Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 53: Killing to save lives, we only need food to save people! (Thanks to Alliance Leader "Little Kula")
After New Year's Eve, the first day of the first lunar month is called "January 1st". This is the day to worship ancestors. Families with the means will "offer wine to invoke the gods", offer incense and food, and burn paper money. This is to welcome guardian gods such as the Kitchen God, as well as door gods such as Shen Tu and Yu Lei.

Next comes the "ancestral worship ceremony," where the entire clan, regardless of rank, worships their ancestors at their graves. Of course, prominent families can erect ancestral tablets and build ancestral halls, but ordinary households are not allowed to do so; doing so is considered an overstepping of authority.

The wines drunk on New Year's Day are "cypress leaf wine" and "pepper wine". Peppers and cypress leaves are added to the wine for two purposes: to ward off evil spirits and to celebrate the birthday.

"My lord, let us drink a cup of pepper wine, for the celebrations are over and you are ready to return!"

"Very well! Let us drink together, Your Majesty!"

Inside a tavern in the grass market outside Dong'e City, Zhang Chengfu finished a cup of cypress leaf and Sichuan pepper wine, closed his eyes, and savored the bitterness and spiciness of the wine. The cypress leaves were bitter yet fragrant, and the Sichuan pepper was spicy and numbing yet fragrant; this complex flavor intertwined, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

"Has my lord gained anything?"

"Yes, drinking wine on New Year's Day is a way to ward off evil and wish people long life. But many people die young and die violently, and evil spirits are rampant in the world. The only way to eliminate them is with a peach wood sword!"

Zhang Chengfu opened his eyes and answered with a smile. Then, he looked at Wang Du sitting opposite him and said seriously.

"People from Jiyin have come to arrest the Cheng family. What is the current situation in Dong'e County?"

"The magistrate of Dong'e claimed illness and refused to leave the county, leaving all the affairs of the county to the county clerk and the county constable. I had already marked my side with the Duan family's mark, and I was the one who collected and submitted evidence of their crimes of land annexation and persecution of small households. County Constable Li Kun deliberately favored the Cheng family and found various excuses. As for Dong Dubo Dong Yang, who was in charge of the arrests, he also loosened his grip and only arrested a few collateral relatives of the Cheng family to take the blame."

At this point, Wang Du shook his head. The gentry were indeed deeply entrenched, mutually protecting each other. The Book of Rites states, "Punishment does not extend to high-ranking officials." Even powerful families like the Cheng clan, which had seized land, lent money, and extorted money for years, clearly driving hundreds to their deaths, were not considered guilty of any real crime.

In this vast Han dynasty, which powerful family in the countryside didn't operate this way? If you don't eat people, you'll be eaten; and eating people is addictive. Do you really think you can grow from a small family to a wealthy one through hard work and honesty? Without connections and connections, a simple corvée labor or military service can easily destroy a rich family!

"Yes, this was all expected. No matter, let's take a look at these two heads!"

Zhang Cheng remained expressionless, took a red wooden box from his bag, and handed it to Wang Du. On the other side, Sang Ping also took out a wooden box. When Wang Du opened the box, Cheng Li's closed-eye face appeared lifelike, with a smile as if he were dead.

"what!"

At that moment, even though he was prepared, Wang Du's hand still trembled and his heart skipped a beat. This shadow that had lingered in his heart for over a decade had suddenly vanished. He examined it closely for a long time, feeling a mix of laughter and tears, before finally sighing and softly offering a greeting.

"Cheng Jun, how have you been?"

"."

"Ha ha!…"

Cheng Jun remained silent, his eyes closed with a smile. Wang Du also laughed, choking back tears, and put Cheng Jun back into the box. Then, he stood up respectfully and bowed to Zhang Chengfu, who had also stood up, to which Zhang Chengfu returned the bow with a smile.

"Thank you for your help, young master, in eliminating this man for me!"

"Not for the king, but for the people of Dongjun."

After exchanging greetings and sitting down, their relationship became much closer, as if they were true sworn brothers. Zhang Chengfu pondered for a moment, then brought up the arrangements for Dong'e County.

“The powerful Li family of Chengshi County is our next target. And this county magistrate, Li Kun, is Li Qian’s cousin. We can’t let him live, as he is one of the threads that leads to the Li family. If you pass on the information that Li Kun broke the law and let the head of the Cheng family go to the Duan family, Li Kun won’t be able to hold his position as county magistrate for long.”

"Furthermore, Cheng Li's second son, Cheng Yan, has already rushed south to join the Li family in Chengshi County. In a few days, a children's rhyme will spread, and our people will then pass it on to Chengwu County. It won't be long before the Duan family hears about it. You and Sang Ping can take these two heads to the Duan family to report your achievements and climb the ranks a bit higher!"

"And now there is only one person left, Dong Yang, the Earl of Dingtao Dong Clan, and Du Bo of Jiyin Commandery..."

At this point, Zhang Chengfu fidgeted with his fingers, somewhat unsure of what to do. Wang Du thought for a moment and then asked.

"My lord, when I go to report to the Duan family, should I also expose Dong Yang?"

"Is the Dong family of Dingtao a corrupt gentry family that has sided with powerful officials?"

"Of course! Dingtao is only thirty or forty li away from Chengwu, and the Dong family had long since pledged allegiance to the Duan family. Dong Zhao, a member of their clan, was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official in Jiyin County in his early twenties and went to Jizhou to serve as a county magistrate. Naturally, he had gotten his position through the Duan family's connections..."

When the words "recommendation of filial and incorrupt officials" were mentioned, Wang Du's expression changed, and his voice became somewhat uneven. This top-tier path to officialdom was limited to only one or two per prefecture each year, and it always fell into the hands of powerful and influential families, having absolutely nothing to do with scholars from humble backgrounds or commoner families like them!

Even if they toil until their early forties, doing the most arduous and menial tasks, they still can't compare to the starting point of these scions of powerful families, and they might never be able to break through it in their entire lives!
"Since the Dong family has long since pledged allegiance to the Duan family, accusing the Dong family will not fundamentally harm them. At most, they will replace the Earl of Dong with another member of a noble family."

Zhang Chengfu tapped his brow, thought for a moment, and then smiled calmly.

“The powerful clans are not a unified whole; weakening their power will have to be done in stages. We should win some over while fighting others, not turn them all into enemies. Since we can't touch the Dong family, let's try a different approach and make them our ‘friends’!”

"Ah? Does the young master mean to win over this Earl of Dongdu?"

Wang Du seemed to be deep in thought. Zhang Chengfu then smiled.

"It's not that we're trying to win him over, but that he needs to win us over! He wanted to spare the Cheng family's life, secretly doing them a huge favor. But now, with the head of the Cheng family here, things are complicated! The favor he did for the Cheng family is gone, they'll only become enemies, and he's left with such a deadly handle, which you could use to expose the Duan family at any time..."

"Take Cheng Li's head back and show it to the county officials, saying that Lord Dong secretly helped, and that he deserves half the credit! When he comes to you privately, then reveal his mistake in letting the Cheng family go, making him caught in a dilemma. After that, have a heart-to-heart talk with him, and together you'll destroy the Cheng family, dividing up their land, grain, and wealth!" "Things change with time, circumstances change, and previous plans must be changed, even drastically! With Cheng Li dead, Lord Dong will be immediately paralyzed. First, he can no longer curry favor with the Cheng family, nor will he retain his reputation among the gentry. Second, he'll bear the grudge of scheming against the head of the Cheng family—a true, deadly enmity. Third, he'll have incriminating evidence of collusion with the Cheng family, and will have to prove his innocence to the Duan family. Fourth, the Cheng family will lose its leader and become worthless..."

"Once Lord Dongdu has thought it over and realized what's going on, he will definitely change his attitude completely and take real action against the Cheng family to eliminate all future troubles! At that time, you won't even need to say anything; he will take the initiative to win you over and completely eliminate the Cheng family!"

"Ah! This... is a brilliant plan, my lord!"

Upon hearing this plan, Wang Du understood it completely after a moment's thought. He subconsciously trembled, looked at the gentle-spoken young man, lowered his head, and said respectfully.

"My lord, after we destroy the Cheng family, how should we distribute their land, grain, and wealth?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu answered without hesitation.

"Once we defeat the powerful Cheng family, our Taiping Dao will only need grain to aid the people of Yanzhou! The remaining wealth will be divided into three parts: the lion's share will naturally go to the Duan family, a smaller portion will be yours, and a third will go to Dong Yang. As for the land, you can decide how to distribute it. Try to win over more officials from humble backgrounds and commoner families in the county, bestowing favors widely, so that you can eventually replace the magistrate of Dong'e..."

“Once everyone has acquired Cheng's land, this family will be finished, with no chance of rising again, and no one else will allow them to rise! And after this is done, you and Dong Yang will be in the same boat. He can become our friend and help us…”

"Young master! May I ask what business we need the Earl of Dongdu's help with?"

"Hmm... The first thing, naturally, is to jointly report this to the Duan family and have Lieutenant Li arrested! And in that vacant position, we can try to get Sang Ping promoted, so he can control the dozens of constables in the county. Later, when we need to completely eliminate the Li family of Chengshi County in Jiyin Prefecture, we might even need Earl Dong to help us with the prefectural troops. As for the rest..."

Zhang Chengfu pondered for a few moments, and the principle of armed struggle once again came to mind. He smiled meaningfully and said...

"Dong Dubo serves in the army of the prefectures and kingdoms, so he must have handled a lot of military equipment and knows many more people. Perhaps, we in the Taiping Dao can do some business with him, some big business that could cost us our lives! Only those who hold each other's deadly secrets are truly reliable 'friends'!"

"Yes! I will obey you, my lord!"

Wang Du bowed again, and Sang Ping beside him quickly returned the bow. After chatting for a while about the situation in Dong'e County, Wang Du and Sang Ping hurriedly headed to the county with the two red wooden boxes.

In the open-air market tavern, only Zhang Chengfu remained. He poured himself another cup of cypress leaf and Sichuan pepper wine, watching the vagrants kneeling and selling themselves in the market, and then watching the wealthy families in the city picking and choosing. He slowly drank it all, closed his eyes for a long time, and then exhaled a breath of spicy, bitter, and pungent air.

"What I seek is not to kill. Killing is merely a means; saving lives is the goal."

"Bear this burden, bear this burden! You must always remember your path, remember your master's teachings, and never forget your original aspiration amidst the sea of ​​blood!..."

Over the next few days, things took a turn for the worse, but nothing deviated from the pre-arranged plan. Once the heads of Cheng Li and Cheng Wu were revealed, the forces protecting the Cheng family in the county vanished instantly. As soon as the people are gone, the tea cools; since they're not drinking tea much now, the soup will only get colder even faster.

Cheng Li was known for his ruthlessness and numerous crimes, including perverting the law, which had earned him many enemies in the county. Moreover, the ten thousand acres of land occupied by the Cheng family, now stripped of official protection and lacking a capable head of the family, had become the most tempting prey. Everyone was eager to make their move, waiting for Dong Dubo and Wang Du to act.

"Your Majesty! You have caused me so much suffering!"

"Lord Dong! I gave you half of the great merit I had in front of the Duan family, how did that become my fault?"

"Hey! Hey! Lord Wang, you have no way out, you can't force me to the point where I have no way out either!..."

Dong Dubo drank bitter wine, shook his head and sighed, his face full of bitterness and gloom. However, the next day, he turned cold, picked up a knife, and led the soldiers of the prefecture and state to arrest the fifty-two men of the Cheng family, each of them with the blood of the common people on their hands.

This time was different from the last; they were really serious! They even killed twenty or thirty of the Cheng family's retainers, elders, and members who resisted arrest!
Then, these criminals were loaded into prison carts and escorted to Jiyin County, awaiting execution by the Duan family. Wang Du personally led his men to confiscate their property, seizing a million coins in cash, hundreds of oxen, and 120,000 bushels of grain—enough to feed 20,000 able-bodied men and women for a year! The figure he recorded in his accounts was 20,000 bushels…

Without a doubt, raiding the estates and granaries of powerful families that had been hoarding grain for many years was the fastest way to obtain food in this era!

As for those ten thousand acres of farmland, there were far too many people eyeing it, with everyone from top to bottom keeping a close eye on it, but the Taiping Dao (Taiping Dao) had nothing to do with it.

"My lord, farewell! I'm heading south!"

"Yes, bring more guards! These dozen or so disciples from Dongjun will stay by your side from now on to protect your safety!"

South of Dong'e City, on the banks of the Huzi River, the wind and snow continued as usual, and the market had already dispersed. The two groups parted ways, one carrying money southwards to the Duan family mansion, the other returning empty-handed to the ancestral temple in Dongpinglu.

Zhang Chengfu glanced around, observing the respectful bows of the three Dongjun chieftains, and a clean smile appeared on his face. This respect was something he had earned through meticulous planning, sacrificing a powerful clan, and exchanging 100,000 bushels of grain!
"Destroying one powerful clan can save tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of ordinary people! The problem with this world is that there are too many powerful clans and tycoons, who take up too much. Meanwhile, the common people have nothing!"

Zhang Chengfu sighed softly, looked at his clean hands, and then gazed towards the direction of the Great Wild Marsh in the south. He then mounted his horse, pointed eastward with his whip, and gave the order.

"Let's go! Back to Dongpinglu, to see the two great physicians!"

"promise!"

"I will obey your words!"

"Drive! Drive!"

The group walked through the snow, passing the tavern where they had previously drunk their fill, bringing with them a gust of wind. The peachwood charms on the tavern door swayed, depicting "Shen Tu" on the left, "Yu Lei" on the right, and a fierce tiger above. Under the protection of these fierce gods, all ghosts fled in fear, and the people found peace.
(End of this chapter)