The Zen Ceremony simulated by the present generation
Fengchan is the ceremony of the ancient Chinese emperors to solemnly sacrifice heaven and earth on Mount Tai. The origin of this ritual is very early, and the "Guan Zi Feng Zen" written around the time of the Warring States period records that Fuxi, Shennong, Yandi, and Huangdi all performed this ritual in ancient times. However, this account may not be accurate. In 219 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the ancient world, sealed Mount Taishan, which opened the precedent of the ancient Chinese emperor sealing Mount Zen. After that, Emperor Wu of han and Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty both went to Mount Taishan to perform Zen ceremonies. However, the emperors such as Qi Huangong, Emperor Wei Ming, and Emperor Wu of Jin, who were at the head of the "Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons", failed to seal Mount Taishan for the rest of their lives for various reasons. Even Tang Taizong, who created the "Rule of Zhenguan", although he wanted to go to Mount Taishan several times and three times to seal Zen, he was repeatedly hindered and did not do it until he died.
Fu Dalong plays Qin Shi Huang
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Tang Taizong's early zhenguan, the beginning of the country's reunification, the advent of peace, and economic recovery heralded the imminent birth of a peaceful and prosperous world. In the first month of the fifth year of Zhenguan (631), Li Xiaogong performed a zen ceremony. Tang Taizong believed that although Li Xiaogong's words were not false, after the great chaos, "the withering and decaying have not yet recovered, the fields are open, and the warehouses are still empty", which is far from the extreme prosperity. If you hurriedly perform the ritual of sealing Zen Taishan, you can only incur ridicule. Although Tang Taizong longed for Fengchan Taishan, in view of the current situation, he still rationally vetoed Li Xiaogong's proposal. However, he did not say the words to death, but only asked that after the situation improved, it would not be too late.
Tang Taizong's insincere mentality attracted the attention of some good and thoughtful courtiers. In December of the same year, The Elder Warrior Officiation, the father of Empress Wu Zetian, continued to play the fengzen Taishan. Although Tang Taizong still refused on the previous grounds, he still couldn't help but brag to his subjects about his "martial arts" (pacifying the late Sui Dynasty and dividing the Qunxiong), "Wenjiao" (Turkic annexation, special parties coming to the dynasty), "benevolence" (treating captured Turkic monarchs as naked sons), "Dunben" (Shi Linyi, Silla contributing to the bird of speech, and returning to the country with female music), and "Chongxin" (the grand duke was selfless and rewarded and punished), and his narcissistic mentality jumped on the paper. And hinted at the group of courtiers: "It is advisable to show the famous mountain to thank the heavens and the earth." ”
The emperor made such a statement, how could the courtiers not hurry up and rush to flattery? In the sixth year of Zhenguan, the Turks were pacified and the crops were harvested. The group of courtiers took the opportunity to play and clamored for the sealing of Zen Taishan. Although Tang Taizong "modestly" vetoed it several times, saying that as long as the world is peaceful and the family is sufficient, even if it does not practice the Zen ceremony, it will be regarded as Yao and Shun; if the people are insufficient, Yi Di will invade, and even if the Zen ceremony is sealed, it will be regarded as a zen ceremony. Just as Qin Shi Huang practiced sealing Zen, he was scolded by later generations; although Emperor Wen of Han did not practice sealing Zen, he was praised by later generations. But in his heart, he may hope that the group of ministers will "continue to work hard." After all, only when the courtiers repeatedly played the invitation and the emperor "refused" many times could the emperor show his humility and humility.
Tang Taizong
The courtiers were very aware of the emperor's true intentions, and they were also very interested in "asking for it". However, there are really people who can't hold back and jump out to express their opposition. He is Wei Zheng, who is famous for violating Yan Zhizhi. Originally, after several resignations, Tang Taizong was ready to play it, but Leng was disturbed by the uninteresting countryman Wei Zheng. Tang Taizong, who was extremely angry, no longer cared about any demeanor and cultivation, and the small universe exploded in an instant! He asked Wei Zheng, is it that the merits of Yuanzheng are not high? Virtue is not thick? China uneasy? Four Yi did not serve? Or is it a bad harvest and Fu Rui has not arrived? Wei Zheng said, you are doing very well! Tang Taizong said, Then why are you stopping me from sealing Zen?
Wei Zheng said unhurriedly: Although the world is now unified and the four seas are at peace, but the great chaos is flat, disasters are frequent, and from the east of Yi and Luo, "thousands of miles are vast, the population is cut off, the chickens and dogs are not heard, and the roads are depressed." Where is the scene of peace and prosperity? In Hebei and Shandong, Li Jiancheng and Dou Jiande were lying dormant and waiting for an opportunity to make trouble. Rushing to the east, it is very easy to cause trouble to the Xiao Wall. Not long ago, His Majesty's dragon was in poor health, and he could not bear the fatigue of long-distance bumps. After listening to Wei Zheng's words, Tang Taizong was silent. Soon, floods broke out in the area of present-day Henan and Hebei. Tang Taizong finally temporarily dismissed the idea of sealing Zen Taishan.
Wei
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Zhenguan Chu did not yet have the conditions to seal Mount Taishan, forcing Tang Taizong to temporarily press the idea of sealing Zen, and also forced him to exert himself to govern, the economy of the Tang Dynasty became increasingly prosperous, and the country was peaceful and stable. In the eighth and ninth years of Zhenguan, "frequent to Fengnei ... Horses and cattle are wild, and outsiders are not closed for months. "The scene of prosperity has gradually emerged. The triumphant Tang Taizong repeatedly told his subjects: His merits are not inferior to that of Emperor Qin and Emperor Wu of Han. The Qunchen took the opportunity to play the fengzen Taishan in the eleventh year of Zhenguan (637). This time, Tang Taizong no longer resigned and gave in, and ordered that the ceremony of sealing Zen be agreed upon.
Or because of the complicated ritual of sealing Zen and the ambiguity of them, it is difficult to determine, and the relevant work is slow to progress. In the fourteenth year of Zhenguan (640), the courtiers once again played the request for feng zen, and Emperor Taizong of Tang ordered the Confucians to seize the time to formulate the rituals. In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, the territory of Suzhou Was full of zhicao, and the fathers and elders of Yongzhou also "spontaneously" played the feng zen. Xiang Rui and public opinion poured in, which made Emperor Taizong very happy, and issued an edict to perform the Zen ceremony in February of the following year.
Unexpectedly, in June of the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, the comet rushed to the Taiwei Emperor's throne, which was very ominous, and Chu Suiliang asked to suspend the sealing of Zen. Emperor Taizong was hesitating, and internal and external troubles such as the debauchery of the crown prince Li Chengqian, the outspoken teacher Yu Zhining, the collusion with the Turks and the dead party, and Xue Yantuo's attack on the Turks, forced the distraught Tang Taizong to suspend the sealing of Zen again.
Crown Prince Li Chengqian
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In the twentieth year of Zhenguan (646), Situ Changsun Wuji led hundreds of officials to repeatedly perform the feng zen. Emperor Taizong allowed the music to be played, and the emperor summoned the Confucians to agree on the etiquette of sealing Zen and to cultivate the feather ceremony. In the twenty-first year of Zhenguan (647), Emperor Taizong issued an edict and decided to seal Mount Zen in the spring of the following year. In August, Emperor Taizong issued the "Edict on Stopping sealing Zen", and for the third time canceled the ceremony of sealing Zen. Why?
In the "Edict of Stopping sealing Zen", Tang Taizong mentioned three reasons for stopping sealing: first, Xue Yantuo had just surrendered and should be properly placed; second, the construction of civil engineering and palaces was built, resulting in countless costs; third, "several states in Hebei were quite injured and flooded", and the victims were displaced, and it was not appropriate to labor and lose money because of the sealing of Zen.
I don't know whether Tang Taizong intentionally or unintentionally, there is no mention of another major event in the "Edict of Stopping Sealing Zen" that may force him to suspend The Third Time of Sealing Zen - the Battle of Tang Zheng goryeo.
In February of the nineteenth year of Zhenguan (645), Emperor Taizong of Tang personally conquered Goryeo because "the world is determined, only Liaodong is not a guest". In July, the Tang army was blocked at Anshi (安市, in present-day southwest liaoyang, Liaoning), and fought bloodily for more than two months, but still could not conquer it, and the Tang army, which suffered heavy casualties, was forced to withdraw.
Unwilling to be defeated, Tang Taizong trained his sailors, built warships, and attacked Goryeo twice in the 21st and 22nd years of Zhenguan. Although the Tang army achieved some small victories, it was never able to conquer Goryeo. Frequent and fierce wars have increased the economic burden on the people. Many people were forced to sell their fields and men, pay taxes and complete their military duties. Desperate people simply took risks and launched an uprising. In his later years, Tang Taizong, in view of the crisis in China, still stopped the "face project" of sealing Zen. Perhaps, he believes that if he comes to Japan for a long time, there will be no shortage of opportunities to seal Zen Taishan in the future. However, in April of the twenty-third year of Zhenguan (649), Tang Taizong died suddenly. Not reaching Taishan to seal Zen may have become one of the great regrets of his life.
Taishan Five Mountains are exclusive
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Tang Taizong, the saint of the generation who created the "Rule of Zhenguan", wanted to seal Mount Taishan many times, but he was repeatedly hindered, and he failed to perform the ritual of sealing Mount Taishan until his death, which became one of the great regrets in his life. Although Tang Taizong was a saint of a generation, he was also like an ordinary person, unable to get rid of the temptation of vanity. Although he was fascinated by the grand ceremony of sealing Zen, he was also able to judge the hour and size up the situation, listen to both advice and listen, act according to his ability, suppress selfish desires, and suspend the sealing many times. This is a rare and valuable thing among the ancient Chinese emperors, worthy of respect by future generations, and also worthy of people's one-sided pursuit of false reputations and false reputations today, regardless of objective reality.
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Sima Qian (Western Han Dynasty): History, Zhonghua Bookstore, 1959.
(Later Jin) Liu Xun et al.: Old Book of Tang, Zhonghua Bookstore, 1975.
Chen Shuguo: A History of Chinese Ritual System (Sui and Tang Dynasties Volume), Hunan Education Publishing House, 1998.
Liu Jifu, "A Preliminary Investigation into the Reasons why Tang Taizong Did Not Seal Zen in the End", Yindu Academic Journal, No. 2, 1993.
(Author: Haoran Wenshi Gaosheng)
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