Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 63 Guerrilla Warfare! The Yellow Turban Rebellion's Strategies!

As the sun rose, its light shone brightly during the funeral. Dongjun, riding the golden crow, arrived in the sky above the Si River. The sun's golden rays fell, illuminating the altar, the spirit banners, and the burial mound; illuminating the chief priest Zhang Chengfu; and illuminating the reverent faces of the Taoist priests and soldiers.

"By the mandate of Heaven, a place has been granted for the souls to rest. May the deceased find peace there."

The followers chanted in unison, using their shields as drums and cymbals, their cries like mourning or farewell. The bonfire rose, its smoke curling upwards, and the yellow paper talismans slowly ignited. Sparks leaped into the sky, like the departed soul, carrying the hopes of the crowd away. This comforting funeral was finally complete.

Then, many people gathered around Zhang Chengfu, their faces filled with gratitude and hope. The respect shown by the leaders and disciples towards Zhang Chengfu was self-evident. Even the unruly and united Taishan followers, and the recently surrendered Dayeze followers, looked at this "Taiping Dao Talisman Master" with more respect and gratitude, and even a rare hint of anticipation.

"Thank you, sir, for presiding over the funeral!"

"Master Zhang, after I die, could you also preside over such a sacrificial ceremony for me?"

"Yes! Years of disasters have caused many deaths in my clan, and we don't know where their souls are now..."

"Yes! Talisman Master, could you also perform a ritual to guide the souls of my father and mother on their journey?"

Surrounded on the spot, Zhang Chengfu looked at the soldiers who showed him more respect than fear, and listened to their expectant questions, his heart filled with turmoil.

Both the Taishan followers and the Dayeze followers were actually at the very bottom of the "Confucian order." Within the order established by Han Dynasty Confucianism, they were labeled "bandits" and, like the lowest-ranking tenant farmers and vagrants, received no spiritual comfort, even destined to become wandering ghosts after death. This intimidation was one of the ways the aristocratic families controlled the people's obedience. Only after the emergence of the Way of Peace did they, for the first time, receive the kind of sacrifices originally belonging to the scholar-official class, gaining a rare "spiritual solace"!
"Heaven bears witness! As long as I have the time, I will definitely preside over the soul-pacifying ceremony for you! Not only me, but the other talisman masters and priests of the Way of Peace will also help you, as long as you wear yellow turbans and believe in the Yellow Heaven of Peace!"

Faced with these eager faces, Zhang Chengfu earnestly made a heartfelt promise. In his eyes, these disciples and comrades who had shared life and death with him deserved to be worshipped and offered incense. Furthermore, if the Taiping Dao were to establish a stable base after its uprising, he would erect a forest of steles, burying as many of his fallen disciples' names and remains as possible within it. Then, he would build a temple, and for the first time on this land of China, offer incense for the continuation of this most ordinary and honorable people!
"Yes! Yes! My lord agrees!"

"You keep your word, Yi Nuo, that million dollars!"

"We people of Mount Tai also wear yellow turbans! When I return, I will bury two of them in my father's and mother's graves in the mountains!"

The crowd erupted in cheers again, surrounding Zhang Chengfu, their faces beaming with smiles. This young leader had not only shared life and death with them, leading them to victory in battle, but also provided ample compensation for their fallen comrades, and personally presided over a ritual to appease their spirits. These three actions were among the most effective ways to win hearts and minds in this era, especially the ritual to "communicate with spirits," which was truly rare and precious!
"Alright! Peng Gui, let's part ways here! Chengwu County is just ahead, and Wang Du has sent people to meet you, paving the way in advance. Now, take the carriage and your valuables and go to the Duan family manor to lodge a complaint!"

"Yes! As you command, my lord!"

Onozawa Peng Gui bowed respectfully, unable to conceal his excitement and eagerness. If he could leverage the Duan family's power to seize the Li family's private lands in Onozawa, his brothers would have a place to settle, and the villages where their families lived would be much better off. Even if this year was another year of disaster, with irrigation from Onozawa and the ability to intimidate the local tax collectors who had lost the Li family's support, tens of thousands of people living along the marshland could survive!
"Tap Tap!"

The sound of hooves and carriages mingled, and the Taiping Dao's group of over a hundred people split in two. Zhang Chengfu glanced at the faintly visible Duan family manor in the distance, watching the still bright firelight, and subconsciously tightened his grip on the fine iron dagger at his waist. This dagger had drunk the blood of aristocratic families and powerful clans, but it had not yet drunk the blood of the equally ruthless and oppressive eunuch clans. However, at this moment, the Duan family was still his "helper" in the Taiping Dao uprising, a force that he had to win over and leverage.

"To achieve anything, you must reduce your enemies and increase your friends. And for the ultimate goal, you can only create one enemy at a time, gradually eliminating their forces, and the struggle never stops."

"Right now, our strength is still limited. Let alone the powerful clans, we must also feign compliance with them, only taking action against a few families that threaten our base or the uprising! The future is still very long, and we don't know how far we'll go. But this path is definitely the right one!"

Zhang Chengfu gazed at it for a long time. Those words that were originally just "theoretical" gradually came to life in his mind as he did them and as he practiced and reflected.

This is a "dragon-slaying technique" from later generations, and the "dragon" to be slain is never a specific person. Rather, it is this unjust world at the end of the Han Dynasty, this group of powerful aristocratic families and eunuch officials, this group of exploiters corrupt to the extreme. Whether or not reincarnation occurs, someone must light the torch for the first time, so that the world can see it for the first time! This is the true meaning of his coming here, not some decadent life of pleasure and petty scheming, or the creation of some Zhang family aristocracy.
"Let's go! The teacher must be getting impatient!"

"Giddy up! Giddy up!"

The return journey was always quick. This group of eighty fully armed men, accompanied by cavalry, was naturally untouchable on the road. In reality, Yanzhou had suffered years of devastation, with refugees, mountain bandits, and river bandits rampant. Powerful local guards readily committed murder, and even the county and state troops targeted small merchants. Ordinary travelers were long gone from the roads, and villagers rarely ventured more than twenty li from their homes. Even during the previous ambush, the only merchant group that saw the dust and smoke of battle from afar fled immediately.

"Disciple pays homage to teacher!"

"Hmm, how was the trip?"

"The head and young master of the Li family, along with one hundred members of the Li family, were all killed! No news of this has leaked out; the only explanation to the outside world will be that it was done by Onozawa Shu!"

In the Lu Tianqi Temple in Dongping, Zhang Chengfu knelt on the ground, respectfully bowing to the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao and the Heavenly Physician Zhang Bao at the head of the table.

"Teacher! Peng Gui has already taken the head of the Li family head and the Li family's wealth to the Duan family to plead for an official position. News should arrive soon! As for the disciples and soldiers who died in battle, I presided over a memorial funeral for them! The soldiers were very happy and hoped there would be more such ceremonies." "Oh? This is your first time presiding over a memorial ceremony? Was it conducted according to the rituals of the *Taiping Qingling Jing*?"

"Yes! But time is of the essence, so I have simplified some of the complicated steps and added some new 'Peaceful Heaven' sacrificial incantations to make sure that my disciples and soldiers can understand them!"

Tell me!

"Yes! Peace reigns under the heavens, tranquility reigns in your land. There is neither cold nor heat, spring lasts all year round."

After listening to this "Yellow Heaven Sacrifice," the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao and the Heavenly Physician Zhang Bao exchanged a glance, both showing some contemplation on their faces. However, in front of their disciple, neither of them said anything, only nodding.

"Hmm. Chengfu, your sacrificial verse is well written! The common people can understand it, and it speaks to the hearts of the farmers."

"From now on, you'll stay patiently in Tianqi Temple! This trip has given you more experience in battle and more reputation for eliminating the Li clan. Your uncle and I will convene another meeting of the chieftains. It's time to share your thoughts and plans for the uprising with the other chieftains! Go and prepare well!"

"promise!"

Zhang Chengfu bowed solemnly once more, a hint of joy on his face. He had come to understand that in this era, one's status, connections, and prestige determined the words one spoke. Even if the intention was good, without the right relationship and status, such words would often have the opposite effect. With his teacher's guidance and with these tangible qualifications and achievements to offer, he could finally offer more "strategic and tactical insights" to the veteran commanders.

Three days later, the pine resin in the main hall was lit, and the chieftains gathered again. This time, when they saw the two great physicians seated at the head of the table and Zhang Chengfu in the second-highest position, almost none of the chieftains showed any dissatisfaction. Even the young and impetuous Qingzhou chieftain Guan Hai only paused for a moment before grinning.

"Ha! Let's see what you have to say."

As for Zhang Rao, the most senior leader of the Qingzhou tribes, he raised an eyebrow but made no further comment. Zhang Chengfu had already personally visited him, returned the borrowed heavy bow weighing two jin (approximately 600 kg), and expressed his gratitude with great courtesy. He had also heard about the battle from Guan Hai, and deeply moved, his attitude towards the young man had improved considerably.

The two even drank some wine and confided in each other. The next day, Zhang Rao "lent" the heavy bow to Zhang Chengfu again, without mentioning a return date. Zhang Chengfu was puzzled until the chieftain Bu Si pointed it out, and then he suddenly understood.

“Chengfu, Commander Zhang is subtly showing you goodwill and leaving an excuse for us to meet and talk! Next time, if you have anything to say to Commander Zhang, just visit him under the guise of delivering a bow! That way, we'll get to know each other better! He's from Qingzhou, and he used to come from a wealthy commoner family. He does things quite differently from us villagers who don't have a background.”

"I see! Then I shall accept your offer!"

A jumble of thoughts flashed through Zhang Chengfu's mind, then settled on the faces of the Taiping Dao leaders before him. He met the gaze of each leader, nodded slightly, scrutinizing each one, and being scrutinized by them. These Qing and Yan leaders came from different backgrounds, had diverse experiences, and vastly different personalities. The only thing they had in common was that they had all been recognized and granted official seals by Zhang Jiao or Zhang Bao, and had been given yellow turbans. They preached "encouraging good and helping the people," and in their hearts, they sought to "change the unjust world!"
They pursued "changing injustice," but they may not have had a clear direction or a truly firm belief. Yet, these leaders were the main force behind the Yellow Turban Rebellion! They were the "comrades" whom Zhang Chengfu absolutely had to unite, rally, and attempt to reform.

"Heaven bears witness! Our slogan for next year's uprising will be 'In the year of Jiazi, great fortune will come to the world!' But the principles of our uprising, which will be easier for the common people to understand, will be 'Peace will save the people, Heaven will save the world! Everyone will have land to cultivate, and everyone will have enough to eat!' The common people having land and being able to eat their fill is our goal, and it is their hope that they will follow us and fight the government troops to the end!"

Zhang Chengfu spoke in a deep voice, observing the changing expressions of the tribal leaders and assessing each person's stance. Soon, he focused on specific "guerrilla warfare" strategies.

"After the uprising in Jiazi, we cannot afford to be complacent. We are destined to face the powerful government army! In order to confront the powerful government army, the terrain from Onozawa to Mount Tai is something we must control! We need to recognize a reality: that is, to directly engage in battle with a large government army, even a single detachment of eight hundred men is something that our thousands of disciples cannot withstand!"

"Take this ambush on the Li clan's troops, for example. These people only had leather armor and swords and shields, yet they charged forward with all their might. It was only thanks to the formation of the Taishan troops that we were able to stop them! The momentum of the government troops' charge is several times stronger than that of the Li clan's soldiers! They not only have long-armored formations, but also a large number of iron armored crossbowmen, and even Youzhou and Liangzhou cavalry! There is absolutely no way we can withstand them head-on on the plains!"

"However, the imperial court has its advantages, and we have ours! We must make the most of our own advantages to resist the powerful imperial army! We must try our best to prevent the imperial army from exerting its full strength! The three strongest points of the imperial army are its military formations, armor, and cavalry! The imperial army excels in plains warfare, large-scale battles, and decisive battles where they must commit all their forces! Since these are the things the imperial army excels at and desires, they must be the things we try our best to avoid."

"Therefore, I have a few ideas for fighting the government troops that I can share with you all! First of all, it's about the terrain. We should try to avoid confronting the government troops on plains and instead engage them in mountainous, swampy, and forested areas! If it's local terrain that we are familiar with, that would be even better, as it would allow us to maneuver the government troops repeatedly."

"Secondly, we must not concentrate a large army to engage in a decisive battle with the government troops! The best way to deal with the government troops is to disperse into various flexible small teams, taking advantage of the terrain and the support of the people, and wage guerrilla warfare against them! Yes, that's the word 'guerrilla warfare,' moving like fish, looking for the enemy's weaknesses to attack, especially their logistical supply lines."

"We must avoid the main force of the government army and focus our primary attacks on the manors of powerful clans and the supply lines of the government army! This will allow us to continuously strengthen our forces, gain military experience, and secure food supplies. Everything revolves around striking at these powerful clans! They are the eyes and ears of the government army in the provinces, and the source of its food supplies! Once we eliminate these eyes of the government army in the provinces, we will cut off its supply channels, rendering it dull, deaf, and blind! The powerful clans of Qingzhou and Yanzhou are the greatest threat to the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou and Yanzhou!"

Upon hearing this calm yet chilling statement, the commanders exchanged bewildered glances, utterly shocked!

(End of this chapter)