258 Nanyue destroyed

A12.25..27

In the winter of this year, Gongsun Qing was waiting for the gods in Henan. He said that he had seen the footprints of the gods on the city of Goushi, and there was a divine creature similar to a pheasant flying back and forth on the city. The emperor personally came to the city of Goushi to see the footprints and asked Gongsun Qing, "You will not follow Wencheng and Wuli to deceive me, will you?" Gongsun Qing replied, "The gods will not ask the emperor for anything, but the emperor will ask the gods for anything. If you can't relax your time when seeking the gods, the gods will not come. It seems very pedantic and absurd to talk about praying to the gods, but only after years and months can you wait for the gods to come." Therefore, all the counties and states repaired the roads, the palace viewing platforms and the shrines on the famous mountains in the hope of the emperor's arrival.

This year, Nanyue had been destroyed, and one of the emperor's favorites, Li Yannian, was able to meet the emperor because he was good at music. The emperor treated him very well, so he asked the ministers to discuss the matter, saying: "In folk sacrifices, there are drums, dances and music. Now I am performing suburban sacrifices without music. Can this be considered appropriate?" The ministers said: "In ancient times, sacrifices to heaven and earth were accompanied by music, so the gods of heaven and earth came to enjoy people's sacrifices." Some people said: "The Tai Emperor ordered the goddess Su Nu to play the harp with fifty strings. The sound was sad. The Tai Emperor asked her to stop, but she could not stop, so he cut open her harp and changed it to twenty-five strings." So when offering sacrifices to Taiyi and Hou Tu gods to celebrate the pacification of Nanyue, music, singing and dancing began to be used, and the number of singers was increased. It was from this time that the production of the harp with twenty-five strings and the konghou began.

The winter of the second year, the emperor proposed: "In ancient times, emperors had to stop using military force before they could hold the Fengshan ceremony." So the emperor went north to inspect Shuofang (north), commanding an army of more than 100,000. When he came back, he offered sacrifices in front of the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum in Qiaoshan, and disbanded the army when he arrived at Xuru. The emperor said, “I have heard that Huangdi is not dead, but now his tomb exists. Why is that?” Someone replied, “After Huangdi became an immortal and ascended to heaven, his remaining ministers buried his clothes and hat here.” Later, the emperor came to Ganquan Palace, and in order to ascend Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony, he used the same ritual to first sacrifice to the Taiyi God.

其冬，公孙卿候神河南，见仙人迹缑氏城上，有物若雉，往来城上。天子亲幸缑氏城视迹。问卿：“得毋效文成、五利乎？”卿曰：“仙者非有求人主，人主求之。其道非少宽假，神不来。言神事，事如迂诞，积以岁乃可致。”于是郡国各除道，缮治宫观名山神祠所，以望幸矣。

其年，既灭南越，上有嬖臣李延年以好音见。上善之，下公卿议，曰：“民间祠尚有鼓舞之乐，今郊祠而无乐，岂称乎？”公卿曰：“古者祀天地皆有乐，而神祇可得而礼。”或曰：“泰帝使素女鼓五十弦瑟，悲，帝禁不止，故破其瑟为二十五弦。”于是塞南越，祷祠泰一、后土，始用乐舞，益召歌儿，作二十五弦及箜篌瑟自此起。

其来年冬，上议曰：“古者先振兵泽旅，然后封禅。”乃遂北巡朔方，勒兵十余万，还祭黄帝冢桥山，泽兵须如。上曰：“吾闻黄帝不死，今有冢，何也？”或对曰：“黄帝已仙上天，群臣葬其衣冠。”即至甘泉，为且用事泰山，先类祠泰一。