Huayang or Changyang?
We often call ourselves "descendants of the Yellow Emperor", in which Yandi refers to Yandi. Emperor Yan is the son of Shaodian, and he also has a brother, the Yellow Emperor. It is said that they are half brothers, Yan Di's mother is Ren You, and the Yellow Emperor's mother is Fu Bao. Shaodian was the leader of Shaodian State in Henan Province, and his two sons later became famous figures in history.
Yan Di's mother Ren Si is Shaodian's concubine. Once I went out to play, I saw a dragon flying in the sky and felt something in my body. When I came back, I gave birth to Emperor Yan. This legend was probably invented by later generations. Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, the emperors of China always like to pretend to be "the son of heaven" and "the dragon son" to show their unique identity. Later generations also said that Emperor Yan was a "dragon son" and was born with dragons.
Where did Ren Cong see the dragon? Historians of past dynasties have been arguing endlessly, and there is no conclusion. It was not until the Han Dynasty that Sima Qian picked out some of these statements and recorded them in his Historical Records of the Five Emperors. Sima Qian said that when Ren Cong was playing in Huayang, he saw a dragon shining and soaring, and immediately gave birth to Emperor Yan when he came back. Huayang mentioned by Sima Qian is not the current Shuangliu Huayang. Huayang was a big concept in ancient times, which generally refers to most parts of Sichuan and Yunnan and Guizhou south of Huashan today. Generally, it is the scope of ancient Shu, which is larger than the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province today. The Records of Shu written by Chang Qu in Jin Dynasty is called the Records of Huayang Country.
Other historical books, such as History of Song Dynasty and Mandarin, say that Yandi was born in Yangshan, southwest of Baoji, and often in Yangshan, which belongs to Tiantai Mountain. There is still a mausoleum to commemorate Yandi. Huayang and Changyang, though written differently, have similar pronunciations. Ancient people said things by mouth. Perhaps, Huayang and Changyang were originally one place, but they were misinformed into two places in folk circulation.
When Emperor Yan was born, it was said that many strange things happened. Nine wells near his home automatically circulate with each other, pumping water from one well, and the water in the other eight wells will fluctuate accordingly; Nine dragons appeared in the sky, hovering over his roof. All this implies that Yan Xi will succeed in the future.
Emperor Yan was born as a bull's head, and this record is definitely not worth taking. During Emperor Yan's period, there were no characters in China. The ancients might remember things in some special ways, such as tying a knot on a rope and hanging a card. Historians at that time may have agreed to use cows to represent Emperor Yan, so when describing the deeds of Emperor Yan, they tied a cow head or a piece of wood with a cow head to represent Emperor Yan. At that time, people were clearly divided, but later generations did not necessarily understand it, so that the more they remembered it, the more mysterious it became, saying that Emperor Yan was a "cow head". His younger brother, Huangdi, is said to be a "snake with a human face", which is probably the same reason.
On the third day after Emperor Yan died, he could speak. On the fifth day, you can walk in the field His mother, Ren Cong, follows God. Some people say that he saw Ren Cong bathing Emperor Yan in Jiulongquan (now near Baoji). After taking a bath, he rode away on a dragon. At the age of three, Emperor Yan did something that surprised the Chinese people. Seeing that some parts of the country were flooded and some parts were dry, he jumped into the sea to see the Dragon King and taught him a lesson everywhere. This means that you should have an average rainfall across the country, not more here and less there. How do ordinary people live? It is said that the dragon kings also listen to him.
Yan Di and the Yellow Emperor gradually came of age, so Shaodian asked them to lead a group of people and open up new homes. The branch of Yan Di later lived near Jiang Shui (Qingjiang River, a tributary of Weihe River east of Qishan, Shaanxi); This branch of the Yellow Emperor lived near Jishui (now Qishui, Shaanxi). After a long time, the tribe simply changed its name to Jiang, while the famous scholar Xu Zhongshu thought that Jiang was Qiang, that is, the Huangdi tribe changed its name to Ji. Over time, the customs of Yanhuang became more and more different, and they became two tribes, only vaguely remembering that they were related by blood.
For the world's first grain planting.
Yan Di and Huangdi tribes first made a living by nomadism. Stay with wild animals, wear skins and eat raw meat. Later, the number of tribes increased, but the wild animals in the forest gradually decreased, and people often did not have enough to eat. Sometimes, for a wild animal, not only two tribes have to compete, but also people within the tribe are scrambling, completely ignoring etiquette and affection.
Insufficient food and clothing, conflicts between tribes continue, and the problem is getting more and more serious. At this critical moment, it began to rain heavily, and rice and millet were everywhere. Other tribes don't know what this is and dare not eat it. Emperor Yan was very happy. He ordered people to bury them in the soil and water them regularly, just waiting for a bumper harvest. How did Emperor Yan know? He was born, and it is said that he "knew about crops at the age of three." At the age of three, when it comes to farming, he is articulate, and adults can't beat him. In autumn, the planted millet really bears rich fruits.
In fact, there are no rice grains in the sky. According to the research of later generations, this kind of grain was developed from some plants. At that time, the number of wild animals was very small, so Yan Di tribes naturally wanted to find some plants to satisfy their hunger. They may have discovered this kind of grain and improved it into grain. It is said that there were five kinds of cereals mainly planted at that time: rice, millet, millet, wheat and glutinous rice (that is, soybeans).
With food, cultivated land is naturally needed. In the past, people used stone tools to reclaim farmland, which was inefficient and hard. When the Yan Di tribes reclaimed the forest, they mostly used fire to set Yamakaji free and burned a piece of flat land. Ash is a natural fertilizer. Yamakaji was so degraded that people called Yan Emperor Shanshi Lie. It is said that the earliest fire was first used by Emperor Yan (it is said that Sui people were the first to drill wood for fire). When lightning strikes a branch, it is easy to ignite a raging fire, which is the earliest kindling of mankind.
The discovery of Emperor Yan is a major event that changed history: with fire, people do not regenerate animal meat, which is healthy and delicious; There is a saying that the stove also appeared at this time. Fire is also an important weapon, which can be used to burn mountains to make farmland and drive away wild animals. Because he taught the people to use fire, Shennong was revered by later generations as a fire master, a fire god and even a sun god. His emperor's name is also related to fire, and inflammation is two kinds of burning flames. Therefore, later generations called Yan Di tribe "slash and burn". At that time, there were many swamps and hills in Henan and Shaanxi, which were not suitable for farming. Yan Di tribes gradually migrated to the south of Shanxi along the mountainous areas in western Henan. This area is high and easy to farm. They may have lived in peace for a long time.
Emperor Yan's invention
The land is said to be very stiff at this time. Crops will wither in a few days after they are planted. People dig by hand and shovel with stones, but it's no use. Emperor Yan once went out and saw a crab dancing with pliers. Soon, he dug a hole in the soil. Emperor Yan had a brainwave. First, he put the wood in the fire to make it bend, which was called thunder. And cut the wood into a crab pincer chisel (Si) with a narrow bottom and a wide top. Therefore, later generations said that he "grinds wood for thunder" and "grinds wood for enamel". It is said that the earliest pottery appeared at this time. Smelting pottery and agriculture came into being at the same time Cultivated soil is the best raw material for firing pottery, which is "cultivating for pottery".
People at this time are often sick. They began to eat plant leaves. When they are sick, it is easy to think that eating several plants may be a treatment. However, people do not know much about wild plants. If you are sick, grab a handful and eat it. If you are not careful, you will be poisoned. Emperor Yan was in a hurry and decided to taste it first to distinguish between herbs and poisonous weeds. It is said that he was born with a "crystal belly", and his internal organs can be seen, and he can see everything he eats clearly. Emperor Yan carried two bags with him. He tasted the edible flowers and plants and put them in. He wandered around all day, picking flowers he had never seen before and tasting them, so he was often poisoned, up to 70 times a day. It is said that there are 47,000 kinds of flowers, roots and leaves in the bag on the left and 398,000 kinds in the bag on the right.
Archaeological findings show that the ancient people in the Neolithic Age not only collected herbs to treat diseases, but also drank soup. At that time, the Yan Di tribe, inspired by Yan Di, gradually realized this. When people are sick, they often seek medical advice and stop taking drugs. Later, they gradually formed a habit, which is said to be the embryonic form of medicine.
In the era of Emperor Yan, another great event happened. It is said that every day at noon, other tribes come to Yandi to exchange things they need, things they need, and things they need. At that time, food was still scarce, and other tribes had never eaten it, so Emperor Yan exchanged it for horses, weapons, hides and so on. War horses and weapons can defend the country, and hides are used for wearing. Yan Di tribes already have abundant grain reserves. It is said that he often said to his people, "There are stone cities 70 to 80 feet high, moats 0/00 step wide, and millions of soldiers in armor, but without food, it is impossible to keep them." Commodities are developed on the basis of surplus labor products, which shows that Yan Di tribes have become very powerful.
"Cang Shi Zhi Li", when the meal is full, the Yan Di tribe also thinks of spiritual entertainment. According to legend, Emperor Yan cut tung into a piano and practiced silk as a string to make a banjo, also known as Shennong Qin. The piano has five tones: Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng and Yu. Later, Zhou Wenwang added two strings on the basis of pentatonic, namely, less bow and less upper. On the day when the banjo was made, Emperor Yan was very happy. He said to his people, "You should use banjo to play and sing the joy of farming and praise the harvest" (Record of the Five Emperors). From then on, the tribe listened to the piano while working, and the original music was born.
Yan Di tribes grew grain, lived a settled life, improved farm tools, treated diseases, created rituals and music, and gradually became stronger. At this time, his younger brother Huangdi still migrated all the year round, drifting and living a nomadic life. Nearby tribes came to Yan Di to live and learn agricultural technology. Gradually, Yan Di's prestige is getting higher and higher, and he is regarded as the Lord of * * * by the whole world. Those who don't give in are also vulnerable. The capital of Emperor Yan, with the eastward migration of the tribe, was originally in Chen, which is today's Huaiyang, Henan; Later, he moved to Shandong (that is, Qufu, Shandong).
The Death of Emperor Yan and the Weakness of Shennong
After being honored as the Lord of * * * by the whole world, Emperor Yan still wandered around and tried a hundred herbs. This is an extremely dangerous thing. In ancient times, there were many kinds of plants, many of which were poisonous. In today's Changsha (in Baoji), Emperor Yan saw Lysimachia christinae (scientific name "Gouqin") and ate it. Suddenly, he was heartbroken, deeply grieved and dead. Emperor Yan devoted himself to the people, regardless of his own life and death. There are few monarchs like him in history.
After his death, Emperor Yan was buried in Yanling (one in Baoji and one in Zhuzhou, Hunan). After his death, the people missed him day and night, and the dragon kings everywhere rushed to bury his body in their own jurisdiction. They argued for a long time, and finally, it is said that the Dragon King of Hunan finally got his wish.
Soon, the emperor took over the mantle of Emperor Yan and became the second master of * * *. Emperor Yan also had a daughter, Nu Wa, who unfortunately drowned while swimming in the sea. Later, she became a bird, determined to fill the sea. It is said that Shennong * * * has been handed down for eight generations (seventy), and the last * * * is called Yu Wang. During his reign, the influence of Yan Di tribes gradually weakened, and the title of Lord of * * * also existed in name only. At that time, the tribes gradually forgot the benefits of Emperor Yan's reign and began to be unstable. The most violent are Kuafu and Jiuli. Kuafu is a tribe that likes to bask in the sun. People are taller than ordinary people, with yellow snakes hanging from their ears and two in their hands. Jiuli nationality is fierce, and their leader is Chiyou. They live with the Yan Di tribe, so some people say that they are also descendants of Yan Di. Yu Wang sent troops to conquer them, but they were beaten out of the water. After winning Yugong, Kuafu and Jiuli became more and more proud, conquering everywhere, but the governors in the world dared to be angry and dare not speak.
At this time, the Huangdi tribe, which learned farming techniques from Yandi, gradually became stronger. In Zhulu and Hanquan, Chiyou and Kuafu were defeated and gained sovereignty. It is also said that it was the Yellow Emperor who defeated Shennong in The Wild of Han Springs that won the position of * * * Lord. In any case, Shennong gradually weakened and Huangdi tribe gradually rose. Yan Di Tribe and Huangdi Tribe later merged into one tribe, and their descendants were called "descendants of the Yellow Emperor".