Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 249 Pretending to be a ghost
Just as the sun rose, the solemn Fengshan ceremony began on the top of Mount Tai.

To be more precise, this is Liangfu Mountain, which is where sacrifices to heaven were offered during the Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai.

Liu Che wore a yellow crown, which was different from the previous custom. In the Han Dynasty, red was the preferred color, but the meaning of this Fengshan ceremony was different, and everything had a special meaning.

Green soil in the east, red soil in the south, black soil in the north, white soil in the west, and yellow soil in the middle.

The altar is built with five colors of soil, and thick thatch with more than three sections is used as a gift.

Liu Che had a solemn expression. He personally shot cattle, cut open the flesh of cattle, and slaughtered pigs. Tailao had already been offered as a tribute.

Huo Xian, dressed in a formal suit, knelt on one side, holding the tray high in both hands. This was what he should do as a sacrificial companion.

"I am a humble man who has inherited the throne of the Supreme Being. I am very cautious and fearful that I am not worthy of the title and am ignorant of rites and music."

Sima Qian could only watch from afar, which was a huge improvement, although there was still a certain distance. Even if he listened carefully, he could not hear clearly what the emperor said.

But no matter what, he now knows the specific rituals of Fengshan and the general etiquette. This is progress and can be recorded in history books.

The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were so far away in time that the current Fengshan ceremonies were customized by Liu Che, so naturally they need to be recorded.

After the Fengshan ceremony was over, Huo Xian stood up again and walked up to the emperor holding the tray high.

Cao Zong also followed, holding a pickaxe in his hand. The next thing to do was to bury the jade tablet, which was also an extremely important prop for Fengshan. It was the emperor's memorial to the gods.

Huo Xian and Cao Zong were naturally just supporting roles. In such an occasion, there could only be one protagonist, and that was the emperor. Others could only be participants, silently participating and praying sincerely on the side.

Naturally, there is no need to think too much about other things. Obviously, there is no benefit in thinking too much, and everyone knows this.

Whether it was Fengshan or offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, it was the emperor's power, and others should not have any extravagant hopes. It was a great honor to be lucky enough to watch the ceremony.

After Liu Che personally buried the jade tablet, he said, "Marquis Guanjun, follow me in the enthronement ceremony."

Huo Xian replied politely, "I obey your order."

It doesn't matter whether others are jealous or envious, or think that they have guessed it, no one seems to be surprised by this arrangement.

In the past, as a close minister of the emperor, Huo Xian could accompany the emperor in the enthronement ceremony. Now that he has the merit of plundering thousands of miles of land, it is naturally more legitimate for him to do so.

Sima Qian could only be extremely anxious. He did not know the contents of the Fengshan Book, nor did he know what was in the Jade Book. Now the emperor would once again perform the enthronement ceremony with the Marquis of Guanjun, and no one else knew the details.

In the history books, perhaps all that is left is "After the ceremony, the emperor went up Mount Tai alone with the attendant and the charioteer, and was also given a title, but all other matters were forbidden."

Even if Sima Qian was extremely anxious, he could only worry at this time. The emperor would not talk about these things, and the Marquis of Guanjun would obviously not say anything either. Others could only guess.

Huo Xian took the ring-handled sword from Liu Mo and put it on, then took the huge package handed to him by Zhao Hexi and put it on his back. All of this had been prepared long ago.

All the officials and guards, including Cao Zong, could only watch and see the emperor and Marquis Guanjun walking further and further away. Those who were supposed to guard the altar did so, while those who were supposed to go down the mountain did so.

Liu Che and Tang Seng are actually somewhat similar.

Tang Seng would enter any temple he saw and worship any Buddha he met, without caring whether it was real or fake.

As for Buddhism, it has not yet been officially introduced. Perhaps in a few decades, a religion called Futuoism will begin to spread slowly.

However, Huo Xian vaguely felt that he might have come into contact with early Buddhism, because Buddhism was actually introduced to these places in the Western Regions earlier.

As for Taoism, in a broad sense, Taoism and Taoism are two concepts that are both related and different.

Although there are Huang-Lao and Taoism now, these are schools represented by the thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and the word "Taoism" was proposed by Sima Qian's father Sima Tan.

The real Taoism was formed through continuous development from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties.

Liu Che now thought that everything he saw was a miracle or a divine fate, so he didn't want to let it go at all. He would rather kill a thousand people by mistake than let one go.

After all, he is getting older, and naturally he feels more and more urgent. He longs for immortality.

Huo Xian, who was wearing a formal dress and carrying a huge backpack, turned his head and looked behind him, "Your Majesty, during the Fengshan ceremony today, I felt a faint glow."

Liu Che immediately perked up and said, "I feel the same way, but I am not sure. I don't trust those people below me either. They always want to deceive me."

Huo Xian said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I believe that 'the plan for the year begins in spring, and the plan for the day begins in the morning. I deliberately chose the time of sunrise, when the heaven and man can naturally sense it."

Liu Che's eyes lit up at Huo Xian's "summary". Many people understand the truth, but they may not be able to express it.

This idiom actually appeared during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. But there is nothing to worry about. Huo Xian has summarized a lot of things, and he even called him "Your Highness".

Huo Xian continued, "Your Majesty, please think about it carefully. This was the glow from the east, and it was right in front of Your Majesty. I was kneeling at the time and didn't dare to look up, for fear of disturbing you."

Liu Che was even more pleased, for no one knew better than him what kind of daring and reckless person Huo Xian was. But when it came to serious matters, he never let anyone down.

Liu Che also said, "I was praying at that time and had no time to look at it. If I am not pious enough, I am afraid that it will be difficult for the mountain god to favor me."

"Your Majesty, I will ask someone later." Huo Xian said with great confidence, "If we have seen it, then others can certainly see it too. But when I look for someone, I have to check carefully."

Liu Che had been deceived for so many years and had some experience. "That's right. If I ask, I'll get nothing but good words and exaggerations. Who knows, someone might be deceiving me!"

Huo Xian nodded repeatedly and said in agreement, "So I have to ask first. I'm afraid some people will say nonsense just to climb up the ladder, and then it will be bad if I really miss the opportunity."

As he said this, Huo Xian unwrapped the package and said, "Your Majesty, it's time for us to pay respect to the ancestors."

Liu Che immediately took action. The so-called Dengfeng Ceremony was not just a simple walk. Liu Che was very persistent in Fengshan, and he was also imitating the ancient sages.

The Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai was not his original creation. According to the legend that has been passed down, there were seventy-two families who offered sacrifices to the gods at Mount Tai and offered sacrifices to Liangfu. This story has been circulating since the Western Zhou Dynasty.

That is to say, there were seventy-two emperors in ancient times who enshrined Mount Tai and worshipped Liangfu, including Wuhuai, Fuxi, Shennong, Yan Emperor, Huang Emperor, Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, and King Cheng of Zhou.

Liu Che took Huo Shan to perform the enthronement ceremony, and they also paid homage to the seventy-two emperors along the way, hoping that these sages could bless them.

Especially among these seventy-two emperors, many of them became immortals. Liu Che naturally hoped that these sages would see his achievements and bring him into the realm of gods.

They were all emperors and had made great achievements, so Liu Che hoped that these sages would give him more recognition so that he could fulfill some of his long-cherished wishes.

The Dengfeng Ceremony, this was when Liu Che took Huo Shan to seek immortality, but this matter was done in a very secretive manner.

After all, as an emperor, Liu Che must maintain some face, otherwise it will definitely affect his prestige.

On the other hand, Liu Che was extremely sensitive and stingy. If he really had a chance to become an immortal, he would definitely only care about himself. He would not care about his wife or son at all.

This man was very envious of the Yellow Emperor. If a dragon came to carry him to heaven, Liu Che would immediately climb on it. He would throw away his wife, children, etc. like taking off his shoes.

This is what Liu Che said himself. From this point of view, it really fits the character of the emperor of the Liu family. He himself is obviously the most important.

Huo Xian would not be narcissistic, and would think that the emperor would take him with him when he ascended to heaven. When that time really came, the emperor would not care about anyone, and whoever blocked his immortal fate would be ruthlessly destroyed.

But there is no need to care about those things at this time. It is more important to continue to accompany the emperor to worship gods.

After worshipping Fuxi, Huo Xian and Liu Che continued to move forward. Worshiping the gods is one thing and the ceremony of ascending the throne is another. The two can be taken into consideration and carried out at the same time.

The most important thing is that there must be no delay. These two things are extremely important. The emperor will do it himself without any slackness or complaints.

Even if he usually likes to enjoy himself, Liu Che will not complain at this time, which can be said to be extremely pious. As for Huo Xian, he can be spoiled at ordinary times, but at this time he is Liu Che's best assistant.

Liu Che slowly stopped and looked at the sea of ​​clouds. "Xian'er, what do you think an immortal looks like?"

Huo Xian replied, "Your Majesty, how would I know? But I think immortals must be free and happy, and live forever."

There is nothing wrong with this. In the final analysis, we cannot apply some of the later immortal systems to today's era. Today's immortals are not the kind that can fly, hide, change unpredictably, have great magical powers, etc.

In the perception of many people today, immortals are immortal and have "evolved" from mortals. They have their own fairy islands, live forever and have no worries, instead of thinking about practicing and so on.

Liu Che said with envy, "Yes, that's how immortals should be. Live forever, be free, live on an immortal island, and enjoy yourself."

However, Huo Xian felt that if it was really such a god, Emperor Liu Che would definitely not be able to bear it. The emperor wanted to live forever, not only because he was afraid of death, but also because he was reluctant to give up his current life and wealth.

The prevailing ethos in the Han Dynasty was that after death, one could still live the same life as when alive in the underworld. This was the reason why Han tombs had rich burial objects.

This is something to complain about, that is why it is said that nine out of ten Han tombs are empty. Everyone knows that there are many burial objects in Han tombs, and those who are raising funds and want to get rich are all keeping an eye on them.

Liu Che did not kneel every three steps or kowtow every ten steps, but he bowed naturally where necessary along the way without any delay.

Why did they spend the night on Mount Tai? Of course, it was because it took a lot of time to worship all the way down. At this time, the civil and military officials had already come down the mountain and gathered in the Mingtang.

Next we have to go to the nearby Suran Mountain. Now we are only offering sacrifices to heaven, and later we will have to offer sacrifices to Hou Tu. This is the complete sacrifice to heaven and earth. These are two complete rituals.

Liu Che suddenly looked into the distance and said excitedly, "Xian'er, look!"

Huo Xian looked over and vaguely saw a rainbow. "Your Majesty, it's the glow of the sunset! It looks like it's coming from the east. We've come to the right place this time!"

Hearing what Huo Xian said, Liu Che became even more excited, "I feel the same way! For a long time, I have always felt that the immortal destiny lies in the East!"

It is normal for Liu Che to have such strong self-suggestion, after all, he has never given up. The most important thing is that the legends of the three immortal mountains are all pointed out to be in the East China Sea.

Under such circumstances, Liu Che naturally believed that his destiny as an immortal was in the East. There was no need to feel strange about this. It seemed that all this was natural and inevitable.

Huo Xian still felt very happy. As long as he had some little expectations, Emperor Liu Che could continue to maintain his enthusiasm and persistence instead of being suspicious.

Perhaps he also needs to start taking action continuously, to give the emperor some ideas, to try to change the emperor's course in seeking immortality and finding immortality.

It's not about hoping to change the emperor's cognition and completely abandon some superstitions, but to use some religious knowledge that can stand the test and has a deeper foundation to change the emperor's cognition.

Even in the Western Han Dynasty, witchcraft was still very popular. The so-called witchcraft refers to curses, such as piercing a doll.

But even if such things do not involve imperial power, many people still believe in them. Because of the curses cast on people, many people in this era believe them very much.

Huo Xian suddenly became a little worried. He didn't know much about religion, and if he pretended to be a god, he would be exposed soon. If that happened, it would be terrible, and the emperor would definitely be furious.

This matter must be carefully considered, and there must be no mistakes in this matter, otherwise no one can take responsibility.

But time is very tight. The emperor is getting older and more suspicious. The emperor's anger is no joke.

Not to mention that Wei Huo is here now, just wait and see. With Wei Huo here, naturally no villain would dare to frame the crown prince, and Liu Ju's position would naturally be very stable.

But once the emperor starts to become confused, no one knows whether he will suddenly become dizzy and issue an edict.

Now is such a sensitive period, it is definitely not a bad thing to make preparations for both situations.

Liu Che was still worshipping devoutly, seeking some immortal fate. Huo Xian, who seemed to be following devoutly, was daydreaming and thinking about some things in the future.

(End of this chapter)