Treatise on Military Preparations, Volume 45

Page 2

...and then set forth. Following this, various scholars deliberated and submitted their proposals, decreeing that from this time forward, the Ivory Banner Ivory Banner original: 牙旗 (yaqi); the principal banner of a commander, historically named for the ivory ornaments that once decorated the flagstaff. and the Six Standards Six Standards original: 六纛 (liudao); massive banners made of felt or hair that served as symbols of supreme military authority. were to be stored within the Inner Palace. Their dedicated temple is located at the Altar of Mountains and Rivers.

Every year, on the day of the mid-autumn sacrifice to the mountains and rivers, an official is dispatched to perform a sacrifice at the Temple of Banners and Standards. On the day of Frost Descent A solar term occurring in late October; in the Ming military, this was a traditional time for seasonal drills and martial inspections., another sacrifice is performed at the drill grounds. At the end of the year, on the day of the grand offerings at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, yet another sacrifice is held outside the Chengtian Gate The "Gate of Inheriting Heaven," the primary southern entrance to the Imperial City, later known as the Tiananmen Gate.. All of these ceremonies are conducted by the commanders of the Banner-Bearing Guard The Flag-Bearing Guard (Qishou Wei) was an elite unit responsible for the Emperor's ceremonial regalia and musical instruments..

After the Yongle era 1403–1424 AD, the reign of the third Ming Emperor., a separate "Sacrifice to the Divine Banner" was added, specifically to worship the God of Fire and Thunder A deity associated with the power and destructive force of gunpowder weapons.. On the first and fifteenth day of every month, the supervising official of the Firearms Division Firearms Division original: 神機營 (Shenji Ying); the "Divine Engine" Battalion, one of the three elite tactical camps of Beijing, specialized in musketry and artillery. requests to perform a sacrifice at the drill grounds. Currently, the Supreme Commander of the Beijing Military District submits the formal petition; once the sacrifice is completed, he reports back to the Emperor to fulfill his commission.

Procedures for the Mid-Autumn Sacrifice The same procedures apply to the Frost Descent

1. Ritual Fasting Duration: two days