Chương 151: The Nine-Section Staff and the Token

Zhang Jiao was going to lead this group to fight head-on against the well-equipped and well-trained imperial army; conventional tactics would surely lead to certain death.

That's why he resorted to these "unorthodox methods"—the Yellow Turban warriors were fearless and could act as a suicide squad; the art of changing the heavens could create battlefield advantages...

He continued flipping through the pages, eventually reaching the section on governance philosophy, economic policies, and social development.

Equal distribution of wealth, opposition to exploitation, public good, equality for all...

"The ideal is very beautiful."

Liu Ce sighed and said, "But the reality is that the level of productivity at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty simply couldn't support such a 'Great Harmony' society. Unless..."

Unless there is a groundbreaking technological innovation.

For example—sweet potatoes and potatoes yielding over fifty shi per mu? For example—new types of armor and weapons produced on assembly lines? For example—commercial profits from fine salt, wine, and paper? For example—high-quality steel provided by blast furnace ironmaking?

Liu Ce suddenly froze.

He looked down at the "Taiping Yaoshu" in his hand, then looked up at the map of Youzhou hanging on the wall of his study.

The utopian ideas in "The Essentials of Peace" and the concepts that require "divine intervention" to realize...

It seems, perhaps, maybe... that it's possible for him to achieve it?

He shook his head and didn't think about it anymore.

It's too far ahead; thinking too much about it can easily lead to unrealistic expectations.

...

Finally, he closed the book, leaned back in his chair, and stared intently at the roof beams.

"I see……"

He muttered to himself, "This 'Taiping Yaoshu' is tens of thousands of words long, covering governance, self-cultivation, medicine, and military strategy, but its core can be summed up in just one word—"

"kill!!!"

"Kill corrupt officials, kill corrupt bureaucrats, kill powerful figures, kill everyone who hinders the establishment of a peaceful world!"

The more Liu Ce thought about it, the clearer it became: "All the theories and methods in Zhang Jiao's book ultimately serve the purpose of 'killing'!"

"The unity of heaven and man? Heaven brings disaster when the ruler loses virtue? This is trying to find a theoretical basis for 'killing a tyrannical ruler'!"

"The concept of 'bearing the burden of good and evil'?

'The successor bears the blame for the mistakes of the predecessors'? This is saying 'kill all the remnants of the previous dynasty'!"

"Prophecy and the Five Elements? The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise? This is a cry for 'Kill all the Han Dynasty's lackeys'!"

"Cultivate martial arts techniques? What's the point of becoming a master? To kill!"

"Talismans and incantations? Besides curing illnesses and exorcising evil spirits, they can also summon lightning to attack enemies—or kill people!"

"Medical skills and health preservation? Healing our own people so they can continue killing!"

"A governing philosophy? Before establishing a new order, you have to kill all the people in the old order first!"

"Military tactics? Isn't this just teaching you how to kill more efficiently?!"

But killing is not the goal; killing is the means to prevent further killing. To stop war with war, to stop killing with killing.

...

At the same time, in Zhang Ning's room Zhang Ning did not sleep.

She sat on the edge of the bed, with an old-fashioned wooden box in front of her.

The box was opened, and inside were two items: A nine-section staff, made of dark wood, with intricate runes engraved on each section, and a piece of warm yellow jade inlaid at the head—this is the token of the Way of Peace, a symbol of the identity of the Great Teacher of Virtue.

A brass token, with "The Yellow Heaven shall Stand" engraved on the front and "Seal of the Way of Peace" on the back—this was a token used to command the various factions of the Yellow Turbans, and seeing the token was like seeing Zhang Jiao himself.

Zhang Ning took out the two items, placed them on the table, and looked at them quietly.

In the candlelight, the nine-section staff and the token gleamed with a warm luster.

Zhang Ning reached out and gently stroked them, as if she could feel her father's presence.

She remembers that when she was a child, her father would always carry this cane and walk around the countryside, treating the poor and spreading the ideals of Taiping Dao.

At that time, my father was not yet a "rebel leader," but a "great and virtuous teacher," a living god in the eyes of the people.

Later, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, my father, holding a nine-section staff, raised his arms and shouted in front of millions of believers. At that moment, he was a true leader, a giant trying to turn the tide.

Later... Guangzong City fell, her father died, and she was taken away by Liu Ce. This staff and token became her only remaining memories.

"Father……"

She said softly, "You have entrusted the future of Taiping Dao to me, but I... I don't know what to do."

She recalled her father's dying words: "Ning'er, I have spent my life pursuing a peaceful world, but I have gone down the wrong path. Liu Bolue... I can't see through him, but he has great fortune. Give him the secrets of peace, and perhaps... he can find a different path."

At the time, Zhang Ning didn't fully understand her father's meaning, but now she is gradually coming to understand.

"Father," Zhang Ning said softly, "you said he is the 'Purple Star,' the one who can end the chaos of the world... I believe you."

She picked up the token and held it in her hand.

The bronze medal was cold, yet it stirred a warm feeling within her.

After reading "The Essentials of Peace," Liu Ce understood his father's ideals; he recited the two poems and gave his father the praise he deserved.

Then, as the Holy Maiden of the Way of Peace, she should do something.

Although the Yellow Turbans were defeated, Zhang Yan still led hundreds of thousands of followers in Ji Province, who continued to hold out in the mountains and forests.

Despite their lack of food and clothing and their uncertain future, they still held fast to their belief in "peace".

Her father is gone, but she is still here.

Liu Ce needed manpower, troops, and popular support—and the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion were the best human resources available.

"Father, your dream may be realized in another way."

Zhang Ning gripped the token tightly, his eyes gradually hardening.

"Not through war and destruction, but through... construction and protection."

She closed the wooden box, stood up, and walked to the window.

……

The sky outside the window was already beginning to lighten.

Liu Ce stretched and was thinking about taking a nap when there was another knock on the study door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Zhang Ning walked in.

She changed into a simple outfit and was carrying a small wooden box.

"Ning'er, so early?" Liu Ce was somewhat surprised.

Zhang Ning placed the wooden box on the desk and opened it.

Inside were two items: a nine-section bamboo staff, dark yellow in color, with each section engraved with talismans; and a bronze token with the inscription "The Yellow Heaven Shall Stand" on the front and densely packed small characters on the back.

"This is my father's nine-section staff, a symbol of the Way of Peace."

Zhang Ning picked up the bamboo staff and gently stroked its shaft.

"This is the Yellow Turban token. With this, one can command the Yellow Turbans in various regions."

Liu Ce was stunned.

"Ning'er, what's wrong with you...?"

"Give it to my husband."

Zhang Ning pushed the two items in front of Liu Ce, saying, "The remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion left by my father are mainly in the Taihang Mountains area of Ji Province, and are led by Zhang Yan. Zhang Yan recognizes these two tokens and also recognizes my handwriting."

She paused, her eyes resolute: "If my husband wants to subdue them, now is the best time."

Liu Ce looked at Zhang Ning, then at the token on the table, and suddenly understood something.

Zhang Ning smiled and said, "My husband understands my father and the ideals of the Way of Peace. These people are bandits in the mountains, which is not a long-term solution. If they can serve under my husband, they can not only survive, but also... continue some of my father's aspirations."

Liu Ce remained silent for a moment, then stood up, walked around the desk, and gently pulled Zhang Ning into his arms.