Jinting Han people

In mid-February of the fifth year of the Tai'an era, Liu Xian led 5,000 cavalry to Dujiangyan, and the Celestial Masters sect of Qingcheng Mountain was on high alert.

During the more than four years of war, the Celestial Masters sect had already learned how to defend themselves and seek refuge. Under the organization of their priests, the followers gradually built no fewer than sixty fortified villages at the foot of Mount Qingcheng. These fortified villages stood against the mountainside, arranged in a neat and orderly fashion. Initially, the locations of the fortified villages were chosen arbitrarily by the followers, but later, the priests discovered that the fortified villages could actually support each other, allowing those at the foot of the mountain to quickly reach another fortified village on the mountain using ladders and ropes when they could not be defended. In this way, they gradually built a vast and awe-inspiring defensive system.

In the event of war around Chengdu, followers would flock to these fortified villages to defend themselves. These fortified villages, nestled deep in the mountains and equipped with wells, provided sufficient water for their daily needs. Up close, each fortified village appeared rather unimpressive, seemingly vulnerable; however, from a distance, the cluster of fortified villages resembled three rows of earthenware jars, with Mount Qingcheng serving as the military and political center behind them, making them no less formidable than any major metropolis. No power dared to openly declare its confidence in tearing them to shreds.

When Liu Xian arrived, these fortified villages, adorned with white banners with black borders, stretched for over twenty miles, resembling a dark cloud overhead. Conservative estimates suggest that these fortified villages, along with Qingcheng Mountain, the headquarters of the Celestial Masters sect, could accommodate approximately two hundred thousand followers. Such a large complex, unlike any ordinary city, was truly a wonder of the world, causing even the accompanying knights to feel uneasy and consider retreating.

"Haha, it just looks scary, but actually they are afraid. Only beasts that know how to hide their claws are good at hunting."

With that said, Liu Xian chose to set up camp at Dujiangyan. As a famous irrigation system in Sichuan, built by Li Bing, the governor of Shu County during the Qin Dynasty, it had been operating for over five hundred years. Liu Xian had long heard of it and wanted to see its scenery. Zhang Ximiao had told him that the water here was a bluish-green color.

Standing atop the mountains north of the river, Liu Xian gazed out and saw that Dujiangyan truly lived up to its reputation. The river, like amber of sky blue, surged back and forth between the green banks. A gentle spring rain fell, and horses frolicked in the riverbanks, shrouding the world in a hazy mist. Those immersed in this scene felt a sense of oneness with nature, a feeling of ethereal bliss. For a moment, a long-dormant poetic sentiment welled up within him, prompting Liu Xian to recite:
"The waves of the golden embankment have calmed, and the spirit of the Heavenly Abundance has been opened. The dam was built to punish the dragon, and the fish weir was opened to the phoenix."

The floodwaters brought tears to the people, flowing across the Eastern Viewing Platform. The rule of Yu the Great is now seen again, his heroic spirit seems to be present.

Beside the dam, there are three shrines built by Li Bing, dedicated to the local deities of Heaven, Mountain, and Water. Liu Xian, following ancient rites, offered sacrifices three times with three kinds of animals and sank a piece of Lantian jade into the river to pray for favorable weather this year. Only then did he send an envoy to Qingcheng Mountain to request a meeting with Fan Changsheng, the celestial overseer of Qingcheng Mountain, suggesting that the meeting place be the shrine in Dujiangyan.

The following day, Fan Changsheng replied that a meeting was possible, but Liu Xian was required to come to Qingcheng Mountain in person to show his sincerity.

This immediately sparked a wave of opposition within the army, with soldiers angrily denouncing Fan Changsheng for his rudeness. After all, the situation was different from two months ago; the Hanzhong army had already captured Jianwei Commandery and besieged Chengdu, only a hair's breadth away from complete victory. Fan Changsheng was the weaker party. Liu Xian's willingness to negotiate with him was intended to reduce casualties and also to give the Celestial Masters a way to ease the situation. However, in the eyes of the soldiers, Fan Changsheng's actions were undoubtedly pushing his luck and showing a lack of self-awareness.

Liu Xian was naturally unwilling to take such a risk. He knew that his pacification efforts in Jianwei County, while seemingly unsafe, were actually a strategy of first using force and then diplomacy, employing both carrot and stick tactics to divide the enemy, and thus posed little real risk. However, entering Qingcheng Mountain so easily would be like throwing lambs to the slaughter. Nevertheless, negotiations were not out of the question. Liu Xian sent another messenger in reply: "If you can allow my army to camp in front of the gates of Qingcheng Mountain, I can come up the mountain for a meeting."

In this way, Liu Xian threw the problem back to him. If five thousand cavalry were sent to the gates of Qingcheng Mountain, no matter how many people were on Qingcheng Mountain, it would be difficult to stop them from galloping back and forth.

Qingcheng Mountain naturally refused. After much deliberation, they sent another envoy to reply, still requesting that Duke Anle meet with them at Qingcheng Mountain. However, unlike last time, they changed some conditions, stating that to demonstrate their sincerity, Fan Jiantian's son, Fan Ben, along with several other high-ranking officials, would come to Duke Anle's army camp to bring them some local specialties from Qingcheng Mountain as a reward. In other words, to reassure Liu Xian, these people were the hostages handed over by Qingcheng Mountain.

This was a condition acceptable to both sides. Liu Xian agreed, and after Fan Ben and the others arrived in Dujiangyan, Liu Xian led more than twenty guards to Qingcheng Mountain for the meeting the next morning.

To reach Mount Qingcheng, one must naturally pass through the numerous fortified villages at its foot. Liu Xian rode through them, his robe adorned with nine dragon patterns and his steed atop a flying mountain, exuding an extraordinary air of nobility; he was clearly a prince or leader. The fortified villages along the way, having heard the news, had their inhabitants already gathered on the walls, crowding together in a bustling throng. Whenever Liu Xian passed by, their eyes would turn towards him, and they would whisper amongst themselves. Liu Xian vaguely heard someone say, "Look, that's the Duke of Anle!" Another asked, "Is he really the True Lord of Peace?" Yet another murmured, "I can't see anything special about him."

These words amused Liu Xian. He recalled the Battle of Tong Pass, where Cao Cao publicly reminisced with Han Sui, and the soldiers watched and discussed it. How similar it was to this scene! Thinking of this, Liu Xian had a mischievous urge to imitate him. He raised his hand and waved to the people watching him, then said, "Are you all curious? Liu Xian is just a person, not someone with three eyes and two mouths, just a little more wisdom."

Upon hearing this, the person on the wall fell silent for a moment, then someone boldly asked, "Then can you see destiny?"

Liu Xian laughed and said, "I dreamt of destiny, and destiny said that this year will be a year of great harvest."

With the natural resources of Sichuan and Chongqing, as long as farmers work diligently, how many years wouldn't they have a bountiful harvest? It's just that these past few years have been plagued by war, preventing farmers from working in the fields as usual. Liu Xian was actually promising them that after this year, Sichuan and Chongqing would be at peace. Many people didn't understand the subtext of Liu Xian's words, but they could hear the goodwill in them, and so they were overjoyed, cheering and shouting on the walls.

They arrived at the mountain gate, where Chen Hui had been waiting for a long time on the mountain path. When he saw Liu Xian appear before the mountain gate in high spirits, he first knelt down and bowed, and then exclaimed, "Your Highness is truly a blessed person. I never expected to see you again today."

After Liu Xian dismounted, he helped him up and said with a smile, "Chancellor Chen, you are too polite. Your prescriptions are quite effective."

"I am ashamed! It is a pity that I have not comprehended the Mandate of Heaven and cannot cure Your Highness's illness." In Chen Hui's view, this was indeed a miracle, a Mandate of Heaven. He misjudged the situation, which resulted in half a year of unnecessary trouble and the deaths of many people. As the Chief Justice, such a mistake was hard to forgive. Not being able to comprehend the Mandate of Heaven was like having one's limbs without a body.

Liu Xian said, "If destiny could truly be understood by people, then it wouldn't be destiny. Chief Minister Chen, let bygones be bygones." The more he saw, the more profoundly Liu Xian understood that the difference between wisdom and foolishness was that the wise had self-awareness; they knew they couldn't see the future. This is essentially the core principle of Taoism: since humans cannot understand, it's better not to change anything, so at least one knows the outcome and can never be wrong.

But people cannot remain in the past. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers cannot flow backward, and people must keep moving forward. This refers not only to personal feelings, but also to the destiny of the collective and the nation.

Chen Hui led Liu Xian uphill, explaining the meeting arrangements as they went: "You should first rest at Lao Jun Pavilion. After lunch, we will meet at Shangqing Palace two hours later. All the priests from the mountain will be present. You can raise any opinions you may have there. In the evening, you can rest at Qinglong Pool. Afterwards, you are free to wander around the mountain. You can also make any small requests you may have. In short, we will give you a definite answer within three days."

Qingcheng Mountain was indeed taking this meeting very seriously, as evidenced by the high standards of their hospitality. When Liu Xian was led to Lao Jun Pavilion, the room was filled with luxurious furs, and lunch consisted of a meat soup made from a freshly slaughtered calf, the meat so tender it practically melted in his mouth. Dozens of female followers served as maids in the pavilion, claiming they could provide for Liu Xian's every need.

Liu Xian had little interest in that; he was more interested in the Laozi Pavilion itself. As one of the main places of worship for the Celestial Masters, the main hall housed a statue of Laozi, flanked by twenty-eight constellations. The statues were exquisitely crafted, each with a terrifying expression that was not quite human, but together they created a solemn atmosphere.

In the side hall of Lao Jun Pavilion stand statues of the Celestial Masters of past generations. From the first Celestial Master Zhang Daoling to the present, there have been five Celestial Masters: Zhang Daoling (first Celestial Master), Zhang Xiu (second Celestial Master), Zhang Lu (third Celestial Master), Zhang Sheng (fourth Celestial Master), and Zhang Zhaocheng (fifth Celestial Master). Each of these statues has a different appearance, and behind them are depictions of their different deeds: The first Celestial Master Zhang Daoling received the Dharma from Lao Jun and ascended to heaven on a crane at Qingcheng Mountain;
The second-generation Celestial Master Zhang Heng achieved great enlightenment and ascended to heaven in a jade palanquin, where he brought down purple dew.

Zhang Lu, the third-generation Celestial Master, conjured soldiers from beans and defeated the Wei army at Yangping Pass, leaving them bewildered and at a loss.
The fourth Celestial Master Zhang Sheng moved to Longhu Mountain and cultivated a divine elixir that transformed his qi into a dragon and a tiger.

The Celestial Master Zhang Zhaocheng of the Fifth Generation was able to reside in a cave and travel thousands of miles in spirit, with purple aura coming from the east wherever he went.

But whether it's a portrait or a statue, they all have one very consistent feature: the Celestial Master holds a sword in one hand and a seal in the other. This made Liu Xian very curious, and he looked at them for a long time.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Liu Xian heard a deep voice behind him slowly say, "What Your Highness is looking at is the Celestial Master's Sword and Celestial Master's Seal bestowed upon the Celestial Master by Laozi."

When Liu Xian turned around, he saw an old man standing behind him, leaning on a nine-section cane, looking at him with piercing eyes. The old man smiled and said, "I hope Your Highness will not find this old man bothering you, Fan Changsheng."

Upon learning that the person before him was Fan Changsheng, one of the four Celestial Supervisors of the Celestial Masters Sect, Liu Xian was slightly surprised, but he quickly composed himself and said with a smile, "Supervisor Fan is joking. You are the host and I am the guest. I will follow your lead. There is no need for me to bother you."

"Alas, I was just worried that Your Highness might not be comfortable staying here, so I came to see if Your Highness needs anything else." Fan Changsheng shook his head and smiled. He walked to Liu Xian's side with his cane, looked at the statue of the Celestial Master in front of him, and sighed, "I didn't expect Your Highness to have the leisure to learn about my sect. It's really surprising."

The old man's appearance made the atmosphere inside the pavilion even more ancient. Liu Xian relaxed and turned his gaze back to the murals, saying, "Jian Tian is joking. When I was a child, I often dreamed that if I could cultivate and have all the supernatural powers of a Taoist, how wonderful that would be."

"Your Highness no longer believes me?"

"Seeing is believing. I have fought with your superior, Tian Sunxiu, so many times. If he had supernatural powers, I would have died countless times by now."

Upon hearing this, Fan Changsheng couldn't help but smile. He slowly said, "That's not quite right. Given Sun Jijiu's background, it's already quite an achievement that he was able to climb to that position."

"Is this also a supernatural power?"

Fan Changsheng nodded, a look of reminiscence in his eyes, and said, "Your Highness is a wise man. I have been cultivating the Dao for almost a hundred years, and I have witnessed the rise and fall of the nation through three cycles. No matter what kind of supernatural power one possesses, it is pale in the face of fate. There is only one true supernatural power, and that is to be calm, tranquil, and forget oneself."

Lao Tzu said: "Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to one's destiny; returning to one's destiny is called constancy; knowing constancy is called enlightenment." This means that only with a calm mind can one understand the principles of things.

"Laojun also said: 'Knowing the constant allows one to be tolerant; tolerance allows one to be impartial; impartiality allows one to be a king; being a king allows one to be in harmony with Heaven; being in harmony with Heaven allows one to follow the Way; following the Way allows one to endure; and one will not perish even after death.' This means that only a truly wise and selfless person can become a True Lord of Peace."

Liu Xian understood that Fan Changsheng's selflessness did not mean not seeking personal gain, but rather being without prejudice. The old man meant that one must be free from prejudice in all things in order to have a comprehensive view, keenly grasp the trends of the times, and then, with the help of the people, accomplish great things.

"So, the supernatural powers of the Celestial Masters sect are indeed a lie?"

“Your Highness is right, of course it’s a lie.” Fan Changsheng readily admitted, “There are always a few people who can calm their minds without the help of external things. Most people need a vision, otherwise there is no hope and life is full of suffering, so how can they be calm? The various supernatural powers and legends of my Dao are just to fulfill the wishes of the people, but in other words, they are lies.”

"But what is true and what is false, who can say for sure? If someone can reach the state of forgetting oneself and the external world and seeing through life and death in cultivation, then whether or not they have supernatural powers is no longer important. This is enlightenment. Just like if someone can fulfill the prophecy of the True Lord of Great Peace, then what does it matter whether I am telling a lie or not? When the wishes of all beings are fulfilled, heaven and earth will also attain enlightenment."

At this point, Fan Changsheng and Liu Xian exchanged a glance and chuckled, clearly understanding the point.

Looking at the murals before him, Liu Xian recalled the "usefulness of uselessness" that Xiao Ruan Gong had taught him using Laozi and Zhuangzi, and exclaimed: "Therefore, the sage puts himself last and yet comes first, puts himself outside and yet survives. Because he is selfless, he can achieve his own ends."

When Fan Changsheng saw that he had pointed out his original intention, his eyes lit up and he praised, "I have long heard of Your Highness's exceptional intelligence, and seeing it today, I can confirm that it is indeed true."

"Master Fan is too kind. The great principles you spoke of are truly refreshing to me."

"This is also a principle that the previous celestial overseer taught me. If he hadn't been destined to be with Your Highness, I wouldn't have told Your Highness this."

"The previous generation of celestial overseers? Is it my destiny? May I ask who it is..." Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was momentarily confused.

"Who else could it be? The previous Celestial Supervisor, of course, was Prime Minister Zhuge! Hahaha..." Seeing Liu Xian's astonished expression, Fan Changsheng finally couldn't help but laugh, leaning on his cane and bursting into laughter again. (End of Chapter)