Chapter 6 The fourth quarter ceremony

Bin etiquette refers to the etiquette when princes meet the emperor and interact with each other, which is the so-called "professional state with guests" ("Zhou Li · Chun Guan · Da Zong Bo").The guest etiquette includes a series of etiquette systems such as courtship, engagement, alliance, meeting, meeting, audience, questioning, viewing, oath, agreement, and appointment.A guest is a guest, so it is also called a guest. In ancient times, an envoy sent by another country was also called a guest, so the etiquette of the guest is actually the etiquette in the communication between the host and the guest, and between the host country and other countries.The scope of use is relatively wide, and it is a regular etiquette ceremony.

The court is the etiquette for the princes to meet the emperor at a prescribed time.The time of "reign" stipulated by each dynasty is different, and the Shang Dynasty stipulated that the "reign" was once every five years.The Zhou Dynasty made different regulations according to the distance from the capital: princes within a radius of 1,500 miles from the capital once a year, and for every 500 miles away from the capital, the interval between courts was increased by one year. , which is actually once every six years.The subsequent dynasties may be longer or shorter in terms of the time of "reign", the short one is once a year, and the long one is once every two or three years.After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang successively entrusted 25 descendants and grandchildren as vassal kings, and sent them to various places as princes to "become vassals". Eliminate threats to self-rule.However, Zhu Yuanzhang was not at ease with his children and grandchildren. He once clearly stipulated that the enfeoffment should be "only the nobles but not the people, and the vassals but not the land" ("History of the Ming Dynasty Biography of the Kings").At the same time, very special and strict regulations were also made for the "chapo": after the vassal king left the capital and became a vassal, he was not allowed to act casually, let alone come to the capital without permission.Although it was once a year, Zhu Yuanzhang did not allow all the vassal kings to enter the court at the same time, and only allowed one of the vassal kings to come to the court alone first.After his activities in the capital are over and he returns to his feudal prince's mansion, another feudal prince can set off.This way of "reigning" is aimed at preventing vassal kings from connecting with each other and forming parties, so as to avoid future fratricide and struggle for power and profit. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang strictly isolated his children and grandchildren regardless of the relationship between father and son.It can be said that after these vassal kings became vassals, the brothers were separated for life and death.However, despite Zhu Yuanzhang's well-intentioned measures and such careful measures, after his death, the "Battle of Jingnan" launched by Zhu Di, the king of Yan, to seize the throne broke out.In the end, Zhu Di kicked his nephew Zhu Yunwen (wenwen) (Emperor Jianwen), the heir to the throne selected by Zhu Yuanzhang, from the throne and replaced him himself.

According to the provisions of the etiquette system, if the princes did not meet the emperor at the prescribed time, it would be regarded as "disrespectful" and would be punished by the emperor and other princes.When meeting the emperor, the feudal lords had to bring "gifts" such as jade silk, animal skins, pearls, and local exotic specialties to the emperor, so it was also called "tribute."After accepting the gift, the emperor also "returned" the princes with jade silk, jewelry and other things.There was a relatively strict set of etiquette regulations in the dynasty. First of all, princes of different titles had to wear different costumes, and even the ritual utensils held in their hands—gui (a long strip of jade) had different shapes and structures: the duke held a The nine-inch Huangui, the Marquis holds the seven-inch letter jade, the earl holds the seven-inch bow jade, the viscount holds the five-inch [gu] bi, and the baron holds the five-inch pubi.Secondly, the position of the court is different. The Duke stands in the east, the Marquis stands in the west, and the remaining titles of uncle, son, and male stand with the Marquis.

After the Spring and Autumn Period, the feudal lords gradually became stronger, and showed extreme contempt and disrespect towards the declining Zhou royal family.On the contrary, some powerful vassal states relied on their own strength to compete for hegemony, bully, and even annex weaker vassal states, so the phenomenon of small princes "challenging" big princes appeared again.For example, in the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Lu made many dynasties to Jin and Chu.During the Warring States period, Qi was strong and prosperous, and countries such as Yan, Zhao, Han, and Wei came to the DPRK one after another.

Chao also refers to officials meeting the emperor, which is what people usually call going to court, retreating from court, entering court, etc.This is different from the princes meeting the emperor. It is a daily activity in the regime and is mainly used to deal with military affairs.Therefore, the ministers do not need to carry "gifts" when they go to the court. It turns out that in court rituals, the gui in their hands is also protected by a wat [hu]. In finger painting or notes] replaced.Of course, the Shang Dynasty also had a set of strict etiquette system-chaoyi, which was also the ceremony for the emperor to come to court.Zhou system, the emperor has four dynasties: the outer dynasty, the middle dynasty, the inner dynasty, and the inquiry dynasty.Each regulation has a court instrument.As stipulated by the court of inquiry, the king sat facing south, the three princes, governors, and common people faced north, the officials faced west, and the officials faced east.For later generations, court rituals are mainly divided into two types: Dachao and Changchao.When performing court salutes, civil and military officials must arrange their positions according to their official ranks and ranks, which are called "classes", "classes" or "orders".After the official ranks were established, classes were changed to ranks.Before ascending to the dynasty, civil and military officials first stood outside the palace, and later changed to stand outside the palace according to rank.For example, Taishi, Taifu, Taibao, and prime ministers are in the first-rank class; Zhugong and the deputy chiefs of the three provinces (Zhongshu Province, Menxia Province, and Shangshu Province) are in the second-rank class; the six ministers are in the third-rank class. analogy.After the emperor ascended to the palace, the qualified (ge qualified) door officials checked that the order of the hundred official classes was correct, and then guided each class to enter the hall in order to meet the emperor and discuss important matters.It is very hard for civil and military officials to go to court. In ancient times, emperors usually ascended to the palace at Maoshi (equivalent to 5-7 o'clock today), so officials who should go to court had to get up early, and hurried to the palace after washing.If the gate of the palace is not open, you have to wait outside the palace first. When it is windy, rainy, or cold, you can't neglect it in the slightest. It is also miserable.Therefore, some dynasties have made some special regulations on this. For example, the Tang Dynasty once had the system regulation of "in case of rain and mud, stop participating in the court".Some dynasties also specially built court houses for officials to rest here.

In ancient times, leaders or envoys of ethnic minorities around China, as well as envoys from overseas countries, went to the capital to meet the emperor, also known as court.In the history of China, the exchanges between the inland and the frontier nations, and between China and overseas were very close, and envoys often communicated frequently and never stopped.When neighboring ethnic groups or foreign envoys enter the court, they also bring rare and valuable local or national products as tribute gifts.When envoys enter the country, they first need to "visit the pass", that is, to inform the institutions and officials guarding the pass or managing foreign business, explaining their intentions. "Guan Ren" immediately informed the court of this situation.When the court learned about it, it immediately sent officials to greet him.Some dynasties also built special buildings in the capital for foreign envoys to stay and rest, and built post houses along the only way for envoys to enter the dynasty.For example, in the Northern Song Dynasty, the Tongwen Hall was built in the capital Tokyo (now Kaifeng, Henan) to receive Korean envoys.Koryo Pavilions are set up along the way, and pavilions are built in state capitals along the way to entertain envoys.When Koryo envoys pass through the state capital, the state officials must greet and send them off in the suburbs, that is, greet them outside the city, and send them out of the city when they leave.There are also a series of etiquettes when envoys from various countries and ethnic groups enter the pilgrimage to meet the emperor, such as "the system of the Song Dynasty, all foreign envoys and their princes come to the court, all feast in the inner hall." ("Song History·Li Zhi") The Song Dynasty once stipulated the "Reciprocal Rituals for Envoys of the Khitan Kingdom", which was divided into three etiquette ceremonies: "Meeting the Day", "Banquet Day" and "Designation Day".Seeing the day, that is, the ceremony of the first audience.When performing court ceremonies, the gifts brought by the envoys of the Liao Dynasty must first be displayed at His Royal Highness; then the bookcase containing the letters from the Lord of Liao to Emperor Song was handed over to the officials of the Ministry of Education, and presented to Emperor Song.Then, through the translation of Tongshi Guan (translator is called Tongshi in ancient China), the Liao envoy conveyed the Liao Lord's greetings to the Song Emperor, and the Song Emperor expressed his greetings to the Liao Lord to the Liao envoy, and returned gifts to the envoy.The banquet day is a ceremony for entertaining envoys.When the Liao envoys went to the banquet, they had to change to the clothes given by the Song emperor.During the banquet, the Liao envoy and Song emperor exchanged greetings again.The entourage of the Liao envoy was also invited to the banquet, and also received tea and wine bestowed by Emperor Song.The farewell day is the farewell ceremony for the envoys before returning home.The Liao envoy completed his mission, and before leaving, Emperor Song had to bid farewell for him.In addition to giving him silverware and clothes again, there were also gifts for the Lord of Liao. Finally, he put the documents written for the Lord of Liao into a book case and handed them over to the Liao envoy to bring them back.As for the entry of envoys from the Xixia and Jin Dynasties, the Song Dynasty had similar etiquette.Not only that, the envoys of various countries received excellent courtesy from the beginning to the end during their stay in Tokyo.Often, as soon as the envoys arrive at the post office where they are staying, the imperial court immediately sends higher-ranking officials to the post office to express their greetings to the envoys.Then, his life and activities will be arranged by the embassy envoy who is responsible for the reception.Sometimes, in order to show the embassy's importance and friendship to the visiting country, the accompanying envoys are also ordered to meet the envoys at the border, and accompany them to the capital, taking care of them all the way.When the envoys return, the embassy escorts escort them to the border, which shows the enthusiasm and grandness of the etiquette.

Dowry is the etiquette of sending envoys to visit between ancient countries.These include the emperor sending people to the feudal state, the feudal state sending envoys to the court, the envoys between the feudal states, and the exchanges of envoys between the inland regime and neighboring countries.Therefore, employment is also called court employment, and it has a certain connection with court.During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the enfeoffment system was implemented, and the emperor enfeoffed the vast area outside Wangji (referring to the area near the capital, later called Jingji) to the princes, and they established their own states on the enfeoffed land.This method of dividing land to establish a feudal state was a ruling policy adopted by the rulers of the Zhou Dynasty to balance the relationship within the ruling group, divide and rule the whole country, and defend the capital.Those enfeoffed princes not only had to be responsible for governing their own states, but also went to the capital of the country to worship the emperor regularly, and participated in various sacrificial activities presided over by the emperor; when a war broke out, they had to send their own troops to fight with the emperor; Pay tribute to the emperor every year.Therefore, the princes have to fulfill certain obligations to the emperor.However, if the princes cannot go to worship the emperor in person due to various reasons, according to the etiquette system, they will send their ministers to the capital to meet the emperor on their behalf. This is called engagement in the etiquette system.The princes hired the emperor mainly to report their duties to him, that is, to report their duties and their achievements in governance.During the Spring and Autumn Period, the power of the feudal lords had greatly surpassed that of Zhou Tianzi, and they were less respectful to Zhou Tianzi and his royal family.They were no longer willing to undertake the original obligations, and they were even more lazy to go to worship the emperor in person, so they found many excuses, so during this period, they mostly used employment as substitutes for the court.Most of the princes let the senior ministers go to see the emperor as their envoys, or report on their duties on their behalf, and the emperor of Zhou has nothing to do about it.After that, the princes were not even willing to send envoys to hire, so the number of appointments became less and less.On the contrary, the vassal states sent envoys to each other, and the exchanges between courts and recruits became more and more frequent.During the Spring and Autumn Period, the monarch of Lu State paid homage to the Son of Zhou only three times, and hired him only four times. However, he visited the monarchs of Jin, Chu and other countries 32 times, and hired him as many as 56 times.

The court appointment among the vassal states is, first, because a new vassal king came to the throne, and the kings of other vassal states visited the country in person, or sent envoys to the country to express congratulations; Other vassal states ask for help, or negotiate to take joint action; third, they make a special trip to express friendship in order to rely on the power of a powerful vassal state; fourth, they negotiate with each other to resolve conflicts and frictions between the two countries, etc. . The allusion of "returning the jade to Zhao" recorded in "Historical Records: Biography of Lian Po Lin Xiangru" is a story that happened in the Warring States Period, when the Zhao State sent an envoy to the Qin State.King Zhao Hui got a piece of Heshibi. After learning about it, King Qin Zhao was desperate to get it, so he wrote to King Zhao, offering to exchange it with 15 cities.Frightened by Qin's military power, King Zhao had no choice but to part with his love, but he was also worried that King Qin would not keep his word.After Lin Xiangru knew this situation, he asked King Zhao for his order, and was willing to bring the bi to Qin and exchange the city with the king of Qin.So he was ordered to go to Qin as an envoy, and he was actually hired.Sure enough, King Qin Zhao had no sincerity in exchanging, but wanted to take this piece of jade for himself.On the one hand, Lin Xiangru dealt with the King of Qin wittily and cleverly, on the other hand he decisively sent someone to flee back to Zhao State with Bi, so that the King Qin's trick failed.This story, which is known to almost all women and children, is just an example of envoys and appointments between princes and states.

There is also a set of corresponding etiquette and ceremony.If the princes send envoys to hire the emperor, they all use the Qing as the envoy, the doctor as the superior (intermediary, deputy, second), and the scholars as the public.When entering Wangji, the "Guanren" must be notified first, and the Guanren will then send someone to report to the emperor.After getting permission, the envoys and his party can enter the city, and they are placed in the building, where they entertain meals and rest.When leaving the capital after having an audience with the emperor, he still has to receive the warm hospitality of the monarch.The monarch will also send envoys to send the hired envoys out of Wang Ji.The same as in court, there are also regulations on presenting gifts. When meeting the emperor, jade, silk, treasures and local specialties are generally presented.Envoys between princes usually carry jade and silk as gifts.

In ancient times, when an envoy was ordered to go to another country, in addition to following the rules of etiquette, he also had to carry tokens such as photos, quotations, ultimatums, and talismans as proof of mission and identity, among which "photos" had a special purpose.A photo is a certificate with a clerical nature.When envoys enter the border of other countries, they need to show their photos to prove their identity and mission, and the customs officers can let them go after seeing the photos.So photo is associated with Guan, so it is also called "care".It's just that the meaning of the word "caring" is quite different from the original meaning.However, the meaning of "zhao" has been inherited to this day, such as passport, license and so on.Among the many keepsakes of envoys, "Jie" is also a special and important keepsake, and it is actually a ritual gift.When envoys are ordered to go on missions, they act with restraint, so they are collectively called "envoys".Festivals were widely used in the Han Dynasty. According to the "Han Guan Yi" (recorded in the "Book of Later Han Baiguan Zhi"), the festival "is made of bamboo, with a handle eight feet long, and the tail of a yak is used as its 〔mao Mao 〕, triple.” According to this record, the style of the knot is on the top of a bamboo pole about 1.8 meters long, and the bundle is made of the hair from the tip of the yak’s tail.Before envoys are ordered to go on a mission, the emperor personally grants the festival, and holding the festival has a special meaning representing the emperor and the country.During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in order to unite the countries of the Western Regions to fight against the Huns, Zhang Qian was ordered to go to the Western Regions.On the way to the Western Regions, Zhang Qian followed the festival.When he was detained by the Huns, he still did not lose the "Han festival", that is, he never discarded the festival granted by the Han court, so as to show that he did not disgrace his mission and his loyalty to the Han Dynasty.Therefore, later generations also use "jie" to refer to a person's sentiment and moral character, such as integrity and integrity.If there is depravity, it is called infidelity.

Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has advocated high moral integrity, attaches great importance to their own sentiments, self-respect and self-love, even in difficult situations, they are still self-reliant, unwilling to fall, in order to maintain a noble integrity.There are many moving stories in this regard, among which "Su Wu Shepherd" is even more touching.At the same time that Zhang Qian was ordered to go to the Western Regions for the second time, a larger-scale war broke out between the Western Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, and the two sides continued to detain the other's envoys who came to negotiate peace.In the first year of the Tianhan Dynasty (100 BC), Shan [chan Chan]yu (the leader) of the Xiongnu expressed his willingness to form a friendship with the Western Han Dynasty because of repeated defeats on the battlefield, and voluntarily released the detained Western Han envoys.Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also ordered the release of the detained envoys of the Huns, and appointed Zhonglang General Su Wu and others to lead more than a hundred people to escort them back to the Huns.Before leaving, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty bestowed the festival on Su Wu.However, when completing the mission and preparing to return to the Han Dynasty, Su Wu and his party were detained and imprisoned by the Huns because of the conspiracy of his subordinates to kidnap Shan Yu's mother and return to the Han Dynasty to claim credit.Shan Yu tried to coerce Su Wu to betray the Han Dynasty and surrender to the Huns, but Su Wu flatly refused.Su Wu thought about returning to the Han Dynasty day and night. Even though he was imprisoned in a large cellar and deprived of food, he still survived tenaciously by eating snow and Zhan (zhanzhan) hair, and refused to surrender.Seeing that he could not subdue him, Shan Yu exiled Su Wu to the uninhabited North Sea (now Lake Baikal, Russia), let him graze a group of rams, and claimed that he could only be released after the ram gave birth to a lamb.Su Wu was well aware of Shan Yu's intentions, and also understood that returning to the Han Dynasty was far away, but he was not discouraged.When Su Wu came to Beihai, he had no food, so he had to dig rat holes and eat grass seeds to survive.Every day, he "shepherds the sheep on the Han Festival, sits up and manages it, and the festival is all over" ("Hanshu · Li Guangsu Jianzhuan").All the scorpions on the festival fell off, but Su Wu still stayed with him all day long, in order to show his determination to return to the Han Dynasty and his unswerving loyalty to the Han Dynasty.It was not until Emperor Zhaodi of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne that he made peace with the Huns again, which enabled Su Wu to be released and return home after 19 difficult years.The story of Su Wu herding sheep shows Su Wu's determination and perseverance to return to the Han Dynasty.In the extremely difficult and difficult environment, he gets along with Jie day and night, inseparable, and regards Jie as his life, which embodies a kind of unswerving and noble sentiment.This story has been passed down to this day for more than 2,000 years. For more than 2,000 years, Su Wu has not only become a well-known historical figure, but his touching stories have also been put on the stage of drama.People praise Su Wu because he embodies the traditional virtues of self-respect, self-love and unswerving determination of the Chinese nation.This is also the "big man" spirit advocated by the ancients long ago, "wealth and honor cannot be promiscuous, poverty cannot be moved, and might cannot be subdued" ("Mencius·Teng Wen Gong Xia"). An alliance refers to two or more countries making an oath to make a treaty with each other for a certain common interest or purpose in order to coordinate actions.Usually, one country first makes a suggestion or request, and then sends envoys to invite and lobby, or through the mediation and coordination of a third country, and finally makes the two or several parties agree to meet in a certain place, formally sign an oath, and form an alliance. It's called "Mengmeng" or "Menghui".The leader of the alliance or the person who presides over the alliance is the "leader".During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, some powerful vassal states competed with each other for hegemony. In order to establish their supremacy among the vassal states, they often invited the weaker vassal states to form an alliance and become the leader of the alliance, so they could command these vassal states.Therefore, the alliance has also become a way to compete for supremacy.During the Spring and Autumn Period, the states of Qi, Jin, and Chu in the Central Plains successively conquered other vassals by means of war, and finally established their own alliance leaders, that is, the status of overlords, in the form of alliances. The ceremony at the time of the alliance is called the ceremony of alliance.In ancient times, there was also the content of offering sacrifices to gods in alliance ceremonies. The reason was that people believed that gods were powerful enough to restrain or supervise the actions of allies, so people often made oaths to heaven.The main ceremony is "to [lili] the animal", that is, "to kill the animal and drink [shasha] blood, and swear to God. The method of alliance is to first dig the ground as a square ridge, kill the animal on the ridge, and cut the left side of the animal. The ear is filled with a bead plate, and the blood is taken to fill a Yudun, and the blood is used as a letter of alliance. When it is completed, it is read by drinking blood" ("Book of Rites · Qu Lixia").That is to say, when holding the alliance ceremony, it is necessary to dip the blood of the livestock and write the alliance letter (also known as Zaici) on jade pieces, bamboo pieces or silk.The alliance leader and the alliance members drink blood together, or dip their fingers in blood and smear their mouths, and then under the leadership of the alliance leader, swear an oath to God. This method is also called an oath.After the covenant oath is held, the covenant book serves as the principle and code of action for all covenants to abide by.Two copies of the covenant should be written, one should be buried with the slaughtered animals in the ground or sunk in the river after the covenant oath; In 1965, a large number of jade and stone flakes from the late Spring and Autumn Period were unearthed at a site of the Jin Kingdom in Houma, Shanxi.The main one is the oath of an alliance between Zhao Yang, a bureaucrat of the Jin State, and the people of the same clan to jointly fight against the enemy.This batch of precious cultural relics called "Hou Ma League Letters" is an important material for understanding ancient alliance rituals, from which we can also see the role and status of the alliance leader in the alliance. The leader of the alliance is not only the host of the alliance ceremony, but after the alliance, he actually gained the power to command other allies.During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, most alliances were in the nature of military alliances, so the status and role of the leader of the alliance was particularly important, and there were often situations of competition for the leader of the alliance.When Fu Chai, the king of Wu, had a dispute with Duke Ding of Jin for being the leader of the alliance when he met in Huangchi.There was a similar situation between Jin and Chu.In the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period, Jin and Chu fought for hegemony year after year.Not only did it cause huge material losses to the warring parties, but it also brought serious disasters to the surrounding weak vassal states. All countries hoped to "eliminate [mimi] soldiers" as soon as possible, that is, to stop the war.In 546 BC, Xiang Rong, a doctor of the Song Dynasty, negotiated with the monarchs of Jin, Chu and other vassal states respectively, and reached an agreement to hold an alliance to eliminate soldiers in the capital of Song Dynasty (now Shangqiu, Henan).On the day when the alliance ceremony was held, 14 vassal states participated, and both Jin and Chu wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of the alliance to become the leaders of the alliance.The State of Chu made full preparations in advance, and all the Chu people who attended the meeting secretly hid their armor.As soon as the alliance ceremony was held, the Chu people took the lead in drawing blood.When the Jin people discovered Chu people's intentions and tried to stop them, it was too late, so they had to let Chu be the main alliance. Oath, in the Western Zhou Dynasty, refers to the use of language as a covenant between princes, that is, in an oral way, to put forward some kind of principle that is to be observed by oneself or everyone, which is the so-called "Oath of Oath".Oath, originally used as a form of alliance, is often collectively referred to as "oath".But sometimes it can also be held alone, called "oath ceremony".The oath ceremony is the same as the covenant oath, and it must use the power of God as a constraint, so that all participants must not violate the contract, otherwise they will be punished by God.People believe that among the gods, the god of heaven is the most powerful, so when holding oath ceremonies, they often use the god of "heaven" to swear in front of the sky, which is what later generations call "swearing to the sky" and "swearing to the sky". .The oath ceremony is not as grand and cumbersome as the ceremony of the alliance ceremony, and there is no need to kill animals or drink blood.Oath also refers to the words that the ancient emperors warned the soldiers, and the generals warned the soldiers, which were mostly used to inspire fighting spirit and morale.As for the swearing of oaths by future generations of soldiers before going out to battle or fighting, the so-called "swearing" today evolved from this, and it became a way for soldiers to encourage themselves and restrain themselves.Once an oath is taken or taken, the oath becomes a promise that people must strictly abide by, and it is absolutely not allowed to be broken or violated.During the Spring and Autumn Period, Jiang Shi, the wife of Duke Wu of the State of Zheng, gave birth to two sons: Duke Zhuang and Shuduan Gong (gonggong), but she only loved Gongshuduan and hated Duke Zhuang very much.Later, Duke Zhuang came to the throne and became the king of the country. Jiang was very dissatisfied and tried every means to support Gong Shuduan to develop his power and replace Duke Zhuang.Even when Uncle Gong planned to attack Duke Zhuang, he was prepared to respond internally for him.After hearing the news, Duke Zhuang decisively sent troops to defeat Gong Shuduan, moved his mother Jiang out of the capital, and placed her in Chengying (northeast of Xiangcheng, Henan today), and swore: "If you don't die, you will be buried in Huangquan, and you will never die." Don't meet my mother." But afterwards, Duke Zhuang regretted that he should not have treated his mother like this, but there was an "oath" in advance, so it is not easy to break it.When Fengren Ying Kaoshu learned about it, he actively persuaded Zhuang Gong and suggested that he dig into the Yellow Spring (that is, the underground spring, referring to the place where the dead are buried) and meet his mother in the tunnel.Seeing that the suggestion was in line with his own wishes and did not violate the oath, Duke Zhuang readily accepted it. Then he sent someone to dig a tunnel underground, and finally met his mother. From then on, the mother and son lived in harmony.This story of "Zheng Boke's Duan Yu Yan" also reflects the ancient people's custom of "swearing" and never breaking their promises.An oath is also a very solemn promise. Once you take an oath or take an oath, you must bear the obligations and responsibilities promised in the oath.But in daily life, promises or wishes are very common.Although it is not as solemn as an oath, it is valued by people just like an oath. "Words must be believed, deeds must be resolute", etc., which embodies the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation of stressing credibility and keeping credibility. Hui and Tong are also two kinds of etiquette in the guest ceremony. They are only slightly different in form, so they are usually used together, that is, "huitong", which generally refers to the ancient princes meeting the emperor, and also refers to the princes meeting. "Zhou Li Da Zongbo" records: "When you see it, you call it a meeting, and when you see it in Yin, you say it is the same." The princes do not go to see the emperor at the prescribed time, which is called a meeting; Yin, the meaning of the public, refers to many princes going to see the emperor at the same time.Of course, when it comes to the meeting of princes, there is no such difference in form.The princes gathered together and made an oath, which can be called "huimeng" or "alliance". . Tin life, but also for life.Bestowment refers to the gift from the superior to the inferior in ancient times; bestowing orders refers specifically to the rewards of titles (including official positions), clothing, chariots, etc. given by the emperor to his ministers. The etiquette is the tin order ceremony.To accept Ximing, you must thank and return the gift, so the etiquette of Ximing is mainly based on worship, and it is relatively simple.The ancients regarded it as a special honor to receive the order of the emperor, and cherished it doubly.Everything that the emperor bestows on his ministers must be given the title of "gift".Such as giving officials, giving fields, giving houses, etc.If an official asks for leave in case of an accident, but he still cannot return to his post after the holiday expires, the emperor allows him to continue his leave, which is called "give advice" (advertisement, vacation for officials); at the banquet, the emperor presents wine to his officials, which is also called "give wine"; It was the emperor who ordered his ministers to go down to die, and it still had to be called "giving death" in a high-sounding manner.In the mid-Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, because he favored the noble concubine Yang Yuhuan, he neglected the government affairs.In addition, the treacherous ministers Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong were reused as prime ministers, resulting in domestic political turmoil and sharp contradictions, which finally led to the "Anshi Rebellion".In the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756 A.D.), the rebel army broke through Tongguan and entered Guanzhong. Tang Xuanzong fled from Chang'an to Sichuan in a hurry.But when they arrived at Mawei Station (today's Xingping West, Shaanxi Province), the guards mutinied. After killing Yang Guozhong, they still "did not move forward" and demanded that Concubine Yang Guifei be executed.Fearing that the rebels would come after him, Tang Xuanzong had to give Concubine Yang Guifei a piece of white silk and make her hang herself.So "gift silk" has become a synonym for "gift death".During the Tang and Song dynasties, official uniforms were often graded by color. Officials above the third rank wore purple official uniforms; officials above the fifth rank and up to the fourth rank wore scarlet (feifei, big red) official uniforms.If the emperor expresses favor to an official, he often "gives purple" and "gives fei", that is, bestows official uniforms, which actually means promotion and shows great love. Encounter, that is to meet, meet, refers to the sudden meeting of princes or officials at a time and place that has not been agreed in advance. "Where do you meet? Unexpectedly." ("Gongyang Zhuan Yingong Four Years") Even if the ancients met unexpectedly, they still paid attention to etiquette and acted in accordance with the rules of etiquette, so there was the saying of "courtesy reception".Of course, the etiquette of meeting the time is simpler than other etiquettes.In the Western Zhou Dynasty, when the princes went out and met on the way, they often greeted each other according to the host and guest. One side is the guest.When officials meet, different etiquettes are given according to their official positions, and a strict etiquette system has been formulated in this regard.For example, the "Meeting Rituals of Hundred Officials" formulated by the Song Dynasty clearly stipulated that if a lower-level official meets an official on the way, he must stop his horse, stand aside, or avoid it, or take a detour. "Civil and military officials meet the prime minister, the privy envoy, and the political affairs, and avoid them. The lower level of the living man meets the upper part of the house, and the horses are gathered. The imperial historian meets the third master of the East Palace, the minister of the book, and the minister of the two provinces. They go on separate routes." ("Song History Li Zhi") If you do not follow this regulation, you will be considered rude and will be punished.During the Warring States Period, Lin Xiangru of the State of Zhao fought wits and bravery with the King of the State of Qin and won the victory of "returning the jade to Zhao". superior.Lian Po thought he had outstanding military exploits and looked down on Lin Xiangru.Once, the two met on the way. According to the regulations of Yuli, Lian Po should give way to Lin Xiangru, but he believed in his meritorious service and refused to give way.Seeing Lian Po's lack of courtesy, Lin Xiangru knew that the enemy was in front of him, and unity should be the most important thing, so he decided not to argue with him, and immediately ordered his subordinates to detour.Lin Xiangru's forbearance and open-mindedness later moved Lian Po.This outstanding veteran actually "pleaded guilty" and reconciled with Lin Xiangru to fight against foreign enemies together. The allusion of "pleading guilty to a thorn" has therefore become a good story that has been passed down to this day.