Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 457 "The Horusic Rebellion"

The prince led the army into battle.

This is something that is very good for morale.

Furthermore, since its founding, Western Qin had been forced to constantly strengthen its military due to unfavorable geographical, meteorological, and human conditions.
Therefore, although they had been dominating weaker opponents abroad for many years, their skill level had been lowered by their rivals, preventing them from regaining their former prowess.
However, after being beaten and reorganized, they still have the conditions to launch a defensive counterattack.

Unlike the Xia Kingdom,

Even the people of India dared to take advantage of him, making him lose his sense of identity.

As for the Xiongnu...
Since they had just migrated westward, the main pursuit of the Chanyu was to seize a fertile land so that his cattle and sheep could enjoy delicious grass, rather than roaming beyond the borders and enjoying the pleasure of crushing weaker animals.

Therefore, when the originally smooth westward route was blocked by the Qin people, the Xiongnu people were not too angry.

They then turned their attention to attacking the surrounding Saka and Yuezhi people, seizing their grasslands, and becoming the new rulers of the land, much like seeds of grass scattered far and wide by the gentle breeze and flowing water in spring.

This greatly relieved the Qin people.

After all, given the terrain and environment of eastern Qin, the excessively long logistical lines and the protracted battles brought immense pressure.

However, the experience of confronting the Xiongnu across the Great Wall, as well as the centuries-long battles between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, forced the Qin people to consider this terrible possibility.

Fortunately,

During their long period of expansion, the Xiongnu people also developed sufficient wisdom. Unlike those outside the region who were blind and ignorant, like wild beasts, they only knew how to ride the wind and waves without caring about the affairs at home.

The only one who lamented this was...

Only various barbarian groups were mixed in between the Xiongnu and the Qin people.

They were terrified of this even more ferocious predator from the east, and also intimidated by the Qin people, the former rulers who had dominated the Western Sea for two hundred years. They didn't know where to run to save their lives.

But it doesn't matter.

Neither the Xiongnu nor the Qin people minded offering a helping hand to their dilemma.

In order to better confront each other,
To prevent the potential for a sneak attack, or the risk of other tribes leading the way to the enemy,

Both sides began to sweep away the small tribes caught in the middle.

The Xiongnu thus declared their power.
The Qin people thus gained enough military merits to prevent the harsh and suspicious emperor above them from blaming them for "not making enough contributions" or "wasting grain and fodder".

The prince himself gained prestige as a result.

Although his barbarian appearance still failed to convince people that he was fit to inherit the throne,

But that is enough to make people recognize him as a "wise king" who can assist the next emperor.

"I really don't know how to reward you!"

Back in Andu City,

The emperor said this to his son.

The prince lowered his head and said respectfully and obediently to his father, "Serving the country is my duty, and I should not ask for any additional rewards."

Loyalty requires no reward.
Loyalty itself is a reward!

The emperor was moved by his words, stepped forward, patted his back, and bestowed upon him the sword he had used.

At last,
The emperor said, "You child, you truly delight me!"

"No need to say more. Go to Lixuan for now and take charge of his affairs to hone your ability to handle government affairs."

He adopted a warm and affectionate demeanor, as if he were a monarch genuinely planning for the future of his heir.

But the prince knew,
The reason he was assigned to Lixuan was simply because it was far from the heart of Qin, and the regional generals stationed there could easily seize power by taking advantage of the terrain.

Moreover, the Egyptians had not received sufficient education over the decades, and every now and then, some unrest would break out, attempting to shake the rule of the Qin Dynasty.

The eastern border of the Qin Dynasty is under great pressure, so there can be no problems in the west.

The canal in Lixuan that connects the two seas needs to be firmly controlled by officials trusted by the imperial court.

then,

The emperor once again made grand promises to his son, who had no right to the throne but was very useful in many ways.

The prince was very pleased with this. He carried the cake that his father had just sketched, the ink of which was still wet, out of the palace. He picked up his luggage, which he had just put down, and headed to Lixuan.

He didn't forget to bring the beautiful widow along, and made a promise to her, "When we arrive at Lixuan, we will become husband and wife!"

The other party smiled and agreed, and then described the situation at Lixuan to the prince during the journey.

"Have the sectarian groups of the Egyptians not been eradicated?"

After the prince listened quietly for a while, he suddenly frowned and interrupted the beauty's words.

The beauty smiled and said, "The will of the people over thousands of years cannot be eradicated overnight."

"It has been over a hundred years since the Qin Dynasty conquered Persia, yet Zoroastrianism has still been passed down among the people, hasn't it?"

"Moreover, people in many places do not hold pragmatic and simple views on many things like the gentlemen of the Chinese nation. They love to grovel at the feet of the gods and beg for His mercy and tolerance."

"If you want to quickly establish yourself in Lixuan and gain the recognition of the locals, then using the belief in the Nine Pillar Gods is a good way."

The prince nodded thoughtfully.

He didn't say much, but in the time that followed, he did indeed conduct some research on Egyptian religion.

If you want to break free from the control of your blood father

It is essential to have one's own land, people, and army.

It is separated from the sea to the north and east.

Lixuan, nestled against the high plateau mountains to the south and bordered by the vast desert to the west, appears to meet the prince's needs.

However, this is the granary in the southwest of Qin, and it is under strict supervision at all times, so it cannot be easily taken over and digested by him.

The emperor's suspicious nature would prevent any particular power from establishing a long-term presence here.
Every year, he would require officials from the Lixuan Palace to come to the capital to report on their duties, and then find various reasons to relocate them.

Plants that are frequently moved cannot have stable roots.

They will never grow into something that would worry the emperor.

To oneself
Perhaps the stay could be longer.
But it will only take two or three years.

He needed some forces that were beyond the emperor's control, beyond his expectations, and seemingly difficult to associate with him, to cause some trouble in Lixuan.

such,

Only then could he justifiably delay and refuse to return to Andu City.

So what were the sects of the Egyptians?
You could try to make contact with them.

After all, in the world of the Chinese,

I wouldn't say I'm constantly paying attention to this thing.

The prince thought to himself.

After a period of time,

Having become familiar with the environment of Lixuan, and through his newlywed wife, he gained some understanding of the influence of the prince, the chief priest of the Egyptian underworld.

He decided to heed his wife's advice and become the secret commander of these monks, preparing for his planned "double-dealing" and "nurturing bandits for self-importance."

“I have heard that the gods you worship also have the appearance of birds.”

"This is very similar to the Black Bird of my Great Qin Dynasty."

He spoke to the priest and said this to him.

Under the long-term oppression of the Qin people, that priest had passively learned many things.

Therefore, he calmly said, "Your Highness is a descendant of the Black Bird, and in Egypt, you should naturally be Horus's representative on earth."

Horus,
He is the "guardian of royal power" in Egyptian mythology, the bright sun and moon in the sky, and the rightful monarch of Egypt on earth.

When Egypt was still a country,

Their pharaohs often claimed to be incarnations of Horus.

The prince knew this story and was very satisfied with the priest's answer. After all,

Under the long-standing scrutiny of both the government and the public,

The prince had already begun to have some twisted thoughts.

He not only did not show deep hatred towards the foreign race, but was quite friendly towards them.

He couldn't wait to use his "alien" identity to retaliate against that arrogant black bird.

therefore,

One night, he followed the priest into a hidden Egyptian temple.

over there,
He accepted the allegiance of the Egyptians, who were still seeking to restore their kingdom, and was given the name "Horus" amidst their cheers and adoration.

And his wife, who also pursued power.
He was revered as "Otto Krippar VII" by the priests according to his seniority and bloodline.

……

"Ugh……"

"How did it become like this?"

The underworld of Western Qin
Having just returned from the land of Xinxia and witnessed the "rebirth" of this allied and compatriot nation, Qin Taizu Ying Pijiang was sighing and lamenting along with his ancestors.

His son, who had conquered Persia and, embracing the idea of ​​"not trusting the wisdom of posterity and wanting to solve the immediate problems himself, thus ordering the construction of countless Persian mounds," also wept bitterly.
"Is this retribution for what I did back then?"

Because they had slaughtered too many barbarians.

So the country that his father founded and that he himself prospered was about to be pushed into the fire by a descendant with mixed foreign blood.
The former rulers of Qin, who were standing nearby, had experienced the shock of their country's demise. Although they also had some worries and troubles, they were not as intense as the Qin rulers were.

They even had the energy to comfort their descendants from the Western Qin Dynasty and advise them to take things easy.

"No country in the world is immune to perish."

"No country that has been revived once can be revived a second time."

"We old ghosts who enjoy the offerings of our descendants are already very satisfied that the ancestral temple can be extended for nearly two hundred years!"

Qin Er Shi Fusu, who hanged himself outside the ancestral temple, also said on that old, crooked tree:
“I often discuss the current situation of the Qin state with the wise men in the underworld, and I have also traveled to the mortal world to see many landscapes under the rule of the Qin state.”

"Given such a vast territory and such rugged land, it is already quite remarkable that it has been able to maintain its stability for over a hundred years without causing excessive turmoil."

"Although the compiled 'History of Persia' claims that the Persians ruled for hundreds of years without interruption, how many times did their dynasties and states change?"

"What I hope for is that the Chinese people have been rooted in the Western Sea for so long that even if they are overthrown one day, there will be descendants to rise up and maintain their culture and race, so that they will not be forced by foreign races and become slaves of others."

The land currently occupied by Western Qin
It's not easy to own.

Maintaining it is even more difficult.

Once it crashes,
Can we achieve unification again like the Central Plains and the New Xia?
After the Qin people, skilled in warfare, scattered and wandered, did they still have enough military strength and unity to fight against the barbarians who took advantage of their weakness?

Don't say anything else,

The neighbor next to Daqin
In terms of martial virtue, Rome, with its gentlemen resembling those of the Chinese, is a formidable adversary they should be wary of!

Ying Pijiang continued to lament.

His son stood up angrily, pointed at one of his offspring, and said, "It's all your fault!"

"If someone else had been chosen as the crown prince back then, the country would not be in this state now!"

Those who were rebuked by their ancestors

According to his bloodline, he was none other than the dead father of the current ruler of Qin. He lowered his head timidly, not daring to refute in the slightest.

But what he was thinking was:
Do I possess the ability to read minds and foresee the future?
Back then, this child appeared gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and modest. He was also truly capable and insightful in political affairs, far surpassing the other princes. How could there not be a reason not to appoint him as the crown prince?
However, times have changed.

People do change eventually.
Emotions that were once suppressed and restrained in pursuit of a certain goal can be revealed and erupted under indulgence.

They are coming from the Central Plains.

Having just finished his diving competition with the dead Qu Yuan, Emperor Yi of Chu, and other figures, He Bo witnessed this lively scene and casually chimed in:
"The regional military governors are already numerous, and the roads are not as accessible as those in the Central Plains. Sooner or later, they will explode like peas, spraying everywhere!"

"It's just a matter of sooner or later."

"Instead of wasting emotions worrying about others, it's better to enjoy the little peace that's left before preparing for the chaos to come."

"What preparations!"

"Do we want to follow the example of the Xia Kingdom and help traitors like the Taiping Dao grow stronger?"

One of the rulers of Western Qin couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, only to be glared at by Emperor Taizu, who "had participated in the Taiping Dao activities and quite approved of them."

He shrank back behind the crowd, somewhat annoyed that he had voiced his dislike for the Way of Peace.

Fortunately,

The spirits did not blame him.

After all, some things are always determined by one's own perspective.

Firm stance

They're more principled than those who waver and keep looking around from the sidelines.

He simply said, "Go and record history!"

"If the Qin state falls into chaos, it won't end up like the Xia state!"

"The more records we keep, the better they will be, so that future generations can learn from our mistakes and avoid making the same mistakes again."

"Of course!"

He Bo paused for a moment, then added, "The wisdom of later generations is a wonderful thing, and there are also cyclical laws in the world."

"It's always unavoidable to encounter pitfalls."

Upon hearing this, a Qin ruler asked in confusion, "All states perish; do we need to differentiate between circumstances? Are we trying to find the differences?"

"What would the situation be like during the Han Dynasty?"

He Bo recalled the now grown-up and robust Wang Mang, and the numerous powerful families, represented by the Wang clan, that were wreaking havoc within the Han Dynasty, and then told the other party:
"The Central Kingdom has always been a land of excellence. Once it stirs up trouble, it is likely to surpass others and set a precedent."

What does it matter if barbarians from beyond the borders fight each other?
The gentlemen of the various Xia states would tell him,
What does "comprehensive transcendence" mean?

Upon hearing this, the Qin rulers remarked with emotion, "Having heard of this possibility, my sorrow over the collapse of the ancestral temple has lessened considerably."

"Whoever can hold out longer than the Liu family wins!"

After so many years of love-hate relationship,

Even if Ying Qin were to leave the stage, he would struggle until Liu Han's reign ended!
After all, their old rival is doing better.
This is worse than killing yourself!
Old Master Liu, who was standing nearby, was not annoyed at all.

In any case, for most of his life,

But he never thought about becoming the ruler of a country or becoming an emperor.

"The state is a very heavy thing."

"I am not capable of handling it, and worrying about it is just a waste of my energy."

"Let's just keep farming!"

Thinking like this,

Old Man Liu then tugged at He Bo's sleeve and asked him when he had been transferred from the two rivers to the Nile River bank in Lixuan.

"I've been wanting to see the scenery there for ages!"

He Bo only said, "We'll have to wait a while longer."

"The Water God there hasn't crawled out of the crocodile's belly yet!"

Poor Grand Commander Li Xuan,
A few days ago, while wearing a white dragon fish costume, I accidentally bumped into a large crocodile that had wandered into the canal.

The latter used its ruthless hunting skills on the Nile Water God, ultimately causing the Nile Water God, who was still dizzy from being hit by passing ships in the canal, to enter its belly.

Although at that moment, the crocodile's small mind was still wondering about its taste:
Why does it feel like I haven't eaten anything at all?
Only the tilapia, in its anger, jumped around everywhere, becoming a laughingstock for He Bo and the other aquatic fishermen.

(End of this chapter)