Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 25 Though our paths may differ, I have successors!

Autumn is associated with white storage, while winter is associated with black brilliance. One represents the white storage of resources, while the other signifies a dark atmosphere with a clear blue sky. At this time, between autumn and winter, the tenth month is marked by the falling of leaves, a truly visible "yellow sky."

Yellow leaves fluttered down from the trees, like drifting butterflies, carrying a desolate and bleak atmosphere. The cicadas' song had vanished from the bare mulberry trees. Crickets chirped in the withered fields. Two horses strolled slowly along the field ridges, carrying a young man and a boy. The boy, dressed in yellow and wearing a yellow turban, rode a yellow horse and sang leisurely.

"At the turn of the tenth month, on the day of Xinmao in the new month, there was a solar eclipse, a truly ominous sign. The moon was dim then, and the sun was dim this time; now the common people are also filled with great sorrow!"

"Chengfu, what are you singing? It sounds familiar."

"There are old men in the village who can sing it too. It's from the Book of Songs, specifically the poem 'The Tenth Month' from the Lesser Odes. During the reign of King You of Zhou, disasters were frequent, including solar eclipses, earthquakes, and droughts. There were deep conflicts between the royal family and the people."

"Then, in the sixth year of King You of Zhou's reign, a solar eclipse occurred, followed by a lunar eclipse. Taking advantage of these celestial phenomena, rumors spread like wildfire in the Sili region, the heart of the Zhou Dynasty, and the people were in uproar and complaining! Even the nobles within the Zhou Dynasty wrote this poem, 'At the Turn of the Tenth Month,' to use the celestial phenomena to accuse King You of Zhou!"

"This widely circulated and deeply ingrained poem severely damaged the Zhou king's prestige, rendering his commands ineffective throughout the kingdom. Nobles and commoners, using celestial phenomena as a pretext, bypassed the hierarchical legal system between monarch and subject, and legitimately resisted the Zhou king's taxes and conscription..."

At this point, Zhang Chengfu smiled meaningfully and continued singing.

"The sun and moon foretell misfortune, and their functions are no longer followed. The four kingdoms are without governance, and their virtuous officials are not employed. When the moon eclipses, it is simply its normal course; but when the sun eclipses, how can it not be auspicious…?"

"These solar and lunar eclipses are a manifestation of the Zhou king's tyranny and loss of the support of Heaven and the people! Such celestial phenomena have actually occurred frequently since ancient times, but once they are combined with human affairs and the people of the world believe it to be true... then the Zhou dynasty's mandate of Heaven will come to an end!"

"Dao Nu, do you know what happened next?"

"What happened next? Oh, I think I've heard something about 'the beacon fires that amused the feudal lords,' and then the Zhou king was captured by the barbarians from the north!..."

"Hmm... This story was written by Sima Qian, with just a few strokes and a profound tone. It also references the story of 'Playing the Drum to Amuse the Lords' in the Lüshi Chunqiu. In fact, when the poem 'At the Turn of the Tenth Month' was widely circulated in Sili, the hearts of the Zhou kings had already been lost."

"Five years after the solar eclipse, the Quanrong barbarians marched south, captured Haojing, and killed King You… The Zhou royal family's power to rule the world, and the prestige of the Zhou dynasty for four hundred years, vanished. The subsequent four hundred years, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of the Eastern Zhou, were no longer the domain of the Zhou kings…"

After telling this story, Zhang Chengfu, on horseback, smiled wryly.

"Solar eclipse, earthquake, drought, tyrannical ruler... celestial phenomena coincide with human affairs. At that time, just like now! The only difference is that the Zhou king's power was limited, while the Han emperor's military force was far greater!"

"The Zongguo dynasty lasted four hundred years, and the Han dynasty lasted four hundred years. The same celestial phenomena occurred every four hundred years, and the Mandate of Heaven shifted every four hundred years. Isn't that a perfect match? ... Right now, countless aristocratic families throughout the world, who have passed down their classical studies, are studying ancient books on bamboo slips, doubting that the Mandate of Heaven for the Han dynasty is no longer valid!"

"And the saying passed down by my Taiping Dao, 'The Mandate of Heaven changes, the virtue of fire declines, and the virtue of earth will rise,'... is just like this 'October's End,' which is undermining the foundation of the Han Emperor's rule! It's just that from the solar eclipse to the death of King You and the fall of Haojing, five years passed. From the solar eclipse to the death of the Han Emperor and the fall of Luoyang, it will probably take just as long, or even longer!..."

"But the affairs of the world are entirely determined by the hearts of the people. Heaven's mandate and the hearts of the people influence each other, like the interplay of yin and yang. Once the hearts of the people are scattered, then it is inevitably time for a change of dynasty!..."

"Huh? The mandate of heaven for both the Zhou and Han dynasties is four hundred years? Four hundred years... that does seem long enough. Heaven always has to change things up..."

Upon hearing this "methodology for denying the Mandate of Heaven of the Han Dynasty," Gao Daonu's eyes widened as he pondered deeply. He scratched his head with both hands, riding solely on his legs, yet remaining as steady as if he were an extension of himself onto the horse's back.

Actually, he didn't quite understand the *Classic of Poetry* that Zhang Chengfu was reciting, but he had heard that both the Zhou and Han dynasties had a lifespan of only four hundred years, that King You and Emperor Huang were exactly the same, and that the celestial signs were exactly the same... He suddenly felt that the fate of the Han dynasty was indeed coming to an end. And those aristocratic families who were more knowledgeable about the classics probably had the same thought, right?
"Heaven above! All we can do is spread similar rumors as widely as possible. Whether it's prophecies, the Five Virtues, or the four-hundred-year mandate of heaven... as long as these spread, they will create an irreparable rift within the Han court, between the emperor and the powerful clans and local magnates! Then, we'll wait until this rift widens, and the Han dynasty shatters like porcelain, beyond repair!..."

"Of course, we must also use these theories to persuade those forces that might join or rebel against the imperial court. Just like the thirty-six factions Master left in various prefectures and kingdoms when he was spreading his teachings! ... However, these local magnates or militia leaders are not resolute enough. They haven't seen their own situation clearly, dare not direct their attacks at the powerful clans, and are too prone to compromise..."

At this point, Zhang Chengfu shook his head, stopping short of commenting. He longed for his master, Zhang Jiao, to travel south, taking him to the area south of the Yellow River to meet the leaders of the thirty-six tribes and discuss in detail the direction of their future uprising. But now… Zhang Chengfu smiled confidently, spurred his horse, and headed towards the pond.

"Giddy up! Giddy up!..."

"Thump thump! Thump thump!"

"!!..."

The horse galloped away, the yellow-clad youth on its back moving with sweeping, powerful strokes, rising and falling like an owl flapping its wings. The speed of its flight left Gao Daonu speechless. Then, after the owl flapped its wings at a certain frequency, Gao Daonu blinked again, and the owl suddenly flew away, plunging headfirst into the mud, accompanied by a cry of resentment!

"You yellow Lu Bu!..."

"."

After a short rest each day, the rest of the work involved arduous labor on and around the pond. With everyone's concerted efforts, the foundation, more than half a meter deep, was first dug into the bottom of the hundred-acre pond, and then three layers of rammed earth were completed. The western half of the riverbank was neatly constructed, with a layer of stones of various sizes laid on it to mitigate the erosion caused by rain. And the newly built dam on the eastern half, two meters high, was finally completed by mid-October, with sparse wooden piles driven in and stones of the same size laid on top, thus completely closing the gap!
"The inner dam facing the water must be weighed down with stones, especially at the bottom! That's where the water's force is concentrated! If you want to reinforce it later, you can work on the ramp and create a continuous fence... However, the horseshoe-shaped ramp designed by the old man, although it's much longer to build, is very sturdy!"

"Besides, this is a dam built for our own estate. Everyone put in a lot of hard work, much more diligently than the conscripted laborers from the government... I think this dam will last for thirty or forty years without any problem! Oh, and we can plant some grass on the outer dam. The grass roots will be embedded in the soil, making it more stable!"

Old Li, the river worker, walked back and forth on the new embankment with his hands behind his back, carefully inspecting every inch. He had also constructed a slightly concave spillway at a higher point in the middle of this eastern section of the embankment, usually covered with mud and straw bags. When the pond was full and there was heavy rainfall, the straw bags would naturally be breached from here, releasing floodwater into the river channel below to protect the pond itself.

As for the irrigation valves at the bottom, they require levers and winches to open and close the gates, which are very expensive and technically demanding to construct, and also need to be coordinated with the irrigation ditches flowing into the fields. These small ponds and reservoirs, which are only two zhang high, are not necessary; water can be carried for irrigation.

"Haha! More than 800 people worked hard for almost four months, and we've finally finished building this pond!..."

"Look! This is our labor, the pond we built with our own hands! Winter is coming soon, and it can store rainwater, snowmelt, and river water during the off-season. And this stored river water will be used to irrigate beans and millet next spring—a life-saving water source!"

Zhang Chengfu, with the children, stood on the not-so-wide pond, looking at the first water conservancy project they had built with their own hands. The surrounding villagers, both able-bodied and smiling, anticipated and imagined decades of peace and bountiful harvests to come. Old Li, the river worker, stroked his beard, straightened his back, and beamed with joy!

"Labor can change the world and resist disasters sent by Heaven! This is the meaning of 'human power can overcome Heaven'! Although natural disasters are rampant, we who believe in a peaceful and prosperous world should still strive to save ourselves and do our best to change the world!"

On the pond, Zhang Chengfu spoke in a magnanimous voice, earnestly instructing his disciples, who had grown taller and darker-skinned. He did not notice that behind him, a dozen or so Taiping Dao followers dressed as farmers had already walked into the village.

"Shh...no need for formalities!"

The head of the group, the Great Master of Virtue, wearing a yellow turban and dressed like an old farmer, stopped those around him from bowing. He then calmly walked into the crowd and stood behind Zhang Chengfu. He listened quietly as his youngest disciple summarized his experience in water conservancy construction. When his gaze fell upon the completed weirs, an undisguised look of surprise flashed in his eyes, and a slow smile spread across his lips.

"From digging and ramming the earth to building the dam, we worked on this pond for almost four months, with intermittent breaks in between. Even with Dao Nu and forty of his young disciples joining in and working hard together, it still took much longer than expected!"

"So where did the problem lie? Why was it delayed?... The main problem is that everyone's digging isn't fast enough; they can't dig continuously and have to take turns resting. The second problem is that there aren't enough iron tools, and wooden tools wear out too easily, requiring carpenters to repair and make new ones. Then there's the issue of driving heavy wooden piles into the pond; because there's a lack of good wooden frames and pulleys for lifting, it's very slow by hand..."

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. To do something well, you must first have the right tools… The first problem is that we lack clarity about our own strength and know little about the actual difficulties. The second problem is that our tools are insufficient, requiring more effort to compensate…"

"Preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. What is this 'preparation'? It is the imagined action. There is always a big gap between this imagination and the actual action, and there will always be many problems! But as long as you do more and are good at summarizing problems, you can learn from experience... and the process of experiencing and overcoming these problems is 'growth'!"

Having said all this, Zhang Chengfu, with an air of old age, casually stroked his non-existent beard. Then, with a smile, he mimicked his master Zhang Jiao's tone and manner, gazing at the attentively listening children, and spoke with great emotion.

"Alright! I... after saying so much, it all boils down to just two sentences!"

"Labor can move mountains, strength can produce grain, and man can conquer nature. Sharp tools lead to swift results, and a determined will leads to success... Peace does not depend on Heaven; Heaven gives birth to the hearts of men. We who believe should strive for self-improvement, and we who act should save ourselves. By striving for self-improvement and saving ourselves, we can save all people under Heaven!"

"Well? How was what I said?!... "

"Yes! Master Zhang is right! If we build many more of these ponds, we won't have to worry about droughts anymore!..."

The children on the pond nodded repeatedly, some happily agreeing, while others looked around curiously. The clever Zhang Shoucun gestured and winked vigorously at his "Master Zhang." Seeing his winking, Zhang Chengfu glared, about to say something more… when suddenly a familiar voice came from behind. "I think what you said is very good! Very good!…"

“?!…”

Zhang Chengfu was startled and turned around to see his master Zhang Jiao's serious face. He stroked his short beard, the lines on his forehead smoothing out, his lips not smiling, but his eyes held a hint of amusement.

"Ah? Master? When did you arrive? This disciple greets Master!"

Zhang Chengfu quickly bowed, as did Gao Daonu. Zhang Jiao smiled, accepted the bows from his two disciples, and asked in a gentle voice.

"In these four months, you not only planted a season of beans, but also built a pond?"

"is teacher!"

"Any more?"

"Uh…"

While Zhang Chengfu was still hesitating, Gao Daonu spoke directly and honestly confessed.

“Teacher, we even sold and gave away the two copies of the Taiping Jing talisman book you gave us… We got a hundred bushels of grain, ten oxcarts, and two horses. Yes, all for saving people!”

"."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao paused for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, and then asked.

"Given to whom?"

"It was given to the caravan of the wealthy Su family of Zhongshan. They travel between Yecheng and Zhuoxian, selling horses and grain... which might be of some help to our Taiping Dao! Especially for grain purchases next year..."

Zhang Chengfu answered first. Zhang Jiao looked at him intently for a while, and after a few breaths, he nodded slightly.

"The Su family's caravan, grain and horses...so be it! I will tell my disciples that the Su family's caravan is friendly with my Taiping Dao, and we should make things as convenient as possible."

Seeing that his master didn't hold it against him, Zhang Chengfu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Jiao looked around, then at the Ming River tributary that had been diverted and hadn't yet flowed into the pond, and asked.

"The pond has been repaired, but water hasn't been diverted into it yet?"

"Yes, Master! This is the final step, and we're going to do it today. It's the dry season now, so the water level isn't high. With just a few dozen people digging for half a day, we can bring it back!"

"Hmm. Dao Nu, bring me a shovel!"

"Huh? Master? You're digging too?"

"Ah."

"it is good!"

Gao Daonu didn't say much; he did whatever his master said. Soon, the three of them reached the upper reaches of the riverbank and, together with dozens of young and strong disciples, began to dig through the blocked mud, gradually bringing the river back to its original course.

They worked for half a day, from noon until dusk. All three were skilled farmers, their hands calloused from years of labor, yet they didn't seem tired. And it wasn't until the last few shovelfuls fell that the riverbed was completely dredged, and a trickle of water from the Ming River flowed into the repaired pond…

"Whoosh! The trickle flows into the pond, accumulating water and nourishing the life force of the rice seedlings!..."

The three of them, master and apprentice, breathed a sigh of relief, leaned on their shovels, and stood by the riverbank. They watched the water flow down in the twilight, carrying the golden light of the sunset into the pond. Then, shallow puddles appeared, gradually growing larger until they reflected all three of their figures in the water.

At this moment, their figures were bathed in golden light, like a dreamlike radiance. Yet their faces were simple and honest, just like the farmers' clothes they wore.

“In the beginning, people ate by farming. They personally hoeed and plowed, their sweat falling on the soil. Heaven was in harmony with them, and the earth responded to their diligence. This was the beginning of the Way.”

"Then, knowing the value of timely rain, he led the people to build ponds to store it. Seasons changed, and they worked day and night without complaint or impatience. This is the way of self-cultivation."

"Furthermore, in educating children, we must teach them through words and deeds. First, we must clarify their aspirations, then they must engage in labor, so as to plan for the long term..."

The great and wise teacher Zhang Jiao leisurely recounted Zhang Chengfu's busy four months, giving a brief summary. Then, with a deep look in his eyes, he looked at his youngest disciple, smiled, and asked softly.

"Bearing burdens, is this your path?... "

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Chengfu remained silent for a long time, his mind filled with many thoughts, as if he had seen the sun and firelight... After a few breaths, he simply nodded vigorously and answered firmly.

"Yes, Master! 'To bring peace and prosperity to the people, to punish corrupt officials, to establish a just and peaceful world'! This is my path, our path. And we have only just begun our journey..."

"Um!…"

The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao nodded slightly, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. After a long while, he smiled and sighed.

“Chengfu, I have seen your path. Perhaps, this path truly has a way to be followed!”

"The righteous path of Heaven is one where everyone cherishes a heart devoted to doing good and saving people... My path differs from yours; I've gone too far to turn back. But I'm very happy today! Because I have a successor!..."

"Tao slave!"

"teacher?"

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Huh? I'll listen to Master!"

“Okay. From now on, you will be with Chengfu! His path is also your path, and the path of the people.”

The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao smiled and reached out to rub Gao Daonu's lowered forehead. Then, he turned to the side, patted Zhang Chengfu's shoulder, pointed south to the vast, withered fields, and said with a smile.

"Let's go! You have established your path, but you have seen too little of the world. Come with me south to Yuzhou. Let's meet the powerful families of Yuzhou, and also meet the leaders and chieftains of my Taiping Dao."

"And any ideas or suggestions you have can be discussed on the way..."

"Ah! Yes! Teacher!..."

Zhang Cheng bowed deeply. Then, he too looked south. The south was the land of late autumn and early winter, a desolate expanse of withered yellow. Pale clouds swirled, moving from Bai Zang to Xuan Ying, with dark mists staining the azure sky.
(End of this chapter)