"Blood sacrifice" has existed since ancient times, and today the sacrifices of the seven kingdoms and the Zhou royal family are also continuing the broad-sense "blood sacrifice".
"The Zhou Li, Spring Officials, Great Master of the Clan" says, "Offer sacrifices to the Lord of Heaven with sacrifices, offer sacrifices to the sun, moon, and stars with firewood, offer sacrifices to the Si Zhong, Siming, the Master of Wind, and the Master of Rain with firewood. Offer sacrifices to the Sheji, the Five Sacrifices, and the Five Mountains with blood. Offer sacrifices to the mountains, forests, rivers, and marshes with leopards and fish, and offer sacrifices to all things in the four directions with fish and fish."
In ancient times, it was believed that "qi" could communicate with the soul. Sacrificial offerings used various "qi" to create an atmosphere and communicate with the gods. This was true for blood, alcohol, and fireworks.
Since the Zhou Dynasty, blood sacrifices in state ceremonies have been changed from human sacrifices to livestock sacrifices. Although there were signs of a revival of human sacrifices during the Warring States Period, most people regarded it as a symbol of brutality, and large-scale human sacrifices of non-slaves and prisoners of war were even more despised. The Qin State declined because of the "Three Good Men Buried with the Body" practice.
But as long as blood sacrifice is important, there will always be people who think of using a more advanced "blood sacrifice", human sacrifice.
When humans make too many demands on the gods, or when the gods are slow to respond to them, they will offer a better sacrifice - humans themselves.
With the advent of the feudal era, commoners became ordinary people and were the main source of taxation and military service for the country. "People can overturn the boat" became a reality. People of insight viewed human life as more precious, and the sacrificial rituals gradually changed.
The "qi" of sacrifice gradually shifted from the abundance of the sacrifice to the respect and virtue of the performers, and from the spiritualization of "blood and qi" to "virtue and qi".
This change began in the Spring and Autumn Period. Confucianism was transformed by the ritual officials who were in charge of sacrifices. They studied sacrifices most thoroughly and were the first to propose that sacrifices should be used for virtue.
According to Zuo Zhuan, Sui Hou believed that sacrifices should include "fat and plump animals, and abundant offerings", while Ji Liang believed that "the people are the masters of the gods" and the meaning of abundant sacrifices lies not in the sacrifices themselves, but in showing that the people are living well.
The Book of Documents also says, "Don't monitor the water, monitor the people." Sacrifice is the process of preparing sacrifices to report to the gods that the people are doing well, and to win the hearts of the people through sacrifices.
If sacrifices harm the people, then it is putting the cart before the horse.
Zhu Xiang made this clear in his letter of war, integrating all the various ideas about changes in sacrificial rites of that era and telling everyone that the people's will is the will of heaven and that ghosts and gods depend on the people's support.
In other words, ghosts and gods that are not beneficial to the people are not allowed to exist.
It was precisely because of the above ideas that existed during the Warring States Period that Zhu Xiang dared to propose cutting down mountains and destroying temples. He was confident that as long as he had sufficient reasons, the King of Qin would agree to his petition, and the scholars of the world would stand on his side and work with him to find ways to stop the bad custom of folk sacrificial offerings.
But Zhu Xiang's declaration of war could make the Qin soldiers understand his heart, could make the scholars all over the world understand his heart, and could make the kings of the seven countries understand his heart, but the villagers whom he wanted to save now could not understand it.
In the eyes of the villagers, these principles based on scriptures and these passionate words are not as good as the witch's meaningless sacrificial dance.
When Qin soldiers were "suppressing bandits", they didn't care about the lives of the villagers. If the villagers resisted, they were bandits, and they would not hesitate to chop off the villagers' heads to earn military merit.
Even Zhu Xiang could not change this.
Zhu Xiang could only resort to trickery and act more like a wizard than the wizard himself in order to break the wizard's authority and make the villagers lay down their weapons of resistance.
Sometimes Zhu Xiang was successful, but most of the time, the villagers regarded the ghosts and gods they worshipped as their ancestors, and even the bloody gods they worshipped were themselves integrated into the concept of ancestor worship. The Qin soldiers destroyed the temple to destroy the incense of their ancestors.
They fought to the death with the Qin soldiers.
Once the Qin army started, it was like a chariot galloping, and it was impossible to stop. The number of people killed by Li Mu in conquering Yunmengze was not as many as the number of people killed in this "religious" war launched by Zhu Xiang.
When Li Mu learned about this, he hurried back to Eyi and yelled at Zhu Xiang: "Those people really deserve to die. Can't you write a letter to ask me to come back and fight? What battlefield are you going to fight on?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I'm fine..."
Li Mu angrily said: "You are fine!"
Zhang Ruo tried to persuade him: "General Li, clearing mountains and destroying temples is also a way to suppress bandits. It is a military achievement..."
"He doesn't need military merit!" Li Mu didn't give the Qin veteran any face at all, pointing at Zhu Xiang's hair and saying, "You don't know him. When he was in Zhao, Duke Lian wanted to give him military merit by sending him to the battlefield. He did nothing else, and he was not happy when others cut off his head in exchange for military merit, and was chased and beaten by Duke Lian."
"In Zhu Xiang's eyes, human life is above all else. He couldn't bear to kill anyone, whether it was his own people or the enemy, so he was unwilling to go to the battlefield. The people of Zhao volunteered to save him at all costs, and he was so worried that his hair turned white."
"Now he's actually on the battlefield... He's actually on the battlefield!" Li Mu clenched his fists and slammed them on the table. "Zhu Xiang, don't you trust me? I said I wouldn't let you go to the battlefield, and I will definitely do it! It's just cutting down mountains and destroying temples. You told me, can't I capture a few ruined temples?!"
Zhang Ruo looked at Li Mu's painful expression, then looked at Zhu Xiang's white hair, and was speechless for a long time.
He discovered that he thought he understood Zhu Xiang, but perhaps he didn't know Zhu Xiang well enough.
He only knew that Zhu Xiang's hair turned white overnight when he moved from Zhao to Qin, but he didn't know that Zhu Xiang's gray hair had little to do with leaving his hometown, but was related to the people of Zhao.
Zhu Xiang's love for the people is not just an empty evaluation. Does Zhu Xiang's love for the people also include those ignorant common people holding sharp weapons
When Li Mu's hand hit the wooden table, it cracked a corner of it, and his palm was pierced by the splinter, bleeding profusely.
Zhu Xiang quickly asked someone to bring filtered wine and prepared herbs to bandage Li Mu's hand.
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that this matter was caused by me. I was the one who asked to cut down the mountain and destroy the temple, so I should stand on this battlefield." Zhu Xiang explained, "I have issued a declaration of war to the gods of the mountains and fields. Do you want me to stand behind you and enjoy the reputation of abolishing human sacrifice, and leave all the costs behind the reputation to you and Zhang Gong? Li Mu, although I am a coward, I am not so contemptible."
Li Mu glared at Zhu Xiang and said, "You and I are as close as brothers. I am a general and have killed countless people. I should have been the one to cut down the mountains and destroy the temples. What is the price and reputation? Why do you think so much?"
Zhu Xiang said: "People in the world don't really care, but I do. Confucius said, 'A gentleman is not guilty of his own conscience.' To the world and to my friends, I want to have a clear conscience."
Li Mu panted like an angry bull, but in the end, he pounded his knee hard with his bandaged hand, gritted his teeth, and did not continue to refute Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang said that he wanted to "have a clear conscience", and Li Mu could not argue with him.
Zhu Xiang was in a trance for a moment, then said firmly: "The obscene temple and evil sacrifices must not be allowed to remain. I have no regrets."
"That's good. You should remember what you said now." Li Mu said, "What you did was right. You have no regrets."
Zhu Xiang sighed and smiled bitterly: "Okay, I'll remember it."
Li Mu said, "I wonder how painful it would be for Lin Li and other friends to know this? Lord Xun and Lord Lian would also be very sad. They would blame me for not taking good care of you."
Zhu Xiang: "... You guys are overprotective of me."
Li Mu didn't say anything.
It’s not that they wanted to overprotect Zhu Xiang, it’s just that a gentleman is like jade, but jade is noble and fragile.
"Leave it to me next, you go and have a rest." Li Mu said.
Zhu Xiang refused: "Eyi is very important, you should go to guard Eyi. I have Zhang Gong, I don't need you."
Zhang Ruo: “…” Suddenly, I wanted to leave this troubled place.
Li Mu and Zhu Xiang were at a stalemate. A few days later, the issue was resolved.
Meng Wu left his baggage behind and flew forward by boat to convey the King of Qin's order.
He arrived at the Eyi dock from the Han River. After learning what Zhu Xiang had done, he abandoned his flying boat and rode at full speed. Two days later, he arrived at Zhu Xiang's camp. When they met, he cursed: "Are you dissatisfied with the fact that Qin does not have enough generals and cannot lead the troops? Why are you going to the battlefield?"
Zhang Ruo, who was about to greet Meng Wu: “…” This sentence sounded familiar.
Zhu Xiang said helplessly: "Stop scolding, stop scolding. Li Mu has already scolded me once."
Li Mu crossed his arms and said, "When you return to Xianyang, you will be scolded a few more times."
Zhu Xiang said: "I'm really not that fragile."
Li Mu said, "Have you looked in the mirror? There are dark circles under your eyes and your cheeks are sunken. I'm afraid you haven't slept well for many days."
Meng Wu picked up Zhu Xiang who was sitting and looked at him carefully: "I wonder how worried Zheng'er and Xue Ji would be when they see you like this? Sometimes I really don't know why you insist on doing that for no reason. If you don't want to go to the battlefield, then never go to the battlefield. Don't force yourself for some weird reasons."
Zhu Xiang patted Meng Wu's hand, which was holding his, and shook his head, saying, "It's not inexplicable, and it's not strange at all."
Meng Wu let go of his hand.
Zhu Xiang straightened the wrinkles of his clothes and said calmly, "I saw on the altar, fair and tender children were dismembered to become delicacies for the gods, delicate women in gorgeous clothes were strangled to become maids for the gods, and strong men had their necks cut and their blood was drained to fill wine glasses for toasting the gods."
"I'm not just chopping down this mountain, and destroying this temple." Zhu Xiang pointed to his chest, "I'm going to chop down those obscene temples and destroy those evil shrines in people's hearts."
"Just writing a declaration of war is not enough. I need to stand on the battlefield, experience the battle myself, and then tell everyone..."
"Tell everyone, I killed the gods, what can the gods do to me?"
Zhu Xiang took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"It's difficult to confer the title of deity and bring folk sacrifices under the management of the imperial court in one go, but I have a way to accomplish it in one go. That is, I, who is rumored to be the closest to the deity, will be the one to cut down the mountains and destroy the temples."
"Only I can do it. None of you can." Zhu Xiang looked at his two friends and repeated, "Only I can do it."
Zhu Xiang saw the tragic scene on the altar and the people who were killed by the Qin soldiers' swords whom he had wanted to save. Even though he was trembling with fear, he had to stand on this battlefield.
There are many unfair and tragic things in the world, but he can ignore them and feel at ease if he can't see them. He can even close his eyes and pretend not to see the suffering of the people of Zhao who are currently suffering in the war.
But now that this matter has come before his eyes, he has seen it, and has the ability to do something, he must do it.
"Li Mu, you go back to Eyi. I will stay here and lead the troops to continue the cleanup." Meng Wu did not argue with Zhu Xiang any more. "Zhu Xiang, you have already been on the battlefield. You don't need to show up again for the follow-up cleanup. Mr. Zhang, give me the military power."
Zhang Ruo sighed and said, "Okay."
Meng Wuliang issued an order: "Zhu Xiang received the imperial edict. The King of Qin ordered that if Zhu Xiang sets foot in a dangerous place, I will detain him."
Zhu Xiang knelt down to receive the imperial edict. He looked at the handwriting of Lin Zhi and Xia Tong, the signature and seal of Meng Wu, and the seals of Prince Zhu and King Qin, and remained silent.
This decree seems a bit strange
(End of this chapter)