A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 79 Obtaining the Unicorn
This day is an auspicious day.

On the banks of the Wei River, at the altar of the Five Emperors.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies, also known as Wei Buhai, the Marquis of Dangtu, led six officials—the Grand Master of Music, the Grand Master of Sacrifices, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, the Grand Master of History, the Grand Master of Divination, and the Grand Master of Medicine—to arrange the sacrificial ceremony and the subsequent exorcism ritual with the Hu shaman.

Joyful and lively.

Liu Ju watched the shaman chanting incantations and hopping around, and his expression underwent a subtle change.

Throughout history, tales of gods and ghosts have never ceased. From emperors to commoners, most people prefer to believe in such things. Even Confucius said, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits."

Confucius would not actively discuss strange phenomena, violence, rebellion, ghosts and spirits, but the principle of "respecting ghosts and spirits while keeping them at a distance" is exactly what he meant.

The royal families of successive dynasties regarded witchcraft as a taboo subject that might possess mysterious powers. It was perfectly acceptable for the emperor and the court to use it, but they had to do their best to prevent others from using it.

After all, who knows if the object of the curse during the witchcraft was the emperor himself?

During the Qin Dynasty, the court even had a special official in charge of secret prayers. Whenever there was a calamity or anomaly in the world, the official in charge of secret prayers would perform rituals to pray to the gods and spirits that the disaster would not befall the emperor, but would instead be transferred to the officials and the common people.

That's how awful it is.

Even if it is a calamity for the emperor, it should be transferred to the officials and the common people, and should not befall or harm the emperor.

This secret cursing system lasted for countless years until Emperor Xiaowen of the Han Dynasty, a model of a wise ruler, abolished this ancient system in the thirteenth year of his reign. Before that, Emperor Xiaowen had issued another edict, which stated that if people cursed the emperor, officials would consider it a heinous crime. However, if it was indeed because the court changed its orders frequently or failed to fulfill its promises to the people, then such malicious curses should be left to them.

Emperor Xiaowen's benevolent rule and compassion reached such a level that he was the first emperor after the third dynasty.

However, not every emperor is like Emperor Xiaowen. When Emperor Xiaojing first ascended the throne, he reinstated the ban on witchcraft, allowing anyone to curse, but not the emperor.

Nine years ago, in the fifth year of the Yuanguang era, in order to consolidate her position as empress, Empress Chen Ajiao, with the help of the sorceress Chu Fu, practiced witchcraft. The main target of the curse was her mother, Wei Zifu, but her father, the emperor, was also involved.

Chen Ajiao's fate is well-known, and the secret incantation technique has always existed, reportedly becoming a closely guarded secret of many families.

It can be said that Hu Wu was very active in Chang'an and in the court and among the people; to some extent, he was excessively active.

The ability of "shamans to see ghosts" can, at times, replace the law and put people to death.

Seeing ghostly auras, creating a false crime scene, leading to a wrongful conviction—Liu Ju has experienced this firsthand.

"Your Majesty," Zhang Tang bowed and greeted him.

Liu Ju came to his senses and laughed, "Minister of Justice, did you say they performed the ritual for me?"

Zhang Tang was startled, and his words became slurred.

As His Majesty retired to the detached palace, some things in Weiyang Palace gradually came to light. There were rumors that on the night His Majesty went to Ganquan Palace, a sorcerer from the Hu tribe entered the Yeting Palace and performed a ritual in the direction of Jiaofang Palace.

Although both the inner court and the central government denied it, in the court, what was denied was often the truth.

The empress was without fault or wrongdoing, and the sudden use of witchcraft and incantations was not hard to guess what it was actually aimed at.

In the imperial family, there is no such thing as father-son affection.

Zhang Tang hesitated and didn't answer in the end, then asked instead, "What does Your Majesty mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything."

Liu Ju shook his head, indicating that it was just a casual question, and continued, "How are the merchants causing trouble in Chang'an?"

"Your Majesty, most of the merchants involved in the illegal trade have been apprehended. The Court of Justice has uncovered numerous crimes and offenses, and has dispatched personnel to confiscate their property and execute their entire families. However, some merchants remain at large, such as Cheng Zheng, the iron merchant from Linqiong. During questioning at the Court of Justice, it was learned that the Cheng family had been trading with the southwestern barbarians for generations, and may have been involved in treason or collusion with the enemy. However, the relevant authorities have already dispatched officials to execute his entire family," Zhang Tang solemnly reported.

Since he took charge of the Court of Justice, all prisoners have entered vertically and left horizontally, and he has also pulled out the radish and brought out the mud along with it, wiping out both the guilty and the beneficiaries in one fell swoop.

Almost none of the merchants who caused the price fluctuations in Chang'an this time were able to escape. The reason I say "almost" is because Cheng Zheng actually managed to get away!

Cheng Zheng fled out of fear of punishment, but instead of running away, he went to find His Majesty. With His Majesty's protection, Cheng Zheng would not die for the time being.

In return, Zhang Tang confiscated the Cheng family's property and exterminated three generations of the Cheng family. Cheng Zheng survived, but he lost all his money and was left all alone.

For anyone with a heart, living is more painful than dying.

Liu Ju glanced at Hu Wu again, nodded, and said, "Very good."

Then, upon seeing his mother's phoenix palanquin arrive, he immediately went to greet her.

Zhang Tang stood there, glancing at Shangjun's back and then at Hu Wu's jumping around, as if he understood something.

The phoenix palanquin descended.

Liu Ju bowed deeply, moved, and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

"My son."

Wei Zifu pulled Liu Ju into her arms, stroking his head and cheeks, tears welling in her phoenix eyes. "You've grown taller, thinner, and darker; you look like a man now."

As a mother, my heart aches whenever I think of my husband's words, which are so unlike those of a father.

She knew that it was all because she had fallen out of favor, which had implicated her son. After months apart, the tossing and turning in the nights was an unspeakable torment.

When she saw her son again, besides feeling heartbroken, she also had something she wanted to say to her husband and to the world: Who dares to say that my son is not like his father?

For some reason, Liu Ju felt an unprecedented peace, nestled in his mother's arms, as if nothing else mattered.

I love you, Mother.

The officials from both the Chinese and foreign dynasties who accompanied him all turned their heads in surprise. Since taking office, the Emperor had challenged the old policies of His Majesty and led several major policy changes. While in the Northern Army, he would talk with people from the Prime Minister's Office every ten days, and summon important officials from both dynasties. He made all the major decisions on civil administration and military achievements without ever showing panic or fear, or even losing his temper. Such self-control and composure shocked many dukes, marquises, and members of the imperial family.

The crown prince, who holds power in the country, is like returning to his homeland. Whether serving his subjects or correcting the emperor's mistakes, the crown prince displays considerable dignity and grace, and clearly enjoys the process.

At this moment, everyone suddenly discovered the ruler's "weakness".

If... let's not say if. No courtier wanted to see the emperor in a rage. Grand Marshal Wei Qing and Marquis Huo Qubing were standing guard nearby, and the twelve generals of the Northern Army were also watching from behind. Even the Prime Minister's residence on the outermost perimeter was beyond the people's ability to handle.

Everyone knows that the Han Dynasty is facing a real choice: either an orderly reform, through which peace will be achieved but the old regime will also be quickly broken away from, or a violent and chaotic change, a change that will overturn the chessboard and smash the opponent's head.

After Emperor Xiaojing, this should be the case.

For some reason, everyone nodded in unison, deeply agreeing with the sentiment.

"Hoohoo."

Grand Master of Ceremonies Wei Buhai ascended Mount Yong and lit the "fire of power." At the same time, beacon fires were lit on the Xuanwu Gate in Chang'an, echoing each other and symbolizing that "the emperor's will reaches the heavens."

"Please allow the Empress to change her clothes!" the Grand Master of Ceremonies said respectfully.

There are special ceremonial robes for sacrificial rites. For example, the official in charge of the Taiyi ceremony wears a purple embroidered robe, while the officials in charge of the Five Emperors ceremony wear blue, red, white, and black robes according to their respective directions. The empress, when personally performing the sacrifice, wears a yellow robe to correspond to the orthodox virtue of "earth".

When Empress Wei Zifu replaced the yellow robe and led Crown Prince Liu Ju to the "Taiyi Altar," the hearts of the officials, generals, marquises, and members of the imperial family from both the central and foreign courts skipped a beat. Although no one spoke, the image of "that woman" flashed through their minds.

The Empress of the Great Han Dynasty should be like this!
The altar was modeled after the one made by the man named Hao Ren Miao Ji. It was divided into three sections and had eight "ghost paths" for the gods to pass through. The altars of the Five Emperors were arranged around it according to their positions, which is the so-called "Taiyi is the supreme one, and the Five Emperors are his assistants".

The sacrificial offerings for the altar should have been carefully selected months in advance, including young horses, cattle, and sheep, namely calves, foals, and lambs, to be raised by the Chief of Livestock and supervised by the Chief of Sacrificial Animals. However, due to insufficient time and the Empress's kind heart, who could not bear to see life and death, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices used cooked calves (i.e., calf-cooked calves) instead of live cattle, and wooden horses (i.e., carved wooden horses) instead of live horses, which were placed on the altar.

Taiyi used "Tai Lao" (a type of sacrificial offering), along with sweet wine and dried dates, and sacrificed a yak as a special animal. The Five Emperors only offered sacrificial vessels and sweet wine.

The officials in charge of the Taiyi Prayer and the Five Emperor Prayer chanted in unison, "Heaven bestowed upon the Empress the Precious Cauldron and Divine Strategy, and the Empress respectfully bowed in homage..."

Empress Wei Zifu held a cup of sweet wine and prayed to heaven and earth. Her yellow robe fluttered in the cold wind, and the people below the altar could faintly hear words of peace, prosperity, health, and joy—symbols of good fortune.

Offering wine to heaven and earth.

The sacrificial flesh and bones were placed in a pile of firewood and burned. The smoke rising into the sky was considered divine. After the sacrificial meat turned into ashes, it was buried in the ground.

"Proclaim the Great Nuo Ritual!" Empress Wei Zifu issued the decree.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies immediately proclaimed loudly, "Zhen Zibei, please expel the plague!"

The witch chanted: "Jia eats the fierce, Wei eats the tiger, and Xiongbo eats the demon! We have sent the twelve divine messengers to drive away you demons! Disperse!"

The shamans replied, "Dismember your bodies and drain your blood!"

We'll skin you alive, rip out your livers and intestines! You evil spirits, if you don't leave quickly, we'll feed you to the dogs! "Jia eats the ferocious, Wei eats the tiger, Xiongbo eats the demon, Jia eats the ferocious!"

The Taiyi Zhuguan ordered, "Throw the demon's head into the fire! Burn it to death!"

"Burn it! Burn it!"

The witches sang: "Soaring ten thousand miles high, let my Qilin roam freely. On the clear Wei River, I dance with my rainbow-colored robes!"
Soaring high into the clouds, bathed in the radiant moonlight. Standing majestically atop the mountain, it traverses the lofty heavens!

"I pray to Heaven and Earth, and all the gods of the four directions, to bless my Great Han Dynasty, and that our land may be forever secure!"

Empress Wei Zifu descended from the heavens with her phoenix-like might, shouting, "Demons and monsters, sweep them away! Throw those burning evil spirits into the Wei River!"

Paper demons and heads burn in the fire and sink in the water, as if the evil in the world is cleansed at this moment.

Just as everyone's hearts were wavering, a strange beast burst into the sacrificial site from the direction of the Black Emperor's Shrine.

The crowd was first taken aback, then startled, and prepared to seize the beast to avoid alarming the gods, the empress, and the crown prince. But before they could utter a sound, someone shouted, "A Qilin!"

All movement came to an abrupt halt. Staring at the white-skinned creature with a single horn on its head, a look of confusion appeared in their eyes. Was this a Qilin?

In the Book of Songs, specifically the section "Zhou Nan," there is a poem called "The Hoof of the Qilin," which uses the feet, forehead, and horn of a qilin (a mythical creature) to metaphorically represent nobility.
“The hoof of the unicorn, the noble prince, alas, the unicorn.”

The unicorn's arrival brought great honor to the royal family; alas, the unicorn!

"The horn of the unicorn, a symbol of the illustrious royal family; alas, the unicorn!"

However, there is no specific image of a Qilin, but the appearance of a rare and precious creature with white skin and horns, even if it is not a Qilin, is still an auspicious beast in the human world. If it is a white Qilin, then it is the most auspicious of all auspicious omens.

Auspicious sign from heaven?

When the Empress was offering sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth?
Did it escape from the Black Emperor Shrine, which symbolizes the founding emperor?

The heads of all these gentlemen seem to be overheating from overuse.

If you turn to the end of the Spring and Autumn Annals, you will find that it ends with the sentence: "In the spring of the fourteenth year, a unicorn was captured during a western hunt."

The Spring and Autumn Annals contain Confucius's "subtle words," whose profound meanings are difficult to understand, thus requiring a transmitter of the classics. The Gongyang school of thought in modern times interprets them as follows:

"Why write it down? To record the unusual."

What difference is there? It is not a beast of China.

So who hunts? The firewood gatherers.

Those who gather firewood are small-scale hunters; why then use the term "hunting" to describe them? It implies a large-scale hunting expedition.

Why is it considered great? It is considered great because of the capture of the unicorn.

Why is it so important to capture a unicorn? The unicorn is a benevolent beast; it appears when there is a ruler, and does not appear when there is no ruler.

Finally, a high-ranking official came to his senses and called out loudly, "Where are the farmers and woodcutters?"

With the return of all families, the Farmer family was the first to enter the court as a hereditary official. During the sacrificial ceremony, the official in charge of agriculture and grain was naturally present. Upon hearing the call, he quickly stepped in front of the object that resembled a Qilin.

The official in charge of agriculture and grain did his best to show goodwill. Unexpectedly, the strange beast, which was originally frightened among the crowd, suddenly quieted down, walked towards the official in charge of agriculture and grain, and affectionately rubbed its head against the official in charge of agriculture and grain. The official in charge of agriculture and grain slowly squatted down and hugged the strange beast.

Did the woodcutter find a unicorn?

As Confucius said, the Qilin is a benevolent beast, and it will not appear in the human world without a true king. Conversely, the fact that it has appeared in the Central Plains means that a king who has been ordained by Heaven has appeared in the Central Plains.

Is she the Empress? Or the Crown Prince?
Does the appearance of the Qilin from the Black Emperor Temple signify that the Empress and the Crown Prince have received the Mandate of Heaven and the approval of Emperor Gaozu, and that a peaceful and prosperous era is about to begin?
"Long live the Holy Mother! May your happiness last forever!"

May Your Majesty live a thousand years and enjoy endless happiness!

Led by Chancellor Gongsun Hong, the ministers, generals, marquises, and members of the imperial clan from both dynasties shouted in unison:

May you live a thousand years, and enjoy endless happiness!

The Empress and the Crown Prince personally offered sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth. Although they did not see the faces of the immortals, they obtained a Qilin, which was a response from heaven to the great virtue and merit of the Empress and the Crown Prince. This was enough to show that the Empress and the Crown Prince had received the mandate of heaven and auspicious signs.

Do you not see that His Majesty holds a sacrificial ceremony every three years? Including this year's ceremony, it has been seven times, yet no miracles have been achieved.

The Empress and the Crown Prince are the chosen ones, auspicious omens of a prosperous and peaceful era.

At this moment, countless subjects were sincerely convinced.

After a brief moment of distraction, Wei Zifu, prompted by Liu Ju, calmly said, "All of you, rise!"

"Thank you, Holy Mother!"

Bathed in the glow of the sunset, Wei Zifu exuded a majesty far surpassing that of an empress, displaying the majesty of an empress.

People's hearts are filled with respect and reverence.

"The Baling Order?" The Grand Historian Sima Tan appeared beside Sima Xiangru.

"Ok?"

Sima Xiangru was taken aback, then again, and then a third time. "Huh?!"

(End of this chapter)