Chapter Forty-Five: The Yellow Turban Rebellion

“Master, Lord Ou Feng requests an audience.” At that moment, a personal guard reported to Liu Yao.

“Oh, Ou Feng has arrived. Invite him in quickly,” Liu Yao called out eagerly. For years, Ou Feng had been working tirelessly to craft whatever Liu Yao required, and now that he had come himself, it could only mean that his task was complete.

Soon enough, Ou Feng entered with a smile on his face. “Greetings, Master.”

Filled with joy, Liu Yao asked, “Elder Ou, have those pieces of equipment been finished?”

“Master, I have not failed your trust. At last, I have completed the task within the allotted time,” Ou Feng replied.

“Elder Ou, these past two years must have been taxing on you,” Liu Yao said, moved as he looked upon Ou Feng, who had grown noticeably thinner.

“Not at all, Master. To forge such weapons is my honor. How could there be any hardship in that?” Ou Feng grinned, his heart full of pride. After all, the weapons he had created would surely earn him fame through the ages, perhaps even allowing him to follow in the footsteps of his ancestor, Ou Yezi.

“In that case, Elder Ou, accompany me to the military camp,” Liu Yao said.

“I dare not refuse,” Ou Feng replied courteously.

Within the camp at Ji County, as Liu Yao and Ou Feng approached, a thunderous shout erupted. The sight of twenty thousand soldiers training at once was truly spectacular.

“Shun (Yun) greets the Master!” Gao Shun and Zhao Yun stepped forward to salute as soon as they saw Liu Yao.

“At ease,” Liu Yao waved his hand casually and asked, “Zi Long, Gong Xiao, how are the training regimens for the Vanguard Regiment and Assault Regiment progressing?”

“Master, your training plan seemed frivolous at first glance, yet over the years it has proved remarkably effective. In addition, the soldiers practice Physician Hua’s Five Animal Frolics every day. Now, they can ignore burdens of sixty or seventy pounds and easily run more than twenty li without tiring,” Gao Shun reported.

“Master, after two years of my instruction, the troops in the Assault Regiment have become elite riders among elites. Their warhorses are the finest from You Province—swift and enduring,” Zhao Yun added.

“Excellent!” Liu Yao exclaimed with satisfaction. Stepping forward, he looked at the impeccably arrayed troops below and roared, “Soldiers, do you know who I am?”

“Governor!” the crowd responded in unison, their voices filled with excitement and gratitude. The soldiers of the Vanguard and Assault Regiments enjoyed exceptional privileges—not only did they eat meat daily during training, but their pay was triple that of ordinary troops from You Province, and their families had three years’ exemption from taxes. To them, Liu Yao was like a deity.

“I know your training has been arduous these years, but remember, sweat shed in peace saves blood in war. Your efforts shall not be in vain. Now, I formally bestow upon you the titles of the Assault Regiment and Vanguard Regiment. Do not disgrace these names!” Liu Yao announced loudly.

“Thank you, Master!” The soldiers shouted again, some unable to hold back tears of excitement. Their grueling training over the past two years had not been wasted. Even a single word of praise from Liu Yao was enough.

Liu Yao looked down at his men with satisfaction and declared, “Next, you will receive special equipment unique to your regiments. Within the next three months, I want you to master their use. After that, there will be opportunities to put your skills to use. Tell me, can you do it?”

“We can!” the soldiers roared, their morale reaching its peak. Soldiers are trained for years for a single moment of action, and now was their chance to show their prowess to the world. The sword was ready to be drawn.

Liu Yao nodded in approval. “Zi Long, Gong Xiao, you are already familiar with the sabers and knight’s lances. In these three months, I want the troops to not only master these weapons but also to develop a tactical system.”

“We will deliver,” Gao Shun and Zhao Yun affirmed resolutely.

The equipment crafted by Ou Feng was quickly delivered and distributed throughout the camp. The task of training and familiarization was left to Gao Shun and Zhao Yun, freeing Liu Yao from concern.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye. It was now March of the year 184 AD, the time when the curtain would rise on the Yellow Turban uprising.

“Master! Master!” Ju Shou’s voice rang urgently in Liu Yao’s ear.

Turning, Liu Yao saw Ju Shou running toward him, a report in hand.

Seeing Ju Shou’s anxious expression, Liu Yao knew that something significant had happened—and at this time, nothing was more significant than the Yellow Turbans.

“Gong Yu, are you so agitated because the Yellow Turbans are making their move?” Liu Yao asked.

Ju Shou was startled. “Master, your foresight is uncanny. When you predicted chaos in March, I doubted it, but now I must believe. As you instructed, our agents have been closely monitoring the Yellow Turban movement, and it is now confirmed that they harbor rebellious intent.”

“So it has come!” Liu Yao sighed inwardly. “Gong Yu, quickly recount the entire matter.”

“Since your command to monitor the Yellow Turbans, our covert team has been surveilling their every move. The thirty-six branches of the Yellow Turbans are firmly established, making it impossible to infiltrate their leadership for confidential information. However, this year’s epidemic in January led the Yellow Turbans to recruit extensively, spreading rumors that ‘Heaven has perished, the Yellow Heaven shall rise, the year is Jiazi, and all under Heaven will prosper.’ They instructed their followers to write ‘Jiazi’ in white earth on their doors, thus exposing their treacherous ambitions,” Ju Shou explained.

“So it seems the Yellow Turban uprising is about to begin,” Liu Yao mused. “Gong Yu, pass my order: welcome refugees with all our resources. This is a golden opportunity to replenish the population of You Province.”

“Understood,” Ju Shou replied.

On that very day, the Han court received explosive news. Zhang Jiao, the Great Teacher of Virtue, had his most trusted disciple, Tang Zhou, submit a memorial accusing Zhang Jiao of rebellion. Among the Ten Attendants, there were also Yellow Turban sympathizers. Instantly, Luoyang was engulfed in turmoil.

Emperor Liu Hong was fully aware of the Yellow Turban situation. Without his tacit approval, the Yellow Turbans could never have grown so powerful. Yet what shocked Liu Hong was the revelation that even among the Ten Attendants, there were Yellow Turban conspirators. Furious, Liu Hong immediately ordered a purge of all those in Luoyang connected to the Yellow Turbans.

Based on Tang Zhou’s intelligence, Liu Hong arrested Ma Yuan Yi, the rebel leader of the Yellow Turbans in Si Li. He also captured the attendant eunuchs Feng and Xu Feng, who had acted as insiders, and executed over a thousand Yellow Turban agents in Luoyang. In his rage, Liu Hong had Ma Yuan Yi, Feng, and Xu Feng drawn and quartered in the western market, thus alerting Zhang Jiao in distant Ji Province.

With the news delivered, the Yellow Turbans realized the court was moving against them and had no choice but to initiate their uprising ahead of schedule.

Thus, Zhang Jiao, the Great Teacher, proclaimed himself General of Heaven and raised his banner in Julu. His brothers, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, took the titles General of Humanity and General of Earth, respectively. They slew the Inspector of Ji Province, and all officials in Yi Province who had not already joined the Yellow Turbans were killed. The two brothers seized Ji Province, echoing Zhang Jiao’s revolt. In Qing, Xu, Ji, Jing, Yang, Yan, and Yu—the seven great provinces of Han—Zhang Jiao’s followers were everywhere, their momentum overwhelming!