Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Clear Voice of a Young Phoenix, Chapter 30: Three Questions for Zhang Jiao

The book it belongs to:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 30

This destined-to-be-special debate, at the moment of the two parties meeting, it was really hard not to feel that the two were vastly different.

One side had not yet reached the age of fifteen, still just a ten-year-old child, while the other had already passed the age of knowing one’s destiny.

Even those who had long known that Qiao Yan was well-prepared couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat for her when they saw the scene of a child confronting an elder.

But when they heard Qiao Yan standing in front of Zhang Jiao, facing the Great Virtuous Teacher who had established a religious organization of hundreds of thousands, and still calmly saying “half a month’s time” as if waiting for a long time, they each breathed a sigh of relief.

Cheng Li had already given Qiao Yan the evaluation of a born speaker at the foot of Changshe City, and at this moment, he couldn’t help but refresh his impression again.

This might no longer be the level of a speaker.

She was too calm, more like a qualified politician, a qualified leader, not just a speaker.

Such traits appearing on a still young girl should have been considered incredible.

But in the context of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, due to the chaotic times and the imminent danger, it instead gave a sense of being born for the occasion.

But even someone with foresight like Cheng Li probably wouldn’t think of more profound things.

He just felt that since Qiao Yan was from the local community of Yanzhou, having such abilities was not a bad thing for Yanzhou.

What was important now was the debate at hand.

Zhang Jiao, standing on the stage, looked around at the countless eyes watching.

Because of his unusual behavior over the years, it was hard to tell his mood at this moment, all that could be seen was that after a moment, he shifted his gaze back to Qiao Yan and said, “Not a long wait, I really want to hear, what reason you have to say that my Way of Great Peace is actually a fallacy.”

Zhang Jiao relied on this way to develop so many followers, how could he be willing to believe there was any fallacy in it.

To discuss the guiding book of the Way of Great Peace, one must trace back to the Taiping Qingling Book, which is said to have been written by Yu Ji, the book Qiao Yan mentioned in her conversation with Zheng Xuan.

The Scripture of Great Peace was inherited from the Taiping Qingling Book, although mostly repaired and integrated rather than original, it was not something that could be achieved in a day.

Zhang Jiao had full confidence in his own efforts and evidence.

Moreover, to make people believe, he himself must also be a faithful believer.

He had this attitude, so what about Qiao Yan?

Qiao Yan faced Zhang Jiao’s almost questioning voice with a steady gaze.

She had previously taken the opportunity to serve as Liang Zhongning’s strategist to read through both, and in the half-month that could be called preparation, under Zheng Xuan’s guidance, she read through them again.

So on the basis of the three-part debate outline, the details she added made her feel more confident.

On the surface, suppressing this Great Virtuous Teacher seemed like an almost absurd thing.

You must know that the residual influence of the Way of Great Peace could not be ignored during the period of the Three Kingdoms’ struggle for supremacy, it, along with the Five Pecks of Rice Sect inherited by Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, was regarded as the origin of Taoist organizations.

To pull it down from the altar, it sounded like a legend.

But perhaps because of the ambition in her bones, when she was in the position of the high platform, she had a boiling and prosperous feeling, at this moment she had no fear of hitting a huge rock, only the eagerness to challenge and provoke something.

Zhang Jiao argued for his doctrine, how could she not be arguing!

Qiao Yan replied, “I told you before, today’s debate is divided into three parts. The first debate is about the orbits of the sun, moon, and stars.”

Zhang Jiao was a bit surprised, this was a topic that was too tricky for a young person.

He realized he had underestimated Qiao Yan.

This child, who could make the Yellow Turbans surrender with her abilities, obviously would not only grasp the statement in the Scripture of Great Peace that “one man should get two women, to symbolize yin and yang” to publicly refute him.

He immediately asked, “How to distinguish the orbits of the sun, moon, and stars?”

Qiao Yan gathered her sleeves and pointed to the top, “I don’t know how the essence of Taiping mentions the sun, moon, and stars?”

Zhang Jiao knew that Qiao Yan was not ignorant of this, but wanted him to say it.

But in Zhang Jiao’s cognition, the theory of the sun, moon, and stars in the Scripture of Great Peace had inherited the essence of the “Tian Guan Li Bao Yuan Taiping Jing”, and echoed the three unified and four divided calendars, even if Qiao Yan wanted to refute the inappropriate points, with her experience, it was almost impossible.

So compared to the aggressive implication in Qiao Yan’s words, Zhang Jiao’s tone was obviously much calmer, “Among the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, the sun is the longest, the sun and moon are their great brightness, the sun symbolizes the monarch, the moon symbolizes the ministers, the stars symbolize the officials, all the sages shine together, all things live in harmony. The three lights practice the Tao tirelessly, then the light shines to the eight poles, if the Tao is lost, the light is extinguished, when the light is there, the stars keep their degrees, do not run in disorder, it is the ultimate spirit between heaven and earth.”

Qiao Yan’s face was not surprised, and she continued to ask, “Then, what is the eclipse of the sun and moon, the disaster of the stars?”

Zhang Jiao replied, “The anger of heaven and earth, manifested in the sun, moon, and stars, if harmony is maintained, there will be no eclipse. In the best times of ancient times, most of them did not have eclipses, later generations behaved abnormally, lost the will of heaven and earth, so that yin and yang slightly did not love each other, this is the reason for the eclipse and natural disasters.”

“Then, what is the will of heaven and earth?” Qiao Yan asked again.

Her three consecutive questions did not stop, nor did she refute anything Zhang Jiao said, which made him feel a bit abnormal.

But on second thought, it seemed there was no problem. The other party wanted to correct the doctrine of the Way of Great Peace, and indeed wanted to hear the words of Taiping.

In the first question about the meaning of the sun, moon, and stars, Zhang Jiao replied with the theory of the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars in the Scripture of Great Peace.

In the entire doctrine of the Way of Great Peace, it was quite like “governing with virtue, like the North Star”, linking the movement of the sun and moon with human affairs.

So in the second question, Qiao Yan asked about the phenomenon of solar and lunar eclipses, Zhang Jiao naturally replied that because of the chaos in the human world, there was a solar eclipse.

Of course, the sun refers to the monarch, the solar eclipse is the monarch’s lack of virtue, this statement is not only in the Way of Great Peace, but in the entire social context, it has always been considered so.

If you let anyone living in the Han Dynasty name a monarch who issued a self-blame edict because of a solar eclipse, they could casually name a few.

The famous example is Emperor Wen of Han.

Zhang Jiao thought about it, and felt that there was no problem with the two replies he gave.

As for the third question—

Zhang Jiao replied, “Its governance is pure, quiet and without evil, the three lights are bright.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Qiao Yan let out a sneer.

“Good! Since you have finished speaking, it’s my turn to speak, and let you know, what evidence I have to say this can be the first debate.”

When she said this, she seemed to unintentionally take a step forward.

This was like a sign of starting to speak, and also like an invisible move to create psychological pressure on the opponent.

Zhang Jiao saw her raise her eyes, although she could only look up because of the height difference, there was clearly no sign of fear of the elder in her eyes, only a firmness.

Qiao Yan said, “Let’s debate point by point.”

“According to what you said, the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars are the ultimate, the stars keep their degrees, do not run in disorder, in the ancient times of human harmony, it was the most rule-abiding state, but—”

Her gaze swept over the Yellow Turban soldiers below who seemed to deeply believe in this statement, then nodded to Zheng Xuan below, “When I talked about this with Zheng Kangcheng of Beihai, he mentioned that he had a close friend who previously observed the changes of the stars and the moon in the capital, recorded in a book, it was Liu Hong Liu Yuanzhuo.”

Hearing the names of Liu Hong and Zheng Xuan, Zhang Jiao’s heart skipped a beat.

In terms of the most famous astronomers of the time, Zheng Xuan could be in the top three, but Liu Hong was the undisputed leader.

For any astronomer of any era, being appointed to preside over the selection of solar and lunar eclipse forecasts is a recognition of their status, and four years ago Liu Hong had already obtained this position.

Zheng Xuan is even more so, even if he is not famous for his astronomical achievements, he has long lived in Qingzhou, but for the people of Ji Province, he is still a respected elder in academic status.

If it were not so, in the historical Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, he would not have been specifically forced to come, to serve as a tool to enhance reputation, and the Yellow Turbans would not avoid him.

Now hearing Qiao Yan mention him, it is clearly indicating that he is on the scene, although knowing it is somewhat inappropriate, these people can’t help but look at him.

Qiao Yan continued, “A few years ago, Liu Gong proposed a prototype of a calendar, called the Qianxiang Calendar, which was generally recognized by several knowledgeable people including Cai Bojie and Zheng Gong, one of the foundations of the Qianxiang Calendar is called the Moon Departure Table.”

If it were not for Zheng Xuan being here, Qiao Yan could not have said this so confidently.

This Moon Departure Table, which is considered by later generations to have clearly proposed the unevenness of the moon’s motion, even with Qiao Yan’s memory, it would be impossible to recite it as it is, but Zheng Xuan is different.

During his thirteen years of seclusion, he wrote books, accompanied only by classics and letters, but he remembered the Moon Departure Table proposed by his friend’s new theory deeply.

If he personally spoke, it would somewhat take advantage of his reputation, but if he just provided factual evidence and records of astronomical observation theories—

Then the two debating on the stage are still Qiao Yan and Zhang Jiao.

This is no problem!

This Moon Departure Table, which Zheng Xuan silently wrote out, was sent to Qiao Yan, and then unfolded in front of Zhang Jiao.

Qiao Yan said, “The phenomenon of the moon’s uneven movement has existed since ancient times, following a cycle, there is another rule. It has nothing to do with the disorderly movement due to recent changes!”

“If you want to say that human observation and deduction also have limits, even Zheng Gong and Liu Gong are inevitably wrong, then I will debate with you about the eclipse of the sun and moon and the will of heaven and earth.” As if sensing that Zhang Jiao intended to say something, Qiao Yan had already preempted it.

She didn’t give Zhang Jiao any chance to interrupt, and continued, “According to the doctrine of the Way of Great Peace, if the monarch’s rule is not clear, chaos arises, morality does not grow, then the will of heaven and earth is low, the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars are all extinguished, which is the solar eclipse. And if the emperor practices more morality, the stars will not run in disorder. But—

“I have looked through the hundreds of years from the two Han Dynasties to the present, but most do not follow this statement!”

Her eyes were like bright stars, and the words between her lips and teeth were full of an indescribable confidence.

“During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, in the third year, February, Renzi day was dark, and in the first year of the later period, July, Yisi day was dark again, but the former was after the suppression of the Seven Kingdoms’ Rebellion, the latter was already in the prosperous period of the Wen-Jing governance, and there was the future Emperor Wu of Han as the crown prince, it is hard to say that the rule was not clear.”

“And during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, in the second year of Yuanshuo, February, Yisi day was dark, but since the sixth year of Yuanguang, Wei Zhongqing held the position of General of the Chariots and Cavalry, went north to fight the Xiongnu, in the first year of Yuanshuo, he went out of Yanmen, led thirty thousand iron cavalry to drive straight in, beheaded thousands of enemies, in the second year of Yuanshuo, he repelled the invading Hu barbarians in Shanggu Yuyang, captured Gaogui, and now the two counties of Shuofang and Wuyuan in Bingzhou came from this.”

“These, can they be called the emperor’s lack of virtue?”

There were some whispers below.

Emperor Jing of Han and Emperor Wu of Han, they were talking about Emperor Jing Liu Qi and Emperor Wu Liu Che of Han.

The Han Dynasty has lasted until now, how can the people of Han living in dire straits not yearn for the prosperous monarchs of ancient times, Emperor Jing and Emperor Wu naturally became the wise monarchs in their imagination.

Hearing Qiao Yan say this, even if the Yellow Turban soldiers who couldn’t understand the previous theories about the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, most of them could understand what she was saying now.

The Great Virtuous Teacher said that the movement of the sun and moon corresponds to human scenes, the emperor’s lack of virtue leads to solar eclipses, but in reality?

The year after the suppression of the Seven Kingdoms’ Rebellion, there was a solar eclipse, during the most prosperous period of the Wen-Jing governance, there was a solar eclipse, the year after Wei Qing’s great victory in Yanmen, there was a solar eclipse, the year the court captured the territory of Shuofang and Wuyuan, there was a solar eclipse.

This obviously does not conform to the Great Virtuous Teacher’s statement.

Even though they had always trusted Zhang Jiao, they couldn’t help but show some confusion when looking around.

Qiao Yan didn’t give Zhang Jiao any chance to refute, relying on her full preparation and sufficient evidence, she directly continued, “If you want to say that the examples I listed are all from the former Han, the birth of the Scripture of Great Peace and the current dynasty can be called adapting to local conditions, that’s fine.”

Zhang Jiao felt that the phrase “adapting to local conditions” was full of sarcasm.

“Let’s talk about the Yongping period during the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, during which there were two solar eclipses in one year, both visible in Luoyang, but during the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, he rested and recuperated, encouraged agriculture, which led to the later military expedition to Jiuquan, defeating the Xiongnu at Sweet Mountain.”

“Ban Zhongshu led thirty-six officials to the Western Regions, made various countries send envoys to the court, and also made Chen Zigong’s words—those who dare to offend our strong Han, no matter how far, will be punished, reappear after nearly a hundred years. May I ask, can this also be called the emperor’s lack of virtue?”

Emperor Ming of Han, the Ming-Zhang governance!

This is still a prosperous period of the Han Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, the most outrageous situation of solar eclipses occurred, two solar eclipses in one year, but can that mean that the emperor’s virtue was lacking, and the rule was chaotic?

After decades or hundreds of years, the communication between the Western Regions and the Han Dynasty was reestablished, making the Western Han’s words “those who dare to offend our strong Han, no matter how far, will be punished” reappear.

If this is really the warning given by heaven to the emperor, then heaven is a bit dim.

Qiao Yan said here, her passionate words calmed down a bit, she turned her gaze back to Zhang Jiao’s face, and asked, “May I ask, is this statement in the Scripture of Great Peace correct?”

Of course not.

Zhang Jiao was shocked, and then heard Qiao Yan summarize, “This is not the emperor’s fault, but the normal state of the movement of the sun and moon.”

Not only was Zhang Jiao stunned, even Zheng Xuan was stunned for a moment.

He and Liu Hong had been engaged in the study of celestial phenomena for many years, and they dared not boldly say that solar eclipses were not the emperor’s fault.

But when she said this, even if it reached the emperor’s ears, no one would say it was an act of overstepping, but would praise her.

Because she said this at the most appropriate time.

If solar eclipses are not caused by the emperor’s lack of virtue, then what about droughts? Locust plagues? Epidemics?

Zhang Rang’s eyes sparkled, wishing he could take out a pen to record Qiao Yan’s words.

He thought he was good at guessing the emperor’s intentions, but after decades of managing his position, he was probably not as good as Qiao Yan’s words reaching the palace.

His previous guess was indeed correct, even if she missed the reward of being enfeoffed, Liu Hong would never treat this great contributor badly.

Because Qiao Yan’s words undoubtedly gave him a reason to explain the disasters of the world.

Zhang Rang would think of this, how could Zhang Jiao not think of it.

His face changed again and again, and finally squeezed out a sentence, “The movement of the sun and moon is not something we mortals can know, one example cannot be fully believed.”

This is indeed a reason.

The sun and moon are mysterious, and the human world does not always conform.

Moreover, people do not always know, but in any debate, guessing what the other party will say is always necessary, how could Qiao Yan not expect





Stopped.

No, aren’t you a bit too familiar with the Scripture of Great Peace? How can you catch such mistakes?

Cao Cao laughed heartily from below the stage, not giving Zhang Jiao any face. “My niece is quite the trickster. I wondered why she was looking for contradictions in the Scripture of Great Peace, turns out she was saving it for this moment.”

On the stage, Qiao Yan, after her brilliant counterattack, didn’t show any aggression. Instead, she waved her hand and said, “But considering the Scripture of Great Peace is a collection of wisdom from many, it’s possible there are some contradictions. If that’s all you have to refute, then let’s not discuss the timing of heaven, but rather human affairs. Let’s debate the second round.”

Her words… were more cutting than a direct attack.

“The Scripture of Great Peace is a collection of wisdom from many” sounds light, but it’s equivalent to questioning the uniqueness of the Great Virtuous Teacher’s position.

If it’s a collection of wisdom from many, why isn’t the leader you or your incompetent brother?

Zhang Jiao felt a lump in his throat, even tasting blood, but he had to suppress it and ask, “What are human affairs?”

Qiao Yan said word by word, “Medical skills.”

This time, she didn’t step towards Zhang Jiao with the air of an invisible victory, but instead walked two steps towards the edge of the stage, facing the Yellow Turban soldiers below.

“I know many of you rely on the Great Virtuous Teacher’s talisman water for survival. The Scripture of Great Peace says, ‘Heavenly doctors descend, all diseases are cured, thus achieving longevity.’ Is that so?”

A chorus of agreement rose from below.

Zhang Jiao forced himself to perk up.

From the chorus, it wasn’t hard to tell that although Qiao Yan’s sharp rebuttals had cost him some prestige and made him doubt the Way of Great Peace, it wasn’t time to admit defeat yet.

Qiao Yan turned to him and asked, “How did you heal them?”

He slowly replied, “The essence of the Scripture of Great Peace says, ‘To cure diseases and open the path, one must take the elixir and swallow the characters.’ We add blessings to the talismans, mix them with water, and the heavenly doctors descend, blessing from the clouds.”

This was indeed the usual practice of the Zhang brothers.

Qiao Yan clapped her hands, “Good, elixir and swallowing characters.”

“When General Wang Shi captured Guangzong, they found a large number of elixir talismans in your house. Thanks to Uncle Mengde’s efforts, they were brought here.”

As soon as she clapped, Dian Wei had already carried a large bag of “divine talismans” onto the stage.

Since Zhang Jiao wanted to spread his benevolence widely, he naturally had to keep a large number of talismans, which now seemed like an enormous amount to the people below.

And then some other things were brought up.

Zhang Jiao glanced and saw cinnabar he had prepared earlier, several bamboo tubes, a metal rack, a stove…

Before he could think about what Qiao Yan was going to do, he heard her ask, “May I ask, is there any medical basis for the elixir and swallowing characters?”

This was a question Zhang Jiao could answer. He confidently replied, “The Classic of Herbs by Shennong says, ‘Cinnabar can cure diseases of the five organs, nourish the spirit, calm the soul, and brighten the eyes. Long-term use can even lead to immortality.’ Our Way of Great Peace uses cinnabar in talismans to enhance this divine ability. This is the right path.”

The people below looked at each other, feeling that what Zhang Jiao said was true—

If it weren’t for the divine power of the talisman water, they wouldn’t have survived the plague.

Even though the previous debate about celestial phenomena seemed to have Zhang Jiao at a disadvantage, for these common folk who struggled to even eat, the life-saving grace was more important than anything.

This was why they followed Zhang Jiao.

But… seeing Qiao Yan use this as a lead, was she going to refute this claim?

The Yellow Turban soldiers couldn’t help but feel confused.

However, Qiao Yan’s response was, “Indeed, cinnabar is a good thing. But…”

In the pause of her words, Zhang Jiao suddenly noticed that most of the people who had carried the stove, bamboo tubes, cinnabar, and talismans had left the stage, but one remained.

This old man was full of energy, clearly not an ordinary person.

Perhaps he shouldn’t even be called an old man, as his hair was still black, and his face and hands showed signs of good care.

Qiao Yan cupped her hands and asked, “May I ask, Mr. Yuanhua, what is the true efficacy of cinnabar?”

The Classic of Herbs by Shennong, mentioned by Zhang Jiao, was indeed a benchmark for medical practitioners before the late Eastern Han Dynasty, but it was written between the Qin and Han dynasties and was actually a collaborative work, somewhat outdated.

The development of medical skills during the Guanghe era and the medical reforms prompted by recent plagues had supplemented the efficacy of many herbs recorded in the Classic of Herbs by Shennong.

Hua Tuo, invited by Qiao Yan, was a master in revising and perfecting the descriptions of herbal efficacy.

Zhang Jiao was shocked to hear this name.

Hua Tuo’s reputation for curing diseases was widespread. If he hadn’t taken a different path and didn’t gather people, the title of Great Physician might have been his.

Now, seeing Qiao Yan invite Hua Tuo after Zheng Xuan, Zhang Jiao felt an increasingly bad premonition.

Hua Tuo didn’t notice Zhang Jiao’s changing expression due to his arrival and replied to Qiao Yan’s question, “A few months ago, I encountered a patient who needed cinnabar for treatment. He had an unnamed swelling on his back, and if not treated quickly, it could be life-threatening. The prescription I gave him included cinnabar.”

“Cinnabar has the effects of calming the nerves and clearing heat and toxins. It is indeed a good medicine for heat syndromes.”

Before Zhang Jiao could relax at Hua Tuo’s affirmation of cinnabar’s medical value, he heard Qiao Yan ask, “But can cinnabar cure all diseases of the five organs as recorded in the Classic of Herbs by Shennong?”

“Of course not,” Hua Tuo replied decisively. “Doctors prescribe according to the symptoms, especially in complex plagues. If heat clearing is not needed, this ingredient will not be added to the prescription.”

Hua Tuo had been traveling to find patients since his youth. Considering Yanzhou is adjacent to Ji Province, he had been to Ji Province before.

Like those below the stage, some had seen him in earlier years.

They couldn’t in good conscience say that this was a fake divine doctor Qiao Yan had found from somewhere.

But due to their trust in the Great Virtuous Teacher, they couldn’t help but think that even if Hua Tuo’s words were true, cinnabar, as he said, wasn’t a bad thing, at most sometimes not suitable for certain conditions.

But who knows if the divine talisman’s blessings, which don’t follow human logic, could cause any changes?

This was what Zhang Jiao said.

“Cinnabar is non-toxic and has the effects of promoting blood circulation, benefiting the spirit, and removing evil. Once evil is removed, the body becomes light and divine, naturally curing all diseases. The doctor’s prescription and our Way of Great Peace are not entirely the same. It’s too hasty to judge my faults based solely on a divine doctor’s evaluation.”

Before he finished, he saw Qiao Yan smile, a smile that could be described as “as expected.”

“I was waiting for you to say that. Cinnabar is non-toxic?”

Qiao Yan bent down and picked up two bamboo tubes from the items brought to the stage.

Zhang Jiao then noticed that each bamboo tube had a small hole, connected by a hollow bamboo joint.

This was clearly a special device.

The next moment, he heard Qiao Yan say, “Please check if there is any poison in these bamboo tubes and if this is the cinnabar you use.”

With Hua Tuo assisting in confirmation and Zhang Jiao having some medical knowledge, he naturally couldn’t find anything wrong with the materials Qiao Yan used.

Then he saw cinnabar powder added to one of the bamboo tubes, placed alternately on the iron rack above the stove.

Qiao Yan watched the fire intensify and signaled everyone to step back.

This primitive method of extracting mercury from cinnabar could easily cause mercury vapor leakage, so it was better to stay away.

Yes.

Mercury.

What Qiao Yan found strange was that there was a considerable amount of mercury in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, and the Widow Qing of Ba became wealthy from the cinnabar industry. In the Han Dynasty, the “Huainanzi” also mentioned methods of extracting mercury from cinnabar, but most medical texts from various dynasties labeled cinnabar as “non-toxic,” without mentioning any possible side effects.

Even in the Wei and Jin periods, there were phrases like “long-term use makes the body light like a deity,” and it wasn’t until the Ming and Qing dynasties that phrases like “raw ingestion is non-toxic, refined ingestion kills” appeared.

But modern medicine has proven that although the free mercury in cinnabar accumulates in small amounts in the human body, it can indeed accumulate with increased ingestion, endangering the kidneys and nerves.

Of course, from a relatively objective perspective, if one only occasionally ingests talisman water, it wouldn’t cause such accumulation harm, but—

So what?

If, under the influence of the Way of Great Peace’s talismans, everyone believes cinnabar is usable, can cure all toxins, and can connect with the divine, it will inevitably lead to relying solely on its calming effects and avoiding medical treatment.

This is no good for an era already plagued by diseases and hardships.

And she really needed this to damage the prestige of the Way of Great Peace.

What she was proving now was the toxicity of mercury produced from refining cinnabar, but for the people below, they wouldn’t consider so much.

They just need to know that the talismans of the Way of Great Peace are toxic when burned.

Thinking of this, Qiao Yan looked at Zhang Jiao.

His gaze at the stove and bamboo tubes was filled with shock, and a pale flash crossed his face.

It wasn’t hard to see that he had guessed what Qiao Yan was going to do.

But in the roaring fire and the disintegration of cinnabar, he had no chance to stop it.

When the fire stopped, the mercury condensed in the bamboo tube without cinnabar was collected into a container and handed to Zhang Jiao.

Qiao Yan asked, “Can you tell me if this is toxic?”

At this question, Zhang Jiao almost squeezed out a “yes” from between his teeth.

Did he have a chance to say no? No.

He had already seen Qiao Yan do something else while asking the question, which was to mercilessly signal Dian Wei that he could bring Zhang Liang up at any time.

Zhang Jiao clearly realized that if he said “no,” the extracted mercury would immediately be poured into his brother’s stomach.

So he could only hear, the moment after he gave this answer, the entire crowd below almost boiling over.

Zhang Jiao himself admitted it!

The talisman water of the Way of Great Peace is toxic!

The momentary calming effect couldn’t outweigh the side effects of accumulating toxins in the body.

This was indeed more damaging than the previous refutation of celestial phenomena.

If it weren’t for Hua Tuo mentioning that the small amount of mercury residue wouldn’t cause much harm and was indeed a necessary ingredient in some special prescriptions, used by doctors after careful consideration, Zhang Jiao had no doubt—

One moment he was their spiritual beacon, the next he would be rushed by the crowd and killed.

This second debate hit the要害, leaving not just a taste of blood in his mouth, but extreme bitterness.

But as he looked down at the crowd, seeing the Han soldiers at the back, under the orders of Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, put down their weapons, his not-so-stupid mind quickly grasped a realization amidst the previous blows.

When he turned back to Qiao Yan, his gaze had regained its calm.

The previous loss of composure upon hearing her successive bombshells had faded from his seemingly immortal face.

Amidst the accusations below, he asked, “What is the third debate?”

He wanted to die with clarity.

But perhaps, without waiting for Qiao Yan’s explanation, seeing the robed monk walk onto the stage, he already had an answer in his heart.

He closed his eyes, hearing Qiao Yan’s voice clearly in his ears.

“The Scripture of Great Peace talks about the so-called unity of heaven, earth, and man, but if it were truly a complete system, why steal from others to fill its flesh.”

“Buddhism was introduced during the reign of Emperor Xiaoming, bringing the monastic system developed in India for over six hundred years to the Central Plains. Thus, you saw what a religious organization needs to stabilize and knew only such a mature system could stir the fiercest waves.”

“Slogans, precepts, organizational structure, these are all experiences you stole from Buddhism, and the Buddhist Pure Land’s protection theory might have also inspired your heavenly palace and divine world narrative.”

“So, is the existence of the Way of Great Peace truly a gift from heaven?”

Is it a gift from heaven, or man-made?

As Qiao Yan walked down from the stage, she paused halfway, looking back at Zhang Jiao, and couldn’t help but sigh in her heart.

The once seemingly immortal leader of the Way of Great Peace now no longer stood tall.

Amidst the accusations from below, he seemed to have fallen into an isolated and helpless situation.

Qiao Yan saw clearly that even Liang Zhongning, who had previously held hope for Zhang Jiao, now looked lost, unsure if the Way of Great Peace was still the path of salvation in his heart.

And this Great Virtuous Teacher, who even his rebel leaders had lost trust in…

He already had a latent serious illness and was supposed to die in three months. Now, this series of blows seemed to have triggered the latent illness within him, making him appear even more disheveled.

But Qiao Yan couldn’t afford to feel sympathy for him.

Since this grand peasant uprising, whether she intervened or not, was destined to be crushed, then if this leader didn’t fall and lose the trust of his supporters, more people would die.

At least now, those below who saw Zhang Jiao as a toxic doctor probably wouldn’t die.

Qiao Yan took a deep breath and continued walking down the stage.

What made it easy to temporarily forget the fall of the hero on stage was the expressions of the people she met. She could see that, aside from saving the lives of those below, she had already gained half of her own rewards.

Even though she sought external help, today’s debate with Zhang Jiao was truly her achievement!

No one could overshadow her brilliance today!

Huangfu Song was the first to speak, “After today, your reputation for debate will surely spread far and wide. To defeat a figure like Zhang Jiao… remarkable, truly remarkable.”

He even wondered if his previous evaluation of her as a Talent to Assist a King was still too low.

But after much thought, apart from that title, there wasn’t anything higher, so he dismissed the idea.

But no matter what, she had indeed gained another reason to be proud.

However, in the eyes of Huangfu Song, Zheng Xuan, Lu Zhi, and others, this child who was so sharp on stage remained humble and proper even after a resounding victory. As she approached them, she bowed and cupped her hands, replying to Huangfu Song’s words:

“The progress in celestial phenomena is due to the meticulous calculations of Zheng Gong, Liu Gong, and other talents; the knowledge of herbs and medicine comes from the diagnoses of divine doctors like Mr. Yuanhua; the introduction of foreign religions relies on the prosperity of the nation.”

“This is the fortune of the Han Dynasty, not the merit of Qiao Yan alone.”