Friday, May 31, 2024

260 Yuan Feng

A12.31..33

In April, the emperor returned to Fenggao. The emperor considered that the Fengshan rituals mentioned by Confucian scholars and alchemists were different, and there was no record of them in ancient books, so it was indeed difficult to implement them. The emperor then went to Liangfu Mountain to hold a ceremony to worship the earth god. On the Yimao day, he ordered the Confucian scholars of the imperial court to wear white deerskin hats and official uniforms with hu tablets inserted in them to hold a ceremony to shoot the bull. An altar was built in the east foot of Mount Tai for offering sacrifices, and the rituals of worshipping the Taiyi God were strictly followed. The altar for offering sacrifices to the sky was 12 feet wide and 9 feet high, and the documents of Fengshan were placed under the altar, and the contents of the documents were very secret. After the sacrifice, the emperor climbed Mount Tai alone with his attendant, the imperial carriage commander Huo Zihou, and also held a ceremony to offer sacrifices to the heavens. These things were top secret and could not be disclosed to the public. The next day, they descended along the road on the north slope of the mountain. On the day of Bingchen, a ceremony of offering sacrifice to the earth was held at the Suran Mountain northeast of the foot of Mount Tai, referring to the ritual of offering sacrifice to Hou Tu. During these Fengshan ceremonies, the emperor personally offered sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth, wearing yellow formal clothes and using music. Three-edged Lingshao collected from the Jianghuai area was used as a god mat, and the altar was built with five-colored mud symbolizing the five directions. At that time, some strange birds and beasts from afar and animals such as white-haired pheasants were released, which greatly increased the solemn atmosphere of the ceremony. However, animals such as yak, yak, rhinoceros, and elephants were not used. The emperor and his ministers came to Mount Tai first and then left. During the period of Fengshan, there seemed to be a light every night, and white clouds rose from the altar during the day. 

The emperor returned from Fengshan and sat in the Mingtang. His ministers came up to congratulate him. So the emperor issued an edict to the censor, saying: "I have assumed the supreme position of the emperor with my insignificant body. I am cautious and fearful that I am not competent for it. My virtue is shallow and I don't know much about rituals and music. When I was offering sacrifices to the Taiyi God, auspicious light seemed to appear in the sky. I felt very uneasy, as if I saw something. I was deeply touched by this strange scene. Although I wanted to stop, I didn't dare. Finally, I was able to climb Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to the sky. After reaching Liangfu Mountain, I offered sacrifices to the earth at the Suran Mountain Rest Area. I want to improve myself and I am happy to start again with the literati. Grant the common people one hundred households One cow and ten shi of wine for each household, and two bolts of cloth for the elderly over eighty years old and the widowed and widower. Bo County, Fenggao, Sheqiu, and Licheng are exempt from taxes for the year. A general amnesty is issued, the same as the amnesty in the year of Yimao. In any place I pass through during my tour, no more trouble will be caused to the people. If the crime happened two years ago, it will not be investigated. Then he issued an edict saying, "In ancient times, the emperor would go on a tour every five years to worship at Mount Tai, and the princes who came to pay homage had their own residences. Each prince should build an official residence at the foot of Mount Tai."

After the Emperor finished the Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai, he did not encounter any disturbance from wind and rain, and the alchemists also said that the sacred mountains such as Penglai would be found. So the Emperor was very happy, thinking that he might meet a fairy, so he went east again to the seaside to look out, hoping to meet the immortals of Penglai. The commander of the imperial carriage, Huo Zihou, suddenly fell seriously ill and died in one day. The Emperor then left, along the coast, north to Jieshi, and then began to tour from Liaoxi, passing the northern border and reaching Jiuyuan County. In May, the Emperor returned to Ganquan Palace. Relevant officials proposed that the year when the tripod was discovered be named "Yuan Ding". Because of this year's Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai, the year name was set as "Yuan Feng", and this year was the first year of Yuan Feng.


四月,还至奉高。上念诸儒及方士言封禅人人殊,不经,难施行。天子至梁父,礼祠地主。乙卯,令侍中儒者皮弁荐绅,射牛行事。封泰山下东方,如郊祠泰一之礼。封广丈二尺,高九尺,其下则有玉牒书,书秘。礼毕,天子独与侍中奉车子侯上泰山,亦有封。其事皆禁。明日,下阴道。丙辰,禅泰山下址东北肃然山,如祭后土礼。天子皆亲拜见,衣上黄而尽用乐焉。江淮闲一茅三脊为神藉。五色土益杂封。纵远方奇兽蜚禽及白雉诸物,颇以加祠。兕旄牛犀象之属弗用。皆至泰山然后去。封禅祠,其夜若有光,昼有白云起封中。
天子从封禅还,坐明堂,群臣更上寿。于是制诏御史:“朕以眇眇之身承至尊,兢兢焉惧弗任。维德菲薄,不明于礼乐。修祀泰一,若有象景光,屑如有望,依依震于怪物,欲止不敢,遂登封泰山,至于梁父,而后禅肃然。自新,嘉与士大夫更始,赐民百户牛一酒十石,加年八十孤寡布帛二匹。复博、奉高、蛇丘、历城,毋出今年租税。其赦天下,如乙卯赦令。行所过毋有复作。事在二年前,皆勿听治。”又下诏曰:“古者天子五载一巡狩,用事泰山,诸侯有朝宿地。其令诸侯各治邸泰山下。”

天子既已封禅泰山,无风雨灾,而方士更言蓬莱诸神山若将可得,于是上欣然庶几遇之,乃复东至海上望,冀遇蓬莱焉。奉车子侯暴病,一日死。上乃遂去,并海上,北至碣石,巡自辽西,历北边至九原。五月,返至甘泉。有司言宝鼎出为元鼎,以今年为元封元年。

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