262 Yellow Clothes

A12.44..48

On the 11th month, a fire broke out at Bailiang Terrace. On the first day of the 12th month, the emperor went to Gaoli Mountain to worship the Earth God. He also went to the Bohai Sea, looking at and worshipping the immortal mountain like Penglai, longing to go to the foreign land where the immortals lived.

After the emperor returned to the capital, because the Bailiang Terrace was burned down, he held court in Ganquan Palace to accept the documents reported by various counties and states. Gongsun Qing said: "Huangdi built Qingling Terrace, but it was burned down after twelve days, so Huangdi built Mingting. Mingting is the current Ganquan Palace." Many alchemists also said that ancient emperors also built their capitals in Ganquan. After that, the emperor received princes in Ganquan Palace and built official residences for princes in Ganquan. Yongzhi said: "There is such a custom in Yue. The house built after a fire must be larger than the one that was burned down to suppress the fire." So the emperor built Jianzhang Palace, which was as large as thousands of households. Its front hall was higher than Weiyang Palace, and to the east was Fengque, the Phoenix tower, which was more than 200 feet high. To the west was Central Court Zoo, with a tiger circle dozens of miles wide. A large pool was built in the north, with a terrace more than 200 feet high. The pool was named Taiye Pool. Four mountains, Penglai, Fangzhang, Yingzhou and Huliang, were built in the pool, all imitating the fairy mountains in the sea. There were also some stone sculptures of turtles and fish. To the south, there were statues of Yutang, Bimen and divine birds. Shenming Terrace and Jinggan Pavilion were also built, both more than 500 feet high, with carriageways connecting the terraces.

In the summer, the Han Dynasty adopted a new calendar, set the first month of the year straight, the color of the official uniforms changed to yellow, and the official seals of each official name changed to five characters, so the reign was changed to the first year of Taichu. In this year, the expedition to Dayuan was launched to the west. A large-scale locust plague occurred. Lady Ding and Yuchu of Luoyang and others used magic to perform sacrifices and prayed to the gods to bring disaster to the Huns and Dayuan.

The next year, officials said that no cooked animals or other offerings were used in the sacrifices to the Five Shrines in Yong County, and no fragrant aroma was produced. So the emperor ordered the temple officials to offer cooked animal sacrifices made of calves to the Five Shrines, select the fur color of the animals according to the principle of the five elements, and use puppet horses instead of strong horses as sacrifices. Strong horses were only used when offering sacrifices to the Five Emperors, and strong horses were only used when the emperor personally went to the suburbs to offer sacrifices. Strong horses were originally used when offering sacrifices to famous mountains and rivers, but they were all replaced with puppet horses. Strong horses were used for sacrifices when the emperor passed by on a tour. Other sacrifices were the same as before.

Another year passed, and the emperor went east to inspect the seashore, investigating things like gods and immortals, but nothing worked. Some alchemists said, "During the Yellow Emperor's time, five cities and twelve towers were built for the purpose of welcoming the gods and immortals at Zhiqi, and it was called welcoming the year." The emperor agreed to build five cities and twelve towers according to his idea, and called it the next year. The emperor also went there in person to worship and offer sacrifices to the gods, wearing yellow clothes.

十一月乙酉，柏梁灾。十二月甲午朔，上亲禅高里，祠后土。临渤海，将以望祠蓬莱之属，冀至殊庭焉。

上还，以柏梁灾故，朝受计甘泉。公孙卿曰：“黄帝就青灵台，十二日烧，黄帝乃治明庭。明庭，甘泉也。”方士多言古帝王有都甘泉者。其后天子又朝诸侯甘泉，甘泉作诸侯邸。勇之乃曰：“越俗有火灾，复起屋必以大，用胜服之。”于是作建章宫，度为千门万户。前殿度高未央，其东则凤阙，高二十余丈。其西则唐中，数十里虎圈。其北治大池，渐台高二十余丈，名曰泰液池，中有蓬莱、方丈、瀛洲、壶梁，象海中神山龟鱼之属。其南有玉堂、璧门、大鸟之属。乃立神明台、井幹楼，度五十余丈，辇道相属焉。

夏，汉改历，以正月为岁首，而色上黄，官名更印章以五字。因为太初元年。是岁，西伐大宛。蝗大起。丁夫人、雒阳虞初等以方祠诅匈奴、大宛焉。

其明年，有司言雍五畤无牢熟具，芬芳不备。乃命祠官进畤犊牢具，五色食所胜，而以木禺马代驹焉。独五帝用驹，行亲郊用驹。及诸名山川用驹者，悉以木禺马代。行过，乃用驹。他礼如故。

其明年，东巡海上，考神仙之属，未有验者。方士有言“黄帝时为五城十二楼，以候神人于执期，命曰迎年”。上许作之如方，名曰明年。上亲礼祠上帝，衣上黄焉。

261 Huangdi Mingtang

A12.39..43

A year later, the emperor invaded Korea. In the summer, there was a drought. Gongsun Qing said, "During the time of Huangdi, when the Fengshan ceremony was held, there would be drought. In order to dry the soil of the altar as soon as possible, it would take three years of drought." So the emperor issued an edict, saying, "The drought is to dry the soil of the altar, right? Order the whole country to offer sacrifices to the spiritual star in charge of agriculture."

A year later, the emperor went to Yong County to offer sacrifices in the suburbs, and he went there to inspect on the way to Huizhong. In spring, he came to Mingze and then returned via Xihe.

The following winter, the emperor went to Nanjun for inspection. After arriving in Jiangling, he headed east. He climbed Tianzhu Mountain in Qian County and called this mountain Nanyue. He sailed down the river from Xunyang to Congyang and passed Pengli. He offered sacrifices to the famous mountains and rivers along the river. He went north to Langye County and then went north along the coast. In mid-April, he arrived in Fenggao County and held a Fengshan ceremony.

At first, when the emperor came to Mount Tai to hold the Fengshan ceremony, he found an ancient Mingtang in the northeast of the foot of Mount Tai. The terrain was steep and not spacious. The emperor planned to build a Mingtang near Fenggao County, but he could not find out the shape and size of the Mingtang. Gong Yudai, a native of Jinan, presented the "Mingtang Drawing" from the Yellow Emperor period. The "Mingtang Drawing" depicts a hall with no walls around it. The roof is made of thatch. There are ditches around it. There are also sky bridges around the palace walls. There are buildings on the hall, which extend into the hall from the southwest. It is called Kunlun Road. The emperor walked into the hall from here and went there to worship God. Therefore, the emperor ordered the construction of Mingtang in Wenshang, Fenggao according to Gong Yudai's drawings. When he came here again five years later to perform Fengshan, he placed the tablets of Taiyi God and the Five Emperors on the upper seats of the Mingtang for worship, and ordered the tablet of Emperor Gao to face them. In the lower room, he worshipped God Hou Tu, using twenty cows, sheep, and pigs. The emperor entered from Kunlun Road and began to worship in the Mingtang, just like the ritual of suburban sacrifice. After the worship, the offerings were burned under the hall. After that, the emperor climbed Mount Tai again and held a secret sacrifice on the top of the mountain. When worshiping the Five Emperors at the foot of Mount Tai, they all followed their respective positions. Only the Yellow Emperor and the Red Emperor were together, and they were accompanied by relevant officials. When a fire was lit on Mount Tai, fires were also lit at the foot of the mountain to echo.

Two years later, on the first day of the eleventh month, the morning coincided with the winter solstice. Those who calculated the calendar believed that this day should be the starting point of the new calendar to be orthodox. The emperor personally went to Mount Tai and came to the Mingtang to worship God on the morning of the first day of the eleventh month, but no Fengshan ceremony was held. In the congratulatory speech, it said: "The heaven has given the emperor the Taiyuan Divine Strategy, which will repeat itself. The emperor here respectfully worships the Taiyi God." The emperor went east again to the seaside and investigated the people who went to the sea to seek immortality and the alchemists, but to no avail. However, he still sent more messengers to the sea to seek immortality, eager to meet the gods.

其明年，伐朝鲜。夏，旱。公孙卿曰：“黄帝时封则天旱，乾封三年。”上乃下诏曰：“天旱，意乾封乎？其令天下尊祠灵星焉。”

其明年，上郊雍，通回中道，巡之。春，至鸣泽，从西河归。

其明年冬，上巡南郡，至江陵而东。登礼潜之天柱山，号曰南岳。浮江，自寻阳出枞阳，过彭蠡，祀其名山川。北至琅邪，并海上。四月中，至奉高脩封焉。

初，天子封泰山，泰山东北阯古时有明堂处，处险不敞。上欲治明堂奉高旁，未晓其制度。济南人公玉带上黄帝时明堂图。明堂图中有一殿，四面无壁，以茅盖，通水，圜宫垣为复道，上有楼，从西南入，命曰昆仑，天子从之入，以拜祠上帝焉。于是上令奉高作明堂汶上，如带图。及五年脩封，则祠泰一、五帝于明堂上坐，令高皇帝祠坐对之。祠后土于下房，以二十太牢。天子从昆仑道入，始拜明堂如郊礼。礼毕，燎堂下。而上又上泰山，有秘祠其颠。而泰山下祠五帝，各如其方，黄帝并赤帝，而有司侍祠焉。泰山上举火，下悉应之。

其后二岁，十一月甲子朔旦冬至，推历者以本统。天子亲至泰山，以十一月甲子朔旦冬至日祠上帝明堂，每脩封禅。其赞飨曰：“天增授皇帝泰元神筴，周而复始。皇帝敬拜泰一。”东至海上，考入海及方士求神者，莫验，然益遣，冀遇之。

261 Ganoderma lucidum

A12.34..38

In the autumn of that year, a comet appeared in the Dongjing constellation, shining brightly. Ten days later, another comet appeared in the Santai constellation, still shining brightly. A man named Wang Shuo, who was good at observing the weather, said: "I was observing at that time, and I saw that when the star appeared, it was shaped like a gourd, and it disappeared again in the time it took to eat a meal." The relevant officials said: "Your Majesty created the Fengshan ritual system of the Han Dynasty, and the heavens let the auspicious star of virtue appear to repay you."

In the winter of the following year, the emperor went to Yong County to offer sacrifices to the Five Emperors, and after returning, he also offered sacrifices to the Taiyi God. In his speech, he said: "The Virtue Star shines brightly in all directions, heralding good fortune. The Longevity Star also appears, and its brilliance spreads far and wide. The Faith Star shines brightly and brings blessings, and the emperor offers sacrifices to all the gods."

In the spring of this year, Gongsun Qing said that he had met an immortal in Donglai Mountain, and the immortal seemed to say "I want to see the emperor". The emperor therefore came to Goushi City and appointed Gongsun Qing as a senior official. Then he went to Donglai and stayed there for a few days, but he saw nothing but big footprints. The emperor once again sent thousands of alchemists to search for immortal objects and collect Ganoderma lucidum. This year there was a drought. So the emperor had no reasonable reason to go out again, so he went to Wanlisha temple to pray for rain and offered sacrifices when passing by Mount Tai. On his way back, he went to Huzikou and personally went to the place where the Yellow River breach was blocked. He stayed there for two days and sank a white horse to worship the river god before leaving. The emperor ordered two ministers to lead troops to block the breach and dig two canals for the Yellow River, making it look like it did after Dayu controlled the flood.

At that time, Nanyue had been destroyed. The Yue people, Yongzhi, said to the emperor, "The Yue people have the custom of believing in ghosts, and they can see ghosts every time they offer sacrifices, and it is always effective. In the past, the King of Dong'ou respected ghosts and gods and lived to be 160 years old. His descendants neglected ghosts, so they gradually declined." The emperor therefore ordered the shamans in Yue to build the Yue Temple, but only set up a platform but not an altar, to worship the gods and ghosts, and to use chicken bones for divination. Because the emperor believed in it, the Yue Temple and the chicken divination method gradually became popular from then on.

Gongsun Qing said: "It is possible to see immortals, but the emperor is always in a hurry every time he goes to visit immortals, so he cannot see them. Now your majesty can build a pavilion, like the one in Gaoshi City, and prepare offerings such as dried meat, dates and fruits, which should be able to attract immortals. Besides, immortals like to live in pavilions." So the emperor ordered people to build Feilian Temple and Gui Temple in Chang'an, and Yiyanshou Temple in Ganquan Palace, and asked Gongsun Qing to hold the talisman and arrange the offerings to welcome the immortals. Then he built Tongtian Terrace, and placed various ritual vessels for sacrifice under the terrace, hoping to attract immortals. From then on, the front hall was built in Ganquan Palace, and the palace began to be expanded. In summer, Ganoderma lucidum grows in the palace. The emperor built Tongtian Terrace because the Yellow River was blocked, and he seemed to see the light, so he issued an edict saying: "Nine stems of Ganoderma lucidum have grown in the room of Ganquan Palace. I will grant amnesty to the world and will no longer send soldiers to disturb the people."

其秋，有星茀于东井。后十余日，有星茀于三能。望气王朔言：“候独见其星出如瓠，食顷复入焉。”有司言曰：“陛下建汉家封禅，天其报德星云。”

其来年冬，郊雍五帝，还，拜祝祠泰一。赞飨曰：“德星昭衍，厥维休祥。寿星仍出，渊耀光明。信星昭见，皇帝敬拜泰祝之飨。”

其春，公孙卿言见神人东莱山，若云“见天子”。天子于是幸缑氏城，拜卿为中大夫。遂至东莱，宿留之数日，毋所见，见大人迹。复遣方士求神怪采芝药以千数。是岁旱。于是天子既出毋名，乃祷万里沙，过祠泰山。还至瓠子，自临塞决河，留二日，沈祠而去。使二卿将卒塞决河，河徙二渠，复禹之故迹焉。

是时既灭南越，越人勇之乃言“越人俗信鬼，而其祠皆见鬼，数有效。昔东瓯王敬鬼，寿至百六十岁。后世谩怠，故衰秏”。乃令越巫立越祝祠，安台无坛，亦祠天神上帝百鬼，而以鸡卜。上信之，越祠鸡卜始用焉。

公孙卿曰：“仙人可见，而上往常遽，以故不见。今陛下可为观，如缑氏城，置脯枣，神人宜可致。且仙人好楼居。”于是上令长安则作蜚廉桂观，甘泉则作益延寿观，使卿持节设具而候神人，乃作通天台，置祠具其下，将招来神仙之属。于是甘泉更置前殿，始广诸宫室。夏，有芝生殿防内中。天子为塞河，兴通天台，若有光云，乃下诏曰：“甘泉防生芝九茎，赦天下，毋有复作。”

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。

259 Fengshan

A12.28..30

After obtaining the tripod, the emperor discussed the Fengshan ceremony with the ministers and Confucian scholars. Because the Fengshan ceremony had not been held for a long time and was almost lost, no one knew the specific etiquette. Confucian scholars all proposed to use the rituals recorded in the "Book of Documents", "Zhou Li" and "Wangzhi" to hold the ceremony. Ding Gong of Qi was already over 90 years old. He said: "'Feng' should mean immortality. Qin Shihuang was unable to climb Mount Tai to hold the Fengshan ceremony. Your Majesty must go up. As long as you climb to a slightly higher place, there will be no wind and rain blocking you, so you can climb Mount Tai to hold the Fengshan ceremony." The emperor therefore asked the Confucian scholars to practice the ritual of shooting the bull and drafted the etiquette used in Fengshan. After a few years, the Fengshan ceremony was about to be held. The emperor had heard what Gongsun Qing and the alchemists said, that when the emperors before Huangdi performed the Fengshan ceremony, they would attract some strange things that could communicate with the gods. So he planned to imitate the method of Huangdi to welcome the immortal Penglai gods, so as to transcend the world and be comparable to the virtues of the Nine Emperors, and also adopted many Confucian techniques to embellish it. The Confucian scholars could not distinguish the specific etiquette of Fengshan, and were deeply bound by ancient texts such as "Book of Songs" and "Book of Documents", so they did not dare to give full play to their talents. The emperor showed the sacrificial utensils used for Fengshan to the Confucian scholars. Some of the Confucian scholars said, "This is not the same as the ancient ones." Xu Yan also said, "The etiquette performed by the Taichang Temple officials is not as good as that of the ancient Lu State." Zhou Ba gathered a group of Confucian scholars to plan the Fengshan event this time, so the emperor demoted Xu Yan and Zhou Ba and dismissed all these Confucian scholars.

In March, the emperor went east to Gaoshi County and climbed Taishi Mountain in Songshan to hold a sacrifice. The accompanying officials seemed to hear someone shouting "Long live" at the foot of the mountain. When asked about the people on the mountain, they all said they had not shouted; when asked about the people below the mountain, they all said they had not shouted. Therefore, the emperor granted Taishi Mountain 300 households to facilitate its sacrifice and named it Chonggaoyi. Going east to Mount Tai, before the grass and trees on the mountain had grown leaves, he ordered people to transport the stone tablet to the mountain and set it on the top of Mount Tai.

The emperor then went east to inspect the sea and held a ceremony to worship the eight gods of heaven, earth, soldiers, yin, yang, moon, sun and four seasons. The people of Qi reported to the emperor that there were nearly 10,000 gods, spirits and strange magic, but none of them worked. Therefore, the emperor sent more ships and ordered the thousands of people who reported about the sea god mountain to go to Penglai to visit the immortal. Gongsun Qing held the talisman and went to various mountains to wait for the immortal. When he arrived at Donglai, he said that he had seen a man at night, several feet tall, and disappeared when he approached. He saw that his footprints were very large, very much like the footprints of animals. One of the ministers said that he had seen an old man with a dog, who said, "I really want to see the emperor," and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. The emperor had heard about the big footprints, but he didn't believe it until someone among the ministers mentioned the old man. Then he really thought that the old man was a fairy. So he stayed at the seaside, gave the alchemists post carriages, and sent thousands of secret envoys to visit the fairy.

自得宝鼎，上与公卿诸生议封禅。封禅用希旷绝，莫知其仪礼，而群儒采封禅《尚书》《周官》《王制》之望祀射牛事。齐人丁公年九十余，曰：“封者，合不死之名也。秦皇帝不得上封。陛下必欲上，稍上即无风雨，遂上封矣。”上于是乃令诸儒习射牛，草封禅仪。数年，至且行。天子既闻公孙卿及方士之言，黄帝以上封禅，皆致怪物与神通，欲放黄帝以尝接神仙人蓬莱士，高世比德于九皇，而颇采儒术以文之。群儒既以不能辩明封禅事，又牵拘于诗书古文而不敢骋。上为封祠器示群儒，群儒或曰“不与古同”，徐偃又曰“太常诸生行礼不如鲁善”，周霸属图封事，于是上绌偃、霸，尽罢诸儒弗用。

三月，遂东幸缑氏，礼登中岳太室。从官在山下闻若有言“万岁”云。问上，上不言；问下，下不言。于是以三百户封太室奉祠，命曰崇高邑。东上泰山，山之草木叶未生，乃令人上石立之泰山颠。

上遂东巡海上，行礼祠八神。齐人之上疏言神怪奇方者以万数，然无验者。乃益发船，令言海中神山者数千人求蓬莱神人。公孙卿持节常先行候名山，至东莱，言夜见一人，长数丈，就之则不见，见其迹甚大，类禽兽云。群臣有言见一老父牵狗，言“吾欲见巨公”，已忽不见。上既见大迹，未信，及群臣有言老父，则大以为仙人也。宿留海上，与方士传车及间使求仙人以千数。

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。

257 Taiyi Altar

A12.22..24

The emperor then went to Yong County to offer sacrifices, then went to Longxi, climbed Mount Kongtong to the west, and finally returned to Ganquan Palace. He ordered the temple officials Kuanshu and others to set up the altar of Taiyi God. The altar was built in imitation of the Taiyi Altar mentioned by Bo Youji, with a total of three levels. It was surrounded by the altars of the Five Emperors, and each was arranged according to its location. The Yellow Emperor Altar was located in the southwest, and eight channels were built for ghosts and gods to come and go. The offerings used in the Taiyi Altar were no different from those in the Yong County sacrifices, but sweet wine, dates, and dried meat were added, and a yak was killed as a sacrificial animal. However, the Five Emperors Altars only had cattle, sheep, and sweet wine, but no yaks. On the four sides under the altar, wine was used to liven up the earth and to sacrifice to the group of gods and the Big Dipper. After the sacrifice, the offerings used for the sacrifice were burned. The cow used in the sacrifice was white. During the sacrifice, a deer was stuffed into the cow's abdomen, and then a pig was stuffed into the deer's abdomen, and then the sacrifice was soaked in water. A cow was used to sacrifice the sun god, and a sheep or a pig was used to sacrifice the moon god. The officials who sacrificed to the Taiyi God had to wear purple embroidered clothes, and the colors of the official dresses of the officials who sacrificed to the Five Emperors strictly followed the colors of the Five Emperors. The sun god was worn in red, and the moon god was worn in white.

The morning of the first day of the eleventh month was the winter solstice. At dawn on this day, the emperor began to worship the Taiyi God in the suburbs. In the morning, the sun god was worshipped, and in the evening, the moon god was worshipped. All of them were worshipped very solemnly with their hands folded; and the Taiyi God was worshipped strictly in accordance with the suburban sacrifice rituals of Yong County. The blessing to the gods said: "The heaven has begun to give the emperor the tripod and the divine strategy, one new moon day after another, in a cycle, without end. The emperor respectfully pays homage to the gods here." The dress used for the sacrifice was yellow. During the sacrifice, the altar was covered with torches and cooking utensils were placed next to the altar. The officials said: "There is light on the altar." The ministers said: "The emperor first held a suburban sacrifice in Yunyang Palace to worship Taiyi God. The officials held a large jade with a diameter of six inches and sacrificial livestock with pure fur and fat bodies to offer to the gods. That night, a beautiful light appeared, and during the day, yellow clouds continued to rise until they connected with the sky." Taishigong and the temple official Kuanshu said: "The shining of the divine light is a good omen of blessing and fortune. The Taizu altar should be built where the divine light shines to publicize the auspicious response from heaven. Let Taizhu preside over this matter and hold sacrifices in autumn and the twelfth lunar month every year. The emperor will personally offer sacrifices every three years." 

In the autumn of this year, in order to conquer Nanyue, Taiyi God was worshipped. The flagpole was made of vitex, and the sun, moon, Big Dipper and a dragon flying into the sky were painted on the flag to symbolize the three stars of Tianyi. It was named "Lingqi" as the vanguard flag of Taiyi God. When praying before a war, the historian would hold up a spiritual flag and point to the direction of the country to be attacked. However, although General Wu Li was an envoy, he did not dare to go into the sea to seek immortals, but only went to Mount Tai to worship. The emperor sent people to secretly follow him and found that he actually did not see anything. General Wu Li lied that he had seen his teacher, but in fact he had exhausted all his magic skills, and most of them did not work. The emperor then killed General Wu Li.

上遂郊雍，至陇西，西登空桐，幸甘泉。令祠官宽舒等具泰一祠坛，坛放薄忌泰一坛，坛三垓。五帝坛环居其下，各如其方，黄帝西南，除八通鬼道。泰一所用，如雍一畤物，而加醴枣脯之属，杀一犛牛以为俎豆牢具。而五帝独有俎豆醴进。其下四方地，为餟食群神从者及北斗云。已祠，胙余皆燎之。其牛色白，鹿居其中，彘在鹿中，水而洎之。祭日以牛，祭月以羊彘特。泰一祝宰则衣紫及绣。五帝各如其色，日赤，月白。

十一月辛巳朔旦冬至，昧爽，天子始郊拜泰一。朝朝日，夕夕月，则揖；而见泰一如雍礼。其赞飨曰：“天始以宝鼎神筴授皇帝，朔而又朔，终而复始，皇帝敬拜见焉。”而衣上黄。其祠列火满坛，坛旁烹炊具。有司云“祠上有光焉”。公卿言“皇帝始郊见泰一云阳，有司奉瑄玉嘉牲荐飨。是夜有美光，及昼，黄气上属天。”太史公、祠官宽舒等曰：“神灵之休，祐福兆祥，宜因此地光域立泰畤坛以明应。令太祝领，秋及腊间祠。三岁天子一郊见。”

其秋，为伐南越，告祷泰一，以牡荆画幡日月北斗登龙，以象天一三星，为泰一锋，名曰“灵旗”。为兵祷，则太史奉以指所伐国。而五利将军使不敢入海，之泰山祠。上使人微随验，实无所见。五利妄言见其师，其方尽，多不雠。上乃诛五利。

256 Huangdi on the dragon back

A12.20|21

People who went to the sea to look for Mount Penglai said that Mount Penglai was not far away, and those who failed to reach it were probably because they could not see the clouds of the mountain. So the emperor sent officials who were good at observing the clouds to help observe the clouds.

In the autumn of that year, the emperor came to Yong County to prepare for the suburban sacrifice. Someone said: "The Five Emperors are just assistant gods of Taiyi God. We should build a Taiyi altar and let the emperor personally perform the suburban sacrifice." The emperor hesitated and made no decision. Gongsun Qing of Qi said, "This year we got the tripod. The Xinsi day of this winter is the first day of the lunar month, and the morning of that day is the winter solstice, which is the same time when Huangdi got the tripod." A wooden book in Gongsun Qing's possession says: "Huangdi obtained the precious tripod in Wanqu County and asked Gui Yuqu about it. Gui Yuqu replied: ‘Huangdi, you obtained the tripod and the divine strategy for divination on the first day of the winter solstice in the year of Jiyou. This is consistent with the calendar of the heavenly way. The calendar of the heavenly way always repeats itself in a continuous cycle. ’ Then Huangdi calculated the calendar by observing the movement of the sun. From then on, the winter solstice would occur on the morning of the new moon every twenty years. He made twenty calculations in total, for a total of three hundred and eighty years. Huangdi became an immortal and ascended to heaven.” Gongsun Qing wanted to report the matter to the emperor through Suo Zhong. Suo Zhong saw that his book was absurd and suspected that it was a forgery, so he declined, saying, "The matter of the tripod has been settled, so what's the point of reporting it to the emperor?" Gongsun Qing again reported the matter to the emperor through someone he favored. The emperor was very pleased and summoned Gongsun Qing to inquire about the matter. Gongsun Qing replied, "I got this book from Shen Gong, but he is dead." The emperor then asked, "Who is Shen Gong?" Gongsun Qing said: "Shen Gong was a native of Qi. He had contact with An Qisheng and accepted the teachings of Huangdi. He did not leave any other books except this book about the tripod. The book mentions:‘The prosperity of the Han Dynasty should be the same as that of the Yellow Emperor. The sage emperor of the Han Dynasty will appear among the grandsons or great-grandsons of Emperor Gaozu. The appearance of the tripod will definitely allow communication with the gods, and Fengshan should be performed. From ancient times to the present, 72 emperors have performed Fengshan, but only the Yellow Emperor could perform Fengshan on Mount Tai.’ Shen Gong said: "The emperor of the Han Dynasty should also ascend Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to the gods. After ascending Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to the gods, he can become an immortal and ascend to heaven. During the Yellow Emperor's time, there were nearly 10,000 vassal states, and 7,000 of them were built to worship the gods. There are eight famous mountains in the world, three of which are located in the barbarian areas and five are located in the Central Plains. In the Central Plains, there are Huashan, Shoushan, Taishishan, Taishan and Donglaishan. These five mountains are where the Yellow Emperor often traveled, where he met with the gods. The Yellow Emperor sometimes fought and sometimes practiced the way of immortality. He was worried that the people would criticize the way of immortality he practiced, so he decisively killed those who slandered the gods. This continued for more than a hundred years before he was able to communicate with the gods. Huangdi once worshipped the Emperor of Heaven in the suburbs of Yong County and stayed there for three months. Gui Yuqu's nickname was Dahong, and after his death he was buried in Yong County, which is Hongzhong. From then on, Huangdi received the gods in Mingting. Mingting is now Ganquan Mountain. The so-called Hanmen is now Gukou. Huangdi excavated the copper mine in Shoushan and cast a tripod at the foot of Jingshan. After the tripod was cast, a dragon with long whiskers hanging down from its neck came down from the sky to greet Huangdi. Huangdi rode on the dragon's back, and more than 70 officials and concubines followed him, and the dragon flew away. The rest of the officials could not get on, so they all grabbed the dragon's whiskers tightly, and the dragon's whiskers were pulled apart, causing Huangdi's bow to fall. The people looked up at the Yellow Emperor as he ascended to heaven, and they all hugged his bow and the fallen dragon whiskers and cried. Therefore, later generations called this place Dinghu and the bow Wuhao. ’” So the emperor said, "Oh! If I could really be like Huangdi, I would regard leaving my wife and children as taking off my shoes." So he appointed Gongsun Qing as a palace attendant and sent him eastward to Mount Taishi to welcome the immortal.

入海求蓬莱者，言蓬莱不远，而不能至者，殆不见其气。上乃遣望气佐候其气云。

其秋，上幸雍，且郊。或曰“五帝，泰一之佐也。宜立泰一而上亲郊之”。上疑未定。齐人公孙卿曰：“今年得宝鼎，其冬辛巳朔旦冬至，与黄帝时等。”卿有札书曰：“黄帝得宝鼎宛朐，问于鬼臾区。区对曰：‘帝得宝鼎神筴，是岁己酉朔旦冬至，得天之纪，终而复始。’于是黄帝迎日推筴，后率二十岁得朔旦冬至，凡二十推，三百八十年。黄帝仙登于天。”卿因所忠欲奏之。所忠视其书不经，疑其妄书，谢曰：“宝鼎事已决矣，尚何以为！”卿因嬖人奏之。上大说，召问卿。对曰：“受此书申功，申功已死。”上曰：“申功何人也？”卿曰：“申功，齐人也。与安期生通，受黄帝言，无书，独有此鼎书。曰‘汉兴复当黄帝之时。汉之圣者在高祖之孙且曾孙也。宝鼎出而与神通，封禅。封禅七十二王，唯黄帝得上泰山封’。申功曰：‘汉主亦当上封，上封则能仙登天矣。黄帝时万诸侯，而神灵之封居七千。天下名山八，而三在蛮夷，五在中国。中国华山、首山、太室、泰山、东莱，此五山黄帝之所常游，与神会。黄帝且战且学仙。患百姓非其道，乃断斩非鬼神者。百余岁然后得与神通。黄帝郊雍上帝，宿三月。鬼臾区号大鸿，死葬雍，故鸿冢是也。其后于黄帝接万灵明廷。明廷者，甘泉也。所谓寒门者，谷口也。黄帝采首山铜，铸鼎荆山下。鼎既成，有龙垂胡须下迎黄帝。黄帝上骑，群臣后宫从上龙七十余人，龙乃上去。余小臣不得上，乃悉持龙须，龙须拔，堕黄帝之弓。百姓仰望黄帝既上天，乃抱其弓与龙胡须号。故后世因名其处曰鼎湖，其弓曰乌号。’”于是天子曰：“嗟乎！吾诚得如黄帝，吾视去妻子如脱躧耳。”乃拜卿为郎，东使候神于太室。

255 Earth Tripod

A12.19

In June of that year, a wizard named Jin from Fenyin was offering sacrifices to the people at the Hou Tu Temple of Wei Yu. He saw a spot on the ground shaped like a curved hook, so he dug up the soil with his hands and found a tripod. This tripod was very different from ordinary tripods. It had patterns carved on it but no words. The wizard felt strange and reported the matter to the local officials. The local officials reported the incident to Sheng, the governor of Hedong, who then reported it to the court. The emperor sent messengers to check how the wizard Jin got the tripod and confirmed that it was not a fraud. Then he performed a sacrifice according to the etiquette and took the tripod back to Ganquan Palace. The emperor and the tripod traveled together and prepared to present it to the Emperor of Heaven. When they reached Zhongshan, they found that the sky was filled with clouds and covered with yellow clouds. At this time, a deer ran over, and the emperor shot it to death with an arrow and used it to offer sacrifice to the clouds. When they arrived in Chang'an, the officials and ministers all thought that the tripod should be honored. The emperor said, "The Yellow River has been flooding recently, and the harvest has been poor for several years. That's why I went on a tour to various counties to offer sacrifices to Hou Tu (Earth) and pray for a good harvest. This year, the harvest is abundant, but no sacrifices have been held to pay tribute to the earth god. How could this tripod appear?" The relevant officials said: "It is said that a long time ago, Emperor Taihao once made a sacred tripod to show the unification of the world and let all things in heaven and earth return to the sacred tripod. Huangdi made three tripods in total, representing heaven, earth, and man. Xia Yu collected copper from all over the country and made nine tripods, all of which were used to cook livestock for offering sacrifices to gods and ghosts. Whenever there was the Shengzhu Sage Emperor, the tripod would appear. The tripod was passed down from the Xia Dynasty to the Shang Dynasty. In the last years of the Zhou Dynasty, morality was corrupted and the altar used by the State of Song to worship the earth god was destroyed. As a result, the tripod was lost and disappeared. The Zhou Song said: ‘From the hall to the steps, go back and forth, sheep and cattle are ready, the big and small tripods have been checked, don't make noise, don't be proud, be healthy, live long, and have many blessings and fortunes.' Now the tripod has been brought to Ganquan Palace. Its appearance is extremely brilliant and its changes are magical and agile, which indicates that the Han Dynasty will surely receive endless good fortune. This is exactly the auspicious sign that when you arrived at Zhongshan, yellow and white auspicious clouds covered the sky and the auspicious beasts of deer welcomed you below. The big bow and four arrows under the altar that you obtained are all the rewards you got for offering sacrifices to the ancestors near and far in the Taimiao. Only those who receive the Mandate of Heaven and become emperors can understand the will of Heaven and conform to Heaven's virtue. Therefore, the tripod should be offered to the ancestors and kept in the palace of the Emperor of Heaven, which is consistent with the various auspicious omens before. "The emperor issued an edict saying: "Yes."

其夏六月中，汾阴巫锦为民祠魏脽后土营旁，见地如钩状，掊视得鼎。鼎大异于众鼎，文镂毋款识，怪之，言吏。吏告河东太守胜，胜以闻。天子使使验问巫锦得鼎无奸诈，乃以礼祠，迎鼎至甘泉，从行，上荐之。至中山，晏温，有黄云盖焉。有麃过，上自射之，因以祭云。至长安，公卿大夫皆议请尊宝鼎。天子曰：“间者河溢，岁数不登，故巡祭后土，祈为百姓育谷。今年丰庑未有报，鼎曷为出哉？”有司皆曰：“闻昔大帝兴神鼎一，一者一统，天地万物所系终也。黄帝作宝鼎三，象天地人也。禹收九牧之金，铸九鼎，皆尝鬺烹上帝鬼神。遭圣则兴，迁于夏商。周德衰，宋之社亡，鼎乃沦伏而不见。颂云‘自堂徂基，自羊徂牛；鼐鼎及鼒，不虞不骜，胡考之休’。今鼎至甘泉，光润龙变，承休无疆。合兹中山，有黄白云降盖，若兽为符，路弓乘矢，集获坛下，报祠大飨。惟受命而帝者心知其意而合德焉。鼎宜见于祖祢，藏于帝廷，以合明应。”制曰：“可。”

254 Heavenly Way

A12.18

At that time, the emperor was worried about the Yellow River bursting its banks, and the gold had not been refined yet, so he appointed Luan Da as the General of Five Benefits. In just over a month, Luan Da had already obtained four gold seals, including the seals of General of Heaven, General of Earth, General of Great Communication, and General of Heavenly Way. The emperor issued an edict to the censor, saying: "In the past, Great Yu dredged the nine rivers and opened up the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Huai River, and the Ji River. Recently, the river overflowed and flooded the land, and the labor of building embankments continued. I have ruled the world for 28 years. If the heaven wants to send me an alchemist, it should be General of Great Communication. The Qian Gua calls it "flying dragon", and the Jian Gua also mentions "wild geese". This should be a compliment to the mutual benefit between us, the monarch and his subjects! General of Earth, Luan Da, should be appointed as the Marquis of Letong with a place of 2,000 households." He gave Luan Da a house and a thousand servants, and gave him carriages, horses, curtains, and other utensils that the emperor did not need, filling his new house. He married Princess Wei Chang to him and gave her 10,000 jin of gold as a dowry, and changed her title to Princess Dangli. The emperor also personally came to General Wuli's residence, and the envoys also went to express their condolences, and the gifts they presented filled the road. From the emperor's aunt, the Grand Princess, to the generals and ministers, they all went to the Luan family to set up a banquet and presented gifts to him. So the emperor also carved a seal with the words "General Heavenly Way" on it, and asked the envoy to hold the jade seal, wear clothes made of bird feathers, and stand on white grass at night. General Wuli also wore clothes made of bird feathers and stood on white grass to receive the jade seal, to show that the emperor did not regard the recipient of the seal as his own subject. And wearing the seal of "Heavenly Way" was to guide the gods to come on behalf of the emperor. Therefore, Wuli often offered sacrifices at home at night, hoping to use this method to ask the gods to come. But the gods did not come, and all kinds of evil spirits gathered here, but General Wuli was very good at driving these ghosts. Soon he packed his luggage and headed east to the sea, according to legend, to find his teacher. Luan Da had only been introduced for a few months, but he was already wearing six seals, and his dignity was enough to shock the world. When the alchemists in the coastal areas of Yan and Qi saw him, they excitedly shook his wrist and said that they had a secret recipe that could summon immortals.

是时上方忧河决，而黄金不就，乃拜大为五利将军。居月余，得四金印，佩天士将军、地士将军、大通将军、天道将军印。制诏御史：“昔禹疏九江，决四渎。间者河溢皋陆，隄繇不息。朕临天下二十有八年，天若遗朕士而大通焉。乾称‘蜚龙’，‘鸿渐于般’，意庶几与焉。其以二千户封地士将军大为乐通侯。”赐列侯甲第，僮千人。乘舆斥车马帷帐器物以充其家。又以卫长公主妻之，赍金万斤，更名其邑曰当利公主。天子亲如五利之第。使者存问所给，连属于道。自大主将相以下，皆置酒其家，献遗之。于是天子又刻玉印曰“天道将军”，使使衣羽衣，夜立白茅上，五利将军亦衣羽衣，立白茅上受印，以示弗臣也。而佩“天道”者，且为天子道天神也。于是五利常夜祠其家，欲以下神。神未至而百鬼集矣，然颇能使之。其后治装行，东入海，求其师云。大见数月，佩六印，贵振天下，而海上燕齐之间，莫不搤捥而自言有禁方，能神仙矣。