Chapter 221: The Shangsi Festival

South of Jiangling City, the vast Great River surged endlessly eastward. Hei Fu stood on the sandy riverbank, listening to the tide slap against the embankment. The emerald-green water, the winding sandbars, and the Ba-Shu trading ships slowly sailing from west to east formed an interwoven painting.

Of course, this painting could not lack people. To Hei Fu's left and right stood throngs of young men and women, dressed in newly made spring clothes — the wealthy in silk, the poor in hemp cloth. According to their attire and rank, they stood by different stretches of water, but all gazed at the river, their faces full of anticipation.

Today was the first Si day of the third month, a very important festival. Hei Fu also got a day of rest and came with his colleague Feng Jing to the riverside to watch the excitement.

"In late spring, when the spring clothes are finished, with five or six capped men and six or seven boys, we bathe in the Yi River, enjoy the breeze at the Rain Dance Altar, and return home singing…"

Hei Fu thought to himself, "If Feng Jing hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that this lesson text is about the Shangsi Festival — Confucius taking his disciples to the waterside for a spring outing and bathing."

The theme of the Shangsi Festival was spring excursion. The city's residents poured out of the outer walls in droves, flocking to riverbanks and ponds to bathe or wash with fragrant herbs, and to hold the winding-stream floating-cup drinking game.

Feng Jing surveyed the surroundings with great curiosity and said softly, "This custom exists in the Central Plains and Guanzhong too, but I've heard that it's in Zheng and the Jing-Chu region of Jiangling where this custom flourishes most. I wonder what the differences are…"

As they were chatting in low voices, a stone chime rang out. A tower ship sailed downstream from the Jiangling docks, dropping anchor when it reached the bank. On the ship's deck, a sacrificial altar decorated with fresh flowers and fragrant herbs had been set up. Upon it stood a shaman wearing ritual robes — dressed in a lotus garment, tied with a thoroughwort sash, crowned with orchids, adorned with glittering pendants, and with five-colored patterns painted on her face.

Although Commandery Governor Ye Teng had suppressed local "licentious customs" and destroyed many unorthodox shrines in Nan Commandery, there were still officially sanctioned shamans, and this one before them was one of them. As bronze chimes rang out on the tower ship, she and a group of dancers raised their arms in ritual dance. The crowd on the shore responded in turn — some joining the dance, others kneeling by the river, closing their eyes and performing their own sacrifices.

"What are they saying?"

Feng Jing was new to Nan Commandery and couldn't quite understand the heavily accented ritual words of the shaman and the crowd on shore. Hei Fu explained on his behalf: "They're praying for the spirits to send blessings down upon the land — may the five grains yield abundant harvests, may orchids and thoroughwort fill the gardens, may evil be driven away and averted, and may descendants multiply."

"When we hold sacrifices by the Wei River in Xianyang, the words spoken are much the same."

Feng Jing smiled. At that moment, after the shaman's dance and sacrifice concluded, another stone chime sounded. Many young men and women also dressed as shamans ran along the bank, distributing orchid sprigs blessed by the shaman's prayer to the spirits among the crowd. Essentially, everyone received one in hand.

"I gather river angelica and hidden angelica, and thread autumn orchids to wear as a girdle" — like Qu Yuan, the people of Chu all loved orchids. In this activity, orchid sprigs were always used as sacred objects.

After receiving the orchid sprigs, the crowd on the bank acted as if they had received a command. A burst of laughter rang out, and regardless of gender, they loosened their clothes and walked into the river water…

This was the main activity of the Shangsi Festival: "fuxi." To put it plainly, it was taking a bath by the water, said to wash away the bad luck on one's body.

Of course, it wasn't stripping completely naked and plunging into the river — that would make a laughingstock. Nor should one expect a large-scale mixed-gender bath where everyone was completely open with each other. It was said that during the Chu state's rule, it really was like that, but ever since Ye Teng came to Nan Commandery, he had banned this practice as a "licentious custom."

Men like Hei Fu and Feng Jing merely removed their upper garments, scooped up river water, and washed their upper bodies. A group of women several dozen paces away let down their hair and washed it with fragrant, smoked orchid sprigs. Although some distance separated them, one could still see the maidens' lotus-root-like arms.

On the other side, there was no shortage of women sneaking glances outward. Seeing Hei Fu's solid, muscular warrior's physique, a few young maidens blushed crimson and whispered and giggled with their female companions.

Spring had arrived, and the air along the Yangtze River was thick with an ambiguous, amorous atmosphere…

That's right — this was the Shangsi Festival's second function: getting out of singledom!

In the Warring States era, folk customs were simple and open, and this was especially true in the Chu region. Large-scale, open-air mixed bathing naturally involved men and women flirting, easily breeding free love — in other words, elopement.

But eloping on this day would not be condemned.

"In the mid-spring month, men and women are commanded to meet; at this time, those who elope are not forbidden." Probably to encourage childbirth, even the authorities endorsed unmarried men and women getting out of singledom.

This was also the reason Hei Fu and Feng Jing had been driven by Commandant Li You to the riverside to participate in the activities — because neither of them was married.

"I thought you had already been betrothed in Xianyang, Feng-jun." Hei Fu finished bathing and put his upper garment back on.

Feng Jing smiled wryly and shook his head: "Don't even mention it. I haven't met the right one."

The two of them then broke off willow twigs from the willow trees on the bank and tucked them into their hair. "On the third day of the third month and the Shangchu day, gather mugwort and willow catkins" — willow twigs were said to have the power to drive away evil.

By this time, quite a few young men and women were already sitting together on the grassy bank. Among the unmarried commoner men and women, those whose eyes had grown heated while bathing and who immediately slipped into the groves afterward were not few.

The children and female dependents of nobles and officials were more reserved. They would seek a well-matched and pleasing partner at matchmaking gatherings of comparable status.

The place Hei Fu and the others were heading to was just such a gathering spot — a high terrace by the river: the Orchid Terrace.

…

"The Orchid Terrace — I hear it was the Chu king's riverside traveling palace. Before King Qingxiang of Chu moved east, he often composed rhapsodies there with Song Yu and Jing Chai."

Looking up at this high terrace building overlooking the water, Hei Fu found it ironic. Successive Chu kings had built many traveling palaces along the Yangtze River — it was said they extended west to Mount Wu, where one could meet the clouds and rain of Mount Wu, and east to the Cloud Dream Marsh, where one could view the red leaves of Mount Xiang. But now, the most magnificent terraces — Zhanghua, Yunmeng, Gaotang — had mostly been destroyed in the chaos of war. Only a few, like the Orchid Terrace, remained.

There were guards outside the palace terrace, checking the identities of those entering. The matchmaking event held inside was the highest-level one in Jiangling — no one below the children of Official Grandee rank was permitted entry.

Hei Fu clearly met the standard, and Feng Jing's father was a Fifth Grandee; he had been established as heir and could also enter.

The Orchid Terrace was seven or eight zhang tall, but that high terrace was only opened when the Commandery Governor or Commandant came. The place they were going was the Flowing Water Pavilion below the terrace.

As they walked, Hei Fu said, "I still think that for this kind of occasion, you should just come by yourself, Feng-jun — no need to drag me along. I definitely won't know a single person here; it's bound to be awkward."

Indeed, although he had come to the commandery seat, Hei Fu's social circle had remained very narrow — at most, he gathered and reminisced with old comrades like Man. He had very little interaction with the various bureau officials of comparable rank or the scions of noble and great clans.

"Who is familiar with anyone the first time? Interacting more with these people will do no harm to the Left Military Provisions Clerk."

Feng Jing smiled. "Once you've reached the position of Left Military Provisions Clerk, these matters are unavoidable. What's more, today is the Shangsi Festival."

As they spoke, the two had arrived at the place. It was called the Flowing Water Pavilion because the pavilion was built over a pool of running water. Leaning on the railing, one could play the game commonly done at Shangsi: "winged cups following the flowing waves."

Over twenty young men and women were already seated there. The men, with willow twigs tucked into their topknots, sat on the right; the women, their freshly washed hair still damp, sat on the left. Unconstrained by later ages' ritual restrictions, and all being acquaintances, they chatted and laughed continuously — a lively scene.

Feng Jing came from the capital, Xianyang, and had a father like Feng Wuze. There were plenty of people in Jiangling City who wanted to curry favor with him. In just over a month, he had already attended ten welcome banquets, so he was already familiar with this circle and began introducing people to Hei Fu in advance.

"Most of those sitting inside are the children of officials — the Commandery Aide's son, the Merit Evaluator's son, the Bandit Bureau Head's daughter… Most don't have their own noble ranks but rely on their fathers' legacy, studying laws and ordinances in the academy."

At that moment, that group of officials' children also spotted Feng Jing. Immediately, several people scrambled to their feet and bowed to him with clasped hands.

"So Feng-jun has also come for the fuxi today."

Though Feng Jing's status was noble, his courtesy was proper and fitting; he cupped his hands and returned the greeting to everyone.

Quite a few women cast fervent gazes at this gentleman with a jade-like face. Only after Feng Jing took his seat did they notice the dark-faced young man beside him.

Although Hei Fu's skin was a bit dark, he was not ugly. He now stood seven chi seven cun tall. Persistent training had made his body strong and robust, and having experienced the life-and-death of battle formations, he had acquired a somewhat uncommon bearing. As for his looks — when he looked into the bronze mirror, he always felt he rather resembled a darkened version of Louis Koo…

So Hei Fu quickly drew everyone's attention as well. Seeing he was a new face, they assumed he was a friend Feng Jing had brought along and asked Feng Jing to introduce him.

Feng Jing smiled. "This is the Left Military Provisions Clerk. Young as he is, he's already an Official Grandee — his official rank is higher than mine, a mere Junior Clerk."

Everyone's faces showed surprise. This was a prominent figure in Nan Commandery of late. Looking back, when the other Qin armies suffered great defeats, this man had assisted the Commandant in the army and led the Nan Commandery troops back in triumph. As for recent deeds, it was his proposal that enabled the Mount Ji Bronze Office to build water-powered trip-hammers that could run automatically without human labor — a story told far and wide as a marvel.

Having drawn everyone's attention, Hei Fu had no choice but to introduce himself: "I am Hei Fu. Greetings to all of you."

Upon hearing this name, quite a few of the officials' children looked at each other. The Merit Evaluator's son couldn't help but laugh: "Hei Fu? Could it be that the Left Military Provisions Clerk takes 'Hei' as his clan name? That is rather rare."

Hei Fu thought for a moment, then said, "Hei Fu is merely my given name. I have no clan name."

"No clan name?"

The young men and women of noble and official families began to whisper among themselves. The young women, less knowledgeable about the outside world, found it utterly inconceivable — in this day and age, even women were becoming accustomed to adding a clan name before their given name, yet a man had none?

The Commandery Aide's son also shook his head: "When a boy is born, he inherits his father's clan name. How could he have no clan name? Unless he is…"

Unless he was a low-status commoner of the black-headed masses.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on him, yet Heifu felt no shame in admitting the truth: "As it happens, for three generations my forebears were all clanless tenant farmers."

The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward. A few people suddenly understood; though they dared not speak openly, a trace of contempt stirred in their hearts. Most of those present came from illustrious lineages — their ancestors had not only served as officials for generations in Qin, but as far back as the period of Chu rule, they had been honored as Grand Masters, even Ministers!

The son of the Merit Evaluator, clearly adept at socializing, spoke up with feigned concern: "Why doesn't the Left Troop Clerk Historian choose a clan name for himself? You need only change your travel permit in your place of registration. I have seen many petty officials promoted from the counties and townships in the Merit Evaluation Office do exactly that."

But in their eyes, even that could not conceal the base origins of Heifu's forebears — just like his wind-scorched, sun-darkened skin, it had no place at this modest banquet; he and their circle were not of the same path.

A man like this, bearing a vulgar name, had the nerve to attend the Shangsi Gathering? The dozen or so young women present asked themselves — they would never choose a clanless man.

Feng Jing remained silent, offering Heifu no support, for he wished to see how Heifu would react.

"A flock of impractical fools who prize hollow fame."

Heifu sneered inwardly, feeling only that he was wasting his time here — he would have been better off gathering with his comrades. If all the men and women before him were this shallow, then there was no need to go through with this matchmaking.

Yet to storm off now in humiliation and anger would only make him a laughingstock. He needed to think of a way to respond.

But before Heifu could speak, a soft female voice rose from outside the pavilion.

"I have heard my father say that clan names were not possessed from birth. The ancients bestowed surnames according to origin, and assigned clan names based on enfeoffed lands. That those present bear clan names merely shows that our forebears were feudal lords, ministers, or grand officers, whose legacy has sheltered us to this day."

"But Qin is no longer a state that honors kinship and rank. It no longer looks to ancestral origin, but examines military merit to confer noble titles. Those of great merit stand honored; rewards are given upon seeing achievement, offices granted according to ability. Yet today, those present feel no shame in their own lack of merit or title, while deeming that the Left Troop Clerk Historian — who by his own strength attained the rank of Official Grand Master — ought to feel shame for lacking a clan name. Is that not absurd?"

Heifu and everyone seated turned at once at the sound — and saw a young girl in a blue ruqun dress, wooden clogs on her feet, her freshly washed hair still damp, standing outside the pavilion.

Her figure had not yet fully developed, her shoulders slightly slender, yet her features were like exquisitely carved white jade. She looked startlingly young, perhaps only fourteen or fifteen — making it hard to believe the words just spoken had come from her mouth.

"So it is the Commandery Governor's daughter!"

Everyone rose without exception to salute her. The son of the Merit Evaluator and the son of the Commandery Aide were especially ardent in their gazes.

Seeing them all turn, the girl inclined her body slightly and saluted them, her eyes then turning to Heifu, revealing a polite smile of first acquaintance.

"Zijin is still young; these are but shallow views. I beg you all not to take offense…"

(End of Chapter)