Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 309 Zhao Tuo (two in one)

In the deep midnight of South Vietnam,
He Bo poked his head out of the river near Panyu.

He struggled to climb onto a large plant leaf, his whole body wet, with a handmade pottery jar on his back.

"It's really hard work!"

Little He Bo sat on a big leaf, picked a petal and fanned himself with it, bringing a cool breeze.

According to the Central Plains calendar,
It is already the beginning of autumn.

In addition to fulfilling their duties as historians, Gan De and Shi Shen were also keen on observing the changes in the stars.

After years of calculations and summarization, the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms" were finally determined.

but,

This division of seasons was proposed by Gan and Shi based on their farming experience on both sides of the Yellow River and the shifting of the stars. When moved to Lingnan, it seemed a little difficult to adapt.

After all, the Nanyue Kingdom after the autumn,
There is still steam rising, and even the falling rain cannot remove the dampness and heat on people's bodies, but will make the weather seem even more depressing.

Fortunately, the wind at night is always much fresher than that during the day.

The little man version of He Bo swung the flower petals, blowing his whole body dry and light, then patted his butt and prepared to do something.

"Alas, as expected, as long as you are away from the Yellow River, your movements will be restricted."

When He Bo slid down the stem of the plant and attracted a fallen leaf to serve as a boat for him, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

After becoming the Yellow River Water Lord,
He Bo has the ability to "remotely throw" himself, and his clone will not dissipate as soon as the distance is far away from the area under his control.

He can go to sea.
You can also cross the Yangtze River.

However, the vast sea and the mighty river will still block the connection between the clone and the original body.

It was just like the feeling he had when he crossed the Yellow River and was separated from the north and south banks by the rushing Yellow River.

When Liu Xian's ship passed the land of Minyue and arrived at the Kingdom of Nanyue, He Bo could no longer receive feedback from the main body.

Even because of being away,

The power he had given to his clone in advance was like "rootless water" and could not recover on its own.

Once you are far away from the jar that contains you, you will feel a strong rejection from the local area.

Therefore,
The clones can only live a frugal life in a place far away from the Yellow River.

To save mana,

He Bo shrunk his body to a small size;

In order not to be thrown out directly by the local repulsive force,

He Bo carried his jar on his back.

in this way,

It just happened to be in line with the words of the original text:
"This little box is your forever home!"

……

“How sad!”

"Why do I have to suffer like this!"

Little He Bo picked up a small branch and used it as a paddle to row the leaf boat, complaining as he moved closer to the shore.

When He Bo stepped down to the ground and wanted to strike a pose with one hand pointing to the sky and the other hand drawing the ground, coolly announcing that he had finally landed in the southernmost part of Zhuxia, a huge black shadow leaped over his head.

He raised his head and looked at the scene in surprise.

Then, there was a "plop" sound!
A fat toad jumped into the pond right in front of He Bo.

The splashing water soaked He Bo all over again.

"Ahhh!"

The ghost stamped his feet in anger.

then,

He got angry for a moment, then turned around and left this place that made the ghosts and gods sad.

What a pity!

Even the toads in Panyu can bully people!
……

"Cuckoo!"

"Cuck!"

In the autumn of South Vietnam,

The chirping of various insects continues.

And because of geographical and climatic factors,

Even though he lived in the royal palace, Zhao Tuo could not isolate himself from such bustle.

Fortunately, after so many years,

The eighty-eight-year-old Zhao Tuo has gotten used to it.

At the age of twenty-one, he was ordered by the First Emperor to march south to conquer the Baiyue.

At the age of 32, he took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains and the collapse of the Qin Dynasty to seize control of Lingnan and proclaim himself king.

Right now,

It has been sixty years.

A long period of time tamed this stranger who came from the north bank of the Yellow River and spent his childhood and youth in Zhao, a land that loved heroic and tragic songs.

He accepted this place without snow.
Accept that this summer will bully other seasons and stay in this world, refusing to leave.

So in this hot and humid autumn day,

Zhao Tuo calmly took off his royal robes, lay down on a bamboo mat with his bare chest, and fell into a deep sleep.

As an old man and the only stubborn person among the Chinese gentlemen,

But I didn't forget to pull a thin blanket to cover my belly.

“I’m in really good shape!”

"As expected of the famous King of Endurance!"

He Bo came through the wall and wanted to pay a visit to the monarch of Nanyue.

When he saw Zhao Tuo sleeping with his hair and beard all white, he couldn't help but say this.

Eighty-eight years old,

At this age, Liu Yan has already developed problems with chills and difficulty falling asleep.

Huang Shigong was in better health than Liu Yan, but he was not as healthy as Zhao Tuo.
Late at night, with bare arms, covering only the stomach, you can snore comfortably.

He Bo walked over, climbed onto the table beside Zhao Tuo's bed, and then jumped onto his bed through the table.

Then, his portable pottery jar caused trouble.

Although it was light, He Bo couldn't hold it back and jumped onto Zhao Tuo's face.

The King of Nanyue was awakened by a heavy blow to the face in his sleep.

He opened his eyes.

Then I saw a little man carrying a jar on his back, crawling all over my body.

I think I have seen big storms,

The King of Nanyue, who had not changed his expression even when facing the Panyu storm, was suddenly frightened.

He subconsciously called out, "There's a ghost!"

If it is a person,

How could there be something so small in the world?

Zhao Tuo estimated that

The other person is only as big as the palm of your hand.

Any large fish swimming in the water can be swallowed in one gulp.

So it can only be a ghost!

Fortunately, He Bo was not angry about this.

He simply turned around calmly, bowed to Zhao Tuo and explained, "Hello!"

"I am not a ghost, but the water god of the stream flowing nearby."

"I just came over here, so I came to say hello to the local owner."

Although He Bo doesn't know yet,

Can this clone of mine take over the mountains and rivers in Lingnan?

But it doesn't matter!
When you go out, your identity is given by yourself!
If the flowing stream does not agree with He Bo's statement, then just let it squeak!

If you don't speak,
That is naturally accepted!

Anyway, the stream is just a small one and it cannot resist He Bo's possession of it.

When Zhao Tuo heard him call himself that, he was indeed stunned for a moment.

Flowing streams,
It is an important river that passes through Panyu.
It got this name because it is formed by the confluence of many streams in the mountains.

But Zhao Tuo didn't expect that
This river also has a water god.

He had never heard of it before!

However, since the gods and ghosts were in front of him, he couldn't help but show some respect.

So Zhao Tuo stood up, put on his clothes, returned the greetings to He Bo, and prepared a special seat for this little ghost.

For better communication,
Zhao Tuo took out a piece of soft silk, folded it, placed it on the table, and invited He Bo to take a seat.

after all,

If He Bo had knelt facing him like an ordinary person, Zhao Tuo would not have been able to see this ghost through the covered table.

He is so small and exquisite.

He Bo was not polite.

He entered the ranks very calmly and sat on the silk seat.

Seeing his behavior, Zhao Tuo could not help but say, "Your behavior is very decent, just like a gentleman from the Central Plains."

He Bo told him frankly, "I did come from the Central Plains, and I was appointed to Lingnan by the order of He Bo."

Hearing this, Zhao Tuo was even more surprised.

Just speaking of "He Bo",
In fact, most of the time, it just refers to the god of the river.

And according to Zhao Tuo's experience,
Who else could it be except the Lord of the Great River, who could command other ghosts and gods and exercise powers like the emperor enfeoffing princes?
His old face was moved by this and he asked, "Does the river really have spirits?"

"Yes!"

Hear this.

Zhao Tuo let out a sigh.

He thought back to his hometown.

It was a city built near a large river.

Although he was born into the royal family of Zhao State and did not need to travel between the river bank and the city to fetch water for his living, he was still active and thoughtful when he was young.
Zhao Tuo would stand on the city wall and look down at the people coming back from fishing and fetching water.

They would happily share their gains, then walk through the city gate before curfew, return home, and light up the chimneys.

When he was in his teens, Zhao Tuo once thought,

This scene will continue forever.

But when he grew up, he realized that things in the world are not always as one wishes.

With his father's guidance, he understood the situation in the world.
Knowing that the hometown that I think is stable exists in troubled times.

When his father heard that the Qin army had destroyed Han and started the war of unification, he had already planned to offer the city in exchange for a noble status for their lineage in the new court.

After all, the Zhao family has been multiplying for such a long time, and no one knows how many people there are in the royal family.

They were spread across all the cities of Zhao State, big and small. The big ones enjoyed state support, while the small ones became commoners, busy trying to make a living all day long.

Zhao Tuo's family was a middle class, neither good nor bad.

His father thought this was a good thing.

Because it's not good enough,
Their family would not have become the main target of attack by the Qin Dynasty after the country was destroyed.

Because nothing is bad enough,
In the process of their country's destruction, their family was able to make profits for themselves by offering the city.

then,

When the Qin army arrived, his father surrendered as expected, and after "setting an example", he was highly valued by the First Emperor.

As a result, Zhao Tuo was able to serve as deputy general during Qin's conquest of Baiyue.

He personally experienced everything that happened during his family's decline and revival.

This laid the foundation for him to choose to split Lingnan during the turmoil in the Central Plains.

Only till today,

When I dream at midnight,

The old Zhao Tuo couldn't help but think of his carefree youth.

He thought of the hometown where he grew up and the big river that flowed through his hometown.

But he couldn't go back after all.

He has already taken root in Lingnan.
Why would I want to abandon my hometown again and move to another place?
So Zhao Tuo stamped his feet and swore that he would never miss her again!

But when a ghost who spoke with a Shanxi accent, behaved in a manner similar to that of the Xia people, and claimed to have a connection with the river appeared before him,
Zhao Tuo couldn't help but recall many past events.

He Bo saw that he looked a little gloomy, so he asked him, "When you saw the ghosts and gods, apart from the initial surprise, you didn't have much reaction."

"Why do you feel sad when you hear about the river?"

Zhao Tuo told him, "It is normal for me to see ghosts and gods at my age."

Chu Di,

In other words, in the areas south of the Yangtze River, many aspects of the customs and habits are even more barbaric and ancient than those in the Central Plains.

Ghosts and gods,

Zhao Tuo has tasted too much.

He did not pursue such mysterious things too much, thinking that those transcendental scenes could only be seen after death.

When Zhao Tuo reached the age of eighty,

He is always ready to meet ghosts and gods.

“But my hometown is harder to find than ghosts and gods!”

"Then why don't you go home?"

"How can a man be so willful because of his emotions?"

His life's work was in the South.

Even if he still longs for his hometown in his heart, how could he abandon it all in reality and return to the Central Plains to become an old man who depends on the Han court?
He Bo understood his choice, but he just touched his head and asked, "What about the many people from the Central Plains who settled in Lingnan with you?"

Zhao Tuo said, "They naturally miss their homeland."

“But after they have land and relatives here, they can’t leave.”

Besides,

Judging from Zhao Tuo's age,

Most of the people who stayed in Lingnan with him to establish the Kingdom of Nanyue are probably dead now.

Those who are active now are basically the second generation with Zhuxia bloodline.

They grew up here since childhood.

The concept of the so-called "homeland" can only be learned through the words of parents.

When parents die,

They no longer cared about the "Central Plains".

I think in a few decades,
The land of Lingnan will be fully developed in the hands of the descendants of the Xia people.

The gentlemen from various parts of China who migrated here would also have their images irrigated by the great rivers in the north erased by time, leaving only their sweaty faces under the Lingnan sun and grimacing in the troubled looks of the evaporating water vapor.

But this does not make people feel regretful or sad.

Because thousands of years ago,

This is how the ancestors of the Xia people lived.

They kept migrating and exploring.

Until the footprints spread all over the river and then accommodated the big river.

Even in distant lands,

Xin Xia and Ying Qin are constantly competing with the barbarians for land, looking for more "since ancient times" for the Xia people.

He Bo really wanted to know who could educate faster.

Is it that Xinxia has always been far ahead as a pioneer?
Or will Nanyue and Qin come out on top?
But in the end, the ones who benefit are definitely the gentlemen of China!
"...I'm not very familiar with South Vietnam. Could you please take me to see the scenery here tomorrow?"

After chatting for a while, He Bo made a request to Zhao Tuo.

When I first took office,

It’s normal that He Bo doesn’t understand this!

Zhao Tuo did not refuse him.

So He Bo jumped off the table with confidence, planning to retreat into Liuxi River to take a bath, and then come back to harass Zhao Tuo at dawn.

After all, although the old man sleeps less, he still needs sleep.

And He Bo has to try it.
Let's see if my "robbery" and "shamelessness" can move the heart of the flowing water, make it open its arms to me, and accept me as its master!
If it really works,

Then He Bo might be able to go a step further by stepping on Liuxi River and reaching out his dirty hands to the Pearl River!

To know,
Liuxi River is a tributary of the Pearl River.
The Pearl River is the largest river south of the Yangtze River.

Because Lingnan has plenty of moisture,

Therefore, its flow rate is second only to the Yangtze River in the land of China, and far exceeds that of the Yellow River!
If little He Bo can really take the Pearl River into his arms through his own efforts,
Then at that time,
It’s not certain who is the real person and who is the clone!

"Ugh!"

"The river occupied by the main body has less water than the Huai River, not to mention the Pearl River!"

"It's really shameless!"

"Looks like I'll have to take action!"

After a pretentious sigh,

When little He Bo thought about this uncertain but extremely pleasant future,
He couldn't help but hug his can and laughed heartily.

"Jie Jie Jie Jie..."

(End of this chapter)