Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 46: Handing over the Daoist lineage to him? I can't believe it! (Bonus chapter by Alliance Leader "Igarashi Setsukatsuki")
The snow fell silently, the night was like an old dream, and heaven and earth seemed to be sleeping peacefully. In the Qitian Temple, the campfire flickered gently, casting two swaying shadows. Two Taoist priests of the Taiping sect sat facing each other, both wearing yellow turbans, with frosty temples and aged faces.

Fifty years of seeking truth, like the vicissitudes of a river, have etched deep lines into their faces. Yet, their undiminished ideal of a shared world burns like a quiet fire, radiating from their hearts to their eyes. All because of that one sentence…

"Standing before Heaven, sharing the same path with the people!..."

The snowy night was quiet and vast, like the world in the hearts of two seekers of truth. The main hall was silent, save for the soft crackling of a fire.

"Heaven bears witness! We, the people of the seven states, spread our teachings, 'forming alliances with the gentry and befriending the eunuchs,' precisely to save the common people of this world. But 'sharing the same path with the people' is easier said than done."

Inside the main hall, Zhang Bao lowered his eyes and remained silent, deep in thought. The Way of Peace had spread throughout the land, with believers in all seven prefectures and twenty-eight counties, far exceeding thirty-six regions, and its followers numbered over two million!

In the vast territory of the Han Dynasty, the Way of Peace could openly preach, form societies to resist taxes, and provide relief to displaced people and disaster victims. Thanks to the renowned prestige of their three great physicians, they were able to find the protection of the governor and the support of some powerful families.

Within the Han court, the Taiping Dao was further protected by the Ten Attendants. Even when someone of the Grand Commandant accused someone, the powerful eunuchs suppressed the memorial, preventing Emperor Ling from seeing it. Furthermore, before Ma Yuanyi launched his coup, he had already won over the powerful eunuchs close to the emperor, risking his life to participate in the coup!
"Gathering the highest officials and uniting the lowest commoners," connecting the emperor's inner circle with millions of ordinary people, this massive scale of uprising and rebellion is unparalleled in Chinese history, representing the pinnacle of Qin and Han dynasty supernatural arts and diplomatic maneuvering!
However, this great uprising, which involved eunuchs, gentry, powerful clans, and the people of Guizhou, was quickly suppressed with the lifting of the Party Prohibitions, the shifting stance of the eunuchs, the counterattack of the gentry and powerful clans, and the deaths of the three spiritual leaders!

Ultimately, the First Yellow Turban Rebellion, with its millions of people struggling to survive, resulted in corpses and blood that utterly shattered the morale of the Han dynasty and paved the way for the separatist ambitions of regional warlords. The Han dynasty then collapsed, ushering in the brutal warlord era, the long and chaotic Three Kingdoms period, and finally the short-lived but ultimately devastating Jin dynasty with its powerful clans…

“Brother! I’ve searched through all the history books, but where can I find evidence of this camaraderie with the common people? Is it at the end of the reign of King Cheng Zhou? Or at the end of the Former Qin Dynasty? Or at the end of the Former Han Dynasty?... I’ve thought about it over and over, but I can’t find a single match!”

Hearing Zhang Bao's urgent question, the Great Teacher remained silent for a long time. Standing in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, they had too little to see of the previous dynasties and too little experience to draw upon for rebellion. After a long while, the Great Teacher finally asked in return.

“Brother Zhong! If we continue down the same path, even if we overthrow the Han Dynasty, the powerful clans will still call the shots in this region, and their power will be even greater! But in these five years, with three major plagues and four major disasters, can these powerful clans really be trusted?”

".Why!"

Zhang Bao was speechless and could only sigh. When the plague struck, these powerful families stayed in their localities, feasting and drinking in peace, but no one stepped forward to organize relief efforts or provide food aid.

But after the disaster and epidemic, the powerful clans stepped forward one after another, greedy and tyrannical, and seized the surrounding land, turned villages into family manors, and took in the surviving able-bodied men as tenant farmers.

If these powerful clans continue to control the local areas, even if the imperial court is overthrown, what can the common people really change, or truly live a peaceful life? When have those tenant farmers, who are barely clothed and starving, ever received any compassion from their wealthy masters? If they are charged even a little less than the government, it is already an indebtedness they can never repay!
“Brother, even though powerful families are greedy and despicable, they have always been able to maintain local order. This has been the case for thousands of years. If we don’t rely on them, how can we govern the region?”

"Well, I couldn't see clearly at first, and I didn't know what to do. But later, after hearing what the child said and seeing what he did, I really started to have some ideas!..."

When the topic turned to "ideas," the great teacher Zhang Jiao stroked his short beard, his expression more serious than ever before.

"Heaven does not grant empty words! Perhaps we can spread the Way of Peace, select Taoist priests from among the common people, and then gather children to train them from a young age! Then, use these Taoist priests who cherish peace to replace the aristocratic families as the backbone to govern the local prefectures and counties. Let those officials from the gentry, the poor, and the commoners serve as their wings..."

"What?! To train Taoist priests from my Taiping Dao to replace aristocratic families as the backbone? This! This is uprooting the powerful clans! How can they possibly comply? And how can those officials from humble backgrounds be convinced? How long will this training of children take?..."

Zhang Baozhen's expression changed. He was a pragmatic leader in organizing the religious group, and from just this one sentence, he had asked three crucial questions. Clearly, this meant he had completely sided with the powerful clans, going even further than the eunuch families, determined to fight them to the death!
Then, looking at Zhang Jiao's cold and stern face, which resembled a god, he suddenly froze, a chill rising up his spine.

"Brother! What do you want...?"

"Yes! Next, there will be three years of severe drought. Even if it's just to save more lives for the common people, we have no choice but to do it!..."

The firelight was dazzling. Zhang Jiao lowered his head slightly, his eyes sinking into the shadows, and his voice also became low.

"That child once asked me, between a powerful family of several hundred people and tens of thousands of commoners, who should the Way of Peace choose, and which side should it stand on? At the time, I couldn't answer, nor could I! ... But later, I thought a lot, pondering who truly constitutes the foundation of the world, and then I found the answer in my heart..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bao's expression shifted, and he quickly understood everything. His voice also became hoarse.

"So, brother! Do you really want me, the Way of Peace, to change the governance of a prefecture or county? To replace those powerful families who control the prefectures and counties, and let the Taoists of my Way of Peace establish a Yellow Heaven in a place and save the people of that place?..." "Yes."

"Is this why you changed our plan from swift action, a three-pronged attack to capture Luoyang and overthrow the court... to building up local bases and establishing more temples? Is this the land of Huangtian you've chosen, from Dayeze to the Taishan Mountains?... "

Upon hearing this, the great wise teacher Zhang Jiao sighed softly and said solemnly to his brother who had such insight into people's hearts.

"And Bingzhou too!"

"And Bingzhou? Yes, Bingzhou is a self-contained region, surrounded by mountains and rivers! The eight passes above the pass hold great potential..."

Zhang Bao suddenly understood, and a sense of anticipation rose in his heart. But soon, his gaze sharpened, and he stared intently at the elder brother of the leader of the Taiping Dao, asking the crucial question.

“Brother! Bingzhou can close the Eight Passes, but what about Jizhou? The million believers in Jizhou are the true core foundation of our Taiping Dao's preaching for more than ten years!…”

“My dear brother! Ji Province and Bing Province are both ancient Ji Province, originally one entity. If we can defend the Yellow River and defeat the imperial army sent to suppress us, emulating the deeds of Emperor Guangwu, then Ji Province can naturally be preserved! But if we cannot, Ji Province has no natural defenses… then we can only let the Yellow Turbans of Ji Province also enter Bing Province, and we can only hope that as many as we can survive! Everything depends on fate and human effort…”

The Great Teacher uttered these words with difficulty, his face showing deep reluctance. Zhang Bao also closed his eyes, as if he could smell countless drops of blood.

Both men had reached the age of fifty, and were enlightened beings who had seen through the ways of the world. Nothing in this world could be hidden from them, so there was no need to say much. The sky was still and quiet; it was already the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), the darkest time of day, just before dawn. Before the dying embers of the fire, the Heavenly Physician Zhang Bao spoke softly, asking one last question.

"Brother, the child you're talking about... is it Chengfu?"

“Yes, ‘To bear the virtues of the world and the sins of the world is to bear the burden.’ This child has divinely bestowed talent. I have tested him and am very satisfied. I would like to entrust him with the safekeeping of the *Taiping Qingling Jing* as well…”

"Hand over the orthodox tradition to him?!"

Zhang Bao suddenly opened his eyes. The 170 volumes of the *Taiping Qingling Jing* were the very essence of the Taiping Dao's lineage. What did this represent? Who didn't know? But after a quarter of an hour of silence, Zhang Bao shook his head.

“Brother, you’ve examined and trust this child… but I can’t trust him! I want to trust him, but I dare not! What he’s done right now isn’t enough, far from enough!”

"He is too inexperienced, too young, and has no achievements. Even with your endorsement, the commanders of Qingyan will not believe him! This is not something we can decide with a single word; we must convince the commanders!"

"The chieftains of Yuzhou and Jingzhou have powerful families behind them, needless to say. Even in the Daoist temples of Jizhou, how many of your other seven disciples, and the various high-ranking and low-ranking officials throughout Jizhou, truly submit to him? Aren't they all more senior and older than him?"

“Brother, let me tell you the truth! If Chengfu doesn’t perform some earth-shattering feat to silence the people and win their hearts… he is not up to the immense responsibility of our Taiping Dao!”

"This burden rests on our shoulders, carrying the weight of millions of believers and common people! Right now, apart from my two brothers and me, even your eldest disciple Ma Yuanyi can only shoulder the responsibilities of Ji and You provinces, not Qing, Yan, Yu, Jing, Xu, and Yang..."

These heartfelt words silenced the hall once more, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The Great Teacher remained silent for a long time, watching the night draw to a close and the dawn approach, before letting out a sigh.

"Heaven above! If this child had been born ten years earlier, or if I had lived another ten years, then the legacy of my Way of Peace..."

"Enough! Let us do our best to shoulder the burdens of this world, and for as long as we can."

"And one day, when we die and our spirits dissipate, it will be up to their own fate!"

"Brother Zhong, no matter what, the strategy is set, so the management of this base in Qingyan is entrusted to you! From Dayeze to the Taishan mountain area, you must manage it well. Even if our uprising fails, we must be able to preserve the seeds of revolution..."

Having spoken, the Great Teacher bowed deeply and solemnly addressed his own brother. Zhang Bao, his eyes moist with tears, returned the bow. Under the watchful gaze of the Eastern Peak Emperor, the two aged Taoist priests of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom exchanged respectful greetings. And outside the temple, the long, dark night finally gave way to the dawn.
(End of this chapter)