Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 477 Suihe Year Two
In the second year of Suihe,

An extraordinary natural phenomenon.

The planet Mars in the sky suddenly dimmed, revealing an ominous aura.

The courtiers then began to submit memorials, hoping that the emperor would heed the warning from Heaven, correct his conduct, and make amends for his mistakes.

Emperor Liu Ao, who received these harassing documents, did not take them to heart.

He told the Zhao sisters, "It has been twenty-five years since I ascended the throne."

"There are disasters every year, and strange phenomena at all times."

"But I'm still living a good life, aren't I?"

"Last year, I complied with their request and adopted the Prince of Dingtao as the crown prince. Why are they still not satisfied!"

"These ministers always like to fixate on certain natural phenomena and then use them to accuse me of having problems!"

The Zhao sisters then used their words to comfort their dejected husband.

This greatly moved the emperor.

He took out a small box from his pocket, then took out a pill from it and swallowed it.

Then——

One golden pill was swallowed.

Now I realize that my fate is not in the hands of heaven!
The emperor, whose body quickly became aroused, embraced his beautiful wife and concubines and began to recite poetry in the palace during the day.

Upon witnessing this scene, He Bo once again expressed his feelings:
"Ugh!"

"The drug use is getting worse with each generation!"

"Emperors in the past took medicine in order to achieve immortality."

"The current emperor takes drugs so he can play with his concubines!"

"It seems Liu Ao is really going to have a blast!"

As God's words faded...
The emperor, who was entwined with his true love, suddenly felt a stab on his back and a chill in his groin, and his virility vanished.

But looking at the expectant gazes of the beauties...

The emperor didn't give much thought to what this situation meant.

He simply took two more pills, and after they took effect, he embraced the beauty once again.

The eunuch serving the emperor checked the empty medicine box and then instructed the others:
"Go and tell those alchemists to refine a few more batches of divine pills!"

"This is what His Majesty uses every day; we can't stop using it!"

But the alchemist who received the order also had something to say:
"This kind of potent medicine, taken once every five days, is already very harmful to the body."

"His Majesty eats it as food, that's truly remarkable!"

"Looks like I need to find a way to pack my bags and valuables and get out of here as soon as possible!"

otherwise,

The day the emperor dies of pleasure,
His fine head was destined to be chopped off and used as a burial offering!
Smelling the "yang energy" permeating the alchemy room, the alchemist made up his mind.

Not long after the Taoist priest who specialized in treating "insufficient vital energy and depleted kidney essence" left,
The emperor indeed fell ill due to overwork.

Lying in bed, he thought about his age and the average lifespan of the Han Dynasty ancestors, and suddenly felt terrified.

He asked the doctor, "How am I?"

The doctor shook his head and told him that the problem was serious and would not be easy to treat.

The emperor became angry, rebuked him for his incompetence, and then summoned someone to "reprimand the prime minister!"

He recalled the strange celestial phenomena he had previously reported, and the illness that had followed.
For peace of mind and to pray for blessings,
They decided to follow the previous tradition and offer a prime minister as a sacrifice to Heaven.

Prime Minister Zhai Fangjin was truly struck by an unexpected disaster and was powerless to resist. He could only commit suicide at home shortly after the imperial decree was issued.

"I feel much better now!"

Having recovered his health after the human sacrifice, the emperor looked at the beautiful Zhao sisters before him and said with a smug smile, "I will surely live to be a hundred years old, so that you can enjoy lifelong wealth and honor!"

As for that crown prince?

Ah,
He doesn't even care about his own children anymore.
How could I possibly have the energy to pay attention to him?

Let him stay in that position for as long as possible!

The latter also smiled happily.

Not long after,
The two got together again.

then,

The physicians responsible for treating the emperor also began to flee.

They said, "Although we may not have Bian Que's medical skills, we can possess Bian Que's agility!"

"Since we have no power to stop the emperor from harming his own health, we can only try to protect ourselves!"

Drug use and excessive sexual activity

The kidneys are ruined.

How far are we from ecstasy?
unfortunately,

The emperor had no understanding of his own body.

He's still taking drugs, and he's still racing.

After all, he has two true loves.

If we don't work harder...
How can we satisfy them?
Holding to this idea,
The emperor, who had just announced his recovery, suddenly went black, foamed at the mouth, and fainted as he stepped off Zhao Hede's bed.

The palace maids let out sharp cries.

Zhao Hede panicked and threw herself at the emperor, shouting, "What's wrong with you?"

"Didn't you say you would never die before me?"

Then she shouted to the palace servants, "Quickly, call the imperial physician! Call the imperial physician!"

Several imperial physicians who failed to escape were dragged over by palace servants.

They tremblingly took the emperor's pulse and finally said, "It's no use."

"The yang energy has been exhausted."

"There are only some things to prepare now."

Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, standing nearby, was so angry that her eyes turned red, and she declared:
"It's all those two vixens' fault!"

"Once the emperor dies,"

"I will make them be buried with the emperor!"

When the news of the emperor's sudden collapse reached their ears,
Empress Dowager Wang rushed over and quickly ordered Zhao Hede, the person directly involved, to be detained in a palace.

As the empress, Zhao Feiyan still deserves some respect, but now she is being watched by many people and cannot act freely.

He lay on the couch, regaining some of his senses, but the emperor, who was unable to speak, suddenly found strength in his mother's words.

He grasped the doctor's hand and said with difficulty, "No, I won't die..."

"I want to live!"

"The Empress, the Consort, they...they can't!"

Empress Dowager Wang could only wipe away her tears, saying, "Even in your condition, you still want to protect those two vixen women!"

"You've been bewitched by them!"

"I should have killed them long ago to bring you back to your senses!"

"no no!"

The emperor struggled even more fiercely.

An eerie flush rose on his face, his body twitched, and he tried to get up, begging his mother not to harm his true loves after his death.

He managed to straighten his upper body with difficulty.
The emperor then collapsed heavily again.

"Feiyan, Hede..."

His hands were outstretched, a hint of bright red at the corners of his mouth, his eyes wide open, and he died with lingering reluctance.

The historian beside him picked up his pen and recorded this:
"The ninth emperor of the Han Dynasty died from excessive indulgence in lust."

The elderly empress dowager, having lost her son, broke down in tears.

Once she had finally stopped crying, she was about to fulfill her earlier promise.

"Go and arrest Zhao Hede!"

"She killed the emperor!"

When palace servants carrying swords and white silk came to their door,

Zhao Hede patted his chest and shouted:
"I treat the emperor with the same gentleness I would show a baby!"

"How could I possibly kill him!"

"Besides, how could I possibly tell you about the private matters that happen behind closed doors!"

"You know nothing, yet you falsely accuse the emperor of dying because of me!"

"This is not fair!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

"You've barely breathed your last, your body hasn't even cooled down yet, and someone's already bullying me!"

"Liu Ao! You useless man! Didn't you say you would cherish me for the rest of your life?!"

She cried out fiercely, her usually charming voice becoming hoarse and shrill, filled with the madness of someone on the verge of death.

When the palace maids approached with a white silk ribbon, intending to send her on her way,
Zhao Hede then coughed up a mouthful of blood, collapsed to the ground, and died with resentment.

This pair of lovers, who were inseparable for a lifetime,

They actually fulfilled their past vow: "If we cannot live together, we wish to die together."

of course,

If nothing unexpected happens, they will be able to continue being together in the underworld.

In any case, Liu Shi had already made it clear that he was determined to "break up the couple".

But Zhao Feiyan is still alive.

As Empress, the mother of the Han Dynasty,
If there is no direct problem, it is difficult to deal with.

The emperor did indeed die at the hands of her sister Zhao Hede, but what does that have to do with Zhao Feiyan?

Therefore,
She continued to live with an air of self-righteousness, attempting to seize the power of the "Empress Dowager".

After all, the new emperor Liu Xin was not yet twenty years old and was a refined person, so he definitely needed the assistance of his "mother".

However,

She has far too many competitors.

Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, who harbored hatred towards her

The Fu family, who were eagerly preparing to help their grandson rule the world,
None of them were people Zhao Feiyan could contend with.

Faced with the relentless pressure from these two elderly women from Emperor Yuan's harem,
Zhao Feiyan, who was originally full of confidence and planned to rule from behind the curtain, quickly became discouraged.

She realized in the face of adversity:
People under heaven,
Apart from the recently deceased and rotting Emperor Liu Ao,

No one will ever again open their heart to her or obey her.

So Zhao Feiyan timidly said to the two old women:
"I am willing to live in seclusion in the palace, quietly enjoying wealth and status, and no longer interfering in politics."

But Wang Zhengjun was still unwilling to let her go.

Fortunately, Wang Mang found his aunt in time and persuaded her:
"There is no precedent in the Han Dynasty for executing an innocent empress."

"Besides, once the new emperor ascends the throne, he will surely make good use of his maternal clan. Aunt should not waste her energy on the disgraced Zhao Feiyan."

Empress Dowager Wang adopted the advice of her intelligent and capable nephew and turned to fight against Lady Fu.

now,

She has lost her husband and her son.

The grandson, though nominally a grandchild, has his own powerful and domineering grandmother to rely on, and therefore has no need of her whatsoever.

Besides the Wang family,

What else does she possess?

Empress Wang Zhengjun would absolutely not allow the Fu family to use the new emperor's power to support their own clan and thus usurp the Wang family's position!

In this regard,

The former dynasty and the harem

Another storm is brewing.

The new emperor brought with him a new set of relatives.

After being honored as "Empress Dowager Gong" by the emperor, Fu's undisguised thirst for power and her efforts to promote her family...

And the Ding clan, the maternal family whom the emperor supported according to his own wishes.

It's unclear what kind of impact this will have on the political situation.

……

"But as long as we don't indulge the maternal relatives like the late emperor did, and don't get obsessed with women, that will be fine."

Kong Guang, after the court session, was still talking with his disciples.

Although those in the palace remained silent about the cause of the late emperor's death,

But secrets can't stay hidden forever, and the late emperor's absurd behavior was common knowledge.

The alchemists who concocted elixirs for him, and the physicians who treated him,

Before fleeing, he didn't mind letting slip a little information to others about why he was so agile.

Yes,

Knowing that the late emperor had truly "enjoyed himself to death," Kong Guang did indeed have a rather strong stress response to the matter of indulging in women.

Marquis Baocheng, who adhered to Confucian rites and morality, only hoped that the young emperor would heed advice, learn from experience, and not follow the old path of his predecessor.

Fortunately,

Judging from Liu Xin's performance since arriving in Beijing,

The new emperor was gentle and friendly, and did not get too close to women.

This gave Kong Guangsheng extra expectations.

Perhaps the other side will heed the righteous advice of its ministers and guide the Han Dynasty back to the right path?
Although he is not as old as Liu Xing, the Prince of Zhongshan, he still needs the Empress Dowager's assistance...

In the Han Dynasty,
It has always been a tradition for relatives of the emperor to assist in governing.

What Kong Guang opposed was nothing more than indulging the maternal relatives and letting them become a malignant tumor like the Wang family.

"You're just pitiful!"

Kong Guang thought of the Wang family, whose position had been rapidly shaken after losing the late emperor as their blood relative and nephew, and sighed as he looked at Wang Mang in front of him.

"You helped establish a new emperor, which led to the rise of the Fu and Ding families. Your uncles and brothers must have some resentment towards you, right?"

Kong Guang knew that Wang Mang ultimately chose to support Liu Xin.

He repeated Zhao Hede's advice to the late emperor to Kong Guang, leaving this contemporary representative of propriety speechless.

After all, even an adopted son is still a legitimate son according to the law.

The offerings they made were always better than those given by their brothers.

When Kong Guang supported the King of Zhongshan, he cited precedents from the Shang Dynasty.

Indeed, there were instances where the younger brother, upon ascending the throne, would relegate his deceased elder brother to a corner of the ancestral temple to gather dust.

But Kong Guang couldn't help but say with concern, "I've heard that Empress Dowager Fu is ruthless and cunning."

"If the Prince of Dingtao ascends the throne, she will definitely elevate her own relatives, affecting the status of the Wang family."

Thus,
How could the Wang family not have any resentment towards Wang Mang for supporting Liu Xin?

But Wang Mang put on a resolute and determined look and said, "I follow the rites and laws and am loyal to the country. How can I put the interests of my family before the interests of the world?"

"As long as the Han dynasty continues and prospers, what does my family matter!"

Kong Guang was deeply moved and believed that Wang Mang was a virtuous minister who could assist the new emperor like the Duke of Zhou and Yi Yin.

"Now that the emperor is humble and upright, and with a capable minister like you to assist him, I believe the world will soon be at peace!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Mang merely gave a calm smile.

When we got home,
Wang Mang stroked his beard, pondering the new political landscape—

Wang Shi

It is certainly the foundation upon which he stands.

But the Wang family's extravagance and indulgence were already known to everyone.

This will naturally not bring a good reputation.

And nearing forty,
By distributing money and using his power, Wang Mang had won over a large number of scholars and literati, thus spreading his reputation and gaining considerable influence.

He no longer needed to depend on the Wang family.
The latter's low reputation only dragged down Wang Mang, who was being touted as a "rare perfect man".

Therefore,
Wang Mang needed the Wang clan to be suppressed.

On the one hand, it reduces the negative impact that the Wang family brings to him;

On the other hand, they use such things to highlight their "untainted by the mud" and their perfect virtue of "sacrificing family for the greater good".

Anyway, with the long-lived Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun around,

Even if the Wang family falls into some misfortune, they will not be lowly.

"And how long will the Fu family's wealth and status last?"

Wang Mang squinted, recalling Empress Dowager Fu's style, and did not think that she could suppress her grandson forever.

Baby birds will eventually fly out of the nest.
Moreover, what about Liu Xin, who ascended the throne and caused the upheaval?

Wang Mang had already heard about it.

The Prince of Dingtao, who had only recently become emperor, outwardly showed great respect to his grandmother, but was not close to his wife, who was also from the Fu family and whom his grandmother had chosen.

Now the latter has become the empress.
They also did not receive the emperor's attention or affection.

Wang Mang believed that this must be due to Liu Xin's deep and calculating nature.

Although he was still young and under the pressure of filial piety, he had no choice but to obey his grandmother's wishes.

His unwillingness to share a room with Empress Fu reveals his true intentions, proving he is not as weak as he appears!

Now he is the emperor.
An emperor doesn't need to blindly follow etiquette.

Even if he doesn't say it,

There will also be self-aware ministers who will step forward to relieve the emperor's worries!
Wang Mang had already found out—

After becoming emperor, Liu Xin began to promote Dong Xian, who had served as his retainer when he was the crown prince, and frequently summoned him to discuss matters privately.

Come to think of it,

This must be the "megaphone" chosen by the emperor to convey his thoughts!

by that time,
Born into a powerful maternal family and close to Empress Dowager Wang, yet "intolerant of personal feelings," and possessing an excellent reputation among the upright scholars, Wang Mang would undoubtedly be valued by the emperor and used to fight against the new maternal relatives like the Fu family.

"Humph!"

"Everything is just as I expected!"

"Human nature is nothing more than this!"

In the dimly lit room,
For once, Wang Mang revealed a trace of his inner emotions.

His eyes revealed an insatiable thirst for power and an expectation for the future.

Just like his teacher, who was hoping for Da Han's recovery.
Wang Mang also looked forward to the new emperor waving his sleeves and stirring up the storm in the court, so that he, a fish-snake who had been lying low for too long, could take advantage of the turbulent winds and clouds to truly soar.

(End of this chapter)