A trip to western Zhou Muwang.
In the second year of Jin Taikang (28 1), a Ji Junren robbed Wei Xiangwang's tomb during the Warring States Period and accidentally discovered a batch of ancient books written on bamboo slips. Grave robbers want gold beads and treasure, and they don't care about these scattered bamboo slips at all. Bamboo slips were lit for lighting and all the treasures in the tomb were taken away. When the government heard the news, it quickly sent someone to collect these books. Unfortunately, all the books collected are simple and broken, and many books are damaged and incomplete. There are dozens of bamboo slips transported from Jixian to Luoyang, the capital of China. The Emperor Wu of Jin ordered the treasurer and Du Yu to sort out and proofread for the first time, and found the reference documents of the examination, which were reprinted into the text at that time, fifteen parts and eighty-seven volumes. These bamboo slips are all written with tadpoles, each with more than 40 words, which records the process of being destroyed by dogs and glory and the three tribes being divided into Jin. Later, the world called these bamboo slips "annals of bamboo slips" or "letters from home", with a total of 75 pieces, including 5 pieces of Mu Zhuan, which recorded Zhou Muwang's voyage to the West. Whether this Mu Tian character is a real person or a mythical figure that is difficult to verify, there are different opinions.
Zhou Muwang Western Tourist Murals
According to Biography of Zhao in Historical Records, "Mu Wang, as a husband, made an expedition to the west and saw the Queen Mother of the West, and he was glad to forget to return." After starting from Luoyang, Mu embarked on the road of the Western Expedition, which surpassed Wan Li, and distant countries treated him with courtesy. Along the way, he searched for treasures all over the world, among which jade was his important goal. When the king moved to Zonghe country in Hetao, he put on a big suit and offered sacrifices to the southern river god on the city wall. He sank jade and sacrifices into the river and prayed devoutly. At this time, Hebo heard the name of Tiandao, telling him not to forget what he enjoyed regularly from now on, and told him to go to Kunlun Mountain to see the treasure: "Muman, the Yao of Xiuchun Mountain ... even the mountains have to see Yao of Chunshan." Mu Wangsui went all the way to the northwest, passing through Hong Niao, Rong and other countries. On the New Western Day, he climbed Zang Kunfeng, visited the Palace of the Yellow Emperor and prepared a whole set of sacrifices for Zang Kunshan. After that, they went north and stayed in Zhuze Lake. The local people presented the rare white jade to King Mu.
Zhou Muwang meets Queen Mother of the West.
On the territory of Chiwu, King Mu got the Golden Harvest ("Return by Golden Harvest, Trees in Middle-earth"), and could not help but sigh: "Chiwu is also the land of beauty and treasure jade." In the Yushan Mountain in Rongcheng, Mu Wang harvested a lot of jade ("The emperor took three times the jade, and jade served things, so he carried ten thousand jade"). According to later research, this "Jade Mountain" is near shache, Xinjiang, and it is called Mogong Mountain, which is famous for its rich jade. Until the Qing Dynasty, it paid 10,000 Jin of jade to the imperial court every year. After collecting these beautiful treasures all the way, Mutianzi finally came to the land of the Queen Mother of the West. He greeted the Queen Mother of the West with Bai Yugui and jet cypress, and presented her with silk from the Central Plains. According to the records in Volume III of Mu Chuan, "Guihai is the land of the Queen Mother of the West. An auspicious day, a son of heaven, a guest of the Queen Mother of the West. That is, take Michelle Ye, the white master, to the Queen Mother of the West, so that the brocade group will be pure and the oral group will be 300 pure, and the Queen Mother will worship again. " On the ugly day, the Queen Mother of the West hosted a banquet with Mu in Yaochi. Yaochi is a pool of beautiful jade, so later people called the Queen Mother of the West "Yaochi". When drinking, the Queen Mother of the West sang an affectionate song for Mutianzi:
White clouds are in the sky
The mountains appeared.
It's a long way,
Between mountains and rivers,
The son will not die,
Can you come back?
Western horses in murals
Jose right yue again:
Yugui dongtu
Rule the whole summer.
The average level of all people
I care about you.
More than three years
Will return to the wild.
Of course, Musi's tour is not just about finding the mysterious goddess. He has a more practical motive. The tradition of jade culture in East Asia continent began with Xinglong injection culture in eastern Inner Mongolia and western Liaoning, and the use of jade blocks, jade tubes and jade beads was quite mature as early as 8,000 years ago. In the view of the Central Plains Dynasty, jade is a sacred symbol associated with the construction of kingship, so the possession and monopoly of jade materials has become an important thing. Therefore, the driving force of the westward journey lies in a belief in jade. Visiting and exploring for thousands of kilometers is just a process of materializing the belief in jade.
Muwangbajun