Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 495 Changing Homes
King of Dai

He was one of the sons of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty.

After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, its lineage of feudal lords continued for a long time.

During the reign of Emperor Wu,
As the country expanded its territory and the borders changed, Emperor Wu ordered that Liu Yi, the then King of Dai, be moved to Qinghe and appointed him King of Qinghe. The original Dai territory was renamed Taiyuan Commandery.

This is not a very significant matter.

After all, for the feudal lords during Emperor Wu's reign, under the Edict of Grace, they could simply stay in their fiefdoms and enjoy themselves, continuing to play music and dance.

Moreover, although the name has changed, the ancestral temple still exists, the sacrifices have not been interrupted, and the ancestors in the underworld have nothing to say.

Until the reign of Emperor Xuan,
Prince Liu Nian of Qinghe had an affair with his sister Liu Ze, and after his brother-in-law discovered their affair, she gave birth to a child, leaving him thoroughly cuckolded and nearly driving him to his death with anger.

therefore,

Liu Ze's husband made a scene and reported the scandal of the Prince of Qinghe to the central government through the local officials in charge of supervision and the governors of the various vassal states.

Emperor Xuan was greatly alarmed upon hearing this and sent people to investigate and interrogate him in order to find out the truth of the matter.

When Prince Liu Nian of Qinghe saw the envoy arrive, he assumed the emperor intended to punish him directly. Therefore, feeling extremely aggrieved, he submitted a memorial explaining that he and his sister were truly in love.

"Your Majesty and the Empress are so loving, don't you want to see others being loving as well?"

Emperor Xuan was furious.

What kind of love?

What do you love?
Have you figured out the essence of the matter?

quickly,

Emperor Xuan then deposed Liu Nian and moved him to Fangling, thus ending the lineage of the Prince of Qinghe.

When Wang Mang first came to power, in order to win over the Liu Han imperial family, reduce their resistance, and create a more "Duke of Zhou" persona for himself, he dug out Liu Ruyi, a descendant of Liu Nian's brother, from the shadows under the pretext of "reviving the extinct and continuing the interrupted lineage," and made him "King Guangzong" to continue the ancestral sacrifices.

Liu Ruyi, a boy who had fallen on hard times and was forced to toil in the fields for food, heard this unexpected good news. He immediately threw down his hoe, took small, quick steps back to his village, and told everyone he met how well he had chosen his name.
"As you wish, as you desire, just as I wish!"

"I was born to enjoy a life of luxury!"

"Then why did Prince Zhao, Liu Ruyi, die so young?" someone asked, reaching out to the smug Liu Ruyi. "Wasn't his background much better than yours, 'Ruyi'?"

King Zhao Liu Ruyi,
He was the child of Emperor Taizu of Han and Consort Qi, and was enfeoffed in the Zhao region.

Unfortunately, he did not live long enough.

He died of illness more than 20 years later, without leaving any children.

"You talk too much!"

Liu Ruyi, who lived under Wang Mang's rule, couldn't stand these ominous words. He kicked the man and then happily boarded the carriage arranged by the angel to go to Guangzong to take up his post.

And very quickly,
Wang Mang usurped the throne, and the position he held controlled his brilliant mind, causing him to waver on the issue of "reviving the extinct and continuing the interrupted line." Consequently, he deposed Liu Ruyi, the Prince of Guangzong, and sent him back to the countryside to fend for himself.

"How can I tolerate this!"

Liu Ruyi slurped up a mouthful of mutton soup and skillfully crushed a hard, large steamed bun, soaking it in the soup to soften it.

The aroma of food wafting through the air obscured his weathered face.

"Then I ran to Chang'an, wanting to complain to the Empress Dowager about Wang Mang's unreasonable behavior!"

"result……"

"Ugh!"

Wang Mang didn't even care much about the Empress Dowager herself, so why would he lower himself to listen to the pleas of Liu Ruyi, a fallen member of the imperial family?

He immediately imprisoned the man, forcing Liu Ruyi to spend all his wealth to save his life.

"When I passed by the embassy, ​​I heard the Qin envoy cursing Wang Mang. I was immediately moved and went to his place to become sworn brothers with him... and then I followed him to the Qin state."

Zhao Shen stroked his beard, pondering Liu Ruyi's fantastical journey, and then said:
"I heard that Emperor Huai sent his own brother to visit the Central Plains."

"Yes!"

"Then why did you become sworn brothers with him?"

Can the descendants of the Ying family and the Liu family be matched?

Is this as it should be?

I'll burn a letter and send it down to ask Emperor Taizu of Han, who is still wandering around Qin, and the former ruler of Qin, who is currently enjoying the fruits of war in the Central Plains, if they know about this!

"How can we let the conflicts of our ancestors affect our descendants?"

Liu Ruyi finished all the food in front of her, then, clutching her stomach, said matter-of-factly.

"I'm following Old Ying now, and all I hope for is that Jade Wall City, the western capital of Qin, can become more secure and allow the Qin dynasty to continue for a longer period of time!"

It should hold out for at least another few decades, enough to live for three generations!
In any case, the blessings of a virtuous person will only last for five generations.

He wasn't a gentleman; he was already content with the fact that his family had maintained wealth and status for three generations.

Zhao Shen didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly, and then at his rather young grand-disciple beside him.

A strange idea suddenly came to him, but he couldn't say it out loud yet.

We still need to observe Liu Ruyi for a while to see what kind of person he really is.

Yggdrasil does not yet possess the ability to inherit the ultimate weapon, the Nine-Section Staff, and still needs to grow.

Therefore,
Let's wait a few more years.

Zhao Shen felt that with his physical condition, living for a few more years wouldn't be a problem.

"Master, what were you thinking about that person just now?"

Although Zhao Shen believed his gaze was deep and his emotions were not outwardly revealed.

But all of the above are just his "own opinion".

To outsiders,
Every now and then, the old man Zhao Shen would glance at Liu Ruyi for a moment, his expression revealing obvious contemplation.

This made Liu Ruyi somewhat uneasy.

The people of Qin did not have any particular interest in deep interpersonal relationships, and even the emperors of all dynasties were not as eager for sex as Emperor Cheng of Han.

But Liu Ruyi was not a Qin person.

He is a pure descendant of Liu Bang!

He was aware of certain things and was also wary of them.

So, under the watchful gaze of Zhao Shen, who remained "unperturbed," Liu Ruyi, who had eaten all his food, soon got up and left the tavern, leaving only the Great Master of the Way of Peace to remain in deep thought.

Bored, Yege looked around and finally couldn't resist his curiosity, so he asked Zhao Shen.

"nothing."

Even though his expression was read, Zhao Shen remained calm and composed. "I was just thinking that if you're going to preach in the West, you'll need some helpers."

"There are still too many barbarians there!"

Yege'er said "Oh" and nodded in agreement, "That's right."

Yege'er, who had followed Zhao Shen in preaching since childhood, had a deep understanding of this.

Fighting is something that...
Bringing more men to your side would obviously be more advantageous for victory.

"After you settle down, you should eat more fish and bread; you've lost a bit of weight."

Glancing at his grandson Nayin, who was in a period of rapid growth and looked very tall and thin, Zhao Shen said calmly, "These are good for your body."

Upon hearing this, Yggdrasil immediately let out a wail, "But I don't want to eat fish and bread!"

When they were preaching in Rome, they would walk along rivers, which made it easier to find food and the local population.

Therefore,
When Yego was a child, he was often fed fish that were caught and cooked fresh from the river by his elders, as well as wheat cakes that were specially dried for long-term storage and hard enough to be used as weapons.

That made him suffer a lot while eating.

As he, with tears in his eyes, held the piece of bread he had painstakingly broken off in his mouth, trying to soften it with his warm body and saliva, and while complaining to his "dear father," the pigeon who had flown over to bring him coconut flakes and coconut crisps, the usually benevolent God, with the uniquely hot body of a bird, uttered words that made Yggdrasil tremble with cold:
"Fish and cakes are both good things!"

"And it must be destined to be with you; you cannot abandon it!"

The dove then instructed Joseph and Mary:
"Remember to feed the child plenty of biscuits!"

The couple naturally agreed.

Only Yege'er stood by, baring his teeth and killing a passing rabbit on the spot with half a piece of wheat cake.

“I will have your mother watching you.”

"Yes, according to God's decree... I'll give you five loaves and two fish every day."

Yego'er then wailed even more horribly.

beside,

The ghosts who had been spying on this group for a long time were holding watermelons that the Qin people had obtained from Li Xuan and that had been cultivated by Liu Taigong and other ghosts. They were eating them while pointing and commenting.

"Old Liu, if your seed comes to Qin, you won't end up taking away Ying Qin's mantle again, will you?"

"What do your descendants' actions have to do with you, sir!" the man immediately declared, drawing a clear line between himself and his father. "Don't spread rumors about me. I'm still going back to the Central Plains!"

If that really happened...

Liu Bang felt that he would probably never be able to return to the Central Plains.

The Ying family, moving from west to east, will surely attack him from both sides and throw him into the Weak Water!

"but……"

"There are no 'buts'!"

Liu Bang interrupted the other person, munching on a melon rind, and said, "If you don't feel good about it, then let the descendants of Ying Qin go to the east too!"

"It's not like there's no way out!"

Land routes are at risk of being blocked due to war, but sea routes are unobstructed!

As long as you find ships from the states of Qi or Wu and give them enough money, you can deliver goods as far east as Japan and as far west as Rome.

Hearing Liu Bang's words, the black bird beside him also opened its mouth and replied:
"You don't need to suggest that!"

"The descendants of the Ying family are already doing this!"

His gaze fell upon the southern part of Qin, the once peaceful and prosperous plains of the two rivers, where people from all directions flocked in, but now, due to the lack of natural defenses, war raged everywhere.

over there,
A ship was traveling along the West Wei River and arrived at the port where the river flows into the sea.

A family of several people disembarked from the boat, carrying many packages with them.

"Father, are we really going to leave Qin and settle somewhere else?" A child, cradling his beloved kitten, asked the adult timidly.

"if not?"

The middle-aged man, looking exhausted, said helplessly, "We are just ordinary relatives. Our family has long since fallen on hard times. Where would we get the money and resources to move our whole family from the war-torn land to the far north?"

The old saying goes, "A poor family travels with a rich one."

Not to mention traveling from south to north, and having to figure out how to cross the front lines and the battlefield.

This would only lead to their already meager wealth being robbed by bandits on the way, and they wouldn't even be able to save their lives.

But the South was in constant turmoil, and staying put would only prolong their lives by a few years.

Therefore,

The middle-aged man thought for a long time, realizing that he was not far from the seaports leading to Xinxia and the Central Plains, so he might as well move his base to another place to develop.

He had already found out.

Although the sea journey is long, taking advantage of the seasonal winds and waves makes it easier and more convenient than traveling to Yu Bi City by land, both in terms of money and time.

The system of weights and measures in the Chinese world was standardized long ago.

If they exchanged the Qin Banliang coins in their homes for Han Wuzhu coins or Sui Erjin coins, it would be enough for them to live a peaceful and prosperous life there.

Unlike in the Qin state, where even with money you still have to worry about bandits and thieves coming and looting your home.

It's such a mess.

The imperial relatives and their families have been slaughtered to the point of being scattered everywhere. What about these minor and distant relatives who have no connection with the royal family except for a family genealogy book?

in this way,

If we don't run away, what else can we do?
"Keep an eye on Big Orange, don't let it run around on the boat, or it'll be hard to find!"

The adult gave these instructions and, with all his might, lifted the fat cat's cub in his arms.

The child obediently agreed, then gritted his teeth and lifted the orange cat up a little higher.

Not long after,
Ships from the East docked, reportedly from the Sui Dynasty. After unloading their cargo, they were about to set sail for home.

The middle-aged man quickly ran over and engaged in a deep and friendly exchange with the fleet by showering them with money, eventually managing to board the merchant ship with his family.

"Everything will be alright once we reach the Sui Kingdom."

The adult stroked the child's soft hair, embraced his wife, and gazed at the boundless blue sea before him, speaking with anticipation.

The child was a little seasick, but he still held onto the heavy orange tightly, nestled in his parents' arms.

"After we settle down in the Sui Kingdom, can we plant another tree in front of our new home?"

The children also began to look forward to it.

He thought of his old home, which he had abandoned behind him—

In the southeast corner of that old manor, passed down from their ancestors, grows a tree over five zhang tall, its canopy shaped like a cart cover, making it a magnificent sight from afar.

Trees with this kind of posture were extremely rare "treasures" in the Qin state, where rainfall was scarce.

People from the neighborhood like to come and see it, and occasionally someone will point to the big tree and say:
"This tree is unusual; someone of high standing will emerge from your family in the future."

His father took it as a wishful remark and casually replied while holding the child and sitting under the tree to enjoy the shade:
"It's enough if our children and grandchildren can live in peace and happiness. Why should we care about the price?"

The middle-aged man listened to the child's words and was reminded of the old tree that had accompanied them for generations.

He himself, as well as his father and grandfather, had enjoyed the shade provided by this tree during the hot summer days.

"Sure!" the middle-aged man told his child. "I heard that Xinxia is even hotter than Xihai. When we settle down there, we'll definitely plant a few more trees!"

"Then you and Daju can climb all over the tree and play whatever you want under it!"

"Okay!"

The child perked up and happily responded.

The big orange cat in his arms started meowing.

When it saw a group of fish leaping out of the sea, its cries became even more excited.

The sun was shining brightly.
People who came from the East to the West due to the turmoil successfully settled in Yu Bi City through their connections.

People who fled from the west to the east due to the turmoil also found long-lost peace in a village in the Sui Dynasty, relying on money and smiles.

A new life is beginning.
A new chapter in my life is about to begin.

just,

The dynasty in the East, named "Xin," was unable to abandon its old ways and run towards a new direction like these people.

Wang Mang, driving the old chariot he had seized from the Han dynasty, was sweating profusely as he brandished his whip, attempting to steer the horses off course and toward his desired destination.

But his sweat and effort did not yield results.

The carriage went out of control.

(End of this chapter)