Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 361 In Japan

As time went by,

Having achieved sufficient victories against the Xiongnu, forcing them to gradually migrate north and successfully reversing the balance of power between the Han and the Xiongnu, the emperor was very pleased and announced:
To commemorate the arrival of the new era,

I have changed my reign title again!

then,

The first year of the Yuan Shou era has arrived.

In the autumn of that year,

After much delay, Lü Peng finally boarded the ship returning to Qi, the Kingdom of Japan.

He was originally scheduled to leave last autumn.

But last year there were always storms at sea, and the ships would be pushed back by the waves as soon as they set out.

The official in charge of the fleet said, "You have studied in the Central Plains for a long time and are rare talents in Qi. We cannot take such a risk."

therefore,

They stayed until this year.

"This time it's really time to part ways."

Lu Peng, who had grown a handsome beard, spoke with He Bo at the dock.

He Bo replied with an enigmatic expression, "That's not necessarily true!"

"Do you want to come with me to the State of Qi?" Lü Peng asked, somewhat surprised.

He knew that He Bo was a wise man who lived in seclusion in the city and possessed a great deal of knowledge.

If we could go to the State of Qi, it would definitely be very beneficial to the development of that place.

He Bo shook his head, but his expression remained profound.

Lu Peng couldn't understand it and could only regretfully conclude that he and his friend were about to part ways.

after that,

They bowed to each other in farewell, and Lü Peng boarded the ship.

And when the sails of the ship are lowered,
Another ship gradually approached the shore, and many people with their hair half-up and half-down were disembarking.

That was a ship from the Wu Kingdom in Southeast Asia.

Upon seeing them, Lü Peng couldn't help but snort, revealing an unhappy expression.

These guys, along with the State of Qi, which was an overseas branch of the Xia people, couldn't help but compare themselves to Japan as soon as they arrived in Chang'an.

Although the state of Wu was established later than the state of Qi.

Although the Kingdom of Wu bears an "original sin" in the eyes of the Han Dynasty.

However, due to their submissiveness and the contrast with the troublesome Qin and Xia tribes from beyond the borders, they were ultimately pardoned by the emperor.

after that,

The Wu Kingdom's envoys, by virtue of their status as "relatives of the Han imperial family," carried out various activities in Chang'an, demonstrating the presence of Southeast Asia.

They took the initiative to visit the residence of Lü Peng and his envoys from Qi, and after concluding that "the products of Dongying are not as good as those of Wu, so the two countries are now in similar situations," they began to act arrogantly in front of Lü Peng and his entourage.

When the nobles of the Han Dynasty had nothing to do, they also liked to discuss the situation of the two countries, trying to understand why the two overseas countries, Qi and Wu, were so different, and which one was more conducive to the expansion of the Han Dynasty's influence.

As a nobleman residing in Chang'an,
They had naturally heard about the affairs of the Qin and Xia states beyond the borders.

The nobles also disliked these two troublemakers who were jumping around and vying with them for "legitimacy".

They knew perfectly well that their noble status was only attained through their dependence on the Han Dynasty.

If the Han Dynasty's status declined, what gave them the right to maintain their position?

Therefore,
The nobles, who were originally immersed in the prosperity of the Central Plains, had no choice but to rise up and support the emperor who demanded "expansion, expansion, and more expansion" in order to strike at the two rivals and prove the greatness of the Central Kingdom.

The states of Qi and Wu, as well as the allies of Jiaonan in the Western Regions, all pleased the nobles.

But these are not enough to rid the nobles of the sense of danger that their status may be challenged.

They thought:
Many places outside the territory had already been occupied by Qin and Xia.

What about overseas?
Are there still overseas territories that Han Chinese can seize and develop?

The successive emergence of the states of Qi and Wu
This is enough to show that there are indeed vast areas overseas waiting to be occupied.

such a pity,
The Xiongnu still exist in the north of the Han Dynasty.

The southern part of Vietnam has not yet been recovered.

Even the most important people can only dream about it.

Although Lü Peng was unaware of this matter, he could still sense that the emergence of the Wu Kingdom had caused a slight change in the attitude of the Han Dynasty's rulers and ministers towards the Qi Kingdom.

before,

The State of Qi was the only overseas branch of the Chinese states.

Moreover, in his former identity as "Tian Qi," he expressed his submission and allegiance to the Han Dynasty.
This pleased the emperor greatly.

What now?
The second child has arrived!
The state that competed with Qi for the favor of the Central Plains was this despicable state of Wu!

"I must tell the King about this when I return home!"

"If the Wu Kingdom continues to act so recklessly, it's possible that some storms will be stirred up overseas, and some small boats will be sunk!"

For the sake of the future of the State of Qi, Lü Peng couldn't help but entertain dark thoughts.

But right now,
He did nothing.

The sails were billowed, the ship began to move, heading northeast out to sea. After enduring a period of hardship, Lü Peng returned to Wangzi, the capital of the State of Qi.

He was received by the new King of Qi.

Several years ago, the King of Qi who sent envoys to the Han Dynasty died, and his eldest son succeeded him, and he is very welcoming to the students who have returned to study.

The King of Qi held a grand banquet and discussed many things with him.

During this period,

He repeatedly marveled at the power of the Han Dynasty.

He also expressed his sincere dissatisfaction with the Wu Kingdom's "competition for favor".

At last,
He directly appointed Lü Peng and others to official positions, hoping they could emulate the advanced Han Dynasty and promote the development of the Qi state.

Lu Peng and his companions bowed to him gratefully, believing that this young King of Qi, like his father, was a far-sighted and benevolent monarch.

Qi had its leader.
And his own assistants
It can definitely become even better!
"...That's not necessarily true!"

In Lü Peng's hometown,

A salted fish, bubbling in the water, spoke to the people sitting on the shore fishing.

"I heard that the former King of Qi favored his youngest son, and although his eldest son who succeeded him has a reputation for virtue, his health is not very good."

"If anything goes wrong, the State of Qi will be in trouble."

He Bo looked down at him and said, "You're always in the water like a dead fish, how do you know all this?"

This place is quite a distance from Wangzi.
Given this lazy bum's nature, he wouldn't be willing to tire himself out.

Uncle Water Fish told him, "Of course, I heard it from the people coming and going on the shore!"

"This place is quite popular now!"

Lü Peng has been sending people to Han for so many years,

His hometown, of course, did not stagnate.

After all, the Kingdom of Qi in the East was still constantly expanding and developing.

It's just that the limited resources in Japan have made this change somewhat slow.

Anyway,

For He Bo, a ghost who had just arrived on the island of Japan, the scenery here was somewhat beyond his expectations.

After all, when Lü Peng was in the Central Plains,
They kept talking about the prosperity of the Central Plains and the desolation of Japan, as if the people of Qi had been suffering all these years overseas.

"Moreover, that young master once wanted to claim this land as his fiefdom and sent people to inspect, enclose, and plan a manor."

"If Old Wang hadn't died of old age before things were finalized, you would have been able to see his splendor when you came!"

The governance of the Qi Kingdom in Dongying

Naturally, the ruling methods used during the Xia dynasty cannot be completely adopted.

How rich and vast is the land of Qilu! How can the mountainous and rugged land of Japan compare with it?
Numerous mountains rise on the land, and as far as the eye can see, it is difficult to find a wide-open plain.

The journey involves traversing mountains and valleys.

therefore,

In order to better govern and more effectively expel the Japanese people who were originally active in these areas, and to occupy more land,
After Tian Heng became the King of Qi, he revived the Zhou rites and vigorously promoted the enfeoffment system.

He enfeoffed meritorious officials or members of the royal family to the other side of the mountains, allowing them to establish small manor states in the valleys between the mountains and in the forests where barbarians lived, and then go to "pay tribute to the central government".

The late king doted on his youngest son, so he specifically promised him that he could choose a good piece of land as his fief.

of course,

This promise was simply ignored after the new emperor ascended the throne.

"If that's the case, then there are indeed potential risks!"

He Bo nodded, feeling that even if Qi went overseas, it could not escape the internal strife within the royal family.

but,

Only the former rulers of Qi would have worried about this problem.

Ghosts and spirits don't care.

All he needed to know was that Lü Peng and his crew's ships had returned safely.

"Besides, you've been here for so many years, haven't you heard a single word about Tian Zhongzhou?"

"If even a local like Lü Peng doesn't know him, why should I know more?"

A white light flashed in the salted fish's eye.

This indicates that he rolled his eyes.

All I know is that he set sail one summer, heading further east.

"If the journey is smooth and without any setbacks, perhaps we can ride the ocean currents to the other continent?"

Sometimes, the sea
It is so stingy, always using the wind and waves to chew up and devour the ships floating on it.

At other times, however, they can be quite generous.

Those endless ocean currents always selflessly and proactively carry many things from one place to another.

"You can throw more cans out; who knows, one day they might drift to that land?"

The salted fish clone said this to its original body?

(End of this chapter)