“The Sacred Journey of the Nine Tripods”

The Emperor Yu collected the golden from nine pastures and cast the nine tripods. All had tasted the favor of gods and spirits. In times of sanctity, the tripods moved through the Xia and Shang dynasties. During the decline of the Zhou dynasty, the altars of Song were lost, and the tripods sank into obscurity, hidden and unseen. The odes say, “From halls to bases, from sheep to cattle; the Na, Ding, and Zuo tripods, never for idle whim, pondered for serenity.” Now the tripods come to Ganquan, their radiance transformed, carrying endless peace. This Middle Mountain, as explained by Xu Guang, “also has a central mountain, not Lu’s Middle Mountain.” Yellow and white clouds descend upon it, auspicious creatures appear, arrows ride on carriages, offerings are gathered under the altar, and grand ceremonies are held.

Only those entrusted by the Emperor, understanding his intentions and embodying virtue, can comprehend. The tripods should be seen at ancestral temples, kept in imperial courtyards, to fulfill the mandate of clarity and response. The decree was thus: “It is permissible.”

The quest for Penglai Island, saying Penglai is not far, yet those who cannot reach it have likely not seen its aura. Thus, the Emperor dispatched weather watchers to track its aura.

In autumn, the Emperor visited Yong and also held the suburban sacrifice. Some said, “The Five Emperors were assistants to the Great Unity and should be worshipped alongside it.” The Emperor hesitated. Qi’s Gong Sun Qing said, “This year, the precious tripods were found. On the winter solstice of the year Xin-Si, it was equivalent to the time of the Yellow Emperor.” Gong Sun Qing had a letter saying, “The Yellow Emperor received the precious tripods at Wanju, asking the ghost Yu Qu. Yu Qu replied, ‘The Emperor received the divine strategies of the precious tripods. It was the year Ji-You, the winter solstice, receiving the celestial mandate, the end and the beginning.’ Thus, the Yellow Emperor followed the day, pushing the strategies forward. Later, every twenty years he would repeat the winter solstice. In all, he repeated twenty times, totaling three hundred and eighty years, before the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven.” Gong Sun Qing intended to present it. Shen Zhong saw the book as unrigorous and suspected it to be a frivolous book, saying, “The matter of the precious tripods has been decided. What else is there to do?” Gong Sun Qing then reported it through the favorite, and the Emperor was delighted, thus summoning Gong Sun Qing. He replied, “I received this book from the deceased, Lord Shen. Lord Shen was who?” Gong Sun Qing said, “Lord Shen was a person from Qi. He had a conversation with An Qi, received the words of the Yellow Emperor, did not have a book, only this tripod book. Saying, ‘The Han dynasty will also have the time of the Yellow Emperor.’ Saying, ‘The sage of the Han dynasty is the grandson and great-grandson of the Emperor. The precious tripod appeared, and the enfeoffment. Seventy-two kings were enfeoffed, only the Yellow Emperor received the Tai Shan enfeoffment.’ Lord Shen said, ‘The Han Emperor will also be enfeoffed. If the Emperor is enfeoffed, he can ascend to heaven. The time of the Yellow Emperor had ten thousand feudal lords, and there were seven thousand who had received the divine spirits’ enfeoffment. There were seventy or seven hundred feudal lords.’ Le Chuan said, ‘From Shun to the god of Ming, this is also true.’ Gu’s note: The language of the country’s saying “mountain and river guards, enough to set rules for the world and the protection of the gods. The king of the king, guarding the mountain of Yu.” Eight famous mountains in the world, and three are in the barbarians, five are in China. The five mountains of China, Huashan, Shouyangshan, Taishi, Taishan, and Donglai, are the five mountains where the Yellow Emperor often traveled, and he met with the gods. The Yellow Emperor fought and studied immortality. There was a hundred years of struggle to obtain communication with the gods. The Yellow Emperor respected Yong and the Supreme. The account of Xuan Hu said, “One made ‘Big Festival’.” The day of the sacrificial cattle, the month of the sacrifice of the sheep, and the special pig. Le Chuan said, “The day of the sacrifice of the cattle, the moon, and the pigs. Special, not used.” Small color says, “Bulls and sheep are only one animal, so it is called special.” Le Chuan said, “Se.” The chicken ceremony wore purple and embroidery. The five emperors are different in color, red in the day, white in the month. In November, the winter solstice, the day of the first winter, the haze, and the word began to be worshiped by the Supreme. Day by day, the moon, the moon, then the Taiyi.