[Lightscreen]
[What people called the Dragon-Casting ritual was, bluntly speaking, nothing more than an imperial superstition ceremony.
From praying for dynastic longevity or immortality, to begging for rain or protection from plague, if the emperor wanted something and believed Heaven might grant it, this ritual could be performed.
Take the guilt-removal golden tablet of Wu Zetian that we mentioned earlier. In nature it was almost identical to this Dragon-Casting jade disc. That one could just as well have been called a Dragon-Casting tablet too. Its purpose was simply to ask Heaven to absolve her sins.
It sounded as if such objects were common. In truth, only a handful have ever been unearthed.
First, emperors who sincerely believed in Daoism and allowed Daoist priests to run the show were rare.
Second, the ritual objects themselves, jade discs, golden tablets, golden dragons, were meant to be offered to the Three Cosmic Officials. One was thrown from sacred mountains or cliffs, one buried deep underground, and one cast into rivers or lakes.
And these locations were almost never recorded in historical texts, which made finding them, or stealing them, extremely difficult.
The most famous Dragon-Casting jade disc discovered so far was unearthed from the tomb of Zhao Boyun, a seventh-generation descendant of Zhao Kuangyin. From the inscription, we know it was cast by the Southern Tang emperor Li Bian after completing a ritual retreat, in gratitude to Heaven.
Few people today recognize Li Bian's name.
But his grandson Li Yu is another matter. The Later Lord Li wrote lyrics so famous that "When will the spring flowers and autumn moon end?" became required memorization for generations.
That jade disc is now one of the crown treasures of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum. Anyone visiting should not miss it.
Wu Zetian had her golden tablet. Li Bian had his jade disc.
There is also another well-known Dragon-Casting stone tablet, owned by Ming prince Zhu Bai of Xiang.
It is currently housed in the Wugong Museum. Worth a look if you pass by.]
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"Zhu Bai?"
Hearing a familiar name again, Zhu Yuanzhang rose to his feet almost unconsciously.
"I granted the Prince of Xiang his title just two years ago. But what is this posthumous title 'Xian' supposed to mean?"
He muttered to himself, eyes fixed on the glowing text, unwilling to miss a single word.
That twelfth son of his was not even ten yet. He still ran around in the capital most days. Today happened to be Zhu Yuanzhang's birthday celebration, and Zhu Bai had come in the morning to pay his respects.
Father and son had even chatted a bit longer than usual. The boy had said, in that still childish voice, that he wanted to help the Crown Prince secure the realm.
The words still rang fresh in his ears.
And now…
This twelfth son of his did not seem particularly interested in Daoist mysticism, did he?
Still…
If the child liked it, then so be it. Perhaps tomorrow he could ask the ministers whether any famous Daoist masters were available.
Fortunately, before the voice in the screen could continue, new lines of text appeared.
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[Server Chat Log]
[LowHPHero: Wow, that's some ugly handwriting on that jade.
BuffPlsKnight: Jade is mineral stone, hard as hell. Craftsmen had no machines, so carving it was a nightmare. If they carved too deep and ruined the disc, that was a serious crime. So most inscriptions were done roughly and called good enough.
ClutchByLuck: Why were ancient emperors always trying to sneak through Heaven's back door instead of doing something useful?
PingSavedMe: Well, not all of them.
Wu Zetian really did want absolution.
Li Yu's grandfather was boasting about founding Southern Tang.
As for Zhu Bai, his case is a bit special. Half confession, half desperate medical gamble.
WinOrSnack: What do you mean by that?]
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Yes, what did that mean?
Zhu Yuanzhang had drifted to the very front now, eyes glued to the right side of the screen.
Fortunately, the writer of the text seemed casual enough and had no intention of building suspense.
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[Server Chat Log]
[ConquerMaybe: It means he was about to die.
Zhu Bai cast the stone tablet in the thirty-second year of Hongwu. That year is famous for all the wrong reasons. Half a year after the ritual, he was dead.
MarchIfPaid: Oh right, now I remember. He was accused of plotting rebellion, forging currency, and arbitrarily killing people. In the end he burned down his own princely residence and died inside it. Even then he still got slapped with the posthumous title Li.
Only thanks to Judy stepping in as the good guy did this younger brother get rehabilitated.
FearMeLater: Dragon-Casting rituals always carried heavy political meaning. Zhu Bai's tablet was no exception. The inscription basically amounted to a political declaration, promising to withdraw from politics entirely and focus on cultivation instead.
And then…
Well. Uncle and nephew. You know how that goes.]
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No, we do not know how that goes!
Zhu Yuanzhang nearly wished he could jump into the screen and drag that young man out for questioning.
If this truly happened during his Hongwu reign, then that meant he himself had issued that vicious posthumous title.
But the text also said the Crown Prince later rehabilitated Zhu Bai, which implied the son had been wronged.
Did that mean he, the Hongwu Emperor, had executed an innocent son?
The thought was unbearable.
And what exactly did that "uncle and nephew" line imply?
Could it be… Zhu Xiongying?
His mind tangled into knots.
In the end it was Empress Ma who stepped forward and gently advised him.
"There are still nearly twenty years before that event. Why trouble yourself now?"
"In my view, what matters most at present is this screen."
"The Marquis of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song have all given objects to that young man. Only the Hongwu Emperor has not."
Zhu Yuanzhang forced down his thoughts and followed her reasoning.
She was right.
The painting of the campaign east of Tong Pass clearly bore the signature of Zhuge Liang.
The fish tally without a fish pouch, though unsigned, matched customs from the early Tang.
And now, in the screen, the item being handled…
Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and read the inscription on the jade disc.
"Great Song Emperor Kuangyin, reverently conducting a Daoist ritual inside the Guangzheng Hall…"
The owner of the jade disc could hardly be clearer.
Yet after circling the screen twice and even trying to poke it with a brush, nothing happened.
That made Empress Ma uneasy.
"This screen… it would not vanish in three months just because we failed to offer something, would it?"
"No."
Zhu Yuanzhang, strangely enough, calmed down instead, returning to the mindset he had during his campaigning years.
"When I arranged to present the Crown Prince to Marquis Zhuge in three months, the Marquis said nothing alarming. He even asked whether the Crown Prince was married. That suggests he holds a favorable opinion of our future Yongle Emperor."
"If offering an object determined whether the screen remained, a man of his wisdom would have hinted at it."
"Since he said nothing, then the meeting in three months should be safe."
His reasoning was orderly and persuasive.
Empress Ma accepted it.
---
Inside the screen, the young man kept turning the jade disc over in his hands several times before finally beginning to read the inscription.
---
[Lightscreen]
[The important part of a Dragon-Casting jade disc is the text, not the jade itself.
Because the material is so hard, the writing looks awful. No rush, let's decipher it slowly.
From the opening lines… wow. Looks like our friend here picked up Zhao Kuangyin's Dragon-Casting disc.
That is seriously illegal, by the way.
Bianliang is modern Kaifeng. So this level of national treasure… the National Museum in the capital just got lucky. Another crown jewel added.
Okay, let's read further.
Guangzheng Hall makes sense. Zhao Kuangyin built it. Later Zhao Er renamed it Jiying Hall. Palace exams and the great seasonal banquets were held there.
So Zhao Da casting the dragon there… a bit odd, but not impossible.
Then the next lines should explain the reason.
Let's see…
"Looking up to Heavenly grace, the imperial younger brother cultivates Buddhism, enters the monastic path to pray for the fate of the state, abandons the title Prince of Jin to show sincerity, discards the name Guangyi to become Kongjiong, reverently casting this jade disc…"
"Wait, what?! Zhao Kuangyin's brother (Zhao Guangyi) became a monk? This fan-fiction is getting out of hand! This is just as wild as the 'Hongwu's Hook' stories. But hey..."
Inside the screen, the young man clapped his hands.
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Song Taizong (Zhao Er) becoming a monk? Then the Great Song Imperial Guards are really... soaring to the heavens! Wuhu!"]