Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 478 Han Chaos
"The Han court is in terrible turmoil lately..."

Just as the new emperor ascended the throne and changed the era name to Jianping,
He Bo is currently entertaining his guests at the bottom of the Yellow River.

Wang Yanshi, who had just died, listened to God's sigh without any reaction. Relying on God's power, he stood at the bottom of the raging river, looking around and exclaiming loudly at the torrents that kept sweeping over his head and around him.

Upon seeing this, He Bo deliberately picked a fight with him, saying, "You worked yourself to the bone for the Han Dynasty in your lifetime, so why didn't you argue when I said those words to you?"

Wang Yanshi shrank back a little, feeling a bit aggrieved. "I did my best for the Han Dynasty until the very last moment when I was alive. Now that I'm dead, I can't possibly waste my energy worrying about the affairs of the living, can I?"

He is an honest man.

But he's not a stubborn person either.

Because stubborn people are incapable of dealing with the raging Yellow River, struggling to maintain the crumbling dikes and plug the breaches in the Yellow River during this turbulent flood.

Only by adapting to local conditions and leveraging existing advantages can we achieve our goals.

And now,
Wang Yanshi died of exhaustion while working on flood control efforts, and his spirit was even captured by a wicked ghost and dragged to the bottom of the Yellow River, where he was toyed with as a "giant Yellow River carp"...

How could he possibly have the energy to deal with the chaos in the court?

Those few powerful families are willing to disregard the struggles of the people.
Let them be!

What can a rotting, stinking dead man say about this?
He Bo laughed, "I thought you'd be a paperhanger even after you died!"

Wang Yanshi said, "I became a paper-mending craftsman on the river for the sake of the people on both banks."

"This country is not the private property of the Liu family; the livelihood of all people must be taken into account."

"It's a pity that those meat-eaters think differently from you!"

He Bo raised his glass to Wang Yanshi.

After the "welcome banquet" ended,
He Bo then led Wang Yanshi along the long river, wandering through its interior.

The torrents swept in from all directions, creating an apocalyptic scene.

Wang Yanshi was even more astonished.

He spent the rest of his life on the banks of the Yellow River.

Even before his death, he never left the dike.

Actually,
Wang Yanshi had little expectation that he would be "worked to death".

He had long since become numb to the storms, feeling like a stone thrown into the surging waves to block the river's flow.

Until the dam was breached by the flood,
The stone was pierced by the flowing water.
Wang Yanshi, who was hailed as "Little Yu the Great", also suddenly went black while inspecting a flood control dike, and then slipped and got soaked.

He was originally going to fall into the river and drown.
Just like the people swept away by the floods in recent years,
Just like the stubborn rocks that have been continuously thrown into the water over the years, blocking the flood.

But the waves pushed him ashore.

God, who looked down upon humanity, showed mercy and allowed him to lie on the shore and depart amidst the cheers of the crowd.

"Little Yu is gone, what should we do?"

On his deathbed, Wang Yanshi heard other people's worried voices.

He thought:
Yes,

The river embankment has not yet been fully repaired.

What will become of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait?
But many things are always full of regrets.

Despite being known as "Little Yu the Great" by the world, he was ultimately unable to control the great river.

"If you allow me—"

"I wish I could become a fish in the river."

Wang Yanshi, facing the turbid Yellow River, made a plea to the river's master.

"Why is that?" He Bo asked him. "Your merits are far greater and more outstanding than those of Emperor Cheng Liu Ao, who was hated by his own ancestors."

"You can enjoy lasting wealth in the underworld, just like the ever-flowing river."

But Wang Yanshi said, "Because I don't want to be called a 'paperhanger' even after I die!"

The reason he chose to follow the example of Gun, the father of Yu the Great, and use the method of sinking stones to block the mouth of the river in order to stop the increasingly turbulent waters was...
It is because he is unable to mobilize the people on both sides of the strait who have long been controlled by the powerful and wealthy and regarded as their own property.

It was because he was unable to secure more funds from the increasingly strained national treasury.

It's because he couldn't stop those in power from plundering the people's flesh and blood while simultaneously plundering the nation's wealth.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.

Within his capabilities, he could only do what he could, like a wife, enduring hardship and grievances, to do mending and sewing for the big man.

"The current situation is not good, but things will always get better in the future."

"When that day comes, the imperial court will eventually be able to suppress those incompetent and despicable nobles, accumulate enough wealth, and mobilize enough manpower to repair this great river."

Wang Yanshi said, "If I, this fish, can swim in the great river and understand its flow and water volume, as well as the condition of the dikes on both banks... I hope I can provide some help to those who will inherit this cause in the future?"

He Bo just watched him quietly.

Wang Yanshi felt somewhat apprehensive under his gaze, worried that the words he had uttered while pointing at the river during his lifetime would still be remembered by the spirits, thus preventing his last wish from being fulfilled.

Fortunately, the spirits are not narrow-minded.

He Bo patted Wang Yanshi on the shoulder one last time and said with great appreciation:
"I've always liked your proactive and hardworking personality!"

"Don't worry, I will absolutely fulfill your wish!"

Wang Yanshi then expressed his gratitude to God for His blessing with great joy.

He just didn't quite understand.

Why did the deceased ancestors wear a tense expression when this matter was mentioned in the dark yet peaceful underworld?
But that's okay,
As long as Wang Yanshi has a clear conscience, that's enough.

……

As a strange fish swam upstream in the river...

The Han dynasty, which lasted for nearly two hundred years, was also running faster and faster down a strange path.

In the second year of Jianping,

Realizing that the country was facing a serious problem, but unable to solve it himself, the emperor consulted some alchemists.

"How long can the Mandate of Heaven of the Han Dynasty last?"

The latter replied with certainty, "It's almost over!"

The emperor then asked in a panic, "How shall I continue the dynasty and the ancestral temples?"

The other party said, "The change of the Mandate of Heaven is a predetermined thing, and even if Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, you cannot stop it."

"but!"

"Since Your Majesty has requested this, I will naturally offer advice and strategies to demonstrate my loyalty!"

Through a series of mysterious methods and descriptions,
The emperor issued a miraculous imperial edict—

There's no need to wait for the new year; simply change the current "Jianping Second Year" to "Taiping Yuanjiang First Year".
He also changed his title to "Emperor Taiping of Chen Sheng Liu".

And the purpose of doing so,

It was to deceive Heaven.
This led the all-seeing God to believe that the dynasties on earth had changed, and that the Mandate of Heaven had shifted from the Liu family emperor to someone else.

Yes,

The alchemists called this "receiving a higher mandate."

But God is not some great man who, by changing his name or covering part of his face, is unrecognizable as a complete idiot.

snort!
Even if it means being shattered to pieces,
God will see its origins and experiences clearly and record them!
Therefore, this matter was quickly exposed and became a farce known to everyone in the government and the public.

The emperor, feeling ashamed and angry, withdrew his decree, restored the reign title of Jianping, and returned to the inner palace to sulk with his close ministers.

In the imperial court, the power struggle among the imperial relatives continued.

Locally, natural disasters and man-made calamities continue to occur.

But when this rampant and reckless wind blew across the relatively quiet and peaceful Sichuan region,
The Great Master of the Way of Peace in the Central Plains also resolved to take action.

"I'm going to preach in the Kanto region."

Would you like to come with me?

He packed his bags, took some disciples with him, and then extended an invitation to Zhou Jian, who had long since evolved from a "handsome young man" into a greasy middle-aged man.

Zhou Jian asked in confusion, "Why go to such a faraway place?"

Traveling from Sichuan to the Northeast region is no easy task.

"Moreover, the work of clearing mountains and destroying temples and eradicating illicit worship has not yet been completed. Will suddenly withdrawing manpower have any impact?"

these years,

The Taiping Dao developed very rapidly in Sichuan.

They have gained many followers.
Then, under the guidance of the Great Teacher, they drove out many barbarians who had been entrenched in the mountains and fields, as well as the barbaric customs rooted in the hearts of the ignorant people in the countryside, and destroyed some temples of fierce gods and demons.

Other than that,

After the Taiping Dao grew stronger, it led the people to the capital cities of several prefectures and counties to negotiate with the officials and powerful families living there.

When the latter saw the approaching Taiping Dao and the weapons they carried, his expression softened considerably.

Subsequently,

The two sides had a frank exchange of views and achieved temporary friendly results.

After all, the local government and powerful clans did not want to incite another popular uprising.

Once the Taiping Dao movement, which has already spread, gets going, it won't be as easy to suppress as those uprisings that could only gather a few dozen or a hundred ordinary people.

But they were naturally unwilling to give up those tiny plots of land, which were insignificant compared to their own estates, and return them to the lowly commoners.

afterwards,

The powerful figures expressed their great indignation at the Taiping Dao, who liked to stand up for the common people and chanted slogans like "distribute land and equalize wealth," and hinted that in the days to come, they would definitely show serious concern for this group of Taoists dressed in yellow robes and carrying nine-section staffs.

The great and wise teacher Sun Chong calmly replied with the words "We'll wait and see".

“If the manpower decreases, the local aristocratic officials might take some action,” Zhou Jian said, stroking his thick chin.

Having gone through that hedging,

The powerful and influential people in Sichuan have already tacitly accepted that the Taiping Dao is an evil force capable of rebellion.

But meat-eaters have always been despicable, possessing an inherent weakness.
In order to steadily accumulate wealth

In order to ensure that his political record is spotless
Furthermore, to prevent themselves from being unable to defeat the Taiping Dao and causing even worse consequences...

That's why they didn't take direct action.

For this,

Sun Chong simply smiled and said, "When I was in Xinxia, ​​my teacher told me:
The Way of Peace can only lead the people for a short time, onto a path where they can rely on the strength of the common people to seek wealth and stability, and not be afraid of the powerful and wealthy.

But how far and how far the people can go on this path is ultimately their own business.

Even the Way of Peace can't be relied upon all the time!
"Moreover, a new generation has grown up, and the numerous believers in Sichuan will force those in power to hesitate to act against them."

Even if something unforeseen happens, I still believe in their strength!

"Therefore, I should go to more difficult places and seek more blessings for those who are struggling and confused there!"

Since Emperor Cheng
The world is sinking deeper and deeper into depravity.

The Kanto region, plagued by a series of natural and man-made disasters, descended into madness.

They were terrified of heaven and earth, the imperial court, and the powerful clans.
They no longer trust many things in the world, and gradually become tempted by witchcraft, attempting to alleviate their suffering through fanatical faith.

Along the banks of the river, the once-popular "River God Temples" were quickly abandoned by fickle believers.

Even with the presence of Wang Yanshi, the paper-mending craftsman, the spread of the flood was slowed down.

However, the number of times the river breaches its banks cannot be ignored.

With the death of Wang Yanshi,

The officials in the imperial court were so engrossed in their power struggles that they became increasingly indifferent to the struggles of the common people.
The people's fear of the great river intensified.

They couldn't help but think:
Since you won't let me live a good life...

Then I will no longer offer you incense!

Let's just part ways.

I'll find a solution to the problem myself!
For this,

He Bo was not angry.

After all, this kind of thing had happened far too many times in his long life.

And the benevolent spirits of the Chinese people

It's not like those extraterrestrial beings who deliberately use floods to force mortals to wholeheartedly believe in their strange race.

He was simply respecting the laws of nature and going with the flow of the tides.

But Sun Chong could not do that.

He heard about the suffering in the Kanto region and knew that the people there were lost on the wrong path because of that suffering, and he felt a deep sense of pity for them.

Flames, accompanied by calamity, are born in the human heart.

But those tiny sparks, invisible to the naked eye and touchable by the body, can burn a person alive if they cannot find a proper outlet.

Should the already suffering people die like this?

Should the sins of misconduct befall the common people?

What should truly be burned and destroyed

It's still high up in the clouds!

"Then I'll go with you!"

After listening to Sun Chong's words, Zhou Jian also sighed for the people and things in Guandong.

He packed his bags and handed over the medical book he had written over the years, which he had painstakingly crafted by sacrificing countless strands of hair, to his disciple, instructing him to pass on the contents of the book.

"I wrote this book to save lives."

“You should not keep it on a high shelf, like the gentry who studied the classics in those days, treating it as their own private property and preventing others from learning it.”

"Spread it widely, don't waste my hard work!"

The disciple accepted his words and vowed to follow the Taiping Dao members who remained in Sichuan to spread the benevolence of a physician to the people.

Zhou Jian received a satisfactory answer, and his steps became lighter.

He got into the carriage.
Following their great and wise teacher Sun Chong, they hurried towards Guandong.

at the same time,

He Bo was leading a few dead men along the riverbank where the wind and waves were crashing.

He watched as Wang Yanshi, who had transformed into a carp, swam in the water, then casually picked up a stone and threw it at him.

The flat, small stone bounced once on the head of the big carp, then leaped up, skimming the waves and skipping across the water a few times.

Wang Yanshi was so frightened that he quickly sank underwater, not daring to stick his head out and attract attention.

God then let out a smug chuckle.

then,

God and the dead around him suddenly exclaimed, “The torrent is growing ever stronger.”

"How much longer can the Han dynasty last?"

"There may have been two emperors."

The two ancient sages, Mencius and Xunzi, said this.

Xunzi, who advocated that "human nature is inherently evil," added, "It is unknown whether, in the end, the throne will be usurped by powerful ministers or, like the Qin dynasty, the emperor will be overthrown and driven out of Chang'an."

"Why do you say that?" He Bo looked at him.

Xunzi stood with his hands clasped together, his thin and ethereal figure facing the wind.
“Dong Zhongshu advocated the ‘interaction between Heaven and man’, which meant both using Heaven to restrain the monarch and elevating the monarch to the status of a deity.”

After all, the emperor could communicate with the gods.
Some things can cause the heavens and earth to tremble.

Such treatment is not something that ordinary people can enjoy.

Because of this,
Emperor Wu and subsequent emperors,
Although he felt very uncomfortable with the idea of ​​"the interaction between heaven and man" forcing him to sacrifice a high-ranking official every time he encountered natural disasters or strange phenomena, he endured it.

There are indeed disadvantages.
But the person who ultimately committed suicide to atone for his sins was not the emperor.

He certainly doesn't need to be overly resistant.

"But the current emperor himself has made a second mandate, which has inadvertently weakened the constraint of the 'interaction between heaven and man' on people's hearts."

Before this,

Through continuous promotion,
They continuously offered sacrifices to the Three Dukes.
The people generally recognized the sacredness of the Han emperor.

But after the farce of being ordered to take on another mission unfolded,
Anyone can see that
The Liu family wasn't very convinced that they possessed a "destiny."

Even the emperor, high above all others, fears the possibility of being "abandoned by heaven."

In that case,

You are able to receive the mandate of Heaven.
Could other people give it a try?

The prophecy, "The one who will replace the Han dynasty is Gao of Dangtu,"
But it has been passed down since the time of Emperor Wu!
"Wang Mang of the Wang clan wielded increasing power, to the point that even the emperor and empress dowager could not suppress him."

"This is not a good trend!"

Bystanders see things more clearly.

Even for Wang Zhengjun,
Wang Mang was his own nephew.

She is one of the few remaining relatives I have in this world;

For the emperor,
Wang Mang was a good minister who helped him restrain the Fu family, so that his grandmother would not completely treat her grandson as a puppet...

However, the dead, who have extensive experience in observing human affairs, can immediately sense that something is amiss.

Wang Mang's status was too high.

He has too much power.
His reputation is too perfect!
Even during the reign of the Duke of Zhou, he was affected by rumors and gossip, which aroused the suspicion of King Cheng of Zhou.

But what about Wang Mang?

He was a relative of the imperial family.
She was also a maternal relative from the Wang family.

Could he really be a sage like the Duke of Zhou?
Xunzi was very skeptical of this!

He Bo listened, then just chuckled twice and said nothing.

(End of this chapter)