Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 62 Where peace is, may the living find peace, and may the dead also find it!
"This is a great victory for our Taiping Dao, but we have also suffered many casualties. All the disciples and followers who died in battle will receive sufficient compensation, enough to support at least five people in their families for five years. The money for these compensations will come from the Li family's seized property!"

The firelight illuminated everyone's faces. The initial excitement and joy of victory were overshadowed by the casualties. Then, Zhang Chengfu sat upright, looking at the faces of the leaders and commanders, and addressed the distribution of the spoils, raising disciplinary requirements for the first time.

"The spoils of this battle should be turned over to the public and disposed of in a unified manner! Of the eight wagons seized, five should be sent to the Duan family to pave the way for taking control of the Li family's private lands. As for the remaining three wagons, after deducting compensation, the remaining amount should be divided equally among the Onozawa group, the Taishan group, and the participating disciples. This money should be used fairly, mainly to buy grain, improve everyone's meals, and ensure that the families of the followers have enough to eat!"

"As the leader of the tribes, you are not allowed to use these captured assets indiscriminately, nor can you take the lion's share! Dao Nu, you write down the amount of these assets and tell all the soldiers how they were used... Never mind, I'll tell everyone myself later! All of you leaders must swear an oath in front of your men!"

Upon hearing this request, the Yellow Turban leaders exchanged bewildered glances, and Peng Kui's face also showed some unease. However, after this ambush and the annihilation of the Li clan's troops, Zhang Chengfu's prestige among them rose even higher.

Everyone agreed one after another, but the first to agree was Yu Jin, who led the Taishan group. He bowed solemnly and said in a deep voice.

"Yes! Distribute all the wealth and resources of Mount Tai to our brothers, without taking a single penny!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu looked at Yu Jin carefully, nodded, and then said seriously.

"As a result of this battle, we achieved our original plan, eliminating one hundred members of the Li clan's military forces. We captured eight Li clan carriages, twenty horses, seventy or eighty sets of leather armor, roughly the same number of swords and shields, and more than thirty bows and arrows..."

"After these Li family members all died here, the Li family of Chengshi County was crippled! They will never be able to muster such an elite force again, and they have lost their direct leader. Even the main branch of the Li family can no longer suppress the collateral branches and servants! Therefore, completely eliminating the Li family will be much easier in the next step..."

Zhang Chengfu's voice was calm and powerful, just like his firm and solemn determination. Then, he changed the subject and began to seriously review the battle, summarizing the lessons learned from the entire engagement.

The members of the Taiping Dao were not of high social standing and lacked the military traditions of the government troops. They needed to absorb as much military experience as possible and develop their skills as quickly as possible; a single battle could not simply end after it was fought. Everyone needed to reflect and summarize, recognizing where they had fought correctly and where they had fought incorrectly!

Only through such open and honest post-war summaries of experience can the military skills of the troops be rapidly improved. This is undoubtedly an effective method that has been proven effective by later generations.

"This can be considered our first official battle! We first used cavalry, posing as members of the Duan family, to follow, scout, and tire out the Li family's troops. Then, utilizing the terrain of the Si River and our small boats, we laid an ambush while they were crossing, cutting off their plans. Finally, archers and infantry ambushed them from the south to annihilate their main force..."

"The cavalry, ships, and archers are all very determined in their attacks! There is no problem with morale; they strike as soon as they find an opportunity! But when it comes to actual combat, there are both good aspects and areas for improvement, and we must speak frankly and openly about them."

"Well, let me start by talking about our archers' problem. Although the ambush position was well-hidden this time, it wasn't quite right; we couldn't avoid the enemy's scouts. If I were to ambush them again, I would choose a more forward position and strike much earlier! I would launch a preemptive attack on them when their carriage was halfway across the river!"

"Li's deployment clearly shows a disconnect between archers and infantry. Our lightly armed archers can launch a three-round volley to gain the upper hand, then lure them towards the grassy slope, whereupon the infantry can charge out! Before engaging in battle, the infantry can, like Ono Sawa, hurl a volley of javelins to inflict casualties on the enemy!"

"As for the cavalry deployment, if we don't put all the cavalry in the north, but instead send a small squad, even just six or seven riders, to the south... to charge from the flank at a crucial moment, then the Li clan's army formation will collapse sooner, reducing our casualties!"

The starlight flickered, and Zhang Chengfu's face was full of sincerity. Every word he spoke came from the heart, reflecting his deep consideration of the actual battle situation. The Yellow Turban leaders exchanged glances, their expressions complex, unsure of what to say.

This kind of action—reflecting on a major victory and summarizing lessons learned from defeat—was something they had never heard of or even imagined! However, none of them had ever served in the government army and had any military experience. Perhaps the government army did the same thing in battle?
On the other side, Yu Jin remained silent, watching the mature-looking young man, his eyes subtly shifting. Unlike the other leaders, he was the only one with inherited military experience and the ability to train soldiers. Even if this inheritance actually stemmed from generations of Taishan people's experience in resisting taxes and training village and clan members in the mountains. He listened silently for a long time, and a sentence gradually surfaced in his mind.

"Victory without arrogance, maintaining our gains and preserving our strength. Chengfu looks young, but he seems capable of great things! Perhaps following this guy is indeed a way out..." This post-battle debriefing lasted all night. It wasn't until dawn that everyone rose from the campfire. Accustomed to sleeping in the open, a sleepless night was nothing to them; they needed to quickly bury the bodies, clean up the battlefield, and leave.

Li's body was easy to dispose of; they could simply be buried. But the eighteen brothers who died in battle needed a proper grave and a formal memorial service. Death is the most important event in life. If they weren't properly honored and comforted, they might become wandering ghosts. In this era where the dead were treated as if they were alive, this was a grave taboo…

So, amidst everyone's anticipation and attention, Zhang Chengfu erected an earthen altar in front of the burial mound and set up a small banner to summon the soul. He then arranged seven earthenware jars according to the positions of the Seven Stars, each containing a talisman for soothing the soul. Then, for the first time, he personally presided over the ceremony, imitating his master, the Great Virtuous Teacher, ascending the altar, ringing the bell, and chanting with great emotion.

"The moon shines brightly, the heroic souls are lost in the vastness. Holding the talisman and the imperial edict, we announce this to the three heavens."

The Azure Emperor of the East gathers the soul back to the liver. The Crimson Emperor of the South secures the spirit and guards the elixir.

The White Emperor of the West, cleanses blades and soothes souls. The Black Emperor of the North, calms the dead and quells resentment.

The Si River flows on, and the burial mound stands on its bank. Hundreds of men, clad in armor and carrying swords, stand together beneath the altar. They listen to the desolate, ancient sacrificial chants and watch the "priest" performing the Yu-style ritual on the altar, and a genuine sense of awe arises in them for this seemingly young leader. At this moment, they may not understand the words of the sacrifice, but they know that this is a ritual to bring peace to the souls of the dead, a sacrifice concerning their final resting place!
"The Yellow Emperor of the Central Plains, in his physical form, returned to the mountains! Peace and tranquility reign in the Yellow Heaven, and peace reigns in your hometown!"

No cold, no heat, spring all year round. No plague, no soldiers, protected by yellow talismans.

Regardless of rank or social status, all wear yellow turbans. Free from death and illness, all are one with the true Dao! ..."

As Zhang Chengfu sang, the phrase "Peaceful Heaven" appeared repeatedly, describing a kind of peaceful anticipation after death. Needless to say, the disciples of the Way of Peace were affected, and even the expressions of the Onozawa and Taishan followers gradually changed. The murderous intent faded from their faces, and finally, peaceful smiles appeared.

People of this era always need a place to go after death. Such rituals serve both to appease the souls of comrades and to soothe the hearts of the soldiers. The rites for the dead are never just for the departed, but also to comfort the living!

This heartfelt spiritual need may be overlooked by the court's Confucian scholarship, but it is impossible for it not to exist! If Taoism cannot fill this need, then Buddhist pagodas will naturally fill the void. And once this need, like a spiritual bond, connects the disciples...
At this moment, Zhang Chengfu looked around and saw the faces of his disciples and soldiers, and saw a certain longing in their eyes. Before truly regarding "peace and prosperity" as an ideal and realizing it in this world, this promise after death was perhaps more urgent, more capable of uniting people's hearts, and more able to rally the masses!
"Heaven bears witness! Tens of millions of common people have neither ancestral halls for family worship nor ancestral tablets for worshipping ancestors, nor even fields and houses! In the face of thousands of Buddhist temples scattered throughout the Northern and Southern Dynasties, where can their spirits find solace?"

"Our Taiping Dao seeks peace in life and also establishes a peaceful afterlife! Only by connecting the faith in life and death, and addressing the desires of the common people whom the Confucian scholars disdain, can we truly unite millions upon millions of people! And this may be the greatest advantage of our Taiping Dao in this era: to follow our beliefs to the death!"

As the sun rose, its light fell upon Zhang Chengfu's eyes, igniting a brighter flame and giving him a glimpse of greater hope for the future. So he danced and sang, pouring out all his strength in a powerful and heartfelt performance.

"O soul, return! Do not linger at this dark gate! The war has ended; each return to your abyss..."

"Soldiers return to their humble homes, generals return to their celestial palaces. The Xuanmen Temple shines brightly, Yongle departs for the Yellow Heaven..."

"May the living find peace in times of peace, and may the dead also find peace!"

(End of this chapter)