Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 12: Digging Graves for the Han Dynasty

Summer solstice has arrived, and the weather grows hotter day by day. The cicadas in the trees are chirping louder, and grass is sprouting from the graves beneath them. The bones taken by the plague, with their last nutrients, are nurturing tiny new shoots. Those who survived live tenaciously, living simply to live.

It's currently the busy season for harvesting summer wheat and sowing summer beans. No new refugees have appeared outside Tianqi Temple for some time now. Yet, more than three thousand people remain, reluctant to leave. Like moths drawn to a flame, they hover and linger outside the paper lampshade, as if waiting for something.

Looking at these people who had survived the disaster and epidemic, Zhang Chengfu saw the longing and sorrow, the fear and confusion on their faces. He felt that these people desperately needed something. But what did they need?

"Heaven above! They need a promise. A promise to live in peace."

This was the answer from the eldest disciple, Ma Yuanyi. His face showed sympathy.

"They need food. They need food to eat and to sow seeds."

This was Tang Zhou's answer. His face was full of pragmatism.

"They need spirits and gods. Only by believing in something can they get through these hard times."

This was the answer from the fourth senior brother, Pan Jingzhi. The fourth senior brother was always acting mysteriously.

"They need hope. After the devastation and loss of their homes, they need something to look forward to, something to ease the pain in their hearts."

This was Xie Chu's answer. He was a man of many talents, much like, yet unlike, his fourth brother.

“They need a leader. Only when someone leads them will they not be bullied by powerful people and have their land taken away when they return!”

This was the answer from the sixth senior brother, Wu Deng. The sixth senior brother's answer was resolute, and he was still wielding his blacksmith's hammer.

"I don't know. But I do know that someone does."

Seventh Senior Brother Gao Daonu was very pure. He looked at the stunned Zhang Chengfu and patted him hard on the shoulder.

"Go ask Master! He'll definitely know! If we do as he says, we can't go wrong!"

So Zhang Chengfu went to see the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao again. In the low-ceilinged room, Zhang Jiao put down his talisman brush. He quietly looked at his youngest disciple for a while before speaking.

"So many people have died, the world is so miserable... the people need a grand funeral."

"funeral?"

“Yes! A large-scale witch funeral. A ritual will be set up on the burial mound, with an altar and banners, and talismans drawn around it. The area needs to be quite large. Hmm, we'll have to borrow your children's camp... Oh! Also, this is the ‘Summoning the Soul and Soothing the Spirit Song,’ which the children can lead the singing, since they also have relatives buried there. Yes, it's the tune of the soul-soothing ritual song, just with some lyrics changed.”

As he spoke, Zhang Jiao took several sheets of yellow paper that had already been written on from the table and handed them to Zhang Chengfu.

"Make preparations! The grand funeral will be held around the burial mound in five days!"

"is teacher!"

Five days later, yellow banners for summoning souls stood atop the rolling burial mounds. The followers of the Taiping Dao built a stone base for the altar, topped it, and surrounded it with a hearth. Then, countless talismans drawn with straw ash and cinnabar, meant to ward off evil spirits, hung densely from the surrounding trees, like the drooping eyes of the dead. This wasn't entirely inaccurate, for thousands of corpses were indeed buried in the graves beneath the trees, making the anthills beneath them appear as if they were connected.

"The talisman is the eye, the ant is the body, the tree trunk houses the soul... This is fate after death!..."

Fifth Senior Brother Xie Chu sighed softly, while Fourth Senior Brother Pan Jingzhi nodded in agreement. The shamanistic customs of the Han Dynasty, passed down from ancient times, have long been deeply ingrained in people's hearts and incorporated into funeral rites.

“Chengfu, come here! Choose a beast mask to wear.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu stepped forward and picked out a black dog mask from his senior brother Ma Yuanyi. It was just enough to cover his entire face, leaving only his black eyes exposed.

In ancient times, shamans always wore masks when performing rituals. Common masks in funeral ceremonies were wooden animal masks of tigers, deer, and dogs, which served as messengers guiding the souls of the dead. These animal masks came in two colors: crimson and jet black, symbolizing yang energy or divine power.

When Zhang Chengfu put on the mask, he saw that his fellow disciples had all turned into red tigers, black tigers, red deer, and black deer, with exaggerated smiles and cries painted on their faces. One of the "red deer" spoke with a laugh, but it was the fifth disciple, Xie Chu, who sang in a drawn-out sorcery.

"Junior brother, you haven't forgotten the Witch Ghost Steps you learned before, have you? Remember it well: one foot is solid and the other is light, one step is slow and deep, the other lightly skims the ground. Seemingly floating, seemingly standing, twisting your body, your hands and feet move with bells... Hmm, this time we don't need to 'exorcise ghosts,' just use your two hands to 'summon souls' and 'send souls away'!"

As "Red Deer" spoke, he skillfully began to perform the ghostly steps of a shamanic ritual. After only a few steps, another "Red Tiger" grabbed him. "Red Tiger" stretched out his hand, pointed to the Great Teacher of Good Wisdom, who was not wearing a mask but only a yellow turban, under the soul-summoning banner, and said in a deep voice.

"Master is about to begin the altar ceremony! Let's go and prepare."

"Yes! Big Brother."

The seven disciples lined up and stood in a circle around the altar on the burial mound. Looking down from the mound, they saw a dense crowd of over three thousand people, all gathered expectantly at the foot of the hill. The eight hundred followers of the Way of Peace stood on either side of the crowd, also looking up. As for the five hundred boys, they stood in groups of ten along the hill, waiting quietly.

Everyone waited quietly, all eyes fixed on the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao. The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao had a cinnabar dot on his forehead, wore a yellow turban on his head, and was dressed in a yellow hemp robe. He leaned on a nine-section bamboo staff in one hand and held a burning torch in the other.

The setting sun slanted away, casting its light on his sorrowful face, making it appear as if stained with blood. He stood there silently for a long time, until the evening wind rose, before taking his first step and singing mournfully.

"O soul, return! O spirit, do not stray far!..."

"Return, soul!!"

Upon hearing Zhang Jiao's opening song, Zhang Chengfu responded with a clear, drawn-out shamanic melody. Then, the seven disciples, all wearing animal masks, danced the shamanic ghost steps around the sacrificial altar.

The tinkling of copper bells rang from their wrists and ankles. The shaman took a step, his form becoming like a spirit. The bells above and below jingled wildly, and the sand and dust stirred slightly. Then, Zhang Jiao's deep summons came again.

"O soul, return! Do not lose your way in your distant land!"

"Return, soul!!"

The disciples responded again, their steps becoming increasingly hurried, the copper bells jingling continuously.

"O soul, return! Do not linger by the cold pond!"

"Return, soul!!"

This time, many children raised their hands and cried out in their childish voices, "O soul, return! The wind is fierce and the road is long; do not chase after the withered mulberry tree!"

"O soul, return! The banners are flying high, the bells are jingling!"

"Return, soul!!"

The urgent cries were moving, and below the hill, the disciples of the Way of Peace also raised their hands and shouted towards the twilight sky. Then, thousands of people could no longer contain themselves and raised their hands to call out to their dead relatives.

"O soul, return! Do not fear the yin wind."

"O soul, return! Do not fear the ghost officials."

"O soul, return! I will bring peace and open the gates of the Yellow Heaven!"

The summoning cry was uttered seven times, and the steps of Yu were performed in the Seven Stars formation. Only with the final call to open the door did the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao raise his torch and, with a whoosh, ignite the hearth beneath the altar. Blue smoke rose, and the swirling embers resembled the phantoms of spirits. The dead seemed to awaken from their graves, opening their eyes from the trees laden with talismans, gazing upon their departed loved ones and the world!

"O soul, return! Do not wander far away. The wind is cold, the road is treacherous, and ghosts wail in the desolate mountains."

O soul, return! Do not yearn for your old home; the Great Way of Peace will guide you to your safe haven.

The Great Teacher's voice suddenly became ethereal, as if it were drifting away from the boundary of twilight. Upon hearing this "Song of Summoning the Soul and Soothing the Spirit," the five hundred children sang in unison, speaking to their deceased parents, grandparents, or other relatives.

"Come and return, sit with me, with a bowl of millet rice and a ladle of well water."

Smoke rises from the stove, new grain grows in the fields, the yellow sky paves the way, peace and prosperity abound…

This is a heartwarming description, depicting a peaceful world after death. Whether the dead can hear it or not, the living will feel a glimmer of hope and receive hard-won solace.

"A bowl of millet rice, a ladle of well water. Smoke rises from the stove, new grain grows in the fields... Peace and prosperity reign!"

At that moment, the boy's song drifted far and wide, and the people below listened intently. Only after the song was sung three times did the Great Teacher's cry resound once more, filled with scathing condemnation of the Han Dynasty and heartfelt anger, awakening thousands of people.

"The spirit of the Han dynasty has been extinguished, the Azure Dragon has lost its light, officials and traitors are seizing food, and powerful families are burning down villages."

"You died an unnatural death, your grievances soar to the heavens, the Yellow Emperor will rise, and both man and ghost will perish!"

The Great Teacher sang loudly, first in ancient sage-like tunes, then in common local dialect, so that all the people could understand.

"Their souls have spoken! They died unjustly! They died at the hands of corrupt officials, powerful figures, and a guilty Heaven!"

"The emperor of the court is tyrannical! He sells official positions and exploits the people, yet he doesn't give a single penny to relieve the suffering of the people!"

"The Han Dynasty's fate is sealed! Earthquakes, landslides, floods, droughts, locust plagues, solar eclipses, and major epidemics—these are all celestial phenomena corresponding to the will of Heaven!"

"The Mandate of Heaven has changed! The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise, the fire element of the Han Dynasty will decline, and the earth element of the Yellow Heaven shall flourish!"

"Earth replaces Fire, Yellow Heaven replaces Azure Heaven! The old destiny has ended, the new era has arrived!..."

These resounding pronouncements fueled the seven disciples' sacrificial dance, caused the eight hundred followers to raise their hands and shout, and made the three thousand people kneel on the ground, all calling upon "Yellow Heaven"!
At the heart of the ritual, Zhang Chengfu performed a rapid sacrificial dance while watching the heartfelt cries of the crowd. Even his three senior brothers, born into aristocratic families and minor officials, were driven to madness by their unwavering faith. At that moment, he was filled with awe and became absolutely convinced of the inevitable demise of the Han Dynasty!

"Celestial phenomena prove destiny; loss of virtue leads to the loss of Heaven's mandate. Earth virtue replaces Fire virtue; the Yellow Heaven replaces the Azure Heaven!..."

"If such prophetic slogans were uttered by the Great Master of the Way of Great Peace and spread throughout the world... then it would only be a matter of time before the hearts of the people of the Han Dynasty were completely lost! This would be the most fatal blow to the legitimacy of the Han Dynasty!"

The Han dynasty inherited from the pre-Qin era, using the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, based on the Five Elements and their cyclical succession, as the source of its legitimacy. In the eyes of the people of this era, the symbol of the Mandate of Heaven was celestial phenomena and apocryphal texts. Therefore, the change of the Mandate of Heaven was inevitably realized through celestial phenomena and apocryphal texts!

When the Great Teacher of Virtue in Julu, Jizhou, used his life and prestige to proclaim the "prophecy" of "the alternation of the Five Virtues and the changing of the Mandate of Heaven"... its influence was not limited to the common people at the bottom of society, but also spread among the middle-class literate powerful officials, and even reached the hearts of the upper-class aristocratic families and vassal kings who studied celestial phenomena!

Such prophecies that align with celestial phenomena will be believed not only by the vast masses of ordinary people, but also by the powerful and influential families and clans! And this is the most terrifying thing for the Han Dynasty's rule.

Where the people's hearts are aligned, an empire is built. Where the people's hearts are turned away, an empire collapses. The martial virtue of the Han Dynasty has not yet declined, but the people's hearts have been lost long before the use of force.

Just a few years after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Wang Fen, a member of the partisan faction, dared to plot to depose an emperor who had been on the throne for twenty years and was in his prime! And when Dong Zhuo entered the capital, a mere Lieutenant General dared to presumptuously depose and install emperors, and even succeeded! The basis for these people's thoughts, beliefs, and reliance was the same as that of others; in fact, there was nothing else but celestial phenomena and prophecies, and the "change of the Mandate of Heaven" proclaimed by the Way of Peace!

"The blood of hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans was only enough to spread this prophecy throughout the land, making it known to everyone... And now, this prophecy uttered by the Great Teacher of Virtue is the most thorough blow to the legitimacy of the Han Dynasty, the shovel that digs the grave of the Han Dynasty, severing its roots!..."

Thinking of this, Zhang Chengfu trembled all over, and the shamanic bells rang incessantly. The sacrificial dance he performed became increasingly ghostly and illusory, as if he had traversed thousands of years of vicissitudes in China and witnessed the rise and fall and suffering of humankind.

"The order of Heaven changes, the Five Virtues flourish; the Yellow Heaven replaces the Azure Heaven, and peace arrives accordingly. This is the predetermined mandate of Heaven! The mandate of Heaven cannot be defied, the destiny of Heaven will surely come..."

"O soul, return! The Way of Peace proclaims your injustice! O soul, return! The Way of Peace guides you back home!...O soul, return! The Way of Peace leads you into the Yellow Heaven!..."

The Great Teacher of Virtue stood on the altar, chanting, burning talismans inscribed with proclamations as an offering to the dead victims and to the unseen Heaven. He was telling everyone, the living and the dead, that "the Han Dynasty is doomed." This would then become a prophetic tale, a predetermined destiny, and a force that would captivate the hearts of the people!
The mournful songs of the sacrifice echoed from the burial mounds across the plains of Julu. After the rituals of "summoning the soul," "dialogue," and "offering sacrifices" concluded, the final "pacification of the soul" followed.

On the altar, the Great Teacher spoke again in a low, gentle voice, and the children on the hill sang the final hymn to send the returning souls to the peaceful heavens.

"The soul returns to peace, the spirit returns to the heavens, it will not enter a lonely grave, nor fall into the gates of hell."

Heaven above, peace among men, those who follow my path, may you enjoy eternal tranquility!

"May your soul return home! Free from the suffering of hunger, cold, sickness, and death; free from the harm of officials, bandits, and tyrants; may you enter the peaceful heavens and forever find peace in the afterlife!"

The sun had set, and night had fallen. Three thousand villagers, eight hundred disciples, and five hundred children surrounded the overgrown grave mound, and the Great Teacher and the "shamans" on the altar. Everyone repeated their final prayers, their voices choked with sobs as they spoke.

"May your soul return! Free from the suffering of hunger, cold, sickness, and death, free from the harm of officials, bandits, and tyrants..."

May we enter a peaceful and prosperous era, and find lasting tranquility!

May there be peace!

The songs lingered, their echoes reverberating around the burial mound. Thousands of people prostrated themselves, weeping bitterly, their cries revealing the full extent of the suffering of the people. But after this mournful ritual, their sorrow would be buried deep, their confusion would fade. When fear understood its cause and the road ahead became clear, it would transform into anger in their hearts. And this anger would be directed at nothing more than the lowly beings, like ants and moths, desperately seeking survival in the face of death, digging graves for the Han Dynasty.
(End of this chapter)