Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 165 The Heavens Are Dead!

In the depths of the imperial palace in Luoyang during the twelfth lunar month, the warm chambers are filled with the fragrance of incense.

Zhang Rang, the head of the Ten Attendants, was wrapped in a smooth sable fur coat and leaned against a soft couch covered with thick bearskin. Two handsome young eunuchs knelt at his feet, gently massaging his feet, which were more delicate than a woman's. He squinted, toying with a warm and translucent mutton-fat jade pendant that he had just "presented" to them from Bingzhou.

"Tsk, Zhang Xian, this outsider general, is quite sensible." Zhang Rang's voice was high-pitched and thin, like a needle scraping silk.

"The position of General of the Xiongnu was well-deserved. Look at him, he's already eyeing our family. How many times has he offered tribute this year?"

Zhang Gong, who was standing nearby, smiled so much that his face was wrinkled like a chrysanthemum, and chimed in, "Father is right! This boy is not only good at fighting, but his 'sensible' nature is much better than those arrogant noble sons!"

Including the old ginseng he had given his father before, this is the fourth time he has presented it to him this year.

Zhang Rang gave a comfortable hum, tucked the jade pendant into his bosom to warm it, and said slowly, "Hmm... It's good that you're sensible."

Tell your men that Zhang Xian is asking for grain and pay; as long as the amount isn't too outrageous, give him some.

These days, there aren't many who can stabilize the north for His Majesty and still think about showing filial piety.

Let him do a good job; he's a real asset and brings honor to the family!

"Yes, Father! Don't worry, I'll go and give the orders right away!"

Zhang Gong quickly bowed and agreed.

The warm, fragrant room exuded a sense of tranquility.

But the biting wind and snow and the dying cries from the land of Jizhou, thousands of miles away, could not penetrate this brocade cage in the slightest.

In Qinghe County, there was a dilapidated temple in the countryside.

The wind, sharp as a knife, carried snowflakes and howled in through the broken window frame.

The dilapidated temple was packed with people, a dark mass of refugees who had fled famine. They were all emaciated and ragged, huddled on the cold, muddy ground like a flock of quails waiting to be slaughtered.

The air was filled with the sour smell of despair and suppressed coughs.

In the center of the temple, a half-dead bonfire flickered weakly, illuminating a deeply lined old face that was unusually excited.

He was a lame old Taoist priest, wearing a faded and patched Taoist robe.

He sat cross-legged on a tattered straw mat, holding no whisk, only half a frozen, hard coarse grain cake.

His voice was hoarse, and spittle flew everywhere as he spoke excitedly.

"...Fellow villagers! Open your eyes and look! Is this world any better than this? The land we've cultivated for generations has become the property of powerful and wealthy people!"

The grain we worked so hard to harvest went into the government granaries! Our children are starving, skin and bones! And those gentlemen dressed in silk and satin? They eat delicacies from land and sea, embracing beautiful wives and concubines! What do you call this?
This is called "Heaven has no eyes!" They have sucked our blood dry! They have drained our marrow!

A suppressed sob and angry gasps rose from the crowd.

A woman holding her child who had fainted from hunger bit her lip so hard that blood seeped out.

The old Taoist priest suddenly raised his voice, almost roaring: "Heaven is dead! It's blind! It's no longer fit to govern us! The Great Teacher said! Recreate the Yellow Heaven, and the Way of Great Peace is the way out for us poor people!"
"Enter my Way of Peace, believe in my Yellow Heaven, receive talismanic water, and all diseases will be cured! Once we've slaughtered those corrupt officials and powerful figures! We'll equalize wealth and status! Everyone will have land to cultivate! Everyone will have food to eat! Then these miserable days will be over!"

He shakily pulled a dirty little ceramic bottle from his pocket, uncorked it, and found it filled with murky muddy water.

"Look! This is the life-saving talisman water! The divine medicine bestowed by the Great Teacher! Drink it, and the Yellow Heaven will protect you, and you will be immune to all diseases! Drink it, and we will become soldiers of the Yellow Heaven! Wearing yellow turbans, we will follow the Great Teacher and fight our way to a peaceful world!"

The desperate crowd was like dry tinder that was ignited.

A pair of bloodshot eyes stared intently at the bottle of murky talisman water, as if grasping at a last straw. Someone asked in a trembling voice, "Daoist...Daoist Master, this talisman water...can it really save lives?"

"Yes! Of course!" the old Taoist priest said decisively, pointing to an old man in the corner who was coughing violently after drinking talisman water.

"See that, Old Man Wang? He hadn't eaten for three days, but after drinking the talisman water, he suddenly had the strength to cough again! Heaven above, sincerity is key!"

Just then, a loud shout and the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the temple!

"Listen up, you refugees inside! By order of the Prefect! Laborers are to be conscripted to clear snow and repair roads! All men aged fifteen to fifty, come out and assemble immediately! Those who disobey will be punished for treason!"

The door of the dilapidated temple was kicked open with a loud bang! Several constables wearing thick fur coats and carrying knives rushed in. The leader, a burly man with a fierce face, held a leather whip and looked at the dirty and crowded people in the temple with disgust.

"Are you all deaf? Get out here!" The squad leader lashed out with his whip at the nearest refugee, who screamed in agony as his back was instantly torn open.

The refugees shrank back in terror, like a flock of frightened sheep.

The lame old Taoist priest suddenly stood up, blocking the way for the constables. His withered body stood ramrod straight, and his cloudy eyes burned with rage: "Sir! Have mercy! Look at these people! The old are dying, and the young are starving! How can they have the strength to repair the road? Give them a way to live!"

"A way out?" The foreman seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and kicked the old Taoist in the chest.

"Old man! The road to survival is for men! You peasants, with your worthless lives, do you even deserve a road to survival? Get out of my way!"

He shook his boots with disgust, as if they had gotten dirty.

The old Taoist priest was kicked and staggered backward, crashing into the fire, sparks flying everywhere.

He struggled to stand up again, but the foreman had already lost his patience and raised his whip to lash him across the face: "You old dog who doesn't know what's good for him! You dare block my way!"

The whip flashed, and the old Taoist priest rolled on the ground, clutching his head. His tattered Taoist robe was instantly torn, revealing his bony ribs and bleeding whip marks.

The small ceramic bottle in his arms fell to the ground with a "crack," and the murky talisman water mixed with mud flowed all over the ground.

"My talismanic water... Huang Tian..."

The old Taoist priest looked at the shattered pottery bottle, the last glimmer of light in his eyes went out, leaving only a deathly despair.

"Grandpa!" A teenager in the crowd, his eyes wide with fury, suddenly rushed out to protect the old Taoist priest.

"You little brat, you're asking for it!" the squad leader sneered, drawing his knife.

At this critical moment!
"The blue sky is dead! The yellow sky shall be established!"

A hoarse yet thunderous roar suddenly erupted from the temple entrance! It was none other than the woman who had been holding her child who had fainted from hunger! She had stood up at some point, her eyes bloodshot, her face filled with deep-seated hatred and a frenzied determination!
She suddenly tore open her tattered clothes, revealing a crumpled, yellow rag that she tightly bound to her forehead!
"Fight them! Enter the Yellow Heaven! Kill the corrupt officials!"

The woman's shrill voice was like a knife, instantly piercing the fear of all the refugees, just like a drop of water falling into a pot of hot oil, causing it to boil instantly!

"Kill the corrupt official!"

"Enter the Yellow Heaven! Seek a way to survive!"

"Fight!"

The pent-up anger, despair, and hatred erupted like a volcano at this moment! The refugees inside and outside the temple seemed to be injected with violent power, their eyes bloodshot, grabbing stones, sticks, and even frozen clods of mud, howling as they rushed towards the constables!
"Rebellion! Rebellion!" The squad leader was terrified and swung his knife wildly, but was tackled to the ground by several crazed refugees, who rained down stones and sticks on him.

The other constables were also instantly overwhelmed by the surging crowd, their screams completely drowned out by angry roars.

The unrest spread like a plague.

Those in the nearby refugee settlements heard the commotion and saw the scattered yellow strips of cloth fluttering in the wind and snow, as if they had seen the sparks of a wildfire.

More and more refugees tore off their clothes and used any yellow dye they could find—yellow soil, plants, or even urine—to dye strips of cloth yellow and wrap them around their heads.

"The blue sky is dead! The yellow sky shall be established!"

"Kill the corrupt official! Open the granaries and distribute grain!"

"Go find the Great Teacher! Seek a way to survive!"

The crude weapons were distributed: sharpened wooden sticks, rusty machetes, and heavy farm tools.

The enraged Yellow Turban rebels, like a turbid flood bursting its banks, led by the lame old Taoist and the desperate woman, formed an unstoppable torrent heading towards Julu County.

Julu Prefecture, Guangzong County.

Zhang Jiao, wearing an old fur coat, was hunched over his desk, writing furiously. His desk was piled high with secret reports from all over the country, and his brow was deeply furrowed.

The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at the door and asked, "What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"

Zhang Bao pushed open the door, bringing in a chill with him. His face was deathly pale: "Brother! Something's happened! In Qinghe County... a large number of believers have donned yellow turbans beforehand, killed officials and seized weapons, and are surging towards Guangzong! The leaders are an old woman and a young boy... and they're also accompanied by an old Taoist priest who's been beaten to death!"

Zhang Jiao suddenly stood up, knocking over the pen holder and staining the silk he had just written on with ink: "Ahead of schedule?! How many people?!"

"I don't know the specifics! But the currents along the way have already become a torrent! The government must have been alerted! We...we're not ready yet!"

"When did this happen?"

"It's been almost half a day! Those believers are all heading towards Guangzong. What should we do, brother? Should we do something about them?"

Zhang Bao was getting impatient. The scheduled time for the uprising hadn't arrived yet, and according to his elder brother Zhang Jiao, they would have to wait at least another year or two before taking action.

After returning from Taoyuan last time, my elder brother paid extra attention to the inner cultivation of believers, teaching them to read and write, accumulating money and food, and even arresting many half-hearted people in the Taiping Dao during this period.

All thirty-six regions heeded their elder brother's instructions and endured the pain, but they never expected that the first to lose their composure would be their own Ji Province, or even a neighboring county!
Zhang Jiao tightened his fur coat, walked to the window and sighed. He gazed at the starry sky, but under the cover of countless dark clouds, he could not even see the moonlight clearly.

"Ugh"

"It's the right time."

"It's fate."

"This is Heaven reminding us."

"We can't wait any longer. We can wait, but the people can't wait any longer. All living beings in this world are suffering."

"It's been a long time!!"

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his cloudy eyes was a resolute determination to burn his bridges.

"Though it is not my wish! But the oppressive government and cruel officials have forced the Yellow Heaven to reveal itself! Now the arrow is on the bowstring, and we have no choice but to release it! If we abandon our weak and vulnerable followers, the Taiping Dao's more than ten years of hard work could be reduced to ashes!"

"Then I won't wait any longer!"

He suddenly straightened his hunched back, a surge of generosity and fearlessness welling up within him.

"Brother Bao!"

"exist!"

"Send the order! Light the beacon fires! Beat the drums to rally the troops! Send messengers to inform the local commanders and chieftains!"

He picked up the nine-section staff, a symbol of the Great Teacher of Virtue, from the table, and pointed the staff at the boundless night outside the door, the sound like the clanging of metal.

"The blue sky is dead! The yellow sky shall be established!"

"It's the Jiazi year! Good luck to the world!"

"We are here today."

"Get ready!!!"

"Yes!!!" The last trace of hesitation in Zhang Bao's eyes was ignited, turning into a raging flame as he turned and rushed into the wind and snow!

Midnight.

Suddenly, a large number of people started walking around Guangzong County.

They all wore yellow turbans and gathered devoutly toward the county government.

Among them were even many low-ranking officials dressed in yamen runner uniforms!
This applies not only to Guangzong County.

The same applies outside the county.

The secret message spread like ripples on a lake, reaching far and wide.

While Yellow Turban believers gathered in Guangzong County, many fast horses galloped off in all directions.

The Taipingdao camp, hidden in the villages and forests outside the city, instantly erupted in excitement! Crude weapons were distributed, and simple yellow flags were raised.

The commanders stood on high ground, brandishing their swords.

"The Great Teacher commands! The Azure Heaven is dead! The Yellow Heaven shall rise! Kill the corrupt officials! Open the granaries and distribute grain today!"

There was no meticulous planning as expected, nor were there enough siege weapons.

However, the resistance from the Guangzong County government was pitifully weak; the county magistrate attempted to organize his household guards to resist.

However, he was stabbed in the back by a constable who was already wrapped in a yellow turban.

The city gates were opened by inside agents and Yellow Turban followers, and the surging Yellow Turban tide outside the city rushed in instantly!

This yellow tide is a surging sea of ​​heads, crude weapons, and countless eyes burning with anger and the will to survive in the darkness.

They were ragged and emaciated, yet they held high every "weapon" they could muster, unleashing deafening cries that mingled with endless suffering and hope.

"Great Master!"

"Great Master!"

"A great and wise teacher!"

The sounds converged into a torrent, breaking through the wind and snow, and soaring straight into the sky!

Countless torches were erected throughout Guangzong County.

Zhang Jiao stood atop the high platform, his bright yellow turban billowing in the wind like a banner defying fate. The Bagua patterns on his dark blue Taoist robe gleamed faintly. As he tapped his nine-section staff on the ground, he roared…

"People of the Yellow Heaven! The Han dynasty has lost its mandate, and the whole world is vying for power! The oppressive government is like a tiger, and officials force the people to rebel! Today, we, by the mandate of the Yellow Heaven and in accordance with the will of the people, rise up in rebellion!"

"Issue my command: Thirty-six directions! Eight directions respond! Wherever the Yellow Turbans go, punish corrupt officials! Open the treasury! Restore land equally!"

"With the blood of the Yellow Turbans, we will bring peace to the world!"

"Peace!!!"

"Peace!!!"

"Peace!!!"

The overwhelming response completely engulfed Guangzong City! Countless simple yellow flags fluttered in the torchlight, forming a raging yellow tide that surged toward Jizhou, toward the Central Plains, and toward the decaying foundations of the Han Dynasty!

It was the fourth day of the second month in the year 184, the beginning of spring.

以。

The heavens are dead! The yellow heavens shall rise!

The year is Jiazi! Great fortune for the world!

For example, the sign.

Yellow Turbans.

uprising!

(End of this chapter)