Friday, May 24, 2024

250 Unicorn

A12.7..10

After a long time, Li Shaojun fell ill and died. The emperor believed that he was not dead, but had ascended to heaven, so he sent Shi Kuanshu from Huangchui County to continue to learn Li Shaojun's magic. The alchemists who searched for Penglai Mountain and Anqisheng found nothing, but the weird and pedantic alchemists in the coastal areas of Yan and Qi rushed to imitate them and talked more about gods and ghosts.

You Ji, a native of Bo County, reported to the emperor that he had a way to worship the god Taiyi, saying: "The most honorable among the gods is Taiyi, and the gods who assist Taiyi are the emperors of the five directions. In ancient times, the emperor would go to the southeastern suburbs of Chang'an every spring and autumn to worship the God of Taiyi ( the supreme one), offering cattle, sheep, and pigs as sacrifices. A grand ceremony lasting seven days was held, and passages were set up in eight directions of the altar for ghosts and gods to walk through. So the emperor ordered Taizhu ( the chief priest) to build a shrine dedicated to the god Taiyi in the southeast suburbs of Chang'an City, and often went there to worship using the method of enticement and transmission. Later, someone wrote to the emperor, saying: "In ancient times, the emperor would offer a complete meal of three kinds of livestock, cattle, sheep, and pigs, as sacrifices every three years to worship the 'Trinity': the gods of heaven, earth, and Taiyi." The emperor agreed and ordered the Taizhu to preside over the matter. On the altar dedicated to the God of Taiyi, the other two gods of the "Trinity" were also worshipped at the same time, and sacrifices were performed according to the method taught by the person who wrote the letter. Later, someone wrote to the emperor, saying, "In ancient times, the emperor often offered sacrifices in spring and autumn to dispel disasters and pray for blessings. To the Yellow Emperor, an owl and a leopard were used; to the Dark Sheep, a sheep was used; to the Horse God, a blue stallion was used; to the Taiyi God, the Gaoshan God, and the Earth God, a whole ox was used; to the Wuyi God, dried fish was used; and to the Yin-Yang Messenger, a bull was used." Later, someone wrote to the emperor, saying, "In ancient times, the emperor often offered sacrifices in spring and autumn to dispel disasters and pray for blessings. To the Yellow Emperor, an owl and a leopard were used; to the Dark Sheep, a sheep was used; to the Horse God, a blue stallion was used; to the Taiyi God, the Gaoshan God, and the Earth God, a whole ox was used; to the Wuyi God, dried fish was used; and to the Yin-Yang Messenger, a bull was used." The emperor ordered the temple officials to preside over the sacrifice according to the method taught by the person who wrote the letter, and the sacrifice was held next to the altar dedicated to the God of Taiyi.

Later, a white deer appeared in the emperor's Shanglin Garden. Some people said that using the skin of the white deer to make leather coins could cause auspicious signs to be sent down from heaven, so the emperor began to make "white gold". 

The next year, when the emperor was holding a suburban sacrifice in Yongdi, he captured a unicorn that looked like a roe deer. Someone in charge of the sacrifice said, "Your Majesty held a suburban sacrifice respectfully. In order to repay your offering, the heavens specially gave you a unicorn. This is probably the Qilin." So the emperor presented the unicorn to the five emperors of the sky, added a cow to the sacrifice to each emperor, and burned them all with a big fire. At the same time, "white gold" was rewarded to all the princes, and the heaven sent down the auspicious sign of "unicorn", which showed that the act of casting "white gold" was in line with the will of heaven. 

居久之,李少君病死。天子以为化去不死也,而使黄锤史宽舒受其方。求蓬莱安期生莫能得,而海上燕齐怪迂之方士多相效,更言神事矣。

亳人薄诱忌奏祠泰一方,曰:“天神贵者泰一,泰一佐曰五帝。古者天子以春秋祭泰一东南郊,用太牢具,七日,为坛开八通之鬼道。”于是天子令太祝立其祠长安东南郊,常奉祠如忌方。其后人有上书,言“古者天子三年一用太牢具祠神三一:天一,地一,泰一”。天子许之,令太祝领祠之忌泰一坛上,如其方。后人复有上书,言“古者天子常以春秋解祠,祠黄帝用一枭破镜;冥羊用羊;祠马行用一青牡马;泰一、皋山山君、地长用牛;武夷君用乾鱼;阴阳使者以一牛”。令祠官领之如其方,而祠于忌泰一坛旁。

其后,天子苑有白鹿,以其皮为币,以发瑞应,造白金焉。

其明年,郊雍,获一角兽,若麃然。有司曰:“陛下肃祗郊祀,上帝报享,锡一角兽,盖麟云。”于是以荐五畤,畤加一牛以燎。赐诸侯白金,以风符应合于天地。



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