Section Thirteen: The Season of Canonization Envoys (5)
The atmosphere at the wine table is very polite. The form of this kind of banquet is usually greater than the content. It seems that the table is full of dishes, but in fact most of them are not suitable for eating.
King Shangfeng only moved his chopsticks a few times symbolically, said a few polite words, and then left first. Before the formal canonization ceremony, King Shangfeng had always been the crown prince of the Ryukyu Kingdom in front of the envoys of the suzerain country, and his status was quite embarrassing.
.Zhao Yanhao sent him outside. King Shangfeng bowed respectfully and said goodbye, then got on a sedan chair and returned to Shuri City.
The first formal banquet held by the Ryukyu Kingdom to receive the envoys came to an end.
The sky in the east had just turned white, and the Angel Hall was decorated with colorful decorations, filled with a cheerful yet serious atmosphere. Zhao Yanhao was woken up by the life secretary.
"What's the rush? Let me sleep for a while..."
"Chief, today is the day of canonization. The adults in Ryukyu have been waiting outside for a long time!" Zhao Kui reminded
As soon as the word "canonization" entered his ears, Zhao Yanhao suddenly woke up. How could he have forgotten this!
"What time is it now?!" If the time is delayed, it will become a big joke. It is a "diplomatic accident".
"It's not even five o'clock yet..."
"Hurry up and prepare the face wash!" Zhao Yanhao got up and hurriedly washed and changed clothes. He also took a few bites of compressed biscuits and drank a bottle of yogurt.
Walking out of Tianze Gate with sleepy eyes, I looked up and saw the three third officers and other officials who looked very familiar. They had already brought golden drums, and the honor guard had been waiting in front of the door for a long time.
"Thank you, three judges." Zhao Yanhao forced a smile and bowed his hands to the three judges.
"Don't you dare." The three old men with blue faces and dark circles under their eyes bowed quickly in fear.
Zhao Yanhao was in front, and the officials from Ryukyu also lined up neatly to follow him and walked into Tianze Gate. The officers also carried the Long Pavilion and the two colorful pavilions to the front of Salu Hall, and Xu Liang placed the red-headed documents of the Senate.
Entering the Dragon Pavilion, other officers of the Fubo Army placed the gifts presented to King Shangfeng and the Princess into the colorful pavilions on the left and right of the Dragon Pavilion.
Xiang Heling saw the "Edict" and the "gifts" were arranged properly. He quickly exchanged glances with Ma Shenglian and Mao Taiyun on the side. Then the mountain shouted "Long live" and took the lead in performing the five bows. Behind the three officials, hundreds of
The officials also hurriedly walked together to worship, shouting "Long live", knelt down neatly, and kowtowed three times.
"I respectfully invite the envoy of the Song Dynasty to get on the sedan chair." Xiang Heling bowed and motioned to the officers to quickly carry the sedan chair over.
"I also hope that your Majesty, the envoy, will allow me to take the lead." Mao Taiyun also bowed and said.
"Please." Zhao Yanhao, who has been an "adult" in Ryukyu for a long time, also nodded pretendingly.
The three officers bowed and thanked them, then turned around and walked out of Tianze Gate. The servants on the side quickly brought the horses over - the Ryukyu horses are not tall, and are roughly the same height at the shoulders as Mongolian horses, but they are the same as Yunnan horses.
Being good at walking on mountain roads is in line with the natural environment of Ryukyu. Zhao Yanhao thought that he could buy a few horses and take them back to the horse madman for "research and study".
The three officers stepped on their stirrups and got on their horses to lead the way. More than a hundred other distinguished officials also got on their horses and walked. The remaining officials wore red headscarves, opened the way with flags, or held trumpets.
Various musical instruments with gongs and drums played Luci music, or they held various ceremonial guards with axes, axes, hooks and forks, or star fists, red flags, and morning star flags. The guards walked north along Tianjie in an orderly manner - still walking towards the Tianfei Palace.
, the old road of Chongyuan Temple.
Following closely behind is the armed honor guard of the canonized mission. It consists of navy and marine officers and soldiers from three warships. They wear blue and white uniforms and carry armed belts across their bodies. They either carry rifles on their shoulders or carry short guns and sabers hanging on their waists.
, under the guidance of the morning star flag and the navy flag, and with the sound of drums and bugles, they cheered up and marched forward in unison. The sound of neat footsteps was like the faint thunder before a heavy rain.
Zhao Yanhao's sedan chair was in the center of the queue. He was seen sitting on the sedan chair carried by eight people. Twelve guards were escorting him on foot. Behind the sedan chair, a flag bearer held high his family emblem and flag.
As soon as the officers got into the sedan chair, Zheng Jue, the leader, immediately shouted: "Long live the Senate."
The Fubo officers and soldiers leading the honor guard immediately responded:
"Long live the Senate!"
"Long live!" "Long live!"
The cry of "Long Live the Mountain" spread throughout the sky above the entire Naha harbor. Zhao Yanhao saw Ryukyu officials looking shocked and frightened from time to time, and secretly looked back.
"Tiger and Wolf Master..." Ma Jiamei couldn't help but sigh.
The mighty procession moved forward along the street, passing by Tenfei Palace, Fangnuma Pond, crossing the Changhong Embankment, and passing through Chongyuan Temple to the south, which is the avenue leading to Shuri Castle. The avenue is paved with stone piles from the sea.
, very neat, even the gaps are so small that even weeds cannot grow. On both sides of the road, red pine trees like dragons and dragons are planted neatly. Under the trees, Ryukyu officers wearing red turbans holding honor guards stand along the road, all the way to the end of the road.
Shuri Castle.
The road leading to Shuri is not flat. After climbing over several hills, you can see a tall Chinese-style archway erected in the center of the road, with the two characters "Zhongshan" written on it. After passing the archway, there are neat lines on both sides of the road.
A short wall of low roughened stones three or four feet high was piled up. On the short wall, hundreds of women from all over Ryukyu who had come all the way to watch the excitement were sitting. Their heads were wrapped in scarves, but their faces were exposed, chattering.
They whispered about these "Song people" who came from "Australia" that they had never heard of.
The group of people marched forward for less than half a mile when Zhao Yanhao saw another taller archway with red tiles and white mud. On the Chinese-style archway with protruding roofs on both sides, there were neatly written "A land of rituals".
"The four characters - this is the "Shoreimon" that will appear on the two thousand yen banknotes in the future - but as a historical relic, the Shureimon and other various buildings that Zhao Yanhao saw during the canonization,
In the Battle of Okinawa in another time and space, they were all reduced to ashes and "broken into pieces" together with the defenders. What Zhao Yanhao later saw when he went to Okinawa was that it had been gradually rebuilt after the 1950s.
Zhao Yanhao sat in the sedan chair, looking at these buildings that were both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, and couldn't help sighing.
Under the Shurei Gate, King Shotoyo and other Ryukyu officials, who had been leaning there for a long time, were already dressed up and waiting.
According to the traditional canonization etiquette, when the King of Ryukyu is canonized, he should wear the crown and robe given by the Ming Dynasty. According to the Ming Dynasty's external vassal specifications, the King of Ryukyu and the King of Li Dynasty both have the title of county king, and the king of Li Dynasty can wear the crown of prince. But Ryukyu King
The king did not have this preferential treatment and could only wear the county crown uniform. However, the person who came to be canonized this time was the "Great Song Dynasty", and the Senate did not grant the "crown uniform". For this reason, the Three Law Departments sent people over last night for emergency communication, and then
It was decided that Shang Feng should wear the crown of his country to accept the canonization.
Ryukyu's officers temporarily stopped the sedan chair that Longting, Caiting and Zhao Yanhao were riding in. Zhao Yanhao stepped down from the sedan chair, stood beside Longting, then pulled the hem of his coat and cleared it.
With his voice, he said to King Shang Feng and his entourage with great enthusiasm: "No courtesy!"
"Thank you, envoy." Shang Feng and a group of princes and ministers stood up quickly.
"Scheduling," Cai Jian on the side quickly shouted. The three Ryukyu officials who came with Zhao Yanhao before, as well as a group of officials led by them, and a group of officials led by King Shangfeng, all quickly took their places and lined up according to their official ranks.
The team, one by one, performed five bows and three kowtows to receive the imperial edict.
After the salute, the Ryukyu monarchs and ministers led the way, and Zhao Yanhao got on the sedan again. Zhao Yanhao saw a few forks in the road ahead, so he asked Zheng Jue briefly, "Where do these lead to?"
Zheng Jue quickly explained that to the northwest of Shureimon is Tenkaiji Temple, which is clean and dilapidated and has nothing to see. The road to the southwest leads directly to the royal tombs of Ryukyu.
At this point, the stone walls on both sides of the road were already eight or nine feet high. The group circled along the road and walked forward for less than half a mile. Zhao Yanhao saw a small pile of limestone on the west side of the road, with a hole on it.
Looking at the building of the small gate, he asked curiously: "What is that?"
"Reporting to the chief, this is Enhiya Takemitake's stone gate."
"Is this Ontake?" Zhao Yanhao was very curious. Ryukyu's native religious beliefs are the same as Japan's, both based on the original Shinto belief of "animism". It is believed that gods exist everywhere and are invisible. Ontake is a figure in Ryukyu mythology
The place where the gods exist can be forests, springs, mountains, etc., and the shapes are very different. A pile of stones or a stone tablet is placed in the center of the mountain to represent the arrival of the gods here.
"The chief is right, this is indeed the place where the King of Ryukyu prays for safe travels."
"Oh," Zhao Yanhao thought, you don't even have a torii gate, it's a bit too simple.
While talking, the team turned eastward, and a small city wall made of limestone with a circumference of three to four miles or so high appeared in front of Zhao Yanhao. In the middle of the stone wall, there was a small door, which was the first entrance of the outer city.
The Taoist Gate is called the Huanhui Gate. There is a wooden watchtower on the gate. On both sides of the Huanhui Gate, there are two very small lion statues on both sides of every stone gate. It is said that Zheng Jue said that these have the effect of warding off evil spirits.
.Lion-shaped statues are extremely rare in Japan. They are the result of the influence of Chinese culture and have Ryukyu characteristics.
Passing through the Huanhui Gate, not far ahead, is a Japanese-style stone gate. In the middle of the tower, there is a plaque with Ryukyuan characteristics hanging high, with the word "Ruiquan" written on it. On the right side of the Zuiquan Gate, far away
It can be seen that there is an ancient well among the lush groves, and the sweet clear water trickles out from the mouth of the stone dragon head (Ryuu). This is the "Auspicious Spring" that is supplied to the King of Ryukyu and the "Celestial Envoy" for drinking every day.
Climbing up the stairs, not far away is the third city gate - the Luo Ke Gate. After entering the city gate, there is a small bell tower directly in front. Zheng Jue explained that the Lu Ke Gate has a clock tower from the Ming Dynasty, which uses water to keep time.
After the official in charge knew the time through the omission, he rang the "Bell of All Nations Jinliang" in the bell tower to tell the time.
"I guess Dr. Zhong is interested in this thing," Zhao Yanhao nodded, "I haven't been to the observatory for a long time, and I don't know if the Ministry of Science and Technology has expanded the production of clocks. If so, we have to find a way to seize the time and fool Shang Feng and the others.