Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 23: Writing a Letter to the Heroes of Zhuojun

On the fifteenth of August, the autumn sun shone brightly in the sky, and the fragrance of grain on the ground was already strong. Taking a gentle sniff, one could smell the dry, warm scent of millet husks drying in the sun, bringing a sense of peace. The autumn fragrance carried by the wind overflowed along the edges of the fields and all the way to the busy ponds.

The newly constructed pond was taking shape, and the soil along the riverbank was still damp. Dozens of acres of shallow bottom had been dug out in the pond, and a short dike of about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) had been built along its edge. The able-bodied men shouted work chants in unison, while the children ran up and down like mud-covered monkeys. Old Li carefully inspected everything, occasionally offering a few words of advice.

On the yellowish-brown riverbank, Zhang Chengfu, covered in mud, stood up with a shovel. He looked at his seventh senior brother, Gao Daonu, who was leading the horse, examined the horse carefully for a while, and then looked at the man, asking curiously.

"Daonu, why did you bring back two horses? Didn't we agree to go and buy an oxcart and some grain?"

“Chengfu, this wasn’t bought. It was a gift from a fellow townsman from Zhuojun that I met… well, not exactly a gift, it was actually bought.”

"A fellow townsman from Zhuojun? Who is so generous as to give you two horses in one go? Each horse must cost several thousand coins, much more expensive than an ox."

"Seven or eight thousand coins a horse. That's roughly the price of three oxen. But there are more horses in Youzhou, so they're much cheaper. This isn't a trained warhorse, just a good riding horse..."

"Huh? Dao Nu, you know so much about horses?"

“Ah, my mother is a Wuhuan. I used to ride horses when I was a child… But let’s not talk about that, let’s talk about buying horses… no, buying grain.”

Gao Daonu scratched his head and didn't continue talking about the past. He quickly began to recount his experience of buying grain, which was far more complicated and exciting than Zhang Chengfu had imagined.

"This time, I brought dozens of disciples with me to buy grain, along with several dozen strings of copper coins left by the eldest disciple in the village... First, we went to Julu County and found that grain was scarce in the market and the price of grain had soared. One bushel cost eight hundred coins, more than ten times the price of previous years, and ordinary people simply couldn't afford it. On the contrary, wealthy families were hoarding grain. The price of cattle was also not cheap, and the money I brought was indeed not enough."

"Then, having no other choice, I had to do as you instructed, take out the talisman book of the *Taiping Jing* that our master personally passed down to us. I'll see if I can sell it for several dozen strings of cash and then exchange it for grain..."

Hearing this, Zhang Chengfu touched his forehead, feeling unusually guilty. As the personal disciples of the Great Virtuous Teacher, they each had a copy of the "Taiping Jing" talisman book, which their master Zhang Jiao instructed them to carry with them and study constantly.

This *Taiping Jing* talisman book was naturally not the original *Taiping Qingling Jing*, a sect-inherited text copied on bamboo slips. Instead, it was a copy made by Zhang Jiao, written on yellow paper. Books were extremely valuable in this era, and this talisman book, personally copied by the Great Master of Virtue, was a Daoist scripture "encompassing all celestial phenomena and prophecies," possessing a reputation for being "mysterious beyond mystery"...

Zhang Chengfu was certain that this talisman could fetch a good price from powerful families! Although it might not be as high as "seven hundred bushels," as long as the right buyer was found, exchanging it for a hundred bushels of grain should be feasible.

"Ahem! And then what? How much is the Ju family, a prominent clan in Julu County, willing to offer?"

“I went to ask the Ju family, but I couldn’t even get in the door. After that, I waited in the market for a few days before a servant of the Ju family heard about it and came over. He only asked for thirty strings of cash… I originally wanted to sell it, but after calculating, I still didn’t have enough money.”

“Grain prices are so high, one hundred bushels would cost at least eighty strings of cash. And to transport one hundred bushels back, I would need to buy at least ten oxen and ten oxcarts, which would cost several dozen strings of cash... I thought I'd wait until the autumn harvest, when grain prices would surely drop... But then that servant from the Ju family came to me several more times, raising the price to fifty strings of cash. But that money wasn't enough to buy the grain, so I refused to sell!”

Hearing this, Zhang Chengfu blinked and looked at Gao Daonu, whose eyes were pure and innocent. This seventh senior brother wasn't actually good at selling goods; who would sell "Taoist books" themselves? They always needed a middleman to inflate the price. But Gao Daonu was too simple-minded; he wouldn't sell books unless he had enough money to buy food, which was why he'd been squatting in the market. If it were him, he probably would have sold them for fifty strings of cash.

"And then, you just stayed there for a month?"

"No, not exactly. I stayed in Julu for ten days, then went to Guangping in the south. The price of grain in Guangping was the same, eight hundred coins per hu, which was unaffordable for anyone except powerful clans. I stayed in Guangping for another ten days, but there were no powerful clans like the Ju family there, and ordinary merchants would only offer thirty guan at most... So I went back to Julu. As a result, I encountered a caravan returning from Weijun, and the leader was a fellow townsman from Zhuojun!"

"A merchant caravan from Youzhou returning from Wei Commandery, from Zhuo Commandery?"

"No! They are under the command of a wealthy merchant surnamed Su from Zhongshan in Jizhou. It's just that the leader of the group is a tall, burly man from Zhuojun. They transport horses back from Zhuojun in Youzhou. This year, grain prices are high, so they also transport grain back to sell. Then, they collect silk from Yecheng and transport it back to Zhuojun in Youzhou to sell. They run back and forth like that... It's said that they can earn hundreds of thousands of coins on a single round trip! Just imagine how many bushels of grain that money could buy, how many people could be saved!"

When the topic turned to "hundreds of thousands of coins per trip," Gao Daonu was visibly excited, showing a hint of eagerness. Zhang Chengfu, however, stroked his chin and remained silent. He knew that this kind of merchant caravan traveling between prefectures and counties for trade was not something just anyone could do.

"A wealthy merchant from Zhongshan, surnamed Su? No matter how you look at it, a wealthy merchant from Zhongshan must have a background with the Zhen family of Zhongshan. And operating between Yecheng and Zhuojun, he must have connections in both the underworld and legitimate circles on both sides!..."

To do business in this era, one first needs substantial capital and capable bodyguards. Next, one needs connections with high-ranking officials along the way. Otherwise, even a minor official can find a pretext to detain you, resulting in the loss of both your goods and your person. Furthermore, one must also cultivate relationships with the local bullies and powerful figures in the lower classes. Otherwise, they will definitely come knocking, causing you losses far exceeding what you paid… The wealthy merchant surnamed Su, who managed to accomplish all of this, must have been a shrewd and cunning individual!
"The caravan leader was not only from Zhuojun like me, but the two counties weren't far apart either; we were practically from the same county... He saw I was tall and asked if I knew martial arts. I said I knew some staff fighting and could ride a horse. We had a spar, and I won. Then he said he'd treat me to drinks! So we drank and ate meat! The last time I ate meat was the mutton jerky that Senior Brother Mao'an brought back; it's been two months. Meat tastes much better than wheat rice..."

Gao Daonu looked delighted, clearly enjoying a pleasant conversation with his fellow townsman from Zhuojun. Zhang Chengfu pursed his lips, smiling but remaining silent.

If you have a pleasant conversation with someone, it most likely means your emotional intelligence has been outmatched by their superior skills. Undoubtedly, this is a deliberate attempt to build rapport. The other person probably valued Gao Daonu's bravery and the strong ties he shared with his fellow townsman. In that era, town ties were almost equivalent to kinship, far more important than in later generations…

"After we finished drinking and eating, the chieftain said he would give me a horse and introduce me to a wealthy man from my hometown of Zhuojun! His name is something like Mr. Liu. He's said to be a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and that he even studied under some kind of Master Lu..."

Hearing Gao Daonu's earlier words, Zhang Chengfu nodded, confirming the leader's intentions. A horse costing seven or eight thousand coins, plus an introduction to some local tycoon—a prominent figure in the local Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) of Zhuojun. This was an attempt to poach Gao Daonu. Hmm, dare to steal from my Taiping Dao? Wait…

"Dao Nu! What did you say that local tycoon's name was? Liu Jun? A descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, a disciple of Lord Lu... Is his name Liu Xuande?...?"

"Huh? I don't quite remember, but there was something about the character 'De' in his name. I drank quite a bit at the time, so I was a bit tipsy. I just remember the two of us getting into a good time and talking a lot. He asked me if I wanted to join the caravan and work with him..."

"So how did you respond?"

“I definitely can’t work with him! I have to follow my master, and I’ll work with you too.”

At this point, Gao Daonu shook his head and continued, "I told him I couldn't accept his horse. I'm from the Way of Great Peace. He said it was fine, the Way of Great Peace was no problem either. Then I said I was a direct disciple of the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao. He was speechless immediately..."

Upon hearing this description, Zhang Chengfu raised the corners of his mouth, suppressing a laugh, and asked again.

"And then? Dao Nu, why did you end up taking two horses from someone else?"

"Oh! He treated me to wine and meat, seemed like a generous man, and even led a caravan... So, I thought for a moment and told him that my junior brother and I were short of money, that we didn't have enough food in the Taiping Dao, and that we needed to come out to exchange some. I asked him if he wanted a copy of the *Taiping Jing* personally copied by the Great Teacher of Goodness? I had two copies, and I only needed to exchange them for one hundred bushels of grain and ten oxcarts. I could even give him a few dozen more strings of copper coins..."

At this point, Gao Daonu tugged at his hair, looking somewhat puzzled.

"I heard that the Way of Great Peace was short of food, and that there was a copy of the *Taiping Jing* (Scripture of Great Peace) personally copied by the Great Teacher of Virtue. My fellow villager was astonished, then overjoyed! He agreed on the spot, saying I didn't need to pay him any extra coins. This hundred bushels of grain and ten oxcarts were a gift for the copy of the *Taiping Jing*. Yes! He only wanted one copy, how strange..."

"In addition, he also gifted us two fine horses, one for you and one for me, saying it was a small token of our greeting. He said that next time we pass through Julu County, we will definitely bring a small gift and visit the estate in person..."

"Huh? He means 'please' a copy of the *Taiping Jing*?"

"Yes! It was 'please' a copy. I gave him the book, and he bowed three times very respectfully before accepting it. It was a bit strange..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu put his hand to his forehead, speechless for a moment. After a little thought, he realized that the caravan leader had misunderstood. Originally, he and Dao Nu were selling books privately to buy some grain to supplement their estate. However, this operation had been interpreted as using the connections of the Taiping Dao to 'sell books'.

The Way of Peace (Taiping Dao) wields immense influence in Ji Province, with Julu County being its stronghold and boasting a vast number of followers. Currently, widespread disasters and unrest rage across the land. This "invitation" of a book is, in effect, an attempt to cultivate good relations with the Way of Peace and secure passage through the region; it will inevitably be widely publicized…

"Alas! Dao Nu... this time we can't hide it anymore. When Master asks later, I'll have to think about what to say."

"Huh? If Master asks, just tell the truth! Selling talismans to save people and feeding the children and able-bodied men in the village... isn't that the purpose of my Way of Peace? Master certainly won't say anything!"

Gao Daonu answered with an innocent and matter-of-fact expression. Zhang Chengfu, standing beside him, paused for a moment, then nodded with a smile.

"Dao Nu, you're right. Just tell Master the truth! And ask him for another book on talismans..."

"Hmm!...Oh, right! Before he left, my fellow villager told me that while I possess immense strength and am skilled with the staff, I'm still a step below those truly formidable figures... He said that if I ever have time to return home, I can look for him in Zhuojun. He knows of a highly skilled martial artist in Zhuojun village!..."

"A skilled martial artist from the countryside of Zhuojun?"

Zhang Chengfu was taken aback. There's a saying, "The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts," meaning finding a truly skilled martial arts master is incredibly difficult. Those renowned masters, without the status of a powerful family, almost impossible to become disciples of. They certainly wouldn't accept Yellow Turban disciples, because the Way of Peace itself was essentially a sect. With a master already in place, why would you need to seek apprenticeship?
"What is this chivalrous man's name?"

"His name is Lord Guan. He's said to be a young man in his early twenties, barely twenty, and somehow he possesses astonishing skills. He seems to be from either Bingzhou or Hedong, and apparently committed some offense, seeking refuge in Zhuojun not long ago. He lives a secluded life in the countryside, and acts with a chivalrous spirit. His martial arts are extremely high; he's proficient with both swords and spears, and even three to five people together wouldn't be a match for him!..."

Gao Daonu looked north and said with some longing.

"It seems that the wealthy Liu Jun also speaks highly of Guan Jun, and personally paid him a visit. He even asked Guan Jun to instruct a young man surnamed Zhang under his command. The young man is about your age, and both are naturally strong, but their martial arts skills are slightly inferior. It is said that with just a little guidance from a master, he can undergo a complete transformation..."

"Guan Jun, a chivalrous knight from Bingzhou or Hedong, possesses extremely high martial arts skills and has only recently arrived in Zhuojun?!"

Zhang Chengfu's expression subtly changed, his heart churning with turmoil. He remained silent for a moment, then his suspicions became clear. If there were any heroes and valiant figures in this world who might share his path… then perhaps this Lord Guan, who rose from humble beginnings, was one of them!
As for the other powerful figure, Liu Jun, and the young man surnamed Zhang under Liu Jun's command, although they were both friendly to the common people, they were on completely different paths. They were destined to never be allies and would only draw their swords against each other.

"Lord Guan...Lord Guan, Lord Guan who just arrived in Zhuo County!"

Zhang Chengfu lowered his eyes, thought for a while, and suddenly put down the shovel in his hand. He grabbed Gao Daonu and strode towards their house.

"Dao Nu, come here and do me another favor!"

"what?"

“I need to write a letter to this reclusive knight-errant from Zhuojun. Then, you ride your horse and deliver it to your fellow townsman from Zhuojun, asking him to give it to Lord Guan!”

"What? I just got back, and you want me to make another trip?"

"There's no other way. I don't know anyone here, I can't ride a horse, and I'm not from Zhuojun. How can I ask for your help? I can only rely on you!"

As he spoke, Zhang Chengfu entered the room and took out paper and pen. He closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, sketching the image and temperament of that person in his mind. After a long while, he took a deep breath and began to write.

Zhang Chengfu of the Way of Peace bows and says: Your Excellency, seeing the injustice of the world, bravely stepped forward to assassinate the enemy and act on behalf of Heaven. You are truly a great hero of ancient times. As the ancients said, one cannot share the same sky with the enemy of one's parents; a man's promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Having heard of your extraordinary righteousness and courage, I am deeply moved and inspired. I have a matter of life and death to attend to, and I entrust my life to you. I beg for your assistance! Next year, I will personally visit you to explain the whole situation. I present this scroll, kept by my Way of Peace, as proof; I hope you will accept it so that you will know my resolve is unwavering…”

(End of this chapter)