Chapter 82: The Daoist Ceremony

The great catastrophe before the Cloud Ascension Temple was finally resolved by the “magical power” of True Man Zhang. The common people’s faith in him grew even stronger. Not only did he solidify his original base, but large numbers of people also made special trips to the Cloud Ascension Temple to offer incense and convert.

This calamity also disrupted the Daoist priest Zhang’s plans. He had originally intended to set up an altar on the seventh day of the first lunar month, the anniversary of the ascension of Patriarch Zhang Daoling, to preach the scriptures and perform rituals. He had also planned to invite the local gentry to sponsor the ceremony.

Because of the disturbance, the ceremony and sermon had to be postponed. Zhang Yingchen rescheduled the event for the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

According to the customs of the Ming era, apart from large-scale rituals like the “Grand Rite of the Empyrean Heavens,” which prayed for “favorable winds and rains, peace and prosperity for the nation, and eternal rule for the Ming dynasty,” and were subject to various ceremonial restrictions with little connection to ordinary people, the ceremonies held by common Daoist temples on festivals like the Lantern Festival, Ghost Festival, and the Lower Prime Festival always saw enthusiastic participation from believers. They would donate money, grain, cloth, incense, candles, flowers, and fruit, an act known as “sponsoring the ceremony.”

However, the Salvation Ceremony at the Cloud Ascension Temple of Dadian Village was somewhat different. True Man Zhang, the abbot, had sent word out early on. He stated that the Daoist principle was to help the world and save the people. In this time of famine, the temple would not require donations of money or grain from the faithful. The rituals would be kept simple, and there was no need for believers to offer incense, candles, flowers, or fruit. A sincere heart was the most precious offering to the saints. Not only that, but the Cloud Ascension Temple would also provide coarse grain gruel to all believers, both lay and ordained, during the ceremony. This news not only filled the refugees with immense gratitude but also convinced the gentry that True Man Zhang was a true immortal, like Leng Qian or the Iron-Crowned Daoist.

They had also heard that True Man Zhang had subdued tens of thousands of refugees incited by a folk cult in front of the temple, preventing a major upheaval in Yizhou. The local gentry, while relieved, couldn’t help but come to join the event. Even if they didn’t believe in Daoism, they at least had to establish a good relationship with this “profoundly powerful” True Man Zhang.

In particular, the other three great clans of Yizhou—the Wang family of Beixing and Zhangxian, the Yue family of Chunsheng and Xiaoliuxing Village, and the Guan family of Guanjiaoyao Village—sent their elders to sponsor the ceremony. These three, along with the Zhuang family of Dadian Village, were known as the four great clans of Yizhou. As the saying went: “Dadian has the Zhuangs, Beixing and Zhangxian have the Wangs, the Yues are in Chunsheng and Xiaoliuxing, and the Guans are best in Xiaoyao.” These four families had produced numerous officials and famous scholars throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The other three families came to make offerings of coarse grain and cotton clothes—everyone knew the True Man only accepted these things to aid the refugees and would refuse any other donations.

With the support of the four great clans, True Man Zhang’s influence in Yizhou became even more consolidated. For this ceremony, even the county magistrate sent a donation of grain. Zhang also intended to use this opportunity to slowly extend his influence into the other three families and win over their younger generation.

Early that morning, Zhang Yingchen, dressed according to the current Daoist fashion in a Zhuangzi cap and a crane-feather cloak, ascended the temporary lecture platform in front of the Cloud Ascension Temple. According to his original plan, he should have worn the Shangqing Lotus Crown and formal ritual robes. However, the temperature in Yizhou was simply too low. The lotus crown, a small cap that only held up the hair, offered no warmth at all. To be safe, the “Peer of the Pure Yang” True Man Zhang prudently protected himself with the Zhuangzi cap.

By this time, a large crowd had already gathered around the Cloud Ascension Temple. There were villagers from Dadian, refugees who had sought shelter at the temple, and many “criminal commoners” like Xiao Chu Ba who had luckily survived the conflict. Although Zhang Yingchen was magnanimous and accepted all the refugees who had been deceived by the cult and survived the chaos, a natural hierarchy had formed among them. The “criminals,” while receiving a bowl of thin gruel to keep them alive, were intentionally given the hardest and most tiring jobs by both the Zhuang family’s overseers and the temple’s Hall Master Min.

After a few days of drinking gruel in the refugee camp and having his wounds treated by the True Man’s disciples, Xiao Chu Ba began to recover. The bitter cold prevented his wounds from getting infected. As his strength returned, he took on simple tasks: collecting and burying the bodies of those who had died on the roads, cleaning the camp, maintaining the latrines, collecting manure, and repairing farm tools.

During the winter, a large number of refugees died, and bodies littered the roads. If they were not collected and buried in time, epidemics could easily spread when the weather warmed. The other tasks were in preparation for spring planting. Although the southern Shandong region had suffered from natural disasters for several years, transporting tens of thousands of refugees was difficult, and shipping grain relied on manual labor and carts, with significant losses along the way. For the long term, the Daoist priest decided to organize the refugees for self-sufficient production once spring arrived.

The work, though plentiful, was not too strenuous. Those doing heavy labor received extra rations. The refugees were generally severely malnourished, underfed, and the cold weather consumed a lot of energy. Their physical exertion had to be limited, otherwise True Man Zhang’s gruel would be wasted.

On the day of the Grand Ceremony, the refugee camp had a day off. All work, except for essential duties, was stopped so that the refugees could also come and listen to the sermon.

Xiao Chu Ba had come early to get a good spot. Some local idlers who arrived late, filled with fervent enthusiasm for the “Peer of the Pure Yang” and “Living Medicine King’s” sermon, tried to force him to give up his place, nearly resorting to violence to “teach him a lesson.” Fortunately, Liu Zhushi of the temple—the very same Liu Sanchu—was maintaining order with a few Daoist novices. Seeing Xiao Chu Ba being bullied, he came over and stopped the idlers.

The several probationary Zhushi in the temple had all been promoted to Patrol Zhushi. According to the rules set by True Man Zhang, these Zhushi were to be addressed as “Sir” by the faithful. Indeed, their work earned them this title. According to Zhang Yingchen’s initial plan, the temple would hold half-day classes every seven days, and anyone, old or young, could come to listen and learn. The Zhushi were the instructors. Although the temple did not teach the Four Books and Five Classics, but rather basic literacy and arithmetic, the Zhushi were essentially schoolmasters, so the title “Sir” was well-deserved.

Rescued by Liu Sanchu, Xiao Chu Ba felt a sense of security and stuck close to him. Two novices with Liu Sanchu were responsible for bringing boiled water from the kitchen to the venue. Xiao Chu Ba brazenly took over this task, carrying the water for them.

As he carried the kettles, he watched True Man Zhang ascend the lecture platform, flanked by Hall Master Min and Matron Luo. One held an ancient sword, the other a fly-whisk, guarding Zhang Yingchen on his left and right.

Xiao Chu Ba thought he heard the Abbot Zhang begin to speak: “…Everyone, from the Wanli era to the present day, in the capital region, in Shandong, in Shaanxi, and even in the traditionally bountiful lands of Zhejiang, disasters of flood, drought, locusts, and plague have followed one after another…”

Starting with the topic of disaster years, many refugees were already moved. The temporary venue buzzed with private whispers, and Xiao Chu Ba could no longer hear the Abbot’s words clearly. But through the noise, he thought he heard:

“Everyone, in the age of Yao and Shun, floods covered the land. The tools of the Nine Provinces were not as advanced as today, nor were the people as numerous. Yet, King Yu passed his home three times without entering, hewed through three mountains, dredged the floods, and settled the lands of the Nine Provinces, allowing our Chinese people to multiply and thrive to this day. What King Yu relied on were these four words: Man Can Conquer Nature.”

Man can conquer nature? How can one defy Heaven? Xiao Chu Ba thought, stunned, holding the large kettle in both hands.

“Everyone, many of you have encountered natural disasters, abandoned your homes, and fled to survive. Some poor souls starved or froze to death along the way. Some were deceived by heretics and died in the chaos. It is a sad and pitiful tale. However, in the time of the Three Dynasties, when Yao and Shun ruled, there were great floods. When King Tang established his dynasty, there was a great drought. But because Yao, Shun, and Tang were all sages, even though the world was beset by disasters, the people could still live and work in peace.”

“Everyone, most of you are not native to Yizhou. You came here because you heard there was a way to survive. You must know that Yizhou has also suffered great disasters. However, the elders of Yizhou, following the teachings of the ancient sages and learning their principles, have managed to create this forest of merit for the people of Shandong in these desolate years.”

“Everyone, since you have drifted here, you should strive to learn from their example. Those who farm must learn the principles of farming. Those who work must learn the principles of labor. Those with families must learn the principles of human relationships. If, in the future, everyone in the world learns the principles of the ancient sages and acts according to their ways, how could the tragedies you have suffered still occur? On your journey, you have seen parents abandoning their children, and children abandoning their grandparents. To snatch a mouthful of food or water, the strong have harmed the weak. Some have even descended to the level of beasts, resorting to cannibalism. All these sins stem from your ignorance of the ancient sages’ teachings and your failure to follow their principles. In times of peace, the law of the land deters you from evil. But when great disaster strikes, your true nature is revealed, and you commit acts fit for dogs and swine in your human bodies. Finally, before this Cloud Ascension Temple, your karmic retribution has been settled. Everyone, if you have a sincere heart, come before my altar and repent now.”

Night had fallen. The Zhuang family compound was silent, but a light still burned in the study of Master Zhuang Qian.

Zhuang Ben, the third master of the Zhuang family, sat beside Zhuang Qian. In front of each was a cup of tea—Mount Limu Oolong, a gift from Zhang Yingchen.

“Third Brother,” Zhuang Qian finally broke the long silence. “I understand this Abbot Zhang less and less. I first thought he was a court magician like Li Shaoweng, but upon closer inspection, he seems as refined as a Confucian scholar. Yet now, it seems his ambitions are vast, much like Zhang Lu at the end of the Han Dynasty.”

Zhuang Ben remained silent for a long time before shaking his head. “Comparing him to Zhang Lu is not appropriate. In my opinion, this True Man Zhang’s methods are quite different from those of Zhang Jiao and his ilk, who used talismans and tricks to delude the ignorant. His actions are quite open and honorable. Among the ranks of Daoists and Buddhists, I can think of two men who bear some resemblance to him.”

“Oh? And which two would that be, Third Brother?”

“Ge Zhichuan, who pacified the Yangzhou rebellion, and Yao Gongjing, who assisted Emperor Chengzu in his great enterprise.”

Ge Zhichuan was Ge Hong, and Gongjing was the posthumous title of Zhu Di’s famous monk-advisor, Yao Guangxiao. Zhuang Qian shook his head. “To compare him to these two great men is an overstatement.”