Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2775 The First Year of Jian'an: The Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai

In August of the first year of Jian'an, Li Xiang led civil and military officials, as well as vassal kings returning from various places.

Of course, they weren't allowed to return from South Asia. It would probably take almost two years for them to come back and forth, so there was no need to make them go through all that trouble.

The large group officially set off from Luoyang and embarked on their journey to Mount Tai.

After more than three months, on November 3rd of the first year of Jian'an, the enormous procession finally arrived at the foot of Mount Tai.

After three days of preparation, the Fengshan ceremony officially began on November 7th of the first year of Jian'an.

November 7th, morning.

As dawn broke, banners fluttered like a forest at the foot of Mount Tai. A dense mass of imperial guards stood solemnly on both sides of the imperial road.

The auspicious hour has arrived; nine drumbeats resound, their sound shaking the world.

Emperor Li Xiang did not ride in a palanquin, but instead removed his crown and, wearing only a dark black robe, stepped barefoot onto the first stone step.

This is an ancient ritual. When the emperor ascends the celestial ladder, he does so with sincerity to move Heaven and with his steps to measure the mountains and rivers.

Behind Li Xiang were civil and military officials, even feudal lords and kings, including the "Dancing King of Luoyang" with a complicated expression.

The ruler of this vassal state was summoned to Luoyang just before the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai. He was originally intended to be brought along to demonstrate the power of the Great Jin Dynasty.

The Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai was of great significance to the emperor!

Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han both visited this place, and Emperor Taizong of Tang longed to come here his whole life, but for various reasons, he never made it.

Of course, Li Xiang only hoped that future generations would not have a monarch like the Song Dynasty who single-handedly ruined the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

But at least until now, it's like the glory of a military general, such as the sealing of the wolf's lair.

The Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai was a pursuit of many emperors.

The people following behind Li Xiang were all dressed in formal attire, walking alongside him and following behind the emperor.

The stone steps leading to the summit of Mount Tai are made of cold, hard stones that feel uncomfortable underfoot; each step feels like a question.

If a monarch lacked sufficient achievements, he would probably turn around and go home at this point.

Emperor Li Xiang, however, remained calm as he continued upwards step by step.

He unified the world internally, and externally destroyed Japan, took over the peninsula, pacified the southeast, and conquered South Asia. In the eastern grasslands, he established the Beiting Protectorate to govern it, and in the western grasslands, he went beyond the Great Wall four times, destroying the three Khanates and making the Yuan Mongols dare not look south.

In terms of civil administration, he pioneered the imperial examination system, abolished the position of prime minister, established the Six Ministries system, appointed the cabinet to discuss national affairs, developed the south, extensively repaired roads, and opened the Grand Canal, although this Grand Canal was still under construction.

In terms of culture, he gathered talents from all directions, established three academies, and compiled the Qianyuan Grand Ceremony during the Qianyuan era.

Economically, he spread high-yield crops such as potatoes to all corners of the world, improved salt and sugar production methods, vigorously developed commerce, and opened the Maritime Silk Road. Great Jin's silk, ceramics, tea and other commodities were exported to Sassanid Persia and the Roman Empire in Europe, and even a small amount was introduced to Egypt.

In diplomacy, the equal and cooperative diplomatic relations between Jin and Sa have been maintained for nearly ten years. The two great empires are determined to build a Greater Asia Prosperity Sphere. Wherever their merchant ships go, many small Western countries yearn for the prosperity of Jin and many countries submit their credentials to Greater Asia.

Both government-owned and privately-owned merchant ships spread the power and prestige of the Great Jin Dynasty far and wide during their commercial voyages.

In particular, the government-run merchant ships based on treasure ships, which were half merchants and half military, sailed all the way to the far west.

Furthermore, as the merchant ships of the Great Jin Dynasty sailed far and wide, many small countries, after recognizing the power of the Great Jin Dynasty, expressed their desire to become vassal states.

At this time, many white people traveled thousands of miles to the Great Jin via the Silk Road or the Maritime Silk Road.

He walked this path with a clear conscience.

The path he was walking on was the same path once trodden by Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han. It felt as if the steps beneath his feet were not just stone steps, but also a heavy weight of history.

The cliff walls on both sides are covered with inscriptions from previous dynasties. The bold and vigorous seal script of the Bao Tai dynasty and the clerical script of the Han dynasty appear and disappear in the morning light, silently telling the story of the past glory and vicissitudes of the two empires before the Jin dynasty.

Although the procession was large, it was very orderly. In such a solemn occasion, no one would, and no one would dare to, do anything out of line.

Therefore, along the way, there was only the sound of boots stepping on stones, the sound of banners fluttering in the wind, and the occasional bird calls from the distant mountains.

The higher we went, the stronger the wind became, whipping our robes into a fluttering, cloud-like motion. Looking back, the procession stretched like a long dragon, winding through the verdant mountains. Below, clouds began to rise, gathering into a sea of ​​mist, with only a few peaks peeking out like islands from the sea of ​​clouds, creating a breathtaking panorama.

Halfway there, Emperor Li Xiang and his civil and military officials took a short rest at Chaoyang Cave.

The cave enshrines the God of the Eastern Peak, and the emperor personally burned incense and offered wine in a complicated and solemn ceremony.

However, it seems that the living Dongyue God was right beside him.

But Fei Hu is getting old after all!

That once invincible general on the battlefield now has to pant for half a day just to walk up a few steps!
I wonder how many more years I have left!

In the end, the waves have washed away the heroes!
Inside Chaoyang Cave, the official in charge of rites loudly recited a prayer, the words of which were ancient and profound, praising the emperor's achievements in unifying the world and ushering in a prosperous era, and praying for favorable weather, peace and prosperity for the country.

After a short rest, we continued uphill, passing Shengxianfang, where the slope became even steeper.

The stone steps were slippery, and many civil officials were already panting heavily, relying entirely on their guards for support.

Sweat beaded on the emperor's forehead, but his steps remained remarkably steady.

His gaze swept over the generals beside him, including Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and Yue Fei. These meritorious officials who had helped him pacify the four seas were now holding their breath and guarding him, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

Finally, the South Heavenly Gate came into view.

The massive stone gate, partially obscured by clouds and mist, seemed to truly be the entrance to the heavens.

The platform in front of the gate was spacious, and an altar had already been set up. The altar was built with five-colored soil, corresponding to the four directions and the center, where the sacrificial offerings were displayed, and the bronze ritual vessels gleamed with a deep luster under the sunlight.

The emperor washed his hands and rinsed his mouth at the Heavenly Gate, put on his twelve-tassel crown again, and wore a black robe embroidered with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and insects. His aura suddenly became incomparably majestic.

At this moment, the sea of ​​clouds is beneath our feet, and the sunlight pours down without obstruction, turning the entire summit of Mount Tai into gold.

At the summit, the howling wind caused the crown's tassels to sway violently and the robes to flutter, yet this only added to its imposing and majestic presence.

Grand ceremonial music was played, with bells and chimes resounding, and the ancient and desolate sounds pierced through the clouds.

The emperor, holding a jade tablet, faced east and read aloud the Fengshan edict he had personally written.

"...I have received the Mandate of Heaven to quell the chaos of the world and finally bring peace to the four seas. I dare not boast of my military achievements, but only remember the hardships of the people... Today I ascend Mount Tai to report my success to Heaven and pray for the eternal peace of our land..."

After reading it, Li Xiang personally lit the memorial text. Flames rose, and the ashes swirled into the clouds, as if they could truly reach the heavens.

This was followed by the extremely solemn ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows.

As the ceremony concluded, shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" erupted from the mountaintop, rolling across the mountains like thunder and reaching the heavens.

All the civil and military officials, feudal lords, soldiers, and guards knelt down in unison, presenting the most sublime tribute to the emperor.

As the most special one among the entourage, Xuan Ye also knelt on the ground with the others, his forehead pressed against the cold stone surface.

After lingering on the assembled officials for a moment, Li Xiang turned around and looked down upon the vast landscape.

His gaze swept across the sea of ​​clouds below, through layers of mist, as if he could see the grasslands his iron hooves had trampled, the boundless seas his fleet had traversed, and the myriad lights of Luoyang City.

From the age of twelve to now, he is fifty years old. He has struggled in this chaotic world for nearly forty years before finally standing here.

Thinking of this, his heart was filled with excitement.

"Twelve times he wielded his spear and marched out of the land; fifty times he performed the Fengshan ceremony at the summit of Mount Tai."

Iron hooves trampled through the fog of the nine provinces, and royal banners swept away the smoke of the four seas.

In the south, they conquered the Kushan and captured their ruler; in the north, they hunted on the grasslands and extinguished the flames of war.

Thirty-eight years have passed in the blink of an eye; we have lived up to history and the will of Heaven!

"Life is long, but too short. How can one not cherish such a beautiful land?" Li Xiang murmured to himself as a thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have achieved the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai..."