Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 490 Outlaws
The surname is Wang.

It is a powerful surname that, after two hundred years of hard work and toil by the Liu family, can still rival it in terms of the number of surnames.

Its origins are complex and varied.

Many of these families evolved from the feudal lords of various states during the Zhou Dynasty, and even from the declining Zhou emperors. For example, the Yuancheng Wang clan, from which Wang Mang originated, was called "Wang Family" because their ancestors lived in the local area and dared not call themselves "Tian" clan of the Qi royal family.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, hundreds of states vied for supremacy, and the Warring States Period saw intense annexation among the Seven Warring States.

Even today, there are countless people in the world who have the means to adopt the surname "Wang" to commemorate their ancestors' achievements and noble lineage.

The rest,
This is partly due to the merging of surnames and the elevation of commoners to higher social status during the late Warring States period.

The former meant that surnames and clan names were no longer clearly distinguished, and all members of a country's royal family were accustomed to being called "King," rather than just the main branch of the royal family.

The latter, commoners without surnames or clan names, after finally reaching the point where they could reproduce and ensure the continuation of their bloodline for generations, naturally wanted to find surnames with auspicious meanings to bless their descendants.

"king",
With just three horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke, it is incredibly simple to write. Moreover, it is an honorific title for the former rulers, carrying a noble and beautiful meaning. How could it not be sought after by ordinary people and used as their family name?

Yes,

The world is full of "kings". If you randomly pick a handful of people from any direction, 40% will be surnamed Liu, 40% will be surnamed Wang, and the remaining 20% ​​will be people with other surnames.

The "Wang" surname, which Wang Mang's cousins ​​married, and his own wife, also surnamed Wang, were not from the same clan. This shows how prevalent this surname was from top to bottom.

However, given the current naming convention of "ridiculing two names in the Spring and Autumn Annals,"
The practice of adding a single character to the surname Wang, with the added meaning of auspiciousness and brilliance, has led to a proliferation of people sharing the same surname and given name.

The reason why there used to be two royal merchants in Chang'an was because of this.

So when He Bo learned that the enthusiastic young man was named Wang Feng, he was only stunned for a moment. Then, remembering that Wang Mang's uncle was still sitting next to Emperor Cheng in hell, he stopped thinking about it.

He simply went home with the people and had a meal.

Seeing that Wang Feng's family wasn't well-off—only a few pieces of dried meat and a straw raincoat hung on the mud-brick wall—He Bo said:
"I've eaten and drunk at your house, and I'd feel bad if I couldn't make it up to you."

"Let me go to the nearby mountains and forests to hunt some wild boar and pheasants as a return gift for our friendship."

Wang Feng didn't refuse him politely, but just glanced curiously at He Bo's thin arms and legs, "With a physique like yours, how can you go in and out of the mountains and fight wild beasts?"

He Bo patted his chest and said, "What's so difficult about that!"

"Hunting is a piece of cake for me!"

Wang Feng laughed twice, took the hunting tools from home, and went up the mountain with He Bo.

“I understand your intentions. There’s no need to be overly polite when making friends, so I didn’t refuse your request.”

"But the mountains and forests are dangerous after all, please let me go with you!"

He grew up in this area and is very skilled at navigating mountains and rivers. If he encounters any trouble, he can lend a hand.

He Bo didn't stand on ceremony with him.

Upon reaching the top of the mountain, He Bo saw that the forest was lush and green, a rare sight of vibrant life in winter, and asked Wang Feng:
What is this mountain called now?

Although many mountains in the Eastern Central Kingdom have been brought under control,
But He Bo, like an emperor with three thousand concubines in his harem, doesn't pay attention to the situation of each "concubine" all the time.

It is flanked by large, magnificent mountain ranges, such as the Taihang and Qinling Mountains, which boast beautiful scenery.
It is embraced by large, fast-flowing rivers such as the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.
He Bo inevitably became infatuated with the beauty of these "beauties," thus reducing his attention to the "girls from modest families."

Moreover, those who have rendered meritorious service under God's command are now granted seals of office, enabling them to govern a region's mountains, rivers, cities, and towns, to distinguish between yin and yang and to communicate between life and death, to record the living and the dead, to measure the rise and fall of rivers, and to overturn mountains and fields.

Therefore, He Bo felt justified in reducing the burden on his brain, making his already smooth skin even more rounded.

For some small mountains and rivers
If it weren't for a sudden urge, he wouldn't have paid any attention to it for a long time.

But times change and the world changes.
The villagers who lived by the mountains and rivers have changed generation after generation. Naturally, with the changing of the world, names and surnames have also changed.

Judging from the current emperor Wang Mang's inexplicable obsession with changing his name,
He Bo does indeed need to worry about the phenomenon of "what the superiors like, the inferiors will follow even more fervently".

Furthermore,
Given today's population density, many mountains and rivers remain in a "wild" state, untouched by human development.

How did He Bo know its name?

Fortunately, the city where Wang Feng grew up was not a bustling metropolis.

Because it was located in the area north of the Huai River and relied on the Han River for its livelihood, it was not greatly affected by Wang Mang.

Local officials did not curry favor with their superiors, hoping to gain the emperor's favor by claiming that "changing one's name will bring good fortune."

After all, "auspicious omens" are...

Before Wang Mang prepared to usurp the throne, far too many people emerged.

Now that everything has settled down and everything that was going to happen has happened, my great Xin has no further need for this.

So he said, "This mountain forest has always been evergreen, so we call it Green Forest Mountain."

He Bo suddenly remembered something, slapped his forehead, pointed at the robust Wang Feng, and said, "You're a Robin Hood!"

Wang Feng was unaware of the deeper meaning, but the words were quite easy to understand literally.

So he readily agreed, "That's right, I am a Robin Hood!"

He Bo then laughed.

They then went hunting and, spurred on by He Bo's wild instincts, successfully caught a wild boar.

Wang Feng was somewhat surprised, "Are wild boars still so active in the dead of winter?"

“We still need to eat in winter!” He Bo replied naturally.

Together they carried the wild boar back.

Wang Feng said, "If I had this kind of luck every day, I'm afraid I could marry a beautiful wife by hunting!"

He came from a poor family, loved to live a carefree life, and has never married.

"You need some property to get married and have children!"

"Otherwise, would you rather find a girl to suffer with me?"

He Bo told him, "Don't worry, the time to make a name for yourself is coming soon."

"Judging from your words and actions, you have the potential to become a hero."

"If I could own a house like a minor official in the city, marry a wife and a concubine, and enjoy the blessings of having two wives, I would be satisfied!" Wang Feng replied.

After all,

He picked up the knife and began to deal with the wild boar that had willingly sacrificed itself, together with He Bo.

Noticing He Bo's skillful technique, Wang Feng couldn't help but click her tongue. "I've heard scholars tell the story of 'Butcher Ding's skill in dissecting an ox,' but seeing you cut meat and chop bones, I realize that such skill is real, not just a story made up by those guys."

“I have no other skill than practice makes perfect!” He Bo said.

Wang Feng's thoughts began to wander, and suddenly she clapped her hands and said, "With such amazing swordsmanship, killing someone would be a piece of cake for you."

The atmosphere of chaos is growing stronger.
Even if villagers are limited by their perspective and knowledge and do not know the specific situation, they can still perceive some things through daily life.

After decades of venerating Confucianism and centralizing power, the chivalrous spirit among the people had been suppressed by the imperial court, but now it has resurfaced.

Many armed men roamed the streets, brandishing swords and proclaiming, "What fear has a true man had of killing?"
The people of Xinshi have always been simple and honest. Even in times of peace, there are still stories of people saying, "If we say we'll kill your whole family, we'll kill your whole family." Not to mention the situation now.

Therefore, Wang Feng didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said. She even talked to He Bo about the human body with great interest, using her hunting experience to speculate on which part of the body He Bo could stab to reach the gallbladder.

He Bo refuted the errors in his statement and emphasized that with his technique and understanding of the human body, it was impossible for him to puncture a location like the gallbladder.

"In a life-or-death struggle, a single, fatal blow is best; no survivors should be left!"

He Bo lamented, "It's a pity that the most skilled person in this field isn't here." Wang Feng asked wistfully, "Where is he?"

"It's in the north, in the Qi-Lu region!"

After Sun Chong's death,
Zhou Jian, the most skilled surgeon of his time, had his skills inherited by his son, Sun En, who successfully became the Elder of the Way of Peace and taught many disciples specializing in external trauma and bone setting, earning him widespread praise from his fellow Daoists.
"This must become a family heirloom of our Way of Peace!"

To know,
The Way of Peace has always possessed military force and dared to use it.

Meanwhile, the Taiping Dao in the Central Plains...
Unlike the increasingly refined and otherworldly New Xia Taiping Dao,
Unlike the Western Qin Taiping Dao, which was influenced by Qin Feng and overemphasized military force,
It places greater emphasis on both literary and martial skills.

If you don't manage to kill your opponent in one go, you still need to consider treatment.

After all, God is merciful, and the Way of Peace adheres to the principle of saving the world, so they really couldn't bring themselves to kill again.

Of course,
If someone accepts the healing from the Way of Peace but refuses to be refined by it, the Way of Peace will declare them a "sworn enemy," escalating the relationship to the extreme and giving them no further chance to beg for mercy.

The weird thing is,
Whenever Taiping Dao adopts such a tough stance and suppresses its arch-enemies, more forces will choose to befriend it.

Fortunately, God gave a divine message: "This is a sign of rising influence; there's no need to worry about it."

Therefore, the Way of Peace did not dwell on it.

However, Wang Feng was somewhat conflicted about not being able to meet the "master of healing".

"I really hope I'll have the chance to visit this hero someday."

In his opinion,

The fact that one has such a deep understanding of the human body, and can dissect an enemy as easily as slaughtering a cow or sheep, demonstrates the opponent's exceptional martial arts skills.

At this level,
It's something that even a vulgar person like myself, who gets covered in blood even when slaughtering pigs, can look up to.

He said that his men cut off a few pieces of pork and were going to give them to relatives and friends, as well as to some poor people.

"This is an unexpected bonus, and I don't need to be stingy and keep it all to myself."

Those who received the pork were overjoyed and praised Wang Feng for his kindness and righteousness.

Therefore, He Bo became even more convinced that he would become a "hero of the greenwood" in the future.

When Wang Feng visited a distant relative named "Wang Kuang," He Bo was still thinking to himself:
There are far too many people in the world with the same name.

"In Chang'an, they are grandfather and grandson, but here they are brothers... How interesting."

beside,

Wang Feng introduced her new friend to Wang Kuang, who reciprocated with a warm welcome and even invited He Bo, who was skilled in medicine, to stay and develop his career in the new city.

"The north is about to descend into chaos. Since you're already here, brother, why don't you enjoy this rare period of peace for now?"

"Moreover, as society deteriorates and private feuds become more prevalent, it's absolutely no problem for you to gain respect in a region and build up a certain reputation with your abilities."

He Bo praised his keen eye, but still declined, saying, "My ambitions lie elsewhere."

Wang Kuang could only regretfully shut his mouth.

He didn't stand on ceremony and then discussed other matters with his brothers.

Wang Kuang was a very courageous man. He told Wang Feng directly, "The north and south are connected, and disaster is inevitable."

"Although you and I are poor, we have martial arts skills. We can emulate the heroes who followed Emperor Taizu of Han in establishing the Han Dynasty, do some things to help the weak and punish the strong, spread our fame, and make friends with heroes."

"If the disaster does not spread to my hometown, I can still use my connections to seek a position as a county official."

"On the contrary, they can gather the villagers to resist disasters and reduce damage."

Wang Feng thought he made sense: "I don't seek the glory of being ennobled, but only to preserve the peace of my hometown."

He Bo watched from the side as the two loudly discussed their extremely rebellious plans for the future, muttering to himself:
"With such conduct, it's no wonder that his reputation as a bandit has been passed down through the ages and remains unchanged for thousands of years."

otherwise,

Why wasn't it the reputation of the "Red Eyebrows" that spread?
……

"The world is full of coincidences!"

After saying goodbye to the Wang brothers in Xinshi and returning home
He Bo specifically sought out the First Emperor, who was holed up at home reading a letter from Liu Laosan that had been specially sent from the Western Sea regarding the current situation in Western Qin. Without any hesitation, he plopped down in the VIP seat and then said to Ying Zheng:
"The Wang family wants to overthrow the Wang family's rule!"

The First Emperor snorted, "What does this have to do with me?"

"You should say this to Liu Ji."

"Wouldn't telling him make him happy?" He Bo shrugged. "If he's happy, you'll definitely get angry again, so I might as well just tell you directly!"

So, although Emperor Taizu of Han was not pleased, the First Emperor was even angrier.

He kicked the uninvited guest out and tore up Liu Laosan's letter, which was filled with jokes about the politics of Western Qin.

As a result, He Bo turned around and climbed back onto his wall, still asking him, "Wang Mang doesn't even care about his own family, so it's clear he can't hold onto his throne."

Do you think he can pass the throne to his son?

"I happened to be bored earlier and planted a few trees on your and Liu Laosan's graves. Do you think he might have a chance to use them?"

He Bo paused, then muttered a correction, "No!"

"It should be planted on the tomb mound of King Qi, Wang Mang was his son."

While he was talking to himself, the First Emperor personally picked up a long stick and poked the incomparably noble God down from the wall.

He Bo then fell to the ground with a thud.

Ximen Bao, who happened to be looking for someone, stopped beside him.

He Bo accused him indignantly, "Why didn't you catch me?"

The old man, Ximen Bao, glared at him and said, "Don't you know how to fly?"

"Why would I fly when someone's picking me up?" He Bo retorted, struggling to his feet.

Because when Liu Laosan was around...
He loved to sneak up on the First Emperor's wall to peek at his face, and when caught, he shamelessly laughed and said, "I didn't get a good look back in Xianyang, but now that I have the chance, I must get to know you properly, brother."

So the First Emperor raised his walls considerably to keep certain people out.

This caused He Bo to fall hard, startling even the big yellow dog passing by.

"All right."

"Stop playing."

"The great river is about to overflow; you should go and take charge of this great disaster."

The authority over the great rivers and lakes naturally belongs to God.

Its rampant spread and impact on the world cannot be controlled by others.

Under that extreme destruction,

The spirits who ruled over the land on behalf of God could only silently endure, letting the river fill the area under their jurisdiction.

"Huh, is it almost time?"

"Yes!"

"That's why I've come here specifically to invite you to Ye City!"

(End of this chapter)