Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 456 Egypt

"It's rare to find such a leisurely place here."

Egypt in the past,
The place now named "Lixuan" by the Qin people

That canal, painstakingly excavated by the Qin people, connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea...
He Bo arrived and grabbed a tilapia that was enjoying a blissful descent in the gentle Nile River. He threw it onto the bank and asked it to keep him company so they could admire the scenery on both sides of the river.

The tilapia was furious, hopping around on the ground with its spines outstretched. "What's the difference between us?"

"Why don't we open our minds and speak frankly?"

"Why did you drag me out to sunbathe!"

He Bo said matter-of-factly, "Seeing you comfortable is more painful than me being hit by a mixed doubles brace from the Yangtze River and the Lancang River!"

"I'm not going to let you get away with this!"

The tilapia ignored him, using its short fins to paw at the sand beneath it, intending to climb back into the quietly flowing Nile River on its own.

But the beatings from the Yellow River did not bring him relief.

Seeing this, the child next to them couldn't help but point in this direction and ask the adult:
Why would that gentleman toy with a fish?

The adult simply smiled, patted the child's head, and whispered to him, "Some people are like that."

"You should just stay away from him."

The child nodded as if he understood, but his eyes kept glancing towards He Bo.

He didn't look away until the ship sailed west along the canal, merged into the main channel of the Nile, and then drifted toward the Mediterranean Sea.

Stay in place
After battling with his clone for a while, He Bo finally managed to subdue the spiky tilapia.

He used the reeds growing on the riverbank to bind the other person, and then lifted him up.

He held the tilapia in his hand, its wide eyes revealing a look of utter helplessness.

"...Are you getting a little perverted because you haven't yet been able to get the Yangtze River's sacrifice or the strength to climb mountains on the plateau?"

He Bo asked, puzzled, "Why would you think that?"

The prickly fish replied, "After all, when people use reeds to catch fish, they skewer them from the gills."

"And you, my true self!"

Why did you even tie up my shark fin? And put a cross on it too?

"Oh, this is a local specialty!"

He Bo told him, "I've observed it, and it's the same whether it's stringing people or fish."

The tilapia tried to flick its tail in protest.

However, He Bo's rope skills were so superb that it was difficult for it to break free. It could only be held in the hand of the main body like a flying fish with its fins spread, and allowed to be dried in the wind.

then,

He Bo then led him on a aimless stroll along the canal.

Regarding the Nile River,
Before this, too many people had already mentioned it to him.

Although the less magnanimous spirits and deities generally did not approve of this.

But when he came here in person and witnessed this great river that had flowed for who knows how long and nourished countless lives, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

of course,

He could never admit the Nile's tenderness and affection.

"A loving mother often loses her son!"

"A calm river cannot give birth to a brilliant civilization!"

Standing on the riverbank, He Bo's mouth was as hard as the spines on a tilapia, the beak of a Qin black bird, and the shell of a Ganges turtle.

"If it weren't for the Yellow River's nourishment, where would those guys on the Nile be paddling dragon boats now?"

As He Bo gazed at the scene not far away, he became more and more righteous in his speech.

The people on the river were oblivious to the outsiders judging them; they were just sweating profusely, rowing furiously, trying to overtake their opponents.

After being incorporated into the territory of the Qin state

The great hands of the Chinese virtuous rulers, with their profound influence, began to caress Egypt without any attempt at concealment.

In addition, the efforts and changes made by Wang Sheng, a righteous man who "sacrificed his life for the country," during his rule of this area,

Young people born in the ancient land of Egypt gradually accepted the rule of the Qin people.

They were shrouded in the wings of the black bird, just as they had been many years ago under the protection of the falcon-headed god.

In order to better educate these barbarian lands beyond the borders, and to better make them accept the concept of "the unity of all Chinese peoples,"

The rulers and ministers of Qin then transplanted the customs from the Central Plains to other regions.

Although limited by different environments and climates

This prevented local customs from being completely identical to those of the Central Plains.
Generally speaking, there shouldn't be any problems.

When it snows,
The people of Qin celebrate festivals to reflect on past achievements and welcome the new year.

As the sunlight intensifies and a new cycle of the fifth day of the fifth lunar month begins,

The Qin people would also organize people to carry out activities on the great river they ruled, to show that they "did not forget their roots".

At most, it's limited by the temperature.

The dragon boat races in Mesopotamia were scheduled for the mild and pleasant nighttime.
In Egypt, however, a gentle evening was set.

therefore,

When He Bo arrived here and experienced the "exotic atmosphere" that combined the characteristics of various Chinese cultures, he could see a group of people swimming on the Nile River under the setting sun.

"But do they know the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival?"

Tilapia said, "Oh dear, this is a bit of an embarrassing question for the Qin people!"

"Just know that in many places within the Western Qin territory, people have started eating zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and racing dragon boats!"

He Bo watched with a smile as a boat sped past the finish line, then suddenly sighed, "What a pity, there wasn't such a celebration in the two rivers this year."

"Throughout the Qin state, only in Beidi Commandery and Lixuan Commandery can one see such scenery."

The two rivers, once prosperous
We are currently receiving wave after wave of refugees.

Even though the arrogant emperor believed that "governing a country requires appeasing the people" and ordered the granaries to be opened to provide relief, it was still a drop in the ocean.

first,
Because the Mesopotamian Plain is surrounded by mountains, plateaus, and even deserts and oceans, it has enjoyed a long period of stability and tranquility, so officials here rarely face such serious crises.

Secondly,

The prolonged peace also allowed the officials here to become complacent and corrupt.

In a short period of time,
The sudden "fire dragon burning the warehouse" has happened several times already.

There are countless instances where precious grains were offered but could not be served to the disaster victims.

more importantly,
Apart from Mesopotamia,

The surrounding land was unable to support these extra people and provide them with a stable and lasting livelihood.

Fear of the Xiongnu in the rear
This forced the disaster victims to flock to this once-praised, fertile, and peaceful plain like a flood.

The Qin rulers and ministers were already overwhelmed with work, so where would they find the energy to hold such events and use festivals to subtly educate the barbarian tribes under their rule?
Far from the armies, relying on the deserts and the strait to block the way, the northern regions and the two prefectures of Lixuan still had such leisure and elegance.

After all, the Qin state had a very vast territory.
The people in the east are suffering.
What does this have to do with the Northwest and Southwest?

The fact that they were able to provide some food and transport it by boat to the vicinity of the two rivers already proves their kindness!
"But peace is only temporary."

The tilapia still had its fins spread open, and its scales showed signs of drying out from being out of the water for too long.

"Under the cover of the nest, are there any intact eggs?"

"If the Qin state cannot resolve the troubles caused by the westward migration of the Xiongnu before the end of the Roman Civil War, then they will be caught in a pincer movement!"

"you're right!"

He Bo nodded, "So we should take advantage of this peaceful place and enjoy the scenery as much as possible!"

He said this,

Carrying the fish, they headed off to a new place. Meanwhile, within the city of Andu,

The emperor appointed his sixteenth son as the nominal commander-in-chief to quell the unrest in the east.

"You should make good use of this opportunity. As long as you don't make mistakes and respect the generals' opinions, you can enhance your prestige and gain the approval of the court officials."

Having not slept well for many days, the emperor, looking somewhat weary, said this to his sons.

His tone was gentle and kind.
He seemed like a loving father who cherished his offspring, rather than the cruel monarch who could abolish his first wife and kill or imprison one son.

The young sixteenth prince of Western Qin also put on a docile and obedient demeanor, expressing his inner unease while thanking his father for his trust and reliance on him.

The emperor was naturally very pleased with this.

He stroked the child's face, which clearly bore the features of someone of a different race, and patted his back, saying:
"You are my most beloved child, and you should encourage yourself more in certain matters."

The prince's expression became even more sincere and excited.
When leaving the palace, she almost tripped over the threshold, looking helpless, like a raccoon without sharp teeth and claws.

just,

When the prince returned to his residence, alone with everyone else...
His slightly bent back gradually straightened, and his still somewhat immature face revealed a suspicion and harshness very similar to that of the emperor.

"This old thing!"

He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, muttering reprimands under his breath.

"Fearing that the grown-up prince would gain military merit and thus affect his position, they actually sent me to the front line to supervise the battle!"

"And what's with the encouragement?"

"Since I look like this, how could I possibly gain the approval of my subjects?"

The mother of the sixteenth prince was a woman from a different ethnic group.

The emperor was captivated by her beauty and figure, and after several visits to her bed, she conceived a new child.

This should be a good thing.

Unfortunately, after the prince was born, his eyebrows, eyes, and hair all resembled his mother's appearance, and he didn't look like the emperor at all.

This displeased the naturally suspicious emperor, who worried that he would have an extra color on his head.

At last,
The prince's birth mother, a woman who only enjoyed the emperor's favor for a short time, could only use her own life to prove the purity of her child's bloodline.

But such actions did not make the emperor feel any remorse towards this offspring.

He was only pleased that he hadn't been wearing a hat, so he placed the young prince in an inconspicuous corner of the harem and had the palace servants take care of him.

After the emperor deposed the empress and killed his son,
The overwhelming public opinion in the court and among the people forced the emperor to take action to suppress these discontents.

But he was harsh by nature; how could he possibly be a true father and son?
Moreover, even if it's just an act,

This also means that the emperor would bestow certain privileges and preferential treatment upon a certain prince in order to demonstrate his unwavering paternal love.

How could he bear to relinquish his own power and allow the prince to have the ability to usurp the throne?
then,

After much deliberation, the emperor remembered his son, who, due to his appearance, was naturally ineligible for the throne.

He quickly pulled him out of the corner and presented him to everyone, making the latter go from being almost forgotten to becoming "the emperor's most beloved son".

now,

When foreign enemies invade, it is precisely the time to wage war.

In terms of the ecology of the Qin Dynasty,
Military merit was a crucial factor that enabled people to rise rapidly in rank, enter the imperial court, and gain recognition from others.

The emperor did not want the regional military commanders, who already wielded considerable power, to achieve further merits.

Because this would cause them to completely lose control.

After he supported regional military governors to replace local feudal lords and members of the imperial family...
His suspicious nature led the emperor to quickly adopt a policy of supporting one faction to maintain a balance of power.

The ones the emperor brought out this time to fight against these regional generals were his many adult sons.

of course,

The latter must also be kept firmly in the emperor's grasp.

otherwise,

They will soon be abandoned by this power-hungry father, losing their freedom and lives.

In this regard,
The sixteenth prince remains a very useful tool.

His age,

His appearance,

The emperor was far less wary of him than of his other children.

The prince's docile demeanor, honed from childhood, made the emperor feel even more at ease.

The emperor just didn't expect that...

He can play a loving father.
Others can naturally play the role of a filial son as well.

"I can't go on like this!"

After lingering for a long time, the prince tapped his palm and thought to himself.

"That old man won't trust me like this forever."

"We can't have any expectations of him!"

My experiences from childhood to adulthood
All of this made the princes yearn to control their own destiny.

He's had enough of being looked down upon and taken advantage of!

then,

The prince summoned his servant and ordered him to continue delivering gifts to the Wang family and to convey a message to one of them:
"I'm about to set off for war, and I hope to see him and say goodbye."

the next day,
The prince's residence was then visited by a beautiful woman, equally exotic in appearance.

She appeared to be a bit older than the prince, but this did not detract from her beauty; rather, it made her even more charming.

And this person's identity,

He was a descendant of Wang Sheng, a bloodline of the Egyptian royal family.

Before his death, Wang Sheng presented Egypt as a gift to the Qin state.

The Egyptian royal family thus became one of the nobles of the Qin state through their merit of "sacrificing the country".

If we're talking about seniority...
The woman before him must be the great-granddaughter of Wang Sheng and the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra III.

Due to atavism in appearance,

In her youth, this woman lived mostly in what was then Egypt, now the Lixuan County of the Qin Dynasty.

After her first husband passed away,
Troubled by sorrow, she moved to Andu City, where she met the sixteenth prince.

The two sides quickly became acquainted.

The prince developed feelings for her because of her appearance and family background, and decided to take action against her.

The woman was aware of it, but didn't care about such trivial matters.

After all, the other party was, in a sense, a prince recognized by the emperor, and one of the most noble classes in the Qin Dynasty.

The two sides hit it off immediately.
To others, it was a love story that transcended age.

"If you make a contribution, find a way to come with me to Lixuan."

"There's plenty of space there, so there won't be any major obstacles."

As they parted, the woman said these words to the prince.

The prince agreed with her suggestion.

"I think so!"

"As long as I return safely, we can break free from this cage, like birds soaring into the blue sky and fish swimming in the sea!"

"Then I wish you success!"

The woman touched her young lover's face, watched him turn around, mount his horse, and leave Andu in his armor.

(End of this chapter)