Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 33 Arriving in Yanzhou, let's first see the power of the eunuchs!

In mid-November, the vast land of Qilu was filled with the desolation of the winter solstice. The ground was cold and the sky was heavy, snow covered the plains, and the remaining ridges lay like ink lines across the white fields. Snow weighed down the branches, white silk hung down, and the mulberry groves looked like white birds that had shed their feathers. This was the deep winter of Yanzhou.

The winter snow gradually stopped, and the Taiping Dao group followed the Ji River into Dingtao County, Jiyin. Along the official road, the undulating mounds of graves had not decreased but rather increased. The dirt road was frozen, the ruts of carts were shallow, and instead of seeing farmers going to market, one could see the corpses of the starving lying on the ground. Further away, withered wormwood swayed in the wind, no smoke rose from the village houses, and not even the sobbing of cries could be heard.

"The Ji River flows west to the Yellow River and east to the Daye Marsh. Jiyin was the ancient state of Tao, the 'center of the world'... This year, a great plague struck, and the counties and kingdoms of Yanzhou, which are connected to the north and south of the Ji River, were naturally among the hardest hit. The common people suffered countless deaths and injuries. Then came a drought, and refugees were everywhere; countless people died of cold and hunger..."

Standing on the banks of the Ji River, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao gazed at both sides of the river. Several years ago, when he came to Yanzhou to preach, the place was bustling with people, and farmers were happily going to the market with their dogs. But now, after three major epidemics in five years, coupled with floods and droughts, all that remained were desolate villages and deathly silence.

"Tao was the center of the world... This is where Tao Zhugong (Fan Li) conducted trade throughout the land. And 'Jiyin County of Caozhou is the ancient Dingtao,' this is also Cao County, the 'center of the world'... Wow! So, this is what Cao County looked like 1,800 years ago!..."

Zhang Chengfu looked around and saw no trace of past prosperity, only desolation. The south side of a mountain and the north side of a river are considered "yang" (positive), so "Jiyin" refers to the south of the Ji River. The Ji River is a lower tributary of the Yellow River, flowing eastward. After passing Dingtao County, it merges into the vast "Dayeze," which would later become Liangshan Marsh, hundreds of years later.

“Chengfu, since the outbreak of the great plague this year, your second master uncle has brought his disciples to Yanzhou and Qingzhou to provide relief and assistance. He should be at the border between Yanzhou and Qingzhou right now. We've come here to meet with him. And also, the chieftains of Yanzhou and Qingzhou…”

"This meeting is ostensibly to worship the Eastern Peak Emperor and pray for the cessation of the plague and for a drought-free and disaster-free year... In reality, we also need to properly discuss with the leaders and chieftains of Yanzhou and Qingzhou the matter of launching an uprising in the year of Jiazi!... The year of Jiazi is auspicious for the world. Yanzhou and Qingzhou are also places where our Taiping Dao has a great influence and many believers, so we need to plan ahead!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu's spirits lifted, and his expression turned solemn. So his second martial uncle, Zhang Bao, was here! And this time, he was here to finalize the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qing and Yan provinces!
This second martial uncle was not only exceptionally skilled in medicine, but also adept at organizing Daoist followers, consistently demonstrating remarkable talent in establishing the Taiping Dao (Way of Peace). The Taiping Dao in Yanzhou and Qingzhou was able to develop rapidly and take deep root in the Qilu region. Furthermore, the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou persisted until the Jian'an era… all of this was inseparable from this second martial uncle's deeply ingrained preaching.

"Master! Regarding the uprising, I have a humble opinion. Yanzhou has the Great Wild Marsh, hundreds of miles of waterways and marshes, surrounded by muddy paths and a network of waterways. This is a crucial hub for water transport between Yanzhou and Qingzhou, threatening several major rivers. This is a key location for the uprising, just like Liyang, Yecheng, and Handan!..."

Speaking of the natural advantage of Onozawa for rebellion, Zhang Chengfu's eyes shone brightly, and he already had a clear idea in his mind.

“Back in the late Qin Dynasty, Peng Yue, one of the three generals of the early Han Dynasty, raised his army here. He first relied on the terrain to hold back the Qin army from suppressing the rebellion, and later he was able to repeatedly contend with Xiang Yu, the King of Chu… The development of Taiping Dao in Yanzhou should focus on this place, not the flat and open Dongjun!”

"Once the uprising begins, the Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou's primary task is not to fight against the Han border troops, but to maintain their own continuity. As long as they can conduct guerrilla warfare around Dayeze, disrupt the government army's grain requisition in Yanzhou, and continuously threaten the supply lines, they will buy more time for the uprising in Jizhou in the north!"

"If the government troops press too hard, they can escape east into Mount Tai, join forces with the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, and wage guerrilla warfare against the government troops in the Mount Tai range! When the main force of the government troops is about to move north, they can return west and continue to the advantageous terrain of Daye Marsh to harass the government troops' rear water transport..."

"... "

Looking at his disciple, whose eyes were firm and whose mind was full of armed struggle, uprising and rebellion, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao stroked his short beard, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

“Chengfu, you can reconsider your idea… After we meet with the leaders of Qingyan, you can tell them about it. This is also a good opportunity for them to formally introduce you!”

"Well, but before that, we need to go to Dingtao to visit a prominent family."

"Ah? What kind of powerful clan requires you, Master, to visit them personally? Is it a prefectural governor or a provincial governor?"

"He is not a prefect or governor, but he is better than a prefect or governor."

The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao smiled and said calmly.

"It is the Duan family of Jiyin."

"The Duan family of Jiyin?"

Zhang Chengfu paused for a moment, then, after a long recollection, asked in surprise.

"Master, I only know of the Dong family and the Wu family of Jiyin, but I have never heard of any great family, the Duan family?..."

"Well, the Dong family of Jiyin currently has a young man named Dong Zhao who has been recommended for the civil service examination and is serving as the magistrate of Yintao County in my Julu Prefecture. It's not surprising that you've heard of him. But you also know about the Wu family of Jiyin? You are indeed quite knowledgeable."

The great teacher Zhang Jiao smiled and looked at his exceptionally talented disciple, teasingly saying.

"However, since you know about the Wu family of Jiyin but not the renowned Duan family of Jiyin... this extensive knowledge seems rather biased and strange. Perhaps you should think about it again?"

"Master, please just tell me directly! My mind is sometimes good, sometimes bad; sometimes I'm clever, and sometimes I'm incredibly stupid..."

"Ha, you're not stupid at all. I've never seen a boy smarter than you..."

The Great Teacher smiled and shook his head, then his expression turned serious, and he said solemnly.

"The Duan family of Jiyin is the family of Duan Gui, one of the Ten Attendants! Currently, Duan Gui is as famous as Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, and they are the three most trusted eunuchs in front of the emperor. The Duan family practically controls everything in Jiyin County, and their influence extends to the entire Yanzhou Prefecture!"

"During my trip to Jiyin in Yanzhou, I will definitely need to visit the Duan family. Just like later when I go to Yingchuan in Yuzhou, the Zhang family of Yingchuan is Zhang Rang's family, and I will also need to pay them a personal visit. As for Zhao Zhong's family in Anping Kingdom in Jizhou, they have always maintained good relations with my Taiping Dao..."

“Yuan Yi and Tang Zhou were aware of these dealings with the eunuchs, but I haven't told you and Dao Nu. Therefore, even if that person went to Luoyang and denounced my master, the matter wouldn't reach the emperor's ears; the eunuchs would have suppressed it directly…”

Hearing this, Zhang Chengfu was greatly surprised. Standing by the surging Ji River, he looked at Zhang Jiao, who had a serious expression on his face, and asked...

“Master, how come our Taiping Dao is also so closely associated with the eunuchs? Aren’t the aristocratic factions and the eunuchs supposed to be mortal enemies? How can you, Master, maintain good relations with both sides at the same time?” “I’m sorry, both the aristocracy and the eunuchs hope to know their destiny and understand their own fate. They all have ‘spirits and souls’ to which they place their hopes. Aristocratic families have passed down classical studies, but they are also extremely obsessed with celestial phenomena, divination, and prophecies, and they need us to perform divination.”

"The eunuchs, lacking classical learning, valued fate and destiny more. Because they were rootless, their bodies and families entirely at the emperor's mercy… They lacked inner peace and needed us to reveal their destiny and soothe their hearts. Even if all of this was ultimately illusory…"

On the banks of the Ji River, the great teacher Zhang Jiao gazed at the great river and spoke in a low voice, as if he had seen through the hearts of people in the world.

“Chengfu, I’ve thought a lot these past few days, including our conversation in the temple… We are neither aristocratic nor eunuchs; we don’t stand on either side, and we don’t participate in the power struggles of the Han Dynasty. Just as you said before, the aristocratic and eunuch factions are locked in a life-or-death struggle, and the power struggle between powerful families and the emperor is even more intense and cruel. The state of the Han Dynasty is deteriorating day by day in the struggle for power between these two factions…”

"Then who are we? We are followers of the Tao, who follow the Way of Heaven to save the people. Whether we are Taoists or Yellow Turbans, we only hope to save more ordinary people in this world and change the world as much as possible!"

"And it is precisely for this reason that we have been able to be on good terms with both sides. In their eyes, our Way of Peace is harmless, and the common people are nothing but lambs, mere tools for them to achieve their goals... But we have also stepped forward, standing on the side of the common people! We donned yellow turbans and set the year of Jiazi for our uprising, ultimately to overthrow this cannibalistic world and shatter the foundation upon which the aristocracy, eunuchs, and the emperor prey on people!..."

"Overthrowing and breaking down the old world is never the end point of our Way of Great Peace. Remember, our Way is not to kill, but to save! ... Only by establishing the Great Peace of the Yellow Heaven and truly establishing a new world can the people survive from hardship, hunger, cold, and disease, and can they also attain the Way!"

The mighty river flows eastward, its waves washing away the tears of the people. On the banks of the Ji River, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao gazed into the distance. To the east, he saw not Mount Tai, but only undulating mounds of graves; to the north, he saw not the Yellow River, but only barren fields. Zhang Chengfu, Gao Daonu, the young Daoist Zhao Jun, and dozens of followers of the Way of Peace stood behind him. They gazed for a long time, as if looking at a peaceful world that existed only in their imagination.

At this moment, Zhang Chengfu remained silent. His emotions were surging, and two sentences suddenly came to mind.

Confucius, standing by a river, said, "Time flows on like this river, never ceasing. If I could hear the Way in the morning, I could die content in the evening..."

Two days had passed in the blink of an eye since they began their search for the Dao by the Ji River. As the winter solstice approached and the Lesser Cold arrived, the group passed through Dingtao County and reached Chengwu County. Then, the Great Teacher, wearing a yellow turban and donning an elaborate Daoist robe, appeared in the western suburbs of Chengwu County with his disciples.

It was dusk, and the fields on the outskirts of the city were covered with a thick layer of frost, even the ditches were frozen with a thin layer of ice. Although it wasn't dark yet, the Duan family manor in the western suburbs was already brightly lit, even brighter than dusk itself!

"Look, this is the southern residence of the Duan family, the most coveted place in the entire Jiyin County."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu looked over and saw the Duan family manor, with its high walls and spacious residences stretching for several miles, adorned with numerous brightly lit lanterns. Even from two miles away, one could see the manor's lights, hear the faint sounds of string and wind instruments and women's music emanating from within, and smell the aromas of wine and meat wafting through the air.

"Awooo! Awooo!"

The manor's hunting dogs barked intermittently, alerting their masters to the arrival of the carriages. The tracks left by passing carriages at the front and back gates of the magnificent manor had pressed the snow-covered ground to a gleaming, icy surface. One carriage after another rolled in, snowflakes clinging to the horses' manes, their wheels creaking, clearly indicating the heavy loads they carried.

"It is an honor for me to pay my respects to the Duan family of Jiyin!"

Visitors dressed as scholars and wealthy merchants would occasionally alight from their carriages and bow respectfully to the servants guarding the estate. The servants, dressed in scholar's attire, held their heads high and carried account books. They would glance at the carriages from time to time, meticulously recording something.

In fact, this astonishingly large manor, known as the "Southern Residence," was headed by Duan Gui, a high-ranking official who was also respectfully addressed as "Lord Duan." Although he resided in the central province of Luoyang for a long time, his clan had established a strong foothold in Chengwu, Jiyin, and their power was among the greatest in Jiyin Prefecture and even the entire Yanzhou!

The vast fields on both sides of the manor, amounting to at least 100,000 mu, also belonged to the Duan family. Compared to the Yuan family of Runan, one of the most prestigious aristocratic families, the Duan family was in no way inferior in terms of extravagance and wealth!

"Let's go! I had arranged with the Duan family beforehand to perform a Buddhist ritual for them. It's to ward off disaster and pray for blessings, and also to pray for the souls of the Duan family elders who died from the plague..."

“Chengfu, Daonu, you two will also participate in this ritual. Especially Chengfu, you can take a good look at what these eunuchs, who make up a third of the Han court and rival the gentry, are really like!”

The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao smiled slightly and led the group toward the Duan Family Manor. Zhang Chengfu remained silent, following behind his master, a black dog mask now in his hand. Soon, the manor, ablaze with fire and adorned with vibrant flowers, came into view.

Even from this distance, Zhang Chengfu's excellent eyesight allowed him to clearly see that almost every heavy carriage was filled with long, rectangular boxes. Several strong men needed to lift those boxes to unload them. And the clear, clanging sound from within the boxes was unmistakably…

"Master? That voice?! These... these boxes are filled with copper coins? How much money is in one box? Tens of thousands of coins? A cartload? Hundreds of thousands of coins? So many cartloads, could it be millions, tens of millions of coins?!..."

Gao Daonu exclaimed in surprise, and Zhang Chengfu's eyes widened suddenly. Zhang Jiao paused slightly, stroked his short beard, pointed to the gentry, wealthy families, and merchants in front of the carriages, and said calmly.

"That's right, these carriages are all filled with money. This is money for the Duan family, and also money for the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu's eyes flickered, and a startling guess surfaced in his mind. He opened his mouth in a dry voice and asked in a low voice.

"Master, these people are delivering money truckload after truckload... could it be to buy... buy?..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao turned his head, gave Zhang Chengfu a deep look, and nodded.

"You guessed right, this is buying an official position!"

"Positions of 1,000 shi or above, and those in prestigious positions in prefectures and counties, are sold by the Emperor himself in the Western Garden of Luoyang. But those below 1,000 shi, such as county magistrates, county commandants, and clerks of all ranks in prefectures and counties... can be sold by their families in local prefectures and counties on their own!"

"However, the money obtained from selling official positions must be shared with the emperor!..."

(End of this chapter)