Chapter 264

·

·

·

Characters:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

"The Heaven-Sealing Sacrifice Begins — Burnt Offering to Heaven —"

The young girl's clear voice rang out on the highest sacrificial platform under heaven, echoing and proclaiming.

Bronze bells sounded deep and sonorous, chimes clear and bright, the Wu Guan stood in orderly attendance, and the strongmen with red sashes around their waists carried the pre-transported zhu wood, mugwort, and calamus to the mountain summit, placing them into the bronze cauldrons on the altar.

The mountain sacrifice was limited by environment, from ritual vessel arrangement to altar construction, none were as meticulous and grand as the great sacrifices in Jingji.

But Mount Tai's meaning surpassed all; as the Wu Shen spoke the opening words to announce heaven, the entire majestic mountain body seemed to become an altar, and the sound of wind between heaven and earth was the true ritual music—open, ancient, majestic, and holy and mysterious, revealing the greatness of heaven and the insignificance of man.

The number of people the summit could accommodate was limited; most processions stood in orderly ranks along the mountain path, winding like a coiled dragon, propping up cloud-altars like dragon heads upward.

The Emperor ascended the altar in the great wind, accompanied by several Wu Guan, Tianji, and the Crown Prince, while the remaining princes and attendants knelt prostrate below the altar.

The Crown Prince lit the torch and presented it to the sovereign.

Father and son stood facing each other; firelight always burns toward the person holding the torch against the wind. The youth stood silently holding the fire, unforced and unmoved by the flames, his facial features distorted by the flickering firelight.

The Emperor gazed at that face bearing too many shadows; his own merits and faults of a lifetime flashed clearly before his eyes, then he silently took the torch, with some resolve cast it into the cauldron, consigning all those images of merit and fault to this flame, kindling red fire and raising blue-white smoke.

The mist rose and spread upward, signifying communication reaching heaven; the Wu Guan chanted the sacrificial prayer for blessing, and the Emperor was about to cast the silk on which this prayer was written into the fire together.

Fire smoke and clouds rolled together; the Emperor raised his head to look at the illusory Tianmen above the altar.

The circular altar symbolizing the roundness of heaven sat on the summit platform; to the exact south, dozens of crude stone steps were hewn leading to the true Dai Summit, where a ferocious giant stone stood upright like Tianmen.

Following the precedent of the last Fengshan, the Son of Heaven must ascend this Tianmen, personally bury the Jade Tablet of Sacrifice to Heaven, and only one person was permitted to follow at his side.

Amidst swirling clouds and mist, the aged Emperor allowed no one to support him, alone stepping onto the uneven stone steps; the mountain wind stirred his wide sacrificial robe, torn by the wind, and he could only bend his back slightly to avoid being toppled, moving slowly and laboriously, step by step.

Behind the Emperor advancing against the wind on the mountain peak lay the prostrate multitude; Crown Prince Liu Qi had also knelt prostrate on the altar, and in all heaven and earth only one other figure stood upright.

The girl held a jade casket, following the Emperor up these heavenly stairs; her shaman robe danced violently, but her body stood straight and firm, her steps light and orderly, her wide lower garment like flying feathers, as if a Mountain Spirit wholly unaffected by the wind and mist of heaven and earth.

A short stretch of road was for the Emperor truly like a heavenly road, long and difficult to traverse; when he finally mounted the last step, he was already dizzy and his ears rang, nearly powerless, his knees buckling as he knelt and fell forward into Tianmen, supporting himself with his hand on the ground.

Shaowei, having sensed the Emperor's strength exhausted, did not trouble herself to support him; she merely followed quietly up, knelt sitting properly, and held the jade casket high in her hands.

The jade casket contained the Jade Tablet; the Jade Tablet of Sacrifice to Heaven was made of green jade, wrapped with gold thread, sealed with vermilion, and outsiders could not know what secret contents were inscribed upon it—mostly records of achievements, serving as the Human Emperor's report of duty to heaven.

This object was carried up the mountain by Jiang Fu, enshrined in the Immortal Shrine for seven days, and today escorted here by Tianji.

Shaowei had once casually asked Jiang Fu if he knew what characters were inscribed above; Jiang Fu made a light "wa" sound, defending himself: "Do not slander me; as your teacher I have my principles—how could I peek at the Son of Heaven's private words?" Shaowei knew at once she must have looked, and pressed her questioning without cease; Jiang Fu sighed, again declaring he had not peeked, but that the Emperor had insisted on trusting her, so he had known a thing or two in advance—

But the mysterious answer Jiang Fu gave was: "It is a wordless Jade Tablet."

Shaowei now stood close, watching the Emperor place the wordless Jade Tablet announcing heaven solemnly into the deep hole the Wu Guan had dug in advance.

The Emperor, unknown what state of mind he held, used his aged, withered, wrinkled great hand to lift the Five-Colored Earth beside him, slowly scattering it into the hole.

Accompanied by music sounding from afar, and the Wu Guan below chanting "Stabilize with gold and jade, eternally firm the vast foundation; hidden in famous mountains, the mandate passes without end!" the aged Emperor, stooped, silently lifted earth and buried it; to Shaowei it seemed like filling a grave, as if burying something, sacrificing to something, mourning something.

Having completed the rite of covering earth and pacifying the mountain, the Emperor supported himself with his mud-stained palm, tremulously rose, turned his back on the multitude, and faced the East alone.

This was the time for the sovereign to face the vast sky alone and communicate directly with heaven and earth; the Emperor's voice trembled and murmured, yet he concealed nothing: "I have come, I have come to see you……"

It should have been a secret report to heaven and earth by heart-voice, but perhaps he wished not only for heaven and earth to listen; the Emperor trembled as he gazed at the misty mountain peaks, and suddenly, almost tragically, loudly said: "Sovereign Heaven above, I, Liu Shu, having received the Mandate of Heaven for eighteen years, now once again dare to announce sacrifice to Mount Dai!"

"My merit lies in quelling the chaos of the world in my youth alongside my father, pacifying the four seas' disloyal hearts after ascending the throne, and thereafter desiring to expand our borders by ten thousand li, extinguishing the calamity of the four barbarians; yet my fault also lies precisely herein—"

"Wherever iron cavalry trod, wherever blades pointed, I knew no restraint, causing the people to wither and the nation to grow weary; and in my delusion I indulged treacherous villains, committing heaven-toppling faults—resulting in the wrongful execution of the Crown Prince, the unjust execution of generals, and the false execution of the worthy Empress!"

"—Severing kin, slaughtering the loyal and good, provoking heavenly anger and bringing Mars, nearly causing the ruin of our realm's mountains and rivers and national fortune; my faults are like mountains and seas, impossible to redeem for ten thousand ages!"

This voice nearly shook the altar, accompanied by the mournful howling of wild wind, causing the kneeling multitude to tremble and raise their heads.

The wild wind stirred the Emperor's wide sacrificial robe, making that figure for a moment seem like the broad silhouette of his prime; the Emperor gradually straightened his stooped back, his voice growing louder:

"Fortunately, Heaven has not abandoned us, sending Tianji into the world, choosing the Mandate's heir, showing auspicious signs, continuing our nation's mandate, and looking down upon the common people!"

"Therefore today, I, with this remnant body, thank and announce to Heaven:

All faults are mine alone; I shall bear and accept them with my single self, willingly after death having both body and spirit perish, to atone for my transgressions! I only beg Heaven to protect my dynasty's Tianji and new heir, extinguish our weapons of war, secure our mountains and rivers, protect our common people, and enrich our grains! —The sinner Liu Shu, prays!"

As the final sound fell, a teardrop fell from the Emperor's wide aged eyes, caught in wind and clouds, and shattered into powder and broken bones.

Gazing at the back of that sovereign who on this very day and place confessed his sins to heaven, beneath the altar arose faintly various sounds of sorrowful weeping.

Ling Congnan's expression was confused, and Xiao Yu unknowingly also wept loudly; this was not forgiveness or relief, but she was still too young, and could not say for herself what these tears were for.

Liu Qi knelt still and unmoving; he had no tears in his eyes, merely expending some strength to shift his gaze from that back, faintly returning to a familiar figure, toward the shadow clad in dark robe and red lower garment.

The wind on the mountain peak and the Emperor's regret stirred this illusory heaven and earth and the human heart alike, but her figure did not sway or move, like a quiet rock, an anchor between heaven and earth.

Amidst the howling wild wind, Liu Qi blinked extremely slowly, as if obtaining a heart-stabilizing stone, heavy and gaining peace.

The Wu Guan's moving chant sounded again, but the Emperor now had no leisure, no strength, and no mind to attend to anything else, hearing no sound at all.

With the fall of that first teardrop, the remaining tears could no longer be restrained; one who dares face regret no longer fears in heart; the dying sovereign gained a moment of blank release, yet also fell into an eternal curse of regret that could not be obtained.

His old eyes rolling with tears tried to find something in the surging clouds and mist; his mud-stained hands tremulously raised; the Emperor's voice weak and sorrowfully weeping: "I have come, I have come…… I have acknowledged it, I have spoken it……"

"Come back……" The Son of Heaven's white beard was wet with tears; weeping, he issued his summons: "No longer need you be wandering souls and wild ghosts; all come back, take another look at this world hereafter; I cannot fulfill my vows, but they may yet come to pass……"

"All come back, come back……"

The weather on the mountain peak changed in an instant; a sobbing wind shifted direction, sweeping away vast clouds and mist, and an extremely blue clear sky suddenly appeared before Tianmen; the Son of Heaven raised his tear-streaked face, in an instant as if gaining insight, yet also disconsolate and lost.

The Wu Guan had presented the Bronze Wine Vessel, kneeling on the steps, delivered by Tianji.

The Emperor long returned to his senses, one hand supporting Tianmen, turning his head to look at the girl kneeling and presenting the wine, and actually murmured: "In years past it was Ling Ke who presented this wine vessel to me…… You and Ling Ke have quite a few similarities."

Shaowei was puzzled; she and the Marquis of Changping were indeed both very good, but where did the similarities come from?

The Emperor took a step, slightly bent over, and with both hands took the wine vessel, while speaking in a trance: "I know Tianji bears profound secrets and also has many fabrications…… but I want to thank you, want to thank you greatly……"

"For past matters, and also for future matters……" The Emperor received the Bronze Dragon-Head Wine Vessel, his words full of entrustment: "I need to entrust you with many things……"

The Son of Heaven at Tianmen should have spoken his secret words to Heaven alone, but today his secret words were entrusted entirely to the girl before him.

This trust weighed as heavy as a mountain, an honor beyond compare, deserving tearful kowtows to express a heart willing to spill brains and blood for the sovereign's grace; yet the person before him was no ordinary sort, and instead stirred a thread of rebellious heart in Shaowei, who thought: even if he wished to entrust it, that would depend on whether she wanted it.

When the Son of Heaven finished speaking, he held his cup unmoving, and Shaowei followed his gaze.

Above Tianmen, amidst clouds and mist, the aged Son of Heaven and the young girl looked down together, seeing Heaven and Earth, the land and rivers, the common people, and Liu Qi.

Shaowei's gaze finally settled on Liu Qi; well, this one was indeed what she wanted.

But there was originally no need for the Son of Heaven to entrust it, for Liu Qi was already hers, and she naturally would see it through to the end.

As if sensing the gaze from above, Liu Qi raised his head, and through the still-burning smoke, saw the clear sky at the end of Tianmen.

The Son of Heaven slowly poured out wine; the clear wine splashed, shattering into countless petals, each reflecting the color of the clear sky, falling upon Heaven and Earth, mountains and rivers.

The crowd knelt and shouted "Long live, Taiping," their voices shaking Mount Dai.

The Fengshan Ceremony, as the name suggests, is divided into Feng Heaven and Zen Earth. After the rite of Feng Heaven at the summit is complete, the rite of Zen Earth must still be held; since the two locations are one on the mountain and one below, each must choose an auspicious time for sacrifice, so they cannot be held on the same day.

The Emperor today had no strength to descend the mountain, and must also follow custom to stay overnight on the mountain, awaiting Heaven's omen; but the process between the two sacrifices did not stop. The Emperor personally took the remnants of the burnt offerings from the bronze tripod and placed them in the Jade Casket, ordering the heir to send people to escort them down the mountain, to Di Tan, with this remnant fire of Heaven's mandate, to show that Heaven had been informed and Heaven's grace covered all below.

The person responsible for escorting this "remnant fire of Heaven's mandate" down the mountain in years past was Crown Prince Gu, carrying the meaning of inheritance. The Emperor now ordered Crown Prince Gu's daughter Liu Yu, and the Ling Family's son Ling Congnan, to escort them down the mountain together.

Tianji held the Jade Casket containing the remnants and handed it to the heir.

During the handover, beneath the cover of wide sleeves, Liu Qi supported the Jade Casket from below with both hands, and also grabbed Shaowei's finger before she could withdraw it, a step faster.

Shaowei looked at him, but saw no teasing or mockery on his face; in his eyes, reddened by fire and smoke, lay ten thousand words.

After seriously making eye contact with him for a moment, Shaowei withdrew one hand, lightly patted the Jade Casket twice, and said in the tone of a small matter: "Go."

"Alright, I'll wait for you below the mountain," Liu Qi replied softly.

"Mm." Shaowei nodded lightly; the two stood silently for a moment, and tacitly turned their heads to look at the mountains shrouded in mist.

Also needing to escort the Jade Bi Ritual Vessel to Di Tan overnight together, once all preparations were ready, more than half of the Ritual Officials followed, guards opened the path, and the heir's procession slowly descended the mountain.

The Son of Heaven's tent was located at the sheltered platform. Several feudal lords, led by the Wu King, with eyes red from crying, were invited into the Son of Heaven's tent to speak. Many Taoists, shamans, and officials were orderly led down the mountain to be stationed at the camp at Zhongguan on the mid-mountain, to wait until tomorrow morning to follow the guards escorting the Son of Heaven down the mountain.

The sacrifice had thus ended. The Imperial Guards took turns patrolling and guarding. Some inner attendants and officials who had finished their tasks gathered in twos and threes to rest and talk, and only now did they have leisure to gaze at the scenery of Taishan.

Shaowei did not stay on the summit with the Son of Heaven, nor did she move with the shamans to be stationed at Zhongguan on the mid-mountain; instead, she wanted to return to the Immortal Shrine.

The Emperor agreed and ordered ten Imperial Guards to escort her. Shan Gu volunteered to stand guard and was sent out, following his elder sister, whom he had been separated from for a full eight days, as they left Dai Summit.

This path was rugged, not as easy to walk as the imperial road, but Shaowei's steps were light and quick. She carried Zhan Zhan on her shoulder, and her state of mind gradually became peaceful.

Within the mountain, the sound of a bronze bell rang and echoed. Shaowei followed the sound and looked, not knowing its source, but could not help thinking of the funeral bell of the capital that rang in her dreams in her previous life. Now the emperor's funeral bell had become Taishan's penance bell; the changes here had already been earth-shattering, and the unceasing bell sounds seemed to thoroughly proclaim the departure of the nightmare.

Shaowei wanted to start running, to go see Mother and Jiang Fu sooner, but she had to consider the stamina and pace of the Imperial Guards behind her, and could not tire them out for no reason.

Shaowei, unable to run freely, occasionally saw tiny mountain flowers, so she bent over and plucked one. Zhan Zhan pecked it into her mouth or stuck it into her tail feathers, using the bird as a flower basket.

"Elder Sister, why are you so joyful today?" Shan Gu also plucked a flower, following behind Elder Sister, and asked softly.

Shaowei did not expect her joy to be so obvious in Shan Gu's eyes. She walked with her hands behind her back, restrained her plucking hand, but also answered seriously: "Because today is different."

Shan Gu: "It is different. Today is Feng Heaven..."

Shaowei added: "Taiping, no trouble."

Shan Gu was somewhat puzzled: "On this eastern journey, every day has been Taiping, no trouble."

"I said today is different." Shaowei was about to speak again when she suddenly stopped, extending her left hand, which was behind her back, to abruptly halt Shan Gu behind her.

The mountain wind rose strongly. The light that had been somewhat bright just now was quickly withdrawn. The sky in the mountains always grows dark quickly, and since this was heading north, it was the yin side, a legendary realm of ghosts and spirits. In these few short breaths, it truly seemed as if the yin and yang of Heaven and Earth were quickly divided, drawing a line between humans and ghosts.

The Imperial Guards often entered and exited the mountain recently and were used to such phenomena, but the sudden chill and change in light still made people unconsciously slow their steps.

The mountain wind rolled up talismans left behind by children passing at dawn. Torn yellow paper and vermilion cinnabar danced in chaos. Shaowei's wide robes fluttered; she stood still in the wind, gazing at the chaotic rocks and grass ahead. Her eyes were like a wary beast. Her voice was very slow and very calm as she changed her earlier verdict of "Taiping, no trouble": "Now it cannot be said to be fine."