Guanzhong Tomb Robbery Notes

Chapter 443 Horn, is that you?

Zheng Erbo said that the scene before him was imitating the people of Guanxiong, and he must have seen the illustrated version of Shan Hai Jing.

Well, don’t think that the illustrated version of Shan Hai Jing is only available now.

In fact, after the rise of woodblock printing, many ancient books have had illustrated versions.

For example, the four well-known classics, and even "Jin Ping Mei", have ancient illustrated versions.

When I saw the three people skewered on wooden sticks, I also thought of Guanxiong Country.

"Classic of Mountains and Seas: Overseas Southern Classic" records: The Guanxiong Country is to the east, and the people there have holes in their chests.

Here, "qiao" can be understood as the meaning of hole.

So literally speaking, this sentence means that the Guanxiong country is to the east of the Guanxiong country, and the people there have holes in their chests.

The first volume of "The Bamboo Annals", "Records of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan", also has a record of Guanxiong State: In the fifty-ninth year, guests came from Guanxiong State and Changtui State.

It means that in the 59th year of Emperor Huangdi's reign, guests from the Guanxiong Kingdom and the Changtui Kingdom came to visit.

The "Records of Foreign Lands" written during the Wei and Jin Dynasties recorded the country of Guanxiong in more detail: there was a hole in the chest, the noble ones took off their clothes, and ordered the humble ones to pierce their chests with bamboo or wood and lift them up.

This passage gives a more concrete description of the image of the people of Guanxiong.

It is said that in the country of Guanxiong, people of high status do not wear shirts, and people of low status are forced to pass bamboo or wood through holes in their chests and then lift themselves up.

From then on, the illustrations in later Shan Hai Jing would include pictures of people being lifted up through the chest with a wooden stick to depict the people of Guan Xiong country.

When I was studying with Professor Zhang, I read the "Classic of Mountains and Seas".

At that time, people scoffed at the records of Guanxiong Kingdom in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas".

I wonder how a normal person could have a hole in his chest.

Even if there is a hole in the chest, no one would insert bamboo or wood into it and lift it up, because doing so would definitely be very painful.

For this purpose, I specifically consulted Professor Zhang.

Ask him whether "Classic of Mountains and Seas" was a fantasy and fabrication made up by the ancients.

Professor Zhang shook his head seriously, "I don't know if it was an illusion created by the ancients."

"But there's no evidence to prove that the Classic of Mountains and Seas was fabricated."

"Just like the records of Guanxiong State, it's possible that the descriptions were too concise, leading to misunderstandings by later generations."

"It may also be related to the primitive beliefs of Guanxiong Country."

"They probably believed that piercing the chest could allow them to communicate with spirits, and would pierce the chest with a sharp weapon during shamanic rituals."

"Similar customs exist in some places in the southwest."

"During the ritual, they would pull up the skin on their chest and back, and then use a sharp weapon to pierce through the pulled flesh."

The example given by Professor Zhang was not a complete hole from the chest to the back.

It's just a horizontal perforation on the pulled skin.

It will only hurt the skin and flesh, not the internal organs, a bit like getting a nose piercing or a belly button piercing.

This explanation suddenly made me realize something.

I think the chest piercing in the chest piercing country is just making a hole in the chest skin.

But the scene before me overturned my previous cognition.

There actually is a ritual of stringing people on sticks!

Or stringing living people on sticks!

My scalp tingled as I murmured, "This ritual is too cruel."

"But why do they use the ritual of the Piercing Breast Country?"

This is the thing I can't understand the most.

In the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Guanxiong Country is listed in the Overseas Southern Classic.

This shows that Guanxiong Country is located in the south of overseas.

Baoji, where Zhifangtou Village is located, is located in the inland northwest.

From a geographical point of view, it should have nothing to do with Guanxiong Country.

It is absolutely impossible to inherit the shamanic rituals of Guanxiong Kingdom.

From a historical perspective, Baoji was the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Even if the shamanic rituals from the surrounding areas were passed down, the shamanic rituals of the Zhou royal family should have been passed down.

Uncle Zheng heard what I said and nodded, "Yes, this place has nothing to do with Guanxiong Country."

"Using the rituals of the Fish Kingdom makes sense to me. After all, this place was once a fiefdom of the Fish Kingdom."

"But why are you using the ritual of the Piercing Breast Country?"

Han Bin huddled behind me, whispering, "Could it be that the people of Yu Country migrated from Guanxiong Country?"

His words made Uncle Zheng and I stunned for a moment.

Uncle Zheng slapped his thigh and said, "This is really possible!"

"The Bamboo Annals mentioned that in the 59th year of Emperor Xuanyuan Huangdi's reign, Guanxiong Kingdom sent people to visit."

"This shows that Guanxiong State had exchanges with the inland area very early on."

"King Wu defeated King Zhou and summoned the entire nation to join him in attacking the Shang Dynasty. Many tribes responded with their troops."

"Perhaps Guanxiong State also sent people to support King Wu of Zhou at that time."

"After the war is settled, we will reward those who have made contributions and grant land to the nobles sent by Guanxiong Country, thus establishing the Yu Country."

This speculation is actually possible.

After King Wu defeated King Zhou and replaced the Shang Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty enfeoffed eight hundred princes.

Among the eight hundred princes who were enfeoffed, there must have been meritorious officials sent by other tribes to participate in the war.

Woo!

Suddenly, a mournful and desolate horn sounded in the village.

In the dark night, facing the three living people skewered on wooden sticks, an extremely mournful and desolate horn sounded suddenly.

All the pores on my body exploded instantly.

Han Bin's body was shaking like a sieve, and his hands were tightly grasping my arms.

With a trembling voice, he said: "This is a cow, a bull horn!"

In northern China, suona is the most commonly used wind instrument during funeral ceremonies.

Later, there was a jingle to describe this scene: The suona sounded, the white cloth was covered, and relatives and friends waited for the food to be served.

It is rarely played using a bullhorn.

Even in the southern region, only some ethnic minorities use ox horns during ceremonies.

The sound of a horn in this village in the northwest is extremely unusual.

No wonder Han Bin acted so terrified.

Uncle Zheng frowned and said, "The sound of the horn marks the official start of the ceremony."

"We don't have much time left to find the Yu family."

"Let's go to the village brigade first!"

I nodded when I heard that.

Ma Dong and the others have chosen their own path, and their life or death has nothing to do with us.

There is no time to waste on them now.

I grabbed Han Bin's right arm and put it on my shoulder: "We have to hurry to the village brigade to handle it. You have to be patient on the way."

Uncle Zheng also followed my example and lifted up Han Bin's left arm.

Without waiting for Han Bin to respond, we both carried him and ran.

"Hiss, it hurts, go slower!"

"I'm running too fast and my whole body is falling apart!"

We ignored his shouting and ran forward with all our might.

Just after running more than twenty meters, I heard Ma Dong's anxious shouting behind me.

"Wait for me!"

"I, I'll go to the brigade with you too!"

I turned my head and looked when I heard the sound.

Ma Dong and the others were chasing us with all their might, as if they had seen a ghost.

The situation behind them was blocked by their figures, and I could only see it vaguely.

I saw two people with pale faces carrying three people skewered on wooden sticks, walking slowly behind them.

He seemed to be shouting words like "Don't go" and "Pay with your life".

I guess Ma Dong and the others were so scared that they didn't dare to rush out of the village, so they had to turn around and run back with us.

I thought it would be good to have them cover our rear.

If something pops out from behind, they can also scream and call the police.

We ran more than three hundred meters in this way, one after the other.

When I was running out of breath, Han Bin shouted, "Turn around, turn around, and you'll find the village brigade office!"

Uncle Zheng and I immediately turned the corner and rushed over.

I saw that the door of the village brigade office was open and there was a lantern hanging on the door.

It was as if someone had deliberately opened the gate and hung up lights in the dark and quiet night, waiting for us to arrive.

grunt.

I swallowed hard and stared at the three silent tiled houses in the yard.

Doubtfully, "Why does it feel wrong?"

"Do you want to go in?"

As soon as I finished speaking, I heard a weak cry coming from the tile-roofed house in the middle: "Shi, Shitou..."

"Stone, is that you?"