According to records from the previous life, in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, more than 30 of the 55 ethnic minorities occupied this area.
Even in today's Tang Dynasty, if we only look at the land of Liuzhao, as the Cuan people continue to expand with the development of history, in addition to Liuzhao, there is another ethnic group with a larger population: the Yi people.
It’s just that the distinction is not so detailed nowadays. In daily life or in a group living situation, whether it is the Liuzhao classified by the Cuan clan or some other weak ethnic groups, they are all summarized in Among the huge ethnic group of Yi people.
Just like every nation has its own totem, the nation derived from the ancient Qiang people also believe in animism and believe that there is an insidious connection between people, animals, and even plants. It's blood relationship.
The name of Lao Shelong means the worship of the tiger. If Xi Nuluo and Sheng Luoyan continue to develop and evolve in this way, then the tiger will naturally become the totem of Meng Shezhao.
Lang Qiongzhao regards the plant Golden Bamboo as its totem and its ancestral god, or like other weird species such as gourds as its totem.
But among all the totems, only the tiger represented by Lao Shelong has multiplied throughout history and became the real totem of the Yi people after the emergence of the Yi language.
The priests and elders called Bimo are the spiritual beliefs in people's hearts in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau area, or outside the Central Plains area.
This is the person who has the most influence on the people besides the imperial edict who has actual control over the land, people, and economy.
Even other imperial edicts such as Xinuluo, Lao Shelong or Langqiongzhao, when they ruled and administered their own land, before the birth of specific writing, while following and imitating the decrees of the Tang Dynasty, they still They need to rely on priests and elders to help them manage the people under their rule in a detailed and detailed manner.
Therefore, priests or elders enjoy the highest respect in the hearts of the people in this area of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, just like the great reputation and respect enjoyed by the great scholars of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes in the hearts of literati and Li people in the Central Plains. Same status.
Ordinary people on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau still call the prosperous Tang Dynasty the Han Kingdom. In their hearts, the prosperous and prosperous Central Plains and the developed and civilized Chang'an and Luoyang are as far away as a dream.
Similarly, the binding force on them is no longer so effective, and naturally the priests, elders, etc. are given the magic to demonstrate their rights and access the destiny, and they are given the ability to convey the destiny composed of personal willpower to ordinary people.
Witchcraft also plays an absolutely key role in this. In some areas of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, there are droughts in winter and wetness in summer. Worshiping the sky to pray for rain, exorcising ghosts and curing diseases has turned the area into a backward civilization. The only way for the people to relieve their pain and receive spiritual comfort is The only way.
If you want to launch a civilized "war" in primitive society and carry out a real revolution like Tubo, Liuzhao is far more difficult than Tubo.
The existence of witchcraft, sacrifices, elders, gold instruments, primary religions, and the historical accumulation engraved in the blood after being sung through scriptures. If you want to ban or eliminate them in a very short time, it is absolutely impossible to rely solely on the Tang people. Did it.
Langqiongzhao, Mengjiaozhao, and Shi Langzhao, as Xinuluo expected, followed in the footsteps of Mengjiaozhao who died in the turmoil in Taihe City, and his Nanzhao men were instigated by Sheng Luoyan to rebel. The soldiers were sent into the deep mountains and old forests together.
Three days later, a female priest with hair that reached the floor and was bare-chested, an elder in a black robe with gold and a colorful face, and a mysterious and gloomy wizard, faced the thorns as they entered the deep mountains and old forests amid the whimpering of horns. At the entrance, a blessing ceremony was performed for the four imperial edicts who entered the mountains to pray for the destiny of the people.
Xinu Luo, Lao Shelong, and Yue Xizhao, under the black helmets and iron armor with the banners of the Tang Dynasty waving, slowly stepped forward to join in the solemn ceremony, and made their most pious prayers for the four emperors who worked tirelessly to pray for the well-being of the people.
Li Hong stood far away, watching a group of people with solemn and solemn expressions performing pious rituals on gourds, golden bamboos, and stuffed tiger and bear skins.
Looking at the topless priestess, she took out a rusty iron knife and cut her wrist, and drops of dark red blood spilled into the wine bowl on the table.
Looking at the elder in black robe and colorful face, he recited scriptures silently with a pious expression, and the golden crutch in his hand was waving slowly and powerlessly in the air.
The mysterious and strange wizard is like an epileptic patient in his previous life. He dances in a circle he drew and performs various actions to pray to the gods of heaven, mountains, water, fire, wood, etc.
But no matter which one of the three, or the people surrounding these "messengers of the gods", they all performed very beautiful dance steps in a uniform manner to the rhythm of horns and drums.
Just like the Tibetan people in the Potala Palace with white walls and golden tiles, turning the sutras with one hand and chanting blessings, their feet danced flexibly.
"Is this right or wrong?" Li Hong felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart and murmured while standing between Yang Sijian and Lin Shiling.
He did not feel ridiculous because of the "ignorant rituals" produced by these people's reverence for nature. Instead, he saw in their pious, sacred and solemn rituals that this culture was different from the Central Plains. Because of themselves, they will be completely destroyed in the smoke and dust of history, or many years later, they will be completely banned by Han culture.
After the advent of great unification, will the death and homogeneity of culture make the prosperous age of the Tang Dynasty disappear faster? Or can the Chinese nation really reach another peak with the establishment of the Greater China Circle
The choice of history is placed in his hands. Every move he makes will represent the disappearance of a multiculturalism and the expansion of Chinese national culture. Is this really the right thing to do
"It's not difficult to seek common ground while reserving differences." Lin Shiling could understand Li Hong's thoughts very well. Looking at Li Hong with a somewhat gloomy expression, he whispered: "It is not that there are no such sacrifices in Tibet now, but this does not represent the China promoted by the old antique. Culture has lost its role in Tubo.”
"What do you mean by this?" Yang Sijian looked at Lin Shiling and asked.
He paid more attention to Lin Shiling's words than Li Hong. After all, after His Royal Highness the Crown Prince leaves in a few days, he will start to truly manage this land and water. If he seizes the opportunity at this time, if he does not ask Lin Shiling for advice, he will really It is about to become a pedantic Confucian stick.
Lin Shiling glanced at the sacrificial ceremony that was still going on, and then saw that Li Hong had no intention of stopping him, so he continued to whisper: "The inheritance of culture does not conflict or contradict with the introduction of Central Plains culture. Dai Zhide They strongly oppose Tibetan writing, but use our own writing to record and praise their ancestors and gods. Based on this prerequisite, the Tubo people have nothing but gratitude, and in some rituals. , Dai Zhide gave up the strategy of total overthrow by His Highness the Crown Prince, and instead gradually taught rites and virtues. "
When he said this, Lin Shiling did not forget to look at Li Hong with awe, because he accidentally exposed Dai Zhide's secret and illicit affairs.
However, looking at Li Hong, he showed no expression. He licked his lips and continued: "The following officials have learned about Tubo and Liuzhao in the past two years. What they value most is the etiquette after the death of their relatives. Because they believe that people There will still be a soul after death, of course, I also believe in the existence of the soul.”
Lin Shiling glanced at Li Hong in awe again, what happened today? What he said was always contrary to His Highness the Crown Prince. After all, the Crown Prince never believed in the existence of the soul.
"Continue." Li Hong looked at Lin Shiling, who was silent, and Yang Sijian, who was listening with great interest and still had something to say, and motioned to Lin Shiling to continue.
"Yes, Your Highness." Lin Shiling's little heart beat rapidly several times, and then he continued: "They believe that the soul of a person after death can bring blessings to the living, so they must worship more solemnly after death, and pray in a more solemn way. During the ceremony of settling the soul and sending the spirit away, a more complicated and grand prayer ceremony was carried out, which even cost a lot of money and the whole family borrowed money to carry out it. Among them, there were a large number of sacrifices such as cattle, sheep, pigs, wine, etc. that were offered on the table. If you meet someone from a slightly wealthy family, the gift will not be inferior to what it is today."
"But how can we seek common ground while reserving differences? How can we integrate our etiquette and virtues into them so that they can allow foreign rituals like ours to enter from their traditional sacrifices?" Yang Sijian became more and more confused as he listened. You have been talking for a long time. , I’m just talking about other people’s traditional sacrifices.
And what you said is so lively, and the people of Tubo and Liuzhao are so pious, how can they integrate the culture of the Chinese nation into it
"This is the great thing about Dai Zhide's old antique. At first, he lobbied personally, but he often ran into obstacles. Later, I don't know whether it was because his brain opened up or Quan Yi said something to him. In short... All gods must be respected..."
"Did you use some trick to make them believe that only by using our written records and using our etiquette to be compatible with their traditions can we get a real reduction in souls?" A sneer appeared at the corner of Li Hong's mouth, thinking in his heart I suddenly felt a lot more cheerful.
Han culture can integrate useful things while accepting foreign culture. Naturally, these ignorant and backward peoples, while accepting advanced culture, must also be able to integrate a new set of traditional culture over time.
Just like in the previous life, a grand funeral is also considered the best time to commemorate an ancestor. However, with the changes of the times, as some more and more concise funeral forms are introduced, the complicated forms are reduced. At the end of the day, all the complicated etiquette and so on have been simplified.
Burial can be changed to cremation. Even though there are so many different voices, hasn't it become a trend and become people's mainstream consciousness
But having said that, it is much more useful to be kind to your elders and ancestors during your lifetime than to express your filial piety with a grand funeral that the deceased cannot perceive after death.
(End of chapter)