Li You's Tang Dynasty

Chapter 682 Spring Farming Begins

The time is up to the Jihai Day in February of the 19th year of Zhenguan. Today, on eleven special days, Li Zhi represents Li Shimin's spring plowing. As we all know, the emperor's spring plowing in the past dynasties not only expresses the return of respecting the ancestors and repaying the original. Thought also provides an opportunity for the rulers to express their thoughts of emphasizing agriculture and consolidating the foundation.

Even if Li Shimin was not in Chang'an, he ordered the prince to farm on his own behalf. The earliest ancient story about the emperor leading a hundred officials to farm personally stipulates that "the emperor pushes three times, three males and five pushes, and princes and princes nine pushes."

It means that every spring, the emperor needs to cultivate according to the ancestral system, and push forward with the plow, one at a time, back and forth, while Sangong needs to follow behind "five pushes", as an example of the country's emphasis on farming.

The dynasty that paid the most attention to spring farming in China was the Han Dynasty.

In Jia Yi's "Accumulation and Storage", it is proposed that spring plowing is "the great destiny of the world", and he dare not slack off at all.

After Han Wendi listened to Jia Yi's suggestion, the emperor plowed in person, surrounded by many people watching. Even if in the spring of a certain year, the emperor was out of the city, he would still perform the etiquette of spring plowing in other places according to the rules of his ancestors, and he did not dare to be sloppy at all.

And in 178 BC, an imperial edict was formally issued to the whole country, saying: "Farmers are the foundation of the world. They open up the fields, and I will lead the plowing."

Since then, the tradition of spring plowing has been officially passed down in the form of policies, and it has become the most important way for the emperor to attach importance to farming, show compassion for the people, and get close to nature.

At the beginning of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan, the emperor of Wude, was busy fighting everywhere. Although he established the Taimiao and the Shetan Jitan, he did not establish the Xiannongtan.

The pro-cultivation ceremony in the early years of the Tang Dynasty was held at the Sheji Altar.Sacrifice to Sheji is held twice a year in mid-spring and mid-autumn.The ceremony of offering sacrifices to the country in spring is to pray for the ancestors to protect the country in good weather.

The sacrificial ceremony is held in autumn to thank the first farmers for the country's bountiful harvest.In the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the country in spring, the emperor wanted to "prosper with Leisi".Leisi Nianlei Si is a kind of agricultural tool for turning the soil. To put it bluntly, it is an ancient plow.To put it bluntly, the emperor personally went to plow the field, which is the "pro-plow ceremony".

In principle, His Majesty the Emperor personally participates in the plowing ceremony. If the emperor is unwell, or has important state affairs to deal with, so he cannot participate in the plowing ceremony, he can appoint a relative of the royal family to replace the emperor's plowing ceremony.

Once Li Yuan was unable to participate in the plowing ceremony, so he sent his two sons Li Shimin and Li Yuanji to attend the plowing ceremony on his behalf.Li Yuanji wanted his second elder brother Li Shimin to make a fool of himself, so he let his own farmer go.At the critical moment, Yuchi Jingde regarded himself as a cattle envoy, and he pulled Leisi to plow the field, which saved Li Shimin from an embarrassing situation.

In the first two years of Li Shimin's ascension to the throne and proclaiming himself emperor, he also offered sacrifices to the Sheji Altar twice every spring and autumn.His ministers went up and suggested that Li Shimin restore the ancient system and build the Xiannongtan.

Li Shimin adopted this suggestion and established the Xiannong Altar next to the Sheji Altar.And next to Xiannongtan, [-] mu of land was set aside as Jitian, so Xiannongtan was also called Jitiantan.

It is also because of this that the Tang Dynasty also highly respected spring plowing. Otherwise, Li Shimin would not be here, and Prince Li Zhi would follow. The farm tools and spring plowed grains in the palace, and the selected grains will be arranged in a fixed place.

On the day of plowing, the emperor wore auspicious clothes, and under the guidance of Fa Jialu Book, went to the Xiannong Altar with the civil and military officials accompanying the sacrifice, worshiped the God of Xiannong, changed his clothes, and went to the plowing fields Rituals, after a series of processes, rice, millet, grain, wheat, beans and other grains can be planted.

Li Zhi was arranged to learn everything about spring plowing at a very early age. To be honest, Li Zhi was punished miserably. However, to Li You's surprise, although Li Zhi was punished miserably, he And no complaints.

One must know that Li Zhi hated such cumbersome things, but this spring plowing trip, Li Zhi has always been happy, which made Concubine Yin meet Li You several times, and directly praised Li Zhi for growing up in front of Li You up.

Li You was also very gratified, his younger brother finally knew how to be a good prince and could complete the spring farming meticulously, Li Zhi really behaved like a good prince, Li You was very happy.

But what Li You never thought of was that Li Zhi was so willing to be familiar with the process of spring farming, not because he really knew the identity of his prince, nor was it to share Li Shimin's worries.

Li Zhi's real idea is that he can take advantage of the day of spring plowing, use his carriage to enter the palace for about a quarter of an hour, and take Wu Meiniang out of the palace. After the process is all familiar and finished early, Li Zhi can take advantage of the time difference to send Wu Meiniang home for half an hour.

This is why Li Zhi worked so hard. If Li You knew, he would definitely be dumbfounded.

Today is the auspicious day in February, which is the best auspicious day. Li Zhi first entered the palace in his own carriage, because Li Zhi took the emperor to farm, so he had to start from the Taiji Hall, and Li Zhi's carriage arrived at the Taiji Hall. After that, a woman got into Li Zhi's carriage, and this woman was Wu Meiniang.

Speaking of which, this Wu Meiniang is really courageous. Ordinary people would not dare to sneak out of the palace at this time of day. If they were caught, the consequences would be unimaginable. It is not just Li Zhi who is in big trouble. , even Wu Meiniang must be executed.

But Wu Meiniang didn't hesitate at all. After Li Zhi finished speaking, he immediately agreed, which shows how decisive and courageous Wu Meiniang is.

After getting into the carriage, Li Zhi hid Wu Meiniang, and then Li Zhi's carriage was about to go to Xiannong's Altar. When he arrived at Xiannong's Altar, Li Zhi would get off the carriage, and then climbed up to Xiannong's Altar to pray to Xiannong. I pray that the farmers will bless the Tang Dynasty with good weather and abundant grains.The sacrificial sacrifice of Xiannong was sacrificed with the ritual of being too prison.The ceremony of Tailao requires killing a cow, a sheep and a pig, which is the highest sacrificial ceremony in ancient times.

After the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Xiannong was completed, Li Zhi stepped down from the altar of Xiannong and began to perform the plowing ceremony on behalf of Li Shimin.When Li Zhi came to the edge of the field, the officials in charge of agriculture in the Tang Dynasty respectfully presented Leisi, which is used by the emperor.

Accompanying Li Zhi to plow the Jitian were Sangongs, 12 kings, ministers, and ministers in total.In the grand gift of personal cultivation, Li Zhi first plowed the field, and Li Zhi plowed the field on behalf of the emperor three times.

Next, the Sangong, the kings, and the Qing plowed the fields in order. The lower the rank, the more plowing the fields, and the Qing was the lowest, so the plowing was nine pushes.

Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang, Ma Zhou, Li Ke, Li Min, Tang Jian, etc. There are many people present this time, but unfortunately Li You is not there, because until now, Li You is still under the ban by Li Shimin middle.

You don't need to guess, who played this trick, Changsun Wuji has now officially changed from an ally to an perpetrator, and now Changsun Wuji is not slandering Li You for a day.

Because of this, Li Shimin became more and more jealous of Li You. Yang Qu saw all this and silently remembered it in his heart.

(End of this chapter)