Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 77 Prince Chen's fall from his horse is a common occurrence

The dawn's light shone on the impoverished village. The talismans on the trees still seemed to commemorate the deceased. From the humble thatched hut, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao slowly emerged, Zhang Chengfu and Gao Daonu attending him. A burly man, eight feet tall and broad-shouldered, strode forward and knelt before the Great Teacher with overwhelming force. He wore a crooked yellow turban, his voice booming like a drum, his face a mixture of fierce courage and solemnity.

“I am a rough man, with no other skills than the courage to die! If the Great and Virtuous Teacher does not mind, I am willing to protect him with my life to repay his kindness!”

Zhang Chengfu's eyes flickered as he sized up the burly man, who resembled a bear, and then glanced at the halberd behind him. The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao was also somewhat surprised, looking at the man's imposing figure, reminiscent of Fan Kuai, and then at Zhang Chengfu. He then stroked his short beard and gently reassured the anxious and expectant Aunt Dian beside him.

“Your son is truly remarkable, possessing both the power to ward off evil spirits and the aura of malevolence! I am delighted and full of praise for him. I wish to take him into the Way of Great Peace as an important protector of the Way, to be his constant bodyguard. Your son will leave with me; are you willing, madam?”

"Ah! Join the Way of Peace and become its personal protectors?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Dian paused for a moment, then her face lit up with delight. This "personal protector" sounded far superior to any kind of retainer or wandering knight! She nodded repeatedly, pleased.

"I'm willing, I'm willing! Thank you, Immortal Master! Please take him away, Immortal Master, and keep him by your side to give instructions and dispel the murderous aura emanating from him!"

"Yes. This humble Taoist priest can."

The Great Teacher smiled, then looked at the imposing Dian Wei and asked seriously.

"Dian Wei, our Way of Peace is concerned for the people and unites us in the pursuit of peace. It is not a simple bond of gratitude or loyalty. Would you be willing to join our Way of Peace, stay by my side, and do something for the people?"

"."

This question was clearly beyond Dian Wei's expectations, and something he had never encountered before. The burly man in his twenties raised his head, looked at the compassionate, kind, sincere, and calm expression of the Great Teacher of Virtue, and then at the talismans and spirit banners used in the village's memorial service. After a long while, he finally answered in a muffled voice.

"I wish to join the Way of Great Peace and serve under the Great Virtuous Teacher! I can kill; whoever the Great Virtuous Teacher commands me to kill, I will kill. As for saving lives, I am not very skilled at it, but I can learn."

"Good! Good! Only with a heart that desires good and saves people can you dispel this murderous aura and go far. Chengfu, light the talisman and prepare the talisman water!"

The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao nodded, his expression solemn. Right there under a tree in the village, he performed the initiation ceremony for Dian Wei. The talismanic water, sworn with the soul's vow, was swallowed, and the oath of peace and prosperity resounded. The original yellow turban was removed, and then the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao used the talismanic water to draw a peace talisman on Dian Wei's forehead before personally putting the yellow turban back on the strong man.

"Heaven bears witness! Dian Wei, from this day forward, you are a member of my Way of Peace! Hmm, do you have any other wishes?"

"Master, Wei has a few companions who want to join me. Hmm, join the Way of Peace!"

“Let me see. Not bad, they are all brave and strong men! Then let them follow you! But the path to ‘peace’ is not simply about fighting and killing. You will come to see me once a day and listen to the ‘Taoist scriptures’ for half an hour with the disciples. Hmm, you will do it with Chengfu!”

"To listen to and learn the Taoist scriptures?"

The burly Dian Wei was somewhat dumbfounded. He hadn't expected that the first thing he had to do after joining the Way of Peace was not to fight with his strength, but to learn some Taoist scriptures. But soon, he realized that this was true "teaching," and gratitude appeared in his eyes.

"Yes! I will obey!"

The morning was unusually long, and the day was quite busy. It wasn't until after noon that the Taiping Dao group left Dianjia Village, bidding farewell to the villagers who had come to see them off with reluctance, and to the tearful Dian Da Niang, before embarking on their westward journey to Yingchuan County in Yuzhou. After traveling for two days, early on the third day, the three Jiang brothers, responsible for night watch and scouts, reported to Zhang Chengfu with furrowed brows.

"My lord! It seems we're being watched!"

"Huh? What's going on? Are they bandits from the mountains?"

“Last night, scouts approached and spied on our campfire from afar. They were very skilled scouts, and they even had horses. They didn’t seem like bandits. Instead, they seemed like elite troops from the government army or a powerful family!”

"A skilled scout, is there a horse?"

Zhang Chengfu also tensed up. He touched the large bow on his back and pondered.

"Where are we now?"

“My lord, we have been traveling west along the border between Chenliu County and the State of Chen. We have just passed Daji Township, and ahead is Yu County. To the southwest is Yangxia.”

"Yu County? Could it be the Cai family of Yu County? Or the Gao family of Yu County?"

Zhang Chengfu was completely baffled. Neither of these two powerful families would have any reason to spy on them like this. But in any case, he had to strengthen his scouting and vigilance and try to move as quickly as possible.

"Giddy up! Giddy up!"

On the vast plains of Henan, a group of nearly a hundred people from the Taiping Dao, carrying the banner of "Yellow Heaven," drove their horse-drawn carriages westward. The country roads along the way were deserted, with only occasional graves and skeletons telling tales of the hardships of rural Henan. However, the number of graves was fewer than along the banks of the Ji River in Yanzhou, and the villages they passed, though impoverished, seemed to offer a meager existence.

"Huh? This is Chen State in Yu Province? Have we crossed the border?"

The Taiping Dao group rested outside a village and, after inquiring, learned that they had arrived in the State of Chen. The State of Chen and Chenliu Commandery were not divided by a straight line, but rather by a winding, jagged border. The great city of Yangxia was directly to the south, said to be the location where King Taikang of Xia moved his capital and was buried; it was also called "Taikang." However, the group did not intend to visit this great city and planned to continue westward. But the cavalry that had been following them seemed to have no intention of waiting any longer and appeared suddenly on the horizon!
"Giddy up! Giddy up!"

More than forty cavalrymen appeared on the southern horizon like a whirlwind. Then, like hunters spotting their prey, they surged forward in a fierce attack! These cavalrymen were very disciplined; many carried bows and arrows, wore leather armor, and carried lances for riding. They began to disperse at a distance, seemingly intending to surround the Taiping Dao group. The leader, wearing a helmet and fine leather armor, charged alone, carrying a large bow!
"Da da da!"

"?! A large cavalry force?!"

Zhang Chengfu was startled and had no time to think. He made a decision immediately and shouted to the nearly one hundred elite disciples of the Taiping Dao.

"Daonu, take the cavalry and mount your horses!"

"promise!"

"Wenze, lead the Taishan troops to form a battle formation!"

"promise!"

"Dian Wei, protect our wise teacher!"

"Understood!" The Taiping Dao members quickly formed a defensive formation around the carriage before the opposing cavalry approached. Zhang Chengfu took a deep breath and shouted the question forcefully.

"We are believers passing by on the road to peace! Who are you? State your names!"

"Such a quick reaction! This battle formation is quite impressive!"

Seeing this, the leader with the bow was quite surprised. He didn't answer, but instead used his sharp, eagle-like gaze to sweep over Zhang Chengfu, who was commanding with a bow on his back, then looked at Gao Daonu, who was riding a horse and carrying a spear, then glanced at Yu Jin, who was holding a spear, and stared at Dian Wei, who was carrying a halberd. Finally, he looked at the old Taoist priest who was being protected by the crowd in the center and shouted coldly.

"You old Taoist! You are none other than Zhang Jiao, the heretical Taoist who spreads rumors and brings disaster to the country!"

"?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu raised an eyebrow, his face turning cold. He immediately drew his large bow and nocked three arrows. Seeing his action, the leader, who had been riding with his bow drawn, smiled contemptuously and also drew his bow from his horse. Then, he galloped away like a shooting star, slightly slowing his horse from a distance of twenty or thirty paces, aiming at the direction of the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao, and unleashed a fierce arrow!
"Go!"

"?!"

Zhang Chengfu was shocked, his eyes flashing with a cold, fierce light. Then, without hesitation, he mustered all his strength, drew back the heavy bow, and aimed a vicious arrow at the knight who had just shot it!
"You thief, prepare to die!"

"Whoosh!!"

Both arrows flashed like lightning, crisscrossing each other in the air! The knight's arrow, slightly raised, "whooshed" over Zhang Jiao, the Great Teacher of Virtue, and struck the "Yellow Heaven" banner held high by his disciples, accurately hitting the character "Heaven"! Zhang Cheng's arrow, on foot, arrived like a vicious snake bite, striking the white horse that the newcomer was riding in an instant!
"law!!"

The white horse let out a shrill neigh, an arrow deeply embedded in its belly. In pain, it reared up on all fours! The rider, without stirrups, was flung off the horse and fell heavily into the mud. The white horse, in agony, galloped wildly towards the Taiping Dao group, clearly heading towards their banner. Before Zhang Chengfu could fire a second arrow, he heard Dian Wei roar.

"middle!!"

A javelin-like halberd flew ten paces and struck the frightened horse hard! Blood splattered instantly, and the powerful impact made the horse go limp! Yu Jin had already stepped forward coldly, raising his three-meter-long spear, and thrust it swiftly and fiercely at the horse's head!
"prick!"

"law!!!"

The white horse let out a final, pitiful neigh, then lurched to its knees and crashed into the mud, breaking its leg! Only then did Zhang Chengfu see his teacher looking calmly at him, seemingly unharmed. He breathed a sigh of relief, then his face hardened as he stared at the fallen leader and quickly said to Gao Daonu.

"Daonu, let's go catch that archer! He's the leader of the cavalry; to catch the thief, catch the leader first!"

"Yu Jin, take your men and come with me!"

"promise!"

Gao Daonu spurred his horse forward, spear held at an angle, and charged straight at the fallen leader. The knight, clad in leather armor and possessing remarkable horsemanship, seemed to have absorbed the impact of the fall, suggesting he hadn't been seriously injured. He scrambled to his feet, dazed, and immediately reached for his horn bow. Only a moment later did he look up and see Gao Daonu charging towards him with his spear. The other cavalrymen behind him were terrified, galloping towards them while shouting anxiously.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

"Your Highness must not be harmed!"

"Save His Highness!"

Upon hearing the word "Your Highness," Gao Daonu raised an eyebrow, and the spear he had thrust out lost some of its force. He simply flicked it, knocking off the helmet of the fallen leader, revealing a surprised, not-so-young face.

"How dare you?!"

"boom!"

Gao Daonu swung his spear and struck the elder leader, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. Then, glancing at Yu Jin and Zhang Chengfu rushing towards him, he met two cavalrymen who were also hurrying towards him. He swiftly attacked from horseback, blocking both men and sweeping one off his horse! Behind him, Yu Jin, with overwhelming force, grabbed the fallen elder leader and was about to drag him back to the Taiping Dao's ranks!
"Stop! Stop!!"

"How dare you be so disrespectful?! This is Prince Chen!"

"We must not harm Prince Chen!"

"Prince Chen?! You are Prince Chen? Why did you ambush the Great Teacher of Virtue?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu raised an eyebrow, looking at the disheveled and fallen leader before him. The leader's hair was disheveled, his helmet had fallen off, revealing a dignified face of a forty-year-old. Upon closer inspection, his teeth were also neat and unworn, clearly indicating that he usually ate fine food. Although he had been captured by Yu Jin, he showed no fear on his face, only a somewhat humiliated and disgraceful expression.

"That's right! I am Prince Chen! I did not ambush the Great Teacher of Virtue! I merely... cough, merely shot at that 'Yellow Heaven' banner! Otherwise, with my archery skills, how could I possibly miss at such close range?"

Immediately afterwards, King Chen coughed lightly, feigning surprise, stared at Zhang Chengfu, and changed the subject.

"Ahem! Was it you who shot my galloping horse with an arrow just now? I see you're not very old, yet you can draw such a heavy bow and have such archery skills?"

"."

Looking at the "Prince Chen" who was trying so hard to appear calm, Zhang Chengfu was momentarily at a loss for words. A feudal lord personally leading his cavalry, charging forward like a brave general in a one-on-one duel, and shooting at the banner of the Way of Peace? This was simply a bit too much.
"You brave warrior, your horsemanship and spear skills are quite impressive! Judging from your face, are you a mixed-race Hu person?"

Seeing that Zhang Chengfu did not answer, Prince Chen smiled calmly and then looked at Gao Daonu to ask a question. Gao Daonu remained silent. He then looked at Yu Jin and smiled.

"Your spear technique is quite good! It has a refined, honed feel. Is it the spear style of the Mount Tai region? Are you from the Mount Tai region? Hmm, and that tiger warrior over there throwing halberds! His skill is also quite good!"

"Hey! Why are you all like wooden blocks of stone, not saying a word?"

Yu Jin remained silent, his face as still as a rock, only gripping Chen Wang's arm tightly. Zhang Chengfu paused, glancing at Chen Wang Liu Chong, who remained composed despite being surrounded by four "fierce generals"—himself, Gao Daonu, Yu Jin, and the arriving Dian Wei. He subconsciously touched the hilt of the fine iron dagger at his waist, then quickly released it.

In any case, he couldn't possibly kill the King of Chen in full view of everyone, within the territory of Chen. But wasn't the other party's style of action far too "fierce"?
Dozens of paces away, the cavalrymen brought by Prince Chen abandoned their usual tactics of spreading out and encircling, like a hunting party. They tensely advanced together, forming a dense, dark mass at intervals of ten or twenty paces! However, fearing that Prince Chen was in the hands of the other side, they dared not directly attack to seize him. Seeing this standoff, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao sighed softly and stepped forward to pay his respects.

"I am Zhang Jiao from Julu. May I ask what brings King Chen here today?"

(End of this chapter)