Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 439 Liu Xun
"The situation in Xia Kingdom has gradually stabilized."

"How many more years until the chaos of the Qin and Han dynasties arrives?"

As the year draws to a close...

In many places, fireworks and firecrackers were set off, and people sang and danced in celebration.
Standing on the frozen river, He Bo suddenly asked the dead men around him, who had each dug their own ice caves and were busy fishing.

His words, like a sudden gust of winter wind, caught the dead off guard.

Old Ghost Xi, who always echoed the opinions of ghosts and spirits, did not reply in time.

Because he finally received a miracle, and was hooked by a large carp swimming under the ice.

Overjoyed, Xi Dang Dang became so happy that he started cheering and entangled with the big carp.

Unfortunately,
The immense force of the struggle ultimately prevented him from succeeding, and Xi stubbornly refused to let go.

Right now,

Old Gui Xi was like a hapless upside-down flower, his upper body plunged into the ice hole he had carved out himself, while his lower body swayed in the cold wind.

In this situation,

He couldn't even hear what the ghosts and spirits were saying, let alone answer their questions.

then,

Ximen Bao could only step forward and say, "Why have such worries during the New Year?"

He Bo told him with a smile, "Just curious!"

"The rise and fall, the order and chaos, are the natural order of a nation."

"Now, the two great powers of China, one in the east and one in the west, are like blazing flames, dazzling and inspiring admiration."

"I couldn't help but wonder: what will the world look like when the firewood has almost burned out?"

"As long as it's more normal than Xia Country, that's fine."

Ximen Bao shuddered as he recalled the humanoid creatures that had appeared one after another during the decades of chaos in the Xia Kingdom.

They feared that the frenzied scene would be replicated on the sacred land of the Central Kingdom.

He Bo was still muttering to himself, "Xia Country..."

"Speaking of which, the current situation of the Han Dynasty is indeed very similar to that of the Xia Dynasty!"

The state of Liu Han
From its inception to the present day,

Nearly 150 years have passed.

Even during this period, from high-ranking officials to commoners, everyone experienced Emperor Wu of Han's "equal treatment of all beings" approach.
Overall, however, things remained quite peaceful.

During this century of stable development, many problems have also emerged and grown.

From a potential threat, it has become a force that the country cannot ignore.

For example, land consolidation,

For example, aristocratic families...

Under the rule of Liu Xun, a monarch well-versed in the art of benevolent rule and hegemonic power,

Some people and things can be suppressed, prevented, or even weakened.

But what about after they die?
His successor will not possess the same strong hand as his father to deal with and deter those who are tempting trouble.

Ximen Bao recalled the various situations he had encountered while following ghosts and gods across the rich Central Plains, and couldn't help but let out a sigh.

Even if there are helpful ghosts traveling around, spreading information about various places, and helping the emperor and his ministers in high positions to understand the situation of the people in a timely manner.

But just as the Xia Kingdom dealt with the various monks of Shendu:
Having nice words is useless.

Facts speak louder than words!

Therefore,
Faced with some undeniable facts, even if everyone is aware of them, it is difficult to find a solution.

"Fortunately, the ties between the Han and Xia are still quite close, and there are precedents of expeditions to the Xia Kingdom to help it stabilize. It is likely that the Han Dynasty will learn from its mistakes and will not repeat them."

Ximen Bao said, gripping the motionless fishing rod in his hand.

"I hope so!"

He Bo blinked and didn't say anything more.

He walked over and began to pull up Old Ghost Joy from behind.

This guy is being pulled further and further into the ice cave by the fish, and it looks like he's about to be killed by the fish.

If He Bo is still busy following national affairs with Ximen Bao,

Before long, this fisherman will be adding great glory to the aquatic world.

……

At the same time,
In Chang'an City,
The emperor had just finished enjoying the warm and festive time with his family.

He changed out of his exquisite robes and put on clothes specially woven by Empress Xu Pingjun. He sat cross-legged on the couch in a very peaceful manner, letting the Empress massage the acupoints on his head.

He also suddenly spoke up, saying to his wife, "The Crown Prince's personality is too gentle."

"I'm a little worried that he won't be able to govern the country well in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Empress did not stop her hand, nor did she change the force of her grip.

She calmly removed his crown, let his hair down, and began to massage her husband's head, patiently asking him:
How could you say that?

"Don't his ministers, who taught him, often praise his wisdom and kindness?"

"That's exactly what worries me!"

The emperor sighed and frowned. "Governing a country is no easy task."

The Empress then paused for a moment.

She didn't explain anything to her eldest son, but simply reached out her still soft and beautiful hands to smooth the wrinkles between her husband's brows.

How many times have I told you?

"Don't always frown in front of me."

"That's not good for your health!"

The emperor, having been reprimanded by his wife, could only smile wryly as he held her hand and playfully scratched the soft flesh in her palm.

at this time,

He was like an ordinary man, helpless in the face of his gentle but inevitably controlling wife.

"I know, I know!"

He didn't mention the Crown Prince again, but simply leaned closer and let himself fall onto the Empress's lap.

The emperor who bore the weight of the Han dynasty on his shoulders,
This also extends to the emperors of other Xia peoples.
He allowed his wife to briefly bear the pressure he was under.

The Empress continued to massage his shoulders and head, her fingers gently tracing the graying temples of the Emperor.

just,

As the emperor fell into a deep sleep in this idyllic retreat, his brow furrowed once more.

And as the New Year's atmosphere gradually fades,

The emperor continued to busy himself with the affairs of the entire realm.

He brought his crown prince to court meetings, and when discussing solutions with his ministers in private, he still kept the prince by his side and encouraged the prince to offer his opinions.

Unfortunately, due to talent and nature,
None of this could make this prince, who grew up surrounded by love, develop the vigilance and suspicion that a monarch should have towards the many dangers of the world.

He upheld the teachings of the sages and dealt with the difficult problems his father posed with pure innocence.

The emperor thus became increasingly silent.

Gradually,
He began to mentor his second son.

That was his second son, born to him and the Empress.

Like his older brother, he grew up feeling loved by his parents.

Even compared to his elder brother,
Because he was not made crown prince from a young age and entrusted with the mission of ruling the country.

He was less controlled and had less of what others had instilled in his mind.

The emperor had previously been very lenient towards this.

After all, they were both born to the empress.
He hoped that the two brothers could get along peacefully and not fight.

But right now,
The emperor was beginning to test his second son's talent in governance.

This alerted some people in the imperial court, who began to stir up trouble.

"How much impact would deposing and establishing a crown prince have on the entire country?"

In the harem,

The queen was snuggling with her husband when she suddenly said this to him.

"How so?" The emperor paused slightly as he stroked her hair.

The empress did not speak, but simply looked at him quietly.

Young couple

How could she not know what her husband was thinking?

Moreover, her gentle and innocent child would occasionally come to her mother's house during this time to confide her troubles, wondering what she had done wrong that caused her father to side with her younger brother.

The emperor could only sigh and say to the empress:
"Don't overthink it, I won't do that." "But I am not only the Crown Prince's mother, but also your wife, the Empress of the Han Dynasty."

The Empress still had that gentle demeanor.

She told her husband, "I know you will never let Shi'er be sad and will make sure he has a future where he can enjoy his old age in peace."

"...So, if it's better for the country, you can do some things."

She reached out and gently brushed the white hair from the emperor's forehead.

She had watched her young husband, who had succeeded to the throne, gradually transform the country into a prosperous era, and naturally she couldn't bear to let such hard work go to waste.

therefore,

Between the emperor and the crown prince,

She went against her maternal instincts and chose the man in front of her, whom she had relied on and loved for many years.

The emperor was deeply moved.

He held his wife in his arms and rested his head on her hair, which also had a few strands of silver.

"How could I bear to make such a good woman like you sad?"

"I won't do anything."

Their eldest son will still inherit the throne.

Even if his talent is insufficient to solve the many problems that will inevitably arise in the future.

of course,

Aside from the influence of his love for his wife,
After examination, their second son's abilities were found to be not much different from his elder brother's.
This was also a major reason why the emperor abandoned further actions.

Without the extraordinary talent of Emperor Wu,
It is difficult for a monarch to firmly depose a crown prince who has done nothing wrong.

The emperor never considered making a child born to someone else the crown prince.

His choices were always limited to Xu Pingjun.

more importantly,
To this day, all emperors who have ascended the throne in the Han Dynasty have been the eldest sons of the legitimate wife.

Even if his mother was just an ordinary member of the harem when he was born,
However, before the late emperor decided to make him the crown prince, he would first bestow titles upon his mother, so that he could inherit the Han dynasty in the most perfect way and without any problems.

Patriarchal clan system, etiquette, and public opinion.
It all rests on the Crown Prince.
If the emperor were to firmly depose him and replace him with a second son of similar ability, the resulting upheaval would likely be even more severe than that caused by Emperor Xuanzong of Xia.

At least when the latter established his second son,
The eldest son is indeed dead.

"The lesson of the Xia Kingdom is right before our eyes."

"I won't do anything that risky."

He kissed his wife's cheek. "I will take advantage of the time I still have to teach the Crown Prince more, so that he can become more sensible."

The Queen said, "Then you must take good care of your health."

"Neither the Crown Prince nor I can live without you!"

Even though the eldest son is over twenty years old,

Even as I gradually lose my color.

But Xu Pingjun still relied on her husband.

"I know."

The emperor gently agreed.

"Emperor Wu lived a long life, and as his descendant, I will live as long as he did!"

Although apart from Emperor Wu, Emperor Taizu, and Emperor Taigong,
The average lifespan in the Liu family is only in the early forties.

But there are excellent examples to follow,

The emperor still looked forward to the future when he would grow old with white hair and enjoy his retirement with his wife.

……

"Fulfilling the responsibilities of the head of the family, educating the family's children, and guiding them onto the right path is no easy task!"

Even after the emperor resumed his usual ways and allowed his second son to play freely again, the turmoil surrounding the crown prince had not completely subsided.

His trusted ministers,

Therefore, the Marquis of Champion of the Han Dynasty privately complained to the emperor that certain people were secretly using the guise of "protecting the crown prince" to make connections and collusion.

"Even if His Majesty doesn't have such intentions, as long as the Crown Prince believes it, he can still claim the merit of supporting the emperor out of thin air in the future!"

"This is utterly shameless!"

Creating cards out of thin air,

This is a very common tactic among politically influential figures.

Some people who lack a clear understanding of their own abilities and believe they can deceive others are particularly fond of this tactic.

For example,
Members of the Huo family.

"It's my fault for not disciplining them properly." General Huo, upholding righteousness, lowered his head and said with great shame, having denounced his own relatives.

Although they were descendants of Huo Guang,
However, one cannot write two "霍" characters in one stroke.

After the deaths of elders and highly respected figures like Huo Guang and Huo Shan,

As the person with the highest status and the most power in the Huo family, he naturally had to take responsibility for the future of the Huo family.

He was very dedicated to educating his children and also took good care of the lives and conduct of his cousins.

Unfortunately, Huo Guang's branch...
They were quite far apart, and their mistress, Huo Xian, was an arrogant person—

Before the emperor was a boy and had ascended the throne,
Huo Xian once wanted to use Huo Guang's power and status to marry his daughter to him so that she could become the future empress of the Han Dynasty.

But the emperor chose Xu Pingjun, a woman of humble origins.
This made Huo Xian very angry.

She sent someone directly to the Xu family to reprimand them:
"How dare you lowly beings covet a noble position?"

Such remarks, once spread, greatly displeased the royal family.

Because Emperor Wu's empress was originally a singer,

The emperor's mother, Empress Wang Wengxu, the wife of the late Emperor Liu Jin, was also a singer.

Speaking of which,

Even lower than Xu Pingjun!
Moreover, Liu Jin and Wang Wengxu were still alive at that time.

How could Huo Xian's words possibly make them happy!
It is conceivable that

Having such a mother,
Huo Guang's descendants could definitely give General Huo a headache.

For this,

The emperor didn't take it to heart and even tried to comfort him.

He will surely deal with those who have ulterior motives later.

And to his confidants,
The emperor was much more lenient.

As the emperor continued to persuade him, he also became moved and thus uttered the words he had spoken earlier.

Human hearts are generally made of flesh and blood.
Even if there are differences in status,

However, when it comes to their children and descendants, their thoughts are always similar.

The continuation of bloodline,

Family legacy,
The maintenance of ancestral temples...

This is a very important part of the essence of the Chinese people.

Even if you know some things are wrong, even if you know the reasons behind them... you can't help but soften your heart and show mercy.

"No wonder there are sayings about 'favoritism' among the people."

The emperor sighed and said, "How many people in this world can truly let go of these emotions and happily be themselves?"

Even though he possessed the entire world,
Above tens of millions of people
But you still can't do whatever you want.

After all, the Central Kingdom has thirteen provinces, hundreds of counties, and tens of millions of people.

And the hundreds of millions of people from all the various Xia states.

They really are all on his shoulders.

How could he possibly be so heartless as to abandon these responsibilities?
General Huo nodded in agreement.

He thought of his relatives.
Huo Guang's descendants, especially his cousins, were even more empathetic towards the emperor.

He said, "So sometimes, I really envy the King of Changyi."

Hearing him say that,

The emperor was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but raise his hand and pat his head, as if he wanted to say something.

But in the end, he still didn't say it aloud, only instructing his subordinates:
"never mind."

"You'd better not mention him."

Stop reminding the emperor that he not only has a kind but easily deceived crown prince, but also a troublesome uncle who is constantly being reported to by the governor.

"Let him enjoy himself in Changyi!"

(End of this chapter)