Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 479 A Dejected Atmosphere (Bonus Chapter!)

The era of "Jianping" continues to move forward.

Absurd things continue to happen.

After using the rising Fu clan to suppress his own heavily indebted Wang clan, Wang Mang successfully made himself the only reliable relative that Empress Dowager Wang could rely on in the court.

Resources that originally belonged to the Wang family were now being heavily tilted towards him.

With Wang Zhengjun's support
Why would Wang Mang be afraid of anyone else?
The Han Dynasty ruled the world with filial piety.
Legally speaking, Emperor Liu Xin was Emperor Cheng's "biological son"!
How could he dare to disregard his grandmother Wang Zhengjun's demands?

of course,

Regarding the fact that her grandson was taken away
His real grandmother, Madam Fu, was certainly not happy about it.

She even kept Liu Xin's mother at arm's length, let alone her former enemy, Wang Zhengjun.
In Fu's view,
If it weren't for Wang Zhengjun opposing him and using her influence to soften Emperor Yuan's heart,

He had already groomed his son to be the new crown prince and the new emperor!
Why must a grandson be adopted in order to sit on that supreme throne?
Her poor son,

Without the sacrifices from one's own bloodline,

The memorial tablets can only be placed forlornly in the dim and old ancestral temple in Dingtao.

How lonely and miserable that must be!

When I think of this,

Fu was filled with resentment and anger.

I've completely forgotten.
What was your attitude towards your son's ancestral worship before Liu Xin ascended to the throne?

then,

After a period of further turmoil,

Fu Shi temporarily overpowered Wang Zhengjun.
Liu Xin's father, Liu Kang, was elevated from the title of Prince Gong of Dingtao to "Emperor Gong," and a temple was built in Chang'an for the emperor to worship.

And she herself became the "Empress Dowager".

When sitting in the imperial court,
She didn't even need a curtain to cover herself.
He openly revealed his aged appearance and confidently helped the emperor guide the country.

In his triumph,

Lady Fu then made a new request to the emperor—

"Build me a tomb in Emperor Yuan's mausoleum so I can be buried with him!"

The emperor was greatly shocked:
Those who could be buried with the emperor were naturally the empress.

If Wang Zhengjun died
As the successor, he could still do something for his grandmother to secure a posthumous honor.

But Wang Zhengjun is still alive!
Do you want to take her place in front of her?

Fu said nonchalantly, "Why bother with that old woman!"

"Just do as I say!"

Liu Xin had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

After bullying Wang Zhengjun, her rival in love, the smug Fu Shi then thought of another rival in love.

"Humph!"

"Feng Yuan cursed me back then, and now I'm going to put her to death!"

"Send this poisoned wine to Zhongshan and make her drink it!"

Empress Dowager Feng Yuan of Zhongshan, who received the "gift" from Chang'an, was also helpless.

She said to her daughter-in-law, Wei Ji:
"I never imagined that past grievances would continue to this day."

“I have heard that the Fu family is manipulating power in Chang’an, using filial piety to pressure the emperor and make him do many things for them.”

"Ugh……"

"I only hope that if I die today, she will be satisfied and spare my descendants."

Wei Ji held the child in her arms and wept bitterly.

Little Liu Jizi, held in his mother's arms, also began to shed tears.

Feng Yuan, however, remained calm.

If she's afraid of dying,

Back when that black bear pounced on Emperor Yuan, she wouldn't have stood in his way to stop the ferocious beast.

"Don't tell the King of Zhongshan that his health is very poor."

After failing to win the election for emperor
Liu Xing returned to his fiefdom.

However, the long journey caused his already weakened body to fall ill.

Although it was salvaged, the root cause was not eliminated.

Over the past few years, the illness has continued to occur intermittently.

He is now lying on his sickbed, in a coma of illness, unaware that an angel from Chang'an has descended upon Zhongshan.

Feng Yuan worried that the news of her being sentenced to death would upset her sick son and cause him to die as well.

"As for Jizi..."

Feng Yuan stroked her grandson's hair and said with a gentle expression, "You must eat well and take good care of your health from now on."

"Your grandmother and your parents are all counting on you!"

Liu Jizi cried even louder, burying himself in his grandmother's arms and saying, "Don't drink it, don't drink it!"

But the emperor's edict had already been issued.

An angel was standing outside the door, waiting for the Queen Mother of Zhongshan to give the situation a dignified end.

How could I possibly refuse that glass of wine?
Feng Yuan waved her hand, signaling Wei Ji to take the child away. She then tidied her appearance and drank the fine wine sent from Chang'an in one gulp.

She died there.

The angel checked her breath and, having obtained a definitive answer, returned to Chang'an satisfied to report. When Liu Xing awoke from his illness and, after extracting information about his mother from the sorrowful servant, he immediately collapsed to the ground, pounding his chest and sobbing uncontrollably.
"It's all my fault for being useless!"

"If I had been able to win my elder brother's favor back then, how could I have let my mother be persecuted to death!"

Wei Ji came over to comfort him, but in the end she could only hug her husband and weep bitterly.

Liu Xing said, "With my mother like this, how could I possibly continue living?"

"I'm afraid it will be tough on you to raise the child."

Wei Ji looked at his sickly, ruddy face, wiped away her tears, and nodded.

“But Jizi hasn’t been named yet. You can’t be such an irresponsible father.”

The Spring and Autumn Annals ridiculed the two names.
"Jizi" was just a nickname Liu Xing casually gave his son when he was born, based on his short legs and the boy's seemingly innocent and unassuming appearance.

Liu Xing paused for a moment, then said with tears in his eyes, "You're right."

"Then let's call him Liu Kan."

衎，
It implies comfort and happiness.

This useless father could only express his expectations for his child in this way.

I hope he can live a happy life.

That night,

Liu Xing, the Prince of Zhongshan, passed away.

After discussion, his ministers decided to bestow upon him the posthumous title of "filial piety".

Emperor Yuan of Han, Liu Shi, who met the mother and son in the underworld, also wept and said:
"Wang is muddle-headed, and Fu is arrogant."

"If I had known this would happen, I should have made Lady Feng empress and Liu Xing crown prince!"

At least there was such a dutiful and responsible empress dowager.

Having such an honest and obedient emperor,
The government wouldn't be in such a state of collapse as it is now!
After all,

Liu Shi turned and walked towards where his son Liu Ao was, attempting to relieve his grief and anger by beating him up.

In the mortal world,

When the Zhongshan Kingdom hung up white cloth to bid farewell to its king and queen dowager...
Kong Guang, who had been demoted again, passed through this place.

Despite his advanced age, he went to pay his respects and lamented his past lack of resolve at Liu Xing's funeral.

If he could resolutely support this simple and honest feudal lord, would it change the late emperor's mind?

Will it make the big man better?

unfortunately,

Everything is beyond repair.

Empress Dowager Zhongshan was forced to commit suicide due to the jealousy of Lady Fu.

He was also dismissed and driven away for submitting a memorial opposing Empress Dowager Fu's arbitrary promotion of her own family members.

Here and now,

They were all heartbroken people who had been persecuted by the Fu family.

The Taiping Dao group, who had come from afar, also passed through the Zhongshan Kingdom.

Looking at the white mourning cloths in the city, they learned the reason for the incident and sighed:
"The Han dynasty is on the verge of collapse!"

As the Grand Empress Dowager

As the emperor's grandmother,
Even Lady Feng, who served Emperor Yuan alongside her in their youth, was not spared by Lady Fu.

How could they possibly be kind and benevolent to all people?
Moreover, the Fu family's rise to power was sudden.

Its arrogant demeanor was no less than that of the Wang family back then.

Given enough time, it's likely that the bottom line will be breached again, creating another trough.

How much more turmoil can the Han Dynasty withstand?

Zhou Jian also sighed, feeling that the world was completely different from when he was a teenager.

When Kong Guang finished paying his respects to King Xiao of Zhongshan and walked out of the palace, Zhou Jian saw him.

He had forgotten the Marquis of Baocheng, whom he had met by chance, and only felt that the old man looked somewhat familiar.

He looks very haggard!

Zhou Jian quietly pointed at Kong Guang and said.

Sun Chong told him, "In this kind of world, who wouldn't be haggard if they still had a conscience?"

Having said that,

The Great Teacher is about to lead the Taiping Dao followers on a journey to the land further east.

Kong Guang, who was on the vehicle frame, also noticed this group of strange people wearing yellow turbans.

A sudden thought struck him, and he became wary of this group of people who looked like they were part of an organized group.

But the Taiping Dao group walked too fast.
He no longer holds an official position, so he can rightfully stop them and interrogate them about their origins.

So Kong Guang could only sigh, huddle in the cold, hard carriage, and set off dejectedly towards his hometown.

Only Emperor Liu Xin remained somewhat relaxed.

In the palace, he said to his favorite concubine, Dong Xian, "Women are truly terrifying!"

"Fortunately, there will never be such trouble between you and me!"

The beautiful Dong Xian smiled gently and huddled intimately with the emperor, who was suffering from his domineering grandmother, interference in politics by his maternal relatives, and encroachment by powerful families.

(End of this chapter)