Jinting Han people

When Liu Xian heard Fan Changsheng say that the previous Celestial Master Dao Supervisor was actually Zhuge Liang, he was inevitably taken aback.

He was, after all, a descendant of the Han dynasty, yet no one had ever mentioned this matter. Not only did his teachers, Li Mi and Chen Shou, never tell him, but neither did his parents, elders like Fei Xiu and Liu Yao, the old men of Shu Han in Hedong, or even Lai Zhong. Wasn't this strange? If the Celestial Masters of Bashu were actually Zhuge Liang, why would they waver between Li Xiong and themselves?

Fan Changsheng understood Liu Xian's doubts, and he sighed, "This is indeed something that many outsiders don't know."

He led Liu Xian away from the right side hall of Lao Jun Pavilion and then to the left side hall. There were no statues here, only a large table with a five-tiered wooden shelf on top, which was then filled with densely packed memorial tablets. Upon closer inspection, Liu Xian could see that the tablets all bore the words "Libationer," and in the center of the top row of tablets were the words "Lord Ge, Left Libationer of Zhenyang Pingzhi."

The inscription on the memorial tablet was not clearly defined, and an outsider would likely not know who it referred to. However, after Fan Changsheng's explanation, Liu Xian realized that it was actually Zhuge Liang's memorial tablet. The reason why the inscription wasn't clearly written was probably due to some unspeakable circumstances.

“Although I am already 107 years old, I am old and will die one day. When I die, my memorial tablet will be placed here.” After glancing at the memorial tablets, Fan Changsheng showed a rare hint of sadness. He said to Liu Xian, “A hundred years of life is like grass and trees going through spring and autumn. Who can live forever? But living too long is not a good thing either. Your Highness, my generation has all passed away.”

This was the first time Liu Xian had learned the old man's true age. Although he knew the old man had lived a long life, he was still quite surprised. After doing some calculations, he couldn't help but say, "So, Lord Fan was born in the fourth year of Jian'an (199 AD)."

"Yes, speaking of which, I have met Emperor Zhaolie before, but that was a long time ago."

Fan Changsheng didn't mince words. He had come to meet Liu Xian beforehand for two reasons: first, to extend goodwill, and second, to get closer to Liu Xian and take the opportunity to assess his character and temperament. This was an excellent opportunity to recount the past. So he found two small stools by the window, looking out at the scenery of Qingcheng Mountain while recounting his past in detail.

He first mentioned Zhang Lu, the third Celestial Master, and pointed to Zhang Lu's statue, asking, "Your Highness should know about the grudges between the third Celestial Master and the former lord, right?"

Before Liu Xian could speak, Fan Changsheng himself showed a reminiscing expression and said, "Before the First Lord entered Shu, the Zhengyi sect had just reached its peak."

A century ago, under the rule of Zhang Lu, the third Celestial Master, the Way of the Celestial Masters successfully established a separatist regime in Hanzhong, an unprecedented event in Taoism. Moreover, relying on the influence and organizational capabilities of the Way of the Celestial Masters, Zhang Lu not only gained a firm foothold in Hanzhong and amassed nearly a million followers, but also marched south to attack Baxi and Zitong. In the interior of Sichuan and Chongqing, followers constantly responded, suppressing Liu Zhang, the governor of Yizhou at the time, to the point that he was unable to retaliate and even faced the risk of losing his kingdom.

In the sixteenth year of Jian'an, Liu Zhang invited Liu Bei to Shu, using the pretext of asking Liu Bei to attack Zhang Lu.

What happened next is well-known. After arriving at Jiameng, Liu Bei did not head north to attack Zhang Lu, but instead went south to attack Liu Zhang. Zhang Lu had hoped to take advantage of the infighting between the two Lius to reap the benefits. However, he didn't expect to fail even to capture Jiameng, which only had a few hundred soldiers. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as Liu Bei took Yizhou, and even surrendered to Ma Chao, who had joined him. Liu Bei's various actions made Zhang Lu deeply hate him; they were truly irreconcilable enemies. It was only because Cao Cao was campaigning south against Hanzhong that their conflict did not fully erupt.

At this point, Fan Changsheng looked up at Liu Xian and asked, "Your Highness, guess what kind of attitude the late Lord would have towards me?"

Liu Xian said, "Of course, the main thing is to be on guard."

The answer is not hard to come up with: the Celestial Masters sect was deeply rooted in Shu, and Zhang Lu eventually surrendered to Cao Cao. If the Celestial Masters sect were not guarded against, the state would have no chance of survival. Moreover, the Celestial Masters sect was leaderless at the time; if they were not dealt with now, when would they be? If it were Liu Xian, he would definitely have handled it this way.

Fan Changsheng nodded calmly and said, "Although the late emperor had a reputation for benevolence and righteousness, he was actually a man who loved the law. He advocated that the use of law was better than the use of virtue, and he deeply hated our religion. So he publicly issued an order in Shu that the people of Yizhou were not allowed to believe in the Zhengyi sect. If anyone disobeyed, the leader would be beheaded and the follower would be whipped. At that time, there were thirty-six chief priests in Shu, and twenty-three of them were beheaded by the late emperor. It was truly the end of the Dharma for our sect."

"At that time, the followers of Qingcheng Mountain were also moved to the outskirts of Chengdu. The First Lord once instructed us to reflect on our mistakes and reform ourselves. I was seventeen years old then and met the First Lord once. Now that I think about it, the First Lord was indeed an incredible and extremely elegant person. Wherever he went, everyone who saw him admired him sincerely. Even though it was ninety years ago, I still remember it vividly."

At this point, Fan Changsheng turned to Liu Xian and praised him, saying, "Your Highness's temperament is similar to that of the late Lord, but you are much younger than him."

Liu Xian smiled. He didn't care about such flattery, but was more concerned about Fan Changsheng's next words: "Even so, the Celestial Masters Sect was not destroyed."

"After all, the late emperor did not succeed." Fan Changsheng looked out the window at the scenery, the misty Qingcheng Mountain, the vast wilderness: "The people's wish is to end this chaotic world, but the late emperor suffered too many defeats. First Xiangfan, then Yiling. Anyone can see that the Han Dynasty cannot be restored. He could not meet the expectations of the people, and the righteous path in their hearts is naturally indestructible."

"So what did you do?" Liu Xian quickly understood the implied meaning.

"Around the time of the late emperor's death, the remaining followers of my sect thought it was a good opportunity to start a rebellion. First, they supported Huang Yuan, the governor of Hanjia, to start a rebellion. Then, they took advantage of the situation to incite Yong Kai and others in the south to rebel. But as Your Highness knows, they all failed."

Liu Xian knew all this. After the Battle of Yiling, both Eastern Wu and Cao Wei believed that Shu Han was weakened both internally and externally, and would soon perish. Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang not only quickly stabilized the domestic situation but also launched a massive Northern Expedition. However, amidst the chaos, the Celestial Masters sect was also involved, something he hadn't anticipated. But upon reflection, it made sense; such a large organization as the Celestial Masters sect couldn't have been completely eradicated in just a few years, especially since it had survived to this day.

And as the story unfolds, we come to the most important part. Fan Changsheng finally talks about Zhuge Liang, saying, "But it was after these events that Prime Minister Zhuge changed his strategy towards the Zhengyi sect."

"In the third year of Jianxing (225 AD), after the southern expedition ended, he convened a grand meeting of the Zhengyi sect in the name of the prime minister at Qingcheng Mountain. He summoned all the priests of Shu and debated with us in public. Prime Minister Zhuge was truly a rare genius in ancient and modern times. At that time, I had just become a Sanqi Daoist and was fortunate enough to witness this grand event. Prime Minister Zhuge was in the Jiantian Pavilion, quoting classics and engaging in a debate with the other Daoists, leaving them speechless. Then he said the words that I had told His Highness before."

Although Fan Changsheng did not explain the details of Zhuge Liang's rebuttal of the Celestial Masters sect, Liu Xian couldn't help but yearn for it. He thought to himself: How wonderful it would be to refute all the Taoists on this Qingcheng Mountain! Then he asked, "And then what?"

"Then, Prime Minister Zhuge lifted the ban on the Zhengyi sect. From then on, all matters concerning the Zhengyi sect, large and small, would be consolidated under the Prime Minister's office and handled by him. The Prime Minister promised us that once his Northern Expedition succeeded and the world was unified, he would emulate the strategist Zhang Liang, relinquish his official position, and travel with us to the four corners of the world, devoting himself to the cultivation of Taoism." "Therefore, after this matter, we recommended Prime Minister Zhuge to be the Supervisor of Heaven. However, Prime Minister Zhuge never publicized this matter, nor did he allow us to publicize it."

Liu Xian understood Zhuge Liang's decision; this was considered a subjugation of the Celestial Masters sect, and there was no need to allow it to develop further. The reason the Celestial Masters sect didn't publicize this was easy to explain: although Zhuge Liang was nominally the overseer of heaven, how could an overseer directly refute their doctrines? It was better to keep the matter quiet and pretend nothing had happened.

Thus, the reminiscing came to an end, and Fan Changsheng quietly said:

"Since then, it has indeed been a rare period of good times in Bashu. Everyone was of one mind and shared weal and woe. I have lived to this day and have seen countless wise men. People like Wang Xiangyang and Jiang Da Sima are rare, but they are still not as good as Prime Minister Zhuge."

"It's a pity that even a genius like Prime Minister Zhuge Liang eventually died of illness at Wuzhang Plains. We lost hope of restoring the Han Dynasty, so naturally we prioritized our own survival. In the end, we went with the flow and returned to the Heavenly Master's command. All of this happened forty years ago."

After recounting the past, Fan Changsheng lowered his head and remained silent. Liu Xian, gazing at the picturesque scenery on the mountain, fell into deep thought. At this moment, Liu Xian fully understood Fan Changsheng's purpose. This Celestial Supervisor had actually come to reveal his secrets to him before the negotiations.

By using the contrasting examples of his great-grandfather Liu Bei and Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, Fan Changsheng has made his stance clear: he has no intention of opposing Liu Xian, nor does he intend to support him. Regardless of Liu Xian's attitude towards the Celestial Masters Sect, their existence has a popular support base before Liu Xian unifies the Nine Provinces, and cannot be erased by any means. He hopes that Liu Xian will tolerate the Celestial Masters Sect for the time being, just as Zhuge Liang did when he served as the Director of Astronomy.

This actually coincided with Liu Xian's thoughts. The reason he unusually used the title of the True Lord of Peace was precisely because he realized this. He couldn't refuse to communicate and respond to the people just because they might seem foolish. This actually contained the people's cunning and vibrant energy, and also the possibility of creating a new era. A wise ruler should be good at discovering and utilizing this possibility to achieve great things.

While the two share some common understanding and tacit agreement, this doesn't mean there are no disagreements in the negotiations; there's still much to be done. Who takes the initiative, and how, are very serious questions that could significantly impact the future direction of their cooperation.

Liu Xian glanced at the layers of memorial tablets in the side hall and suddenly asked Fan Changsheng, "Master Fan, according to current custom, to become a true Taiping Zhenjun, one must convert to the Celestial Masters sect, is that right?"

“Indeed.” A hint of relief appeared on Fan Changsheng’s usually calm face. He smiled and said, “If Your Highness were to convert to the Celestial Masters Sect, you would need to set up an altar in public to offer sacrifices to Heaven and then announce it to the world. Only in this way would the followers have no doubts about Your Highness’s identity.”

Liu Xian nodded and then asked, "So, the person presiding over the ceremony must be Lord Fan?"

Fan Changsheng said, "Apart from myself, there are only three people in the whole world who are qualified to preside over the ceremony for Your Highness, but unfortunately, none of them are here."

"I wonder how many steps are involved in the Heaven-worshiping ceremony?"

"First, take a bath, then fast for a day, abstaining from meat and alcohol, and not staying in the inner chambers. Then ascend to the Altar of Heaven, where I will light the Seven Star Lamp. Your Highness will then follow me in a step-by-step chanting of scriptures, knocking your teeth and presenting a petition. Finally, you will be sprinkled with sweet dew, and publicly presented with a talisman and sword to thank the Celestial Master. Of course, if Your Highness is not satisfied with the Celestial Master, I can decide to change the final step to thanking the Heavenly Lord."

Fan Changsheng also knew that emperors throughout history had never wanted to be controlled by others, especially in terms of titles. Since Liu Xian had already shown signs of being willing to convert to the Celestial Masters Sect, that was a great success for them, and there was no need to nitpick over the details.

Liu Xian solemnly agreed, "Alright then, Master Fan will make the arrangements."

Fan Changsheng was overjoyed upon hearing this, his smile becoming even more undisguised. He asked repeatedly, "Excellent! When does Your Highness intend to begin your cultivation? I believe the sooner the better!"

Unexpectedly, Liu Xian, who had agreed very readily at first, delayed in the end, saying, "Master Fan, there is no need to rush. Since we are going to spread the word about joining the Dao, I think we should not be too hasty and should choose an important day."

"Oh? When does Your Highness intend to choose?"

"How about the day I enter Chengdu?" Liu Xian said with a smile, patting his sword.

This statement was truly as abrupt as a sudden peak. Before this, Liu Xian had always displayed humility and courtesy, like a refined gentleman, treating people with the warmth of a spring breeze. So much so that Fan Changsheng had momentarily forgotten that the person before him was a renowned general who had fought countless battles and whose fame resounded throughout China.

At this moment, Liu Xian abandoned his restraint. He stood as still as a mountain, his eyes sweeping past Fan Changsheng like a startled swan, piercing straight into the distant horizon. The old man had the illusion that he had been struck by a sword, his head severed from his body. But then he realized he was still standing there, Liu Xian with his eyes lowered, as if nothing had happened.

Suppressing a trace of fear in his heart, Fan Changsheng asked slowly, "Does Your Highness not need our help to persuade him to surrender?"

Liu Xian calmly replied, "My main purpose in coming here is to ascertain Lord Fan's opinion. Since Lord Fan has already expressed his opposition to Li Xiong, that is enough for me. Chengdu is my family's residence, the place where our ancestral temples and sacrifices are held. If I were to rely on others to help me reclaim it, wouldn't that make me a laughingstock? Thank you for your kind offer, Lord Fan."

Having said this, he bowed twice to Zhuge Liang's memorial tablet, and without lingering in the Lao Jun Pavilion, he left early with his sword, not waiting for the pre-arranged meeting. Fan Changsheng watched Liu Xian's retreating figure on the stone steps, his heart filled with emotion. Memories of ninety years ago resurfaced in his mind, causing him to shake his head and sigh: That unyielding fighting spirit, so true! Truly a descendant of Zhaolie!
But deep down, he had a premonition: perhaps this time, the outcome would be completely different. (End of Chapter)