pappabearbooks #134 - Chapter 134 Triumphal Ceremony
#134 - Chapter 134 Triumphal Ceremony
The north gate of Daliang's Shangjing City is also called the Gate of Triumph.
It is meant to signify a triumphant return.
The reason is none other than that the biggest enemy of Daliang, the Northern Barbarians, are located north of Shangjing.
The expeditionary army naturally returns from the north of Shangjing.
However, in past years, very few Liang troops have been able to return victoriously.
But today is different.
At this time, outside the Gate of Triumph, colorful platforms were erected, people were crowded, and flags were fluttering.
The imperial court rarely arranged a welcoming ceremony for the triumphant division outside the Gate of Triumph.
Although Daliang governs the country with literature, most of its people are gentle and weak.
However, this ceremony to welcome the victorious division is a rare grand occasion.
Perhaps it is because the more one lacks something, the more one values it.
Although the Daliang Dynasty suppressed military personnel, if there really was a victorious army returning.
The favors given by the court officials would never be stingy.
Since the start of the war between Daliang and the various Northern Barbarian tribes, defeats have often outnumbered victories.
The military reports that came back were also news such as a certain place being plundered by the Northern Barbarian iron cavalry for several days, and the population being wiped out.
And the refugees fleeing from the north have never stopped.
In order to escape the iron hooves and military might of the Northern Barbarians, they abandoned their homes and businesses and fled south in panic.
The news obtained from these fleeing refugees made the people of Shangjing even more uneasy.
The people of Shangjing have always had an inner fear.
That is, one day, the Northern Barbarian iron cavalry will directly reach Shangjing City.
These Shangjing people will also abandon their homes and businesses and flee south with their families like those refugees from the north.
Or become the dead souls under the swords of those Northern Barbarian cavalrymen.
In recent years, due to the threat of the Northern Barbarians, many large families in Shangjing have also moved their families south.
This has made the city of Shangjing even more desolate.
The Liang people desperately need a victory, the kind of victory that can free people from the fear of the Northern Barbarians.
And this time, the Dragon骧 Army did it.
A few days ago, more than a dozen Dragon骧 cavalrymen brought amazing news.
In the Battle of the Chishui River, Marquis Long骧 defeated 30,000 Tiele troops.
This news instantly caused a sensation throughout Shangjing City.
Countless people took to the streets to inquire and confirm the authenticity of the news.
In taverns and teahouses, stories about the Dragon骧 Army, especially one called Lieutenant Li, spread wider and wider.
Some people listened with great interest.
Because the Dragon骧 Army's team to Shangjing to report their merits is already in sight.
At this time, on the official road outside Shangjing City.
Li Yuan was riding side by side with Marquis Long骧.
The female Marquis was carefully explaining the process of the Daliang Triumphal Ceremony to Li Yuan.
The Triumphal Ceremony is the highest ceremony in Daliang to welcome the triumphant return of the army.
It is also the supreme honor pursued by soldiers in this era.
Why is Marquis Long骧 telling Li Yuan this?
Because in today's Shangjing Triumphal Ceremony, Li Yuan, as the person with the most merit in this battle, will participate in the entire ceremony.
Li Yuan listened carefully to the female Marquis's explanation.
According to the Book of Rites, the Daliang Triumphal Ceremony is divided into three processes.
They are the North Gate Comforting the Army, Offering Captives and Heads, and Rewarding Merits in the Great Hall.
The so-called North Gate Comforting the Army means erecting colorful platforms and setting up drums and music outside the Gate of Triumph in Shangjing.
The comforting ceremony is presided over by important court officials.
The main process of the ceremony is that the presiding important official and the commander of the returning army publicly review the entire war through a question-and-answer session.
During the question-and-answer session, the process, merits, and meritorious people of this battle will be announced to the surrounding onlookers.
The purpose of this North Gate Comforting the Army is to announce the results of the battle to the people of Shangjing through a question-and-answer session.
In order to achieve the effect of promoting national prestige.
In fact, according to convention, military merits and beheading merits have already been reported to the Ministry of War.
This question-and-answer process is just a formality.
The commander of the returning army will exaggerate the results of the battle to some extent, and the important official who asks the questions usually turns a blind eye.
After all, it is a matter of the court's face, as long as it is not excessive, everyone will not be too entangled.
After the question-and-answer session, the important official presiding over the ceremony will symbolically inspect the army's battle results.
Then, in front of countless people present, he will announce that the battle results are real and that our Liang army has won a great victory.
After that, the surrounding people will cheer and welcome the triumphant division.
The army will pass through the Gate of Triumph and enter Wusheng Street.
At this time, the arranged musicians will play the music of triumph.
Wusheng Street in Shangjing is wide and can allow eight rows of carriages and horses to pass through.
The triumphant army will be welcomed by the people on both sides of the street here.
After that, the army will arrive at the square in front of the main gate of the imperial city.
Here, a platform for announcing merits and offering sacrifices to the heavens will be built, and the commander of the army will burn incense and worship the heroic spirits who died in battle.
And offer the prisoners of war captured in this battle and the heads of the enemy troops killed.
And the person who performs this ceremony must be the person with the most merit in this battle.
After the ceremony of offering captives and heads.
The generals will enter the palace to receive rewards from the Holy One.
After that, a reward banquet will be arranged.
The female Marquis spoke carefully, and Li Yuan listened attentively.
Before they knew it, Shangjing City was already in sight.
At this time, outside the Gate of Triumph,
People were crowded and colorful flags were fluttering.
Tens of thousands of Shangjing people, supporting the old and carrying the young, looked into the distance.
Today, they are here to welcome the victorious Dragon骧 Army.
These days, the stories of the Dragon骧 Army and Lieutenant Li have been circulating everywhere in the taverns and teahouses of Shangjing.
The people also want to see if this legendary hero really has three heads and six arms.
And on the largest colorful platform at the Gate of Triumph.
More than a dozen Daliang officials in purple robes and jade belts sat upright.
The first one is Cai Hongwen, the Left Prime Minister of Daliang, who is the head of the civil officials.
According to convention, the matter of comforting the army at the North Gate is also personally presided over by this Left Prime Minister.
The second one is Li Bingxiao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who is over forty years old, with a square face and a long beard, and a resolute temperament.
He is also a rare person in the Daliang Dynasty who enforces the law impartially.
The third one is Gao Deshan, Marquis of Yuyang, whose status is relatively marginal among the nobles.
He is short and fat, with a gentle personality, seemingly harmless, and usually has no pursuit, only seeking pleasure.
In the party of General Fuguo, he is just a supporting role.
According to the rules, at least one noble must be sent to observe the ceremony of comforting the army at the North Gate.
However, this ceremony of comforting the army is presided over by civil officials, so the Left Prime Minister is naturally the host, and the nobles are not welcome here.
In addition, it requires getting up early and being busy, which is a hard job, and most nobles are unwilling to participate, so they finally pushed out Gao Deshan, this marginal person.
At this time, Gao Deshan also looked listless, yawning constantly.
After these three people, there are other accompanying officials.
But at this time.
Cai Hongwen, the Left Prime Minister who is the host of the comforting army, did not have any joy on his face.
Even faintly, there was a trace of worry.
The reason is simple. A few days ago, he sent the Jingxu Master of Miaoxi Zen Temple as an envoy to visit Marquis Long骧.
He even fantasized about using Jingxu's soul-capturing technique to control this female Marquis for his own use.
As a result, this monk went and never returned.
No news has been sent back in the past few days.
Without definite results, the Left Prime Minister felt very flustered.
Once the female Marquis knows about his and the Jingxu monk's plan.
Then he and Marquis Long骧 will inevitably be in an irreconcilable situation.
The Left Prime Minister now vaguely regrets that he was really bewitched at the time and actually agreed to Jingxu monk's absurd proposal.
The more the Left Prime Minister thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
He was really sitting on pins and needles on this colorful platform.
Just then, there was a commotion from the people below, and someone shouted.
"Here they come! Here they come! That's the Dragon骧 Army!"