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The Three Kingdoms: The Path of Righteousness
墨書 Inktalez
"Do you wonder how the world has become like this? Sigh, it's a long story. We common folk have long seen through it. In this world, what is divided must unite, and what is united must divide. In the past, King Qin swept through the six states and finally unified the realm, but what happened? It fell in just two generations! Then came the struggle between Chu and Han, where Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty. This dynasty, from Liu Bang's rise to power to Emperor Guangwu's revival, lasted over four hundred years. But as our old saying goes, 'Heaven has unpredictable storms; when the moon is full, it wanes; people's hearts are not as they used to be.'
This matter must start with Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling. Emperor Huan trusted those petty officials, while loyal ministers and good generals were suppressed, turning the court into a murky place. As for Emperor Ling, he was even worse 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 have more audacity than anyone else and extend their claws further than anyone!
Later on, a series of bizarre events unfolded that were 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 violently. 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 as if it were eyeing a little mouse, which frightened him so much that he turned pale and fainted! All the officials fled faster than rabbits, and those brave enough to look back saw that the snake had vanished into thin air!
But that wasn't all. That very night thunder roared and hail rained down violently, causing countless houses to collapse while the common people cried out in misery. In the following two years, strange occurrences continued one after another: Luoyang experienced earthquakes, seawater surged inland, chickens became restless with hens crowing like roosters—enough to make anyone uneasy. In early June, black clouds surged toward the palace as if malevolent spirits were seeking vengeance. In July, a blood-red rainbow appeared over the Jade Hall as if heaven itself were bleeding. Mountains collapsed 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 about these calamities. One official named Cai Yong had enough courage to directly write that these events were caused by women and eunuchs meddling in politics. His bluntness brought him trouble right away. The head eunuch Cao Jie heard about it and laughed with his accomplices saying, 'This old man must want to die!' As a result, Cai Yong was kicked back to his hometown 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 one fiercer than a tiger. Emperor Ling even treated Zhang Rang like a father and called him 'Father!' Can you believe it? These people not only consumed the wealth of the people but also forced loyal ministers into graves without burial places. The common folk could endure no more; bandits rose up everywhere. Sigh, our lives have only grown more bitter!"
As soon as the farmer finished speaking, the young men gathered around erupted in fervor. One slammed his fist on the table angrily and declared, "With eunuchs causing chaos and a corrupt court, what hope do we commoners have? We might as well fight back!" Another raised his fist high and shouted, "The Yellow Turban Army has already risen up; we should join them and fight for our survival!" In an instant, emotions ran high as everyone spoke of rebellion; grievances 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 winds and rain and even heal us!" "Not only that!" another chimed in quickly. "He speaks truthfully: 'The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!' We poor folks can follow the Yellow Turban Army to overthrow this indifferent court!"
Speaking of Zhang Jiao, he was originally an unsuccessful scholar from Julu County who was so poor he couldn't even afford books and often went up into the mountains to gather herbs for a living. One day while in the mountains he encountered an old man with azure eyes and a youthful face who held a cane like an immortal. The old man called out to Zhang Jiao and took him to a hidden cave where he produced three ancient scrolls from his robe and said earnestly: "These scrolls are titled 'Essential Arts of Great Peace.' If you obtain them, you may declare heaven's will and save all mankind; but if your heart harbors ill intentions, you will surely face divine retribution." Zhang Jiao immediately knelt down to ask about the old man's origins. The old man simply smiled faintly: "I am The Southern Sage Immortal." With that said, he transformed into a gust of wind and vanished into thin air.
Zhang Jiao treasured these scrolls immensely; day and night he studied hard until he gradually learned how to summon winds and rain for himself, taking on the title 'Taoist of Great Peace.' Later on, during the first year of Zhongping when a plague swept through various regions leaving no one to treat the suffering populace who were displaced from their homes, Zhang Jiao began using talismans to heal people claiming it was heaven's will while calling himself 'the Great Virtuous Teacher.' Not only did he cure countless patients but also seized this opportunity to win over people's hearts. His disciples spread far and wide teaching charms while promoting 'The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise,' leading many common folk to revere him as their savior.
Amidst surging crowds and roaring battle cries within The Yellow Turban Army's camp, hundreds of newly arrived farmers huddled together with expressions filled with anticipation 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 refugees fleeing from ruined villages. Their faces bore signs of hardship but their eyes burned with fervor upon hearing about their Great Virtuous Teacher Zhang Jiao's speeches. In the center of the 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 realm listen! Does heaven still allow us to live or die?!"
The crowd erupted into a low murmur, some gritting their teeth, others bowing their heads in tears. Zhang Jiao slammed his staff down hard, sending dust flying into the air. "We toil in the fields all year round, facing the dirt 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 through the hearts of the crowd like needles, and many farmers clenched their fists tightly. Zhang Jiao's gaze was fierce as he pointed towards a nearby bonfire. "But look at this fire! It is our anger, it is our voice of discontent! Today we will ignite it, burn down this decaying court, let heaven perish, and allow the Yellow Heaven to rule our fate!"
From within the crowd, someone began to shout: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!" The voices started off sporadically but quickly swelled like a tide. Soon, hundreds and then thousands were chanting: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise! This year of Jiazi brings great fortune to the world!"
Zhang Jiao raised his hands, his voice overpowering the crowd. "Our Yellow Heaven is not those greedy officials, nor that old Emperor Ling; it is us! We, the Yellow Turban Army, fight for the common people! Brothers, if we do not rise up 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. Do you dare to follow me?"
"Yes!" Hundreds of farmers roared in unison, their voices shaking the very tents around them. Their expressions transformed from fear and confusion to fierce determination. They knelt before Zhang Jiao and the Yellow Turban Army flag, surrendering their fates and beliefs to this yellow banner.
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 drilling; war drums thundered and battle cries echoed loudly. These soldiers were once farmers who now donned rudimentary armor and wielded spears with resolute courage. A farmer whispered to his companion, "Brother, today we are the Yellow Turban Army; tomorrow we will change the world!"
The momentum seemed to tear a hole in the very clouds above. The great flag of the Yellow Turban Army flew in the wind, emblazoned with bold characters—"The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"—glowing like fire under the setting sun.
In just a few short years, Zhang Jiao gathered over five hundred loyal disciples and formed thirty-six factions—large ones numbering tens of thousands and smaller ones six or seven thousand—each electing their leaders and appointing generals. They all wore Yellow Turbans, hence their name: the Yellow Turban Army. Zhang Jiao boldly declared: "Heaven has perished; the Yellow Heaven shall take its place! This year of Jiazi marks a time for divine renewal!"
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 insider for them. However, when their plans were exposed due to Feng Xie's arrest by He Jin, Zhang Jiao acted swiftly that night, declaring himself General Tian Gong while Zhang Bao became General Di Gong and Zhang Liang General Ren Gong. They rallied people across the land: "The Han Dynasty's fate has run its course; divine mandate belongs to us—the Yellow Heaven! Follow us and everyone will have food to eat and land to cultivate!"
In no time at all, those wrapped in Yellow Turbans who rose against oppression numbered four to five hundred thousand—a formidable force. The court was shocked; Emperor Ling hastily issued edicts commanding General He Jin to mobilize troops and summon Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song, and Zhu Jun from three directions to quell the Yellow Turban Army. Yet, 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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