman is chanting a sacrificial inscription. It is a poem written by Qu Yuan during his lifetime, and it seems to be called 'Nine Songs: Donghuang Taiyi'."
Perhaps because Shouchun and Peixian are located in Huainan and Huaibei respectively, or perhaps because the shaman's voice was drowned out by the music and dance, Liu Ji did not hear a few of the words clearly.
The high priest danced the "Dance of the Leaning Ones," imitating the graceful posture of the Spring Goddess when she descended, and suddenly the fragrance of herbs filled the air around the altar.
The high priestess's chanting grew increasingly low and hoarse, to the point that Meng Yi could no longer hear her voice directly. Perhaps it was because of the high priestess's voice, but he felt his heart pounding uncontrollably, his breathing becoming rapid, and his head throbbing slightly.
The sound waves pierced through his armor and struck his very bones. Meng Yi heard muffled groans from the soldiers behind him. His mind raced; what exactly was Chu Wu up to?
He quietly gripped his longsword, ready to launch a counterattack at any moment.
In a hazy, dreamlike state, he seemed to see something gray and floating.
The high shaman suddenly raised his voice, and the music and dance seemed to reach their climax. All those participating in the ritual shouted in unison: "The five tones blend in a magnificent symphony, may you rejoice and be blessed with peace and happiness!"
The high priestess held the jade cong in both hands, sunlight filtering through it and casting a bright mark on her forehead. Her voice was hoarse, but her emotions overflowed like a surging torrent: "Emperor Emeritus—Emperor Emeritus!"
For some reason, it sounded somewhat like a mournful cry.
The next instant, a bird with blue feathers and a red beak flew into the altar and hovered steadily on the raised arm of the high shaman. It opened its mouth and spoke in human language: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Supreme One manifests its divine power."
Meng Yi immediately thought of the First Emperor's instructions.
[Seek out extraordinary and wondrous places for me, regardless of whether they are people, objects, or rare treasures... especially... the Black Bird.]
He couldn't help but think, "It has a human tongue, can speak human language, and is also a bird. Isn't that a rare treasure?" He was so excited that he almost wanted to bring the bird to the First Emperor immediately.
At the command of the great shaman, the graceful bird flew to Meng Yi's shoulder, its long tail feathers trailing behind it.
Meng Yi froze, almost afraid of scaring the talking bird away. The bird nestled close to Meng Yi and chirped repeatedly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Supreme One manifests. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Supreme One manifests."
When it speaks, it's like a child learning to talk, with imperfect pronunciation and a childlike tone. When it chirps, its voice is clear and melodious, as lovely as the gentle tinkling of a wind chime.
The great shaman glanced at Meng Yi with a half-smile. Dissatisfied with Meng Yi's use of force to coerce him, he retorted, "What? Haven't you seen the Emperor manifest himself? Well, Qin is a barbarian land; how could it have any elegant birds?"
Liu Ji blinked, wondering if the great shaman had gone mad with anger. The ancestors of Chu had once said, "We are barbarians," and now the former people of Chu were mocking Qin as a land of barbarians.
Ah, this.
Having achieved his goal, Meng Yi had no desire to entangle himself with the great shaman. Although he felt somewhat hesitant about how easily the trip had been completed, he still offered his reward, took the bird, and left.
The high shaman sheathed his sword, turned around, and slapped both the chief priest and the junior priest across the face.
"Useless things. A will cannot be broken by gold, yet you gave in so easily."
Shao Zhu covered his face: "Great Shaman, didn't you come too?"
The high priest was speechless. Then, thinking back to the hints the gods had given her during the sacrifice, she was so angry that she nearly fainted.
-
Shouchun is very large.
This was Liu Ji's impression after an afternoon of sightseeing. Because of the continuous travel and the fact that they seemed to have found the rare treasures that the First Emperor had requested in Shouchun, Meng Yi gave his men half a day off.
Meng Yi's personal guards never left, but Liu Ji had no such reservations.
Without saying a word, he started to stroll around Shouchun, which is divided into an inner city and an outer city.
The inner city was mostly filled with palaces and government offices, all exquisitely crafted. They featured high platforms, wide eaves, roofs covered with barrel tiles, and ridge tiles adorned with lotus flower reliefs or animal-face eaves. The walls were decorated with colorful paintings. Even the doors and windows were carved with flowers, birds, and auspicious beasts.
As he gazed upon the palaces and pavilions of the inner city, he marveled at how worthy it was of being the former capital of the Chu Kingdom. He couldn't help but wonder what Xianyang, the capital of Qin, was like. It must have been even more prosperous than Shouchun. Would he one day be able to buy such a grand, secluded residence in Shouchun?
It would be even better if it were in Xianyang.
With these thoughts in mind, he entered the outer city. The outer city had a network of streets, lined with residences, markets, and shops. It was a scene of great prosperity.
A group of children were playing and frolicking on the street. He heard them hopscotch and sing:
"Xiangjun cloth, soft and lustrous, can be washed to resemble birds flying across the river!"
Liu Ji was filled with curiosity and went to ask the child, "Little boy, what are you singing?"
-
Meng Yi returned to his lodgings and had someone bring him some birdseed. After eating, the bird seemed much more affectionate towards him, snuggling and cuddling in his hand.
Although it was a rare treasure to be presented to the First Emperor, Meng Yi couldn't resist touching it a couple of times because of its adorable appearance.
The birds were fed until their feathers were glossy and their wings were soft.
As they were being touched, the bird suddenly opened its beak and cried out, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Supreme One manifests his divine power."
Spreading its wings, it seems ready to fly higher.
Just then, Meng Yi noticed with his sharp eyes that the bird's flight feathers were abnormal, significantly shorter than the inner coverts, and with straight cuts at the ends.
Meng Yi was instantly enraged.
The Meng family served the Qin Dynasty for three generations and made outstanding military achievements. Meng Yi, as a child carefully nurtured by the Meng family and serving the First Emperor, had seen all sorts of good things.
He could tell at a glance that the bird's feathers had been clipped.
If Donghuang Taiyi truly descended upon this bird, which believer would dare to clip its feathers?
Birds that have had their feathers clipped cannot fly high or far. Would Donghuang Taiyi, the supreme god, really be willing to descend into such a body that is not free?
Unsurprisingly, he was deceived.
Meng Yi gently gathered the bird in his palm, strode out the door, his face frosty: "Men, bring the troops. Quickly follow me to the Great Witch's Mansion!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: *Nine Songs: Donghuang Taiyi
I've seen everyone's anticipation for the First Emperor and the female lead to meet, and I'm also really looking forward to their meeting and their great efforts to build the Qin Dynasty. Based on the outline and chapter arrangement, we expect they'll meet in about two or three more chapters. Don't worry, everyone! [dog head with rose emoji][dog head with rose emoji][dog head with rose emoji]
P.S. I'd love some fresh, hot nutrient solution! [heart eyes][heart eyes][heart eyes]
The author on PPS has started two pre-orders. One is a script about the Qin Dynasty Empress. They researched a lot for the Qin Dynasty and were reluctant to part with the First Emperor. The other is a spoiler system for ancient poetry.
Can any interested babies save this? [Let me see][Let me see][Let me see]
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