Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 496 Lü Jiao's Uprising
In the first year of the Xinyuanfeng era,
When Augustus, in the far west, passed away, and due to a sudden whim on his deathbed, "lived a second life,"

Just as no one was paying attention, a miraculous house-changing phenomenon occurred during the Qin and Han dynasties.
In Shandong, a region regarded by the Daxin Dynasty as the "place of the first rebellion" and the "old lair of the Yellow Turban rebels," someone has once again raised the torch.

The reason for this is...
It was all for one person.

"How could I not avenge my child?"

"The child I carried for ten months and gave birth to, the child I raised with my own hands!"

"How could I not love him and do everything in my power for him!"

Within Haiqu County,

With the marks of time etched upon her, Lü Jiao stroked her child's clothes, tears falling drop by drop, leaving one "stamp" after another on them.

That was her blood and tears.
That was her hatred!
"I do so many good deeds just to pray for my child's well-being, so that he can live a long and peaceful life."

Why must someone destroy even such a humble request, preventing me from being satisfied?

This spring,

A new magistrate has arrived in Haiqu.

He inherited the bloodline of the Tian family and was one of the imperial relatives recognized by the emperor.

Taking advantage of their status, the other party wantonly embezzled the county's property and even refused to accept disaster victims who fled from other places.

The plump, well-built magistrate climbed the city wall and loudly berated the disaster victims gathered outside:
"Heaven sends down calamities to kill you lowly people!"

"Instead of obediently submitting to the will of Heaven, you come to me begging for your life; this is an even greater crime deserving of death!"

These words shocked everyone in and around Haiqu City.

Influenced by his mother since childhood, You Jiao Lü Yu went to the county magistrate and asked him to change his views.

"When Heaven sends down calamities, it is because the powerful and wealthy who rule the world have failed in their duties. Why blame innocent people?"

"I remember there was enough food in the warehouse to try to save some lives."

The magistrate slammed his fist on the table and berated him, "You're spouting theories of the Yellow Turban rebels!"

"How could Heaven be angry because of the emperor?"

"Have you ever seen a father not defend his own children, but instead defend the villagers who are as lowly as weeds?"

"I now believe that you have colluded with the Taiping Dao in private, and you should be arrested, imprisoned, and punished!"

Lü Yu was then imprisoned and raised rats in a dark room.

When people outside heard about his deeds, they were filled with righteous indignation and said, "Speaking up for the people and criticizing the misconduct of those in power, does that make him a member of the Way of Peace?"

"I think this magistrate has already colluded with the local gentry to try and sell us for a good price!"

With so many ordinary people in the world, how could there be any wise person who couldn't see through the ways of the world and deduce the truth behind the scenes?

But often,
Forced by the need to make a living, they had to stop thinking and pondering too much, and instead busy themselves with stooped backs and toiling in the fields.

But right now,
Meat-eaters are no longer willing to give them a way to survive.

Their land was taken away and became part of some manor.

Their bodies were seized, and they became slaves on a certain estate, dependent on their master's every whim.

Natural disasters or man-made calamities?

That would only cause ordinary people pain and helplessness.

For aristocratic families

Disasters can be a boost to help us move forward and climb higher.

lowly land
Lowly labor,
All the provisions they need will be served on their tables through the special "vessel" of calamity, waiting for the nobles to extend their ivory chopsticks.

in this way,

The people, cornered, naturally had to stand up straight, pick up their farm tools, and were no longer willing to remain silent.

The hoe began to swing.

But it no longer faces the land where the seeds were sown.

The sickle swung.

But they no longer turn towards crops that bear abundant fruit.

This is the main reason why the Taiping Dao has not been quelled to this day.

Fortunately,

Haiqu County still retains some of the tranquility of the past. The gentle breeze carrying moisture from the sea prevents the tiny flame from bursting into flames.

They simply besieged the county government office, demanding that the magistrate release Lü Yu and open the warehouse so they could check its contents.

This made the magistrate so angry that his entire body trembled with rage.

Release Lü Yu.

This is a challenge to his authority as the head of a region!

And open the warehouse

It could even take his life!

The grain and weapons in the warehouse
When he first took office as county magistrate, he secretly sold the state's assets to others, pocketing the money for himself.

Even this time, accepting disaster victims was prohibited.

It was also because he had made shady deals with powerful local figures beforehand.

How could he expose all of this?
How could he allow himself to be humiliated by a group of lowly people?
He was a member of the imperial family of the new dynasty, a relative of the emperor!
Moreover, this is the former territory of the State of Qi.
This was a place that the Tian family had ruled for hundreds of years.
How dare these lowly people adopt such an aggressive attitude towards their masters from two hundred years ago?

But in the end,
The county magistrate could not withstand the pressure and released Lü Yu to quell public anger.

As for the warehouse?

One can only lament that the heavens were against them; a nameless fire broke out and burned everything inside and out to the ground.

And things have developed to this point,
The magistrate should have temporarily retreated into seclusion, waiting for time to fade people's memories so that he could restore his glamorous facade.

But despite his large size and heavy gait, he was actually quite petty.

If you pick up that 200-pound piece of meat and shake it, a puddle of black water will swell up.

Therefore, he refused to shrink himself into a dark corner.

"I will make the Lü family pay the price!"

He slammed his fist on the table again and started making threats.

Not long after,
He invited Lü Yu to a banquet, saying it was to ease tensions between the two sides and resolve the existing conflicts.

Before the banquet, the magistrate suddenly pointed at Lü Yu, intending to kill him.

Lu Yu fought with them, but his injuries were not serious.

Because he followed the teachings of his elders, he always had the habit of wearing a close-fitting leather vest when attending meetings.

Upon seeing this, the magistrate became even angrier.

He summoned more people, who caught Lü Yu, who was running around the yard, and finally slit his throat with a knife.

Blood was spilled all over the ground.
The magistrate happily exclaimed, "So many years have passed, and the Lü family has ultimately been no match for the Tian family!"

"But how should we respond to his mother?" a staff member who had witnessed the whole thing said worriedly.

The magistrate was quite indifferent, saying, "What trouble can an old woman cause?"

"Send her to collect her son's body!"

Lü Jiao came over and saw her child.

She calmly lifted her son into the car, tidied his clothes and hair, and wiped his face clean.

Some familiar people came over to comfort her, but Lü Jiao showed no additional sadness.

She just sighed and said, "My son has been in poor health since he was little, so I've always been worried about letting him go out to play alone."

“Every time he insisted on going out, I would arrange for a few servants to bring two yellow dogs and follow him around.”

"He's gotten angry with me about this several times."

"After he finished his duties as a village official, he told me that he had grown up and could no longer rely on his mother's protection. He should become a responsible man who could bring peace to the village and fulfill his duties."

"So he stopped asking me to send people to follow him, and every time he went out he would just call his friends... and nothing bad ever happened."

"But this time,"

But this time!

"He went to the banquet alone and ended up looking like this!"

"This is what happens when you disobey your mother!"

"He remembers to listen to others and wear protective leather armor to meetings, so why doesn't he remember my instructions?"

At this point, Lü Jiao finally shed tears.

The other person opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say to comfort the middle-aged woman who had lost her son.

Thus, those who had once benefited from Lü Jiao's kindness and admired Lü Yu's integrity in speaking out for the people could only silently gather at the Lü family home to bid farewell to Lü Yu.

After Lü Jiao followed the funeral rites and burned her son's clothes one by one in the fire,
Looking at the flames before her, she said, "I will avenge my son and make that stupid pig who usurped the throne pay homage to his dead soul."

She used to be somewhat weak.

She brought kindness and righteousness to the people of Haiqu, first to pray for the children's well-being, and later to bring prestige to her family.

In this increasingly chaotic world,
"Reputation" can indeed serve as a shield, preventing those with some conscience and a sense of shame from opening their fangs and bloody mouths at the Lü family.

As for Lü Yu's growth,

The Lü family enjoyed a good reputation in the surrounding area.

This caused Lü Jiao to gradually become lazy.

She was, after all, a woman.
Although he also had a habit of being lustful.
However, it ultimately falls short in terms of pioneering and enterprising spirit.

She did not have the ambition to do great things or establish a great career.

All she wanted was to preserve her family business and bloodline in Haiqu.

But Lü Jiao didn't expect this.
Her weakness gave others an opportunity to take advantage of her.

The guards she employed protected her property, but not her children.

"It's my fault."

Lu Jiao murmured, "I should correct this mistake."

Upon hearing this, the person next to them didn't hesitate much, immediately tearing off their own clothes to reveal their left arm, responding to Lü Jiao's words:
"How can I let you do such a righteous thing all by yourself!"

"Please take me with you!"

Please take us with you!

The able-bodied guards kept by the Lü family, along with the people who had gathered, all turned their backs to the left, their expressions extremely solemn.

Lü Jiao did not refuse them.

She buried her child, then gave away all her wealth to recruit more strong men, and led them directly into the county government office, where they dragged out that stupid pig.

On the seventh day after a child's death.
The gifts to welcome him home were prepared.

Lü Jiao saw her child in her dream.

The mother and son hugged each other, crying very sadly.

But through a hazy dream, Lü Yu told his mother, "I am doing well in the underworld. I have received care from my elders and made new friends. I hope you will not continue to grieve for me."

Lü Jiao nodded first, then shook her head.

She picked up the child who had transformed back into his petite and adorable childhood form in her dream, stroked his neck, and asked, "Does it hurt here?"

"It hurts a little."

When the knife cut him, he was in so much pain that he couldn't speak.

Lü Jiao touched the child's chest again, "Does it hurt here?"

"It hurts a little too."

When they were being chased, someone threw stones at the bones here.

Lü Jiao then said, "Then I cannot let go of the sadness and anger in my heart."

“My child did nothing wrong, yet he is in so much pain because of those despicable meat-eaters.”

How many people in the world are in similar circumstances?

“These past few days, because of your situation, I’ve been reading some of the scriptures of the Way of Peace and have learned about some of the things they advocate.”

"so……"

"Let me continue to pray for you!"

The mother pinched her child's cheek and said, "I've heard that the good deeds you accumulate in the mortal world can be exchanged for a carefree and wealthy life in the underworld."

"And the spirits are upright and just, they will certainly not let my painstaking efforts go to waste."

Lu Yu also reached out his little hand and touched his mother's face, which had become thinner rapidly in just a few days.

He wanted to say something more, but the laws of the underworld forbade it.

So he could only kick his little legs to get his mother to put him down, and then he held his mother's hand and walked for a while in the misty dream.

"Don't work too hard."

"I will be waiting for you in the underworld!"

“I have received everything you sent, and my merits are enough to support my peaceful residence in Haoli.”

“That’s the most prosperous place in the underworld, where many handsome men died young… I heard that the physician you’ve always admired also has a residence there.”

"I tried my best to build a house near him and contacted some handsome men in advance to prepare for my filial piety in the future."

Having said all that,

Lu Yu waved his hand and ran out of the dream.

Lü Jiao's dream ended there.

She pushed open the door and walked out.

Someone came up to her and asked, "Ms. Lü, what should we do now?"

The magistrate was killed.
This undermines the dignity of the imperial court.

It's not something that can be easily quelled.

Lü Jiao laughed and said matter-of-factly, "Let's seize the armory and rebel!"

"Then we ran out to sea!"

The Way of Peace originated in Shandong, but it has now expanded to other areas and is planning to expand there.

The imperial army was engaged in a protracted campaign in Shandong and recovered many areas.

This is why that county magistrate could be so arrogant.

This also made Lü Jiao worry that if another rebellion broke out in Shandong, it would provoke a strong crackdown from the already stress-stricken imperial court.

After all, they couldn't defeat the Yellow Turban rebels.

They always need to vent their anger on others to boost their morale, right?
Looking at the hundreds of people in front of her, Lü Jiao thought:
These people are chivalrous followers.
She is a mother who has lost her son.
She was a woman who gave away her family fortune and left home.
Even if he were to die immediately after avenging his great enemy, he would have no extra regrets.

But how can these people be implicated by her and die because of her?
"Let's establish a foothold at sea first and see if we can make contact with the Way of Peace..."

Lü Jiao's business,
Besides managing their ancestral farmland, they also sold wine and spirits in the city, and some of their business involved trade with the State of Qi.

Therefore, she built a small settlement on an island not far from Haiqu County to store goods and transport them to the surrounding coastal counties in exchange for money.

Before that,
Given the necessity for a merchant to curry favor with powerful figures to ensure the stability of his business, Lü Jiao also used lavish spending to establish a relationship with a member of the Qi clan in Japan.

Two mouths make up the character "吕".
In the Lü clan of Qi,

The Lü family, who were in Qi,
How could they not be related by blood?
Lü Jiao was wealthy, adept at socializing, and not a true citizen of Qi, making it naturally easier for her to "recognize her ancestry."

"In this way, there will be a way out, whether we go forward or backward."

Unable to merge with the Way of Peace
Or perhaps their rebellion has been going on for years, and they have a sufficiently strong foundation within the Taiping Dao (Way of Peace), so they look down on these younger generations and thus have a negative attitude towards them.

They could also use the islands to travel by boat to the State of Qi to escape.

If all else fails, heading south to the state of Wu is also an option.

Occupying an island in Southeast Asia is also an option.

Although Lü Jiao had never traveled far, she had made several business dealings with some merchants from the State of Qi and heard them talk about the vastness of the world.

Based on the descriptions given by the maritime merchants, she had a general idea of ​​what the surrounding seas looked like.

“I have lost my child.”

"We can't let your mothers lose their children again."

Everyone followed her advice, packed their things, and went out to sea.

Considering that they have now committed acts of killing officials and rebelling, they are now bound together by a shared interest.

Someone then suggested, "I've heard that people from the Way of Peace like to wear yellow turbans on their heads to show their status."

"We haven't joined them, but we're doing similar things. Should we also wear and paint on ourselves to show off our power?"

“Once a battle breaks out, enemy and friend can be identified by their characteristics.”

After thinking for a moment, Lü Jiao replied, "Then everyone should paint their eyebrows red."

"The sea vapor contains a lot of red, which can help remove the dampness."

then,

The group then found paint and used it to color their eyebrows red.

When the imperial court heard about their deeds, it also referred to this group of rebels as the "Red Eyebrow Bandits" based on these characteristics.

(End of this chapter)