Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 36 A Plan in Heze! I will eliminate the Cheng family! …

Snow fell in the courtyard, the candlelight shone brightly, its flickering light illuminating the Ming Residence not far away. When Wang Du, the magistrate of Dong'e County, emerged from the Ming Residence, the residence of the Great Teacher of Virtue, he was already wearing a yellow turban, his face beaming with genuine joy. He gazed at the falling snow for a while, took a deep breath, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

"Heaven displays its signs, earth bears its virtues; the five virtues rise and fall in turn, the omens of the Han dynasty's demise are already upon us! The swan is trapped in a dried-up marsh, its claws and teeth curled, its wings broken. But one day a great wind will rise, and we should spread our wings and fly, emulating the flock of geese soaring in the sky!..."

After saying that, he stepped forward, bowed to Zhang Chengfu who had been waiting for a long time, and said with a smile.

"Young Master Zhang...Young Master Zhang, thank you for the introduction! From this day forward, we are all comrades of the Way of Peace!..."

"My Lord, now that you have joined my Way of Peace, there is no need for further formalities. Just let me bear the burden!"

In the chilly wind and the light snow, Zhang Chengfu smiled gently and bowed in return. He looked at this middle-aged official, who was full of lofty ambitions yet frustrated by them, and did not respond with the title of "fellow traveler."

He knew that the other party had joined the Way of Great Peace not because of the ideal of "Yellow Heaven and Great Peace," but because he was moved by the situation in the prefecture and country and driven by his ambitions. However, such commoner scholars and officials who were dissatisfied with the court and the world and were in a difficult situation were excellent allies that the Way of Great Peace needed to win over, and were cultured people who could be absorbed and transformed. So he replied gently.

"Heaven bears witness! I am willing to join the King in doing what Heaven decrees, and to usher in an era of peace and prosperity for the world!..."

"Let's go! Please come with me out of this prison-like Duan family manor and into the vast Da Ye Marsh. Let's see what makes this hundreds-of-miles-long marshland so wonderful!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Du smiled and nodded in agreement.

"That is exactly what I wish for! Let us go, let us go!..."

The group of six had made preparations beforehand. They mounted their horses, bid farewell to the Duan family, and headed towards the Daye Marsh in the northeast.

Snowstorms swept across the land of Qilu. Traveling north from Chengwu for dozens of miles, one came to a vast lake, its banks covered with tall, swampy grass. Zhang Chengfu dismounted, letting his horse drink and graze while gazing at the lake, its edges seemingly endless. He inhaled the salty, damp air of the marshland, sensing the natural scent of lake salt.

"My lord, is this salty, wet lake also part of the Great Wild Marsh?"

"Haha! I'm sure you understand. The vastness of the Great Lake is boundless, stretching as far as the eye can see. But this lake is only a dozen or twenty miles in circumference. It connects to the Ji River and flows northeast towards the Great Lake... Its name is 'Heze'!"

Wang Du stood beside Heze, watching the Ji River flow eastward after its confluence with the river. He was in a great mood for conversation and, wanting to show off, he recited a poem.

"The Yu Gong states, 'Jing and He are Yuzhou,' ancient Yuzhou was the center of the world, where it intersected with seven other states. 'Ji and He are Yanzhou,' ancient Yanzhou was located between the Yellow River and the Ji River, with Jizhou to the north and Yuzhou to the south. Heze here is near the Ji River and should have been part of 'ancient Yanzhou.'"

"However, when Yu the Great was in Yuzhou, he 'guided the Heze River and diverted it to the Mengzhu Marsh in the south,' diverting the waters of the Heze River along the ancient riverbed. Thus, the Heze River, which was originally a lake in Yanzhou, was recorded by Yu the Great as a lake in Yuzhou... But now, the waterway south of the Heze River has been cut off due to the Yellow River changing its course, so the waters of the Heze River have flowed back to Yanzhou and flowed eastward into the Daye Marsh!"

"Oh? Heze was once part of Yuzhou? This is the first time I've heard of it. Interesting!..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu gazed at Heze for a long time, recalling many "those who never came." After a few breaths, he smiled, looked at Wang Du, the talented and learned magistrate of Dong'e County, and praised him.

“Lord Wang, your knowledge and experience are no less than those of the sons of noble families! You have been stuck in the position of county magistrate for ten years without any advancement, and you even have to bribe eunuchs to keep your position... This is truly an injustice to the world and a loss to the Han Dynasty!”

"Chengfu, please don't laugh at me. I, of humble origins, am content with a stable position as a county magistrate. How could I dare compare myself to those from wealthy families and harbor any ambitions for advancement? It's just that I, Wang, have worked in the county as a minor official for over a decade or two, until I was almost forty. Now, I can't even keep this position, and it might even bring disaster to my family... Alas! To be honest, I joined the Way of Peace with the intention of protecting myself!"

Wang Du sighed softly, looking at the mature young man before him, and revealed his true feelings.

"Within Yanzhou, the fierce struggle between the aristocratic families and the official families has lasted for decades! Inspector Zhang Jian sought refuge at every door, resulting in the ruin and extermination of dozens of aristocratic families! Were all these aristocratic families truly willing to die for Zhang Jian, for the so-called 'integrity of the scholar-official class'? Wasn't it simply because the aristocratic families and the official families were irreconcilably opposed…"

"Just like Zhang Jian's lord, Zhai Chao, the Prefect of Shanyang. He was doing a good job as a prefect, the head of a prefecture. He appreciated Zhang Jian's talent, so he appointed this fifty-year-old scholar as the lowly but powerful Inspector of the prefecture. But Zhang Jian did something else. He directly convicted and arbitrarily executed the mother of Hou Lan, the eunuch, and then directly appealed to the emperor, asking him to kill Hou Lan to 'eliminate the wicked and rectify the court'! ... This was a complete break with the eunuchs, a clarion call for the upright scholars to declare war on the eunuchs!"

"The eunuchs didn't think that all of this was done by a mere inspector. Since Zhai Chao was Zhang Jian's lord, in the eyes of the eunuchs, he must be inextricably linked to this matter! Thus, with a single decree from Luoyang, Prefect Zhai Chao was inexplicably imprisoned in a cart, brought to Luoyang, and lost his head in a daze, earning the title of 'Eight Outstanding Members of the Party'!"

"Then, this brutal struggle between the upright scholars and the eunuchs, starting with Zhang Jian in Yanzhou, swept through the entire court! Former Minister of Works Yu Fang, Grand Master of the Palace Du Mi, Junior Chamberlain of Changle Li Ying, Commandant of the Capital Zhu Yu, and a group of prefects and chancellors with salaries of two thousand shi all lost their heads for this! The emperor tacitly approved of the eunuchs and killed more than one hundred officials of the aristocratic families with salaries of six hundred shi or more in one go, thus starting the second partisan purge!"

"When this brutal struggle returned to Yanzhou, where it began, all the local gentry had to choose sides, hence the saying 'seeking refuge at every door'! They either surrendered to the eunuchs and were scorned and despised by the gentry, or they sided with the gentry and were slaughtered by the eunuchs! This struggle between the Yanzhou gentry and the eunuchs had been a life-or-death struggle for decades. Even we lowly officials in the county had to choose sides..."

At this point, Wang Du sighed again and shook his head.

"I, Wang, am unworthy and of humble origin. I finally managed to become a county magistrate, but the Duan family came to demand a bribe, or I would be dismissed. I gave money to the Duan family, and thus I was branded as a member of an official family, making me hated and unacceptable to the gentry! In Yanzhou, the gentry have always been powerful and deeply entrenched. For example, in my Dong'e County of Dongjun, there is the Cheng family of Dong'e, a prominent family in the county, who have great power in the county, but they are suppressed by the Duan family."

"As the county magistrate, Wang had no choice but to obey the Duan family's orders and suppress the Cheng family of Dong'e on several occasions. However, the Cheng family is a powerful clan in Dong'e with a deep foundation and many talented people. In particular, the current head of the Cheng family, Cheng Li, is highly respected in the county. He commands great influence and is known for his ruthlessness and vindictiveness. He probably already harbors deep resentment towards Wang!"

"If one day the Duan family falls and the Cheng family rises to power and obtains official positions... then I, Wang, will surely die without a burial place! Therefore, I, Wang, have come to admire the reputation of the Way of Peace..."

"Hmm? Cheng Li, the head of the Cheng family of Dong'e?"

Upon hearing the name "Cheng Li," Zhang Chengfu's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. He pondered for a moment before asking, "This Mr. Cheng, I seem to have heard of him before; he seems to possess considerable talent… What is his courtesy name? How old is he?"

"Ah, this man's courtesy name is Zhongde, and he is probably in his forties. If it weren't for the factional persecution in Yanzhou and the power of the Duan family, with his talent, reputation, and family background, he would probably be a prefect with a salary of two thousand shi long ago!"

Upon hearing the exact courtesy name, Zhang Chengfu lowered his eyes and gripped the fine iron dagger at his waist tightly. Without a doubt, this man was Cheng Yu, the "great talent" who would later assist Cao Cao!
If I remember correctly, this man first held Dong'e during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and then, as a local strongman, assisted Huangfu Song in suppressing the Yellow Turbans in Dongjun. Later, he even devised a treacherous plan for Cao Cao to eat civilians as military rations and make them into mincemeat. He even personally orchestrated this scheme. Such a man, with such a clear stance, from a powerful family, and who viewed the people as livestock, was the Yellow Turban army's most dangerous enemy! ... Zhang Chengfu pondered for a moment, his heart surging with killing intent, but he smiled faintly.

“Lord Wang, since you have a grudge against this person and have come to seek refuge with my Taiping Dao... then this person must be quite hostile towards my Taiping Dao?”

"Yes! Chengfu, this man is quite stubborn and ruthless, and also the head of a large clan. His Cheng family owns a vast amount of land, based in Dong'e of Dongjun, and has been annexing land and farmers. Meanwhile, the Taiping Dao is spreading its teachings in Yanzhou and has a great influence in Dongjun of Yanzhou. They often organize the people to resist taxes for self-defense, which naturally leads to many conflicts with his Cheng family..."

Wang Du shook his head again at this point.

"However, at present, the Duan family, a powerful clan, is in a position of great influence, while the Cheng family is keeping a low profile and consolidating its foundation in Dong'e County... so they have not openly clashed with the Taiping Dao of Dongjun."

"The Yellow Turban Rebellion of Dongjun, the Cheng family of Dong'e, a distinguished family with great talent... Cheng Li..."

The vast Heze plain was rippling gently, and frost and snow fell on faces. Zhang Chengfu raised his head, looked at the bleak sky, and felt an indescribable sense of dread welling up in his heart. He silently gripped the hilt of his sword, lost in thought. Beside him, Wang Du's eyes twitched, as if he sensed some real danger, tinged with a chilling aura.

"Bearing burdens? My lord?..."

"Your Majesty!"

A few breaths later, Zhang Chengfu suddenly withdrew his killing intent and smiled at Wang Du.

"Since the Cheng family of Dong'e has a grudge against you and is harmful to the spread of Taiping Dao in Dongjun... then let us take action and eliminate the Cheng family of Dong'e for the sake of the king!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Du was greatly surprised. Instead of showing joy, he exclaimed in fear.

"This?! I am deeply grateful for your kindness, young master Zhang! However, the Cheng family of Dong'e is a powerful and influential clan in the county! I would never dare to antagonize the Taiping Dao with such a powerful family for my own selfish reasons! All I ask for is a little protection from my sect..."

"Haha! Your Majesty, I will surely eliminate the Cheng family! It is both for Your Majesty's vengeance and for the grand plan of my Taiping Dao in Dongjun... Moreover, this matter does not require our direct action. The newly emerged Duan family is the true Luoyang sword capable of wiping out the Cheng family of Dong'e with a single stroke!..."

Zhang Chengfu remained expressionless, speaking gently, but in his heart he already harbored a thunderous killing intent and a plan!

His master, Zhang Jiao, led him to the Duan family, where he witnessed the immense power of the eunuch clans surrounding the emperor, and the irreconcilable conflict between the eunuch families and powerful clans in the Eastern Han court! Having seen and heard these things, his actions were no longer those of a bloodthirsty assassin. He had quickly grasped new methods of killing to pave the bloody path for the upcoming Yellow Turban Rebellion!

“Lord Wang, since you are the magistrate of Dong’e County, you must have a lot of intelligence on the Cheng family of Dong’e. It goes without saying that they annex land, and their hostility towards the eunuch clan is also a given... Especially that Lord Cheng who is ‘influential and renowned in Dong’e, and is known for his fierce and unruly nature!’ He has no official position, yet he has such power. Once he obtains an official position, wouldn’t he be another Zhang Jian, a threat to the Duan family of the eunuch clan?”

At this point, Zhang Chengfu smiled calmly. But this calm smile of the young man, when seen by Wang Du, sent chills down his spine, and he couldn't help but tremble as he switched to a more respectful form of address.

"Young Master Zhang...you mean? You want me to gather evidence of the Cheng family's crimes, compare the head of the Cheng family, Cheng Li, to another 'Zhang Jian,' and then report him to the Duan family, a powerful clan?"

"Indeed! Zhang Jian killed the mother of Hou Lan, a eunuch, which ultimately led to the death and extermination of the Hou family. This matter is imminent, how could the Duan family not be afraid? Given the Duan family's arrogant behavior, once they determine that 'Cheng Li' is 'Zhang Jian,' threatening the fate of the Duan family... then the Duan family will naturally ruthlessly eliminate him, just as Hou Lan slaughtered dozens of aristocratic families!..."

As he spoke, Zhang Chengfu lowered his eyes, pondered for a long time, and smiled confidently.

"As for how to make the Duan clan, a powerful family, believe that this 'Cheng Li' is the same as 'Zhang Jian' and endangers the fate of the Duan clan, then we'll see what evidence Wang Jun has collected and what my Taiping Dao's 'divination' skills are!"

"After eliminating the Cheng family, Wang Jun can use this merit of reporting to the Duan family to gain their favor. The powerful clans and aristocratic families of Yanzhou are inherently irreconcilable enemies, locked in a life-or-death struggle. Since Wang Jun has the blood of the Cheng family on his hands, he has essentially pledged his allegiance and will surely be trusted by the Duan family! I think Wang Jun can be promoted from his position as Assistant Magistrate of Dong'e County. Perhaps he can become the Magistrate of Dong'e County, or even further! Dong'e County has the headquarters of the Commandant and also a local armory..."

"Heaven bears witness! If this plan succeeds, it will bring four benefits... First, it will annihilate the Cheng family and eliminate that Lord Cheng. Second, it will relieve your worries and allow you to control Dong'e County. Third, it will help the Taiping Dao of Dongjun expand its influence. Fourth, it will ignite another brutal struggle between the official and aristocratic families of Yanzhou!"

"With these four advantages, I would say that the Taiping Dao will certainly eliminate the Cheng family! And as long as the Duan family takes action and destroys the Cheng family's gates... even if this Lord Cheng flees at the first sign of trouble, our sharp blades will finish him off! We will never leave behind a future threat like Zhang Jian..."

On the shores of a large lake in Heze, Zhang Chengfu gripped his finely crafted short sword, his murderous intent gleaming beneath his smile. Then, he exhaled deeply, suppressing his killing intent, and returned to his gentle and polite demeanor. Looking at the still shocked and dumbfounded Wang Du, he smiled and extended his hand in invitation.

"Alright! Your Majesty, don't overthink it. Just keep moving forward and remove all the dangers and obstacles! Our Taiping Dao needs talented and capable people like you, who are skilled in all matters and knowledgeable about the local area... Let's go! Let's go to the Great Wild Marsh and see if that vast marshland, spanning hundreds of miles, is frozen over!"

"Haha! A silver saddle shines on a white horse, swift as a shooting star~~"

With that, Zhang Chengfu mounted his horse, laughing heartily, his voice drifting away. Wang Du lowered his head in thought, assessing the feasibility of the plan, and a smile gradually appeared on his face. Gao Daonu scratched his head, but still couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it.

Soon, the group followed the snow-covered Ji River northeastward towards the Great Wild Marsh, until the vast expanse of misty waters, stretching for hundreds of miles, appeared under the setting sun after the snow, a magnificent yet cruel red glow.
Note: Cheng Yu's original name was Li, but Cao Cao later changed his name to Yu.

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(End of this chapter)