THE WILL OF THE HEAVENS

POV: ZHANG JIOA (A Simple physician)

LOCATION: A small city in Ji provence

TIME: A day before the new year

You gently extract the needle from the body of the man you have been trying so hard to save because of his stagnant pulse and his cold eyes which made it clear that any other effort will be futile.

You have been trying so hard to fight the scorches on his skin for the past three days but his body was so weak due to hunger that he could not withstand the sickness.

As you look at his body which was no better than bones wrapped in skin, you could not stop the tears from fallible from your eyes.

"Will he be alright?" A woman hugging two small children ask

"No madam." You reply as you try to keep the tears from your voice.

"Your husband will never recover."

So saying you quickly pack your things and leave the house to avoid watching the scene that you have already seen a thousand times.

On your way home you could clearly see that things were so much worse.

This is because while that family could receive your help, the vast majority of the city's poor could not and had to settle for watching their loved ones die and burning their dead at the corners of the streets. On the other hand, the various city lords and wealthy scholars were busy hiring all the available physicians to heal there own sick and arranging elaborate burials for their dead. This would have not been a big problem had it not been for the fact that they would still send their uniformed tugs to steal from the poor in the name of taxes or some other form of thievery.

A good man dies in pain while evil men feed themselves fat. Is this what our land has been reduced to?

"A patient died?" You snap back to reality and see your brother watching you with concern

Seeing no need to lie to him you reply

"Yes Zhang Liang. Mr wu could not fight off the illness due to his weak energy."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"It's all right Zhang Liang." You say

"I am used to it now."

"No one should be used to that sort of death Zhang Jue." He counters in a voice that seems to be more for himself than for you

"Least of all the only physicians in this city who would still help the common men."

"Are you all right Zhang Liang?" You ask in concern

"No I am not all right!!" He cries out in a voice chocked with tears.

"All Mrs Wu had to do was to eat one meal. One meal and my medicine would have fought off the illness. One more meal and she would have still been alive. Was that too much to ask?"

"You can not blame her for not eating properly. The heavens did not grant us a good harvest this year." You counter

"How can I blame her when she has four children to feed? How can I blame her when her little pact of land could not bring forth anything this year? How can I blame her when all she had was taken by that cursed tax collector? Tell me Zhang Jue HOW CAN I BLAME HER?"

You watch with sadness as your big strong brother breaks down in tears.

"I am sorry." He finally says

"It is okay." You reply softly

"Anger is like fire. Let it flow else it consumes you."

"Then why doesn't my anger solve anything?" He ask

His question speaks of so much sadness and truth that for a while you were at loss of what to say to him.

Luckily the heavens decided to end the conversation as a young child runs into the house.

"Doctor Zhang!! Doctor Zhang! Come quickly."

The child tries to drag you by the arm but you stand fast.

"Calm down yi'ner." You say playfully

"What is the matter?"

"Doctor, it's brother Zhang Bo." There is panic in her eyes

"They are going to kill him."

Not again

You and Zhang Liang quickly rushed to the public market and encounter a large crowd. Upon weaving through the crowd you see that they were gathering around a young man who is being beaten by men in armor.

"Where is the magistrate? Where is the magistrate?" You call out

An old man dressed in expensive silk approaches you

"Lord chi please stop the beating." You plead

"And why should I?" The old man counters hotly

"When that idiot brother of yours dare to raise his filthy hands on me?"

Knowing that the old goat would not listen to reason, you put your hands in your robe and pull out your last pouch of silver.

"Please stop the beating." You plead

The old man stuffs the pouch in his pocket and waves his hand to the armored men who then stopped the beating.

"You should talk to your brother doctor Zhang." The old man finally says

" I will not tolerate this sort of action again."

He then leaves with his soldiers.

As soon as the magistrate left, you attend to your brother's wounds as much as you can and take him home.

At home you attend to his wounds further, gives him some medicine to drink and allow him some time to rest and recover.

By evening he was strong enough to join you and Liang for the evening meal.

"You have to stop doing this Bo." You say as soon he approach

"Doing what? Defending the innocent?" He ask sarcastically

"Making enemies you can ill afford." You clarify

"Are not aware that lord chi would have had you beaten to death?"

"And would I have been different from those he has already killed?" He counters hotly

"From those whom his taxes has impoverished?"

"That dose not give the right to strike the man."

"Yes it does!" He cries out in repressed fury

"I am tired of standing by and watching people suffer Zhang Jue. I am tired of watching as the people who were supposed to protect us do nothing but steal from us."

He begins to breathe fiercely

"Have the heavens abandoned us brother?"

He finally ask

"It is not us the heavens has abandoned brother." Zhang Liang answers

"It is the emperor."

The table drops into a shocked silence initially but you soon recover your presence of mind long enough to speak.

"How dare you question the mandate of the emperor?" You yell

"How dare you commit this great sin?"

"The emperor and his eunuchs feed themselves fat on the people's suffering." He yells back

"He turns a blind eye to cries of widows and orphans. The heavens hold back their rain and they send the pox to wipe us out but yet he still collects taxes. Is that not a greater sin?"

"Even so, he sits the throne of his father by the heavenly mandate so we owe him our obedience and devotion."

"Our devotion? To a man who lets his officials exploit the innocent?"

Zhang Bo spits

"The only thing we owe him is a rebellion."

"Enough!!" You stand up in fury

"I will have no more of this sinful talks from your mouths. I believe that the emperor is chosen by the heavens and I will continue to do so until the heavens themselves tell me otherwise."

You then take your leave from the house.

Later that evening you try to focus your mind on the book of pure wisdom but your thoughts were too much in disarray.

Has the heavens truly abandoned the emperor?

If they have not, then why do the rains refuse to fall?

Can the emperor be made to see reason?

"Oh heavens please show me a sign." You plead on bended knees

"Show me a sign so that I may know your will for me. Remove this confusion from my heart. Show me a sign"

Knowing that reading was useless you shut your eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next day you are woken up by Zhang Liang who dragged you outside without warning.

"Have you doubted the will of heaven?" He ask you. You simply nod

"Then behold the will of heaven."

He points to the sky and when you look up to see the bright yellow sky, it washes away any doubt in your mind as to what must be done.

"Send words to all our followers." You declare

"The answer has been given.

The time to act is near.

This is the will of heaven."