"Oh Chief Divine! So this temple is called 'Yongning Temple'! Judging by the characters, it ans 'eternal peace,' doesn't it?!... And the na of this settlent is called 'Nurgan tropolitan Authority'? What is 'Nurgan', what is 'Dutong Office'?..."
"The script of Your Majesty's Divine Revelation is surprisingly the sa as this ancient inscription left by the Southern Great Tribes! Could this be what Your Majesty foretold, the Great Ming Han tribe coalition, the most powerful in the South, equally embraced by divine revelation, just like the Kingdom?..."
"And the Eleventh Year of Yongle... When is this event exactly?... Imperial Envoy... Is the 'Female Snake' personal attendant in Your Majesty's prophecy, or a 'Confucianism' priest?"
The sky was full of deep clouds, reflecting the deep forest on the ground. The collapsed Buddhist temple, broken statues, blood-stained Buddha heads, and the ancient stone steles stood amidst the darkness, gazing at the visitors from the Kingdom.
At this mont, Zuwaro had too much in his thoughts, too much astonishnt and reverence! Such true and genuine divinity left him in a daze for a long ti, until he returned to his senses with awe. He pursed his lips and carefully read the stone stele again, paying attention to the records within.
"The Ninth Year of Yongle, over a thousand officials, twenty-five large ships... Did these Southern Great Tribes arrive here by large ships via waterways? So, are they located upstream of the Great River, south or southwest?... How far is that exactly? Did they engage a thousand Samurai to conquer this place?..."
"Two years later, in the Eleventh Year of Yongle, the temple was built and the stele erected... Hmm, being able to construct a temple indicates their rule had stabilized. But why did they leave from here afterwards?..."
With these questions in mind, Zuwaro took a deep breath and looked at the second stone stele. This stele seed newer, and the beginning inscription confird it as the continuation of the first stele.
"Record of the reconstruction of Yongning Temple... Only the heavens overshadow all, with four seasons running, thereby giving birth to all things; only the earth bears heavily, with two forces rging to nourish all things; only the Saint's supre virtue illuminates the five constants, to which all people turn..."
"Only the country of Nurgan... spanning over ten thousand miles, populated by Jurchen or Wild n, Ji lien mi, or Ku yi, without multiple translations their languages cannot be understood, without might they will not submit, without ships it is challenging to reach their land..."
"Hmm? Spanning over ten thousand miles? A journey of ten thousand miles? Without might they will not submit? Displaying force to make tribes submit? Without ships challenging to reach their land? There is indeed waterway communication, and only waterway communication?..."
Zuwaro widened his eyes, and halted slightly with his finger on these three sentences, pondering. He approximately discerned the distance of the 'Southern Great Tribes' position, confird their forr intimidation of this land with force, and the far-reaching mariti transport. Further down...
"During Yongle... went five tis to their country, soothed and consoled, established Nurgan tropolitan Authority... autumn of the Eleventh Year... founded the temple and sculpted Buddha, nad Yongning Temple..."
"Year seven... led two thousand officials, fifty large ships to return again. The people were as before but only Yongning Temple was demolished, leaving remnants..."
"Year seven? What year is this? Seven years after the Eleventh Year of Yongle? Hmm... Two thousand officials, fifty large ships, this ti engaging two thousand Samurai, doubling the previous number? Yongning Temple demolished? The symbolic temple of control was destroyed?! It seems that local tribes and Southern Great Tribes were still battling, and the Southern Great Tribes had to send forces from thousands of miles away... Their conquest here remained unstable!..."
Seeing this, Zuwaro pondered deeply, forming so guesses about the departure of 'Southern Great Tribes'. But the following passage baffled him, the Kingdom Priest...
"Eunuch Yishiha and others embody the Emperor's intent of gentleness, especially forgiving. The welcoming people were still feasted with food and drink, given cloth items, and further soothed... Celestial Empire has a benevolent ruler, hence there is a path for establishnt, our domain is unhard!..."
"Oh Chief Divine! Instead of capturing and sacrificing the enemies who destroyed the temple, they offered forgiveness and gifts! This truly shows... disrespect for the divine spirit's majesty!..."
Zuwaro frowned, thoughts arose in his heart. Southern Great Tribes built such a magnificent temple, but seed not so devoted to the divine spirit? If the Kingdom's temple were destroyed by enemies, it would almost be the greatest blood feud, definitely worth avenging at all costs...
"Eunuch Yishiha... Ah! It turns out to be the 'Female Snake' personal attendant ntioned by Your Majesty beside the Great Emperor Chief! Then where are the 'Confucianism' priests? What is their attitude towards the temple's destruction?... Could it be that the temple built by 'Female Snakes', and their beliefs are unrelated? Were the beliefs of different forces respecting different 'All Gods'? And is the eventual departure of Southern Great Tribes related to reverent 'Confucianism' priests?..."
Zuwaro strived to compose a picture of the Empire, yet remained baffled about the departure of the 'Southern Great Tribes'. Unfortunately, the rest of the stele contained few records, with many rely ntioned in brief. Such 'Spring and Autumn style', leaving hints between the lines, was what Zuwaro had never learned and struggled to interpret.
"Jianyuan Temple, dare not restore... the people regardless of distance, all bow down and express submission, eternal without doubt!... In view of this, our Holy Dynasty's wisdom, virtue is vast, path exalted as Yao and Shun, conceives across the world, bestows grace upon the needy, making all directions, distant and near, diverse surnas and multitude free from hunger and cold... Indeed, the Saint spreads virtue and grants favors, not seeking recompense from commoners..."
"Oh Chief Divine! Southern Great Tribes repeatedly emphasized, 'tribes submit, eternal without doubt'... It resembles Alliance repeatedly emphasizing dominion over Cloud Central Tribes... perhaps it's a betrayal with uncertain allegiance, thus necessitating repeated expeditions!"
"Here it says, 'bestow grace upon the needy', 'not seeking recompense from commoners'... Does it an the Southern Great Tribes could not collect taxes here at all?... Why then would they venture thousands of miles here, neither preach nor collect taxes, never establish a feudal kingdom... what are they here for exactly?..."
Reading this, Zuwaro's puzzlent deepened further. And the end of this second stone stele also seed just like the once young 'Imperial Envoy' when erecting the stele, not knowing how many years ago. It lost the youthful ti of 'endless great virtue' exuberance, the shining dream once 'integrated with heaven'! It aged, leaving only a single inscription full of helplessness, even so plea for reward after death...
"Thus, there is hidden rit, certainly external reward; hidden deeds, certainly recognized glory, so it is said. Hence the inscription text for eternity..."
"What is hidden rit? What is external reward? Hidden deeds and recognized glory, what do they an?... Yet this final sentence, eternal text... But they still left... Alas!..."
Zuwaro sighed softly. He seed to savor the resignation and sigh of the stele erector from the last lines. That was a lant after the Empire's glory, just like the sun gradually setting westward, just like the tide dwindling away inevitably... how long ago was this story? And how long since the previous stele?...
"Eighth Year of Xuande, Year of Gui Chou, First Day of Early Spring... Duzhi Supervisor Eunuch Yishiha..."
Reading this last sentence, Zuwaro trembled all over, abruptly opening his eyes wide! He finally saw the 'Great Ming' in Your Majesty's prophecy, finally confirming the identity of this 'Southern Great Tribes'!
"Oh Chief Divine! It's truly 'Great Ming', identical to the 'Great Ming' in Your Majesty's prophecy!..."
"Eighth Year of Xuande? What ti is that? Xuande... proclaiming 'virtue'? But what is 'virtue'?... This isn't as easily comprehensible nor as pleasant as 'Yongle'..."
"From 'Eleventh Year of Yongle' to 'Eighth Year of Xuande', how long was the gap, how long ago again was it? And afterwards, what happened?... And how far is 'Great Ming' of the South from this 'Nurgan tropolitan Authority' exactly?... Surely not really over ten thousand miles again?!"
Zuwaro's emotions surged as he gazed towards the southern sky. The Great River surging grandly, flowing from the South's upstream. Clouds deeply descending from the Northern horizon. In the Great River and sky, the sun's light and warmth had already vanished. After this desolate autumn, the biting cold winter was soon to roar in~
User Comments
0 comments from readers