Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 35 The Emperor's "New Business," the Born "Rebellious Saint Body"...

"O soul, return! May you find peace!"

"Ring ring... Ring ring!"

"Thump thump... thump thump!"

The shaman's chants echoed through the Duan family's manor. The banners summoning souls rattled in the biting wind. The sacrificial drums beat rhythmically, and strange, ghostly steps jingled the copper bells—everything seemed as desolate as in ancient times.

When Zhang Chengfu danced wearing the shaman mask, he always had a strange feeling, as if he were to summon the thunder from the heavens to sweep away all the injustices in the world!

His eyes, hidden beneath the mask, reflected the arrogant eunuchs, the sycophantic scholars, and the luxurious manor houses, their candles burning brightly all night. The faint red in his eyes, combined with the black dog's mask, made his movements both light and eerie, like a howling greyhound, seeking to sacrifice itself at the gates of the wealthy…

"O soul, return! Let us feast upon you with a simple meal!"

As the soul-summoning ritual drew to a close, a resounding shout from the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao echoed throughout the courtyard, causing his two disciples to abruptly cease their sacrificial dance and jointly light the yellow paper in their hands. Following this, a live sheep, bound by the Duan family servants, was brought forward as a "Shaolao" offering to the ancestors, a ritual corresponding to the standards for feudal lords and scholar-officials. The Great Teacher personally drew his knife and killed the sheep on the altar, the blood dripping into the brazier!

"Whoosh! Whoosh!..."

Then, two disciples wearing masks stepped forward and lit the paper talismans in the red brazier. The talismans danced and burned out in the brazier, emitting wisps of smoke and charred remains. As the smoke from the ritual rose, the soul banner above, as if possessing a spirit, suddenly snapped shut in the wind, a final prayer.

"May your soul rest in peace forever."

The ritual to summon the soul ended, and the distant voices in the courtyard became clear again. Zhang Chengfu lowered his head, removed his mask, and revealed a clean-cut young face. However, his eyes were downcast as he looked at the goat on the altar, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Sacrificial offerings are made to inform Heaven, Earth, and our ancestors... But the way of Heaven is to take from the surplus to give to the deficiency. If sacrifices are made for the common people of the world, then what should the offerings be?..."

This sudden thought, like a seed of lightning summoned during a ritual dance, was deeply hidden in the boy's heart. He showed no sign of anything amiss, holding the ancient mask and standing respectfully behind the Great Teacher.

Only after the three masters and disciples descended from the altar did an old man surnamed Duan, who had been waiting for a long time, step forward, dressed in the finest robes of a feudal lord, accompanied by two burly men carrying large boxes. He cupped his hands in greeting, pointed to the box in the first man's hand, and smiled at the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao.

"Master Zhang, we are deeply grateful for your kindness in summoning our souls, and we have no way to repay you! Today, we present a box of precious coins as a token of our gratitude and to show the sincerity of the Duan family!"

"How could I refuse such a kind offer from Lord Duan? It would be perfect for the Taiping Dao's relief efforts..."

Zhang Jiao smiled gently and returned the greeting with a bow. Then, he gestured for his disciple Gao Daonu to step forward and take the box given by the Duan family. Just as he was about to say some more polite words, the old man from the Duan family smiled and said again.

"Haha! You are truly a benevolent and compassionate person. Why don't you open this box and take a look at the precious coins inside?"

"Oh? You dare disobey!"

Upon hearing this abrupt invitation, Zhang Jiao paused slightly and looked at his youngest disciple, Zhang Chengfu.

"Chengfu, open the box..."

"promise!"

Zhang Chengfu nodded silently, carefully opening the large box and revealing a white light inside. Then, he paused, a look of confusion on his face.

At the very top of the box were two rare white deerskins. Each deerskin was rolled into a foot-long roll, decorated with colorful paintings, and tied with gold thread, appearing exceptionally exquisite. Beneath the deerskins lay hundreds, if not thousands, of white coins. These coins were ten times larger than Wuzhu coins, each engraved with a dragon image on its surface and strange runes on its reverse…

Strangely enough, Zhang Chengfu had never seen either of these two kinds of "treasure coins" before!

"Master, what is this...?"

"."

Upon seeing the "treasure coins" in the box, especially the white deerskin on top, Zhang Jiao paused, his pupils slightly contracting. After a moment's thought, he glanced at the proud and smug old man, Duan, and then, with surprise on his face, asked in a tone of admiration and respect.

"These two precious coins... could they be the legendary White Deerhide Coin of the Martial Emperor, and the Dragon Coin of the Platinum Grade Three?!"

"Hahaha! You have a good eye! Indeed, these are the white deer hide coins and platinum dragon coins that His Majesty the Emperor personally bestowed upon Prefect Duan!"

Old Master Duan laughed heartily, stepped forward, took a deerskin from the box, removed the gold thread, and unfolded it so that all the guests in the hall could see it clearly.

"White deer skin coins from the reign of Emperor Wu! Made from the skin of an auspicious white deer, with exquisitely painted borders, they were a generous gift given to feudal lords as tribute! At the time of Emperor Wu, one coin was worth 40 coins! And the emperor bestowed ten of them upon my lord at once!..."

Old Master Duan paced around the courtyard, showing off the white deer-skin coin, before returning to take out the platinum dragon coin. He then raised the dragon coin again, displaying it to the guests.

"The platinum dragon coin from Emperor Wu's reign! Made of platinum, engraved with dragon patterns and borders, it circulated throughout the land! At Emperor Wu's time, one coin was worth 3 large coins! And the emperor bestowed upon my lord a hundred strings of cash at a time!..."

"The Emperor's favor towards my family's magistrate is unparalleled; these generous rewards are but a drop in the ocean! Since you all have come to participate in the clan elders' sacrificial ceremony, it signifies your goodwill towards the Duan family. I am deeply grateful and wish to announce to you all..."

"From this day forward, not only can officials be bought in counties and prefectures, but even those wanted in Luoyang for serious crimes can be acquitted by the Duan family through money! As long as it's not a heinous crime, even a death sentence, the Duan family can plead with the emperor for leniency. Prices are clearly marked, and there's no deception! Of course, those who commit heinous crimes and whose crimes are unforgivable are not included here!..."

"?!"

This sudden announcement startled everyone in the court, who exchanged bewildered glances. But soon, some scholars reacted and repeatedly offered their congratulations to the Duan family.

"He Duan's high family!"

"Lord Duan is trusted by the Emperor and is truly a great minister of the realm!"

"The emperor's virtue extends throughout the land, and he pardons the common people!"

"Lord Duan is the first in the world to act!"

Old Master Duan stood tall and proud, like a triumphant tiger or leopard, surveying the fawning crowd in the courtyard. Among them were many from humble backgrounds, and even scions of powerful families. But thirty years ago, when Duan Gui was no longer favored in the palace, what was the Duan family? Merely a destitute commoner.

Such was the emperor's authority; a single word could elevate an entire clan. And the eunuch clan was the emperor's most loyal henchman, controlling a region for him! He could sell official positions at will, and accept bribes without consequence. Half the profits were given to the emperor, and the other half remained within the clan… Wasn't this far more loyal, diligent, and useful than those powerful families who owned vast tracts of land but paid no taxes?
"."

Seeing this astonishing scene, even someone with Zhang Chengfu's composure couldn't help but be shocked. He couldn't help but look at his master and whisper.

"Teacher... is this a way to pay money to get out of trouble?"

"Yes, that's the usual practice in the court. It's just that before, it was always done in private, never with such fanfare. Five or six years ago, when I was first wanted, I escaped punishment in Luoyang by finding the Zhao family, a powerful clan from Anping..."

As he spoke, the great teacher Zhang Jiao stroked his short beard and sighed softly.

"It seems that years of disasters and plagues have depleted the court's tax revenue, and selling official positions is no longer enough. The emperor still needs money, so he has extended this practice of paying to escape punishment to the entire country, and entrusted it to his most trusted eunuch clans..."

"."

Zhang Cheng remained silent, only feeling that the Han court was increasingly showing signs of the dynasty's decline.

The Zuo Zhuan states, "Only fame and position cannot be lent to others." Yet, the court's practice is that "fame," "position," and even "crime" can all be sold! Extending this further, wouldn't it allow them to directly label aristocratic families, merchants, and wealthy households with crimes and then demand money for redemption? No wonder the Zhao family, the iron merchants of Handan, were so eager to seek the Taiping Dao as their patron… "Hahaha! My Duan family is honest and trustworthy, young and old alike! Whatever crimes you wish to clear, send the money as soon as possible! After the first day of the first lunar month, we will send an envoy to deliver two months' worth of petitions to the palace. And after the first month, the next time you can be cleared will be three months later!…"

"Remember! The Emperor has decreed that all crimes can be redeemed, except for those who are partisans or commit treason! If your petition involves any partisan individuals, do not conceal it when you come to plead... Otherwise, don't say we took your money but didn't help you escape punishment! Do you all understand?...

After showing off his new "business" to everyone, Old Man Duan leisurely turned back. Then, pointing to the box of precious coins, he smiled and said to Zhang Jiao.

"Hahaha! Master Zhang, are you satisfied with this generous gift of precious coins?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao gave a wry smile. He shook his head and waved his hand.

"These imperial gifts are far too precious... This humble Taoist priest, a recluse, dares not accept them, nor can he afford to spend them!"

"Haha! You're too modest! Very well, very well! Then I'll take this box!"

As he spoke, Old Master Duan waved his hand, instructing the servants to retrieve the first box of coins and present the second prepared box.

"Tao slave..."

"promise!"

Gao Daonu took the box, weighed it in his hand, and found it to be less than 30 jin (a unit of weight). He wondered how much money could be contained inside. Zhang Chengfu opened the wooden box again with his eyes wide open, and the golden and silver precious metal luster flashed in everyone's eyes once more!

"These are... gold and silver coins?!"

The glittering gold and silver made Zhang Chengfu tilt his head. Then, looking sideways, he saw eight small golden round cakes and hundreds of small silver round cakes, all neatly stacked in the box. At that moment, he held his breath, seeing so much real gold and silver for the first time!

"Hahaha! Master, please look! The gold ingots weigh one jin and are worth ten thousand coins, totaling eight! The Zhuti silver ingots weigh eight liang and are worth one thousand six hundred coins, totaling one hundred! Thus, one hundred and eight ingots are auspicious, worth two hundred and forty thousand coins. This is the gift from my Duan family to you, Master... Are you satisfied, Master?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu lowered his eyes, silently calculating in his mind. Eighty thousand coins of gold, sixteen thousand coins of silver, totaling two hundred and forty thousand coins! And the current market price for a head of cattle is only two thousand five hundred coins. This box of money is for ninety-six head of cattle? ...

Wow! For just one day of sacrificial rites, the Duan family gifted 96 oxen! This kind of generosity is far more extravagant than that of the powerful families of Ji Province!
However, this is understandable. Unlike established families that valued farming and scholarship, this "extravagance" was simply the "status" that the newly emerging Duan family, a powerful clan of officials, used to establish themselves in the prefectures and counties. And the Duan family's means of making money—selling official positions and offering acquittals from the imperial court—were far beyond what farming could achieve…

"I will remember the merits of the Duan family and will certainly burn incense and pray for their blessings!"

Seeing such a generous gift, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao remained unmoved, merely smiling and bowing in return. Old Master Duan nodded smugly and invited Zhang Jiao to stay a few more days to divine the fate and fortune of his clan. Then, with a slight bow, he arrogantly went to face the scholars and merchants who had come seeking his advice.

The day's sacrificial ceremony, with its many sights and sounds, left him physically exhausted and mentally agitated. Zhang Chengfu sat cross-legged on the soft couch in the side room, a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind. This kind of silk couch, typical of grand families, was completely unfamiliar to him, and far removed from his usual simple life, as if separated by an unreal, thick barrier.

Zhang Jiao, the Great Teacher of Virtue, sat calmly on the other side, taking a sip of medicinal tea from Sichuan. At this time, tea leaves were very precious, and they were boiled together with spices such as scallions, ginger, and orange peel before being made into medicinal tea.

As for Gao Daonu, he was dumbfounded, clutching the box containing 24 coins, his mind preoccupied with calculating how many cattle, how many bushels of grain, and how many disaster victims this money could buy.

"Chengfu, your mind is in turmoil... Here, have a bowl of herbal tea!"

"Yes, teacher..."

The bitter tea, blended with the rich flavors of spices, cleared his mind. Zhang Chengfu exhaled a long breath of hot air, feeling refreshed, when he heard his master ask gently.

"Having met the Duan family eunuchs and witnessed the most prestigious aspects of this powerful clan... what do you think?"

"Disciple...disciple only feels that the world is unjust, and there is fire in my heart. Disciple lived in the countryside before, and never imagined that the gap between the rich and the poor, the arrogance of powerful clans, and the perverse rule of the government could be to this extent!"

Zhang Chengfu pursed his lips, his eyes deep and cold, and said in a low voice.

"Heaven above! These great clans have mansions spanning miles, illuminated day and night, and possess wealth amounting to tens of millions of coins. They take every last penny and spend it like dirt! This 'equal distribution of wealth' was originally just a slogan in my mind. But now, I finally understand what 'equal distribution of wealth' truly means and how to achieve it."

"Taking every last penny, using it like dirt... Hmm, what a vivid description!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao looked up at the young disciple, nodded and smiled, and then spoke again.

"Besides the phrase 'the world is at peace,' what other thoughts do you have about these eunuch families? Scholars often say that the evils of eunuch families are the root of all the ills in the country... What is your opinion on that?"

"Teacher, these eunuchs are indeed greedy. But in reality, they are the continuation of the emperor's power, the emperor's outstretched hand! What they do is nothing more than the emperor's will! Whether it's selling official positions or accepting bribes to escape punishment, they are all accumulating wealth for the emperor, transporting money from the provinces to Luoyang and to the Western Garden! And in essence, this is still a struggle between the emperor and the powerful clans! Just as the emperor said, all crimes can be forgiven, except for partisans and traitors, who cannot be pardoned..."

At this point, Zhang Chengfu rubbed his temples and continued.

"The emperor has consistently failed to collect taxes from the powerful clans. Meanwhile, the original tax revenue from the prefectures and counties is being swallowed up by these expanding and annexing lands. He's left with no choice but to resort to such desperate measures to collect money, and he's cultivated a group of officials under the eunuchs' control to fight tooth and nail with the aristocratic families!..."

"Those who buy their way into office will inevitably try to recoup their losses while in office. Those who pay to escape punishment will act even more recklessly. The eunuchs, as the emperor's hands, are fighting with the aristocratic families for the power to exploit the common people! And the more intense this struggle, like in Jiyin County, the more likely the government will be corrupt and perverse, with displaced people and firewood everywhere. Such places are also where my Taiping Dao can most easily develop!..."

"Hmm, not bad! Chengfu, you always manage to see through these layers of appearances to the essence of the world!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao, the great teacher, showed satisfaction and appreciation in his eyes. Then, he leisurely recounted the history of the past few decades, presenting it in a clear outline to his two disciples.

"In fact, in the Jiyin area, there was not only a struggle between eunuchs and gentry, but also a struggle between the maternal relatives of the emperor! First, General Liang Ji asked to be enfeoffed in this place. Later, Hou Lan, a confidant of Emperor Huan and a high-ranking eunuch, participated in the killing of Liang Ji and was enfeoffed as a marquis in Jiyin and established his clan. Hou Lan also recommended Duan Gui, a fellow townsman of Jiyin, to the palace and promoted him greatly."

"Later, Inspector Zhang Jian accused Hou Lan of murdering his mother. Hou Lan was furious and pursued him relentlessly. Zhang Jian sought refuge with various gentry families, resulting in the execution of dozens of such families by the court! Subsequently, public resentment against Hou Lan boiled over. The emperor, who had only been on the throne for a few years, ordered Hou Lan's execution and the extermination of his entire clan, while simultaneously refusing to pardon Zhang Jian, thus expanding the purge of partisans..."

"Once Hou Lan, the 'hand of the previous dynasty,' is removed, the emperor raises Duan Gui, the 'hand of the current dynasty,' to continue accumulating wealth for him and suppressing the gentry of Yanzhou! It can be said that the struggle between the emperor and the eunuchs who represent him, and between the maternal relatives and the gentry, all lie within the fabric of this Jiyin region!..."

"The Ji River flows eastward, witnessing the shifting of the imperial mandate and the decline of the empire over the decades. The current emperor, Liu Hong, is no incompetent ruler. Yet, he is wise enough to reject advice, eloquent enough to cover up his mistakes, greedy enough to ruin the country, and desirous enough to destroy himself... Just as you said, one day, when the emperor dies and the new emperor is still young, the eunuchs' apparent power will be easily defeated. And when the powerful clans rise up and eliminate the eunuchs who are close to the emperor, then the Han Dynasty will perish here!"

After saying this, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao shook his head. He looked at his young disciple Zhang Chengfu with gentle eyes and said finally.

"The will of Heaven is set! The Ji River surges forth, heading towards the Great Wild Marsh... Chengfu, haven't you been thinking about the Great Wild Marsh all this time? I'll be staying at the Duan Family Manor for a few more days. You can take Dao Nu and the three Jiang brothers on horseback to the Great Wild Marsh to see it for yourself! But this time, you must be sure to restrain your killing intent..."

"Yes, sir! I will obey your orders, teacher!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng bowed respectfully. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at his master, Zhang Jiao, and said...

“Teacher… I met someone at the banquet who is capable of participating in a rebellion. He is currently the Assistant Magistrate of Dong’e County in Dongjun… He wants to join my Taiping Dao. Could you please let me meet him and have him wear a yellow turban?”

"He's familiar with the area around Ohnosawa, and we'll definitely need a guide who knows the place well to go see it in person..."

"Hmm? In just one day, you've found another person who can participate in the uprising? And he's even a county magistrate from Dong'e County in Dongjun?"

The Great Teacher looked surprised, stared at Zhang Chengfu for a while, and then sighed helplessly.

"Alright! Bring him to meet me!"

(End of this chapter)