Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 424 Merchants of Yinzhou

After a long period of turmoil,
Su Guang finally led his fleet back to the State of Qi.

The Yinzhou people who accompanied him also witnessed Su Guang's extraordinary ability to "predict celestial phenomena" during their journey back to their ancestral land.

He was so shocked that he almost prostrated himself on the deck, calling Su Guang a divine messenger.

But Su Guang said:
"How can I bear such a role!"

"Only the emperor can communicate with heaven and become the object of your worship."

The man from Yinzhou said, "I often hear you talk about the prosperity of our ancestral land in the Central Plains. Do the people there also have such extraordinary qualities as you?"

"The emperor, who upholds the will of Heaven and rules the land under the sun and moon, how profound must his majesty be?"

Su Guang laughed heartily:
"Once you return to Qi with me, we can go to the Central Plains and admire its splendor!"

"The place that gave birth to the Xia people is naturally incomparable to other regions!"

then,

Those who came from Yinzhou seeking their roots felt an ever-growing longing for their ancestral homeland.

"This is a very good thing!"

King Qi received Su Guang and, after listening to his account of the entire experience, patted his knees in admiration.

"Who could have known that the traces and bloodlines of the Chinese people might still be found overseas?"

"And you over there, you guided them back to the right path, preventing them from degenerating further into barbarism, and even led them back to their homeland... What a great deed that is!"

As the ancients said, "When barbarians enter China, China becomes China."

This demonstrates the broad-mindedness of the ancients and also suggests to future generations the importance of educating barbarians.

on the contrary,

What a humiliation it would be if China turned to the barbarians!
After all, the sages once said:
"It is better for the Chinese people to have no ruler than for barbarians to have one!"

Upon hearing the King of Qi's praise, Su Guang humbly replied:
"It was just a small contribution."

"The main credit should be attributed to the former king."

Unfortunately,

Lu Peng, who had been waiting for his loved ones to return for so long, ultimately could not hold on until the moment of their reunion, and his life came to an end.

On his deathbed, he held the King of Qi's hand and said:
"When you hold the sacrificial ceremony, be sure not to forget to tell me about this."

King Qi agreed while weeping.

When Su Guang heard about this, he also faced Lü Peng's tomb from afar and bowed in grief.

Now, when we mention this deceased king again,
Both King Qi and Su Guang couldn't help but forget the pleasant conversation they had just had, and their faces showed expressions of sadness and nostalgia.

But grief cannot last forever.

The future of the State of Qi still has a long way to go.

Those who succeed them should carry on the legacy of their predecessors and accomplish even more illustrious deeds.

such,

Only when we worship our ancestors can we say more and be more proud.

"How..."

"Yinzhou is still too far away."

Stroking the golden Yinzhou Cauldron presented by Su Guang and the Qi people from across the ocean—a cauldron forged with bronze and fire from Yinzhou, incorporating the wisdom and effort of the Yinzhou people—King Qi said with some regret.

“Even if everything goes smoothly, it will still take a year to go back and forth.”

"It would be difficult for the State of Qi to expand there and turn Yinzhou into the land of the Xia people."

"Moreover, according to you, sailing south along the coast, one can also see the descendants of the Yin and Shang dynasties who have already multiplied there."

"This added many difficulties to the Qi state's efforts to educate and civilize Yinzhou."

Su Guang's stay in Yinzhou was not very short.

His involvement was not limited to the land that Tian Zhongzhou named "Dongzi".

After communicating with the descendants of the Qi people and helping them rediscover their culture and identity as members of the Xia people,

Su Guang then repaired the boat and began to explore the nearby land along the coast.

Although he still hadn't seen any docile animals like cattle, sheep, or horses in Yinzhou that could be tamed as mounts, it made it difficult for him to explore further into the land.

but,

They have boats!
If the land route is not feasible, then we will take the water route!
Anyway, the Qi people were born with the destiny to conquer the sea!
then,

After sailing south for some time, Su Guang and his companions encountered the "descendants of the Yin and Shang dynasties." As for why Su Guang recognized them at a glance...?

joke!

Although those people had long hair, tattoos, wore animal skins, and had a darker complexion than the people of the Central Plains...

But apart from the Yin and Shang dynasties,
Who would like to commit murder and sacrifice at the drop of a hat?
"This is a true businessman!"

When Su Guang, who was spying on the enemy from the grass, was no longer bound by historical records, he witnessed for the first time in reality the Shang ritual of "cutting off heads and hearts to offer to the gods."
He expressed his heartfelt feelings.

"However, they seem to be more gentle than they were a thousand years ago."

afterwards,

Unwilling to linger and risk disaster, Su Guang and his entourage departed. The great navigator remained on the ship, secretly pondering the behavior of the "descendants of the Yin and Shang dynasties."

"Why do you say that!"

My companion recounted with lingering fear, "A living person, with a bloodied heart, was turned into that state!"

"Is this considered mild?"

Su Guang, who was well-versed in history, said, "But according to the strict Shang rites, they should have performed sacrifices and divination before eating, going out, sleeping, and so on."

People who came from the Central Plains
It always carries the atmosphere of involution.

Even in the brutal and savage act of human sacrifice, they strive to surpass the surrounding barbarians.

When Su Guang was serving as an envoy to the Han Dynasty in Chang'an, he was fortunate enough to be granted permission to enter the archives of the Han Dynasty, where he saw many records about the Shang Dynasty.

Some of the words were obscure and difficult to understand, which he had already forgotten.

However, the frequent use of the term "Qiang" has left him with a deep sense of gratitude.

"Moreover, a thousand years ago, merchants living in the Central Plains liked to use captives as sacrificial offerings. The more noble the captive, the more they would offer them to their ancestors."

Therefore,
The barbarians, whose skin was said to be as pale as a ghost and thus named "Guifang," became treasures that the nobles of the Shang Dynasty carried with them both in life and in death.

From Su Guang's perspective at that time,
Those with pale skin mostly came from the Western Regions.
I don't know why those barbarians from two thousand years ago traveled thousands of miles to the Central Plains to become sacrifices for the Shang Dynasty.

I suppose they heard about the local customs and were therefore eager to help others!

"But now, they mostly use their own brave and skilled warriors in their sacrifices, and they no longer carry out large-scale operations."

"Isn't this gentle and approachable?"

Upon hearing this, his companion looked into Su Guang's clear eyes and asked with some surprise, "Are you joking, or are you serious?"

"The latter, of course!"

Su Guang couldn't understand why, after traveling together for so long, his companion would still doubt his true intentions.

"Good good!"

"I know why you have earned the King's approval and led your fleet eastward!"

His companion stared in disbelief for a moment, then uttered those words and turned to leave.

Su Guang was left standing there, completely bewildered.

Upon hearing Su Guang's description of the descendants of the Yin-Shang dynasty, the King of Qi couldn't help but cough twice and say:
"Even if merchants no longer strictly adhere to commercial etiquette and become slightly more lenient, they still cannot cross such a vast distance to send the people of Qi to risk their lives in Yinzhou."

He told Su Guang, "I intend to develop the Southeast Asia, but I'm afraid I can no longer support your expedition as I did with the late king."

Su Guang was somewhat disappointed.

But he knew in his heart that such a journey was indeed too far and arduous.

The people of Qi are not like the Qin Dynasty a hundred years ago, facing the danger of national subjugation and extermination. Why should they invite trouble upon themselves?
Before departure,

Su Guang once made a promise with the Qi people of Yinzhou, saying that he would definitely return here and bring them more civilization.

He was unwilling to be a treacherous and wicked person.

So he suddenly said, "If I recruit men myself and go to Yinzhou, could Your Majesty be a little more lenient with me?"

"This is natural."

"However, before that, I would like to ask you to act as an envoy and present the Yinzhou Cauldron to the Central Plains, so as to express the good news that a branch of our Xia people who had been lost overseas has returned to their ancestral land."

tripod,
It is a national asset and cannot be ignored.

King Qi, heeding his father's teachings, valued friendship with the Central Plains and was unwilling to have any conflict with them in any way.

Therefore, although he coveted the significance of acquiring the Yin Zhou Ding, the King of Qi ultimately decided to present it to the emperor.

After all, the State of Qi never even managed to declare itself an empire.

How could they possibly dare to interfere with the emperor's power to rule over all the Chinese states?
(End of this chapter)