Chapter 697: Fight These Tang Dogs to the Death

At Tianshui Prefecture, on Maiji Mountain, craftsmen hired with funds from the Six Dharma Sect were restoring the Maiji Mountain grottoes, which had been begun in the Sixteen Kingdoms period and brought to maturity under the Northern Wei.

Zhang Zhao was not far away, in a small temple called Jiaolong Temple, hosting his civil and military officials at an all-vegetarian banquet.

This did not quite accord with the Six Dharma Sect's rules, because the Six Dharma Sect did not forbid meat at all, and only imposed precepts on pungent foods, though it was not as fastidious as the Buddhist orders of the Central Plains.

The so-called "pungent and meat" should actually be explained as two separate things.

"Meat" refers to flesh foods—chicken, duck, fish, and the like, foods with a strong earthy or bloody smell.

"Pungent," on the other hand, refers to vegetables with a powerful odor, mostly seasonings such as garlic, onions, and the like.

In the Six Dharma Sect's doctrine, meat is not forbidden; it need only meet the standard of the three kinds of pure flesh—that is, one has not seen the killing, has not heard the killing, and it was not killed for oneself.

This was not really Zhang Zhao or the eminent monks of the Six Dharma Sect trying to be unconventional; rather, it was determined by the very nature of the Six Dharma Sect.

Monks of the Central Plains could hide away in famous mountains and great temples waiting for pilgrims to come to them, but the greatest task of a Six Dharma Sect monk was to spread the Dharma.

In those days, long journeys were not as easy as in later ages; they were truly backbreaking labor, and without eating meat, living on coarse grain alone, no one could endure it.

Moreover, the Six Dharma Sect's preaching was mostly directed at herders on the high plateaus and grasslands, and in such places, if one did not eat meat, where would so much grain come from to feed you?

As for pungent foods, they were permitted only at the evening meal, because you were a preacher of the Dharma and had to go about expounding the sutras; if every word out of your mouth reeked of garlic, would that not be a great loss of dignity?

But Zhang Zhao had his reasons for holding an all-vegetarian banquet at Jiaolong Temple today, because he wanted to add a touch of religious aura to Zhang Xiancun, and for such a matter, laying out great platters of meat and fish and great bowls of wine would indeed be inappropriate.

Since it had been decided that what Zhang Xiancun was to do after going to the Kingdom of Dali was to open a route to India, subdue the White Wolf Qiang who had moved south, and turn the Kingdom of Dali from a borderland into the next Hexi, then military means alone would not suffice.

Accompanying Zhang Xiancun south would inevitably be the Six Dharma Sect as well.

At this time, the Kingdom of Dali was also a nation wholly devoted to Buddhism; the Duan family, in fact, in later generations produced many emperors who renounced the world and became monks.

And the eminent monks of Dali at present were basically those who had fled from the plateau to Dali after Langdarma's persecution of Buddhism, with only a small portion being Indian monks who had come to Dali by the ancient road to India.

These two groups of monks often disagreed when interpreting the scriptures, and as they were attached to different factions holding real power in Dali, their struggle was extremely fierce.

At present, the Indian monk faction attached to the powerful minister Dong Jialuo held the upper hand; historically, it was not until the middle and late reign of Dali's fourth ruler, Duan Sicong, that the native monks, relying on the rising power of the Gao family, thoroughly overthrew the Indian monk faction and formed a Buddhism with Dali characteristics.

After that, in fact, monks of the Kingdom of Dali could read the Confucian classics and, in the capacity of "Buddhist-Confucian," sit the imperial examinations and hold office.

Now that Zhang Zhao had arrived at this once-in-a-thousand-years moment, how could he let the two sides keep fighting? Surely he should go directly and make them all believers of the Supreme Heaven!

Therefore, Zhang Xiancun could not go simply as the ruler of a Central Plains dynasty recovering Nanzhong; he should also go as a religious leader.

It happened that at present the native monks of the Kingdom of Dali were numerous but officially suppressed.

And the Qingtang Buddhist order to which they traced their origins had for the most part already converted to the Six Dharma Sect, so Zhang Xiancun's going there truly had heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony all in his favor.

Jiaolong Temple was not a great temple; it was not built by the government, nor even by the great families and wealthy households of the region, but was built with funds pooled by the craftsmen who had carved the Maiji Mountain grottoes and by ordinary soldiers.

Jiaolong Temple was originally called Flood Dragon Temple. In those days, when the Maiji Mountain grottoes were being carved, people firmly believed that within Maiji Mountain there was a flood dragon about to ascend and undergo its lightning tribulation.

The craftsmen and soldiers feared that when the flood dragon ascended, Maiji Mountain would collapse and bury them, so they built Flood Dragon Temple specifically to placate it, that the flood dragon might also enjoy incense offerings and not cause the earth to shake and mountains to quake at its ascension.

Zhang Xiancun wore a prince's ceremonial robes in Jiaolong Temple. Zhang Zhou's ceremonial robes were extremely similar to those of the Great Tang, except that on the tassels of the crown and the cap rolls and elsewhere, as well as on the hems of the dark upper garment and inner robe, they were trimmed with silver-white borders, displaying Zhang Zhou's virtue of metal and distinguishing it from the Great Tang's virtue of earth.

Zhang Xiancun had arrived at Jiaolong Temple the day before, and then in a quiet chamber of the temple, abstaining from all food and drink, had chanted the Six Dharma Sect scriptures for seven double-hours.

Only after everyone had arrived did Zhang Xiancun change out of the plain white monk's robe he had been wearing, bathe and change clothes, finish burning incense and praying, and then put on the prince's ceremonial robes.

Zhang Zhao, for his part, changed into the Emperor's court robes and, following the full rites and procedures, promoted the Marquis of Shanshan, Zhang Xiancun, to Founding Duke of Dian.

As for the title, Zhang Zhao had considered it for a long time. In the history of Yunnan, two titles had appeared: one was the well-known "Dian," and the other was the title King of Yunnan, which Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had bestowed on Piluoge.

If Zhang Zhao now bestowed the title King of Yunnan on Zhang Xiancun, his intent would be far too obvious.

The Duan clan of Dali might dwell on the borderlands, but they were neither deaf nor blind, still less fools; the moment you bestowed the title King of Yunnan, everyone would know what you intended.

Founding Duke of Dian was much better. Since the Chu general Zhuang Qiao had entered Dian, and the First Emperor of Qin had sent a great army to destroy the Kingdom of Dian and establish commanderies and counties there, the dynastic name "Dian" had carried a certain sense of being a vassal state of a Central Plains court—at least it was not as unorthodox as Yelang or Zangke.

Moreover, granting a duke's title first also avoided leaping straight to a kingship and arousing the Kingdom of Dali's vigilance.

As for whether Zhang Xiancun would continue to use "Dian" as his title thereafter, that would depend on how well Zhang Xiancun, Guo Rong, Zhang Fei, Zhang Yongde, and the others performed.

If they performed well, using "Chu" as the title would not be impossible; after all, historically the first King of Dian, Zhuang Qiao, was a Chu general, so the lineage could barely be made to work.

And in the title "Founding Duke of Dian," the two words "founding" were even more extraordinary. This was not the "founding" of "founding office with honors equal to the Three Excellencies," but the founding of a hegemonic office.

The so-called hegemonic office system was a system popular in the late Han and Three Kingdoms period, a system by which a subject used to hollow out his sovereign's power, or an emperor used to gather power to himself.

In the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao hollowing out Emperor Xian of Han, the Sima clan hollowing out the Cao family, even Zhuge Liang's office of Chancellor in Shu Han, and Li Shimin's Office of Heavenly Strategy in the Great Tang—all were forms of the hegemonic office system.

Historically, outside China, Japan's shogunate system and the Trinh lords' shogunate during Vietnam's Southern and Northern Dynasties period were likewise forms of the hegemonic office system.

After Zhang Zhao returned to the nation under the great cause, he administered the military and civil affairs of Hexi and Longyou through the office of the Prince of Han, also employing the hegemonic office system.

Thus, Zhang Xiancun's "Founding Duke of Dian" meant that he was to establish a hegemonic office in the name of the state of Dian and appoint his own subordinates.

And above this, if he were to be promoted again, it would be to Great King of Dian.

In Zhang Zhao's design, such enfeoffed states, which went out to rule the Xia and shepherd the barbarians, would have their noble ranks separated from the domestic system of honors.

Domestically, there were the normal six supernumerary ranks: Prince of the First Rank, Prince of the Second Rank, Duke, Commandery Duke, Marquis, and Count.

In the enfeoffed states, six ranks would be implemented: Great King of the State, Founding Grand Duke, Lord Marquis, Lord Count, Military Governor, and Pacification Commissioner. Those of Lord Count and above were rulers who styled themselves "the solitary one," while the last two ranks were hereditary native officials whose titles passed down unchanged.

After appointing Zhang Xiancun as Founding Duke of Dian, Zhang Zhao then appointed Guo Rong as Chief Clerk of the State of Dian, with overall charge of all affairs. Zhang Fei, Zhang Yongde, An Youquan, and others became the ten section administrators under the Chief Clerk.

At the same time, Guo Rong also concurrently held the posts of Pacification Commissioner of the Dongchuan Circuit, Governor of Nanxi Prefecture, and Military Supervisor of Nanxi Prefecture.

Zhang Fei was to assume the posts of Governor of Luzhou Prefecture and Military Supervisor of Luzhou Prefecture.

An Youquan was transferred to be Surveillance Commissioner of the Eight Tribes of the Western Mountains, supervising the military affairs of the various Qiang tribes of the Western Mountains.

In addition, the Governor of Ya'an Prefecture, the Military Supervisor of Ya'an Prefecture, and the Commander of the Yongping Garrison of the Imperial Guard, Cui Huxin, would also receive Zhang Zhao's order to organize his forces as a secondary army, ready to coordinate the southward advance when the time came.

After all, setting out south from Ya'an, passing through what later ages would call Liangshan and Panzhihua, one could also reach Chuxiong and Kunming.

After the investiture was complete, Zhang Zhao took a string of prayer beads from his person and with his own hands hung it around Zhang Xiancun's neck.

"This string of beads I made with my own hands when I attained enlightenment in the Buddha's Bamboo Grove Monastery, moved by the profundity of the Dharma.

You are the continuation of my bloodline, born with a threefold share of Buddhist affinity. If you can penetrate the mysteries of the Dharma in the land of Yunnan, you will surely achieve fulfillment in that region and bring blessings to the people."

Zhang Xiancun understood perfectly well what this meant. His father was not only giving him political power over Yunnan, but also giving him religious authority over the land of Yunnan.

He imagined that in future generations, among his descendants, there would surely appear many formidable figures who held great religious power.

Father truly loves me best after all. Zhang Xiancun prostrated himself on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

At this moment, having received the string of beads, and after Zhang Zhao had bestowed upon him a great quantity of relics, golden Buddhas, and kasaya robes, Zhang Xiancun prostrated himself on the ground and bowed three times in gratitude, while the assembled monks of the Six Dharma Sect around them began to chant in unison the True Scripture of Supreme Deliverance from Calamity and Distress.

Before their departure, Zhang Zhao once more summoned the four of them: Zhang Xiancun, Guo Rong, Zhang Fei, and Han Baosheng, the famous physician from Shu who had hurried over.

Looking at his son, who was only fifteen, about to go alone to Nanxi Prefecture, Zhang Zhao could not set his mind at ease, and in his heart he still felt some reluctance to part.

He first said to Guo Rong and Zhang Fei, "The land of Yunnan has always bred miasma and pestilence; when men of the Central Plains go there, few escape falling ill.

Though after several centuries of development it is no longer as dreadful as in the Han dynasties, you must still be careful.

In the two prefectures of Nanxi and Luzhou, you must stockpile medicinal supplies. The physicians dispatched by the Imperial Medical Office must be assigned to every unit, ensuring that among every hundred men there are at least three physicians—one chief and two deputies.

The whole army must drink no unboiled water and eat no raw food; this must be strictly enforced. The separation of the sick from the healthy must also be rigorously observed.

The army's elite troops should best be divided into several batches. In the early stage, a small number may enter the Kingdom of Dali to adapt to mountain warfare and the dense-forest climate."

Guo Rong prostrated himself and said in thanks, "Your Majesty attends to every matter great and small, and holds the southern-pacification army in your heart. Your ministers and soldiers all feel Your Majesty's grace.

Item by item, clause by clause, your minister and Prefect Zhang will compile them into regulations. Once we reach Nanxi and Luzhou, they will be promulgated to the whole army for strict observance."

Zhang Zhao nodded with relief. With Guo Rong's ability and meticulousness, there should be no problems.

Then Zhang Zhao looked at Han Baosheng, who had hurried over, and said, "Whether the method We proposed of using sweet wormwood against malaria can succeed, why it fails if it fails, and how much effect it has if it succeeds—all of this depends on whether you devote yourself fully to the task.

We have already ordered that in any matter concerning this, no matter what person or assistance you require, you may report it to the Duke of Dian, and he will surely aid you.

If the Duke of Dian is also undecided, We authorize you to use the eight-hundred-li express couriers of the Brocade Guard in the four prefectures of Nanxi, Ya'an, Luzhou, and Chengdu to report to Us.

If you can accomplish this great merit, We will by no means be stingy with titles of nobility. We will also grant you the right to freely use the post stations of the realm, and the book collections of the government offices of every province, circuit, prefecture, subprefecture, and county may be borrowed and read at your pleasure.

We will also order men to help you fill in the gaps and omissions in the Shu Materia Medica, and then print and distribute it throughout the realm, so that your worthy name may be passed down to posterity."

Traveling far from home in this age was not merely a matter of money; the many and varied troubles were entirely different from later times.

The most important of these was the question of identity. In this age, if one had no identity and yet roamed from north to south, lodging, food, government offices, means of transport, local customs—any one of these was a great difficulty.

Only by being able to use the court's post stations in every province, circuit, prefecture, subprefecture, and county could one resolve most of these problems.

The reason Zhang Zhao was so generous was that he only vaguely remembered that sweet wormwood seemed able to treat malaria, but as for exactly how to treat it, how to prepare the prescription, and how effective it was, he knew none of it, so he could only let Han Baosheng handle it.

Although this Han Baosheng was somewhat greedy for money and a little prideful, he was still a fine physician of exquisite skill, and in the history of medicine he was a great figure who left his name behind.

At the same time, he was also the own second maternal uncle of Sage Zhang's favored consort Zhao Rongniang, and the second elder brother of Han Qiniang—absolutely trustworthy.

And what a good physician desires most is naturally to be able to travel at ease across the length and breadth of the land, to identify the medicinal herbs of the world, to collect folk remedies from everywhere, to see all manner of difficult and complicated illnesses, and to exchange knowledge with famous physicians throughout the realm.

As for writing books and establishing a legacy, leaving blessings to all living beings, and having one's name remembered by posterity—every Chinese person has such a dream; it only depends on whether he has the opportunity and ability to realize it.

Upon hearing this, Han Baosheng prostrated himself in gratitude, tears streaming down his face, his head knocking against the ground as he said in a trembling voice, "Your minister—how would I dare not exhaust my mind and spirit!"

Only after everyone had left did Zhang Zhao take Zhang Xiancun by the hand and say, "Yesterday your imperial father said that your Kingdom of Dali should open a passage to India, and also recover the White Wolf Qiang and the rest—those are all long-term goals.

Even if they cannot be achieved in your generation, you need not force it; there will be sons and grandsons to carry on the work.

Your task now is to sit firmly on the throne of the King of Dali.

Within Dali's borders there are many high mountains and hills. Between these mountains and hills, every small basin is a power of its own.

After you conquer the Kingdom of Dali, remember above all to enfeoff many and establish many, giving benefits to those below you, but never allowing any one man to grow too great. You must ensure that within this Kingdom of Dali, there is only one bellwether—yourself."

Zhang Xiancun agreed to each point. He still looked very excited, perhaps imagining how he would stretch his talents once he went to Dali.

But Zhang Zhao felt only reluctance and worry—worry that he could not handle those complicated affairs, and even more afraid that he would not adapt to the local climate and fall ill, or even die of illness.

Perhaps this is the difference between father and son.

Zhang Zhao knew very well in his heart that with Zhang Xiancun's departure, it would be normal for father and son to see each other only once every few years. Once he truly took up his fief, he feared their next meeting would be before Zhang Zhao's coffin.

Northeast of the Altai Mountains, by the shores of what later ages would call Lake Har-Us, lay the Naiman Tumen established by Zhang Zhao—one of the twelve grassland tumens, and an extremely important one.

This was because the territory of the Naiman tribe was called the Great Lakes Basin in later ages. From the name alone one could tell how lush its pastures and waters must be.

The reality was indeed so. Within the Great Lakes Basin, rivers ran in every direction, and there were more than three hundred lakes great and small—a treasure land of the first order.

As long as one could hold this basin, westward one could control Xuanchi (Lake Zaysan) and Yibohai (Lake Balkhash).

Eastward one could control the Mergid and Zubu tumens that Zhang Zhao had established in the Khangai Mountains. One must know that the former Uyghur royal city, and what later ages called Uliastai, were both in this place.

This was Zhang Zhao's most solid fortress on the steppe.

The reason so much of the Great Lakes Basin had already turned to desert in later ages was, apart from ecological degradation, that that bunch of fools in Outer Mongolia were basically beyond saving.

They could turn the Great Lakes Basin into desert—what else could they not manage? It was 2023, and those fellows were still grazing livestock indiscriminately just as they had two hundred years ago. Beyond saving.

However, today, this originally lush land of fine pastures, though not yet desertified, had long since fallen into chaos.

The fresh, tender grass that herders would normally have been reluctant to let their livestock eat, grass they would have cut for silage, was now being trampled back and forth by countless warhorses' hooves. The green juice of the tender grass splashed everywhere like blood.

If such behavior were to occur in Han lands, it would be no different from fine white flour being scattered into the dust.

And the reason the herders would not even come to harvest such tender grass was one thing alone: war!

Uh! Perhaps this could not even be called war, but rather bullying.

The ones doing the bullying were several thousand troops flying banners of silver-edged sun, moon, and stars, the Three Luminaries standard, along with great silver swastika banners. They were tightly organized and well commanded.

On both flanks were no fewer than two thousand unarmored horse archers, constantly whooping and shouting as they loosed arrows from their horse bows in all directions.

And compared to shooting arrows, they seemed even more enthusiastic about the whooping.

These unarmored horse archers did not care at all how many enemies they killed. They had only one purpose: to drive the enemy from both flanks toward the center, making the enemy bunch up more and more, and grow more and more panicked.

In the center, a force of four or five hundred light-armored lancers, long sabers in hand, lay low over their horses' backs, clinging to the enemy riders ahead who had been herded together by the unarmored horse archers on both flanks, and struck them fiercely.

Whenever the pursued enemy riders, finding no way out, tried to turn and shoot at them, these lancers pressed their bodies to their horses' backs and charged through like the wind, directly breaking them.

If the enemy also drew sabers or other close-combat weapons, they would instead take out crossbows and form ranks to shoot.

These lancers also had only one purpose: to cling to the enemy, making the enemy follow their way of fighting, seizing the initiative while at the same time breaking their morale.

At last, the three or four thousand riders ahead, pursued beyond all endurance, heard a yellow-haired Uyghur with a face full of beard let out a great shout.

"These thieving Han have chased us three or four hundred li and still won't let go. It seems they've made up their minds.

Shimili, they are few and we are many. Better to stop and fight these thieving Han to the death."

The burly man named Shimili had also been running in some disarray. Looking around at his soldiers, all pursued into wretched exhaustion, he knew that if they kept running they would likely scatter. So he steeled his heart.

"Ahead is Lake Manaizi. We'll form up by the lake, against the hill, and fight it out with these Tang dogs!"

related