Chapter 33

Lu Prefecture, among the nine provinces of the Da Qian dynasty, is a large prefecture closest to the southern Da Xuan dynasty.

On a deep autumn dawn, on a vast plain, a mysterious army quietly appeared among the Yellow Turbans.

They wore Yellow Turban headbands, held crude weapons, and their faces showed firm determination and resolve.

Tens of thousands of Yellow Turban troops gathered together, their gazes focused on the center of the heaven‑worship ritual, where a tall altar stood bearing various offerings.

At the altar's center stood a huge wooden idol, its countenance solemn and mysterious, as if overlooking this land.

The idol's hands were clasped together, as if praying for something.

The heaven‑worship ceremony began; the Yellow Turban leaders proceeded one by one onto the altar, offering various sacrifices to the idol, including grain, wine, livestock, and so on.

Their voices were solemn and devout, as if they were telling the gods their wishes and resolve.

As the ceremony proceeded, the atmosphere around the altar grew ever more solemn.

The Yellow Turban soldiers knelt down one after another, their gazes all focused on the altar, as if praying to the deities for victory and protection.

After the heaven‑worship ceremony ended, the Yellow Turban soldiers rose to their feet, their faces showing firm and resolute expressions.

They knew the forthcoming battle would be harsher and more cruel, but they were already prepared and would fight to the end for their faith and ideals.

Their leader Zhang Jue, accompanied by his disciples Huang Chao, Shan Shituo, and Meng Zhang and Meng Hu Wang hidden among the families' counterfeit liquor, stood on a high hill, looking down at the crowd below, his heart filled with heroic ambition.

"Azure Heaven has fallen, Yellow Heaven shall rise; the year is jiazi, all under heaven is auspicious!" Zhang Jue shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the morning air.

His voice was full of anticipation for the future and determination to rebel.

With Zhang Jue's shout, the crowd erupted in deafening cheers; they waved their weapons, their faces glowing with battle fervor.

"Azure Heaven has fallen, Yellow Heaven shall rise!" the crowd roared again.

Their voices reverberated in the morning air, shaking the entire Yellow Turban region.

The Da Qian dynasty, which had lain peaceful for over five hundred years, was finally startled awake by a thunderclap.

Overnight, it seemed as if they had mutually agreed upon it.

In every locality of the five central provinces of the Da Qian dynasty, countless commoners wearing yellow headscarves and wielding crude weapons—or even simple farming tools—rushed madly to attack government offices.

They burned government offices, killed clerks, and looted everywhere.

Among the nine provinces of the Da Qian dynasty, aside from the two northern frontier provinces and the two eastern provinces of Cang and Yun, all the central provinces saw fighting break out.

The Yellow Turban leader Zhang Jue styled himself Heavenly General, while his younger brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang called themselves Earthly General and Human General respectively.

Zhang Jue used his prestige among the populace to divide the Yellow Turban believers nationwide into thirty‑six factions, the larger ones numbering over ten thousand each, the smaller six or seven thousand each.

Each faction appointed a commander who directed it uniformly, stirring up a mighty Yellow Turban uprising across the whole Da Qian realm.

Besides the fact that most of the turmoil was sparked by the Yellow Turbans, there were naturally also local bandits and short‑sighted opportunists taking advantage of the chaos to loot.

Within a month, dozens of commanderies in the five central provinces of the Da Qian dynasty experienced warfare.

The Yellow Turban army led by the Taiping Sect advanced like a bamboo splitter, causing commanderies to fall, officials to flee, and shaking the capital.

Bang!

On the Da Qian imperial court, the current emperor Si Xiao Fei slammed a stack of urgent memorials from various regions onto the faces of the civil and military officials.

"How?"

"In just one night, the formerly peaceful and prosperous Da Qian is about to perish?"

Si Xiao Fei was furious; he had previously received much information about the Taiping Sect and knew that this sect was founded by those clowns within the Da Qian realm.

But the information he had received described only a trick among ignorant, foolish commoners.

"How?"

A band of ignorant, foolish commoners overturned the five central provinces of the Da Qian dynasty in just a little over ten days.

It is obvious that most of the intelligence concerning the Taiping Sect was concealed by this group of "upper arms" in the court itself.

He had previously thought they were merely a bunch of peasants who had picked up weapons.

He conveniently used this opportunity to hang out the gang of rats behind them.

Now it turns out those rats were actually plotting to drag this old fisherman into the water!

"Your Majesty, the urgent priority is to dispatch troops swiftly to suppress them."

"Our Da Qian's central provinces have long enjoyed peace; it is inevitable that there are some shortcomings in response; please, Your Majesty, calm your anger."

When the officials in the court were trembling with fear from Si Xiao Fei's anger, the Da Qian chancellor Kang Zheng Jie stepped forward and bowed to Si Xiao Fei, whose anger had not yet subsided, seated at the head.

"Hmph! Convey my orders."

"Order Grand Tutor Gu to be the Da Qian's Commander‑in‑Chief for suppressing rebellion, take command of the five battalions of the Left and Right Xuanqian Guard, station them at the Qian Capital Grand Camp, prepare arms, and guard the capital."

He let out a heavy angry snort toward the civil and military officials below, and Si Xiao Fei finally regained the bearing of an emperor, beginning to issue orders in a low voice.

The Grand Tutor Gu he mentioned is naturally the undefeated War God Gu Changqing of the Da Qian dynasty.

However, Gu Changqing's Grand Tutor title is not the same as Dong Zhuo's Grand Tutor; it is the Grand Tutor Wen Zhong of the Yin‑Shang dynasty.

Three‑dynasty elder, entrusted with the orphaned state!

Having said that, Si Xiao Fei still felt uneasy, for he might later need Gu Changqing to lead troops against the Taiping Sect.

Therefore, to guard the Da Qian capital, Si Xiao Fei also sent out elite troops and capable generals to strictly defend the four strategic passes in the east, south, west, and north of Qian Capital.

On the other hand, he issued another edict ordering strict defense throughout the five central provinces of the Da Qian dynasty, commanding each prefecture to prepare for war, train soldiers, ready arms, and summon militia.

Faced with such peril, Si Xiao Fei finally stopped fishing, truly took it to heart, and began seeking advice everywhere from the civil and military officials in the court.

The Da Qian dynasty has stood on the Tianwu Continent for over five hundred years, its prestige deeply rooted in the people's hearts, so it naturally lacks no loyal ministers and capable generals.

On the other hand, Si Xiao Fei, in order to swiftly garrison the Yellow Turban areas everywhere, sought to prevent the situation from worsening further.

began to fully organize capable generals in the court and dispatch elite troops to suppress disturbances in all Da Qian provinces.

Si Xiao Fei racked his brains but could not fathom what significance there could be in a rebellion led by Zhang Jue, an old man over fifty.

If Zhang Jue did not rebel, with such a following he would have wealth and status, and even in later history,

based on his present achievements, he could also secure a place within the Daoist sect.

Nowadays, within the Great Qian Realm, up and down, there are his followers; even among the high officials of Qian Capital, there are followers of Zhang Jue.

As long as he disregards the lives and deaths of the common people, his life can be said to have whatever he wants.

And after the rebellion, what then?

His entire family, all of them in Qian, are guilty of plotting rebellion punishable by extermination of nine clans; in future histories they will be relegated to bandits.

Are you saying it's for the throne?

He's an old man with one foot in the grave; he won't be able to hold onto his position for many more years.

Moreover, there's no word of Zhang Jue having any offspring.

So why would he rebel?

For what so-called ambition?

Or is it for the ridiculous excuse of the common people?

(End of chapter)