Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 49 Watching Nuo Opera on New Year's Eve, or you'll be eaten!
Lunar New Year's Eve is the last day of the year for remembrance and also a festival for family reunion and celebration. On the last day of the fifth year of Guanghe, the sun shone on the snow-covered town of Dong'e, warming everyone's hearts.

"Crackling! Crackling!..."

Firecrackers echoed throughout the county town, a celebration by wealthy merchants who burned bamboo sections in precious firewood to ward off evil spirits of the year. But in a year of great plague like this, whether powerful or common, the evil spirit they most desired to expel was naturally the "plague demon"!

Right now, a short distance south of the county town, there's a bustling market where a grand exorcism ceremony, known as the "Great Nuo Opera," is being performed—a ceremony that ordinary people can participate in. Hundreds and thousands of villagers have gathered here, watching intently, sometimes cheering and sometimes screaming.

On the earthen slope behind the villagers, Zhang Chengfu, carrying a hunting bow, squatted down. He and a group of Taiping Dao followers who were not wearing yellow turbans were watching with great interest.

"General Bu, is this the Great Nuo?"

"Yes! This is the Great Nuo Opera! 'The calendar shows the stars Xu and Wei, which are associated with the tomb and the four stars of the tomb. These stars are fierce ghosts that emerge with strong Yin energy to harm people.' Therefore, the Great Nuo Opera is held to remove all kinds of evil spirits and demons."

“During this year’s major epidemic, the ‘Great Nuo Opera’ was of paramount importance. Young noblemen from the county would participate in the performance to receive the protection of the gods and spirits and keep the terrible ‘epidemic demon’ away.”

Bu Si, the chieftain of Dongjun, squatted on the earthen slope, a ring-pommel sword tucked at his waist, smiling like a simple old farmer. He had seen many such grand Nuo operas before, and simply laughed.

"What, Chengfu, you've never seen the grand Nuo opera in the county town?"

"No! I've always stayed in the countryside, following the Great Master to spread the word and provide relief. I've never spent the New Year in the county town."

Zhang Chengfu watched the Nuo opera, which he had never seen before, with complete focus and a relaxed expression. It was as if the destruction of a prominent family in the county was not some earth-shattering event.

Seeing the young man's calm demeanor, Commander Bu Si stroked his chin, unsure of what to say. Could such composure truly be cultivated in a boy from a humble village? Could it be, as the Great Teacher of Wisdom hinted, that it was a gift from heaven…?

"Commander Bu, are the two eldest sons of the Cheng family in this Nuo opera troupe?"

“Yes! Both of Cheng Li’s legitimate sons are here. One is younger, named Cheng Yan, and is in the boy group. The other is already an adult, named Cheng Wu, and is in the ‘Twelve Beasts’ group. Only aristocratic families can afford to arrange such a ‘ghost-exorcising and protection’ position. As for which one it is, they are both wearing masks, so it cannot be seen.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu became quite interested and first looked at the group of children. Then, he went to look at the "Fang Xiangshi" exorcist and the "Twelve Beasts" that ate ghosts.

"Clang clang dong dong tumble tumble!..."

The twenty-four boys from Dong'e City, aged between twelve and fifteen, were all dressed in "red hats and black clothes." They shook "tao," a kind of rattle, to ward off evil spirits, and sang in children's voices as they shook and jumped around.

"At the end of the year, the Laba Festival is held, and the Great Nuo ritual is performed to expel plague! We invite the Fangxiangshi (a powerful deity), and the twelve mythical beasts!..."

Soon, accompanied by the children's singing, the exorcist "Fang Xiangshi" appeared, dressed in a bearskin, black robes, and red garments, singing and dancing. On his head was a mask with four golden eyes, and he held a shield in one hand and a halberd in the other, his feet treading the eerie, ghostly steps of a shaman.

"Summon! Summon the twelve beasts! Drive away evil spirits and devour the plague demons!"

"Jia eats evil and wicked, Mu Fu eats tigers. Xiong Bo eats demons, Teng Jian eats misfortune. Lan Zhu eats calamities, Bo Qi eats dreams. Qiang Liang and Zu Ming eat parasitic creatures that die by dismemberment. Wei Sui eats food, Cuo Duan eats giants. Qiong Qi and Teng Gen eat Gu together!..."

The shaman "Fang Xiangshi" had a desolate and ancient voice, and he sang not in the elegant dialect of Luoyang, but in the more obscure Zhou dialect. Like "Xingtian wielding his axe and shield," he exaggeratedly brandished his weapons, slashing at unseen ghosts.

Behind him, twelve young men from the city, wearing masks of mythical beasts, also bared their fangs and brandished their claws. They threatened the "eleven plague demons," making swallowing motions and chanting loudly.

"We, the twelve gods, will pursue the wicked! We will drive you away and drag you away. If you do not hurry, the latter will become your provisions!"

This was a threat: if the "plague demons" didn't flee quickly, they would be dismembered and eaten by the "twelve beasts" and turned into food.

Upon hearing such a eulogy, Zhang Chengfu was stunned, momentarily lost in thought, feeling only the absurdity of some kind of destiny!

The "threat" of the twelve beasts devouring the plague demons came ten years later. In this land of Dongjun, it was the Cheng clan that led Cao Cao's army to capture tens of thousands of villagers, including those who were watching the Nuo opera and cheering.
"Hmph! Every sip and every bite, is this the will of Heaven? Indeed, Heaven is dead..."

Zhang Chengfu's expression was somber, his hand resting on the short sword at his waist, a strange smile playing on his lips. He watched the Nuo opera with a smile, watching Fang Xiangshi finish singing the lyrics. Then, Fang Xiangshi, holding a torch, led the children and the twelve beasts in a dance, singing a new sacrificial inscription.

"The Lord of the East reigns, and the year is about to change; plague demons and monsters have nowhere to hide."

With my left hand I hold a banner to summon divine light, with my right hand I hold a spear to sweep away misfortune.

Upon hearing this prayer, thousands of people from Dong'e County around them laughed and shouted joyfully.

"Hmph! Go away! Go away! Lord Dongjun, drive away the plague demons! Evil spirits, go away!..."

A large crowd had blocked a troop of weary, armed soldiers outside the city's south gate. The leader of the troops, Du Bo, seemed unconcerned. He stood not far from the earthen mound, watching the Nuo opera with his soldiers; his voice could be faintly heard.

"Yes, it's the Nuo opera for the New Year's Eve festival! This is the time to invoke spirits and exorcise evil; we mustn't disrupt it. Let's wait until the Nuo opera ends before entering the city... Before making the arrest, we must first notify the county constable of Dong'e County for cooperation..."

"Lord Dong! Before we left, the Prefect gave us instructions in front of Lord Duan..." "That was in front of Lord Duan! Behind his back... In matters like this, you need to have a sense of right and wrong, and know who's on both sides..."

"."

Zhang Chengfu's expression shifted, and he looked at the chieftain Bu Si, who happened to be looking over at the same time. The two exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's intentions.

At this time, who else could be the soldiers from Jiyin County in the south besides the arresting officers sent by the governor at Duan's behest? And judging from their slow pace and their undisguised presence, they had no intention of hiding it from Dong'e County.

As expected, two officials from Dong'e County soon rushed over to inquire. One of them quickly returned to the city to report the news, while the other received the group of soldiers at a tavern in the south of the city.

"Please! Please! Lord Dong has come from afar, so let us treat you to this meal!"

As he spoke, the official turned around and shouted sternly at the owner of the tavern in the market.

"Bring wine, bring dog meat! All the best! And put it on the county government's tab!"

"This? So many people? Our small tavern probably won't have enough food..."

"Then have all the surrounding restaurants bring their food and drinks over! Go now! If you don't serve them well, your name will be called in this year's corvée labor!"

"Ah! Yes! Yes! I'll go right away..."

The shop owner, with a long face, could only nod meekly and go to work in the tavern. Zhang Chengfu watched this scene from afar, his eyes lowered.

"Dong Dubo? The Dong family of Jiyin?"

"Yes, he is a member of the Dong family of Jiyin, probably Du Bo Dong Yang."

Jiyin Qu Commander Fan Shuo smiled and pressed down his straw hat to avoid seeing this acquaintance.

“These aristocratic families are deeply entrenched, holding positions in various prefectures and kingdoms. They are all interconnected and secretly collude with each other. This time, the news of the arrest of the Cheng family could not be contained at all. If only the government officials were to take action, the head of the Cheng family would definitely escape!”

"Hmm! This time, we didn't intend to keep the news a secret either. Commandant Li in this county should have received the news by now. We'll see if he goes to inform the Cheng family. As for the Dong family of Jiyin, since they want to jump into this mess themselves, let them jump!"

Zhang Chengfu smiled. A calm coldness appeared on the young man's face, and his voice was soft and cold.

"The more aristocratic families are involved in this matter, the more fearful and angry the Duan family will become after they find out, the more convinced they will be of the truth of the prophecies, and the more they will want to kill! The powerful families in Yanzhou are deeply entrenched. If we don't chop them down a few times, how can we create an opening for us to start our uprising?"

"Although Duan's axe strikes are extremely powerful, they often miss their mark... We must be prepared to deliver the fatal blows with daggers and knives!"

Having said that, Zhang Chengfu said no more. Chief Bu Si and Fan Shuo exchanged a glance, both feeling a sense of apprehension and unease. The Nuo opera in the market continued, the closing hymn being sung.

"The Yellow Emperor was enraged, and thunder and lightning roared. He took up his black halberd and slew the evildoers."

Ghosts and demons roam freely, nowhere to hide; blood turns to frost, and the night is extinguished!

Then, thousands of people from Dong'e County, their faces beaming with joy, called out in a pleading manner.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Eliminate! Eliminate! The Yellow Emperor slays the plague demon! Evil spirits perish!..."

The calls of thousands, filled with the most sincere wishes, echoed south of Dong'e County, stirring up a sky full of birds. And beneath the birds, an old official hurried out of the city, quietly making his way to this grassy market.

Without stopping, he bypassed the crowd of Nuo opera performers, and upon seeing the agreed-upon earthen slope, his eyes lit up, and he quickly ran over.

"Lang Jun!"

"Sang Jun has arrived! How is the city?"

"Everything is going according to the young master's plan! Magistrate Wang secretly arranged for men to inform County Lieutenant Li about the arrest of Madam Cheng. County Lieutenant Li hesitated for a long time, and just after hearing that the troops from the prefecture and state outside the city had arrived and were watching a Nuo opera, he did not rush into the city... He finally set off to Madam Cheng's residence to inform her!"

Sang Ping couldn't hide his excitement as he spoke.

"My lord! The troops from the prefecture and state have arrived, and the Cheng family must flee! The day is now to make our move!"

(End of this chapter)