Chapter 401 The Ceremony of Serving Vegetables
“Confucius was trapped in the room between Chen and Cai. He could not eat for seven days but played the harp in his room. Yan Hui distributed vegetables outdoors to show his respect for his teacher and his sincerity.”— - "Customs".
Since this chapter, serving vegetables has represented respect for the teacher, and the ceremony of serving vegetables has become one of the two etiquette systems for worshiping Confucius. Serving vegetables means honoring the master with fruits and vegetables. The dish-releasing ceremony is a "teacher-appreciation ceremony", but as time goes by, new scholars will also perform the dish-releasing ceremony to thank their ancestor Confucius, and then take off their coarse clothes and straw sandals to signify their entry into the official career.
After entering the Confucius Temple, the officials of the Imperial College led Zhu Pingan and others into the side hall, washed and changed, took off the clothes on their bodies, and put on the coarse cloth clothes and cloth shoes that had been prepared long ago. Under the guidance of officials, they lined up according to their ranking in the palace examination.
In addition to the officials from the Imperial College, there are also officials from the Ministry of Rites in the Confucius Temple, who serve as Tongzan, Yinzan, Yousi and other ceremonial personnel for the dish release ceremony.
Zhu Ping'an walked at the front. Under the guidance of Yousi, he passed through the Chijing Gate and came to the platform of Dacheng Hall. He walked up to the platform through the steps on the east side of the platform.
"Everyone below the rank and file officer should take their places." After Tongzan saluted to the Dacheng Hall, he turned around and gave instructions loudly to Zhu Ping'an and others.
Some people from the department came out and led Zhu Ping'an and others to line up and stand on the east side of the platform, and then the rest of the people took their places.
After Zhu Pingan stood firm, he heard a burst of music. At some point, a large-scale band appeared on the stage, wearing red dresses and holding various musical instruments. After listening for a moment, Zhu Pingan heard it. This music is the same "Jiajing Chapter" as the music played during the last dynasty.
After the Jiajing Chapter was played, 36 monks were quickly sent by the Jiaofang Division under the Ministry of Rites. Each of them held three pheasant tail feathers in his right hand and a piccolo in his left hand. They walked onto the platform in bright red clothes. Dance the Liuyi dance.
At the same time, Tongzan official began to recite the sacrificial inscription:
The eternal literary sage, the teacher of all generations. The fire is passed down and will last for generations.
Now we, as a generation, think about all the talented people. .
Fu Wei Shang Xiang.
After the memorial text was recited, it was time for Zhu Ping'an and the others to serve the dishes. According to the usual practice, the top three, the top pick, and the top three came forward to salute Confucius and the Twelve Sages, but today it was not the case. Ouyang Zishi was also added, and the four of them performed the dish-releasing ceremony on behalf of all the students.
There was a new Jinshi in the audience who made a confused sound, but was silenced by the Imperial Academy's rebuke of offering wine.
Zhu Ping'an took the lead in going to the vegetable kitchen and took out a stick of cress, a handful of chive flowers, a few red dates and a handful of chestnuts. He put them together on a plate and carried them back to the platform.
Cress represents students, chive flowers represent talent, red dates represent early determination, and chestnuts represent awe of Confucius. These are all agreed upon.
“My disciple Zhu Ping’an, who received the teaching of rituals and music and was fortunate enough to succeed, dared to offer a dish to the late sage Confucius.”
Zhu Ping’an walked under the statue of Confucius in Dacheng Hall, knelt down and offered a Buddhist altar After Zhu Pingan stood up, the waiter next to him poured a bottle of wine and handed it to Zhu Pingan. Zhu Pingan knelt down again and offered wine to the statue of Confucius. After offering a total of three bottles of wine, Zhu Pingan's ceremony of releasing the dishes was completed.
The second-place finisher, the top pick, and Ouyang Zishi each offered their dishes to the twelve sages and saluted.
The other Jinshi on the platform of Dacheng Hall, led by Yousi, performed the ceremony of releasing vegetables to Confucius and the Twelve Sages on the platform of Dacheng Hall.
By the time the entire dish-releasing ceremony was over, the sun was almost at its peak. After completing the dish-releasing ceremony, Zhu Pingan and the others would take off their coarse clothes and shoes and put on the rites and officials. The Ministry provides everyone with official uniforms according to their assigned official positions.
For a time, Zhu Pingan and others all turned into a group of dressed beasts.
Zhu Ping'an is wearing a sixth-grade official uniform, a cyan official uniform with a patch painted with an egret on the front.
Except for Zhu Ping'an, everyone else including Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen are all seventh-grade official uniforms, which are also blue, but the patch on the front of their official uniforms is painted with an ewl.
"Master Zhu, please take care of me in the future." Zhang Siwei winked and said with a flattering look on his face.
"Ahem, it depends on how you express this." Zhu Pingan moved his paws and made two serious gestures.
“Dog officer.” Wang Shizhen couldn’t help but laugh and curse as she watched the two of them messing around.
Actually, except for Zhu Ping'an and the other three, everyone was touching their official uniforms and burst into laughter. They were all excited as if they were something. In the past, Han Chuang studied hard year after year, and prepared for This is the day.
When everyone put on their official uniforms and smiled happily, officials from the Ministry of Works came again and told them the good news. The monument with the name of the Jinshi in charge of the Ministry of Works had been engraved, and they were invited to take a look.
Leave a name in history.
Everyone was excited and couldn't wait to go to the place where the monument was specially erected in the Imperial College. This official from the Ministry of Works kept getting close to Ouyang Zishi on the way, which made Ouyang Zishi's people pay more attention to him and surrounded him. There are more new Jinshi around Ouyang Zishi.
The reason why the officials of the Ministry of Industry fawned over Ouyang Zishi was entirely because of Yan Shifan's face. Yan Shifan is now the second-in-command of the Ministry of Industry - the right minister of the Ministry of Industry, which is equivalent to the modern deputy minister. Because Yan Song was the chief minister of the cabinet and had such a high profile in the background, Yan Shifan actually had the final say on all matters of the Ministry of Works.
Ouyang Zishi is Yan Song's nephew and a relative of Yan Shifan. How could an official from the Ministry of Works neglect him?
For the rest of the newly promoted Jinshi, the glory of the imperial examination has passed. In the future, whether it is the number one scholar or the last one, it is all a thing of the past. A new journey has begun from this moment, and all the past has been overturned. . To rise in the official career, one has to work hard, but more importantly, there must be people above, to be supported by noble people, and to have the care of big people, so that one can be like a fish in water in the official career.
They are all new to the official career. Through Ouyang Zishi, they can get in touch with such a big shot as the chief minister of the cabinet, who is less than one person and more than ten thousand people. Such an opportunity is unique.
Therefore, everyone firmly grasped this opportunity and gathered around Ouyang Zushi to brush their faces, paving the way for their future career.
Relatively speaking, Zhu Pingan was much more deserted, with only Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen accompanying him.
"Ahem, he won't lift it anymore" Zhu Ping'an pointed at Ouyang Zishi who was surrounded by people in front and said leisurely.
Indeed, Ouyang Zishi, who was surrounded by everyone, no longer held an umbrella.
However, Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen couldn't help laughing when they heard this. Others didn't know what Zhu Pingan meant, but they did. After hearing Zhu Pingan's words, they couldn't help but think of what Zhu Pingan said with a bad smile in the morning: If he doesn't lift it, it will be sunny.
In the place where the Imperial Academy specially erected monuments, there were dense rows of Jinshi stone tablets. Under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Works, everyone saw the piece that belonged to them.
Seeing their names on the stone tablet, everyone showed a proud expression of honoring their ancestors and being famous for generations.
Only Zhu Pingan was very indifferent.
Although this stone tablet with Jinshi's inscription is brand new, the font is strong and powerful. However, many of the words on the surface of other stone tablets not far from this stone tablet have been blurred by the wind and sun
It is reliable that it will last forever. That's not it.
What is engraved on the stone will weather, but only if it is engraved on people's hearts can it last forever.
Today I enter the official career, and I will never forget my original intention.
The second chapter will be updated around 12 o'clock in the evening.
(End of this chapter)