The Yellow Turban Rebellion had a profound impact on the political situation in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. To put an end to the fighting as quickly as possible, the central government transferred military authority to local officials. This kept the rebellion from spreading rapidly across the country and eased the crisis threatening the Eastern Han Dynasty's fall. But it also led local authorities to disregard the central government. Ambitious generals and officials used the forces they had amassed during the rebellion to carve out territories for themselves, ushering in the warlord conflicts of the late Eastern Han and sowing the seeds for the Three Kingdoms to split apart.
Worse still, the Yellow Turban Rebellion triggered a devastating plague in 185. In an age when doctors and medicine were scarce, the plague claimed countless lives.
In Nieyang County, Nanyang Commandery, two weary travelers trudged along a rough, uneven road, looking extremely anxious. The medicine chest on one of their backs bobbed with every step.
The one who looked like an apprentice said, "My lord, we're almost home. If it weren't for all this chaos, we could've hired a carriage and arrived ages ago."
Zhang Zhongjing nodded. "Hurry. I'm afraid our great-uncle won't hold on much longer."
The apprentice said, "My lord, this plague is terrifying. At least those rebels are far from Nanyang. If the plague had hit us on top of that, the death toll would've been even worse."
Zhang Zhongjing sighed. "Disaster upon disaster."
As they spoke, the city walls finally came into view in the distance. Just then, both of them caught a powerful stench of rotting corpses and exchanged uneasy glances. The apprentice said, "My lord, wasn't the rebellion put down? Why are there still so many dead?"
Zhang Zhongjing gave a bitter smile. "The stench