Section 71.1
“The chamberlain for law enforcement, your servant [Zhang] Tang, deserves death for daring to report [to Your Majesty]: Your servant [Zhang] Tang has received an imperial decree to question the former administrator of Jiaoxi, [Dong] Zhongshu, regarding the Suburban Sacrifice.”
“Your servant Dong Zhongshu responded stating: ‘[Your servant] has heard that among the rituals of the Son of Heaven in ancient times, none was more important than the Suburban [Sacrifice]. The Suburban [Sacrifice] was always offered in the first month on the first xin day. In order to precede the sacrifices to the numerous spirits, it was placed at the very beginning [of the sacrificial schedule]. In accordance with the rites, during the three-year mourning period, although one did not sacrifice to the ancestors, one did not dare abandon the Suburban [Sacrifice]. The suburban [altar] was more important than the ancestral temple, [just as] Heaven is more venerable than humankind. “The Regulations of the King” state:
“Of the bulls used to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, their horns should be [no larger than] a cocoon or a chestnut;
“of the bulls used in the ancestral temple, their horns should be [no larger than] what one can grasp in one’s hands;
“of those used for feasting guests, their horns should be [no larger than] a foot long.”
1This means that the greater the virtue, the smaller was the sacrifice.
‘The
Spring and Autumn states: “In the Lu sacrifice, the Duke of Zhou used a white bull.”
2 The color white symbolized reverence and purity. It further states: “The victim for the sacrifice to the [High] God underwent cleansing for three months.”
3 The victim was valued for its plumpness and purity and not sought for its size. As a general rule, the way to raise sacrificial victims is to exert oneself in finding a victim that is plump and unblemished. A foal or calf that already can eat grass or grain is not as good as one that still drinks its mother’s milk.’ ”
4“Your servant [Tang] respectfully asked Zhongshu: ‘In the Lu sacrifice, the Duke of Zhou used a white bull. Was this not [in accordance with] the rites?’ Your servant Zhongshu responded: ‘It was [in accordance with] the rites.’ ”
“Your servant Tang asked: ‘The Zhou Son of Heaven used a red bull to offer in sacrifice, whereas the numerous dukes used multicolored bulls to offer in sacrifice. The Duke of Zhou was a duke. How then was he able to use a pure-colored bull to offer in sacrifice?’ Your servant Zhongshu responded, stating: ‘King Wu had died and King Cheng had been established [as Son of Heaven], but he was still a child. The Duke of Zhou inherited the undertaking of Kings Wen and Wu and brought to completion the merit of these two sagely kings. His virtue extended to all that lay between Heaven and Earth, and his generosity filled all within the Four Seas. Thus King Cheng recognized his virtue and ability and revered and respected him. An Ode declares:
“No virtuous deed is without recompense.”
5
Thus when King Cheng ordered the sacrificial offering, the Duke of Zhou used a white bull. With respect to his superior, he was not allowed to use the same color sacrificial victim as that used by the Son of Heaven. With respect to his subordinates, [the color of the sacrificial victim] differed from that of the Lords of the Land. Your servant Zhongshu, in his stupidity, is of the opinion that this was an act of propriety to recompense the Duke of Zhou’s virtue.’ ”
“Your servant Tang asked Zhongshu: ‘The Son of Heaven made sacrificial offerings to Heaven, and the Lords of the Land made sacrificial offerings to the altar of the soil. Under what circumstances was it permissible for Lu to carry out the Suburban Sacrifice?’ Your servant Zhongshu responded by stating: ‘The Duke of Zhou assisted King Cheng; King Cheng consequently achieved the status of a sage. There is no achievement more meritorious than this. The Duke of Zhou was a sage, in possession of [the authority] to sacrifice to the Way of Heaven. Therefore King Cheng ordered Lu to perform the Suburban Sacrifice.’ ”
“Your servant Tang respectfully asked Zhongshu: ‘In the Lu sacrifice, the Duke of Zhou used a white victim. When it performed the Suburban Sacrifice [to Heaven], what color victim did Lu use?’ [Your servant] Zhongshu responded by stating: ‘When Lu offered the Suburban Sacrifice, they used a pure-red bull. The Zhou dynasty revered the color red. Since Lu received orders from the Son of Heaven to perform the Suburban Sacrifice, they used a red bull.’ ”
“Your servant Tang asked Zhongshu: ‘When performing the sacrifices at the ancestral temple, some substitute a domesticated duck for a wild duck. A domesticated duck is not a wild duck. Is it or is it not permissible to use a domesticated duck?’ [Your subject] Zhongshu responded: ‘A domesticated duck is not a wild duck; a wild duck is not a domesticated duck. Your servant has heard that when Confucius entered the ancestral temple of the Son of Heaven, he made inquiries concerning each thing he encountered. This was the epitome of vigilance. His Majesty personally performs the Suburban Sacrifice. [Before performing the sacrifice, His Majesty] fasts and purifies himself, cleansing body and mind. In offering sacrifices at the ancestral temple, he is extremely reverent. Why, then, substitute a domesticated duck for a wild duck? Neither the name nor the reality of the thing would match. Using a domesticated duck to sacrifice at the ancestral temple would be quite a mismatch! In his stupidity, your servant Zhongshu considers that such a substitution is not permissible.
‘Your servant is but a decrepit hound or broken-down horse, having been granted permission [to rest his] weary bones and to live out his days in this humble lane. Still, His Majesty has graciously sent one of the nine ministers to question your servant on an important matter of the court. Your servant is stupid and vulgar. [His abilities] do not suffice to receive this enlightened instruction [from His Majesty] and submit a significant response. Your servant Zhongshu risks death to inform [Your Majesty].’ ” [71/70/22–71/71/10]