When Confucius was stranded between Chen and Cai, he was not allowed to eat for seven days but played the qin in his room, and Yan Hui released the vegetables in his outdoor room as a token of his respect for his teacher and his intention not to leave him.” –The General Meaning of Customs.
Since then, releasing vegetables represented respecting the teacher, and the ritual of releasing vegetables became one of the two major rituals of Confucius worship. Releasing vegetables means using fruits and vegetables to pay respect to the teacher, and the ritual of releasing vegetables is the “ritual of paying respect to the teacher”, but as time went by, the newly-qualified students were also required to perform the ritual of releasing vegetables to pay respect to the teacher, Confucius, and then take off their rough clothes and straw shoes to indicate that they were entering the civil service career. Then, they take off their coarse clothes and straw shoes to indicate their entry into the civil service.
After entering the Temple of Confucius, the officials of the Imperial College led Zhu Pingan and the others into the side hall, washed and changed their clothes, changed into the coarse cloth clothes and shoes that had been prepared long ago, and lined up according to the rankings of the Imperial Examination under the guidance of the officials of the Imperial College.
In addition to the officials of the Imperial College, there were also officials from the Ministry of Rites in the Temple of Confucius, who acted as the passers-by, ushers-in, and the executors of the ceremonial rites of the Vegetable Rites.
Zhu Pingan walked in the front, under the guidance of the Secretary, he came to the Dacheng Hall under the platform through the Holding Jing Door, and walked up to the platform through the steps on the east side of the platform.
“Platoon, dedicating officials and the following take their positions.” After the Tongzan saluted the Da Cheng Hall, he turned to Zhu Pingan and the others and commanded in a loud voice.
Several people from the Division came out and guided Zhu Pingan and the others to stand in formation on the east side of the platform, and then the rest of the personnel took their positions.
Zhu Pingan stood firm, then heard a burst of music, I do not know when the stage appeared under the stage of the grand scale of the band, wearing red dress holding a variety of musical instruments, listened to a moment Zhu Pingan heard this music and the music of the dynasty is the same “chapter of Jiajing”.
After the chapter of Jiajing played, soon there will be the Ministry of Rites under the Department of Education sent to 36 rows of rows of students, each right hand holding three pheasant tail feathers, the left hand holding a piccolo, dressed in red dress step on the platform to dance six rows of rows of dancers.
At the same time, the Tongzan official began to recite the sacrificial text:
The Sage of Literature of the Ancient World, the Predecessor of Ten Thousand Generations. The flame has been passed on for a hundred generations.
And now our generation, see the wise and think of the wise. ……
I am grateful to you.
After the recitation of the sacrificial text, it was time for Zhu Pingan to release the dishes. In accordance with the usual practice is usually the first prize, the top grade, the scout three people go up to the Confucius and the twelve sages to release vegetables salute, but today will also be Ouyang Zishi added in, four people together on behalf of the students to release vegetables salute.
Under the stage, there are newly promoted students issued a doubtful urn sound, but by the State Prince Supervisor priest reprimanded silence suppressed.
Zhu Pingan took the lead to go to the release of vegetables to take a watercress, a handful of leek flowers, several red dates and a handful of chestnuts. Together into a plate and dish, carried back to the platform.
The watercress represents the scholar, the leek flower represents talent, the red dates represent early ambition, and the chestnuts represent the reverence for Confucius …… This is all agreed upon.
“Disciple Zhu Pingan. Blessed with the teaching of ritual and music, fortunate to be successful, I dare to lay Jia Cai in the late sage Confucius.”
Zhu Pingan stepped into the Dacheng Hall under the statue of Confucius, kneeled down and offered the release of vegetables, then the next guide praised Zhu Pingan to get up, poured a bottle of wine and handed it to Zhu Pingan, Zhu Pingan once again kneeled down and offered wine to the statue of Confucius, so a total of three bottles of wine were offered, and only then was Zhu Pingan’s release of vegetables salute considered finished.
The top scorer, the scout and Ouyang Zishi, on the other hand, respectively saluted the twelve sages.
The rest of the scholars on the platform of the Dacheng Hall were guided by the ministers to perform the ritual of releasing vegetables to the Confucius Sage and the twelve sages on the platform of the Dacheng Hall.
Waiting for the entire release of vegetable rituals carried out. The sun has risen to the middle of the day, Zhu Pingan, after they perform the ceremony, will also be on the body of the coarse cloth clothes and shoes off, changed into the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of the Ministry of all the people in accordance with their respective assigned official position prepared for the official uniform.
For a time, Zhu Pingan and the others all turned into a group of clothed animals.
Zhu Pingan wore a sixth-grade official uniform, a green-coloured official uniform, with a heron painted on the front of the uniform.
Apart from Zhu Pingan, the others, including Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen, were all in seventh rank official uniforms, also green in colour, but the patch in front of their uniforms had a painting of a quail on it.
“Ta-Jen Zhu. Take care of my humble servant in the future. ……” Zhang Siwei squeezed his eyes and said with a flattering face.
“Ahem, that depends on how you show this ……” Zhu Pingan moved his paw and made two serious gestures.
“Dog official ……” Wang Shizhen watched the two fooling around. He couldn’t help but laugh and curse.
In fact, in addition to Zhu Pingan and the three of them, everyone is also touching the official clothes on their bodies, laughing into a ball, one is as excited as anything, in the past, the cold windows and study hard year after year, for such a day ah.
In the crowd to change into the official uniforms smiling and happy. Ministry of Public Works officials came to tell them a good news, the Ministry of Public Works is responsible for the monument has been carved, please go to see.
The name will be remembered in the history of the world.
All the people are excited, can’t wait to go to the State Prison special monument place, the Ministry of Public Works came to the official on the road could not stop with Ouyang Zishi set close to the Ouyang Zishi crowd more attention, surrounded by Ouyang Zishi side of the newly minted scholar even more.
The reason why the officials of the Ministry of Public Works flattered Ouyang Zishi was entirely due to the face of Yan Shifan, who was now the second-in-command of the Ministry of Public Works – the right minister of the Ministry of Public Works, equivalent to the modern-day vice-minister. Because Yan Song is the cabinet minister, the background so hang, so in fact the Ministry of Public Works of the size of the affairs are Yan Shifan say.
Ouyang Zishi is Yan Song’s nephew, Yan Shifan’s relatives, the Ministry of Public Works and how the officials will be slow.
For the rest of the newly promoted students, the glory of the Imperial Examination has passed, after the first prize or, hanging tail or, all is the past, the new journey from this moment has begun, all the previous page. In the career to rise, their own efforts is one aspect, but more importantly, there should be someone above, there should be nobles to carry, there should be a big man care, so that in the career in order to be like a fish out of water.
They are new to the career, through the Ouyang Zishi contact to the Cabinet of Ministers such a person under the ten thousand people on the big man, such an opportunity is unique.
Therefore, all of them firmly grasped this opportunity and surrounded Ouyang Zishi to brush their faces and pave the way for their future career.
Comparatively speaking, Zhu Pingan’s side was much colder, with only Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen accompanying him.
“Ahem, he’s not lifting ……” Zhu Pingan pointed at Ouyang Zishi who was surrounded by the crowd in front of him and said leisurely.
Indeed, Ouyang Zishi who was surrounded by the crowd did not have an umbrella anymore.
However, upon hearing this, Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen both couldn’t help but laugh, while others didn’t know what Zhu Pingan meant by this, they did. Hearing Zhu Pingan’s words, they couldn’t help but remember the sentence Zhu Pingan said in the morning with a bad smile: if he doesn’t lift, it’s a sunny day.
The place where the State Scholarship Elementary School was dedicated to erecting monuments had rows and rows of densely packed stone monuments for the scholars, and under the guidance of the officials from the Ministry of Public Works, the crowd saw the one that belonged to them.
Seeing their names on the monument, all of them showed a proud look of honouring their ancestors and making a name for themselves for generations to come.
Only Zhu Pingan was very indifferent.
Although this stone monument of the scholar’s name was brand new and the font was strong and powerful …… But not far from this stone monument other stone monument, there are many stone monument surface text in the wind and sun are blurred ……
The world is relying on this is not.
The monument engraved on the stone will be weathered, only engraved in people’s hearts can be forever.
