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Fei Qian then realized the mutton was basically done, emitting an enticing aroma. He took the small knife, stood before the roasting sheep, searched his mind for Xiongnu customs, and found not a single impression. He pondered briefly. Ah! Who cares! Just follow the customs from his own impressions!
Fei Qian took the knife, first cut a small piece from the sheep's head, threw it towards the sky, then cut a small piece from the sheep's back, threw it on the ground, and finally cut a small piece from the sheep's front leg, throwing it into the still-burning fire…
After performing these actions, Fei Qian felt it was acceptable. But looking back, he met the stunned gazes of everyone, including A-da, all seeming to have question marks painted on their faces…
Oops!
Could it be such customs didn't exist yet?
Fei Qian's eyes darted around twice. He subconsciously coughed twice, then very seriously said: "The first piece offers respect to the eternal blue sky, for the sky grants us cattle and sheep; the second piece offers respect to the great earth, for the earth nurtures us; the third piece offers respect to our ancestors, for our ancestors first came here, discovered this place, and opened it up…"
"Oh…"
The Bingzhou veteran chattered an explanation. A-da suddenly understood, knelt before Fei Qian, hugged his feet, kissed his shoes, then stood up delightedly, beginning to carve the mutton. His movements were cautious and careful, as if after such a ritual, this roasted sheep had become sacred…
And not only that. After Fei Qian's spontaneous act, it even became a specific ritual requirement. When other roasted sheep were ready, those Hu people also invited Han army commanders or platoon leaders to perform the cutting.
Unexpectedly, Fei Qian saw both Han and Hu people seemed to accept this method easily; no one found it unbelievable or hard to understand.
Fei Qian had been somewhat worried earlier. After all, following his impression of later-era Mongolian customs, would it cause Han people's disgust? Now it seemed the Hu people likely hadn't yet formed such customs…
Huang Cheng, beside him, spoke with an admiring tone: "Lord Fei, how did you think of that? Look at those Hu people's expressions now—clearly more relaxed than initially. And this way, they're willing to listen to the commanders and platoon leaders. Giving orders will surely be smoother, tsk tsk…"
Perhaps due to the delicious mutton, perhaps because of participating in the ritual together, Han and Hu people indeed didn't remain sharply divided as before, each doing their own thing without interaction. Now they sat together, attempting to communicate using clumsy words and gestures…
Huang Cheng thought Fei Qian had done it intentionally, but Fei Qian himself knew it was an unintentional act.
But the current situation indeed made Fei Qian feel he had touched upon something, thinking back to the assimilation strategy he discussed with Cai Yong earlier; there seemed some common points.
Humans are the most chaotic beings; each person has their own thoughts and cognition.
So the world primarily composed of humans is actually disordered, chaotic, ruleless. Even the nearly supernatural wisdom of Zhuge Liang might consider everything comprehensively, but perhaps a commander on either side eating too little, too much, or even getting food poisoning could affect both armies' combat states—something impossible to fully calculate…
One can guess, infer, but no one dares guarantee others will act one hundred percent according to one's conception, like walking on a long, dark road, never knowing when one might step into a hidden pit and fall into an abyss…
However, one can influence others through certain actions, making them more inclined to act according to one's prior plan, like those clusters of smoke and fire on the main road at Huarong Path…
An action, a ritual, a suggestion.
Although chewing mutton, Fei Qian's mind wasn't savoring the sweetness but constantly pondering.
Like his earlier actions, though not a big deal for later-era people, for Han Dynasty people now—both Hu and Han—it held a typical sense of ritual.
The sense of ritual perhaps brings another word—awe, reverence.
Fei Qian recalled the three aspects he offered: sky, earth, and ancestors…
Humans are experience-based beings. If familiar with something, they naturally draw upon accumulated experience from similar environments to guide behavior—what to do, how to do it, what consequences after—all pre-judged based on experience.
But when finding no experience at all, most people appear at a loss. That's why some very confident individuals, arriving in another setting, seem like different people.
Creating a sense of ritual first requires corresponding concepts, which should originate from life yet be above life, like sky, earth, and ancestors just now.
Among Han Dynasty people now, few could clearly explain what's above the sky, below the earth, where ancestors went…
Or perhaps only one—Fei Qian himself.
Therefore, facing the same unknown, same mystery, Hu and Han people equally lacked experience, easily forming a common suggestion. Thus sense of mystery and sense of awe were produced…
Perhaps he should utilize more such rituals, Fei Qian thought. After all, rituals easily cultivate group consciousness, placing individuals under group pressure, submitting unconsciously.
When most people agree, newly joined ordinary individuals mostly subconsciously agree.
Fei Qian glanced sideways at the three-colored banner fluttering above the camp. The next step, after this battle, should be promptly conducting the entire army's overall consciousness organization and establishment.
Fei Qian suddenly felt very urgent to finish and win this current battle first. Then he could implement some experimental actions. If possible, even invite Master Cai Yong…
After all, in playing such rituals, such group suggestions, having or not having a religious-leader-like figure made a very big difference. Moreover, within Confucian culture, there was a special classic for eliminating individuals' chaotic, disordered consciousness and instilling ideology…