Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 37 Ōnozawa and Mount Tai, the base of the Qingyan Yellow Turbans

The Great Lake stretches over 300 li from north to south and 100-200 li from east to west. Standing on the western side of the Great Lake, the group could see the vast expanse of water and sky merging seamlessly into the horizon. The lake was so wide that its end could not be seen, its surface shimmering only under the glow of the setting sun.

As you get closer to the Great Swamp, it becomes a mix of water and land, varying in depth and shallow in area, with low-lying wetlands interspersed with large areas of reeds, duckweed, and marshes.

"Yo! Yo!~~"

Listening to the birdsong, and looking up at the sky, one could see flocks of egrets, wild ducks, and geese rising and falling. They emitted long, clear calls, fanning up salty, damp winds as they flew over the heads of the crowd, leaving only a "lucky" object falling from the sky. Then, this "lucky" object, with incredible precision and rapid growth, struck Zhang Chengfu squarely on the forehead as he looked up, leaving him dumbfounded.

"Uh! A wild goose?!..."

"Ahem! My lord, do not take down your bow and arrow, do not shoot, do not shoot... This 'bird falling' into the head is considered an auspicious omen in the land of Qi and Lu! As the saying goes, 'Auspicious omens falling from the sky are unexpected blessings.' With such good fortune, joyous events are sure to follow!..."

Wang Du explained with a smile, looking congratulatory. Zhang Chengfu, holding his hunting bow, estimated the bird's height to be fifty or sixty paces, and reluctantly let go, wiping the "bird's breath" from his forehead. Then, smelling the salty dampness and the scent of birds, he looked around the shore of the Great Wild Marsh, watching the withered yellow reeds sprouting from the thin layer of snow, stretching to the distant horizon, and couldn't help but sigh with a sense of melancholy.

"Wild geese fly high and joyful birds land, reeds scatter light white for a thousand miles... This vast marshland is truly boundless and open, its depths indistinguishable!"

"Yes! What you say is absolutely right, sir! This Great Wilderness Marsh is unpredictable, and the most difficult thing is finding one's way, especially since the depth is hard to fathom. Don't be fooled by the vast expanse of reeds stretching for tens or even hundreds of miles along the shore; what lies beneath the reeds is all different! Some areas have solid mud underneath, some have hollow puddles, and many more are deep swamps. Look at this patch, for example; the bottom is hollow, and if you step on it, you'll sink halfway down!..."

As he spoke, Wang Du picked up a branch and poked it into a patch of reeds. Sure enough, the branch sank in most of the way, without even touching the bottom. Then, he smiled and said...

"If you don't know the path and wander aimlessly, your legs will get stuck in the mud and you won't be able to get out easily. You might even be swallowed up by the swamp! Right now it's autumn and winter, the water level is low, and the mud is frozen solid, so it's still passable, but you can't ride a horse. If it's spring and summer, the water level rises, the swamp expands, and the ponds become muddy... then the only way to pass through this place will be by boat! And even large boats can't pass, you can only row small boats..."

“Indeed! I see that the Great Wilderness Marsh is vast and interconnected. The reeds are dense, making the roads difficult to find. There are many swamps, making it impossible to ride horses. The terrain is complex, making it difficult for large armies to pass through, and even impossible to wear armor... No wonder that King Peng Yue of Liang was able to rely on this place to fight against the invincible elite troops of Qin and Chu for decades!”

Upon seeing the swampy landscape of the Great Wilderness Marsh with his own eyes, Zhang Chengfu was in high spirits and smiled as he spoke to Wang Du.

"My lord, isn't this precisely the greatest advantage of the Great Wild Marsh? Only locals familiar with the terrain and skilled in swimming can traverse this marsh with ease. Those unfamiliar with the terrain, even powerful armies coming to conquer, will be left helpless! What's even more remarkable is that armor and horses become burdens here; the army's formation is restricted by the swamp and water, unable to unleash its full potential in battle!..."

"This kind of terrain is naturally conducive to the weak defeating the strong, allowing one to entangle with a powerful opponent and still preserve their own position!..."

"Huh? A punitive army? To defeat a stronger force and preserve themselves?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Du paused, then his expression changed several times as he seemed to be deep in thought. He remained silent for a moment before forcing a smile.

"My lord, the strategic advantage of this Great Wild Marsh is shared by villages and people within a hundred li. The sentiments of the people in the Qi-Lu region are quite different now than they were at the end of the Qin Dynasty!..."

"Your Majesty, the people's hearts are restless, and so is the will of Heaven. If there is a three-year drought, then the people will have no choice. However, your warning is correct! Although there aren't many powerful clans within a hundred miles of this great swamp, there are still some. They know the terrain well, and if they lead the way, it will indeed be a problem. We must deal with them as soon as possible!"

Zhang Chengfu smiled and said a few words, then stopped there. He glanced at the vast marshland, which was not yet frozen or covered in frost and snow, and after a moment's thought, recited two lines of Chu poetry.

"The marshland is vast and the winds are strong; the reeds are deep and the waterways are obscured... Hmm, hmm... What a magnificent marshland!"

He paused halfway through reciting the poem, clearly lacking inspiration. The young man pressed his temples, gave an embarrassed smile, and said to Wang Du.

"Your Majesty is very knowledgeable. Can you teach me anything from the story of the Great Wild Marsh?"

"Ahem! The story of Dayeze? Of course it exists. The earliest story behind this first line is found in the *Yu Gong* (Tribute of Yu): 'When Dayeze was filled, the bottom of the Eastern Plain was leveled.' After Yu the Great dredged the waterways, making Dayeze a large lake that collected water from all directions, the flooding of the Eastern Plain was thus relieved. Therefore, Dayeze is the most concave area in the entire Qilu region! Rivers from all directions flow into it, making Dayeze a well-connected area..."

Wang Du straightened his chest slightly, looked around at the vast lake, his gaze passing over the faintly visible herds of deer and wild boars, and sighed solemnly.

"And during the Spring and Autumn Period, the most famous story about Daye Marsh was naturally Confucius's 'Capture of the Qilin'! Seven hundred years ago, Duke Ai of Lu went on a western hunt at Daye Marsh, and his retinue of the Shusun clan captured a 'Qilin' (a mythical creature). Confucius rushed to stop them upon hearing the news, but only saw the 'death of the Qilin'..."

"When Confucius saw this celestial omen, he regarded it as a great misfortune. He prostrated himself on the ground and wept bitterly, shouting, 'The appearance of the unicorn and his death signify the end of my Way!' Afterward, Confucius stopped writing the Spring and Autumn Annals, stopped accepting disciples, and died in depression a little over a year later. Then, the chaotic world of strife and turmoil began!"

"Therefore, before the chaos of the world arrives, there must be omens! The death of auspicious omens is the birth of ominous signs, the beginning of a chaotic era. And in these past few years, the world has been plagued by solar eclipses, earthquakes, and rampant plagues... Just as the Great Teacher of Wisdom said, Heaven is dead! The Han Dynasty's fate is sealed!..."

Hearing Wang Du's heartfelt sentiments, Zhang Chengfu nodded, lost in thought and remained silent. Although he used divination and celestial phenomena as evidence to explain the workings of destiny, he did not, like the scholars of the time, truly believe in this doctrine.

At this moment, having witnessed the terrain of Dayeze firsthand, all he could think about was how to start a rebellion! He wanted the Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou and Qingzhou to use the complex terrain, with Dayeze and the Taishan mountain area as their core, to establish a base capable of resisting the government army's suppression!
"The terrain of Dayeze consists of lakes, swamps, reed beds, and hills. This area is highly concealed, with crisscrossing waterways connecting to the heart of Yanzhou, posing a threat to the government army's food and logistics in Henan. The downside is that there is not much room for maneuver, and there are not many places where it is safe to farm."

"The terrain of the Taishan area consists of forests, mountains, and valleys, guarding the vital passage connecting Qing and Yan provinces. It is extremely easy to defend and difficult to attack, and its area is also more expansive, allowing for the cultivation of fields and the settlement of villages. This is why the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the Taishan area lasted the longest, persisting for a full two or three decades. However, the Taishan area is located in a remote corner, and its impact on the overall situation in the Central Plains was relatively limited..."

"If these two places could be connected during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the amount of government troops that could be involved, the impact on the political situation, and the time that could be sustained would all increase significantly! But how can Ono Marsh and the Taishan mountain area be linked together?"

After a long while, Zhang Chengfu stroked his smooth chin and asked thoughtfully.

"Lord Wang, you have long been in the land of Qi and Lu and are familiar with the terrain... Do you know what key locations are there in order to connect the Daye Marsh in Yanzhou with the Taishan mountain area and enable communication between them?"

"Hmm, the Taishan mountain area? That must be Taishan Prefecture. From Dayeze to Taishan Prefecture, there are Shanyang Prefecture, Dongping Kingdom, and Rencheng Kingdom in between... Let me think, the terrain of Taishan is complex, so there are actually only two routes from Dayeze to Taishan Prefecture, one to the south and one to the north!"

Wang Du, with his short beard flowing and a thoughtful glint in his eyes, answered in detail.

"The northern route is naturally the Wen River! The Wen River flows mightily, branching off into the Quan River. Hills and ridges interspersed, with the road flanking the mountains. The Taishan mountain area is upstream; following the Wen River, passing through Dongping Kingdom, to reach Daye Marsh is the most convenient route! Going upstream from Daye Marsh to the Taishan mountain area is slightly slower, but still much more convenient than the land route..."

“This Wenshui North Road is located in the core of the Taishan mountain area, which should be Liangfu! From Liangfu, head east to Yishui, and you can easily go east to Xuzhou.”

"Oh? Onozawa—Wenshui—Liangfu?"

Upon hearing this route, Zhang Chengfu recalled for a long time and realized that this was the same route Cao Cao took during his second campaign against Xuzhou. Could the so-called Southern Route be the Kangfu Route that Cao Cao took during his first campaign against Xuzhou, which nearly led to the annihilation of his entire army?

"My lord, the Southern Road you speak of, could it be the Kangfu Road?" "That's right! It is the Kangfu Road!"

Wang Du was somewhat surprised and nodded in response.

"This southern route first goes from Daye Marsh to Rencheng Kingdom, then east along the Kangfu Road to Taishan County. When I was a county official, I went to Rencheng Kingdom twice... The Kangfu Road looks easy, but it's actually extremely difficult to travel. On both sides, there are many hills and low mountains, while in the middle, there are mudflats and swamps. More importantly, the surrounding area is densely forested, and there are hardly any villages or settlements in sight..."

"However, once you cross Kangfu Road and travel a hundred li, the view suddenly opens up. You can see tributaries of the Ji River and many villages and houses!"

Villages and settlements mean supplies. The two-hundred-mile stretch of hilly, swampy terrain along the Kangfu Road is easily cut off, and lacking in supplies, making it an extremely dangerous place, but also ideal for ambushes. Only in this terrain can the advantages of the government troops' organization and equipment be minimized, while their logistical disadvantages be amplified!

By this point, Zhang Chengfu had already sketched out the outline of the Yellow Turban base in Qingyan.

From Daye Marsh to the Taishan Mountains, the focus was on controlling Dongping Kingdom, Rencheng Kingdom, and Taishan Commandery, with the Wen River to the north and Kangfu Road to the south. Once a foothold was established, this extremely difficult terrain of lakes, swamps, hills, and mountains, combined with guerrilla tactics familiar with the terrain, would absolutely give the government troops a major headache!

Moreover, the Laiwu region, through which the Wen River flows, is rich in mines and is one of the important production areas for Qi iron! Further east, the Qingzhou coast is also rich in salt. If the Yellow Turban Army could establish a base in this area, then salt and iron would be plentiful.

As for the only shortage of food... naturally, we have to cultivate it in the mountains while taking it from the estates of powerful and wealthy families!
"If this strategy is followed, at least it won't be like in the past... The Yellow Turbans of Dongjun tried to seize the heavily defended city of Puyang, but their efforts were in vain for months. Then, Huangfu Song led the government army to the scene, and in a decisive battle at Cangting, he completely wiped out the Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou. Meanwhile, the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou remained holed up in the Taishan Mountains, having no impact on the overall situation in the Central Plains..."

"Heaven above! As long as a Yellow Turban rebel army can maintain a presence in Daye Marsh, the government army's supply lines heading north to Hebei will always be harassed and threatened! This will certainly slow down their advance and inevitably disperse their forces..."

Zhang Chengfu gazed intently at the endless lake and reeds, feeling a sense of sudden, bright hope. A fighting spirit ignited within him, and he diligently gathered inspiration and literary talent, reciting two more lines of poetry!

"Dare to make dragons and snakes rise in the marshland, wildfires burn red across the wilderness... Hmm, hmm... Watch me light a fire!"

The group spent three days exploring the Great Lake, traveling dozens of miles along its western shore, occasionally encountering fishermen and fishing boats. The six men, each leading a horse, wandered along the shore of the Great Lake, each carrying a knife and a staff, yet no one approached them.

When they saw places with rapid currents and deep bends, Zhang Chengfu would stop and fish with Wang Du, and cook dinner as well. After three days, they figured their master had stayed with the Duan family long enough, and it was time to return home.

"My lord, I've arranged for the three Jiang brothers to protect you as you head north back to Dong'e County! Gather evidence of the Cheng family's crimes, prepare for a few days, and then you can head south to the Duan family manor to report them!..."

Zhang Chengfu squatted down by the fishing bay in Daze, holding a fishing rod in one hand, and smiled gently at the somewhat nervous Wang Du.

“I’ll go back and consult my master. He’s currently divining the fate of the Duan family and has left behind two lines of divination. My disciples in Dingtao and Chengwu counties can also pass on two lines of prophecy. When you go back to Dong’e County, you can also arrange for children to recite them…”

"Hmm, let me think about the prophecies... Duan Tongmu, a prominent and wealthy family. The Cheng family is in Dongjun, and Cheng also means 'to weigh'... I've got it! I've got it!..."

“Then let’s sing it like this: ‘The blade rises from the eastern balance, severing wood in two; the balance ruler points south, turning vermilion doors to ashes!’ It’s catchy, easy to spread… What does Your Majesty think of this prophecy?”

"Ah! My lord's prophecy? 'Dongheng' alludes to the Cheng clan of Dong'e. 'Blade rises' signifies the calamity of war. 'Breaking wood in two' refers to the Duan clan being shattered to pieces, their bodies torn in two? 'The balance ruler points south, the vermilion door turns to ashes' implies that the Duan clan was exterminated by the Cheng clan and burned to ashes?... "

Wang Du pondered this prophecy, and the more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. If this prophecy reached the ears of the Duan family, coupled with his accusations and even the divination of the Great Teacher of Virtue… how could the arrogant Duan family, born into a eunuch family, remain unmoved? What would become of the Cheng family of Dong'e, this prominent clan, once the eunuchs of Luoyang issued their decree?!

Emperor of the Eastern Peak! Could it be that the Cheng family of Dong'e, a prestigious clan in Dongjun that he has feared for so many years, could be destroyed by just a few words?!

At that moment, Wang Du turned his head and looked at the young man's gentle smiling face, and nervously swallowed. He took a deep breath, lowered his head, and asked respectfully.

"Young Master Zhang... when I denounced the Cheng family, was there anything I needed to mention?"

"Hmm, let me think about it some more..."

Zhang Chengfu calmly fished, watching the ripples on the water as if he were witnessing countless historical events from later generations. He only looked for a moment, but he already understood, and replied with a gentle smile.

"I've got it! Let's tell that to the Duan family!..."

"Cheng Lisu, the head of the Cheng family, was ambitious. He once said to his attendants: 'The ambition of a scholar is not afraid of being obscured by floating clouds; it is as firm as a rock and cannot be broken! I will follow the example of Zhang Jian, rid the world of this wicked villain, and exterminate the Duan family, just as the Hou family was wiped out!'..."

"Yes, that's more like what the patriarch of a renowned and prestigious family would say. The Duan family will surely believe it!..."

In fact, what Zhang Chengfu said at this time was not a lie. Because that was the original historical fact.

A few years later, Emperor Ling died, and the Ten Attendants were executed by the Yuan family. Their families in the provinces were naturally wiped out by the gentry. The Duan family of Jiyin, for example, was completely eradicated by the gentry of Yanzhou, with the Cheng family also involved, leaving them utterly destroyed, without even a trace of their name remaining!

After all, the hatred between the two sides ran so deep that it was a fight to the death. What he was doing now was merely reigniting this hatred between eunuchs and aristocratic families, sacrificing the blood of a few aristocratic clans.

"Yes! What you say is very true, sir! I will keep it in mind!..."

On the other side, Wang Du firmly remembered the boy's words and sincerely bowed respectfully. Afterward, the two continued fishing; the boy smiled innocently, while the middle-aged man thought nervously, and for a moment they remained silent.

About 15 minutes later, several fishing boats slowly drifted in from the eastern shore of the lake. The middle-aged fisherman at the head of the boat wore a straw hat and a raincoat over which the inner layer was not visible. He raised a fish basket in the distance, rowed closer, and stared at the six men and six horses on the shore, asking them with a smile from afar.

"Young man fishing on the bank! Gentleman fishing on the bank!... I have some excellent bass here, so fresh and delicious! Would you like to buy a couple?... "

As he spoke, several fishing boats sped towards them. Zhang Chengfu stared intently for a few moments, then his expression changed, and he slammed his fishing rod into the mud.

"They've come with ill intentions! Put on your armor, grab your bows, and prepare for battle!"

(End of this chapter)