Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume 8: Ceremonial Systems (Part 8)

Page Six

The East Corridor contains fifty-five positions These are the spirit tablets of secondary sages and worthies., which are served by a total of fourteen tables. The bottom-most table serves three positions with wine and meat. For the remaining positions, every four share a single table. In the center of these, a separate small side-table is set up to hold the ritual silk, incense, and candles.

On the main tables, four Jue original: "爵" (Jue). Tripod wine cups used for libations. are placed, such that each individual position uses one cup. When the time comes to perform the ritual, the attendants pour wine into these cups. When the Assistant Officiant original: "分獻官" (Fenxiangguan). A lower-ranking official tasked with making offerings at the side altars. performs the ceremony, an additional cup is offered in the center.

The ritual vessels and contents are as follows:

• Four Bian original: "籩". Bamboo baskets used for dry offerings. containing salt, dates, chestnuts, and dried venison.
• Four Dou original: "豆". Stemmed ritual bowls used for moist offerings. containing pickled leeks, pickled celery, venison paste, and rabbit paste.
• One Gui original: "簋". A round bronze or wooden vessel for grain. containing broomcorn millet.
• One Fu original: "簠". A square vessel for grain. containing proso millet.
• One Wine Zun original: "尊". A larger vessel or decanter used to store the sacrificial wine..
• One Fei original: "篚". A rectangular basket. containing one length of white ritual silk, measuring one Zhang and eight Chi in length approximately 18 feet or 5.5 meters..

Regarding the sacrificial livestock: each corridor uses one whole pig. This is divided into fifty-five portions. Each portion is placed in a square wooden tray and set at the head of the altar table. These portions consist of four parts hooves, four parts of [choice] meat, and forty-seven parts of [standard] meat.

The arrangement for the fifty-five positions in the West Corridor is identical.