Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 355 River God's Halberd Fails at Jade Wall City (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

The beautiful past between Qin and Luo
It's been several years since then.

Moreover, the friction between the two countries has not decreased since the breakup.

Because of the origins of Western Qin, in a corner of the Western Sea,
In order to protect this ancestral land and safeguard the northern border of the nation,
The Western Straits became a territory that the Qin people had to acquire.

However, Rome was very reluctant to part with the land where the city-state of Byzantium had once been established, and which was later occupied by the Macedonian Empire.

With the rapid expansion of Rome and the Qin Dynasty in the western region,
That strait,

It has become a strategic location that is hotly contested by military strategists, and is a vital passage that can control the connection between the mainland and the sea.

then,

The two countries have thus repeatedly clashed there.

Fortunately, with the frequent internal strife in Rome and the steady development of the Qin state,
The former had no choice but to back down.

They were a month ago,
A new treaty was signed with the Qin people, dividing the spheres of influence between the two countries and recognizing the Thrace region south of the Balkan Mountains as Qin territory.

Even though that place had not yet been completely conquered by Rome or Qin, the armies of those two countries would only take turns going there to suppress and plunder.

Even so, a large number of Thracians still live there...

But what does the signing of this agreement have to do with the Thracians?
These small countries,

It is destined to become an insignificant embellishment in the disputes between major powers.

The King of Qin was merely pleased, believing that he could finally realize his ancestors' plan to build "Jade Wall City" there to protect the ancestral temple in the Epang area.

The remarkable change in Zhang Qian's expression after hearing his words made the King of Qin burst into laughter with delight.

But the ghosts secretly watching did not share the same wonderful and comfortable mood as the King of Qin.

Ying Zheng said to his grandson:
"The Qin state currently has only two million registered households."

"With such a small population ruling such a vast land, wouldn't there be troubles?"

On the surface,

Even though the First Emperor was dead
The body rotted in the coffin.
He also refused to admit, with his hoarse voice, some of the mistakes he made in the process of unifying the world.

He Bo even made fun of him behind his back for this:
"His Majesty Ying Zheng was so eager to eat hot tofu that he burned his own mouth!"

It was precisely because of the mouths and tongues of the Qin people that
Scalded by the remnants of the six states and figures like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, who were like "hot tofu," their blood splattered.

So it's understandable that the First Emperor was stubborn!

However, in private,

The First Emperor would still reflect on his actions.

He at least acknowledged that one of the reasons for the rapid demise of the Qin Dynasty after unification was its collapse.

It would be extremely difficult to govern six states from one.

He could only tolerate the numerous remnants of the six former states existing in the region, which sowed the seeds for future turmoil.

right now,

Knowing that their descendants remained powerful and prosperous beyond the borders, dominating all directions,
Ying Zheng felt both happy and worried.

He worried that the descendants of Qin would become obsessed with such rapid expansion and make the same mistakes he had made.

Fortunately, Ying Pijiang explained to his grandfather:
"After I conquered many territories, I established a system of parallel prefectures and kingdoms... Even after Ying Duan conquered the two rivers, he did not change it."

Ying Duan nodded and said, "The Shangjun where Afang Palace is located, the counties along the two rivers, and the Xilong region are all under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court."

"Most of my descendants of Qin were also settled in these places, so that they could quickly multiply and strengthen their foundation."

"The remaining people of Persia and the Seleucid kingdoms, those who were talented and docile were educated, while the rest were driven by my orders to the more desolate surrounding areas... In those places, I enfeoffed many people and implemented the policy of the Xia ruler and the barbarian people."

The descendants of Ying Pijiang

There was a clear understanding of the situation after the Qin state conquered the two rivers from north to south.

They learned from the lessons of the Qin Dynasty's downfall, knowing that overly rapid expansion could easily lead to instability.

But the people of Qin had no choice—

The land between the two rivers is indeed open and flat, easy to attack but difficult to defend.

To protect this land on which the Qin dynasty depended for its prosperity, they had no choice but to continuously expand in all directions.

They seized the highlands where Persia had risen to power, using them as a buffer zone in the east.

They captured the Xilong Mountains, which served as a natural barrier for the western frontier.

The people of Qin even considered it at one point.
If Egypt to the south becomes too powerful and aggressive, they might even dig a canal along the border between the two countries as an obstacle.

Until now,

After multiple confirmations that Egypt only possesses the latter part of the characteristics, and that its powerful western enemy, Rome, is embroiled in internal strife and unable to attend to its own affairs, while the Xia Kingdom in the east has also formed an alliance with it, there is currently no possibility of conflict between the two countries.

Only the people of Qin could lie down on the plains of the two rivers and sleep peacefully.

"To seize the land of the West Sea Strait is to complete the last brick in the defense of my Qin state."

Once the urgent worries outside are contained,

The Qin people can now slowly digest and absorb this vast territory.

As for the implementation of such a policy
Will this cause new chaos?
We can only wait for the wisdom of future generations.

Each generation has its own responsibilities.
Ying Pijiang and his son have done everything in their power to lay a sufficient foundation for the Qin Dynasty.

How this high-rise building will look when it is built overseas remains to be seen.

"Now the power of ghosts and gods extends to this place, and many wise men from the underworld are willing to come to the outside world to spread the wisdom of the Chinese people."

"As long as we don't become lazy and stick to our duties, many worries will be resolved in a few decades, or about three generations," Fusu said softly beside him.

After hearing his descendants' words, Ying Zheng said no more, and the slight frown on his brows eased.

The Qin rulers present all smiled with relief at the good news from the northwest.

Only Zhang Qian swelled up with anger, filled with grievances and dissatisfaction.

So, after a few rounds of drinks, the Marquis of Bowang of the Han Dynasty finally couldn't help but reminisce with the King of Qin, who was beaming with excitement, about the past of the Qin Dynasty.

He marveled at Qin's power in the Central Plains, and then expressed his sincere concern about Qin's future beyond the borders.

"The nation is waging war on all sides, and we don't know how the people are doing."

“When our great ancestor entered the pass and established the capital in Chang’an, he never heard of the people of Qin who, like the remnants of the six states, cherished their homeland and fought desperately to resist.”

The King of Qin's expression changed immediately.

He slammed down his wine cup and rebuked Zhang Qian for his rudeness.

As the argument went on,

The King of Qin, clearly dissatisfied, made a bold statement:
"The title of 'Emperor' was originally created by my ancestors!"

"Now that my Qin state has achieved the feat of expanding beyond its borders and become the powerful ruler of the Western Sea, it is only right to bestow upon us this honorable title once again!"

"Since the Han Dynasty is the Eastern Emperor, then our Great Qin should be the Western Emperor!"

"The Xia Kingdom and I have sworn brotherhood, so they should also be addressed with this honorific title!"

Why were the emperors of the Han Dynasty the only ones who were emperors?

But they can only be called kings?
To know,
It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian's expression also turned grim.

……

"So, don't hurt each other!"

In Didao County, the latest county established by the Qin state in the northwest,
He Bo was standing on the strait, gazing at the land across the sea from him.

But the debates between the Qin and Han dynasties in Andu City kept reaching his ears.

The Black Bird River God of the Great Ring Water hops around on the shore, occasionally pecking out two seashells from the ground.

Hearing the words of the main body, he looked up and said:
“Arguing won’t kill you. You can step in and let Ying Qin fight Liu Han!”

"It's not easy to fight from this far away!"

He Bo scratched his head, a hint of regret in his voice.

"No matter how difficult it is, is it as difficult as crossing the strait to the other side?"

The black bird's beady eyes flashed a white light at its true form.

Upon receiving news of the Qin-Luo Agreement, the ghosts and gods rushed to the scene immediately.

Relying on the power of its own body, the Black Bird was also able to leave its own domain and come here to feel the salty sea breeze.

Unfortunately,

Even a narrow strait,

He Bo couldn't get over it either.

After all, this is a distant outer realm.

How could the Yellow River, which originates from the plateau and flows from west to east into the East China Sea, possibly flow into the Mediterranean Sea?

He Bo could only sigh in vain, and instead began to spur on his clone:
Why don't you try harder!

"If you now control all the mountains and rivers of Qin, how could I possibly not be able to reach the other side of the strait!"

The black bird said angrily, "You are the original form, and if you can't do it, how could I possibly do it!"

"The Yellow River, which only knows how to criticize others, should quickly step down and give way to the Pearl River!"

He Bo was so enraged by what he said that he pounced on the clone and tried to pluck out its feathers.

On the mudflats by the sea,

The person and the bird chased and played around like that.

Their noisy voices were carried away by the drifting sea breeze to the other side of the ancient Thrace.

The Thracians living here were unaware that the two great powers to their east and west had already determined their future through constant force and negotiation.

They were simply celebrating.

The Romans, who had repeatedly invaded from the southwest, suddenly withdrew their troops and left the area.

They believe that

This is all thanks to my own resistance.

The Romans withdrew because they had witnessed the Thracians' military might and indomitable spirit!
right now,

Only the Qin people of the east remain!
Thrace will never fall!

At the banquet, a Thracian lord raised his wine cup and cheered to the crowd.

And along with his call

While chasing the black bird, the Yellow River God slipped and fell into the strait.

The surging seawater quickly engulfed him.
This allowed the River God from the far east to return to where he belonged.

Having lost the power of its original form, the Xuan Bird quickly returned to its Water God's mansion.

He hadn't yet recovered from this sudden turn of events.

The long feathers on its head bounced up and down, swaying slightly as the water flowed.

At last,
The Grand Duke of Shuishui summoned a Qin historian he had collected, who had once participated in the compilation of the "History of Persia," but had abandoned his pen for the sword due to the overly stimulating historical materials, only to die on the battlefield.

He instructed the other party:
"Remember this: Today, the Yellow River God suffered a crushing defeat at Jade Wall City!"

"Then, the River God, enraged, returned to the river's edge to engage in diving activities!"

The historian was puzzled by the talk of ghosts and spirits, but he still obediently recorded this strange history.

Serving ghosts and gods,
You can't treat them the same way you treat people as human beings!

(End of this chapter)