Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 88 The Debate Between Confucianism and Taoism: Doctrines for Governing the World!

"Heaven above, all living beings are innocent. Natural disasters and man-made calamities have claimed lives; the blame lies not with individuals, but with the world! In the past, some starved to death, their souls wandering aimlessly. Now, may this talisman of peace illuminate their path home. Heaven shall open the gates of goodness, and the Land of Bliss shall welcome the departed. May their return be without pain, their journey without suffering! ~~"

The prayers of the Taiping Sutra echoed in the Temple of Yu the Great, a tradition inherited from ancient shamanistic rituals, implicitly containing a sacrifice destined for the deceased and a desire to overthrow the injustices of the world. After these heartfelt prayers, deeper conversations followed. These conversations ranged from the current state of the Taiping Dao in Yingchuan, the specific circumstances in the Changshe area north of the prefecture, to the details of the uprising planned for next year.

"My esteemed teacher! The Zhong family of Changshe is a prominent clan in Yingchuan, and Zhong Hao is one of the four chiefs of Yingchuan. The Zhong family's disciples and former officials are spread throughout the county, numbering two thousand, and they own hundreds of thousands of acres of land, all fertile land in Changshe County! Each acre of the Zhong family's land is estimated to produce two to three shi of grain annually, and they pay very little tax, so they probably have enough grain to last two to three years. The clan owns hundreds of estates of various sizes, and last year they acquired more than a dozen estates and thousands of tenant farmers, and also took in many of my followers of the Way of Peace as tenant farmers."

The Changshe area north of Yingchuan was the region where Qu Shuai Bocai had long preached. He was naturally very familiar with the lands of the Zhong family of Changshe, a prominent clan in the county, even more so than the county officials.

"The Zhong family, a prominent clan in the county, owns tens of thousands of acres of land and hundreds of estates scattered throughout the county! The Zhong family alone probably has three or four hundred thousand shi of grain stored in their estates, or even more! If we can seize their grain reserves, we can save the lives of one hundred thousand commoners!"

"Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, and three to four hundred thousand bushels of grain?!"

Upon hearing such an astonishing number, Zhang Chengfu's eyes lit up, and he gripped the fine iron dagger at his waist once more. Qu Shuaibo glanced a few times at the young man sitting beside the Great Teacher of Virtue, then nodded in affirmation.

"Indeed! The four prominent clans of Yingchuan—the Zhong, Xun, Han, and Chen—each have thousands of members, occupying an entire county. They must possess such a scale of land and grain reserves! Otherwise, they cannot be called prominent clans! However, these prominent clans have numerous members and guards, and they control the county constables and constables, making it easy for them to mobilize thousands or even more able-bodied men. If we were to attack them, we would have to act swiftly and directly breach their main estate! We only have one chance to act, and we can only destroy one prominent clan. If we delay even slightly, and the members of these powerful clans mobilize their armed forces, not to mention the possibility of them joining forces to attack, their main estates, with their high walls and large courtyards, will be even harder to breach than a county town!"

"Yes, that's exactly it! The powerful clans of the prefectures are far more powerful and influential in their respective counties than the local government officials! Although we coveted their grain, we dared not even consider harming them. These deeply entrenched clans, if they were to retaliate, would slaughter entire villages and exterminate entire populations! Offending the government might allow one to flee to their hometown. But offending a local powerful clan means not only being unable to stay in the village, but also endangering the lives of one's relatives and neighbors!"

Hearing this, Zhang Chengfu inquired carefully about the domineering ways of the powerful clans in the countryside, his expression shifting with complex emotions. These so-called powerful clans naturally required the blood and sweat of tens of thousands of ordinary people to support them, demanding taxes, tributes, and control over land and water. To maintain their rule in the countryside, they often executed dozens or even hundreds of farmers each year for intimidation. Where were the "benevolent lords"? In this cannibalistic world, every grain of food was stained with the blood of the people! The vast quantities of grain exploited by these powerful clans were all ground from the blood, flesh, and bones of the common people!
"Bo Cai, I know the situation in the Changshe area north of Yingchuan Commandery. As for the other leaders south of Yingchuan to Runan Commandery, such as He Yi of Ruxi, Huang Shao of Yingnan, He Man of Runan, Liu Pi of Runan, and Peng Tuo of Runan, what do you think of them? Are they willing to join you in raising troops and moving to Ji Province?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Shuaibo pondered for a while, touched the scar on his face, and replied in a deep voice.

"Reporting to the Great Teacher! He Yi, Huang Shao, He Man, and Liu Pi are all powerful figures with tens of thousands of followers. Getting them to rise up against the court is no problem! But getting them to clash head-on with the court's army is unlikely. As for getting them to rebel against local aristocratic families, that's not a question of whether they want to, but whether they can! They have too close ties with these families, and most of their truly capable subordinates are also connected to them. How could they possibly turn against us!"

"If my Yellow Turban Rebellion can completely occupy Yuzhou and prevent the imperial court from leaving Xuanyuan Pass, these chieftains will be able to rise up and suppress the powerful clans behind them! But if the imperial army marches out of the pass to conquer them, and no one can stop them, then the lives of these chieftains will depend entirely on the whims of the local powerful clans."

"As for Chief Peng Tuo, he is also a powerful and ambitious figure, personally appointed by the great physicians! He has gathered 100,000 followers, making him more powerful than the other four chiefs. Although he has many connections with the powerful families of Runan, as his followers grow, these families are finding it increasingly difficult to control him. However, although we have many followers, in a real battle, neither he nor I would be a match for the Han army! As for getting these chiefs to abandon their homes and businesses in their respective counties and prefectures and go to Jizhou and Yanzhou, I think that's extremely difficult, almost impossible!"

After listening to Bo Cai's truthful account, which corresponded to the analysis of the great physician Zhang Liang, the great teacher Zhang Jiao pondered in silence. Zhang Cheng, who was listening in, pondered for a moment and summarized, feeling that something seemed familiar.

"They oppose the imperial court but not the powerful clans. They are intricately connected with these powerful clans, and once their own power grows, they may turn against them. These so-called Yellow Turban leaders are probably Yellow Turbans of powerful clans, not Yellow Turbans of the common people!"

After a long conversation in the temple, Commander Bo Cai spoke frankly and answered every question. It wasn't until nightfall that the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao pondered and asked a question.

"Bo Cai, you are located north of Yingchuan, near Luoyang. What are your thoughts on the defenses surrounding Luoyang?"

"The defenses of Luoyang? My esteemed teacher, from Henan to Luoyang are Xuanyuan Pass, Yique Pass, and Hulao Pass. These three passes are all quite strategically important, but their defenses are not very strong."

Qu Shuaibo thought for a moment, hesitated for a while, and then added.

"As the heavens and earth can see! Although the passes around Luoyang are empty, they are not neglected. If the government troops in Luoyang are mobilized, they can secure all the passes in three to five days! Even more dangerous is the fact that the court can transfer troops from Guanzhong, and even border troops from Liangzhou! Those soldiers from Guanzhong are ruthless in suppressing us Guandong people. When I was stationed on the southwestern border, I saw good men from Guanzhong, whose status was much higher than our Guandong soldiers! And they are skilled in archery and horsemanship, especially the elite cavalry, who are truly formidable! Furthermore, the court can also conscript barbarians, send northern nomadic cavalry south, or southern barbarian soldiers north. If we encounter elite cavalry or nomadic cavalry in Yingchuan, it will be very difficult to resist them."

"Um"

The great teacher Zhang Jiao remained silent for a moment, nodded slightly, and then asked softly.

"Bo Cai, what do you think of Yuan Yi? If one day Yuan Yi and I were no longer serving as leaders, could we persuade the chieftains of Yuzhou and Jingzhou to obey us?"

"Ah! My wise teacher? You, your health?"

This soft remark startled Commander Bo Cai, who turned pale with alarm. Only after the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao offered some words of reassurance did Bo Cai reply slowly and solemnly.

"My esteemed teacher, Yuanyi is your eldest disciple. If he were to succeed as the leader of the Taiping Dao, the various tribal chiefs would naturally approve. However, commanding the tribal chiefs of Yuzhou and Jingzhou? This is probably not something that can be achieved simply by holding the title of 'leader.' Each tribal chief has their own agenda and their own faction. How can we make them submit and obey our orders?"

"Hmm. So what do you think Yuanyi needs to do to achieve this?"

"This? How can I possibly evaluate this?"

"Bo Cai, please speak freely!"

“Wise teacher, Yuanyi is a kind and upright person! He is very good at winning the hearts of believers, and the leaders from all sides also believe in his character!”

"Kindness and integrity"

Upon hearing this four-word evaluation, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao and the Great Physician Zhang Liang exchanged a glance and remained silent. They did not ask Bo Cai how he would evaluate Zhang Chengfu, as this was Chengfu's first visit to Yuzhou, and the chieftains did not recognize him. After a long while, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao finally raised his head, glanced at the bowing Zhang Chengfu, and said in a calm voice, "Chengfu."

"teacher?"

“When you obtained the ‘Guerrilla Strategy’ in Yanzhou, take out two copies and give them to Bo Cai.”

"Yes, teacher!"

Zhang Cheng bowed respectfully, took out two thin booklets containing guerrilla tactics, and carefully handed them to Bo Cai. Bo Cai took the booklets, flipped through a couple of pages, and his face showed a strange expression, along with some embarrassment.

"Bo Cai, is there anything you want to say?"

"Um, Master, I don't recognize all the characters in this booklet. There seem to be quite a few simplified characters that are missing strokes?"

"Um"

Zhang Jiao, the Great Teacher of Virtue, was momentarily speechless. He then remembered that his "disciple" was a lowly soldier who had joined the Way of Great Peace at a very advanced age. Although Bo Cai had been studying the *Taiping Jing* (Scripture of Great Peace) since then, his literacy was indeed limited. Most disciples from humble backgrounds had limited literacy. Someone as gifted as Zhang Chengfu was truly unique; only he possessed such natural talent. Zhang Jiao stroked his short beard, a thought flashing through his mind, but his face remained gentle and reassuring.

"It's alright! Bo Cai, go back and read it slowly. If you don't understand something, have Cheng Fu explain it to you. Also, arrange for a reliable person to send one of the volumes to Zhang Mancheng in Nanyang. He knows many characters and has read many classics, so he should be able to read it without difficulty. Moreover, he is in the Nanyang Basin, surrounded by mountains that provide easy cover, making it easy for him to evade the imperial army's attacks. In fact, the chieftains of Nanyang, thanks to the terrain, are more likely to use the 'guerrilla' methods mentioned above than the chieftains of Yingchuan!"

"Oh, right! This booklet was written by Zhang Chengfu. Although he is young, he has some extraordinary natural skills. The two great doctors and I value him highly!"

Upon hearing the praise that he was "highly valued," Qu Shuaibo looked surprised and scrutinized Zhang Chengfu for a long time, examining him closely. The young man, however, stood upright and bowed respectfully. Hearing the praise from his teachers, he showed no arrogance, only a resolute and solemn expression.

"May the world be at peace! If you have any doubts, Senior Brother, I am willing to sit down with you for a long talk and sleep side by side."

"Alright! That's all for today! It's getting late, you should all go and rest!"

"Yes, wise teacher!"

The night was deep, and the Milky Way was an inextinguishable fire. The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao looked up at the approaching darkness, his face reflecting a star-like loneliness. After gazing at the stars for a long time, he turned to his uncle, Zhang Liang, and said...

"Uncle, has the Xun family of Yingyin made any moves lately?"

“Brother, the Xun clan of Yingyin appears to be doing as usual, but they have secretly gathered many clansmen at the main estate. It’s probably because of the visit agreement you mentioned to them that they are a little nervous.”

"Hmm, has Xun Shuang returned?"

"This concerns the lineage of the Xun family. Judging from their actions, they have probably returned."

"okay!"

Seven stars shone brightly in the night sky. The great teacher Zhang Jiao smiled and nodded earnestly under the watchful eyes of the stars.

"Excellent! Summer Solstice is almost here. I should also visit the Xun family and have a discussion with Xun Shuang about metaphysics!"

“Brother, I don’t quite understand. What do you want to discuss with Xunzi at this time? Do you really want to discuss the Book of Changes and debate the ancient and modern versions?”

"No! It's not about discussing the I Ching, nor is it about debating the ancient and modern texts."

Faced with Zhang Liang's doubts, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao smiled and shook his head, answering frankly.

"This time, I want to debate Confucianism and Taoism, and the methods of governing a country!"

"Confucianism versus Taoism? The debate between Confucianism and Taoism?"

"Indeed! The debate between Confucianism and Taoism! This is also the inspiration I received from that child, Chengfu."

At this point, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao became radiant, his eyes shining brightly. He once again gazed at the starry sky of the late Han Dynasty, as if looking at a footnote to a new era, witnessing a turning point in the fate of the world!
"The debate between Confucianism and Taoism. Or rather, how to govern the world by replacing the doctrines of aristocratic families with the doctrines of my Way of Great Peace! A brand new method, letting the people govern the people. Let's see how these great Confucian scholars answer, how they point out the problems, and save the most precious time for our future endeavors!"

(End of this chapter)