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The Three Kingdoms: The Path of Righteousness
墨書 Inktalez
"Do you ask how this world has come to be like this? Sigh, it's a long story. We common folk have long seen through it. In this world, what is divided will eventually unite, and what is united will eventually divide. In the past, King Qin swept through the six states and finally unified the realm, but what happened? He perished in just two generations! Then came the struggle between Chu and Han, where Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty. From Liu Bang's rise to power to Emperor Guangwu's revival of the empire, it lasted over four hundred years. But as our old saying goes, the heavens can be unpredictable; when the moon is full, it wanes, and people's hearts are not what they used to be.
This all goes back to Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling. Emperor Huan trusted those petty men; loyal ministers and capable generals were all suppressed, turning the court into a murky mess. As for Emperor Ling, he was even less capable than his father, spending his days indulging in pleasures within the palace while the court fell into the hands of eunuchs. What are eunuchs? A bunch of castrated men with no roots who can still stir up trouble; yet these people are bolder than anyone else and extend their claws further than anyone!
Then strange occurrences began to unfold, chilling to hear. In April of the second year of Jian Ning, Emperor Ling was holding court in the Wende Hall when suddenly a fierce wind blew in, causing the banners at the corners of the hall to flap loudly. Before long, a large green snake slithered down from the beams and headed straight for the emperor's throne! The snake coiled on the chair, staring at Emperor Ling with eyes like it was watching a little mouse, scaring him so much that he turned pale and fainted! All the officials ran away faster than rabbits; those with courage turned back to see that the snake had vanished into thin air!
But that wasn't all. That night, thunder roared and hail fell like rain, causing countless houses to collapse while the common people cried out in despair. Over the next two years, bizarre events continued one after another: Luoyang experienced earthquakes, seawater surged inland, even chickens were restless—hens turned into roosters, clucking in a way that made people's hearts uneasy. In early June, black clouds surged towards the palace as if evil spirits were coming to claim lives. In July, a blood-red rainbow hung over the Jade Hall as if heaven itself were bleeding. Mountains crumbled and rivers changed course; even we farmers could see that this was heaven's wrath!
And what did the emperor do? He pretended to issue edicts asking his ministers what these disasters meant. One official named Cai Yong had enough courage to write directly that these events were caused by women and eunuchs meddling in politics. His blunt words brought him trouble right away. The head eunuch Cao Jie heard about it and laughed with his accomplices: 'This old man must want to die!' As a result, Cai Yong was kicked back home and lost his position entirely.
Did you think that was the end? It was just the beginning! The ten chief eunuchs—Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Feng Xie, Cao Jie—formed a group known as 'The Ten Eunuchs,' each more ruthless than tigers. Emperor Ling even treated Zhang Rang like a father and called him 'Afu'! Can you believe it? These people not only consumed the wealth of the people but also forced loyal ministers into graves without burial! The common folk could bear it no longer; bandits rose up everywhere. Sigh, our lives have become increasingly bitter!"
As soon as the farmer finished speaking, the young men gathered around erupted in fervor. Someone slammed their hand on the table angrily and said, "Eunuchs wreak havoc while the court is corrupt; what hope do we common folk have for survival? We might as well fight back!" Another raised their fist high and shouted, "The Yellow Turban Army has already risen up; we should join them and fight for our own survival!" In an instant, emotions ran high as everyone spoke of rebellion; resentment and passion ignited like fire in this dilapidated village.
A young man stood up and shouted passionately, "Have you heard of Zhang Jiao? He is a true hero!" "Of course we've heard!" someone echoed back. "Zhang Jiao calls himself the Great Virtuous Teacher; he can summon wind and rain and even heal us!" "Not only that!" another interjected eagerly. "He speaks truthfully: 'The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!' We poor people can join with the Yellow Turban Army to overthrow this indifferent court!"
Now let me tell you about Zhang Jiao. He was once an unsuccessful scholar from Julu County who was so poor he couldn't afford books and often went into the mountains to gather herbs to support his family. One day in the mountains, he encountered an elderly man with bright eyes and youthful features who held a staff like an immortal. The old man called out to Zhang Jiao and took him into a hidden cave where he presented three ancient scrolls and solemnly said: "This book is titled 'Essential Arts of Great Peace.' If you obtain it, you may proclaim heaven's will and save all humanity; but if your heart harbors ill intentions, you will surely face divine retribution." Zhang Jiao immediately knelt down and asked about the old man's origins. The old man simply smiled lightly: "I am The Southern Sage Immortal." With that, he transformed into a gust of wind and vanished into thin air.
Zhang Jiao felt as if he had gained a treasure; he studied day and night until he gradually learned how to summon wind and rain, taking on the title of 'Taoist of Great Peace.' Later on in the first year of Zhongping, a plague swept across various regions with no one available to treat it; people were displaced everywhere. Zhang Jiao began using talismans to heal others claiming it was heaven's will while calling himself 'the Great Virtuous Teacher.' Not only did he cure countless patients but also seized public support along the way. His disciples spread far and wide teaching spells while promoting 'The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise,' leading many common folk to revere him as their savior.
In a tumultuous sea of people filled with roaring battle cries within The Yellow Turban Army's camp, hundreds of newly arrived farmers huddled together with eyes full of hope and struggle.
These farmers included tenant farmers who had lost their land, impoverished men who sold their children due to taxes, as well as starving individuals who had escaped from ruined villages. Their faces bore signs of hardship but their eyes burned brightly upon hearing about their Great Virtuous Teacher Zhang Jiao's speech. In the center of camp stood Zhang Jiao on a makeshift platform; his yellow robe billowed in the wind as his voice thundered over the crowd: "People of this world listen! Is there still hope for us under heaven?!"
The crowd erupted in a low murmur, some gritting their teeth, others bowing their heads in tears. Zhang Jiao slammed his staff onto the ground, sending dust flying: "We toil in the fields all year round, facing the earth and turning our backs to the sky, yet all the grain we grow is taken by the government! Our sons are conscripted into the army, dying on the borders without a complete corpse; our daughters are taken by eunuchs and nobles, with no place to cry out for justice! Has Heaven ever been fair to us?"
His words pierced the hearts of the crowd like needles, and many farmers clenched their fists tightly. Zhang Jiao's gaze burned fiercely as he pointed to a nearby bonfire: "But look at this fire! It is our anger, our voice of discontent! Today we will ignite it, burn down this decaying court, let Heaven perish, and let the Yellow Heaven rise to govern our fate!"
Among the crowd, someone began to shout: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!" The voices started sporadically but quickly surged like a tide. Soon, hundreds and then thousands were chanting: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise! This year marks a great fortune for the world!"
Zhang Jiao raised both hands, his voice overpowering everyone: "Our Yellow Heaven is not those greedy officials, nor that old Emperor Ling; it is ourselves! We, the Yellow Turban Army, fight for the common people! Brothers, if we do not rise today, tomorrow your children will starve, your wives will be sold, and your parents will freeze to death in dilapidated homes! Now, the Yellow Turban Army calls you brothers, offering you a way to live and a future. Will you dare to follow me?"
"Yes!" Hundreds of farmers roared in unison, their voices shaking the very tents around them. Their expressions changed from fear and confusion to fierce determination. They knelt before Zhang Jiao and the Yellow Turban Army's banner, entrusting their fates and beliefs to this yellow flag.
Around the camp, the crowd surged like a tide. The soldiers of the Yellow Turban Army stood in neat rows, their banners fluttering in the wind. In the distance, troops were training; war drums thundered while battle cries echoed loudly. These soldiers, once farmers, now donned simple armor and wielded long spears, their eyes filled with resolute courage. A farmer whispered to his companion: "Brother, today we are the Yellow Turban Army; tomorrow we will change heaven and earth!"
This momentum seemed to tear a hole in the clouds above. The great banner of the Yellow Turban Army flew high in the wind with bold letters proclaiming: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"—burning brightly under the setting sun.
In just a few short years, Zhang Jiao gathered over five hundred loyal disciples and formed thirty-six factions—large groups numbering tens of thousands and smaller ones around six or seven thousand—each electing their leaders and appointing generals. They all wore Yellow Turbans, hence they were named the Yellow Turban Army. Zhang Jiao boldly declared: "The Azure Heaven has perished; it is time for the Yellow Heaven to take its place! This year marks a new mandate from heaven!"
The Yellow Turban Army rapidly grew stronger as people from all directions responded eagerly. Even eunuch Feng Xie within the court was bribed to act as an informant for them. However, when their plans were exposed, Feng Xie was arrested by He Jin. Upon hearing this news, Zhang Jiao raised his troops overnight and proclaimed himself General Tian Gong; Zhang Bao became General Di Gong; Zhang Liang was named General Ren Gong. They called upon all people: "The Han Dynasty's time has come to an end; heaven's mandate now belongs to us—the Yellow Heaven! As long as you follow us, everyone will have food to eat and land to cultivate!"
In an instant, those wrapped in Yellow Turbans who rebelled reached as high as four or five hundred thousand strong—a formidable force. The court was shocked; Emperor Ling hastily issued an edict commanding General He Jin to mobilize troops and summon Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song, and Zhu Jun for three-pronged attacks against the Yellow Turban Army. However, the people's hearts had already turned away from the court; the momentum of the Yellow Turbans surged like an unstoppable flood across eight provinces!
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