Chapter 1
The rolling Yangtze River flows eastward, and the waves wash away the heroes. Success or failure turns to emptiness. The green mountains are still there, and the sunset has turned red several times.
White haired fishing and woodcutting on the river bank, accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze. A pot of turbid wine brings joy. Many things from ancient to modern times are discussed with laughter.
——Sending 'Linjiang Immortal'
When it comes to the overall trend of the world, division is inevitable, and unity is inevitable. On the weekend, the Seven Kingdoms were divided and merged into Qin. After the fall of Qin, Chu and Han were divided and merged into Han. The Han Dynasty rose up in rebellion after Emperor Gaozu beheaded the White Snake, unifying the world. Later, Guangwu revived and spread to Emperor Xian, thus dividing it into three kingdoms. The reason for its chaos began with the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling. Emperor Huan imprisoned virtuous individuals and revered eunuchs. Upon the death of Emperor Huan, Emperor Ling ascended to the throne, with the assistance of General Dou Wu and Grand Tutor Chen Fan. At times, eunuchs such as Cao Jie wielded power, but Dou Wu and Chen Fan plotted to execute them. The situation was not well known, but they were actually harmed, and from then on, Zhongjuan became even more powerful.
On the fourth day of the fourth month in the second year of Jianning, the Emperor's Palace of Virtue. Fang Shengzuo, a fierce wind suddenly rose from the corner of the hall. I saw a big green snake flying down from the beam and coiling on the chair. The emperor was startled and rushed to the palace for emergency treatment, with all officials fleeing. In an instant, the snake disappeared. Suddenly, there was a thunderstorm and heavy rain, accompanied by hail, which lasted until midnight, causing countless houses to be damaged. In February of the fourth year of Jianning, there was an earthquake in Luoyang; The seawater overflowed again, and the coastal residents were all swept into the sea by the big waves. In the first year of Guanghe, female chickens transformed into males. On the first day of June, with a black aura of over ten zhang, it flew into the Wenxiong Hall. In autumn and July, a rainbow appears in Yutang; The banks of Wuyuan Mountain have all collapsed. All kinds of ominous things are not just one end. The emperor issued an edict to ask the courtiers about the reasons for the disaster, and the councilor Cai Yong submitted a memorial, believing that the transformation of Ni Di Ji was caused by the interference of the Women's Temple in politics, and his words were quite straightforward. The emperor sighed as he changed his clothes. Cao Jie sneaked a peek behind and announced his intentions; So he punished Yong for his actions and released him back into the field. Later, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Feng Qiao, Duan Gui, Cao Jie, Hou Lan, Jian Shuo, Cheng Kuang, Xia Yun, and Guo Sheng conspired with each other and were known as the "Ten Constant Attendants". The Emperor honored Zhang Rang and called him 'Father'. The frequent changes in political affairs have led to chaos in the hearts of the people and the proliferation of thieves.
There are three brothers in Shi Julu County, one is Zhang Jiao, one is Zhang Bao, and one is Zhang Liang. That horn was originally an unremarkable scholar, but when he went to the mountains to collect herbs, he met an old man with blue eyes and a young face, holding a bamboo stick in his hand. He summoned the horn to a cave and taught it in three volumes of the Book of Heaven, saying, "If you obtain this name 'Taiping Yaoshu', it will be promoted by heaven and used to save the world. If you have any ulterior motives, you will surely receive evil retribution." The horn asked for his name. The old man said, "I am the old immortal of Nanhua." After finishing his words, he transformed into a clear breeze and left. This book is called 'Taiping Daoist', and it is known for its ability to summon wind and rain during the morning and night. During the first month of the first year of Zhongping, when the epidemic was prevalent, Zhang Jiao scattered talisman water to treat people's illnesses and called himself the "Great Wise and Virtuous Teacher". There are over 500 disciples in Jiao, who travel around the world and can recite talismans and mantras. After that, the number of disciples increased day by day, and thirty-six corners were set up, with over ten thousand generous people and six or seven thousand small squares, each setting up a commander of the canal and calling him a general; Erroneous statement: "The sky is dead, the yellow sky should stand; the year is in Jiazi, and the world is prosperous." People wrote the two characters "Jiazi" on their doors with white soil. People from the eight provinces of Qing, You, Xu, Ji, Jing, Yang, Yan, and Yu served under the name of Zhang Jiao, a great sage and mentor, in every household. Jiao sent his party member Ma Yuanyi to secretly exchange gold and silk, and befriended Zhongjuan Fengqiao as an insider. Jiao and his second brother discussed and said, "The most rare thing is the people's hearts. Now that the people's hearts have been won, it would be a pity if they did not seize the opportunity to conquer the world." He then privately made a yellow flag and arranged for an uprising; On the one hand, he instructed his disciple Tang Zhou to write and report on the situation. Tang Zhou went straight to the provincial center to report the rebellion. Emperor summoned General He Jin to mobilize troops to capture Ma Yuanyi and execute him; A group of people including Feng Qiao were imprisoned. Upon hearing the governor's revelation, Zhang Jiao raised his troops at night and called himself "General Tian Gong", Zhang Bao "General Di Gong", and Zhang Liang "General Ren Gong". Shen Yan said to the crowd, "The Han dynasty is coming to an end, and the great sage has emerged. You should all follow the heavens and be upright, and enjoy peace." Four or five hundred thousand people from all directions, wrapped in yellow scarves, turned against Zhang Jiao. The bandits were massive, and the official army was unstoppable. He Jin reported to the emperor and issued a decree to quickly surrender, ordering all places to prepare for the war and make meritorious contributions to the fight against bandits. On one hand, Zhonglang sent Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song, and Zhu Jun, each with elite troops, to attack them in three separate routes.
Let's talk about Zhang Jiao's army, which invaded the Youzhou border. Liu Yan, the Prefect of Youzhou, was a native of Jingling in Jiangxia and a descendant of King Gong of Han and Lu. At that time, upon hearing of the approaching bandits, Captain Zou Jing was summoned to discuss the matter. Jing said, "There are many bandits, but I have few soldiers. It is advisable for Ming Gong to quickly recruit troops to respond to the enemy." Liu Yanran then went out to recruit righteous soldiers.
Bangwen travels to Zhuoxian and introduces a hero from Zhuoxian. That person is not very good at reading; Wide and gentle in nature, reserved in words, and not showing emotions in words; Having great aspirations and a keen interest in making friends with heroes from all over the world; Born with a body length of seven feet and five inches, two ears hanging over the shoulders, hands over the knees, eyes able to care for their ears, face like a crown of jade, lips like grease; After Prince Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Sheng, the great grandson of Emperor Jing of Han, with the surname Liu, the given name Bei, and the courtesy name Xuande. Liu Zhen, the son of Liu Sheng in the past, was granted the title of Marquis of Zhuoluting during the Han and Wu dynasties. Later, he lost his position as Marquis of Hujin and left this branch in Zhuoxian. Xuande Zu Liu Xiong, father Liu Hong. Hong once promoted filial piety and integrity, and also attempted to become an official, but passed away early. Xuande is a young orphan, serving his mother with utmost filial piety; Poor family, selling and weaving mats as a profession. I live in Lousang Village, this county. To the southeast of his home, there is a large mulberry tree that is over five zhang high. From a distance, it looks like a car cover with children. Xiangzhe said, "This family must have a noble person." When Xuande was young, he played with children in the countryside under a tree and said, "As the emperor, I should ride on this carriage." Uncle Liu Yuan was amazed and said, "This child is very kind!" Seeing Xuande's poor family, he often provided him with funds. At the age of fifteen, his mother sent him on a study tour, where he studied under Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi, and became friends with Gong Sun Zan and others.
When Liu Yan announced the recruitment of troops, Xuande was already 28 years old. I sighed deeply when I saw the list of candidates that day. Later, a person sternly said, "Why do you sigh so long when you don't contribute to the country?" Xuande looked back at the person, who was eight feet tall, with a leopard head and eyes, a swallow's head and tiger's beard, a voice as loud as thunder, and a momentum as galloping horses. Xuande noticed his unusual appearance and asked for his name. The person said, "My surname is Zhang, my name is Fei, and my courtesy name is Yide. I have lived in Zhuo County for a long time and have vast fields. I sell wine and slaughter pigs, and I am good at making friends with heroes from all over the world. Just then, when I saw my grandfather looking at the list, I sighed and asked." Xuande said, "I am a Han family member, my surname is Liu, and my name is Bei. Now that I have heard of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, I have the ambition to overthrow the bandits and pacify the people. I hate that I cannot do it, so I sigh deeply." Fei said, "I have a lot of wealth and should recruit local heroes to join my grandfather in great things. How about that?" Xuande was very pleased and went to the village shop.
As he was drinking, he saw a big man pushing a cart and resting at the front of the shop. He sat down and called out to the bartender, "Pour some wine and eat. I'll rush into the city to join the army." Xuande looked at him and said, "He's nine feet tall with a beard of two feet; Face like jujube, lips like grease; Danfeng eyes, lying silkworm eyebrows, with a dignified and imposing appearance. Xuande invited him to sit with him and knocked on his name. The person said, "My surname is Guan, my given name is Yu, and my courtesy name is Changsheng. Later, I changed my name to Yunchang. I am a good person from Hedong. Because I am a powerful and domineering person in this area, I was killed by me and fled to the rivers and lakes for five or six years. Now that I have heard that this place is recruiting troops to defeat bandits, I have come to recruit." Xuande then announced his own aspirations, and Yunchang was overjoyed. Go to Zhangfei Village together to discuss major matters. Fei said, "There is a peach orchard behind my village, with blooming flowers. Tomorrow, we will offer sacrifices to heaven and earth in the orchard. The three of us will become brothers and work together to achieve great things." Xuande and Yunchang responded in unison, "This is very good
The next day, in Taoyuan, preparations were made for the Wu Niu Bai Ma Festival and other ceremonies. The three of them burned incense and bowed before swearing, saying, "Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, although they have different surnames, have become brothers and worked together to save the needy; reported to the country, and lived in peace and prosperity. They do not seek to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only wish to die on the same day. Heaven and earth, learn from this heart, betray righteousness and forget kindness, and perish together with heaven and man!" After swearing, they worshipped Xuande as their elder brother, Guan Yu as their second, and Zhang Fei as their younger brother. After offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, the oxen were slaughtered again and wine was set up. More than three hundred brave warriors from the countryside gathered and drank heavily in the peach orchard. I will pack up my weapons tomorrow, but I hate having no horses to ride on. Just as he was thinking, he reported two guests and brought a group of companions to drive a group of horses to the village. Xuande said, "God bless me!" The three of them went out of the village to greet him. Originally, the two customers were Zhongshan merchants: one was Zhang Shiping, and the other was Su Shuang. They went north every year to sell horses and recently returned due to bandits. Xuande invited the two of them to the village, set up a wine steward, and expressed their intention to suppress the bandits and ensure the safety of the people. The two guests are overjoyed and wish to present fifty good horses to each other; Another five hundred taels of gold and silver, and one thousand pounds of tin and iron were given as gifts for use as weapons.
Xuande thanked the two guests and ordered a skilled craftsman to craft a double legged sword. Yun Chang made the Qinglong Yanyue Knife, also known as the "Lengyan Saw", weighing 82 pounds. Zhang Fei made an eight point steel spear. Place full body armor on each side. More than 500 brave people gathered in the village to meet Zou Jing. Zou Jing introduced the Prefect Liu Yan. Three people have completed the meeting, each sharing their name. When Xuande talked about sects, Liu Yan was overjoyed and recognized Xuande as his nephew. In a few days, it was reported that the Yellow Turban bandit general Cheng Yuanzhi led an army of 50000 to invade Zhuo County. Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to lead Xuande and three others, with a total of five hundred soldiers, to go and defeat the enemy. Xuande and others eagerly led their troops forward until they met the bandits at the foot of Daxing Mountain. The thieves were all disheveled and their foreheads were wiped with yellow scarves. At present, the two armies are facing each other, with Xuande leading the charge, Yun Chang on the left, and Yi De on the right. He whips his whip and curses, "Anti national rebels, why not surrender early!" Cheng Yuanzhi is furious and sends his deputy general Deng Mao to battle. Zhang Fei thrust his eight zhang snake spear straight out, pierced Deng Mao's heart with his hand, and then turned over and fell off the horse. Cheng Yuanzhi saw Deng Mao break up, slapped his horse and wielded his sword, and took Zhang Fei directly. Yun Chang waved his big sword and rode his horse to greet him. Cheng Yuanzhi was startled and caught off guard when he saw it. He was lifted by Yun Chang's sword and swung in two pieces. Later generations wrote a poem praising the two, saying: Hero Lu Ying, in this morning, tried his spear and sword. At the beginning of its release, it will showcase its power and easily label its name.
The bandits saw Cheng Yuanzhi executed and all defected and left. Xuande led his army to chase after him, and countless surrendered, returning victorious. Liu Yan personally welcomed and rewarded the hardworking soldiers. The next day, I received a letter from the governor of Qingzhou, Gong Jing, stating that the Yellow Turban bandits were besieging the city and were about to fall, and I begged for rescue. Liu Yan discussed with Xuande. Xuande said, "I am willing to go and save him." Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to send 5000 soldiers, along with Xuande, Guan, and Zhang, to Qingzhou. The bandits saw the arrival of the rescue army and divided their forces to engage in a chaotic battle. Xuande's army was outnumbered and unbeatable, so he retreated thirty miles to the fortress.
Xuande said to Guan and Zhang, "I am outnumbered by thieves; we must send out a surprise army to win." Therefore, Guan Gong led a thousand troops to ambush the left side of the mountain, and Zhang Fei led a thousand troops to ambush the right side of the mountain, sounding the golden horn and coming out together to respond. The next day, Xuande and Zou Jing led their troops to advance with great fanfare. The bandits fought back, and Xuande led the army to retreat. The bandits took advantage of the situation and chased after them, crossing the mountains. The army of Xuande shouted gold in unison, and the left and right armies emerged together. Xuande's army turned back and killed again. Three pronged attack, the bandits were greatly defeated. Rushing straight to the outskirts of Qingzhou City, Prefect Gong Jing led his militia out of the city to assist in the battle. The bandits suffered a great defeat and carried out numerous massacres, thus lifting the siege of Qingzhou. Later generations praised Xuande in a poem, saying: 'With divine achievements in planning and settling accounts, two tigers must be inferior to one dragon.'. At the beginning of his career, he was able to achieve great accomplishments, so he should have been divided into small and poor households.
Gong Jing rewarded the army and Zou Jing wanted to return. Xuande said, "I recently heard that Zhonglang fought against the bandit leader Zhang Jiao against Emperor Guangzong, and I was prepared to serve Lu Zhi in the past. I wanted to go and help him." So Zou Jing led his army back, and Xuande, Guan, and Zhang Yin's headquarters of 500 people defected to Emperor Guangzong. In the army of Lu Zhi, he entered the tent to pay respects, with the intention of coming from the Tao. Lu Zhi was overjoyed and stayed in front of the tent to listen to the tune.
At that time, there were 150000 bandits and 50000 soldiers stationed at Zhangjiao, but they were repelled by Emperor Guangzong and no victory was seen. Zhi said to Xuande, "I am besieging the bandits here, and their brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao are in Yingchuan, facing off against Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun. You can lead your troops, and I will assist you with a thousand official troops to go to Yingchuan to gather information and make an appointment to suppress them." Xuande ordered and led his army to join Yingchuan overnight.
Shi Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun led the army to resist the bandits, but the battle was not successful. They retreated to Changshe and formed a camp based on grass. Song and Jun planned, "Thieves should camp on grass and use fire to attack them." They then ordered their soldiers to tie a bundle of grass and ambush in secret. The strong wind suddenly rose at night. After the second shift, they set fire together, and Song and Jun each led troops to attack the bandit stronghold. The flames spread to the sky, causing panic among the bandits. Their horses were not as strong as their saddles, and their people were not as strong as their armor. They scattered and ran around.
At dawn, Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao defeated the disabled soldiers and took their way away. Suddenly, a large army of horses appeared, all waving red flags. They arrived immediately and blocked their way. As the leader, a general appeared, with a length of seven feet, thin eyes and long beard. He was appointed as a cavalry captain and was from Qiao County, Pei State. His surname was Cao, his given name was Cao, and his courtesy name was Mengde. Cao Song, the father of Cao, originally had the surname Xiahou. He took on the surname Cao because he served as the adopted son of Cao Teng in the imperial court. Cao Song gave birth to Cao, with the nickname 'Amun' and the name 'Jili'. When I was young, I was good at hunting, enjoyed singing and dancing, had power and strategy, and had many opportunities to change. Cao had an uncle, but when he saw Cao wandering recklessly, he felt angry and spoke to Cao Song. Song is responsible. He suddenly came up with a plan, and when he saw his uncle coming, he pretended to fall to the ground, resembling a stroke. Uncle startled Song and Song looked at him urgently. Damn it, it's okay. Song said, "Uncle said you had a stroke, have you recovered now?" Cao said, "My child has never had this disease since he came here; because he lost love with my uncle, he turned a deaf ear." Song believed his words. Although his uncle had spoken falsely, Song did not listen. Therefore, he indulged in reckless behavior. At that time, there was a person named Qiao Xuan who said to Cao, "The world is about to be in chaos, and it cannot be resolved without the talent of fate. Those who can find peace are in the hands of the ruler." Nanyang He Yong saw Cao and said, "The Han dynasty is about to perish, and those who can bring peace to the world must be this person." Xu Shao from Runan was known for his knowledge of people. Cao went to see him and asked, 'What am I like?' Shao didn't answer. When asked again, Shao said, "I am a capable minister in governing the world and a treacherous hero in troubled times." Upon hearing these words, Cao was overjoyed. At the age of twenty, he was promoted to Xiaolian and appointed as a Lang. He was removed from the position of Northern Lieutenant in Luoyang. At the beginning of his tenure, he immediately set up more than ten five colored sticks at the four gates of the county. Anyone who violated the ban and did not avoid the wealthy and powerful would be held responsible. The uncle of Jian Shuo, the attendant of Zhongchang, carries a sword and travels at night. When he holds the night patrol, he is punished with a stick. Therefore, those who dare not commit crimes both inside and outside have a strong reputation. Later, he became the commander of Dunqiu and was appointed as a cavalry captain due to his yellow scarf. He led 5000 cavalry and infantry troops to assist in the battle in Yingchuan. At the moment when Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao were defeated, Cao Cao stopped them and carried out a large-scale killing, beheading over ten thousand soldiers and capturing numerous flags, golden drums, and horses. Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao fought to the death to escape. Cao saw Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, and immediately led troops to pursue Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao.
But when Xuande Yinguan and Zhang came to Yingchuan, they heard the cries of killing and saw the candlelight sky. When they urgently summoned troops, the bandits had already been defeated and dispersed. Xuande saw Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, with the intention of cultivating Lu Zhi. Song said, "Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao are weak and powerless, and they will join Emperor Guangzong to follow Zhang Jiao. Xuande can help them at night." Xuande took the order and led his troops back. Halfway through, I saw a cluster of military horses escorting a carriage, and the prisoner in the carriage was Lu Zhiye. Xuande was greatly surprised, dismounted from his horse, and asked the reason. Zhi said, "I surrounded Zhang Jiao, but I was able to break through the enemy. However, due to the use of magic in the Jiao, I was unable to win immediately. The court sent Huangmen Zuofeng to investigate and asked me for a bribe. I replied, 'There is still a shortage of military supplies, do you have enough money to flatter the angels?' Zuofeng was resentful and reported back to the court, saying that I am not fighting on high fortifications and have slowed down the morale of the army. Therefore, the court was furious and sent Zhonglang General Dong Zhuo to replace my soldiers and take me back to the capital for questioning. 'After hearing this, Zhang Fei was furious and wanted to execute the escorting soldiers to save Lu Zhi. Xuande urgently stopped and said, "The court has its own public opinion. How can you make a mistake?" The soldiers surrounded Lu Zhi. Guan Gong said, "Lu Zhonglang has been captured, and someone else is leading the troops. We have no one to rely on when we go, so it's better to return to Zhuojun." Xuande followed his words and led the army northward. After walking for no more than two days, I suddenly heard a loud cry from behind the mountain. Xuande Yinguan and Zhang Zong immediately looked up at it from a high hill and saw that the Han army had suffered a great defeat. Behind them, the mountains and plains were covered with yellow scarves, and the banner was inscribed with the words' General Tian Gong '. Xuande said, "This horn is also ready for quick battle!" The three of them flew horses and led the army out. Zhang Jiaozheng defeated Dong Zhuo and took advantage of the situation to come. Suddenly, he encountered three people rushing to kill him, causing chaos in the Jiaojun army and retreating more than fifty miles.
Three people rescued Dong Zhuo and returned to the village. Zhuo asked what positions the three of them currently hold. Xuande said, "White body." Zhuo is very light and not considered a gift. Xuande left, and Zhang Fei angrily said, 'We personally went to the bloody battle to save this guy, but he was so rude. If we don't kill him, it won't calm my anger!' He was about to bring his sword into the tent to kill Dong Zhuo. Exactly: The human situation is as good as ever, who knows if a hero is white? Be as calm as an eagle, and execute all unfaithful people in the world!
After all, let's listen to the following breakdown of Dong Zhuo's life.
