Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 387 Destroy the Buddha
"Zuo Rong, is this what you call paradise?"

Zhang Fei brushed aside the woman who was about to pounce on him, turned to look at Zuo Rong, and said with disdain, "Is that all?"

Zhang Fei had seen a lot of beauty through his years of experience in the art of human anatomy, and he was immune to it. He also had quite a few concubines at home, so ordinary beauty wouldn't be able to dazzle him.

"The general is not satisfied with them?"

Zuo Rong waved for the women to step back: "Ah, indeed, General, what beauties haven't you seen... But since you've come here, I should certainly host a banquet to entertain you, how about..."

"I'm here on official business! Ze Rong, where are the funds and provisions for Xiapi? How many households are there? How much cultivated land? Why are there so many starving people?"

Zhang Fei wasn't buying it: "You've been undertaking massive construction projects here, harming the people and abandoning farming, and you actually think you can bribe your way out of this?!"

"...General Zhang, I am only in charge of military affairs, and civil affairs are not my responsibility. If you want to ask about money, grain, agriculture, famine relief, and other matters, you should ask Chen Yuanlong."

Zuo Rong still smiled and said, "The military situation in Xiapi is stable and the defenses are in place. I, Zuo, also oversee the canal transport affairs of the three prefectures, and there have been no problems. Now that it's freezing cold and the rivers are frozen, the canal transport has been cut off. Since I have no military duties, I'm here chanting scriptures and doing good deeds... The construction of the Buddhist temple was done spontaneously by the believers. What crime have I committed?"

Zhang Fei knew that Chen Deng was ill, which must have been exploited, but Zuo Rong hadn't actually done anything wrong in name.

Zuo Rong was a military officer; civil affairs were not his responsibility.

There was little fighting in Xiapi, and the grain transport he was in charge of was suspended due to the frozen river. Zuo Rong spent his time in the county "adopting orphaned girls" and "providing relief to starving people," which could be considered the work of a great philanthropist...

Zhang Fei finally understood why the Han Dynasty, despite having so many 'benevolent' officials, had become so corrupt.

The Buddhist sect also seems to be doing good deeds... Although Zhang Fei doesn't know much about this sect, it is true that they provide relief to starving people, and it is also true that the starving people praise the Buddhist sect.

Whether something is good or evil simply depends on how strong the propaganda is.

In Xiapi today, the soldiers and civilians who are unaware of the truth would probably regard Zuo Rong as a good official.

Those monks who benefited, those Danyang soldiers who thought they had "found faith," and those laborers who were building Buddhist temples... all sided with Zuo Rong.

Zhang Fei now understood what Liu Bei and Jia Xu were waiting for.

It's about waiting for the various colleges under its jurisdiction to produce more "unruly" officials, and waiting for the poor people under its jurisdiction to first live a decent life.

Those academically trained officials who lack resources and cannot gain fame and influence, and those administrative officials who have no connections and can only get ahead by doing practical work, cannot and will not become such "great philanthropists".

Local officials must not use hypocrisy to coerce the people for the policies of the imperial court to be effective.

Only when policies are effective can the world's problems be cured.

Ordinary people like those in Jinan who have already lived a decent life are not easily swayed by hypocrisy, nor do they excessively believe in those illusory gods and Buddhas. It is the existence of these people who have truly earned their living through hard work in farming that allows the poor in other places to understand what true goodness and blessings are.

Only by contrasting it with genuine benevolent governance can hypocritical governance be exposed.

Ordinary people will not die for hypocrites; only then can the struggle for power and the governance of the world be combined.

However, how should we deal with this hypocritical governance in Xiaxiang County?
Ze Rong was nominally without fault, the Danyang soldiers had all become believers, and the people had been brainwashed. If he were to be suppressed by force, riots would surely break out. If he were to proceed slowly, it would be easy to miss the farming season.

Moreover, as things stand, force might not be enough to suppress them, as I only brought two hundred men with me to Xiaxiang.

What would the elder brother do?
Oh... no, it's not what you need to do, brother.

How can I help my older brother do things that are inconvenient for him to do...?

Zhang Fei recalled Duan Jiong's words: "To take a life, to give up a life."

The eldest brother can do everything else, but these two things can only be done by his brothers.

My task was to clear obstacles for my elder brother to relocate people to Xuzhou for settlement and reclamation...

Sweeping away the hypocritical obstacles like the Zuo Rong and the Buddhist sects will inevitably bring one a bad reputation and enmity.

"Since there is no military activity in Xiapi and it is the off-season for farming... then Commandant Zuo should go to the Han Military Academy for further study."

Zhang Fei's gaze toward Zuo Rong seemed calmer, but a fierce glint remained in his eyes: "The imperial edict stipulates that the Han army must originate from the Han military academy; you should know that."

"...Yes, yes, I know. But traveling to and from Qingzhou takes a long time, and there are bandits entrenched in Huainan. Yuan Shu and Cao Cao are both eyeing Xiapi with covetous intent..."

Zuo Rong still shook his head with a smile and refused: "Although there is no war in Xiapi, I dare not leave without permission."

"Military order! Military affairs in Xiapi will be concurrently managed by Zhang Fei, the governor of Xuzhou. Commandant Zuo Rong of Xiapi is hereby ordered to immediately proceed to Linzi to study at the Great Han Military Academy!"

Zhang Fei's face twitched, forcing an ugly smile: "Zuo Rong, am I not as good as you in military strategy? Do I really need you to garrison Xiapi?"

Zuo Rong finally stopped laughing, staring at Zhang Fei with an unfriendly look: "Lord Zhang, are you trying to remove me from my post?"

Sending you for further studies is an honor!

Zhang Fei suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Zuo Rong's shoulder: "Once you're in the military academy, you'll be His Majesty's fellow student..."

Zuo Rong turned around, drew his sword, and broke free from Zhang Fei: "Forgive me, Zuo Rong, for not being able to comply!"

But Zhang Fei drew his sword and with a single move cut down Zuo Rong's sword, then the tip of the sword was pressed against Zuo Rong's crotch.

The difference in skill was too great, and Zuo Rong dared not move again.

Zhang Fei used his left arm to restrain Zuo Rong, then turned to face the women in the inner hall: "You all... overturn the braziers, take torches, and send Commandant Zuo off!"

The woman inside the house did not move.

Zhang Fei showed no mercy to women, kicking the nearest woman to the ground and threatening her with his knife: "Hurry up!"

"Zhang Fei! Don't you want to live anymore...?"

Even after being restrained, Zuo Rong still refused to back down: "What crime have I committed? How dare you kidnap me in this city?!"

"I won't just kidnap you... I'll also kill and set fires..."

Zhang Fei swung his sword hilt and struck Zuo Rong on the forehead: "You disobeyed military orders, isn't that a crime?!"

Having said that, he pointed his sword at the woman standing closest to him: "Those who disobey military orders... die!"

The woman in the thin veil gritted her teeth, overturned the brazier in the hall, and took a torch from the wall into her hand.

Zhang Fei nodded, then looked at the other women.

All the braziers in the inner hall were overturned, and dozens of women, each holding a torch, set the gauze and silk ribbons hanging in the inner hall ablaze.

Zuo Rong shouted, "Guards!"

Zhang Fei grabbed Zuo Rong by the neck, silencing him, and dragged him to the front hall. Pointing to the pile of wood and the banners in front of the Buddha statue, he ordered, "Light the fire!"

The rear hall had been set on fire, and the Danyang soldiers under Zuo Rong's command surrounded it, as did the laborers who were moving huge timbers to build another hall.

But when they saw the women wearing only thin gauze that couldn't cover their private parts at all, the Danyang soldiers and laborers were somewhat stunned and seemed to be losing their composure.

Faced with the choice between putting out the fire and saving Zuo Rong, most people chose to look at the beautiful women...

It's only human nature that a beautiful woman wearing a thin veil is more alluring than one who isn't wearing anything at all, especially now that it's freezing cold and those women have just come out of the warm inner chamber, their bodies still radiating heat.

Meanwhile, Qu, the guard of Wufeng Camp who was also waiting outside, didn't react much to the women.

The artists in Wufeng Camp have a vast amount of appreciation for human body art.

Upon hearing Zhang Fei shout to light the fire, and seeing thick smoke rising from the rear hall, Zuo Rong's Danyang soldiers were still somewhat bewildered, while Zhang Fei's personal guards quickly split up and got to work.

Even setting fires in front of people is the same; the difference between elite troops and rabble is that elite troops can react faster at any time.

Moreover, arson is their specialty; it's even a specialized subject in art schools...

Setting fires in the city is effective most of the time, because there will always be people trying to put them out, and there will always be people running around in panic. Many people will even panic at the sight of thick smoke.

The chaos of a few can cause the majority to lose order.

In many cases, a fire itself does not cause much damage. With a little organization, not only can the fire be controlled, but order can also be restored quickly.

But if the person in charge is under control, that's a different story.

At this moment, the Danyang soldiers abandoned their efforts to put out the fire and all surrounded the Buddhist temple, but they dared not attack Zhang Fei directly.

The laborers and monks were indeed frantically trying to put out the fire, but getting water was difficult, the fire in the rear hall was already quite large, and there was too much timber in the Great Buddha Temple to extinguish it. In the city, it is often easier to start a fire in winter than in summer because the water level is lower and there may be ice, making it slower to get water and fight the fire.

Moreover, there are many sources of fire in this temple.

In truth, Zhang Fei didn't care whether the fire could be lit or not; he just wanted to create a lot of thick smoke...

Because a fire in the county town was an emergency military situation, neighboring counties would light beacon fires upon seeing the thick smoke rising, and the troops stationed in Tancheng, as well as the troops from various units in Xuzhou, would rush to the scene upon seeing the beacon fires.

"Zhang Fei! I treated you with good intentions, yet you have done this to me... Your burning of the pagoda will surely incite a popular uprising, and you will not be able to escape unscathed!"

Zuo Rong probably never imagined that Zhang Fei, with his current status as the governor of a prefecture, would actually be involved in the business of bandits—kidnapping, arson, and taking hostages…

"If anyone worships the gods of barbarians and changes their mind because the barbarian temples were burned down, then they have turned away from their ancestors..."

Zhang Fei held his knife to Zuo Rong's neck: "A popular uprising can only happen if there are people involved... How can those who betray their ancestors be considered citizens of the Han dynasty? Zuo Rong, if you want your life, then tell your barbarians to clear the way!"

"Although I am not a Buddhist monk, I am a protector under the Buddha, so how could I fear death?"

But Zuo Rong shook his head and said, "The people of Xiapi and Xiaxiang are all devout Buddhists. General, you have disrespected the gods and Buddhas and burned down the Buddhist temples, which has already angered the people... Tens of thousands of believers in Xiapi will come here when they see the fire. A civil unrest is inevitable. Now only I can quell the civil unrest..."

Despite being held hostage, Zuo Rong showed no sign of panic, seemingly certain that Zhang Fei would not dare to kill him.

Zhang Fei looked at Zuo Rong: "Guardian? Hmph... Those who believe in the heretical teachings of foreign lands are barbarians. If barbarians cause trouble... there's no need to quell it, just annihilate them!"

Taking advantage of the fact that the Danyang soldiers had not yet dared to make a move, Zhang Fei reined in his horse, Zuo Rong, and went to the city gate. He then summoned his troops, withdrew from the city gate, and mounted his warhorse.

Zuo Rong's Danyang soldiers also poured out of the city gate.

Zuo Rong also miscalculated, not expecting Zhang Fei to disregard even basic dignity, and was dragged out of Xiaxiang County by the neck.

……

When Mi Zhu arrived outside Xiaxiang City, the city was already ablaze with flames.

The magnificent Buddhist temple, once set ablaze, was particularly striking with the towering flames and thick smoke that blotted out the sky.

At this time, Zhang Fei had already taken Zuo Rong hostage and left the city, but at the same time he was surrounded by several thousand Danyang soldiers under Zuo Rong's command.

The two sides did not directly engage in combat, but Zhang Fei would find it difficult to escape for the time being. Although the Danyang soldiers did not launch a direct attack, they were unwilling to let Zhang Fei take Zuo Rong away.

Mi Zhu was quite resourceful. Upon seeing the fire in the city, he immediately arranged for his followers to request reinforcements from various places and sent a message to Mi Fang, instructing him to bring troops as quickly as possible.

Subsequently, Mi Zhu met Zhang Fei at the Yishui Bridge, guarded the bridgehead, and secured Zhang Fei's escape route through the Yishui Bridge. He also explained to Zhang Fei the doctrines of the Buddhist sect that he had learned.

"Does the Buddhist sect actually regard humans as nothing?"

After hearing this, Zhang Fei did indeed feel that the situation was a bit tricky...

"It's not that it's nothingness... but rather that they believe the soul is immortal and can be reincarnated for countless lifetimes, and that after converting to Buddhism, one can sever ties with the mortal world..."

Mi Zhu explained, "Those believers probably don't care about Zuo Rong's life..."

Indeed, the Buddhist religion emphasizes eternal life and reincarnation. For believers, since they can be reincarnated anyway, Zuo Rong's death is just a matter of physical decay.

They did not directly attack Zhang Fei, mainly because Zuo Rong was a protector of the Buddhist sect and held a high position within the sect. In addition, Zuo Rong was a "good person," so they did not want Zuo Rong to suffer any loss.

But it's just that they don't want to... not that they can't.

Taking Zuo Rong hostage is actually useless; holding him hostage is just a waste of time.

Since there are tens of thousands of believers in Xiapi and Xiaxiang, what about Tancheng or other places in Xuzhou?
If Zuo Rong is tied to Tancheng, it might actually cause more unpredictable trouble.

"Since that's the case, then let him go to reincarnation... Brother Mi, retreat quickly, Fei is about to engage in battle!"

Zhang Fei gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and walked towards Zuo Rong.

"Yide?"

Seeing Zhang Fei's actions, Mi Zhu immediately understood and quickly rode his horse northward.

Zhang Fei lifted Zuo Rong up, making him face the surrounding Danyang soldiers: "I wonder if Protector Zuo is truly devout... If Protector Zuo dies here, what will be the consequences of his actions?"

"Zhang Fei... what do you mean by this?"

Zuo Rong saw the fierce glint in Zhang Fei's eyes, and he was indeed a little flustered.

"Zuo Hufa also built a large Buddhist temple in Xiapi, right? I imagine it's even larger than this one in Xiaxiang? With so many large temples built and so many golden pagodas sculpted... surely that merit is enough to become a Buddha?"

Zhang Fei raised his sword: "I'll see you off now. If you truly become a Buddha and ascend to eternal bliss, you should thank me..."

"live……"

Zuo Rong was greatly alarmed.

But Zhang Fei had barely finished speaking when he raised his sword and struck.

Heads fell to the ground.

Apart from Qu, a guard from the Wufeng Camp who knew Zhang Fei's personality, no one expected that Zhang Fei would kill Zuo Rong directly. The Danyang soldiers were all stunned.

"This guardian deity of the Buddha doesn't seem to have any supernatural powers..."

Zhang Fei threw Zuo Rong's head into the crowd: "Wu Feng Battalion! Charge!"

……

It was called a charge, but in reality it was a blocking attack.

Zhang Fei had no intention of using two hundred men to cut through thousands of Danyang soldiers.

The terrain of Yishui Bridge blocked the encirclement of Danyang soldiers. At present, there is a thin layer of ice on Yishui River, and it is difficult to cross the river in winter. The only way is to walk on the bridge.

After regaining their senses, the Danyang soldiers launched a fierce attack on Zhang Fei. After holding off the attack for a while, Zhang Fei retreated northward as night fell.

Zhang Fei then immediately sent an urgent report to Qingzhou, which was 800 li away.

It was inevitable that the followers of the Buddhist sect in Xiapi would cause unrest.

Killing Zuo Rong in public would actually make the troubles of the Buddhist sect easier to handle—or rather, it would be much simpler for Liu Bei.

Zhang Fei will certainly be infamous because of this, and may be regarded as a "cruel and corrupt official" or something similar.

But Liu Bei only needed to quell the rebellion.

Moreover, Zuo Rong was the leader of the Buddhist sect, and there is a big difference between a religious force with a leader and one without one.

The fire in Xiaxiang County was an urgent military situation. Fires were also lit in Siwu County, north of Xiaxiang County, and Yishui Camp, even further north.

Along the upper and lower reaches of the Sishui River on both the east and west sides, military sentries relayed signals.

Military intelligence was rapidly transmitted to places like Donghai, Pengcheng, and Guangling via beacon fires.

Tao Qian was no longer in Xuzhou at this time, and his son sent him back to Danyang.

Wang Lang, the Chief Clerk, and Zhao Yu, the Assistant Administrator, also went to escort Tao Qian back to his hometown. It was customary to escort one's lord back to his hometown, and it was uncertain whether Wang Lang and Zhao Yu would return to Xuzhou. They were Tao Qian's advisors, not Liu Bei's subordinates.

Upon seeing the beacon fires, the troops left behind by Zhang Fei in Tancheng began their march towards Xiapi and joined up with Zhang Fei in Liangcheng County.

Cao Bao, the Commandant of Pengcheng stationed in Lü County, and Zhang Chao, the Prefect of Guangling stationed in Huaiyin, also came to Xiapi along the Si River and the Huai River respectively.

……

When Liu Bei received Zhang Fei's urgent report, he was recruiting villagers who were willing to relocate to Xuzhou on a voluntary basis.

Upon hearing about Zuo Rong's involvement with the Buddhist sect, Jia Xu advised, "Since the Buddhist sect has a reputation for benevolence, even if it's seeking fame and fortune, it will ultimately gain a reputation for goodness... Yi De stirred up trouble so that the lord could deal with it quickly and avoid delaying the agricultural work. However, the lord should try to appease them to avoid being falsely accused and losing the reputation for benevolence."

However, Liu Bei disagreed with Jia Xu's opinion this time: "No, we cannot allow the foreign monks to mislead the Han people with their hypocrisy. We cannot be lenient with matters of faith... We must reorganize the army and destroy Buddhism!"

(End of this chapter)