Cai Hongming and others had a lot of fun on the military horse farm grassland, and during this period they even went to dig Cordyceps sinensis with people.

The one who gained the most was the little brat Chuchu. The little guy had sharp eyes and the help of the rat, rabbit, and the little dragon were so good that she could dig the most.

When I dug it, when I saw my parents dig less than me, the little guy suddenly showed off his stinky thing, and people didn't know what to say.

They played in the military horse farm grassland for a few days until the Qinghai Lake sacrifice was about to begin.

Chuchu was a little reluctant because she had been familiar with a few horses these days and could still ride on the back of the horse. If Cai Hongming had not agreed to go home and buy her a few horses to play with, she would not have been happy to go back.

On the day of the sea sacrifice, Tibetans and tourists by Qinghai Lake rushed to Qinghai Lake, and the empty lake shore became extremely lively.

Qinghai Lake was called "Xihai" in ancient times, also known as "Xianhai", "Bihe Qianghai", and "Fresh Water Sea".

The name "Xihai" originated from the fact that Qinghai Lake is located in the Western Regions. Wang Mang established Xihai County by his administration. One of the "Xianhai" is because there is Xianshan (i.e. Haixinshan). "Bihe Qianghai" and "Xianshuihai" are Qiang people. Xianbei people moved here one after another and named it. The local Tibetans and Mongolians called Qinghai Lake "Cowenbu" and "Kukunoer", which means "blue or blue lake".

During the reign of Wang Mang of the Han Dynasty, he wanted to "unify the four seas", because there were already Donghai County, Nanhai County and Beihai County, so he wanted to set up Xihai County again.

Therefore, in the name of sacrifice to the sea, the Qiang leader by Qinghai Lake invited the banquet and said to the Qiang people: "The West Sea is a sacred land and should belong to the court. If the sea god is not sacrificed to the sea every year, the sea god will get angry and stir up the sea water, which will flood you." The Qiang people then offered "Fresh Water Sea" (i.e. Qinghai Lake).

This is the earliest record of Qinghai Lake sacrificing the sea, but it is not a real sacrificing the sea.

During the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang appointed the God of the West Sea as "Guangrun Gong" and performed a remote sacrifice.

In the first year of the Qingli period of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty appointed the God of the West Sea as "King of Tongsheng Guangrun" for a remote sacrifice.

These two imperial edicts were held in the suburbs of Beijing at that time. Their significance was a symbolic ritual as a divinely granted monarchy, not a real sacrifice to the sea. It was not until the first year of Baoyou of Emperor Lizong of Song Dynasty, when Mongolia used troops to Qinghai. After Tubo surrendered, the next year, the Mongolian princes gathered to worship the sky on Sun and Moon Mountain and sacrifice to the sea in "Kukunoer". This was the real sacrifice to the sea. The large Qinghai Lake sea sacrifice ceremony began in the Qing Dynasty.

It is said that in the second year of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, General Nian Gengyao led his troops to pacify the rebellion of the Mongolian leader Luo Buzang Danjin in Qinghai. When he pursued the rebels to Qinghai Lake, the army began to have shortage of drinking water.

At this time, a group of cavalry horses came from a distance, and several horses were stepping onto the spring on the ground. The gushing water suddenly solved the problem of drinking water in the army. The soldiers with great morale were vigorous and annihilated the rebels. After hearing this, Emperor Yongzheng ordered the title of "Lingxian Xuanwei Qinghai Lake", and granted the imperial throne to the Qinghai Sea God Temple. He also ordered the regular sacrifices of the sea in August of every autumn (the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month), and since then, large-scale sacrifices of the sea began.

Since then, the sea sacrifice ceremony has been interrupted in all dynasties, and it was not until 1909-1912 AD that the sea sacrifice ceremony was interrupted.

Then recovered.

After liberation, the sea sacrifice ceremony began to be interrupted due to political reasons. It was not until recently that it resumed.

Early sea sacrifice activities were held by the leaders of their own nation, and few government officials sent people to participate.

However, from the early Qing Dynasty to the Qianlong period, in order to gather the tribes in the northwest, whenever the sacrifice was made, the court would send personnel to sacrifice to the West Sea and convene leaders of the Mongolian tribes in Qinghai to meet the alliance.

In addition to the imperial envoys sent by the court or the central commissioned officials, local officials at all levels, the main ones were the left and right wings of the Mongolian people in Qinghai. The 28 Banners, the 28 Banners, the princess, the princess, the princess, the princess, the auxiliary dukes and their entourages, the living Buddhas and monks of each Hutu in Qinghai and nearby temples, as well as the Tibetan households, hundreds of households and their entourages, and the garrison officers who later participated. When offering sacrifices, the imperial envoys of the court or the central commissioned officials were generally the main entourages, and the local officials were the main entourages. Since the Republic of China, local officials have been the main entourages, and central commissioned officials have been the main entourages.

The sea sacrifice at that time was extremely powerful.

Nowadays, most of the sacrifices to the sea are the living Buddhas, lamas or monks in the temples around the lake, and the scenes are not as grand as before.

But even so, for the locals living by Qinghai Lake, the sacrifice of the sea in Qinghai Lake is still a very sacred thing, just like their horses turning into the sacred mountain and the sheep turning into the sacred lake in the year of the horse. If they can catch up with the sea-sacred ceremony hosted by the eight living Buddhas by Qinghai Lake during the Qinghai Lake Festival, they would be very lucky in their lives.

Cai Hongming brought his wife and children to participate in the sea sacrifice early in the morning. Because there were too many people, Liu Chong and others were guarding them.

Chuchu was too young and couldn't see anything while standing, so she was held in her arms, but she still couldn't see it. Cai Hongming simply asked her to sit on her neck.

The little guy sat on it and looked around, and everything felt fresh.

At nine o'clock, the sacrifice of the sea began.

People dressed in costumes held Hada in their hands, brought fried noodles, butter, pine and cypress branches and other offerings to the beach to pay a visit to the stewed sangtai (the altar that burns the sacrifices). The lama elders in the temple lit the pine and cypress branches, and the monks next to them recited scriptures in unison. For a while, the snails and firecrackers were heard, and everyone shouted. While sculpting the sangtai, all those who participated in the sangtai had to circle the sangtai clockwise three times, and at the same time offered Hada, white wine, candy, five-color grain and other sacrifices to the sangtai, throwing "Ronda" (i.e., paper wind horses) into the air.

After the sacrifice was completed, the mage held a five-colored silk bottle wrapped in five-color silk thread and led a guard of honor composed of monks to walk to the lake.

They each held magic weapons such as treasure umbrellas, incense burners, water purifiers, banners, etc., played Tibetan suona, played magic trumpets, deer gods wearing deer heads, cow head masks, and local gods embraced towards the lakeshore. On the shore of the lake, the monk chanted mantras to the lake. Those who came to worship began to throw their sacrifices into the lake, expressing their worship of the sea god, and begged the sea god to bless all living beings with good fortune and happiness, the three animals prospered, and the local peace.

It is said that the faster the sacrifice sinks, the more sincere your heart is, and the more the lake god likes you.

Many old men and women knelt by the lake after worshipping, took off their amulets on their bodies and washed them with lake water. It is said that washing the amulets with lake water on that day can ensure a year of safety. There are also many young men riding their horses down the lake, also wanting to get the blessing of the lake god.

Now it is a commercial society, and all the items of worship are sold in villages and towns by the lake, so Cai Hongming and others also bought some sacrifices and threw them into the lake to pray for the blessing of the lake god.

Chuchu had a very happy time. After throwing two, she was still not satisfied. She secretly picked up some stones from the lake and threw them into the lake, which made people speechless.

Fortunately, the little guy was instantly attracted by the young men riding a horse and rushed into the lake, and began to applaud them happily.

At the end of the sea sacrifice ceremony, horse racing, cow racing, archery and other entertainment activities will be held by the lake. At the same time, god dancing is also performed, such as "Zhangsong Guardian God" and "Auspicious Deer Dance", which makes the sea sacrifice activities full of mystery and entertainment and cultural colors.

Cai Hongming was not very interested in the ceremony after the sea sacrifice, but his daughter liked to watch it, so he could only continue to stay bored.

"Brother Hongming."

Cai Hongming was accompanying his daughter to watch the horse racing listlessly when he suddenly heard someone shouting behind him. He turned around and saw Master Cangjue's disciple who was practicing in the grotto on the mountain in Lasmedo, waving not far away.

"It's Qizhu! Why are you here? Master Cang Jue is here too?" Cai Hongming said in surprise.

"Yes," Qizhu pointed and said, "Master asked me to invite you over."

This year, Master Cang Jue was invited to attend the sea sacrifice ceremony, and he also came by with him. He and his master saw Cai Hongming just now, but it was not convenient to say hello, and he didn't come until then.

So Cai Hongming took his wife, daughter, Liu Chong and others over there.

On the way, Cai Hongming said to his daughter: "Chuchu, this is Qizhu brother. Qizhu, this is my daughter Chuchu."

Chu Chu looked at Qizhu with her little head tilted, and then shouted sweetly: "Brother Qizhu."

"Sister Chuchu."
Chapter completed!