Jinting Han people

The rebellion of the Celestial Masters sect in Bashu, which began in June of the fourth year of the Tai'an era, came without any warning and left Liu Xian in a very difficult situation.

Since entering Hanzhong, everything had gone smoothly for Liu Xian. Wherever he went, he was virtually invincible, winning every battle. The people welcomed him wholeheartedly, and scholars rallied in response. During his few days of confinement at Luocheng, He Pan had already won over several powerful clans in Xindu County. If this offensive continued, Liu Xian predicted he could eliminate Li Xiong this year. But he never dreamed that the greatest enemy on this journey to restore his kingdom would not be anyone else, but his own body.

After Chen and Li left, Liu Xian continued to lead his troops in besieging Luoxian. He used archery to persuade the city's defenders to surrender, while simultaneously reinforcing the city's defenses and sending out scouts to Chengdu, calculating whether he could wait for the Chengdu army to advance north and then launch a surprise attack on their reinforcements. However, more than ten days later, he was met with rumors spread by the Celestial Masters sect.

The rumor goes: "If the metal element of Mao (卯) does not cultivate virtue, it will suffer from severe illness when it rains, and its life will be extinguished within half a year. The wood element of Zi (木子) will naturally receive blessings."

This rumor is easy to understand. The character "Liu" can be broken down into "Mao" (卯) and "Jin" (金) and "Dao" (刀), and the characters "Mu" (木) and "Zi" (子) together form "Li" (李). Therefore, it can be easily interpreted as Liu Xian being punished by Heaven for not following the Way of the Celestial Masters. He has contracted a terminal illness and will die within six months, thus ending the Mandate of Heaven for the Han Dynasty, which will be inherited by the true Taiping Zhenjun, Li Xiong.

This was not mere alarmist talk; it also contained elements of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, because the Han Dynasty was associated with the element of fire, while the Taiping Zhenjun (True Lord of Peace) was associated with the element of wood. Liu Xian fell ill due to the rain, which aligns with the metaphysical principle that fire is extinguished by water, while wood is revitalized by water. Therefore, it quickly spread throughout Sichuan and Chongqing. Then, within the following month, it swiftly triggered a large-scale rebellion in the prefectures and counties under Liu Xian's jurisdiction.

Of course, the situation varies from county to county.

The Wudu and Yinping commanderies were relatively easy to manage, as they were mostly Di territory. However, the four commanderies Liu Xian had recently conquered—Zitong, Guanghan, Baxi, and Jianwei—were rife with unrest, with every county and village prone to rebellion. Furthermore, as the situation developed, even within the Hanzhong commandery, considerable unrest emerged.

There was no major unrest in Hanzhong Commandery. The main problem was that some of the military farms that had surrendered from the Western Expeditionary Army Command showed signs of trying to escape, but Liu Kun quickly stopped them.

The situation in Brazil and Zitong was slightly better. Brazil was too large, and the Celestial Masters only accounted for half of the population. Liu Xian also had the support of a considerable number of local gentry, so he was not enough to threaten the rule within the prefecture. Zitong had too few people, and Zhang Guang occupied strategic locations such as Baishui, Jiange, and Jiameng, so the Celestial Masters were helpless and could only sigh at the danger.

However, the situation in Guanghan and Jianwei commanderies was much worse, as over 70% of the troops in these commanderies were followers of the Celestial Masters sect. The army in Guanghan, being closer to Liu Xian's main force, had almost completely lost its influence in the region and could only cower within its cities awaiting reinforcements. Fu Chang in Jianwei commandery faced an even more dire situation; tens of thousands of Celestial Masters followers had launched a massive siege of the city, making it impossible for his army to hold its ground. He was forced to abandon the commandery and, along with Zhang Qi and others, lead his troops back to Deyang in Guanghan to prevent the chaos from spreading further.

Many people, neglecting to suppress the rebellion within their borders, wrote to the military camp in Luocheng, inquiring about Liu Xian's health. After all, as the lord of a faction, Liu Xian's health was crucial to the health of the entire faction. People like Liu Shen, Yang Nandi, Liu Kun, and Li Ju followed Liu Xian to Bashu not out of loyalty to the Han Dynasty, but simply because they had high hopes for Liu Xian.

Liu Xian naturally replied, refuting this claim and stating that it was a psychological tactic by Li Xiong. He explained that he had already completely sealed off Luocheng, and was only waiting for the city to run out of supplies before marching directly to Chengdu. Li Xiong, he argued, was desperate and resorted to this method to sow discord and force Liu Xian to retreat. He would not fall for the trap, and his army would not retreat before the city fell.

Liu Xian's attitude was so resolute, without the slightest weakness due to his physical condition, that his subordinates were at ease. However, the rebellion of the Celestial Masters sect was escalating. The followers cruelly murdered the officials sent by Liu Xian, led their followers to harass the Hanzhong army's supply lines, and even raised banners, claiming under the leadership of their respective priests, "Fire and wood are incompatible, and Changsheng will destroy Liu." Thus, they rose up in rebellion, and their call was met with widespread support.

The reason why things have developed to this point is not hard to understand. Under the instigation of the Celestial Masters sect, people had to make a choice: choose the Celestial Temple or choose the Han Dynasty?

This choice is entirely different from choosing to join Li Xiong or Luo Shang; it's a choice between suffering in this life and happiness after death. Is past glory more important, or the peace of the soul? Whose retribution is more terrifying?

The past is the past, and people are always afraid of the unknown. So, under Li A's leadership, the believers painted the image of Xing Tian on their banners, shouted slogans such as Taiping Zhenjun, Changsheng Xiantang, and the immortality of the people, and flocked to the city walls.

Of course, not all the people of Sichuan and Chongqing participated in the rebellion. Some commoners, gentry, and members of the Celestial Masters sect were unwilling to support the rebellion, such as Qin Zhongzhi, Sima Zun of Mianzhu, Yang Chu of Wucheng, and Lü Shu of Nan'an. However, they lacked sufficient organization and, in order to avoid being coerced by the Celestial Masters sect, they could only lead their followers north to Zitong.

But in any case, this was the biggest rebellion Liu Xian had ever encountered in his life.

This was arguably the most distressing period of his life. Almost every morning upon waking, a messenger would stand at the entrance of his tent, their faces filled with sorrow and anxiety, like owls heralding death. Liu Xian would receive the letters, only to find either reports of rebellions or inquiries about his health, which annoyed him greatly.

What bothered Liu Xian the most was his own illness. He had been running a low-grade fever recently. Despite the sweltering summer heat, he felt a chill in the wind, which left him feeling weak all over. Although his mind was still quite sharp, he couldn't ride a horse normally, and for some reason, he would feel a sense of panic for no apparent reason.

At first, he thought he had just caught a mild cold and would be fine in a few days. But half a month passed and his condition did not improve at all; in fact, he felt increasingly tired. It wasn't until rumors spread through the Celestial Masters sect that he finally realized what was going on and had Huangfu Dan give him a thorough examination, which revealed the boil on the back of his right shoulder.

After half a month of delay, the boil on his back was still not very noticeable. It was like a mosquito bite from Sichuan, followed by a small bump that swelled up and turned slightly purple. Because of this, Liu Xian himself didn't notice it, and neither did Huangfu Dan. But now, Huangfu Dan finally realized something was wrong. He gathered the other medical personnel in the army and discussed the matter for half a day, finally confirming that Liu Xian had likely contracted carbuncle.

Gangrene, in essence, is an unhealed wound in the body that becomes infected and suppurates under specific conditions. If it cannot heal on its own in the early stages and is allowed to spread, the entire person will swell and eventually ulcerate.

Liu Xian knew nothing about pathology. After hearing that he had a serious illness, he simply asked calmly, "Is there any way to treat it?"

Huangfu Dan was quite troubled. He said, "Marshal, there are two main ways to cure this disease: one is conservative, and the other is radical."

“Let’s talk about them separately.” “The conservative method has already been given by the sorcerers of the Celestial Masters Sect: take medicine to clear the poison and wait for it to heal on its own. Even if it doesn’t heal on its own, it can at least delay the onset of the disease.”

"What about the radical ones?"

Huangfu Dan glanced cautiously at Liu Xian and whispered, "Marshal, then I'm afraid we'll have to operate directly, cut open the carbuncle, squeeze out the pus and blood, and remove the rotten flesh, but..."

He had some things he couldn't say, namely that for them, this kind of surgery was extremely difficult. Because carbuncles typically leave very deep wounds, if the incision is too shallow and the pus and blood aren't completely drained, the root of the disease won't be eradicated, and it will continue to flare up. But if the incision is too deep, it can easily cause massive bleeding, leading to the patient's death. Only a seasoned surgeon can master this delicate balance. The Huangfu Mi lineage's unique strength lies in acupuncture, but for this kind of ailment, they are truly helpless.

Although Liu Xian did not understand the difficulties involved, he could tell from Huangfu Dan's tone that they were not confident, so he did not ask any more questions and simply said, "Then let's treat it using the conservative method for now." After saying that, he waved his hand as if nothing was wrong, letting Huangfu Dan go and make preparations.

But his inner world wasn't as calm as it appeared. Upon learning the severity of his illness, Liu Xian felt utterly bewildered. In his nearly twenty years of military service, how many powerful and renowned generals had he encountered? Whether it was the cunning and treacherous Sun Xiu, or the cruel and tyrannical Zhang Fang, none could subdue him. From childhood to adulthood, he had never lost a battle he was in control of; his most humiliating defeat was a draw in Luoyang.

But having returned to Bashu, the land where his great-grandfather rose to power, and with the support of so many former officials and common people, the situation was excellent, and he was on the verge of restoring his kingdom. Yet, unexpectedly, he was about to be struck down by a sudden illness. Was this just fate playing tricks on him? Liu Xian could not accept it. He still had so many things left undone, so many wishes to fulfill.

The resentment made him break out in a cold sweat, and he even wanted to smash something to vent his anger. But after a moment of mental turmoil, Liu Xian's rationality told him that if all of this was true, it would be pointless to waste time feeling remorse.

He wasn't dead yet, just suffering from a rather difficult-to-treat illness, but there was still a chance of recovery. If it truly couldn't be cured, he should cherish the present moment even more. There was so much he needed to do now: stabilize the people's hearts, quell the rebellion, defeat Li Xiong, and march on Chengdu. Even if he were to succumb to his illness and die, he needed to methodically prepare for the aftermath.

After such an internal struggle, Liu Xian began to work on suppressing the rebellion with a somewhat uneasy attitude.

He first summoned his cousin Liu Xuan, then carefully examined his appearance and asked him, "Seventh brother, do you dare to go to the battlefield?"

Liu Xuan didn't quite understand Liu Xian's meaning, because he was usually ordered to be the military supervisor and was always on the battlefield. But then he heard Liu Xian say, "What I mean is, wear my armor and go to the battlefield to be my substitute and quell the rebellion in my place."

Liu Xuan was shocked upon hearing this. He had never shouldered such a great responsibility before. A chill ran down his spine, and he quickly refused, saying, "Biji, I don't know how to fight. How would I know about leading troops to quell a rebellion?"

Liu Xian smiled weakly, then shook his head and said, "Seventh Brother, you don't need to fight. You just need to raise my banner, stand there on horseback, and let others think that I am leading troops. That's enough. What I lack most right now is confidence, and I need you to help me regain it. As for leading troops into battle, you don't need to interfere. I will arrange for Gongsun Gong to handle it. Just do as he says."

Liu Xuan then understood; he was to be a mere substitute. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt somewhat troubled: "Ke Biji, our appearances..."

Liu Xuan's appearance and voice were about 70% similar to Liu Xian's, and their builds were also quite similar. From a distance, with the armor covering them, it was generally difficult to tell the difference. However, the problem was that Liu Xian had two obvious scars on his face, a knife scar on his right cheek and an arrow scar on his forehead. This made Liu Xuan look less tough and easily distinguishable.

But Liu Xian had a solution. He methodically explained, "Don't worry about that. You'll have someone do your makeup every day when you go out. And you know my habits. If you can't imitate me, you can use the excuse of recovering from a serious illness to keep quiet for now. No one will be able to find fault with you."

Having said all that, Liu Xuan, though still uneasy, finally agreed to Liu Xian's request.

This was Liu Xian's expedient plan. Since the Celestial Masters had instigated the rebellion under the pretext of Liu Xian's serious illness, Liu Xian wanted to retaliate in the most conspicuous way. He planned to gather all the elite cavalry in his army, place them under the command of Zhuge Yan and Gongsun Gong, and then escort Liu Xuan to Zitong and Guanghan counties to quell the rebellion. He did not expect to defeat all the rebels in a short time; given the sheer size of the Celestial Masters' followers, this was almost an impossible task. But as long as he could directly refute the Celestial Masters' rumors and drive these rioters back to the mountains, thus preventing disruption to the supply lines, there would be much to be gained.

After clearing the grain supply routes, Liu Xian could then divide and conquer, suppressing the enemy while simultaneously pacifying them. Liu Xian believed that even the followers of the Celestial Masters sect, as long as they retained a sliver of yearning for this world, could be won over and used.

The valiant cavalry's expedition to quell the rebellion took place in mid-June. On that day, Liu Xuan, acting as Liu Xian's double, wore gleaming crimson armor and rode his iconic steed, the Flying Feather Horse, though the horse, already twenty years old, showed clear signs of age. Beside him, his attendants carried Liu Xian's banners of peace and prosperity. Liu Xian's most trusted Iron Cavalry guards stood on either side of the banners, separating Liu Xuan from the rest of the soldiers. From a distance, people noticed nothing different about the Duke of Anle, except that he seemed somewhat thinner, thus greatly reassuring the army's morale.

However, the following night, Liu Xian secretly moved to a fortified village on the Shiting River. This place was a picturesque location with lush forests and bamboo groves, and it was the estate of Sima Shengzhi, an official of Yizhou in the former Shu Han state.

This fortified village is called Woyunwu, and it is only about five miles away from the Luocheng camp.

Under Sima Zun's arrangement, Liu Xian recuperated within the fortified village while simultaneously sending people to find reliable physicians and overseeing the overall situation to make decisions. However, this news was strictly controlled; apart from a very few high-ranking generals within the Anle Duke's mansion, most people did not know Liu Xian's exact location. Even the servants caring for Liu Xian within Woyun Fortress only knew him as an important advisor to the Anle Duke's mansion. (End of Chapter)