Volume 104 Treatises 57: Rites 7

封禪汾陰後土朝謁太清宮天書九鼎

The Feng and Shan Sacrifices; the Sacrifice at Fenyin to the Earth Queen; the Audience at the Palace of Supreme Purity; the Heavenly Writings; and the Nine Tripods

真宗大中祥符元年，兗州父老呂良等千二百八十七人及諸道貢舉之士八百四十六人詣闕陳請，而宰臣王旦等又率百官、諸軍將校、州縣官吏、蕃夷、僧道、父老二萬四千三百七十人五上表請，始詔今年十月有事于泰山。遣官告天地、宗廟、社稷、太一宮及在京祠廟、嶽瀆，命翰林、太常禮院詳定儀注，知樞密院王欽若、參知政事趙安仁為封禪經度制置使並判兗州，三司使丁謂計度糧草，引進使曹利用、宣政使李神福修行宮道路，皇城使劉承珪等計度發運。詔禁緣路採捕及車騎蹂踐田稼，以行宮側官舍、佛寺為百官宿頓之所，調兗、鄆兵充山下丁役。行宮除前後殿外，並張幕為屋，覆以油帊。仍增自京至泰山驛馬，令三司沿汴、蔡、御河入廣濟河運儀仗什物赴兗州，發上供木，由黃河浮筏至鄆州，給置頓費用，省輦送之役。以王旦為大禮使，王欽若為禮儀使，參知政事馮拯為儀仗使，知樞密院陳堯叟為鹵簿使，趙安仁為橋道頓遞使，仍鑄五使印及經度制置使印給之。遣使詣岳州，采三脊茅三十束，有老人黃皓識之，補州助教，賜以粟帛。

In the first year of the Dazhong Xiangfu reign, Emperor Zhenzong received petitions from 1,287 Yanzhou elders led by Lü Liang and from 846 examination candidates sent up by the circuits. Chief Minister Wang Dan and others then led 24,370 people—officials, army officers, local administrators, foreign envoys, clergy, and common elders—to submit five joint memorials. The emperor at last decreed that the rites at Mount Tai would take place that October. The court sent officers to announce the rites to Heaven and Earth, the ancestral temples, the altars of soil and grain, the Taiyi Palace, and every major shrine in the capital and every sacred peak and waterway. The Hanlin Academy and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were charged with drafting the full ritual program. Wang Qinruo, head of the Bureau of Military Affairs, and Vice Grand Councillor Zhao Anren were appointed joint commissioners for the feng and shan sacrifices and given concurrent charge of Yanzhou; Commissioner of the Three Departments Ding Wei oversaw grain and fodder; Introducing Commissioner Cao Liyong and Xuanzheng Commissioner Li Shenfu built the imperial lodge road; and Imperial City Commissioner Liu Chenggui and others organized transport. An edict prohibited hunting along the route and forbade chariots and cavalry from trampling the fields. Lodging for officials was assigned in government quarters and temples beside the traveling palace, and troops from Yanzhou and Yunzhou were drafted for labor at the foot of the mountain. Beyond the front and rear halls of the traveling palace, tents were pitched as quarters and roofed with oiled canvas. Relay horses along the route from the capital to Mount Tai were increased. The Three Departments shipped ritual equipment down the Bian, Cai, and Imperial canals into the Guangji River to Yanzhou, dispatched tribute timber on rafts down the Yellow River to Yunzhou, and paid for way stations—thus sparing the court the burden of overland cartage. Wang Dan was appointed Grand Ritual Commissioner; Wang Qinruo, Ritual Protocol Commissioner; Vice Grand Councillor Feng Zheng, Regalia Commissioner; Military Affairs Commissioner Chen Yaosou, Escort Commissioner; and Zhao Anren, Bridge, Road, and Relay Commissioner. Seals for all five commissioners and for the planning office were cast and issued to them. Envoys were sent to Yuezhou to collect thirty bundles of the three-ribbed ritual grass. An elderly man named Huang Hao, who could identify the plant correctly, was appointed assistant instructor in the prefectural school and rewarded with grain and silk.

初，太平興國中，有得唐玄宗社首玉冊、蒼璧，至是令瘞於舊所。其前代封禪壇址摧圯者，命修完之。山上置圜台，徑五丈，高九尺，四陛，上飾以青，四面如其方色；一壝，廣一丈，圍以青繩三周。燎壇在其東南，高丈二尺，方一丈，開上南出戶，方六尺。山下封祀壇，四成，十二陛，如圜丘制，上飾以玄，四面如方色；外為三壝，燎壇如山上壇制。社首壇，八角；三成，每等高四尺，上闊十六步；八陛，上等廣八尺，中等廣一丈，下等廣一丈二尺；三壝四門：如方丘制。又為瘞埳於壬地外壝之內。以玉為五牒，牒各長尺二寸，廣五寸，厚一寸，刻字而填以金，聯以金繩，緘以玉匱，置石鹈感中。金脆難用，以金塗繩代之。

During the Taiping Xingguo era, the court had recovered the jade book and green disc that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had buried at the Sheshou altar. Now they were ordered reinterred in their original location. Every ruined altar from earlier dynasties' feng and shan rites was ordered restored. On the summit they built a Round Altar five zhang across and nine chi high, with four stairways; the platform was finished in blue-green on top, with each face painted in the color of its direction; a single surrounding embankment one zhang wide, bound three times with blue-green cord. To its southeast stood a fire altar, twelve chi high and one zhang square, with an opening on top and a six-chi doorway facing south. At the foot of the mountain stood the Sealing Sacrifice Altar, built in four tiers with twelve stairways on the model of the Round Mound; its summit was finished in black, its faces in the directional colors; with three outer embankments; the fire altar below matched the design of the summit altar. The Sheshou Altar was octagonal; in three tiers, each four chi high, the upper platform sixteen paces across; with eight stairways—the upper flight eight chi wide, the middle ten chi, the lower twelve chi; three embankments and four gates, following the Square Mound pattern. A burial pit was also dug in the ren (northwest) sector inside the outer embankment. Five jade tablets were prepared, each a foot two inches long, five inches wide, and an inch thick, inscribed and inlaid with gold, bound with gold cord, sealed in a jade casket, and set inside a stone chest. Because pure gold cord was too brittle to use, cord gilded with gold was substituted instead.

正坐、配坐，用玉冊六副，每簡長一尺二寸，廣一寸二分，厚三分，簡數量文多少。匱長一尺三寸。檢長如匱，厚二寸，闊五寸，纏金繩五周，當纏繩處刻為五道，而封以金泥，泥和金粉、乳香為之。

For the principal and associated seats, six sets of jade books were prepared; each slip measured a foot two inches long, an inch and two fen wide, and three fen thick, with as many slips as the text required. Each casket was one foot three inches long. The clasps matched the caskets in length, two inches thick and five inches wide, wrapped five times with gold cord; five grooves were cut at each binding point, and the seal was made of a gold paste mixed from gold dust and frankincense.

印以受命寶。封匱當寶處，刻深二分，用石鹈感藏之。其鹈感用用石再累，各方五尺，厚一尺，鑿中廣深，令容玉匱。鹈感旁施檢處，皆刻深七寸，闊一尺，南北各三，東西各二，去隅皆七寸，纏繩處皆刻三道，廣一寸五分，深三分。為石檢十以擫鹈感，皆長三尺，闊一尺，厚七寸，刻三道，廣深如纏繩。其當封處，刻深二寸，取足容寶，皆有小石蓋，與封刻相應。其檢立鹈感旁，當刻處又為金繩三以纏鹈感，皆五周，徑三分，為石泥封鹈感。泥用石末和方色土為之。

They were stamped with the Seal of Received Mandate. At the point where the seal was applied, a groove two fen deep was cut, and the casket was placed inside a stone chest for burial. The stone chests were built of stacked stone blocks, each five feet square and one foot thick, hollowed out to receive the jade caskets. At each point where a clasp was set beside a chest, a groove seven inches deep and a foot wide was cut—three on the north and south faces, two on the east and west, each seven inches from the corner; at each cord binding, three grooves were cut, an inch and a half wide and three fen deep. Ten stone clasps were made to bind the chests, each three feet long, a foot wide, and seven inches thick, with three grooves matching those for the cord bindings. At each sealing point a recess two inches deep was cut to hold the seal, each fitted with a small stone lid matching the seal impression. The clasps were set beside the chests; at each groove three gold cords were wound five times around the chest, three fen thick, and the chests were sealed with stone paste. The paste was made from powdered stone mixed with earth in the colors of the four directions.

用金鑄寶，曰「天下同文」，如御前寶，以封鹈感際。距石十二分，距四隅皆闊二尺，厚一尺，長一丈，斜刻其道，與鹈感隅相應，皆再累，為五色土圜封鹈感，上徑一丈二尺，下徑三丈九尺。命直史館劉鍇、內侍張承素領徒封圜台石鹈感，直集賢院宋皋、內侍郝昭信封社首石鹈感，並先往規度之。

A gold seal was cast bearing the legend "All Under Heaven Shares One Script," modeled on the imperial seal, to seal the joints of the stone chests. Twelve distance stones were placed; at each corner the stones were two feet wide, one foot thick, and ten feet long, with slanting grooves cut to align with the corners of the chests, all laid in courses. A circular mound of earth in the five directional colors was raised to seal the chests, twelve feet across at the top and thirty-nine at the base. Liu Kai of the Historiography Office and inner attendant Zhang Chengsu were assigned to supervise workers sealing the stone chests at the Round Altar; Song Gao of the Academy and inner attendant Hao Zhaoxin were assigned the chests at Sheshou. All four were sent ahead to survey the sites.

詳定所言：「朝覲壇在行宮南，方九丈六尺，高九尺，四陛。陛，南面兩陛，餘三面各一陛。一壝，二分在南，一分在北。又按唐封禪，備法駕。准故事，乘輿出京，並用法駕，所過州縣不備儀仗。其圜臺上設登歌、鐘、磬各一虡，封祀壇宮架二十虡，四隅立建鼓、二舞。社道壇設登歌如圜台，壇下宮架、二舞如封祀壇。朝覲壇宮架二十虡，不用熊羆十二案。又按《六典》，南郊合祀天地，服袞冕，垂白珠十有二，黝衣纁裳十二章。欲望封禪日依南郊例。洎禮畢，禦朝覲壇。諸州所貢方物，陳列如元正儀。令尚書戶部告示，並先集泰山下。」仍詔出京日，具小駕儀仗：太常寺三百二十五人，兵部五百六十六人，殿中省九十一人，太僕寺二百九十九人，六軍諸衛四百六十八人，左右金吾仗各一百七十六人，司天監三十七人。

The ritual planners reported: "The Audience Altar stands south of the traveling palace, nine zhang six chi square and nine chi high, with four stairways. The south face has two stairways; each of the other three faces has one. It has one embankment, two-thirds on the south side and one-third on the north. According to Tang precedent for the feng and shan rites, the full imperial equipage should be prepared. By precedent, whenever the emperor leaves the capital he travels with the full imperial equipage, but the prefectures and counties along the route do not mount their own ceremonial guards. On the Round Altar stood one frame each for the ascending hymn, bells, and chime-stones; at the Sealing Sacrifice Altar stood twenty frames for the full court orchestra, with ceremonial drums at the four corners and two dance troupes. The Sheshou path altar had ascending hymn music as on the Round Altar; below it the full orchestra and two dance troupes followed the same layout as at the Sealing Sacrifice Altar. The Audience Altar had twenty orchestra frames but did not employ the twelve bear-and-panther percussion tables. According to the Six Institutions, at the southern suburb's joint sacrifice to Heaven and Earth the emperor wore the dragon robe and coronet with twelve white pendants, a dark upper robe and vermilion lower robe bearing twelve emblems. We request that the emperor follow southern-suburb precedent on the day of the feng and shan rites. When the rites were finished, the emperor would proceed to the Audience Altar. Local tribute goods from the prefectures were to be displayed as at the New Year's audience. The Ministry of Revenue was ordered to announce the requirement, and all tribute was to be assembled first at the foot of Mount Tai." The court also decreed that on the day the emperor left the capital the lesser imperial procession would be staffed as follows: 325 from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, 566 from the Ministry of War, 91 from the Palace Administration, 299 from the Imperial Stud, 468 from the Six Armies and palace guards, 176 each from the Left and Right Golden Crow guards, and 37 from the Directorate of Astronomy.

有司言：「南郊惟昊天、皇地祇、配帝、日月、五方、神州各用幣，內官而下別設六十六段分充。按《開寶通禮》，嶽鎮、海瀆幣從方色，即明皆有制幣。今請封祀壇內官至外官三百一十八位，社首壇嶽鎮以下一十八位，並用方色幣。又南郊牲，正坐、配坐用犢，五方帝、日月、神州共用羊、豕二十二，從祀七百三十七位，仍以前數分充。今請神州而上十二位用犢，其舊供羊、豕，改充從祀牲。又景德中，升天皇、北極在第一等，今請亦於從祀牲內體薦。」

The responsible offices reported: "At the southern suburb, silks are assigned separately only to August Heaven, August Earth, the associated emperors, the sun and moon, the five directions, and the sacred domain; for inner officials and below, sixty-six additional sections are allotted. The Comprehensive Rites of Kaibao specifies that silks for sacred peaks and waterways follow directional colors, which shows that regulated silks are assigned to all of them. We request that all 318 ranks at the Sealing Sacrifice Altar, from inner officials through outer officials, and all 18 ranks at the Sheshou Altar from sacred peaks downward, receive silks in the colors of their directions. At the southern suburb, calves are offered at the principal and associated seats; the five directional emperors, sun and moon, and sacred domain together receive twenty-two sheep and pigs; and the 737 associated spirits are supplied from those same allotments. We request calves for the twelve ranks from the sacred domain upward, with the sheep and pigs formerly assigned to them redirected to the associated sacrifices. In the Jingde era, August Heaven and the North Pole were promoted to first rank; we request that they too receive whole victims from the associated-sacrifice allotment."

舊制，郊祀正坐、配坐褥以黃，皇帝拜褥以緋。至是，詔配坐以緋，拜褥以紫。又以靈山清潔，命祀官差減其數，或令兼攝，有期喪未滿、餘服未卒哭者不得預祭，內侍諸司官，除掌事宿衛外，從升者裁二十四人，諸司職掌九十三人。其文武官升山者，皆公服。

Under the old rules, cushions at suburban sacrifices for the principal and associated seats were yellow, and the emperor's kneeling cushion was scarlet. On this occasion an edict directed that the associated seat use scarlet cushions and the kneeling cushion purple. Because the sacred mountain had to be kept ritually pure, the number of sacrificial officers was reduced or their posts combined. Anyone still in the initial mourning period or who had not finished the wailing rites for secondary mourning was barred from the rites. Of the inner attendants and palace staff, only twenty-four besides those on duty and night guard were permitted to ascend, with ninety-three others assigned to ritual duties. Every civil and military official who ascended the mountain wore formal court dress.

詳定所言：「《漢書》八神與歷代封禪帝王及所禪山，並於前祀七日遣官致祭，乙太牢祀泰山，少牢祀社首。」九月，詔審刑院、開封府毋奏大辟案。帝習儀於崇德殿。初，禮官言無帝王親習之文，帝曰：「朕以達寅恭之意，豈憚勞也。」既畢，帝見禮文有未便，諭宰臣與禮官再議。於是詳定所言：「按《開寶禮》，則燔燎畢封冊；開元故事，則封鹈感後燔燎。今如不對神封冊，則未稱寅恭，或封鹈感後送神，則並為喧瀆。欲望俟終獻畢，皇帝升壇，封玉匱，置鹈感中，泥印訖，復位，飲福，送神，樂止，舉燎火。次天書降，次金匱降。禮儀使奏禮畢，皇帝還大次，俟封鹈感畢，皇帝再升壇省視。緣祀禮已畢，更不舉樂。省訖，降壇。」仍詔山上亞獻、終獻，登歌作樂。

The ritual planners reported: "The Book of Han lists the Eight Spirits and every emperor and mountain associated with past feng and shan rites. Envoys should be sent seven days before the main sacrifice to offer worship at each; Mount Tai receives the grand victim, Sheshou the lesser victim." In the ninth month, the Court of Judicial Review and the Kaifeng prefecture were ordered to suspend reporting capital cases. The emperor rehearsed the rites in the Chongde Hall. When the ritual officers noted that no precedent required an emperor to rehearse the rites in person, the emperor replied: "I mean to show the utmost reverence—why should I shrink from the effort?" After the rehearsal, the emperor found parts of the ritual awkward and told the chief ministers and ritual officers to revise them. The planners then reported: "Under the Rites of Kaibao, the jade book is sealed only after the burning offering; but under Kaiyuan precedent the burning offering follows sealing of the stone chest. If the book were sealed without facing the spirits, the rite would fall short of true reverence; if the spirits were dismissed immediately after sealing the chest, the sequence would become disorderly and irreverent. We propose that after the final offering the emperor ascend the altar, seal the jade casket, place it in the stone chest, apply the paste and seal, return to his station, drink the blessing wine, dismiss the spirits, halt the music, and light the fire offering. Next the Heavenly Writ would descend, then the gold casket. The Ritual Protocol Commissioner would announce the rites complete; the emperor would withdraw to the great tent; once the stone chest was sealed, he would ascend again to inspect it. Because the sacrifice was already finished, no further music would be played. After the inspection he would descend." The court also decreed that ascending hymn and music accompany the secondary and final offerings on the summit.

十月戊子朔，禁天下屠殺一月。帝自告廟，即屏葷蔬食，自進發至行禮前，並禁音樂。有司請登封日圜台立黃麾仗，至山下壇設權火。將行禮，然炬相屬，又出朱字漆牌，遣執仗者傳付山下。牌至，公卿就位，皇帝就望燎位，山上傳呼萬歲，下即舉燎。皇帝還大次，解嚴，又傳呼而下，祀官始退。社首瘞坎，亦設權火三為准。遣司天設漏壺山之上下，命中官覆校日景，復於壇側擊板相應。自太平頂、天門、黃峴嶺、岱嶽觀，各豎長竿，揭籠燈下照，以相參候。

On the first day of the tenth month (wuzi), slaughter was forbidden throughout the empire for one month. After announcing the rites at the ancestral temple, the emperor abstained from meat and ate only vegetables. From the day he set out until the rites were performed, music was forbidden as well. The responsible offices proposed that on the day of the summit feng rite yellow-banner guards stand at the Round Altar and signal fires be prepared at the altar below. Just before the rites, torches were lit in a chain down the mountain, and lacquered placards bearing vermilion characters were passed down by the staff-bearing guards. When the placard reached the foot of the mountain, the chief ministers took their stations; the emperor moved to the position for viewing the fire offering; a cry of "Long live the emperor!" echoed from the summit, and the fire was lit below. The emperor returned to the great tent, the guard was stood down, the signal was passed down the mountain, and the sacrificial officers withdrew. At the Sheshou burial pit, three signal fires were likewise prepared. The Directorate of Astronomy set water clocks on the summit and below; inner attendants were ordered to verify the sundial readings, and wooden boards were struck beside the altars to coordinate timing. From Taiping Peak, Heaven's Gate, Huangxian Ridge, and the Daiyue Observatory, long poles were raised at each station with caged lamps hung to shine downward, allowing observers at every level to coordinate signals.

辛卯，發京師，以玉輅載天書先行。次日如之。至鄆州，令從官、衛士蔬食。丁未，次奉高宮。戊申，齋于穆清殿，諸升山者官給衣，令祀日沐浴服之。庚戌，帝服通天冠、絳紗袍，乘金輅，備法駕，至山門幄次，改服靴袍，乘步輦登山，鹵簿、儀衛列山下，天書仗不上山，與法駕仗間立。知制誥朱巽奉玉冊牒及圜台行事官先升，且以回馬嶺至天門路峻絕，人給橫板二，長三尺許，系彩兩端，施於背，膺選從卒，推引而上。衛士皆給釘鞋，供奉馬止于中路。自山趾盤道至太平頂，凡兩步一人，彩繒相間，樹當道者不伐，止縈以繒。帝每經陝險，必降輦徒步。亞獻甯王元偓，終獻舒王元偁，鹵簿使陳堯叟從。祀官、點饌習儀於圜壇。是夕，山下罷警場。

On xinmao day the procession left the capital, the jade carriage carrying the Heavenly Writ going ahead. The next day the arrangement was the same. At Yunzhou the emperor ordered his attendants and guards to eat only vegetables. On dingwei day the entourage halted at the Fenggao Palace. On wushen day the emperor fasted in the Muqing Hall. Officials who would ascend the mountain were issued ritual garments and told to bathe and don them on the day of sacrifice. On gengxu day the emperor wore the Tongtian cap and scarlet gauze robe and rode the gold carriage with the full imperial procession. At the mountain-gate tent he changed into boots and a simpler robe and was carried up in a palanquin. The escort and ceremonial guards remained below; the Heavenly Writ guard did not ascend but stood between the imperial equipage units. Drafting Commissioner Zhu Xun carried the jade book tablets, and the officers conducting the Round Altar rites went up first. From Huima Ridge to Heaven's Gate the path was so steep that each man was given two crossboards about three feet long with colored cords at both ends strapped to his back; chosen attendants pushed and pulled them up the slope. The guards were issued spiked shoes, and the imperial horses were stopped halfway up the mountain. From the mountain's base to Taiping Peak along the winding path, a man stood every two paces, colored silks strung between them. Trees in the way were not felled but only wrapped in silk. Wherever the path grew narrow and dangerous, the emperor left his palanquin and walked. Prince Ning (Yuan Wo) performed the secondary offering and Prince Shu (Yuan Zhi) the final offering, accompanied by Escort Commissioner Chen Yaosou. Sacrificial officers and attendants who arranged the food offerings rehearsed the rites at the round altar. That evening the guard posts below the mountain were stood down.

辛亥，設昊天上帝位於圜台，奉天書于坐左，太祖、太宗並配西北側向，帝服袞冕，升台奠獻，悉去侍衛，拂翟止於壝門，籠燭前導亦徹之。玉冊文曰：「嗣天子臣某，敢昭告於昊天上帝：臣嗣膺景命，昭事上穹。昔太祖揖讓開基，太宗憂勤致治，廓清寰宇，混一車書，固抑升中，以延積慶。元符錫祚，眾寶效祥，異域咸懷，豐年屢應。虔修封祀，祈福黎元。謹以玉帛、犧牲、粢盛、庶品，備茲禋燎，式薦至誠。皇伯考太祖皇帝、皇考太宗皇帝配神作主。尚饗。」玉牒文曰：「有宋嗣天子臣某，敢昭告於昊天上帝：啟運大同，惟宋受命，太祖肇基，功成治定；太宗膺圖，重熙累盛。粵惟沖人，丕承列聖，寅恭奉天，憂勤聽政。一紀於茲，四隩來暨，丕貺殊尤，元符章示，儲慶發祥，清淨可致，時和年豐，群生鹹遂。仰荷顧懷，敢忘繼志，僉議大封，聿申昭事。躬陟喬嶽，對越上天，率禮祗肅，備物吉蠲，以仁守位，以孝奉先。祈福逮下，侑神昭德，惠綏黎元，懋建皇極，天祿無疆，靈休允迪，萬葉其昌，永保純錫。」命群官享五方帝及諸神于山下封祀壇。上飲福酒，攝中書令王旦跪稱曰：「天賜皇帝太一神策，周而復始，永綏兆人。」三獻畢，封金、玉匱。王旦奉玉匱，置於石鹈感，攝太尉馮拯奉金匱以降，將作監領徒封鹈感。帝登圜台閱視訖，還禦幄。宰臣率從官稱賀，山下傳呼萬歲，聲動山谷。即日仗還奉高宮，百官奉迎于穀口。帝復齋于穆清殿。

On xinhai day the throne of August Heaven was set on the Round Altar, with the Heavenly Writ placed to its left and Taizu and Taizong associated to the northwest, facing inward. The emperor, in full dragon robes, ascended and presented the offering. All attendants were dismissed; feather fans stopped at the embankment gate, and even the caged candles that had led the way were withdrawn. The jade book read: "The succeeding Son of Heaven, your subject [name], ventures to announce to August Heaven: your subject has received the glorious mandate and reverently serves the high vault of Heaven. Taizu yielded the throne to found the dynasty; Taizong labored tirelessly to bring order, cleared the realm, and unified the empire—yet deliberately deferred the feng sacrifice at the central peak to prolong the dynasty's accumulated blessings. The primordial talisman bestowed the throne; precious omens multiplied; distant lands submitted in good faith; and bountiful harvests came year after year. I reverently perform the feng sacrifice to pray for the welfare of the people. With jade and silks, sacrificial victims, grain offerings, and every requisite gift, I prepare this burning offering to present my utmost sincerity. My imperial grandfather Taizu and my imperial father Taizong are associated as spirit hosts. Accept this offering." The jade tablet read: "The succeeding Son of Heaven of Song, your subject [name], ventures to announce to August Heaven: when the age opened into great unity, Song alone received the Mandate; Taizu laid the foundation and brought the realm to settled order; Taizong received the Mandate; brightness renewed and prosperity accumulated. I, a young heir, succeed the sage emperors before me, serving Heaven with deepest reverence and attending to government with tireless care. A full cycle has now passed; the four quarters have submitted; Heaven has bestowed extraordinary blessings; the primordial talisman has been revealed; stored blessings have burst forth in omens; purity can be attained; seasons are mild and harvests rich; and all living things flourish. Bearing Heaven's favor upon me, how could I forget my predecessors' intent? All agreed that the great feng sacrifice should be performed, and I now declare this luminous rite. I ascend the lofty peak in person to face High Heaven, conducting the rites in reverent solemnity with every auspicious offering prepared, holding the throne through benevolence and honoring my ancestors through filial piety. May blessings reach all below; may the spirits display their virtue; may the people be favored and at peace; may the imperial pole be firmly established; may Heaven's blessings know no bound; may divine favor be truly extended; may ten thousand generations flourish; and may pure blessings be preserved forever." He ordered the assembled officials to offer sacrifice to the Five Directional Emperors and all attendant spirits at the Sealing Sacrifice Altar below. The emperor drank the blessing wine. Acting Director of the Secretariat Wang Dan knelt and proclaimed: "Heaven bestows upon the emperor the divine talisman of the Great Unity; the cycle turns and begins anew, forever bringing peace to the myriad people." When the three offerings were complete, the gold and jade caskets were sealed. Wang Dan carried the jade casket and placed it in the stone chest; Acting Grand Marshal Feng Zheng carried the gold casket down the mountain; and the Directorate of Works supervised workers sealing the chest. The emperor ascended the Round Altar to inspect the sealing; when satisfied, he returned to the imperial tent. The chief ministers led the attending officials in offering congratulations; from below came the cry of "Long live the emperor!"—the sound echoing through the valleys. That same day the imperial procession returned to the Fenggao Palace, where the officials welcomed the emperor at the valley entrance. The emperor again observed ritual fasting in the Muqing Hall.

壬子，禪祭皇地祇於社首山，奉天書升壇，以祖宗配。玉冊文曰：「嗣天子臣某，敢昭告於皇地祇：無私垂祐，有宋肇基，命惟天啟，慶賴坤儀。太祖神武，歲震萬宇；太宗聖文，德綏九土。臣恭膺寶命，纂承丕緒，穹昊降祥，靈符下付，景祚延鴻，秘文昭著。八表以寧，五兵不試，九谷豐穰，百姓親比，方輿所資，涼德是愧。溥率同詞，縉紳協議，因以時巡，亦既肆類。躬陳典禮，祗事厚載，致孝祖宗，潔誠嚴配。以伸大報，聿修明祀，本支百世，黎元受祉。謹以玉帛、犧牲、粢盛、庶品，備茲禋瘞，式薦至誠。皇伯考太祖皇帝、皇考太宗皇帝配神作主。尚饗。」帝至山下，服靴袍，步出大次。

On renzi day the shan sacrifice to August Earth was performed at Sheshou Mountain; the Heavenly Writ was carried up the altar, with the dynastic ancestors associated as spirit hosts. The jade book read: "The succeeding Son of Heaven, your subject [name], ventures to announce to August Earth: you bestow protection without partiality; Song was founded by your grace; the Mandate was opened by Heaven; our blessings rest upon Earth's nurturing power. Taizu was divinely martial, his might shaking the myriad realms; Taizong was sagely in culture, his virtue bringing peace to the nine regions. Your subject respectfully received the precious Mandate and succeeded to the great imperial line; Heaven sent down auspicious signs and delivered spiritual talismans; the glorious reign extends broadly, and secret writings shine forth. The eight directions are at peace, weapons lie unused, the nine grains flourish, the people draw together, and the realm is sustained—yet I am ashamed of my slight virtue. All under Heaven speaks as one; officials and gentry are united in counsel; therefore, having toured at the proper season, I have also performed the great classification rite. I personally present the canonical rites, reverently serving Earth's heavy nurturing power, showing filial piety to my ancestors with pure sincerity in solemn association. To extend this great requital, I forthwith perform this luminous sacrifice, that root and branch may endure for a hundred generations and the people receive blessings. With jade and silks, sacrificial victims, grain offerings, and every requisite gift, I prepare this burial offering to present my utmost sincerity. My imperial grandfather Taizu and my imperial father Taizong are associated as spirit hosts. Accept this offering." When the emperor reached the foot of the mountain, dressed in boots and robe, he walked out from the great tent.

癸丑，有司設仗衛、宮縣於壇下，帝服袞冕，禦封禪壇上之壽昌殿受朝賀，大赦天下，文武遞進官勳，減免賦稅、工役各有差，改乾封縣曰奉符縣，宴百官卿監以上于穆清殿、泰山父老於殿門。甲寅，發奉符，始進常膳。

On guichou day the responsible offices stationed guards and the palace orchestra below the altar. The emperor, in full dragon robes, proceeded to the Shouchang Hall above the feng and shan altar to receive congratulations. A general amnesty was proclaimed; civil and military officials were promoted in turn; taxes and corvée labor were reduced by varying degrees; Qianfeng County was renamed Fengfu County; ministers and above were feasted in the Muqing Hall, and the elders of Mount Tai were entertained at the hall gate. On jiayin day the entourage left Fengfu, and the emperor resumed his regular diet.

帝之巡祭也，往還四十七日，未嘗遇雨雪，嚴冬之候，景氣恬和，祥應紛委。前祀之夕，陰雺風勁，不可以燭，及行事，風頓止，天宇澄霽，燭焰凝然，封鹈感訖，紫氣蒙壇，黃光如帛，繞天書匣。悉縱四方所獻珍鳥異獸山下。法駕還奉高宮，日重輪，五色雲見。鼓吹振作，觀者塞路，歡呼動天地。改奉高宮曰會真宮。九天司命上卿加號保生天尊，青帝加號廣生帝君，天齊王加號仁聖，各遣使祭告。詔王旦撰《封祀壇頌》，王欽若撰《社首壇頌》，陳堯叟撰《朝覲壇頌》。圜台奉祀官並於山上刻名，封祀、九宮、社首壇奉祀官並於《社首頌》碑陰刻名，扈從升朝官及內殿崇班、軍校領刺史以上與蕃夷酋長並于《朝覲頌》碑陰刻名。

During the emperor's sacrificial tour, forty-seven days passed in going and returning without rain or snow; in the depths of winter the weather remained mild and harmonious, and auspicious omens multiplied. On the eve of the sacrifice, thick mist and strong winds made it impossible to keep candles alight; but when the rites began the wind ceased, the sky cleared, and the flames burned steady. When the stone chest was sealed, purple vapor shrouded the altar and a yellow light like silk cloth encircled the Heavenly Writ casket. All the rare birds and exotic beasts presented from the four directions were released at the foot of the mountain. As the imperial procession returned to the Fenggao Palace, a double halo encircled the sun and five-colored clouds appeared. Drums and pipes sounded; spectators filled the roads; shouts of joy shook heaven and earth. The Fenggao Palace was renamed the Palace of Meeting the True. The Nine Heavens Director of Fates was given the additional title Preservation-of-Life Heavenly Lord; the Green Emperor, Broad-Life Imperial Lord; and the King of Heavenly Qi, Benevolent Sage—and envoys were sent to announce the new titles at each shrine. Wang Dan was ordered to compose the Ode to the Sealing Sacrifice Altar, Wang Qinruo the Ode to the Sheshou Altar, and Chen Yaosou the Ode to the Audience Altar. Sacrificial officers at the Round Altar had their names carved on the mountain; those at the Sealing Sacrifice, Nine Palaces, and Sheshou altars on the reverse of the Sheshou ode stele; and accompanying officials who had ascended to court, inner-palace honored ranks, military officers of prefectural commissioner rank and above, and foreign chieftains on the reverse of the Audience ode stele.

明年二月，詔知兗州李迪、京東轉運使馬元方等同修圜封，以呂良首請，命攝兗州助教。

In the second month of the following year, Yanzhou administrator Li Di, Jingdong transport commissioner Ma Yuanfang, and others were ordered to repair the round sealing mound together; because Lü Liang had led the original petition, he was appointed acting assistant instructor of Yanzhou.

政和三年，兗、鄆耆壽、道釋等及知開德府張為等五十二人表請東封，優詔不允。六年，知兗州宋康年請下秘閣檢尋祥符東封典故付臣經畫。時蔡京當國，將講封禪以文太平，預具金繩、玉檢及他物甚備，造舟四千艘，雨具亦千萬計，迄不能行。

In the third year of the Zhenghe reign, elders of Yanzhou and Yunzhou, Daoist and Buddhist clergy, Kaide Prefecture administrator Zhang Wei, and fifty-two others petitioned for an eastern feng sacrifice; a gracious edict declined the request. In the sixth year, Yanzhou administrator Song Kangnian asked that the Secretariat search out the Xiangfu eastern feng precedents and deliver them to him for planning. At the time Cai Jing dominated the government and planned a feng and shan sacrifice to glorify an age of peace. Gold cords, jade clasps, and every requisite were prepared in abundance; four thousand boats were built and rain gear procured by the millions—yet in the end the rite could not be carried out.

汾陰後土。真宗東封之又明年，河中府言：「進士薛南及父老、僧道千二百人列狀乞赴闕，請親祠後土。」詔不允。已而南又請，河南尹甯王元偓亦表請，文武百僚詣東上閣門三表以請。詔明年春有事于汾陰後土，命知樞密院陳堯叟為祀汾陰經度制置使，翰林學士李宗諤副之，樞密直學士戚綸、昭宣使劉承珪計度發運，河北轉運使李士衡、鹽鐵副使林特計度糧草，龍圖閣待制王曙、西京左藏庫使張景宗、供備庫使藍繼宗修治行宮、道路，宰臣王旦為大禮使，知樞密院王欽若為禮儀使，參知政事馮拯為儀仗使，趙安仁為鹵簿使，陳堯叟為橋道頓遞使。又以旦為天書儀衛使，欽若、安仁副之，丁謂為扶侍使，藍繼宗為扶侍都監，內侍周懷政、皇甫繼明為夾侍。發陝西、河東兵五千人赴汾陰給役，出廄馬，增傳置，命翰林、禮院詳定儀注，造玉冊、祭器。先令堯叟詣後土祠祭告，分遣常參官告天地、廟社、嶽鎮、海瀆。

Sacrifice to Hou Tu at Fenyin. The year after Emperor Zhenzong's eastern feng, Hezhong Prefecture reported that presented scholar Xue Nan and 1,200 elders, monks, and priests had submitted a joint petition asking to go to court and requesting that the emperor personally sacrifice to Hou Tu." The court declined the request. Shortly afterward Xue Nan petitioned again; Henan intendant Prince Ning Yuan Wo memorialized as well; and the civil and military officials submitted three joint memorials at the eastern upper gate. An edict decreed that the Fenyin sacrifice to Hou Tu would take place the following spring. Military Affairs Commissioner Chen Yaosou was appointed planning commissioner, with Hanlin academician Li Zong'e as deputy; Privy Council academician Qi Lun and Zhaoxuan Commissioner Liu Chenggui oversaw transport; Hebei transport commissioner Li Shiheng and Salt and Iron Vice Commissioner Lin Te oversaw provisions; Wang Shu, Zhang Jingzong, and Lan Jizong repaired the traveling palace and roads; Wang Dan served as Grand Ritual Commissioner; Wang Qinruo as Ritual Protocol Commissioner; Feng Zheng as Regalia Commissioner; Zhao Anren as Escort Commissioner; and Chen Yaosou as Bridge, Road, and Relay Commissioner. Wang Dan was also appointed Heavenly Writ ceremonial guard commissioner, with Wang Qinruo and Zhao Anren as deputies; Ding Wei served as support commissioner; Lan Jizong as overall supervisor; and inner attendants Zhou Huaizheng and Huangfu Jiming as flank attendants. Five thousand troops from Shaanxi and Hedong were sent to Fenyin for labor; stud horses were issued and relay stations increased; the Hanlin Academy and Ritual Office drafted the full ritual program; and jade books and sacrificial vessels were manufactured. Chen Yaosou was first sent to announce the rite at the Hou Tu shrine; regular-attendance officials were dispatched separately to announce the rite to Heaven and Earth, the ancestral temples, sacred peaks, and rivers and seas.

詳定所言：「祀汾陰後土，請如封禪，以太祖、太宗並配。其方丘之制，八角，三成，每等高四尺，上闊十六步。八陛，上陛廣八尺，中廣一丈，下廣一丈二尺。三重壝，四面開門。為瘞坎於壇之壬地外壝之內，方深取足容物。其後土壇別無方色。正坐玉冊，玉匱一副；配坐玉冊，金匱二副；金泥，金繩。所用石匱並蓋三層，方廣五尺，下層高二尺，上開牙縫一周，闊四寸，深五寸，中容玉匱，其闊一尺，長一尺六寸。匱刻金繩道三周，各相去五寸，每纏繩處，闊一寸，深五分。上層厚一尺，仍於上四角更刻牙縫，長八寸，深四寸。每纏金繩處深四寸，方三寸五分，取容封寶。先即廟庭規地為坎，深五尺，闊容石匱及封固者。先以金繩三道南北絡石匱，候祀畢封匱訖，中書侍郎奉匱至廟，與太尉同置石匱中，將作監加蓋，系金繩畢，各填以石泥，印以'天下同文之寶'，如社首封鹈感制。帝省視後，將作監率執事更加盝頂石蓋，然後封固如法。上為小壇，如方丘狀，廣厚皆五尺。」

The ritual planners reported: "For the Fenyin sacrifice to Hou Tu, we request that Taizu and Taizong be associated as at the feng and shan rites. The altar followed the Square Mound design: octagonal, three tiers high, each tier four chi, the upper platform sixteen paces across. It had eight stairways—the upper flight eight chi wide, the middle ten chi, the lower twelve chi. Three embankments with gates on all four sides. A burial pit was dug in the ren sector inside the outer embankment, square and deep enough to hold the ritual objects. The Hou Tu altar itself had no directional color scheme. For the principal seat, one jade book and one jade casket; for the associated seat, one jade book and two gold caskets; gold paste and gold cord. The stone caskets, with three-layer lids, were five feet square; the lower layer two feet high, with a saw-tooth groove cut around the top, four inches wide and five inches deep, to hold the jade casket within, which was one foot wide and one foot six inches long. Three grooves for gold cord were cut on the casket, five inches apart; at each binding point the groove was one inch wide and five fen deep. The upper layer was one foot thick; saw-tooth grooves eight inches long and four inches deep were cut at each of the four upper corners. At each gold-cord binding the recess was four inches deep and three and a half inches square, sized to hold the sealing treasure. First a pit was marked out in the temple courtyard, five feet deep and wide enough to hold the stone casket and those who would seal it. Three gold cords were first run north and south to bind the stone casket. When the sacrifice was finished and the casket sealed, the Vice Director of the Secretariat carried it to the temple; together with the Grand Marshal he placed it in the stone casket; the Directorate of Works added the lid; once the gold cords were fastened, each joint was filled with stone paste and stamped with the Treasure of All Under Heaven Shares One Script, following the Sheshou stone-chest regulations. After the emperor inspected the work, the Directorate of Works led the officers in placing the domed stone lid, then sealed everything according to regulation. Above it stood a small altar in the Square Mound shape, five feet wide and five feet thick."

經度制置使詣脽上築壇如方丘，廟北古雙柏旁有堆阜，即其地為之。有司請祭前七日遣祀河中府境內伏羲、神農、帝舜、成湯、周文武、漢文帝、周公廟及於脽下祭漢、唐六帝。

The planning commissioner went to Shang to build a Square Mound-style altar; north of the temple, beside the ancient twin cypresses, stood a mound, and there the altar was built. The responsible offices proposed that seven days before the sacrifice envoys be sent to offer worship at the temples of Fuxi, Shennong, Emperor Shun, King Cheng Tang, Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou, Emperor Wen of Han, and the Duke of Zhou within Hezhong Prefecture, and below Shang to the six emperors of Han and Tang.

四年正月，帝習儀於崇德殿。丁酉，法駕發京師。二月丙辰，至寶鼎縣奉祇宮。戊午，致齋。己未，遣入內都知鄧永遷詣祠上衣服、供具。庚申，百官宿祀所。是夜一鼓，扶侍使奉天書升玉輅，先至脽上。二鼓，帝乘金輅，法駕詣壇，夾路設燎火，盤道回曲，周以黃麾仗。初，路出廟南，帝以未修謁，不欲乘輿輦過其前，令鑿路由廟後至壇次。翼日，帝服袞冕登壇，祀後土地祇，備三獻，奉天書於神坐之左次，以太祖、太宗配侑。

In the first month of the fourth year, the emperor rehearsed the rites in the Chongde Hall. On dingyou day the imperial procession left the capital. In the second month, on bingchen day, the entourage reached the Fengqi Palace in Baoding County. On wuwu day the emperor entered ritual purification. On jiwei day Inner Palace Director Deng Yongqian was sent to the shrine with ritual robes and offerings. On gengshen day the officials lodged overnight at the sacrifice site. That night at the first watch, the support commissioner placed the Heavenly Writ on the jade carriage and went ahead to Shang. At the second watch the emperor rode the gold carriage with the full imperial procession to the altar; signal fires lined both sides of the road; the winding path curved back on itself, ringed with yellow-banner guards. Originally the route passed south of the temple; because the emperor had not yet paid his respects there, he did not wish his carriage to pass in front of it and ordered a new road cut behind the temple to the altar. The next day the emperor, in full dragon robes, ascended the altar to sacrifice to August Earth, performing the three offerings, placing the Heavenly Writ to the left of the spirit throne, with Taizu and Taizong associated as spirit hosts.

冊文曰：「維大中祥符四年，歲次辛亥，二月乙巳朔，十七日辛酉，嗣天子臣某，敢昭告於後土地祇：恭惟位配穹旻，化敷品匯。瞻言分壤，是宅景靈。備禮親祠，抑惟令典。肇啟皇宋，混一方輿，祖禰紹隆，承平茲久。眇躬纘嗣，勵翼靡遑，厚德資生，綿區允穆，清寧孚祐，戴履蒙休。申錫寶符，震以珍物，虔遵時邁，已建天封。明察禮均，有所未答，櫛沐祇事，用致其恭。夷夏駿奔，瑄牲以薦，肅然鄈上，對越坤元。式祈年豐，楙昭政本，兆民樂育，百福蕃滋，介祉無疆，敢忘祇畏。恭以琮幣、犧牲、粢盛、庶品，備茲瘞禮。皇伯考太祖皇帝、皇考太宗皇帝侑神作主。尚享。」親封玉冊，正坐於玉匱，配坐于金匱，攝太尉奉之以降，置於石匱，將作監封固之。

The book read: "In the fourth year of Dazhong Xiangfu, year xinhai, second month, first day yisi, seventeenth day xinyou, the succeeding Son of Heaven, your subject [name], ventures to announce to August Earth: you are paired with the high vault of Heaven, your transforming power spreading over every living kind. This allotted domain is where your luminous spirit dwells. To prepare the rites and sacrifice in person is indeed the proper canonical model. Song was first established and unified the realm; our ancestors continued the line; peace has endured for long years. I, a slight heir, succeed to the throne and strive without rest; your thick virtue nourishes all life; the broad realm is at peace; purity and tranquility receive your blessings; and all who bear heaven and tread earth receive your favor. The precious talisman was bestowed again, displayed with rare treasures; reverently following the seasons, I have already performed the heavenly feng. Perceiving that the rites are balanced yet something remains unanswered, I bathe and purify myself and reverently perform this service to show my respect. Barbarians and Chinese alike hasten to attend; fine victims are presented; solemnly I ascend the mound to face the earthly origin. I pray for abundant harvests, that government may flourish, that the myriad people may thrive, that blessings may multiply without bound—how dare I forget reverent awe. With jade disks and silks, sacrificial victims, grain offerings, and every requisite gift, I prepare this burial rite. My imperial grandfather Taizu and my imperial father Taizong assist as spirit hosts. Accept this offering." The emperor personally sealed the jade book; the principal text went into the jade casket and the associated text into the gold casket; the Acting Grand Marshal carried them down and placed them in the stone casket; the Directorate of Works sealed and secured them.

帝還次，改服通天冠、絳紗袍，乘輦謁後土廟，設登歌奠獻，遣官分奠諸神。至庭中，視所封石匱。還奉祇宮，鈞容樂、太常鼓吹始振作。是日，詔改奉祇曰太甯宮。壬戌，禦朝覲壇受朝賀，肆赦，宴群臣于穆清殿、父老于宮門。穆清殿，奉祇宮之前殿也。詔五使、從臣刻名碑陰。謁西嶽廟，從官皆刻名廟中，仗衛儀物大略如東封之制。命薛南試將作監主簿，以首請祠汾陰故也。

The emperor returned to his station, changed into the Tongtian cap and scarlet gauze robe, and was carried in a palanquin to the Hou Tu temple, where ascending hymn and offerings were presented; officers were dispatched to offer sacrifice separately to each attendant spirit. In the courtyard he inspected the sealed stone casket. On returning to the Fengqi Palace, the imperial music and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices drums and pipes began to play. That same day an edict renamed the Fengqi Palace the Taining Palace. On renxu day the emperor proceeded to the Audience Altar to receive congratulations, proclaimed a general amnesty, and feasted the ministers in the Muqing Hall and the local elders at the palace gate. The Muqing Hall was the front hall of the Fengqi Palace. An edict ordered the five commissioners and attending officials to inscribe their names on the reverse of the commemorative stele. He visited the Western Peak temple, where attending officials inscribed their names; guards, regalia, and ceremonial equipment followed much the same arrangement as at the eastern feng. Xue Nan was appointed acting registrar of the Directorate of Works in recognition of his being the first to petition for the Fenyin sacrifice.

太清宮。大中祥符六年，亳州父老、道釋、舉人三千三百十六人詣闕，請車駕朝謁太清宮，宰臣帥百官表請。詔以明年春親行朝謁禮。命參知政事丁謂為奉祀經度制置使、判亳州，翰林學士陳彭年副之，權三司使林特計度糧草。禮儀院言：「按唐太清宮令，奠獻用碧幣，同人靈，故不用玉。今詳太上老君，宜同天神用玉。胙薦獻聖祖大帝用四圭有邸。」詔用蒼璧，太清宮用竹冊一副。丁謂言：「太清宮封藏太上老君寶冊，請用玉匱各一副，長廣一尺，高如之，檢厚一寸二分，長廣如匱。刻金繩道五，封處深二分，方取容受命寶。石匱三層，各長五尺三寸。闊四尺二寸，下層高二尺，中容玉匱，鑿深尺二寸，長二尺五寸，闊尺三寸。中層高一尺，南北刻金繩道三，相距各五寸，闊一寸，深五分。系金繩處各深四分，方取容'天下同文'寶，上層為盝頂蓋。」以王旦為奉祀大禮使，向敏中為儀仗使，王欽若為禮儀使，陳堯叟為鹵簿使，丁謂為橋道頓遞使。又以王旦為天書儀衛使，王欽若同儀衛使，丁謂副之，兵部侍郎趙安仁為扶侍使，入內副都知張繼能為扶侍都監。帝朝謁玉清昭應宮，賜亳州真源縣行宮名曰奉元，殿曰迎禧。

The Supreme Purity Palace. In the sixth year of Dazhong Xiangfu, 3,316 Bozhou elders, clergy, and examination candidates came to court asking that the emperor visit the Supreme Purity Palace; the chief ministers led the officials in a joint memorial. An edict decreed that the emperor would personally perform the audience rite the following spring. Vice Grand Councillor Ding Wei was appointed planning commissioner for the sacrificial audience and given concurrent charge of Bozhou; Hanlin academician Chen Pengnian served as deputy; and Acting Commissioner of the Three Departments Lin Te oversaw provisions. The Ritual Office reported: "Under Tang regulations for the Supreme Purity Palace, offerings used green-blue silks because the deity was treated as a human spirit, and jade was therefore not used. We now hold that the Supreme Venerable Lord should receive jade offerings, as befits a celestial deity. The blessing presentation to the Sagely Ancestor Great Emperor used four gui tablets with bases." The court ordered a green disc for the offering and one set of bamboo books for the Supreme Purity Palace. Ding Wei proposed: "To seal and store the precious book of the Supreme Venerable Lord at the Supreme Purity Palace, one jade casket should be used, one foot square and as high as it is wide, with clasps an inch and two fen thick matching the casket dimensions. Five grooves for gold cord were cut; at each sealing point a recess two fen deep, sized to hold the Seal of Received Mandate. The stone casket had three layers, each five feet three inches long. It was four feet two inches wide; the lower layer two feet high, hollowed to hold the jade casket in a recess one foot two inches deep, two feet five inches long, and one foot three inches wide. The middle layer was one foot high; on the north and south faces three gold-cord grooves were cut, five inches apart, one inch wide and five fen deep. At each gold-cord binding the recess was four fen deep, sized to hold the Treasure of All Under Heaven Shares One Script; the upper layer formed a domed lid." Wang Dan was appointed Grand Sacrificial Ritual Commissioner; Xiang Minzhong, Regalia Commissioner; Wang Qinruo, Ritual Protocol Commissioner; Chen Yaosou, Escort Commissioner; and Ding Wei, Bridge, Road, and Relay Commissioner. Wang Dan was also appointed Heavenly Writ ceremonial guard commissioner, with Wang Qinruo as co-commissioner and Ding Wei as deputy; Vice Minister of War Zhao Anren served as support commissioner; and Inner Palace Deputy Director Zhang Jineng as overall supervisor. The emperor paid audience at the Jade Clarity Manifest Response Palace and named the traveling palace in Zhenyuan County, Bozhou, Fengyuan, with its main hall called Yingxi.

七年正月十五日，發京師。十九日，至奉元宮，齋於迎禧殿。二十一日，帝服通天冠、絳紗袍，奉上太上老君混元上德皇帝加號冊寶。夜漏上五刻，天書扶侍使奉天書赴太清宮。二鼓，帝乘玉輅，駐大次。三鼓，奉天書升殿，改服袞冕，行朝謁之禮，相王元偓為亞獻，榮王元儼為終獻。帝還大次，太尉奉冊寶於玉匱，纏以金繩，封以金泥，印以受命之寶，納于醮壇石匱，將作監加石蓋其上。群臣稱賀於大次。分命輔臣薦獻諸殿，改奉元宮曰明道宮，奉安玉皇大帝像，改真源曰衛真縣。車駕次亳州城西，詣新立聖祖殿朝拜。至應天府朝拜聖祖殿，詔號曰鴻慶宮，仍奉安太祖、太宗像。駕至自亳州，百官迎對於太一宮西之幄殿，有司以衛真靈芝二百輿洎白鹿前導天書而入。帝服靴袍，乘大輦，備儀衛還宮。

On the fifteenth day of the first month of the seventh year, the procession left the capital. On the nineteenth they reached the Fengyuan Palace and the emperor fasted in the Yingxi Hall. On the twenty-first the emperor, wearing the Tongtian cap and scarlet gauze robe, presented the book and treasure conferring the additional title Primordial Unity Upper Virtue Emperor upon the Supreme Venerable Lord. At the fifth watch of the night, the Heavenly Writ support commissioner carried the Heavenly Writ to the Supreme Purity Palace. At the second watch the emperor rode the jade carriage to the great tent. At the third watch the Heavenly Writ was carried up to the hall; the emperor changed into dragon robes and performed the audience rite, with Prince of Xiang Yuan Wo performing the secondary offering and Prince of Rong Yuan Yan the final offering. The emperor returned to the great tent; the Grand Marshal placed the book and treasure in the jade casket, bound it with gold cord, sealed it with gold paste, and stamped it with the Seal of Received Mandate; it was then placed in the stone casket at the offering altar, and the Directorate of Works added a stone lid. The assembled ministers offered congratulations at the great tent. Assistant ministers were dispatched to present offerings at the various halls; the Fengyuan Palace was renamed the Mingdao Palace; an image of the Jade Emperor was installed; and Zhenyuan County was renamed Weizhen. The imperial procession halted west of Bozhou and proceeded to the newly built Sagely Ancestor Hall to pay respects. At Yingtian Prefecture he paid respects at the Sagely Ancestor Hall, which was named the Hongqing Palace by edict; images of Taizu and Taizong were also installed there. On returning from Bozhou, officials welcomed the emperor at the tent hall west of the Taiyi Palace; two hundred carts of spirit fungus from Weizhen and a white deer were sent ahead to lead the Heavenly Writ into the palace. The emperor, dressed in boots and robe, rode the great palanquin with full ceremonial escort back to the palace.

先是，大中祥符元年正月乙丑，帝謂輔臣曰：「朕去年十一月二十七日夜將半，方就寢，忽室中光曜，見神人星冠、絳衣，告曰：'來月三日，宜於正殿建黃籙道場一月，將降天書《大中祥符》三篇。 '朕竦然起對，已復無見，命筆識之。自十二月朔，即齋戒於朝元殿，建道場以佇神貺。適皇城司奏，左承天門屋南角有黃帛曳鴟尾上，帛長二丈許，緘物如書卷，纏以青縷三道，封處有字隱隱，蓋神人所謂天降之書也。」王旦等皆再拜稱賀。帝即步至承天門，瞻望再拜，遣二內臣升屋，奉之下。旦跪奉而進，帝再拜受之，親奉安輿，導至道場，付陳堯叟啟封。帛上有文曰：「趙受命，興于宋，付於昚。居其器，守於正。世七百，九九定。」緘書甚密，抉以利刀方起。帝跪受，復授堯叟讀之。其書黃字三幅，詞類《書·洪範》、老子《道德經》，始言帝能以至孝至道紹世，次諭以清淨簡儉，終述世祚延永之意。讀訖，帝復跪奉，蘊以所緘帛，盛以金匱。旦等稱賀於殿之北廡。丙寅，群臣入賀，於崇政殿賜宴，帝與輔臣皆蔬食。遣官奏告天地、宗廟、社稷及京城祠廟。丁卯，有司設大次朝元殿之西廊，黃麾仗，宮縣、登歌，文武官陪列，帝服靴袍升殿，酌獻三清天書。禮畢，步導入內。戊辰，大赦，改元，百官並加恩，改左承天門為左承天祥符。

Earlier, on yichou day in the first month of the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu, the emperor told his ministers: "On the night of the twenty-seventh of the eleventh month last year, just before midnight, as I was about to sleep, the room suddenly filled with light and I saw a divine being in a star crown and scarlet robes, who said: 'On the third day of next month, establish a yellow-register ritual ground in the main hall for one month; the Heavenly Writ Dazhong Xiangfu in three sections will descend. I started up in alarm to respond, but he had already vanished; I ordered the vision recorded in writing. From the first day of the twelfth month he began ritual purification in the Chaoyuan Hall and established a ritual ground to await Heaven's gift. Just then the Imperial City Office reported that a length of yellow silk about two zhang long had been found draped over the owl-tail ornament on the south corner of the Left Gate of Accepting Heaven, enclosing something like a scroll bound with three green cords, with faint characters visible at the seal—surely the heaven-sent book the divine being had foretold." Wang Dan and the others all bowed twice and offered congratulations. The emperor immediately walked to the Gate of Accepting Heaven, looked up and bowed twice, and sent two inner attendants up to retrieve it. Wang Dan knelt and presented it; the emperor bowed twice and received it, personally placed it on the ceremonial carriage, led it to the ritual ground, and handed it to Chen Yaosou to break the seal. The silk bore the text: "Zhao received the Mandate, rose in Song, entrusted to the heir. Occupy its vessel; keep to the upright path. Seven hundred generations; nine-nine shall fix it." The seal was so tight that only a sharp knife could open it. The emperor knelt to receive it, then handed it back to Chen Yaosou to read aloud. The text was written in yellow ink on three sheets, in a style resembling the Hong Fan chapter of the Documents and Laozi's Dao De Jing: it began by saying the emperor could continue the dynasty through utmost filial piety and the Way; next it urged purity, tranquility, and frugality; and finally it spoke of the dynasty's enduring fortune. When the reading was finished, the emperor knelt again, wrapped the text in its sealing silk, and placed it in a gold casket. Wang Dan and the others offered congratulations in the north corridor of the hall. On bingyin day the ministers entered to congratulate the emperor; a feast was held in the Chongzheng Hall, where the emperor and his ministers ate only vegetables. Officers were dispatched to announce the event to Heaven and Earth, the ancestral temples, the altars of soil and grain, and every major shrine in the capital. On dingmao day the responsible offices set up the great tent in the west corridor of the Chaoyuan Hall with yellow-banner guards, the palace orchestra, and ascending hymn music; civil and military officials stood in attendance as the emperor, dressed in boots and robe, ascended and poured offerings to the Three Pure Ones and the Heavenly Writ. When the rites were finished, he walked back into the inner palace. On wuchen day a general amnesty was proclaimed, the reign era was changed, all officials received added favors, and the Left Gate of Accepting Heaven was renamed the Left Gate of Accepting Heaven Xiangfu.

四月辛卯朔，天書再降內中功德閣。六月八日，封祀制置使王欽若言：「泰山西南垂刀山上，有紅紫雲氣，漸成華蓋，至地而散。其日，木工董祚于靈液亭北，見黃素書曳林木之上，有字不能識，言於皇城使王居正，居正睹上有禦名，馳告欽若，遂迎至官舍，授中使捧詣闕。」帝御崇正殿，趣召輔臣曰：「朕五月丙子夜，復夢鄉者神人言：'來月上旬，當賜天書于泰山，宜齋戒祇受。 '朕雖荷降告，未敢宣露，惟密諭王欽若等，凡有祥異即上聞。朕今得其奏，果與夢協。上天眷佑，惟懼不稱。」王旦等曰：「陛下至德動天，感應昭著，臣等不勝大慶。」再拜稱賀。己亥，迎導天書，安於含芳園之正殿。辛丑，帝致齋。翼曰，備法駕詣殿再拜受，授陳堯叟啟封。其文曰：「汝崇孝奉吾，育民廣福。錫爾嘉瑞，黎庶鹹知。秘守斯言，善解吾意。國祚延永，壽曆遐歲。」讀訖，復奉以升殿。

On the first day of the fourth month, xinmao day, the Heavenly Writ descended again at the Merit Hall within the inner palace. On the eighth day of the sixth month, feng-sacrifice planning commissioner Wang Qinruo reported: "On Knife Mountain southwest of Mount Tai, red and purple clouds gradually formed a canopy that reached the ground and then dispersed. That same day the carpenter Dong Zuo, north of the Lingye Pavilion, saw yellow writing draped over the trees bearing characters he could not read; he reported to Imperial City Commissioner Wang Juzheng, who saw the emperor's name inscribed above and galloped to inform Wang Qinruo; the text was brought to the official residence and entrusted to a palace envoy to carry to court." The emperor proceeded to the Chongzheng Hall and urgently summoned his ministers, saying: "On the night of bingzi in the fifth month I dreamed again that the same divine being said: 'In the first part of next month a Heavenly Writ will be bestowed at Mount Tai; purify yourself and reverently receive it. Although I received this announcement from Heaven, I did not dare disclose it publicly, but secretly told Wang Qinruo and others to report any auspicious anomaly at once. Now I have received his report, and it matches my dream exactly. Heaven favors us—I only fear I am not worthy." Wang Dan and the others said: "Your Majesty's supreme virtue moves Heaven; the response is brilliantly clear—we rejoice beyond measure." They bowed twice and offered congratulations. On jihai day the Heavenly Writ was welcomed and installed in the main hall of the Hanfang Garden. On xinchou day the emperor entered ritual purification. The next day, with the full imperial procession, he proceeded to the hall, bowed twice to receive it, and handed it to Chen Yaosou to break the seal. The text read: "You revere filial piety and serve Me, nurturing the people and spreading blessings. I bestow auspicious omens upon you; let the common people all know. Keep these words secret; understand My intent well. May the imperial fortune endure forever, and your years reach far into the future." When the reading was finished, it was again carried up to the hall.

九月甲子，告太廟，奉安天書朝元殿，建道場。扶侍使上香，庭中奏法曲，將行禮，詣幄殿酌獻訖，奉以玉輅，中設幾褥，夾侍立旁，周以黃麾仗，前後部鼓吹，道門威儀。扶侍使以下前導，封禪日皆奉以升壇，置正位之東。自是凡舉大禮，皆如此制。於是制行殿供物，定儀仗千六百人。每歲元日，召宰臣、宗室至禁中朝拜。前一日，卻去葷茹。帝自製誓文，刻石，置玉清昭應宮寶符閣下，摹刻天書奉安昭應宮刻玉殿，行酌獻禮，令刻玉使日赴殿行香，副使已下，日蒞事焉。

On jiazi day in the ninth month, the ancestral temple was notified; the Heavenly Writ was installed in the Chaoyuan Hall; and a ritual ground was established. The support commissioner offered incense while court music played in the courtyard; before the rites began, he went to the tent hall to pour offerings; the Heavenly Writ was then placed on the jade carriage with a table and cushions inside, flank attendants standing beside it, ringed with yellow-banner guards, drums and pipes before and behind, and full Daoist ceremonial regalia. The support commissioner and his attendants led the way; on the day of the feng and shan rites it was always carried up to the altar and placed to the east of the principal seat. From then on, whenever major rites were performed, this arrangement was followed. Regulations were then set for offerings at the traveling hall, and the ceremonial guard fixed at 1,600 persons. Every New Year's Day, chief ministers and members of the imperial clan were summoned to the inner palace to pay respects. On the day before, all participants abstained from meat. The emperor composed an oath text himself, had it carved in stone, and placed it beneath the Treasure Talisman Pavilion of the Jade Clarity Manifest Response Palace; a copy of the Heavenly Writ was installed in the Jade-Carving Hall; pouring offerings was performed; the jade-carving commissioner was ordered to offer incense at the hall daily, with deputies and subordinates attending every day.

天禧元年正月，詔以十五日行宣讀天書之禮。前二日，齋于長春殿，以王欽若為宣讀天書禮儀使。有司設次天安殿，中位玉皇像，置錄本天書於東，聖祖板位於西，建金籙道場三晝夜。其日三鼓，帝服通天冠、絳紗袍詣道場，焚香再拜，西向立，百官朝服升殿。攝中書令任中正跪奏：「嗣天子臣某，謹與宰臣等宣讀天書，講求聖意，虔思睿訓，撫育生民。」儀衛使王旦跪取左承天門天書置案上，攝殿中監張景宗、張繼能捧案，攝司徒王曾、攝司空張知白跪展天書，攝太尉向敏中宣讀，每句已，即詳繹其旨，言上天訓諭之意，攝中書令王欽若錄之。宣讀畢，攝侍中張旻跪奏：「嗣天子臣某，敢不虔遵天命。」儀衛使受天書，跪納匣中。又取功德閣天書、泰山天書宣讀如上儀。王欽若跪進所錄天書，帝跪受之，登歌酌獻。禮畢，奉天書還內。帝自作《欽承寶訓述》以示中外。是月之朔，又奉天書升太初殿，恭上玉皇大天帝聖號寶冊、袞服焉。

In the first month of the first year of Tianxi, an edict decreed that the rite of proclaiming and reading the Heavenly Writ would be performed on the fifteenth day. Two days before, the emperor fasted in the Changchun Hall, and Wang Qinruo was appointed Ritual Protocol Commissioner for proclaiming and reading the Heavenly Writ. The responsible offices set up a station in the Tian'an Hall with the Jade Emperor image in the center, a recorded copy of the Heavenly Writ to the east, the Sagely Ancestor spirit tablet to the west, and a gold-register ritual ground for three days and nights. That day at the third watch the emperor, wearing the Tongtian cap and scarlet gauze robe, proceeded to the ritual ground, offered incense and bowed twice, and stood facing west while officials in court dress ascended the hall. Acting Director of the Secretariat Ren Zhongzheng knelt and reported: "The succeeding Son of Heaven, your subject [name], together with the chief ministers respectfully proclaims and reads the Heavenly Writ, seeks to understand its sacred intent, reverently ponders its wise instruction, and nurtures the living people." Ceremonial Guard Commissioner Wang Dan knelt, retrieved the Heavenly Writ from the Left Gate of Accepting Heaven, and placed it on the table; Acting Palace Commissioners Zhang Jingzong and Zhang Jineng held the table; Acting Minister of Education Wang Zeng and Acting Minister of Works Zhang Zhibai knelt and unrolled the text; Acting Grand Marshal Xiang Minzhong read it aloud; after each sentence he explained its meaning as Heaven's instruction; and Acting Director of the Secretariat Wang Qinruo recorded it. When the reading was finished, Acting Palace Attendant Zhang Min knelt and reported: "The succeeding Son of Heaven, your subject [name], how could I fail to reverently follow Heaven's mandate?" The Ceremonial Guard Commissioner received the Heavenly Writ and knelt to place it back in its casket. The Heavenly Writs from the Merit Hall and Mount Tai were then proclaimed and read according to the same rite. Wang Qinruo knelt and presented the recorded text; the emperor knelt to receive it; ascending hymn and poured offerings followed. When the rites were finished, the Heavenly Writ was carried back into the inner palace. The emperor himself composed the Account of Reverently Receiving the Precious Instruction and circulated it throughout the court and realm. On the first day of that month, the Heavenly Writ was again carried up to the Taichu Hall, where the book and treasure conferring the sage title and dragon robes were respectfully presented to the Great Jade Emperor of Great Heaven.

帝于大中祥符五年十月語輔臣曰：「朕夢先降神人傳玉皇之命云：'先令汝祖趙某授汝天書，令再見汝，如唐朝恭奉玄元皇帝。 '翼日，復夢神人傳天尊言：'吾坐西，斜設六位以候。 '是日，即於延恩殿設道場。五鼓一籌，先聞異香，頃之，黃光滿殿，蔽燈燭，睹靈仙儀衛天尊至，朕再拜殿下。俄黃霧起，須臾霧散，由西陛升，見侍從在東陛。天尊就坐，有六人揖天尊而後坐。朕欲拜六人，天尊止令揖，命朕前，曰：'吾人皇九人中一人也，是趙之始祖，再降，乃軒轅皇帝，凡世所知少典之子，非也。母感電夢天人，生於壽丘。後唐時，奉玉帝命，七月一日下降，總治下方，主趙氏之族，今已百年。皇帝善為撫育蒼生，無怠前志。 '即離坐，乘雲而去。」王旦等皆再拜稱賀。即召旦等至延恩殿，曆觀臨降之所，並佈告天下，命參知政事丁謂、翰林學士李宗諤、龍圖閣待制陳彭年與禮官修崇奉儀注。閏十月，制九天司命保生天尊號曰聖祖上靈高道九天司命保生天尊大帝，聖祖母號曰元天大聖後，遣官就南郊設昊天及四位告之。

In the tenth month of the fifth year of Dazhong Xiangfu, the emperor told his ministers: "I dreamed that the divine being who had appeared before conveyed the Jade Emperor's command: 'First I had your ancestor Zhao bestow the Heavenly Writ upon you; now I command that you appear before Me again, as the Tang reverently honored the Mysterious Origin Emperor. The next day I dreamed again that the divine being conveyed the Heavenly Lord's words: I shall sit in the west, with six seats arranged obliquely in attendance. That same day a ritual ground was established in the Yan'en Hall. At the fifth watch and first mark, an unusual fragrance came first; shortly yellow light filled the hall, outshining every lamp and candle; I saw the celestial immortal guards and the Heavenly Lord arrive, and I bowed twice below the steps. Shortly yellow mist arose; in a moment it cleared; he ascended by the western stairway while I saw his attendants on the eastern stairway. The Heavenly Lord took his seat; six figures bowed to him and then sat down. I wished to bow to the six figures, but the Heavenly Lord stopped me and ordered only a clasped-hand salute, then summoned me forward and said: 'I am one of the nine Human Sovereigns and the founding ancestor of Zhao. When I descend again, I am the Yellow Emperor—not the son of Shaodian as the world believes. My mother was struck by lightning and dreamed of a celestial being; I was born at Shouqiu. In the Later Tang, by command of the Jade Emperor, I descended on the first day of the seventh month to oversee the realm below and govern the Zhao clan—a hundred years have now passed. The emperor should nurture the people well and not slacken in his former purpose. He immediately rose and departed on the clouds." Wang Dan and the others all bowed twice and offered congratulations. He immediately summoned Wang Dan and others to the Yan'en Hall to inspect the places of descent, proclaimed the event throughout the realm, and ordered Vice Grand Councillor Ding Wei, Hanlin academician Li Zong'e, Longtu Court awaiting-format Chen Pengnian, and the ritual officers to draft regulations for reverent worship. In the intercalary tenth month new titles were decreed: the Nine Heavens Director of Fates Preservation-of-Life Heavenly Lord became the Sagely Ancestor Upper Spirit High Dao Nine Heavens Director of Fates Preservation-of-Life Heavenly Lord Great Emperor; the Sagely Ancestor Mother became the Primordial Heaven Great Sage Empress; and envoys were sent to the southern suburb to announce the titles to August Heaven and the Four Peaks.

七年九月，即滋福殿設玉皇像，奉聖號匣，安於朝元殿后天書刻玉幄次。詔以來年正月上玉帝聖號，帝親撰文，及天書下，亦以此日奏告，仍定儀式班之。以王旦為奏告大禮使，向敏中為儀仗使，寇准為鹵簿使，丁謂為禮儀使，王嗣宗為橋道頓遞使。

In the ninth month of the seventh year, a Jade Emperor image was installed in the Zifu Hall; the sage-title casket was placed in the tent station for the jade-carved Heavenly Writ behind the Chaoyuan Hall. An edict decreed that the Jade Emperor's sage title would be presented the following first month; the emperor composed the text himself; the Heavenly Writ's descent would also be announced that day; and the ritual order was fixed. Wang Dan was appointed Grand Announcement Ritual Commissioner; Xiang Minzhong, Regalia Commissioner; Kou Zhun, Escort Commissioner; Ding Wei, Ritual Protocol Commissioner; and Wang Sizong, Bridge, Road, and Relay Commissioner.

八年正月朔，駕詣玉清昭應宮奉表奏告，上玉皇大帝聖號曰太上開天執符禦曆含真體道玉皇大天帝，奉刻玉天書安于寶符閣，以帝御容侍立於側，升閣酌獻。復朝拜明慶二聖殿。禮畢還宮，易常服，禦崇德殿，百官稱賀。

On New Year's Day of the eighth year, the emperor proceeded to the Jade Clarity Manifest Response Palace to present a memorial and announce the Jade Emperor's sage title: Supreme Lord Opening Heaven, Holding the Talisman, Governing the Calendar, Embodying Truth and the Dao, Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Lord. The jade-carved Heavenly Writ was installed in the Treasure Talisman Pavilion with the emperor's portrait standing in attendance; he ascended the pavilion and poured offerings. He then paid respects at the two Mingqing sage halls. When the rites were finished he returned to the palace, changed into regular dress, proceeded to the Chongde Hall, and officials offered congratulations.

九年，詔以來年正月朔詣玉清昭應宮上玉皇聖號寶冊，二日詣景靈宮上聖祖天尊大帝徽號。十二月己亥，奉寶冊、仙衣安於文德殿，乃齋于天安殿后室。四鼓，帝詣天安殿酌獻天書畢，大駕赴玉清昭應宮，袞冕升太初殿，奉冊訖，奠玉幣，薦饌三獻，飲福，登歌，二舞，望燎，如祀昊天上帝儀。畢，詣二聖殿，奉上絳紗袍，奉幣進酒，分遣攝殿中監上紫微大帝絳紗袍、七元輔弼真君紅綃衣、翊聖保德真君皂袍。帝改服靴袍，詣紫微殿、寶符閣焚香，群臣詣集禧殿門表賀。是日，天書赴景靈宮，大駕次至，齋於明福殿。二日，帝服袞冕，詣天興殿奉上聖祖天尊大帝冊寶、仙衣，薦獻如上儀。乃改服詣保寧閣焚香，還宮，群臣入賀於崇德殿。命諸州設羅天大醮，先建道場二十七日。命王旦為兗州太極觀奉上寶冊使，趙安仁副之，遣官攝中書侍郎、殿中監，押當冊寶、仙衣。二月丁亥，帝齋于長春殿。翼日，有司設聖母板位文德殿，行酌獻禮，拜授冊寶于王旦、仙衣于趙安仁，以升金輅，具鹵簿儀衛，所過禁屠宰。三月乙巳，旦等詣觀奉冊上懿號曰聖祖母元天大聖後。其日，帝不視朝。禮畢，群臣入賀，賜飲崇德殿。

In the ninth year an edict decreed that on New Year's Day of the following year he would present the Jade Emperor's sage title book and treasure at the Jade Clarity Manifest Response Palace, and on the second day present the Sagely Ancestor Heavenly Lord Great Emperor honorific title at the Jingling Palace. On jihai day in the twelfth month the book, treasure, and immortal robes were placed in the Wende Hall, and the emperor fasted in the rear chamber of the Tian'an Hall. At the fourth watch the emperor poured offerings to the Heavenly Writ at the Tian'an Hall; the great procession then went to the Jade Clarity Manifest Response Palace, where the emperor, in full dragon robes, ascended the Taichu Hall, presented the book, set forth jade and silks, performed three food offerings, drank the blessing wine, and conducted ascending hymn, two dances, and the fire-gazing rite—all following the ceremony for August Heaven. When finished, he proceeded to the two sage halls, presented scarlet gauze robes, and offered silks and wine; Acting Palace Commissioners were dispatched to present a scarlet gauze robe to the Purple Subtlety Great Emperor, red silk garments to the Seven Primes Assisting Lords, and a black robe to the Assisting Sage Preservation-of-Virtue Lord. The emperor changed into boots and robe, offered incense at the Purple Subtlety Hall and Treasure Talisman Pavilion, and officials presented congratulatory memorials at the Jixi Hall gate. That same day the Heavenly Writ was carried to the Jingling Palace; the great procession followed and the emperor fasted in the Mingfu Hall. On the second day the emperor, in full dragon robes, proceeded to the Tianxing Hall and presented the book, treasure, and immortal robes for the Sagely Ancestor Heavenly Lord Great Emperor, with offerings as in the previous rite. He then changed dress, offered incense at the Baoning Pavilion, returned to the palace, and officials entered the Chongde Hall to offer congratulations. Every prefecture was ordered to perform the Luo Heaven great jiao, with ritual grounds established for twenty-seven days beforehand. Wang Dan was appointed commissioner to present the book and treasure at the Taiji Observatory in Yanzhou, with Zhao Anren as deputy; acting Vice Director of the Secretariat and Palace commissioners were dispatched to escort the book, treasure, and immortal robes. On dinghai day in the second month the emperor fasted in the Changchun Hall. The next day officials set up the Sage Mother's spirit tablet in the Wende Hall and performed pouring offerings; the book and treasure were entrusted to Wang Dan and the immortal robes to Zhao Anren; they mounted the gold carriage with full escort; and slaughter was forbidden along the route. On yisi day in the third month, Wang Dan and his party proceeded to the observatory, presented the book, and conferred the honorific title Sagely Ancestor Mother Primordial Heaven Great Sage Empress. That day the emperor did not hold court. When the rites were finished, officials entered to congratulate the emperor and were entertained in the Chongde Hall.

徽宗政和六年九月朔，復奉玉冊、玉寶，上玉帝尊號曰太上開天執符禦曆含真體道昊天玉皇上帝，蓋以論者析玉皇大天帝、昊天上帝言之，不能致一故也。又詔以王者父天母地，乃者只率萬邦黎庶，強為之名，以玉冊、玉寶昭告上帝，而地祇未有稱謂，謹上徽號曰承天效法厚德光大後土皇地祇。

On the first day of the ninth month in the sixth year of the Zhenghe reign, Emperor Huizong again presented jade books and treasures, conferring on the Jade Emperor the title Supreme Lord Opening Heaven, Holding the Talisman, Governing the Calendar, Embodying Truth and the Dao, August Heaven Jade Emperor God—because commentators had treated the Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Lord and August Heaven God as separate entities and could not unify them. Another edict noted that a king takes Heaven as father and Earth as mother; recently, leading all the states and people, titles had been imposed by force; jade books and treasures announced Heaven—but Earth had received no title; the honorific title Receiving Heaven, Emulating the Law, Thick Virtue, Broad Illumination, August Earth Queen was respectfully presented.

明年五月，詣玉清和陽宮奉上寶冊，所用之禮，以瘞坎易燎柴，設望瘞位，玉以黃琮及兩珪有邸，幣以黃，舞以八成，其餘並如奉上玉皇尊號之儀。徽宗崇尚道教，制郊祀大禮，以方士百人執威儀前引，分列兩序，立於壇下。

In the fifth month of the following year he proceeded to the Jade Clarity Heyang Palace to present the book and treasure; the rite substituted a burial pit for the fire offering, set up a gazing position at the burial site, used a yellow cong and two gui tablets with bases, yellow silks, and the eight-accomplishment dance; everything else followed the rite for presenting the Jade Emperor's honorific title. Emperor Huizong promoted Daoism and regulated the great suburban sacrifice; a hundred Daoist masters bore ceremonial regalia at the front, arrayed in two rows below the altar.

政和三年十一月五日，恭上神宗、哲宗徽號於太廟。翌日，祀昊天上帝於圜丘。太師蔡京奏：「天神降格，實為大慶，乞付史館。」帝出手詔，播告天下。群臣詣東上閣門拜表稱賀，禦制《天真示現記》，尋以天神降日為天應節，即其地建迎真宮。明年夏至，躬祀方丘，又制《神應記》，略云：「羽衛多士，奉輦武夫，與陪祝官，顧瞻中天，有形有象，若人若鬼，持矛執戟，列於空際，見者駭愕。」仍遣使奏告陵廟，詔天下。

On the fifth day of the eleventh month in the third year of Zhenghe, the honorific titles of Emperors Shenzong and Zhezong were respectfully presented at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The next day August Heaven was sacrificed to at the Round Mound. Grand Preceptor Cai Jing memorialized: "A celestial deity has descended—this is a great celebration; I request that it be recorded by the Historiography Office." The emperor issued a handwritten edict and proclaimed it throughout the realm. Officials presented congratulatory memorials at the eastern upper gate; the emperor composed the Record of the True Heaven's Manifest Appearance; the day of the celestial descent was made the Heaven-Response Festival; and the Welcoming-the-True Palace was built on the spot. At the summer solstice the following year he personally sacrificed at the Square Mound and composed the Record of Divine Response, which states in summary: "Guards and soldiers, carriage-bearers and martial men, together with attendant prayer officers, looked up at mid-heaven and saw forms and figures—like men and like ghosts, bearing spears and halberds, arrayed in the empty sky; all who witnessed it were struck with awe." Envoys were dispatched to announce the event at the imperial tombs and temples, and an edict was issued throughout the realm.

又用方士魏漢津之說，備百物之象，鑄鼎九，於中太一宮南為殿奉安之，各周以垣，上施埤堄，墁如方色，外築垣環之，曰九成宮。中央曰帝鼐，其色黃，祭以土王日，為大祠，幣用黃，樂用宮架。北方曰寶鼎，其色黑，祭以冬至，幣用皂。東北方曰牡鼎，其色青，祭以立春，幣用皂。東方曰蒼鼎，其色碧，祭以春分，幣用青。東南曰岡鼎，其色綠，祭以立夏，幣用緋。南方曰彤鼎，其色紫，祭以夏至，幣用緋。西南曰阜鼎，其色黑，祭以立秋，幣用白。西方曰皛鼎，其色赤，祭以秋分，幣用白。西北曰魁鼎，其色白，祭以立冬，幣用皂。八鼎皆為中祠，樂用登歌，享用素饌，復於帝鼐之宮立大角鼎星祠。

Following the Daoist master Wei Hanjin's proposal, images of the hundred things were prepared and nine tripods were cast; a hall was built south of the Central Taiyi Palace to house them, each encircled by a wall with battlements on top and paving in directional colors, with an outer wall encircling the whole—called the Nine Accomplishments Palace. The central tripod was called the Imperial Cauldron; its color was yellow; it received a great sacrifice on the earth-king day, with yellow silks and palace orchestra music. The northern tripod was the Treasure Cauldron; black in color; sacrificed to at the winter solstice with black silks. The northeast tripod was the Male Cauldron; green in color; sacrificed to at the beginning of spring with black silks. The eastern tripod was the Azure Cauldron; blue-green in color; sacrificed to at the spring equinox with green silks. The southeast tripod was the Ridge Cauldron; green in color; sacrificed to at the beginning of summer with scarlet silks. The southern tripod was the Red Cauldron; purple in color; sacrificed to at the summer solstice with scarlet silks. The southwest tripod was the Mound Cauldron; black in color; sacrificed to at the beginning of autumn with white silks. The western tripod was the Bright Cauldron; red in color; sacrificed to at the autumn equinox with white silks. The northwest tripod was the Chief Cauldron; white in color; sacrificed to at the beginning of winter with black silks. The eight outer tripods received middle sacrifices, with ascending hymn music and plain food offerings; a shrine to the Great Horn Cauldron Star was also established at the Imperial Cauldron palace.

崇寧四年八月，奉安九鼎，以蔡京為定鼎禮儀使。帝幸九成宮酌獻。九月朔，百官稱賀於大慶殿，如大朝會儀。鄭居中言：「亳州太清宮道士王與之進《黃帝崇天祀鼎儀訣》，皆本於天元玉冊、九宮太一，合於漢津所授上帝錫夏禹隱文。同修為《祭鼎儀範》，修成《鼎書》十七卷、《祭鼎儀範》六卷。先是，詔曰：「九鼎以奠九州，以禦神奸，其用有法，後失其傳。閱王與之所上《祀儀》，推鼎之意，施于有用，蓋非今人所能作。去古綿邈，文字雜糅，可擇其當理合經，修為定制，班付有司。」至是書成，並以每歲祀鼎常典，付有司行之。

In the eighth month of the fourth year of Chongning the nine tripods were installed, with Cai Jing appointed Ritual Protocol Commissioner for the installation. The emperor visited the Nine Accomplishments Palace and poured offerings. On the first day of the ninth month officials offered congratulations in the Daqing Hall, following the ceremony of a great court assembly. Zheng Juzhong reported that Wang Yuzhi, a Daoist priest at the Supreme Purity Palace in Bozhou, had presented the Yellow Emperor Revering Heaven Sacrificing to the Tripods Ritual Secrets—all based on the Primordial Heaven jade book and the Nine Palaces Great Unity, matching the hidden text that Wei Hanjin claimed God had bestowed upon Yu of Xia. They jointly compiled the Ritual Models for Sacrificing to the Tripods, producing the Tripod Book in seventeen scrolls and the Ritual Models in six scrolls. An earlier edict had stated: "The nine tripods establish the nine provinces and guard against spiritual evil; their proper use was regulated, but the tradition was later lost. Reviewing Wang Yuzhi's Sacrificial Rites, extending the meaning of the tripods into practical application—surely no one living today could have composed it. Ancient and distant in origin, the text is mixed and confused; passages that are reasonable and accord with the classics should be selected, revised into fixed regulations, and distributed to the responsible offices." When the books were completed, the annual regular ceremony for sacrificing to the tripods was entrusted to the responsible offices for implementation.

又詔以鑄鼎之地作寶成宮，總屋七十一區，中置殿曰神靈，以祠黃帝；東廡殿曰成功，祀夏後氏；西廡殿曰持盈，祠周成王及周公、召公；後置堂曰昭應，祀唐李良及隱士嘉成侯魏漢津。太常禮部言：「每歲欲于大樂告成崇政殿元進樂日，秋八月二十七日舉祀事，祀黃帝依感生帝、神州地祇為大祠，幣用黃，樂用宮架，祝文依祀聖祖稱嗣皇帝臣名。其成功、持盈二殿，禮用中祀，幣各用白。昭應堂禮用小祀，並以素饌。」從之。

Another edict ordered that the place where the tripods were cast become the Baocheng Palace, with seventy-one sections of buildings; a central hall called Spirit Power was established to sacrifice to the Yellow Emperor; the eastern wing hall, Achievement, sacrificed to the lord of Xia; the western wing hall, Holding Fullness, sacrificed to King Cheng of Zhou, the Duke of Zhou, and the Duke of Shao; a rear hall, Manifest Response, sacrificed to Li Liang of Tang and the recluse Marquis of Jiacheng Wei Hanjin. The Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Ministry of Rites proposed that each year, on the twenty-seventh day of the eighth month—the day when the new court music was presented at the Chongzheng Hall—the sacrifice to the Yellow Emperor be performed as a great sacrifice on the model of the Birth-Responding Emperor and Sacred Domain Earth Queen, with yellow silks, palace orchestra music, and a prayer text following the Sagely Ancestor formula addressing the succeeding emperor as your subject by name. The Achievement and Holding Fullness halls would receive middle sacrifices, each with white silks. The Manifest Response hall would receive a small sacrifice with plain food offerings." The proposal was approved.

政和六年，用方士王仔昔議，定鼎閣于天章閣，自九成宮徙九鼎奉安之。又詔改帝鼐為隆鼐，正南彤鼎為明鼎，西南阜鼎為順鼎，正西皛鼎為蘊鼎，西北魁鼎為健鼎，正北寶鼎如舊，東北牡鼎為和鼎，正東蒼鼎為育鼎，東南岡鼎為潔鼎，鼎閣為圜象徽調之閣。閣上神像，左周鼎星君，中帝席星君，右大角星君；閣下鼎鼐神像，各守逐鼎布列，亦用仔昔議也。駕詣鼎閣奉安神像，明日復詣閣行香，百僚陪位。其後，又詔九鼎新名乃狂人妄改，皆無依據，宜復舊名，惟圜象徽調閣仍舊。

In the sixth year of Zhenghe, following Daoist master Wang Zaixi's proposal, the Tripod Pavilion was established at the Tianzhang Pavilion, and the nine tripods were moved from the Nine Accomplishments Palace and installed there. Another edict renamed the tripods: Imperial to Lofty, southern Red to Bright, southwest Mound to Accord, western Bright to Store, northwest Chief to Robust, northern Treasure unchanged, northeast Male to Harmony, eastern Azure to Nurture, southeast Ridge to Purity; and the Tripod Pavilion was named the Pavilion of Circular Images and Fine Tuning. Spirit images were placed above the pavilion: the Zhou Cauldron Star Lord on the left, the Imperial Seat Star Lord in the center, and the Great Horn Star Lord on the right; below the pavilion stood cauldron spirit images, each guarding its respective tripod in array—also following Zaixi's proposal. The emperor proceeded to the Tripod Pavilion to install the spirit images; the next day he returned to offer incense, with officials in attendance. Later another edict declared that the new tripod names were reckless alterations without basis and should be restored to their original names; only the Pavilion of Circular Images and Fine Tuning kept its new name.

八年，用方士言，鑄神霄九鼎成，曰太極飛雲洞劫之鼐、蒼壺祀天貯醇酒之鼎、山嶽五神之鼎、精明洞淵之鼎、天地陰陽之鼎、混沌之鼎、浮光洞天之鼎、靈光晃耀煉神之鼎、蒼龜火蛇蟲魚金輪之鼎，奉安於上清寶籙宮神霄殿，與魏漢津所鑄，凡十八鼎焉。

In the eighth year, following Daoist masters' advice, the Divine Empyrean nine tripods were cast: Great Unity Flying Cloud Cavern Kalpa, Azure Flask Sacrificing to Heaven Storing Pure Wine, Mountains and Peaks Five Spirits, Essence-Bright Cavern Abyss, Heaven and Earth Yin and Yang, Chaos, Floating Light Cavern Heaven, Spirit Light Gleaming Refining Spirit, and Azure Tortoise Fire Serpent Insects Fish Gold Wheel. They were installed in the Divine Empyrean Hall of the Supreme Clarity Treasure Register Palace; together with Wei Hanjin's nine tripods, there were eighteen in all.

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