Chapter 4, The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way

Once Yang Feng had calmed down a bit, Liu Xie began to speak about the history of the "Taiping Jing"

This group of fools

Yang Feng, as if awakening from a dream, was so overjoyed that he scratched his ears and cheeks, his eyes shining brightly, repeatedly exclaiming: "It is indeed Your Majesty's wisdom; how could I not have thought of this?"

Reflecting on the past, he felt both embarrassed and somewhat helpless

Isn't this just asking for trouble

Liu Xie made a joke to lighten the atmosphere. "Can the general satisfy my desire for knowledge and inquiry?"

The Yellow Turban Army is akin to a swarm of ants. After their defeat in the first year of the Zhongping era, the Taiping Scriptures became a banned book, so how could the Son of Heaven possibly be interested

Yang Feng stroked his beard, awkwardly remaining silent

Liu Xie nodded slightly

Why is the Son of Heaven so interested in the "Taiping Jing"?

However, it is regrettable that he has never been particularly attentive to the scriptures and only knows the two characters "Tai Ping". After losing track for so many years, in a moment of haste, how could he recall any scriptures? He felt his face flush with embarrassment, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

If the virtuous rulers and wise ministers, as well as the heroes and beauties, are actors on the stage taking turns to perform, then the history of the "Taiping Jing" serves as an indispensable storyline. Many seemingly unrelated details ultimately trace back to this Taoist scripture.

In response to Yang Feng's question, Liu Xie let out a gentle sigh. "In chaotic times, the pursuit of peace is the same for common people as it is for the Son of Heaven. I believe that more than ten years have passed since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, yet the Black Mountain Army and the White Wave Army are still fighting. The Way of Peace must have some merit, and it may contribute to the revival of the Han Dynasty"

Yang Feng's face instantly turned crimson, and he was left speechless, unable to utter a single word

Your Majesty... are you interested in the Taiping Dao?" Yang Feng asked cautiously

General, the ancestor of the Yang family, Yang Xi, was originally a knight under Emperor Gao, who accompanied Emperor Gao in the campaign against Xiang Yu. He achieved merit by obtaining Xiang Yu's corpse in the Eastern City and was granted the title of Marquis of Chiquan, becoming the founding ancestor of the Hongnong Yang clan. Liu Xie turned to examine the now shrinking Yang Feng. "General, your current official position is much higher than that of Yang Xi in his time. Rather than relying on powerful families, why not achieve merit and establish your own career, set up your own household, and secure titles for your wife and children?"

This is precisely the intention of Liu Xie

Your Majesty, are you saying ... ...

To incorporate the Bai Bo army for one's own use, the best approach is to achieve a consensus in beliefs

Yang Feng was greatly shocked, his mind went blank. "Is the 'Taiping Jing' ... ... something from the palace?"

The Yellow Turbans worshipped the Way of Peace, while the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice worshipped the Heavenly Master. What are the similarities and differences between them

Yang Feng let out a sigh. Discussing principles with the Emperor was even more stressful than fighting to the death against Li Jue

This left him feeling utterly ashamed while also giving rise to doubts

Uh... of course, Yang Feng stammered as he racked his brain, recalling his limited knowledge of scriptures and moral principles

Confucianism is the political philosophy of the elite, while the "Taiping Jing" is a hodgepodge of thoughts from grassroots intellectuals and ordinary people, more closely aligned with the underlying essence of the times, and it subtly influences everyone. It is complementary to the Confucian theory of the Five Elements, ultimately culminating in the phrase "Heaven is dead, Yellow Heaven shall rise"

If conditions permit, he would not mind pulling off a grand trick like a dream visitation from a great sage, as the Taiping Dao is rife with a plethora of feudal superstitions

Seeing Yang Feng silent, Liu Xie spoke to himself: "Is the Way of Great Peace seeking peace for the world?"

Yang Feng was taken aback, looking at the Emperor with confusion. From the Emperor's words, it seemed that he did not intend to humiliate him, but rather to inquire about righteousness

As soon as he spoke, he regretted it

Yang Feng felt utterly ashamed, his head bowed so low that it nearly broke his neck, and his chin almost pierced through his breastplate

Liu Xie’s original memories clearly indicate that the "Taiping Jing" in Zhang Jiao's possession came from the imperial palace collection, and the individuals who handled it were the eunuchs Feng Xu and Xu Feng, who had clandestine dealings with Zhang Jiao

Yang Feng's thick eyebrows gradually rose

The great sage and virtuous teacher, who is wholeheartedly intent on overthrowing the court, surprisingly has connections with the court; such an insider revelation is sufficient to shake Yang Feng's worldview

This matter is a secret; Zhang Jiao will not speak of it, and naturally, Yang Feng has no way of knowing. He is even unaware of the existence of the internal supporters such as Feng Xu and Xu Feng.

I did not expect Li Jue to be unreliable as well; the Xiliang people actually fought among themselves, resulting in rivers of blood.

Although he is a member of the Yellow Turbans, he does not understand much about righteousness. How should one respond to this?

Some of this information comes from Liu Xie himself, while some comes from his later readings

Do you know how the Yang family of Hongnong rose to prominence, General

How could this matter have reached the ears of the Emperor? What a disgrace

In those years, the Yellow Turbans had thirty-six factions, rising across the eight provinces with great momentum. It was initially believed that in the year of the Jiazi, the world would attain peace. However, it turned out that the flames of war surged quickly and extinguished even faster. With the death of the great sage and virtuous teacher, the Yellow Turbans suffered a catastrophic defeat, and now they can only occupy a few mountain strongholds, struggling to survive.

General, do you desire peace or wealth

Liu Xie slightly nodded, raising his hand to gently pat Yang Feng's shoulder. "General, strive hard! If the world can attain peace and the Han Dynasty can be revitalized, there will surely be a place for you at the Cloud Terrace."

Yang Feng shook his head in confusion. He only knew that the Yang family of Hongnong had produced three generations of high officials, renowned throughout the world, but he had no idea how the Yang family of Hongnong had risen to prominence. Even if he did know, he had no inclination to respond at the moment; he was only thinking of finding some excuse to leave this place quickly, feeling embarrassed and humiliated.

Liu Xie smiled faintly. "General, having long experienced the battlefield, do you not know that the 'Taiping Jing' is originally an item of the palace?"

Yang Feng blinked in confusion, and after a while, he finally reacted, repeatedly saying, "I will do my utmost, I will do my utmost." He then recalled his purpose for coming and hurriedly added, "Your Majesty's desire to follow the Way is indeed excellent. However, the current situation..."

He desires both peace and wealth, yet in the presence of the emperor, he cannot utter these words

Seeing Yang Feng's embarrassment, Liu Xie smiled. "It seems that the general only knows how to protect the way, but is not familiar with righteousness. Never mind, I shall not make things difficult for the general. In the Baibo Valley, are there any who are well-versed in righteousness?"

Yang Feng nodded randomly, then suddenly reacted, froze for a moment, abruptly raised his head, widened his eyes, and stared intently at Liu Xie

Liu Xie smiled without speaking

I have heard that you and the Grand Commandant share the same lineage, both being descendants of the Yang family from Hongnong

The "Huang" in "Huang Tian Dang Li" is the same as the "Huang" in the Huangchu era of Cao Wei and the Huangwu era of Sun Wu, all representing the earth element replacing the fire element of the Han Dynasty. The Shu Han regarded itself as the legitimate successor of the Han dynasty, thus there was no issue of revolution, which is why Liu Bei's era name was Zhangwu, without the use of the character "Huang".

In those years, the great virtuous teacher raised his arm and called out, and the eight provinces responded, the world echoed, yet the result was like adding oil to a raging fire. Now, the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in various provinces find themselves in difficult circumstances, only hoping for the great virtuous teacher to be reborn. If a general could step forward and seek a direction for the Yellow Turbans across the world, he would accumulate supreme merit, and in the future, not only would wealth and honor in the mortal realm be possible, but also the chance of transcending to immortality.

Liu Xie nodded with a smile, just waiting for you to ask this question

Yang Feng let out a sigh, hesitating to speak further

If it were not for the inability to survive, how could he have fallen to the point of seeking refuge with Li Jue

Liu Xie would not discuss matters that had not yet occurred with Yang Feng; he merely provided a general explanation of the origins and development of the "Taiping Jing," as well as why this scripture came into the possession of Zhang Jiao

He is actually from Yang County in Hedong, and his claim to be a branch of the Hongnong Yang clan is merely his own assertion, which the Hongnong Yang clan does not recognize at all. Both Grand Commandant Yang Biao and Chamberlain Yang Qi are unwilling to even glance at him, let alone regard him as a member of the family.

If it were about something else, it would be understandable if he did not comprehend it, but it just so happens that it is about the "Taiping Jing".

Yang Feng was left dumbfounded, his mind in a state of chaos, and his self-confidence was nearly shattered.