Chapter 30
This was destined to be a special debate, and when the two sides met, it was hard not to feel that there was a huge difference between them.
One of them is not even of age, or even just a ten-year-old child, while the other is already over fifty.
Even those who knew that Qiao Yan was well prepared couldn't help but break into a cold sweat when they saw this scene of confrontation between a child and an elder.
But when they heard Qiao Yan standing in front of Zhang Jue, facing the great virtuous teacher who established a religious organization of hundreds of thousands of people, and still able to calmly say "half a month's wait", they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Cheng Li had already formed the opinion that Qiao Yan was a natural orator when they were at the foot of Changsha City, and his impression of him was refreshed again at this moment.
This may no longer be the level of a speaker.
She was so calm that she seemed more like a qualified politician and a qualified leader than just an orator.
It is incredible that such characteristics appear in a young girl.
However, against the backdrop of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, due to the chaotic situation and the impending danger of death, there was a sense that it was inevitable.
But even someone with a far-sighted vision like Cheng Li probably wouldn't be able to think of more profound things.
He just thought that since Qiao Yan was a fellow villager from Yanzhou, then having such ability was not a bad thing for Yanzhou.
What matters now is the debate at hand.
Zhang Jiao, who was sitting on the stage, looked around at the countless pairs of eyes looking at him.
Because of his different behavior over the years, it was hard to tell what he was feeling at the moment. All we could see was that he turned his gaze back to Qiao Yan after a moment and said, "Sorry for the delay. I really want to hear your reasons for saying that my Taiping Dao is wrong."
Zhang Jue has developed so many followers by relying on this doctrine, so how could he be willing to believe that there is any fallacy in it?
If we want to talk about the book that summarizes the Taiping Dao, we have to trace back to the Taiping Qingling Book, which is said to have been written by Yu Ji, which is also the book mentioned by Qiao Yan in his conversation with Zheng Xuan.
The Taiping Sutra was inherited from the Taiping Qingling Book. Although most of it is repaired and integrated rather than original, it is not something that can be accomplished overnight.
Zhang Jue had full confidence in his hard work and credentials.
What's more, if he wants others to believe in him, he himself must be a faithful believer.
He has this attitude, so what about Qiao Yan?
Qiao Yan's gaze remained stern in the face of Zhang Jiao's almost interrogative words.
She had previously taken the opportunity to serve as Liang Zhongning's military advisor to read both of them. During this half month, which can be called the preparation for war, she read them again under the guidance of Zheng Xuan.
Therefore, the details she added to the original three-part debate outline also made her feel more confident.
On the surface, suppressing this great and virtuous teacher seemed almost absurd.
It should be noted that the residual influence of Taiping Dao could not be ignored during the period of the Three Kingdoms. It, together 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 sounds like a legend.
But perhaps it was because of her inherent ambition that made her even more excited when she was on the high platform. At this moment, she had no fear of hitting a boulder, but was eager to challenge or provoke something.
Zhang Jue argued vigorously for his orthodoxy, so how could she not also argue?
Qiao Yan replied, "I have told you before that today's debate will be divided into three parts. The first part will be about the orbits of the sun, moon and stars."
Zhang Jue was a little surprised. This was a topic that was too awkward for a young person.
He realized that he had underestimated Qiao Yan.
This kid who could make the Yellow Turbans surrender with his own abilities would obviously not just use the statement in the Taiping Jing that "one man should have two women, to symbolize yin and yang" to refute him in public.
He immediately asked: "How can we distinguish
Sun, moon and star tracks? ”
Qiao Yan gathered his sleeves and pointed upwards, "I wonder how the Taiping Essence mentions the sun, moon and stars?"
Zhang Jue knew that Qiao Yan was not completely ignorant of this, but just wanted to make these words come out of his mouth.
But in Zhang Jue's understanding, the theory of the sun, moon and stars in the Taiping Jing has inherited the essence of the "Tianguanli Baoyuan Taiping Jing", and it also echoes the Three-Tong Four-Four Calendar. Even if Qiao Yan wants to refute the inappropriateness of it, it is almost impossible to do so based on her experience.
Therefore, compared to the aggressive tone implied in Qiao Yan's words, Zhang Jue's tone is obviously much more peaceful. "Among the three lights of the sun, moon and stars, the sun is the longest and the brightest. The sun represents the emperor, the moon represents the ministers, and the stars represent the officials. All the wise men shine together and all things live in harmony. If the three lights are in harmony, they will illuminate the eight poles. If they lose their way, the lights will go out. When the lights are on time, the stars will keep their degrees and not go out of order. This is the ultimate spiritual place between heaven and earth."
Qiao Yan was not surprised and continued to ask: "Then, what are the eclipses of the sun and the moon, and the disasters of the stars?"
Zhang Jue replied, "The wrath of heaven and earth is reflected in the sun, moon and stars. If they are in harmony, there will be no eclipse. In ancient times, when things were at their best, there were mostly no eclipses. Later, people behaved erratically and lost the will of heaven and earth, causing yin and yang to slightly lose harmony, which is why there are solar eclipses."
"Then, what is the meaning of heaven and earth?" Qiao Yan asked again.
She asked three questions in a row without stopping, and did not refute anything Zhang Jue said, which made him feel that something was abnormal.
But when I think about it carefully, there doesn't seem to be any problem. The other party not only wants to correct the doctrine of Taiping Dao, but also wants to listen to Taiping's words.
When asked about the meaning of the sun, moon and stars, Zhang Jue replied about the description of the three lights of the sun, moon and stars in the Taiping Jing.
In the entire doctrine of Taiping Dao, there is a bit of the meaning of "governing with virtue, like the North Star", which connects the movement of the sun and the moon with human affairs.
So in the second question, when Qiao Yan asked about the phenomenon of solar and lunar eclipses, Zhang Jue's natural reply was that because of the chaos in the human world, there was a solar eclipse.
Of course, since the sun refers to the king, the saying that a solar eclipse means the king is not virtuous is not only true in the Taiping Dao, but has been a common belief in the entire society.
If you ask anyone who lived in the Han Dynasty to name a king who issued an edict of repentance due to a solar eclipse, they will be able to name a few.
A well-known example is Emperor Wen of Han.
No matter how Zhang Jiao thought about it, he felt that there was nothing wrong with the two responses he gave.
As for the third question——
Zhang Jue replied: "His governance is pure and honest, peaceful and without evil, and the three lights shine brightly."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Qiao Yan sneer.
"Well! Now that you have finished speaking, it is my turn to speak. I will also let you know what evidence I have to say that this is the first argument."
As she said this, she took a step forward as if unintentionally.
This seemed like a sign of starting to speak, but also like an invisible move of drawing the sword to create psychological pressure on the opponent.
Zhang Jue saw her looking up. Although he could only look up due to the height difference, it was clear that there was no trace of fear of an elder in her eyes, only determination.
Qiao Yan said, "Let's discuss each point one by one."
"According to what you said, the sun, moon and stars are the ultimate, and the stars keep their degrees and do not go wrong. In the ancient times when human relations were harmonious, it was the most law-abiding state, but——"
She glanced at the Yellow Turban soldiers who seemed to believe this statement was inevitable, then turned to Zheng Xuan and nodded, "I discussed this with Duke Kangcheng of Zheng of Beihai, and he mentioned that he had a close friend who had previously observed the changes in the stars and the moon with the capital, and it was recorded in the book. It was Liu Hong, Liu Yuanzhuo."
When Zhang Jue heard the names Liu Hong and Zheng Xuan, his heart skipped a beat.
If we talk about the most famous astronomers of the time, Zheng Xuan can be in the top three, but Liu Hong is the undisputed leader.
For astronomers of any era, being appointed to preside over the selection of solar and lunar eclipse predictions is a recognition of their status, and Liu Hong had already obtained this position four years ago.
Not to mention Zheng Xuan. Even if he was not famous for his astronomical achievements, he lived in Qingzhou for a long time. But for the people of Jizhou, he was still an elder with a respected academic status.
If not for this, in history, Cao Cao would not have forced him to come to the Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao to serve as a prop to boost his reputation, and the Yellow Turbans would not have avoided him.
Now when they heard Qiao Yan mention him, it was as if he was indicating that he was at the scene. Although they knew it was a bit inappropriate, these people couldn't help but cast their eyes towards him.
Qiao Yan continued, "Several years ago, Mr. Liu proposed a prototype of a calendar called the Qianxiang calendar, which was generally recognized by several knowledgeable people such as Cai Boyi and Mr. Zheng. One of the foundations of the Qianxiang calendar is called the Yueli table."
If Zheng Xuan had not been here, Qiao Yan would not have been able to make such a convincing statement.
This was considered by later generations to be the lunar distance table that clearly pointed out the unevenness of the moon's motion. Even with Qiao Yan's memory, it was impossible for him to recite it exactly as it was, but Zheng Xuan was different.
He wrote books and articles during his thirteen years of seclusion, with the only companions being books and letters. However, he had a clear memory of the Yueli Biao, in which his friend proposed a new theory.
If he spoke in person, he would have taken advantage of his reputation, but if he only produced factual evidence and records of astronomical observations—
So at this moment, the two people debating on the stage are still Qiao Yan and Zhang Jiao.
That's fine!
The Yueli Table written silently by Zheng Xuan was delivered to Qiao Yan and then unfolded in front of Zhang Jue.
Qiao Yan said: "The phenomenon of the moon's uneven movement has existed since ancient times. It has another law that governs its movement. It has nothing to do with the fact that it is not out of order but has been disrupted by the changes in modern times!"
"If what you mean is that human observation and deduction have their limits, and even Lord Zheng and Lord Liu cannot avoid mistakes, then I will argue with you about the eclipse of the sun and the moon and the meaning of heaven and earth." As if sensing that Zhang Jue was about to say something, Qiao Yan had already spoken it first.
She did not even give Zhang Jue a chance to interrupt and continued, "According to the doctrine of the Taiping Dao, if the ruler does not rule with integrity, chaos will occur. If morality is not established, the will of heaven and earth will be depressed, and the sun, moon and stars will all be extinguished, which is a solar eclipse. If the emperor practices morality, the stars will not be disturbed. But -
"I have looked back over the hundreds of years since the Han Dynasty, and I have found that most people do not follow this statement!"
Her eyes were bright, and the words that came out of her lips were filled with an indescribable confidence.
"During the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, the lunar calendar was dark on the 2nd month of the third year, and on the 7th month of the first year of the reign, it was dark again. However, the former was after the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms was quelled, and the latter was already experiencing the prosperity of the reign of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, and the future Emperor Xiaowu was the crown prince, so it is hard to say that his rule was not clear."
"Then during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, in the second year of Yuanshuo, on the last day of the second month, since the sixth year of Yuanguang, Wei Zhongqing has been the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and has been fighting against the Xiongnu in the north. In the first year of Yuanshuo, he went out of Yanmen Pass, led 30,000 cavalrymen and marched into the country, beheading thousands of prisoners. In the second year of Yuanshuo, he repelled the Hu people who invaded Shanggu and Yuyang, and captured Gaoque. Today, the two counties of Shuofang and Wuyuan in Bingzhou came from this place."
"Can these be called the emperor's lack of virtue?"
There were some whispers from below.
Emperor Xiaojing and Emperor Xiaowu refer to Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, and Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.
The Han Dynasty has lasted to this day. How could the Han people, who were living in dire straits, not yearn for the emperors of the ancient prosperous times? Naturally, Emperor Jing and Emperor Wu became the wise rulers in their imagination.
After hearing what Qiao Yan said, even those Yellow Turban soldiers who didn't understand the previous theory about the three lights of the sun, moon and stars, most of them understood what she was saying now.
The Great Sage said that the movement of the sun and the moon corresponds to the phenomena on earth, and if the king is not virtuous there will be a solar eclipse, but what is the reality?
There was a solar eclipse in the second year after the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms was quelled, there was a solar eclipse during the most prosperous period of the reign of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, there was a solar eclipse in the second year after Wei Qing won the expedition to Yanmen, and there was a solar eclipse in the year when the imperial court seized the territories of Shuofang and Wuyuan.
This obviously does not conform to what the Great Sage Master said.
Even though they had always trusted Zhang Jue, they couldn't help but look around with a bit of confusion.
Qiao Yan did not give Zhang Jue a chance to refute. Relying on his well-prepared arguments, he continued, "If you want to say that what I listed are all from the pre-Han period, and the birth of the Taiping Jing can be said to be adapted to local conditions in today's times, then that's fine."
The more Zhang Jiao listened, the more he felt that the four words "adapt to local conditions" revealed a lot of sarcasm.
"Let's talk about filial piety
Things were better during the Yongping period when Emperor Xiaoming was in power. During this period, there were two dark suns in one year, both of which were visible in Luoyang. However, during the reign of Emperor Xiaoming, the country rested and recuperated, and encouraged agriculture and sericulture, which led to the later expedition of the army from Jiuquan to the defeat of the Huns at Tianshan. ”
"Ban Zhongsheng led 36 officials to the Western Regions and ordered all the countries to send envoys to the court. This is in line with what Chen Zigong said in the past - those who clearly offend the mighty Han will be punished even if they are far away. But after nearly a hundred years, we see him again. I dare to ask, can this also be said to be a lack of virtue on the part of the emperor?"
Emperor Ming of Han, the reign of Mingzhang!
This was still a golden age for the Han Dynasty.
The most outrageous solar eclipse occurred during the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, with two solar eclipses within a year. But does that mean that the emperor was lacking in virtue and that chaos was brewing under his rule?
After dozens or hundreds of years, the Western Regions and the Han Dynasty were connected again, making the saying of the Western Han Dynasty "Whoever openly offends the mighty Han will be punished, although he is far away" known to the outside world again.
If this is really a warning from Heaven to the Emperor, then Heaven is a little foolish.
When Qiao Yan said this, her passionate words calmed down a little. She turned her gaze back to Zhang Jue's face and asked, "May I ask if this statement in the Taiping Jing is correct?"
Of course not.
Zhang Jue was shocked when he heard Qiao Yan's conclusion: "This is not the emperor's fault, but the normal movement of the sun and the moon."
Not to mention Zhang Jiao who was stunned on the spot, even Zheng Xuan was stunned for a moment.
He and Liu Hong had studied astrology for many years, but neither dared to be so bold as to say that a solar eclipse was not caused by the emperor.
But if she said such words at this time, even if it reached the ears of God, no one would say that this was an act of usurpation. Instead, they would praise her.
Because she said it at the most appropriate time.
If a solar eclipse is not considered God’s wrath caused by the emperor’s misdeeds, then what about drought? What about the locust plague? What about the pandemic?
Zhang Rang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he wanted to take out a pen to write down everything Qiao Yan said.
It was in vain for him to think that he was good at guessing the emperor's intentions, but even though he had been building up his position for decades, he was probably no match for Qiao Yan's words that were spread into the palace.
His previous guess turned out to be correct. Even if she missed the reward of being conferred the title of nobility, Liu Hong would never treat this great contributor unfairly.
Qiao Yan's words undoubtedly gave him a reason to explain the disasters in the world.
If Zhang Rang could think of this, how could Zhang Jue not think of it?
His expression changed again and again, and he finally squeezed out a sentence, "The movement of the sun and the moon is not something that mortals like us can understand, and the examples of the moment cannot be trusted."
That is indeed a reason.
The sun and the moon are mysterious, and they cannot be counted if they are not in agreement on earth.
What's more, people don't always know the answer, but in any debate, one has to guess what the other party will say. How could Qiao Yan not have expected Zhang Jue to respond like this?
She smiled and said, "That's right. You always like to contradict yourselves, using those Spring and Autumn style writing. What I said is just an evaluation of "cannot be trusted". What's that?"
Before Zhang Jue could say the word "impudent", Qiao Yan quickly continued, "Don't say I'm talking nonsense! It is mentioned in Volume 67 of the Taiping Sutra that these wise men were originally ignorant, but they became so through hard work. In Volume 88, it is said that if a person knows it by nature, it is the best; if he cannot know it by himself, he will try hard to ask, which is the second best. I would like to ask you, since the Taiping Dao is the guideline, then I guess you should follow it completely-"
"Were you born with knowledge, or were you born without knowledge?"
Zhang Jue choked.
No, are you a little too familiar with the Taiping Jing? Can you catch such a mistake?
Cao Cao laughed without giving Zhang Jue any face in the audience, "My niece in this life is really a mischievous person. I was wondering why she was looking for inconsistencies in the Taiping Jing. It turns out that it is used here."
However, after Qiao Yan on the stage had mastered the art of attacking the opponent with his own spear, he did not show any offensiveness. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "But I think the Taiping Jing is the result of the wisdom of many people, so there are probably some contradictions in it. If you only have this one rebuttal, it's fine. Let's not talk about the weather first, but about human affairs, and this is the second round of the debate."
What she said... is much more heartbreaking than pursuing a victory.
"Taiping Jingji
"It is achieved through wisdom" sounds light, but it is equivalent to questioning the uniqueness of the position of the Great Sage Teacher.
Aren’t you the collective wisdom of many people? Then why is it that the leader is either you or your incompetent brother?
Zhang Jue felt depressed and even felt a little blood in his throat, but he had to force himself to suppress the pressure and asked, "What is human affairs?"
Qiao Yan said word by word: "Medical skills."
This time, she did not take another step towards Zhang Jue in the gesture of the first invisible victory. Instead, she took two steps towards the outside of the platform with her hands behind her back, heading towards the Yellow Turban soldiers on one side of the platform.
"I know that many of you have relied on the talisman water of the great and virtuous teacher to be reborn. The Taiping Jing says that the heavenly doctor will come down and all diseases will be cured, and you will live a long life. I wonder if this is true?"
There was a chorus of responses from below.
Zhang Jueqiang perked up a bit.
It was not difficult for him to hear from the responses that, although Qiao Yan's eloquent rebuttal had caused him to lose some reputation and had also made him doubt the Taiping Dao in his heart, it was not the time for him to give up and admit defeat.
Qiao Yan also turned to him at this time and asked, "How did you heal them?"
He slowly replied, "It is said in the Taiping Essentials that those who want to get rid of diseases and open up the way should take the secret from the Danshu and swallow the words. Just add blessings to the talisman, combine with water and go down, and a heavenly doctor will come and bless you from the clouds."
This is indeed what the three Zhang Jiao brothers have always done.
Qiao Yan clapped his hands, "Okay, Danshu swallows the words."
"When the royal army conquered Guangzong, they found a large number of elixir books and divine talismans in your house. Uncle Mengde, thank you for bringing them here."
When she just started clapping her hands, Dian Wei had already carried up a large bag of "magic talismans".
Since Zhang Jue wanted to show his kindness to everyone, he naturally had to always have a large number of talismans on hand, which became an extremely large number in the eyes of the people below the stage.
And then some other things were carried up.
Zhang Jiao swept it roughly and saw the cinnabar he had prepared earlier, several bamboo tubes, a metal grid, and a furnace...
Before he could think about what Qiao Yan was going to do, he heard her ask, "May I ask, Your Excellency, is there any theoretical basis for Danshu's swallowing of words in medical books?"
This was indeed a question that Zhang Jue could answer. He answered confidently, "It is said in the Jade and Stone section of Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica that cinnabar can cure all diseases of the five internal organs of the body, nourish the spirit, calm the soul, invigorate the qi and improve eyesight. Long-term use can even make one communicate with the gods and immortal. My Taiping Dao method uses cinnabar in talismans, which can further enhance the ability to communicate with the gods. This is the right way."
The people in the audience looked at each other and felt that it was just as Zhang Jiao said.
If it weren't for the magical power of this talisman water, they would have found it difficult to survive the epidemic.
Even though the previous astronomical and astrological theories seemed to indicate that Zhang Jue had indeed been defeated, for the people who could hardly even get enough food, the grace of saving their lives was greater than the existence of heaven.
This is exactly why they followed Zhang Jue.
But... seeing that Qiao Yan used this as an excuse, could it be that he was trying to refute this statement?
These Yellow Turban soldiers could not help but become confused.
However, Qiao Yan's answer was: "Yes, cinnabar is indeed a good thing. But..."
As she paused, Zhang Jue suddenly realized that most of the people who were carrying the furnace, bamboo tubes, cinnabar and talismans had left the stage, but there was still one person left on the stage.
This old man is in good spirits and doesn't look like an ordinary person at first glance.
In fact, perhaps he should not be called an old man. After all, he only showed a sense of vicissitudes of life in his eyes, but his hair was still black, and his exposed face and hands showed that he was well-maintained.
Qiao Yan bowed and asked, "Mr. Yuan Hua, what is the real effect of cinnabar?"
The Shennong Herbal Classic mentioned in Zhang Jue's words was indeed a benchmark for medical classics before the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, it was written between the Qin and Han Dynasties after all, and was actually a medical book created by the collaboration of many people, so it is somewhat outdated.
The development of medical technology during the Guanghe period and the medical reforms promoted by the recent epidemics have
The efficacy of many medicinal herbs recorded in Shennong's Herbal Classic has been supplemented in medical practice.
Hua Tuo, invited by Qiao Yan, was an expert in improving the efficacy of herbs and perfecting their explanations.
Zhang Jue was shocked again when he heard the name.
Hua Tuo's reputation for curing illnesses and saving lives is also known throughout the world. If the other party did not follow a different path from him and he had no intention of gathering people together, I'm afraid the title of great doctor would still have to be given to him.
Now seeing that Qiao Yan had invited Hua Tuo after Zheng Xuan, he had an even worse feeling in his heart.
Hua Tuo did not notice Zhang Jue's expression changing again because of his arrival. Instead, he answered Qiao Yan's question, "A few months ago, I met a patient who needed cinnabar to treat him. He had an unknown swelling on his back. If he was not treated quickly, his life would be in danger. The prescription I prescribed for him included cinnabar."
"Cinnabar has the effects of calming the mind, clearing away heat and detoxifying. It is a good medicine for fever."
Before Zhang Jue could relax because of Hua Tuo's affirmation of cinnabar's medical value, he heard Qiao Yan ask: "But cinnabar can cure all kinds of diseases of the five internal organs of the body as recorded in Shennong's Herbal Classic?"
"Of course not." Hua Tuo said decisively, "Doctors prescribe the right medicine for the right disease, especially when encountering a complicated epidemic. If it does not need to clear away heat, this ingredient will never be added to the prescription."
Hua Tuo had been looking for patients to treat since he was young. Yanzhou and Jizhou are adjacent to each other, so he had been to Jizhou before.
Just like some of the people in the audience now have met him in his early years.
They really couldn't say with a clear conscience that this was actually a fake miracle doctor that Qiao Yan had found from somewhere.
However, because of their trust in the great and virtuous teacher, they could not help but think that even if Hua Tuo's words were indeed true, cinnabar did not seem to be a bad thing in his opinion. At most, it was just not suitable for the treatment sometimes.
But in this unsuitable situation, who knows if any changes will occur because of the magic talisman and prayer, which have effects that are not based on common sense?
This is what Zhang Jue said.
"Cinnabar is non-toxic and has the effect of clearing blood vessels, improving spirits and removing evil. Once the evil is removed, the body will be light and the spirit will be connected, and all diseases will naturally be cured. The doctor's prescription is not exactly the same as my Taiping Dao technique. It is too arbitrary for you to judge my fault based on the judgment of the divine doctor."
Before he finished speaking, he saw Qiao Yan smile in a way that could be described as "not unexpected".
"I am waiting for your words, cinnabar is non-toxic?"
Qiao Yan bent down and picked up two bamboo tubes from the things brought onto the stage.
Zhang Jue then noticed that there was a small hole on each of the two bamboo tubes, and the holes were connected by a hollow bamboo node.
This is obviously a special tool.
The next moment he heard Qiao Yan say, "Please check whether there is poison in this bamboo tube, and also check whether this is the cinnabar you have reserved."
With Hua Tuo's help in confirming the facts, and Zhang Jue himself having some medical skills, he naturally could not see anything wrong with the materials provided by Qiao Yan.
Then what he saw next was that cinnabar powder was added to one of the bamboo tubes in the array, and they were placed two by two in an alternating pattern on the iron net above the stove.
Qiao Yan watched the fire in the stove grow more intense and motioned for everyone to move back.
This traditional method of extracting mercury from cinnabar can easily cause the leakage of mercury vapor, so it is better to stay away from it.
good.
It's mercury.
What made Qiao Yan feel very strange was that there was a large amount of mercury in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang. Ba Guafu Qing made her fortune from the cinnabar industry. In the Han Dynasty, there was a method of extracting mercury from cinnabar in "Huainanzi". However, in the medical books of all dynasties, cinnabar was mostly noted as "non-toxic", and no possible side effects were mentioned at all.
Even in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there were expressions like "If taken for a long time, one will become as light as a god." It was not until the Ming and Qing Dynasties that the saying "Raw bait is non-toxic, but taken after refining it can kill people" appeared.
However, modern medicine has proven that although the free mercury in cinnabar will accumulate in the human body in small amounts, it will indeed accumulate as the amount taken increases, endangering the kidneys and nerves.
through.
Of course, from a relatively objective point of view, if you only take the magic water occasionally, it will not cause such congestion hazards, but -
So what?
If under the influence of the Taiping Dao's spells, people would think that cinnabar can be used to cure all poisons and communicate with gods. Sooner or later, they would rely on cinnabar to calm their nerves and avoid seeing doctors for illness.
This will do no good in this age which is already plagued by disease and hardship.
And she really needed this to hit the reputation of Taiping Dao.
What she was proving at this moment was that the mercury produced after cinnabar refining was indeed toxic, but for the people in the audience, they would not think so much about it.
All they need to know is that the Taiping Dao's talisman paper becomes poisonous after being burned.
Thinking of this, Qiao Yan looked at Zhang Jue.
At this moment, he looked at the fire and the bamboo tube with fear in his eyes, and a hint of paleness flashed across his face.
It is not difficult to see that he has already guessed what Qiao Yan is going to do.
But as the fire was raging and the cinnabar was disintegrating, he had no chance to stop it.
When the fire stopped, the condensed mercury in the bamboo tube on the side that did not contain cinnabar was collected into a container and handed to Zhang Jue.
Qiao Yan asked, "Can you tell me if this thing is poisonous?"
As soon as these words came out, Zhang Jiao almost squeezed out the word "yes" from between his teeth.
Is there a chance he says no? No.
He had already seen that another thing Qiao Yan did while asking the question was to mercilessly signal Dian Wei that he could bring Zhang Liang up at any time.
Zhang Jue was clearly aware that if he gave the answer "no", the refined mercury would immediately be poured into his brother's stomach.
So all he could hear was that the next moment after he gave this answer, the entire audience was almost boiling with excitement.
Zhang Jue admitted it himself!
The talisman water of Taiping Dao is poisonous!
The temporary calming and soothing effect is no match for the side effects of accumulating toxins in the body.
This is indeed more lethal than the previous refutation of the theory of the sun, moon and stars.
If Hua Tuo hadn't mentioned that this small amount of mercury residue wouldn't cause any bad consequences, and that it was indeed a must-have in some special prescriptions, and that doctors like them would weigh it carefully before using it, Zhang Jue would have no doubts -
The previous moment he was the spiritual role model of these people, but the next moment they would rush onto the stage and take his life.
The second debate hit the nail on the head, leaving his mouth filled with not only the smell of blood, but also extreme bitterness.
But when he looked down at the stage and saw that the Han soldiers standing in the last row had laid down their weapons in the midst of the excitement at the orders of Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, a flash of enlightenment quickly passed through his mind, which was not dull to begin with, after the previous blow.
When he turned his gaze back to Qiao Yan's face, his eyes had regained their calm.
The loss of composure that had appeared on his face when he heard the series of bombs she threw out earlier had now disappeared from this face that looked like an immortal.
Amid the condemnation from below, he asked, "What is the third debate?"
If he were to die, he would die knowingly.
But perhaps, there was no need to wait for Qiao Yan to explain. When he saw the monk in dyed clothes walking up to the platform, he already had an answer in his mind.
He closed his eyes and heard Qiao Yan's voice clearly ringing in his ears.
"The Taiping Jing talks about the so-called three lights of heaven and earth and the theory of the unity of heaven and man in a very exaggerated way. But if it is really a perfect system, why would it steal other people's things to fill it with flesh and blood?"
"Buddhism was introduced to China during the reign of Emperor Xiaoming, and the monastic system that had been developed in India for more than 600 years was also introduced to the Central Plains. So you saw what a religious organization needs to be stable, and you also knew that only such a mature system could stir up the most fierce waves."
"Slogans, precepts, organizational structures, these are all experiences you stole from Buddhism. The idea of the Buddha's Pure Land blessing may also be the origin of your idea of the heavenly palace and the immortal world."
"So, is the existence of the Taiping Dao as mentioned in the Taiping Jing really a gift from heaven?"
Is it God's gift or man-made?
When Qiao Yan walked down from the platform, she stopped for a moment halfway, turned around and looked in the direction of Zhang Jiao, and couldn't help sighing in her heart.
The leader of the Taiping Dao, who previously looked like a true immortal on earth, no longer had the upright posture he once had.
Moreover, because of the voices of condemnation from the audience, he seemed to be in an isolated and helpless situation.
Qiao Yan saw it clearly. Even Liang Zhongning, who had previously held high hopes for Zhang Jiao, now had dull eyes. For a moment, he did not know whether he should still believe in the Taiping Dao or whether it was the way to salvation in his heart.
And this great and virtuous teacher whom even Commander Qu had lost trust in...
He already had a latent serious illness and was due to pass away in three months. This series of blows seemed to have stimulated all the latent diseases in his body, making him look even more miserable.
But Qiao Yan couldn't have any extra sympathy for him.
Since this was a massive peasant uprising, whether she intervened or not, it would inevitably be suppressed. If this leader cannot fall and loses the trust of his supporters, more people will die.
At least now, those people in the audience who regarded Zhang Jiao as a poison doctor probably won't have to die.
Qiao Yan took a deep breath and continued walking towards the stage.
What made her temporarily forget the fall of the hero on the stage was that from the expressions of the people she met, it was not difficult for her to see that, apart from the lives of her subordinates, she had also gained half of her own gains.
Even though she sought external help, today's debate with Zhang Jiao was truly her achievement!
No one can cover up her glory today!
Huangfu Song had already spoken first, "From today on, your reputation as a skilled debater will surely be known all over the world. Being able to defeat a figure like Zhang Jue is incredible, truly incredible."
He even wondered if his evaluation of him as a talented person who could assist the king was a little too low.
But after thinking it over, he realized that there was probably no higher title than that one, so he gave up the idea.
But no matter what, she did have one more thing to be proud of.
However, what he, Zheng Xuan, Lu Zhi and the others saw was that this child, who was so sharp on the stage, was still humble and decent after winning the victory. When he walked in front of them, he bowed and clasped his hands, and replied to Huangfu Song's words:
"The progress of astronomy and astrology is due to the careful calculations of the great talents such as Mr. Zheng and Mr. Liu; the knowledge of using herbs as medicine is obtained by the doctors such as Mr. Yuanhua who traveled around the country to consult and treat; the arrival of the pagans in India is due to the prosperity of the country."
"This is a blessing for the Han Dynasty, not just the work of Qiao Yan alone."
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