...are of the same lineage as the ancestors, and thus are not recorded here in full.

Rituals for Sacrificing to the Banners and Standards of Our Dynasty In this text, "Our Dynasty" refers to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

Rituals for the Ma Sacrifice Ma original: 禡; a specific military ritual performed to ensure victory and divine protection before a campaign or at the site of a battle. and Sacrifices to Mountains and Rivers Encountered Along the Route

Rituals for Officials Sacrificing to the Banners and Standards of Our Dynasty, with Song Dynasty Rituals Appended

Invocations for the Various Sacrifices

Rituals for Sacrificing to the Banners and Standards of Our Dynasty

In the first year of the Hongwu era 1368 AD, the founding year of the Ming Dynasty., an imperial decree established the various rituals for when the Emperor personally leads a military expedition or dispatches his generals. It was determined that, according to the practices of the ancients, when the Son of Heaven The Emperor. personally leads a campaign, he must perform the Lei sacrifice Lei original: 類; a special sacrifice performed to the Supreme Deity (Shangdi) when the Emperor left the capital on an extraordinary journey or war. to the Supreme Deity, report his departure at the ancestral temple, and perform the Yi sacrifice Yi original: 宜; a ritual dedicated to the Altars of Earth and Grain before a military operation. to the God of the Soil. Furthermore, he should perform the Ma sacrifice at the destination of the campaign and offer sacrifices to the spirits of the mountains and rivers passed along the route. If generals are dispatched to lead an army, the departure must likewise be announced at the ancestral temples and the Altars of Earth and Grain, and the Ma sacrifice must be performed for the banners and standards The large flags and command banners that represented the Emperor's authority and the spiritual heart of the army..