Chapter 169: 167: The Multitude of Bandits (For Alliance Leader

Zhao Han read the article carefully again and laughed. "You certainly know how to dig things out of old paper piles."

Wang Tiaoding's position at this moment was very peculiar — he was doing theoretical research for Zhao Han's rebellion, yet still refused to throw in his lot completely with Zhao Han. He said, "At first, I dug out the Hongwu Emperor's 'Discourse on the Rise of the Dynastic Founder' from the *Imperial Grand Pronouncements*. But measured against everything the Regional Commander has done, that whole theory is utterly unusable."

Zhu Yuanzhang's 'Discourse on the Rise of the Dynastic Founder' can be summed up in four words: wanting it both ways!

And the logic was a mess. He first invoked 'all land under Heaven belongs to the king' to argue that every inch of the realm was the Emperor's. So long as you had eaten a meal in this land, the Emperor had shown you grace, and you could not oppose him.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang's own family — though several starved to death — had received grace from the Yuan Emperor.

Then he went on to say that the Yuan Emperor was without the Way, and so foolish commoners rose in revolt.

And yet, rebellion was wrong. Even if you were on the verge of starving, rebellion was ingratitude, an act that would surely bring down Heaven's punishment.

As for Zhu Yuanzhang himself, he was forced into rebellion, had strayed into the Red Turban Army by mistake, and directly branded the Red Turbans as 'violent soldiers.' At that time, bandits rose everywhere, and the realm no longer belonged to the Yuan. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang was not rebelling, but pacifying the world as quickly as possible so the common folk could live in peace.

Through this theory, Zhu Yuanzhang denied he was a rebel — he was the Dynastic Founder who set the world to rights!

But Zhao Han's 'Discourse on State and Realm under Heaven' openly declared rebellion, and had nothing in common with Zhu Yuanzhang's 'Discourse on the Rise of the Dynastic Founder.'

Zhao Han continued leafing through the pages, pondering. "Didn't the Gongyang School of Confucianism advocate Great Unity?" he asked.

"That was the Gongyang School of Emperor Wu of Han's time," Wang Tiaoding explained in detail. "During the reigns of Emperor Zhao and Emperor Xuan of Han, the Gongyang School put forward the doctrine of transferring the state and changing the ruling house. At that time, official governance was deteriorating by the day, and the people found life intolerable. The Gongyang scholars therefore held that the Son of Heaven lacked virtue and a worthy man must replace him as Emperor. Moreover, they requested the Emperor to abdicate the throne, face to face."

"What became of them?" Zhao Han asked.

Wang Tiaoding answered, "The one who asked Emperor Zhao of Han to abdicate was executed. The one who asked Emperor Xuan of Han to abdicate committed suicide."

Zhao Han couldn't help laughing. "Ha, they really had nerve."

Wang Tiaoding said, "Though these two men died, the doctrine of transferring the state and changing the ruling house spread widely, even becoming the consensus of Confucian scholars throughout the realm. That is why when Wang Mang usurped the throne, no one opposed him — the whole world was waiting for him to transfer the state and change the ruling house."

"When a state's accumulated ills run so deep, how can merely swapping one emperor for another make things better?" Zhao Han shook his head and sighed.

Wang Tiaoding argued, "The Great Qin unified the realm and collapsed in the second generation. Many things, the Confucian scholars of the Han dynasty simply could not figure out."

This was crossing the river by feeling for stones. The Western Han was the first to face the many problems of a unified empire and could draw no lessons from history, so they could only grope toward solutions that, in later eyes, seem hopelessly naive.

Wang Tiaoding continued, "This essay of mine on transferring the state and changing the ruling house differs from the Han version. It integrates the Regional Commander's 'Discourse on State and Realm under Heaven.'"

Wang Tiaoding's essay expounded it thus —

The Mandate of Heaven is not constant; he who possesses virtue holds it.

To lose virtue is to lose the Mandate of Heaven.

What counts as losing virtue?

To quote Mencius: "Jie and Zhou lost the realm because they lost the people; to lose the people is to lose their hearts. There is a way to win the realm: win the people, and you win the realm. There is a way to win the people: win their hearts, and you win the people. There is a way to win their hearts: gather for them what they desire, do not impose on them what they detest — that is all."

Thus, he who possesses virtue can bring the common people happiness, can draw the hearts of the myriad folk to him, and can rule over all under Heaven.

The hearts of the people — that is the Mandate of Heaven.

The process of obtaining the Mandate of Heaven is the process of obtaining the hearts of the people.

The hearts of the people are not the hearts of the gentry, but the hearts of the commoners and the black-haired masses.

How does one win the hearts of the people?

One must observe the faults of the Great Ming court and correct every one of those errors. Distributing land to the humble folk, appointing worthy men as officials, suppressing wicked gentry and local despots, punishing corrupt and venal functionaries — all these are corrections of the court's errors.

So long as this set of policies is carried out across the realm, one can win the hearts of the myriad folk, and win the favor of the Mandate of Heaven.

Then one can transfer the state, change the ruling house, and ascend the throne as Emperor!

The state being transferred is not the Great Ming state, but the Divine Land of Huaxia.

Zhao Han smiled and asked, "Why don't you dare circulate this essay, instead of coming to me in secret?"

Wang Tiaoding said, "The Great Ming is without the Way; the Regional Commander possesses virtue and may take its place. But should the state founded by the Regional Commander one day itself be without the Way, would it not then also be taken by one who possesses virtue?"

"If descendants lack virtue, they deserve destruction." Zhao Han did not worry for his children and grandchildren — worrying would do no good anyway.

What dynasty lasts ten thousand generations without perishing?

"In that case," Wang Tiaoding said, cupping his hands, "I present this essay to the Regional Commander."

Incidentally, the passage from Mencius that Wang Tiaoding quoted was never used in Ming civil examinations.

Because Zhu Yuanzhang had it deleted!

The idea that the people are weighty and the ruler light — that too was deleted by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhao Han said, "Don't call it 'On Transferring the State and Changing the Ruling House.' Rename the essay 'Discourse on the Mandate of Heaven.' Go back and polish it further — make it as florid and splendid as you can. After all, this thing is meant for the literate to read."

The 'Discourse on the Mandate of Heaven' was not only to be shown to the scholars under his rule, but also to be spread by Xu Ying in Nanchang.

They could also combine the 'Discourse on State and Realm under Heaven,' the 'Discourse on the Great Unity Land Distribution,' and the 'Discourse on the Mandate of Heaven' into a single pamphlet. Every merchant vessel passing through Zhao Han's territory would be forced to buy a copy — whether they read it or not was up to them, but they had to pay for it.

If Zhao Han ever became Emperor in the future, these books would also be set as imperial clan teaching materials, and every prince would have to know them by heart, able to recite them backwards.

Wang Tiaoding withdrew with the manuscript and returned home to continue polishing and perfecting it.

That crowd of rebel army envoys was ushered in. Each announced his affiliation, and Zhao Han's head immediately began to throb.

Under Sweeping King alone were bandit chiefs like One Sheet of Ice, Mountain-Quelling Tiger, Nine-Headed Bird, and Fly to the Sky. Sweeping King was only the big brother at the head; the other bandit chiefs had strong autonomy — it was essentially a rebel alliance.

What's more, Sweeping King's side had already begun infighting. Due to uneven division of spoils and territorial disputes, several military clashes had occurred the previous month.

To resolve internal conflicts, Sweeping King had decided to cross the border and strike Huguang, seizing more territory to distribute among these bandit leaders.

Sweeping King had sent an envoy for a very simple purpose.

This fellow could not expand in Jiangxi — his room for growth was blocked by Zhao Han. So he wanted to make a pact with Zhao Han: neither would attack the other. Zhao Han could expand north, east, and south at his leisure, while Sweeping King would go west to attack Huguang.

To this, Zhao Han readily agreed. He wrote a letter on the spot and had the several envoys take it back with them.

"And whose envoy are you?" Zhao Han asked.

The man answered, "My king is called Sai Lübu. His territory is in Taihe County, right next to Heavenly King Zhao's territory. My king says he is willing to honor Heavenly King Zhao as his sovereign, and requests that Heavenly King Zhao appoint him as County Magistrate of Taihe."

Another envoy interjected, "My king also wishes to honor Heavenly King Zhao as his sovereign, and requests appointment as County Magistrate of Yongning."

Yongning County was what, several hundred years later, would become Jinggangshan City.

Zhao Han immediately barked, "You killed wicked gentry and local despots — that I do not oppose. But don't think I don't know what other filthy things you've done. Go back and tell your kings: do not commit evil under my banner. Otherwise, after the autumn harvest, I will come to chastise you! Get out!"

The two envoys fled at once in terror, afraid that Heavenly King Zhao would have them killed.

"And whose household are you from?" Zhao Han pointed at the other envoy.

That envoy wore a Confucian scholar's robe and cupped his hands, saying: "I am Fang Shenghong. My elder brother Fang Shengchang currently holds Longquan and Wan'an, the two counties."

Zhao Han said in surprise: "You've taken Wan'an as well?"

Fang Shenghong smiled and said: "It happened half a month ago. After we stormed Wan'an county seat, my elder brother immediately dispatched me north. My elder brother has no ambition to declare himself king or hegemon, and he restrains his followers as much as possible — we have not committed too much slaughter."

"What is your purpose in coming here?" Zhao Han asked directly.

Fang Shenghong said: "Simply to pledge allegiance to Regional Commander Zhao. Both my elder brother and I once studied at White Egret Isle Academy, and we also attended the lectures of Master Meng'an (Li Banghua). Since Master Meng'an has already joined the Regional Commander, the Regional Commander must possess extraordinary qualities. I beg the Regional Commander to occupy Taihe County as soon as possible, so that it links up with our Wan'an and Longquan into one contiguous territory."

Zhao Han asked: "Are you aware of my land policy?"

"I had heard a little of it before," Fang Shenghong said with a smile. "These past few days, I have been visiting the countryside around Luling, and I am full of admiration for the Regional Commander's land policy."

Zhao Han laughed and said: "You rose in revolt — do you not desire glory and wealth? Under me, you would only be allowed to keep twenty mu of land."

Fang Shenghong said: "We two brothers were already ruined households long ago. Getting twenty mu each would be like picking it up off the ground. As for glory and wealth, who does not desire them? But the government troops from Guangdong and Fujian will be able to enter Jiangxi by next year at the latest. When that time comes, we two brothers will be the first to bear the brunt. Only by throwing in our lot with Mr. Zhao can we hope to survive."

Suddenly, another envoy cut in: "Heavenly King Zhao, our righteous army in southern Ganzhou cannot hold on any longer. That Governor-General of Liangguang is formidable, and the Governor of Fujian is formidable too. They also have many firelocks, and they have cannons that can be hauled through the mountains."

Zhao Han raised a hand and said: "My apologies, but within this year, I cannot possibly send troops out again. Not long ago we fought a great battle with the government forces. Although my soldiers' casualties were light, our grain and fodder were expended in enormous quantities. We must wait until our grain and fodder reserves are replenished before we can march south to rescue you."

The envoy from southern Ganzhou did not know what to do. He simply sat there, utterly dejected.

Zhao Han then said to Fang Shenghong: "Brother Fang, I will be frank with you — I have newly expanded into five counties and am currently handling internal administration. That you are willing to pledge allegiance makes me very glad, but I will not move troops again within this year."

Fang Shenghong laughed and said: "Then we will fight our way up ourselves, take Taihe County as well, and present it all together to Regional Commander Zhao. That gang of bandits in Taihe County — burning, killing, looting, no evil they will not do — are a hundred times more hateful than even the corrupt officials!"

If Fang Shenghong could truly accomplish that, Zhao Han would gain three counties for nothing, and his territory would link up into one contiguous stretch, directly bordering Ganzhou Prefecture.

"In that case, I shall await good tidings," Zhao Han said, clasping his fists.

Finally, one envoy remained. Zhao Han asked: "Are you people from the Secret Doctrine sect?"

That envoy said: "I am from the Nanfeng branch altar of the Secret Doctrine sect. The Secret Doctrine sect is willing to pledge the entire sect's allegiance to Heavenly King Zhao."

"What are your demands?" Zhao Han asked.

That envoy said: "After the matter is accomplished, we ask that Heavenly King Zhao enfeoff our Hierarch Zhang as Celestial Master, and enfeoff Protectors Jiang and Zhou as Grand Protectors of the Nation."

"Get out!"

Zhao Han said irritably: "I will not keep company with demonic Daoists."

Even as they were speaking, the Secret Doctrine sect's main altar had already fallen. Hierarch Zhang Puwei had fled into the deep mountains with his remnants.

Zhang Yinggao, the fifty-some-year-old Prefect of Guangxin, upon taking office did not immediately raise troops to suppress the bandits. Instead, he rectified local administration, struck at corrupt officials, abolished Guangxin Prefecture's tribute-paper levy, and won the unanimous praise of the papermaking trade.

Including the Fei clan of Yanshan, all the great families supported Zhang Yinggao.

Next, Zhang Yinggao abolished harsh and miscellaneous taxes, lightening the peasants' burdens, and thereby won the hearts of the common people.

With the support of the gentry and the common folk, Zhang Yinggao raised over four thousand troops. After only two months of drilling, he retook Shanglu Town, and now he has retaken the county seat of Yanshan as well.

The rebels in Yanshan County were thus wiped out.

Moreover, Zhang Yinggao is now contacting Governor Li Maofang, saying that next time there is a battle he can come help, and that he will bring five thousand crack troops to finish off the Luling rebel Zhao!

Ah, as rebels swarm up all over Jiangxi, capable officials keep emerging one after another.

(End of chapter)