"Zhang HuaiSu's rebellion case?"
Hearing Kong Shangzhao's words, Li Yan immediately recalled the matter.
Zhao Changsheng's previous life had been as the leader of the Great Song Ghost Sect, Zhang HuaiSu.
At the time, the worship of ghosts was flourishing. Zhang HuaiSu had already secretly established the Ghost Sect, yet appeared in the guise of a mad charlatan, claiming that his Daoist arts were formidable and that he had lived for more than 1,700 years.
He went around telling people that he had witnessed Confucius execute Shao Zhengmao and had watched the Han and Chu armies face off at Chenggao from a high vantage point. He spoke of it all with such detail and confidence.
By all rights, no one should have believed him.
But sometimes, reality was even more absurd.
The common people believed his words wholeheartedly. From high-ranking nobles to impoverished commoners, many followed him, becoming peripheral members of the Ghost Sect without realizing it.
Quite a few scholar-officials also admired him deeply. The most famous among them was Cai Bian.
At the time, Cai Bian had been demoted to Yuezhou for supporting Wang Anshi's Reforms. The great Confucian Cheng Hao happened to be serving in Yuezhou, and the two became friends. Cai Bian then dragged him along to meet Zhang HuaiSu.
Cheng Hao was deeply opposed to it and refused to go.
Cai Bian consequently suffered a great misfortune.
Zhang HuaiSu led a group of followers on a tour of Jinling. He saw that the local officials harbored rebellious intentions and took the opportunity to proclaim publicly, "Jinling is a land where dragons coil and tigers crouch. Its dragon energy is flourishing, and an emperor will soon emerge!"
That was precisely what crossed the imperial court's bottom line.
The rebellion was suppressed, and every official who had