Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 13: The phrase "fortune telling" leads to 700 bushels of grain?
“Swish~Swish~”

Beside the burial mound behind Tianqi Temple, yellow talismans still fluttered, though in much smaller numbers. The wind rustled through the trees, and departing disaster victims, clutching their talismans and carrying several bushels of beans given to believers by the Taiping Dao, embarked on their long journey home.

They arrived with their families, but left alone. While struggling on the brink of death, the disaster victims didn't experience as much pain. Only after escaping death and thinking of their deceased loved ones and abandoned children did they feel the piercing agony. Ordinary poor people had nothing to offer as a sacrifice, only a piece of yellow paper, a few strokes of black ink and cinnabar, which they carried in their bosom like a portrait of the deceased, expressing their final sorrow.

"Giddy up! Giddy up!..."

The epidemic in Julu County was gradually improving, and a few stars began to fall from the sky. Dust billowed on the official road to the southwest as horse-drawn carriages trudged through the mud. Behind them were nearly a hundred oxcarts, escorted by armed nobles clad in armor and carrying bows and swords, heading straight for the Tianqi Temple's sacred site. The flags on the oxcarts bore the large character "Geng," embroidered with a red border, displaying a rather imposing presence.

"Hmm? This grand display... the Geng clan of Julu?... "

Zhang Chengfu was somewhat surprised. He carried his hunting bow and walked to the entrance of the ancestral temple, watching the Geng family's caravan gradually approach. His sharp eyes carefully examined the armed members of the powerful clans guarding the caravan, observing their equipment, demeanor, and organization.

"More than three hundred guards, all equipped with ring-pommel swords and wearing leather armor. Half of them carried short spears, and the other half carried bows. Their eyes were sharp, and they probably had blood on their hands. They moved in a very orderly manner, driving the oxcarts at a fast pace. There were also a few scouts on horseback on the outer perimeter... This level of elite force must be the Geng family's private guard!"

Zhang Chengfu silently observed the scene before him: the armed forces of powerful clans from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Among them were seasoned guards, servants, illegitimate sons of the clan, and even deserters from the Han army. The mere fact that they were all clad in armor and half carried bows gave them an equipment advantage that the Yellow Turban rebels could hardly match. Not to mention their frequent daily training and their own martial arts experience.

Given the wealth and status of the Geng clan, their estates undoubtedly possessed armor and crossbows, though these were not readily available for public display. These powerful clan retainers, along with their able-bodied men, guarded the estates, transforming them into impregnable fortresses. If there was any disadvantage, it was that the number of these private retainers was likely limited, probably only a few hundred at most.

"Hey! Junior brother, what are you doing waiting at the door, and carrying a bow?"

"Ah? Senior Brother Mao'an, you're back from collecting grain!"

The two-wheeled carriage came to a smooth stop, and a greeting came from inside. It was the third senior brother, Xin Mao'an. He was dressed in a blue linen robe, wearing a hat and shoes, and slowly stepped down from the carriage. Then, he turned around, bowed to the leader of the caravan, and said with a smile.

"Thank you for your trouble, Brother Geng! Please unload these grains in the courtyard in front of the temple."

The leader of the caravan nodded and returned the salute with clasped hands. Judging from this etiquette, he must be a collateral branch of the Geng family. He didn't say much, and didn't even glance at Zhang Chengfu, this "young man with his hair tied up," before directing the servants to load and unload the grain.

"Junior brother, is Master in the temple?"

"Here I am."

"Then take me to see my master! Oh? You're asking about this Geng family caravan? Don't worry about it, they'll leave on their own after they unload the grain."

"."

Zhang Chengfu tiptoed, glanced at the size of the caravan, and then led Xin Maoan into the temple. In the temple's front courtyard, they encountered their second senior brother, Tang Zhou, and their sixth senior brother, Wu Deng, who had come out to investigate. Tang Zhou clasped his hands in a respectful bow, like a member of the nobility, and exchanged greetings with Xin Maoan, a smile on his face.

"Mao'an, you're back!"

As for the sixth senior brother, Wu Deng, he wasn't so good-tempered. He stood in the courtyard like an iron hammer, speaking in a muffled voice.

"You went out not long after the plague started and didn't return until it was almost over. Xin Mao'an, you were away collecting grain for more than two months? I was thinking, a round trip to the Geng family manor shouldn't have taken more than ten days, right?..."

"Junior Brother Wu Deng, I am late. It is my fault."

Third Senior Brother Xin Mao'an was not angry. He remained polite and answered slowly with a smile.

"In years of great famine, raising grain is not easy. I first went to the Geng family manor, but the head of the Geng family was not there, and no one agreed to donate grain. So I went to the Wang family manor in Xiaquyang County, and after much pleading, I only managed to raise 100 bushels. How could this little grain be enough to transport back to the temple? So I returned to the Geng family manor and waited for half a month to a month before the head of the Geng family finally returned..."

"But at first, the head of the Geng family refused to donate grain, insisting on engaging me in philosophical discussions and seeking truth. It wasn't until after half a month of these talks that the Geng family finally relented and agreed to donate 500 hu of grain. Later, they heard that the Cui family of Qinghe had donated 600 hu and was widely publicizing their benevolence throughout Qinghe County. The Geng family, wanting to surpass the Cui family, added another 200 hu, bringing the total to 700 hu! Adding the Wang family's donation, that makes a full 800 hu!..."

"I couldn't possibly procure so much grain myself. I had to ask Geng to mobilize his troops and prepare horse-drawn carts and oxcarts, which delayed things by a few more days. After all this rushing, more than two months have passed. Fortunately, I have accomplished my mission! 800 bushels of grain should be enough to sustain the temple for a while!..."

Hearing this story, Tang Zhou's eyes lit up, and he praised repeatedly. Wu Deng muttered a few words, but seeing the bushels of grain, he said nothing more. Zhang Chengfu also stroked his chin, wondering if he could get some more food for the children's camp.

The three of them escorted Xin Mao'an to a side hall behind the ancestral temple. The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao, along with several other disciples, were already seated.

"Teacher! Your disciple Mao'an greets you!..."

Upon seeing his master Zhang Jiao, Xin Mao'an immediately straightened his clothes, stepped forward respectfully, and performed a standard Confucian disciple's salute. Zhang Jiao also stood up and returned the salute slightly, behaving like a master. Afterward, Xin Mao'an helped Zhang Jiao to his seat before kneeling down on his own mat. Once everyone was seated, Xin Mao'an recounted his experience of raising grain.

"Mao'an, you've worked hard this time collecting grain!"

Zhang Jiao listened patiently, then smiled and nodded. Xin Mao'an respectfully bowed again and said with a smile.

"Teacher! The Geng family head was able to donate grain this time entirely because of your reputation. He humbled himself and discussed the Dao with his disciples, showing great interest in and deep understanding of the 'Heavenly Mandate of the Central Yellow Supreme Unity' and the 'Succession of the Five Elements'..."

"Unfortunately, my knowledge is insufficient, and I cannot answer many of the Geng family's inquiries. I can only promise to discuss them another time. Therefore, I would like to seek further guidance from my teacher, so that I can give a reply to the Geng family head later..." "The Geng family's inquiries? Hmm, the Geng family also wants to inquire about divination?..."

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Jiao pondered for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

If the Han Dynasty was a towering divine tree that covered the entire land, then the various powerful families and local magnates were like giant trees, large or small, each casting its own shadow and drawing its own root territory in a province, prefecture, or county.

The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system and always maintained strict laws. However, these strict laws depended on who they applied to. If they applied to the common people in counties and villages, the laws were like an impenetrable net, as Liu Gong faced, leaving almost no escape. But if they applied to powerful families and local magnates, once one entered their shadow, the light of the law could not penetrate.

Looking further back, even though many of the prominent figures who had been implicated in the two previous purges of partisans were accused of serious crimes by the court, which was controlled by eunuchs and wanted to kill them, the authorities could hardly catch them once they escaped Luoyang and Sili, and simply hid in the territories of powerful families. Many arrest warrants issued by the Luoyang court were simply not enforceable in the local prefectures and counties.

To put it more recently, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao was twice accused of "spreading heretical doctrines and misleading the public" and brought before the imperial court in Luoyang. His crimes were only cleared three years ago when Emperor Ling granted a general amnesty. Even with a warrant for his arrest, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao could still preach throughout Ji Province, where officials and gentry alike treated him with utmost respect, and no one dared to arrest him. The same was true of the sorcerer Yu Ji of Jiangdong; no one dared to arrest him until Sun Ce was forced to do so himself, and Yu Ji was posthumously branded as a "tyrant who died a violent death."

The Han dynasty government's control over various regions relied on the powerful local clans. If these clans supported the court's orders, everything would proceed smoothly; conversely, if they didn't, things would go wrong. These clans, however, all had their own interests and ambitions. Some exceptionally powerful figures even harbored ambitions to go further and replace the "divine tree" (the imperial authority)...

The Taiping Dao (Way of Great Peace) spread its doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven in Ji Province, directly targeting Emperor Ling and the Han Dynasty. However, the Taiping Dao consistently received overt and covert protection from the Ji Province governor, with deliberate encouragement from factional and aristocratic families. The underlying reasons for this are, upon closer examination, chilling.

"Yes! Teacher, Emperor Guangwu gained the empire through 'prophecies and apocryphal texts.' These 'prophecies and apocryphal texts' are the Mandate of Heaven! Although the Geng family dares not presume to claim the Mandate of Heaven, they still wish to understand it more. After all, the Geng family's ancestors, the Marquis of Haozhi and the Marquis of Yumi, were able to achieve their status as two marquises and even be listed among the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai by taking advantage of Emperor Guangwu's Mandate of Heaven. If the Mandate of Heaven were to change, it would naturally be of great benefit to the Geng family if they could foresee it in advance!..."

In the side hall, between master and disciple, Xin Mao'an stopped beating around the bush and spoke frankly. The 700 bushels of grain from the Geng family weren't borrowed for nothing. Like fortune-telling, one must deliver the result the other party wants to hear to satisfy them.

Zhang Jiao naturally understood this principle. He smiled helplessly, his expression turned solemn, and he spoke softly.

"Yellow represents the virtue of earth, and the center represents the world. The central yellow represents the one who receives the mandate of heaven and is born in place of fire. The central yellow is the earth color of the center, representing the virtue of yellow, and it resides in the center of heaven and earth and the four directions."

"Taiyi is the position of the Heavenly Emperor. In Taoist scriptures, it is called 'Taiyi gives birth to water,' which is the beginning of heaven and earth."

"Therefore, the Central Yellow Taiyi Heavenly Emperor is the righteous god who governs the order of heaven and earth, and is also the former 'Eastern Emperor Taiyi' of Chu."

"The Han dynasty rose to power through the virtue of fire, and was ruled by the Red Emperor in the south. A comet fell in the south, a solar eclipse appeared, and plagues broke out. This celestial alternation signified the Red Emperor yielding to the Yellow Emperor, and the Azure Heaven yielding to the Yellow Heaven! And the celestial influence on earth manifested as: 'When the ruler loses his virtue, there is no peace in the world, and famine and other calamities arise…'"

"Ah! So that's how it is... This is the 'Mandate of Heaven of the Central Yellow Supreme One'? The ruler has lost his virtue... Indeed! When the emperor loses his virtue, the world will undergo a great upheaval!..."

Upon hearing this explanation that resonated with the times, Xin Maoan was deeply shaken, as if he had heard the most extraordinary "destiny." Suppressing his excitement, he glanced at his fellow disciples on either side and unconsciously lowered his voice.

"Teacher, how do you explain the 'alternation of the Five Virtues'?"

"Virtue has five elements, and these elements have mutual generation and restraint. When virtue is perfected, fortune arrives; when fortune ends, change occurs. Fire loses its light, and earth takes over its prosperity; this is the great change of the universe."

Zhang Jiao, with a solemn expression, spoke again, recounting the "Five Virtues" that the gentry of this era believed in most.

"Fire is a fierce force that burns but does not remain; earth is a fertile foundation that nourishes and sustains life. Therefore, the virtue of earth follows that of fire, arising from war and ultimately achieving success through virtue."

"The Han dynasty lost its virtue, and the mandate of heaven came to an end. The way of heaven is cyclical, and with each cycle of sixty years, there is a change in the virtue. The sage, knowing the mandate of heaven, rises in due time to rectify his own virtue and bring peace to the people..."

"Ah! A sage knows the mandate of Heaven and rises in due time? Teacher, then... then do you know where the next mandate of Heaven will be, and on whom it will be placed?..."

Xin Mao'an was excited and couldn't help but lean forward, bending down to listen attentively. Zhang Jiao stroked his short beard, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"The mandate of Heaven is in 'Feather'. Feathers give rise to wind, fly and ascend to the heavens; sheltered by the heavens, they hold the reins of the Central Plains. In 'Renewal', at the end of the Fire Virtue and the beginning of the Yellow Virtue, they illuminate the world and renew the lives of all people."

"Just reply like that, and the Geng family will be satisfied!"

"Heaven above! The Mandate of Heaven rests with 'Yu' and 'Geng'? ... 'Yu flies to heaven, holding the reins of the Central Plains,' 'Geng in the fire, bringing renewal to all living beings'?"

Xin Mao'an frowned, lost in deep thought, clearly taking this destiny very seriously. Among the other disciples, the eldest brother Ma Yuanyi, the second brother Tang Zhou, the fourth brother Pan Jingzhi, and the fifth brother Xie Chu were all deep in thought. The sixth brother Wu Deng, however, curled his lip, while the seventh brother Gao Daonu looked completely bewildered.

As for Zhang Chengfu, he blinked, and in the blink of an eye, he had already guessed "the answer that satisfied the Geng family".

"Feathers soar to the heavens, holding the reins of the central land"—this must refer to the "Ji" of "Jizhou," right? And "the change in the fire"—though I don't know how to explain it, it's definitely related to "Geng"! The Mandate of Heaven at the end of the Han Dynasty should be on the "Geng family of Jizhou"? What a joke!
"Such a prophetic statement is worth 700 bushels of grain? Enough to feed thousands of disaster victims for two months? Enough to feed the monks and fellow disciples in the temple for several years?"

Thinking of this, Zhang Chengfu's eyes widened. He raised his head to look at his master, Zhang Jiao, who was also looking at him with a strange smile on his lips. Zhang Chengfu stroked his chin, then lowered his head, pretending to be deep in thought. His mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, first laughing, then feeling sorry for him, and finally turning into a sigh.

“A powerful family, possessing tens of thousands of acres of land, sought a single ‘prophecy’ with 700 bushels of grain, but to no avail!”

"In years of great famine, the common people cannot even obtain half a pint of rice to survive. In their entire lives, have they ever seen 700 bushels of grain?..."

(End of this chapter)