Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 500 Wang Family
In the first year of Dihuang,
Two mothers fell ill one after the other.

But Lü Jiao had no extra attachments to the world, and she had already made arrangements for the retreat of her followers, so she left very gracefully.

However, Empress Wang, who lived deep within the palace, could not let go.

Her soul has long since died, but her body still lingers in the world.

Because when she had just fallen ill, her two surviving sons sent a few words through palace servants to the palace, which reached Lady Wang's ears:
"My eldest and second eldest brothers were only thirty years old when they died."

“Now that my brothers and I are thirty years old, what should we do if our father wants to harm us?”

"Please, Mother, live a long life, just for the sake of us two good-for-nothing sons."

Ms. Wang did not respond to this, but she no longer resisted the doctor's visits and diligently began taking her medication.

Her daughter,

Empress Xiaoping of the Former Han Dynasty came to visit her and heard about this from her relatives. She then embraced her mother and wept.

She said sadly:
"They really are father and son!"

"My mother is so ill, and you finally managed to get through the palace to deliver your message, but you don't care about her health at all, you only care about your own life!"

"With such a father and such brothers, how could Heaven possibly bless the Wang family's new dynasty!"

Let this ruthless and heartless dynasty perish as soon as possible!

Wang has still not responded.

Numbly facing the lowered Buddha statue, she silently recited scriptures to pray for the deceased with her throat, which had not made a sound for many years.

Until the harsh winter passes and spring arrives, bringing renewed life to the plants.

No sign of life appeared in this cold, silent palace that belonged to the Queen of Da Xin.

Shortly thereafter,

News of the death of her third son, Wang An, arrived.

This prince, who was not favored by his father and was somewhat frail, finally succumbed to the hardships of the transition from winter to spring and ended his life before the snow that had fallen the previous year had completely melted.

As a result, Wang's condition relapsed and became even more serious.

Shortly after that,
News of the death of her fourth son, Wang Lin, also arrived.

Compared to Wang An, who died relatively peacefully, Wang Lin, who was once made crown prince by Wang Mang but was later deposed and made "Prince of Tongyiyang" due to the latter's suspicion, had a rather ridiculous cause of death—

The son and father both fell for the same woman, who happened to be a maidservant of their mother.

The woman was placed by Wang Mang to keep an eye on Wang Shi and prevent her from committing suicide and ruining his reputation. Because of her beauty and intelligence, Wang Mang valued her highly.

So he once told her, "I will take you as my concubine in the future."

But the maid had no interest in serving the old man Wang Mang. Instead, she became involved with Crown Prince Wang Lin, who had been granted permission by Wang Mang to visit his mother, but whose real purpose was to warn Wang Shi, "Your son is in my hands, don't try to kill yourself."

Wang Lin also made a promise to her, "When I ascend the throne, I will take you as my concubine."

The maid was overjoyed and began to discuss with Wang Lin, "Your father is very cruel to his bloodline. You might die at his hands before you even ascend the throne."

"For our bright future, I believe we should strike first!"

Wang Lin felt that what the other person said made a lot of sense.

The fate of his mother, brother, and sister was unfolding before his eyes.
Wang Lin had also heard about the special treatment Kong Guang, Wang Mang's teacher, received before his death.

Who else would have any expectations for Wang Mang's love life?
So he managed to obtain some poison and delivered it to the maid, making a pact with her:
"If I become emperor, I will definitely make you my empress!"

The maid, filled with hope for the future, poisoned Wang Mang during their meeting.

then,

Wang Mang, who never trusted anyone, discovered this conspiracy.

Enraged, he ordered the death of his beloved maid and then stuffed poison into his son's mouth.

Wang Lin, like his elder brother, was poisoned to death by his father.

Although he cannot be called "innocent",
His daily behavior hardly qualifies him as a good person or a good son.

But his death was still a heavy blow to the Wang family.

So far,

All four of her sons with Wang Mang died.

Aside from being frequently reprimanded and harshly criticized by Wang Mang, Wang An, with his timid and submissive personality, escaped his father's persecution by "dying young due to poor health,"
The other three were all taken away by their own fathers.

Is there anything else we can contact?

Wang, whose eyes had already gone blind from crying and who could no longer shed tears, thought to herself.

Besides a daughter who also suffered greatly and was imprisoned deep within the palace,
What other connection existed between her and Wang Mang?

"Mother."

"Please stop torturing yourself!"

Empress Xiaoping came to visit, and knelt down beside her old, sick, and emaciated mother, placing her hand on her own head, which was also covered in white hair from worry.

She held Wang's dying body, weeping like a baby nestled in her mother's arms.

But the difference is,
Babies cry to get their mother's attention, to make her stop and show them love.

Empress Xiaoping's weeping was a plea for her mother to let go and leave this suffocating world.

She is not her brother.

She would not force her mother to continue sacrificing herself for her own life.

She said, "When I entered the palace to marry Emperor Xiaoping, I was no longer a member of the royal family."

"Now, you can confidently break free from its constraints."

"Let us meet in the underworld after I witness that person's defeat and death!"

Then Wang's fingers moved, inserting themselves into her daughter's hair.

She struggled to open her eyes, her lips trembling, and uttered a sound she hadn't made in years:
"White, white hair..."

"How come you've gotten old too?"

Her daughter is not even thirty yet, so why does she look so old?

But the daughter didn't answer; she just burst into tears because of the voice she hadn't heard in so long.

She cried for a while, then said through gritted teeth, "It won't be long...it won't be long!"

Wang knew what she was talking about.

She held her daughter's hand and said in a dry voice, "I'll be waiting for you in the underworld."

They will also be in hell, waiting for that person to arrive.

Subsequently,

She closed her eyes and found final release.

There was no longer any burden weighing on her.

There were no more extra bloodlines binding her soul.
She could finally let go with peace of mind, and with her cloudy eyes, look forward to the peace after death.

Upon hearing this news, Wang Mang was filled with boundless rage.

In such a time of crisis and turmoil
His wife had actually abandoned him, which was a real blow to his reputation and a burden on the country.

But he couldn't show it.

He had been a good husband for many years in front of outsiders, and he couldn't afford to stumble at the last minute.

Therefore,
Wang Mang suppressed his anger and held a funeral for Wang.

Liu Xiu, who had packed his belongings and was about to leave Chang'an to return to his hometown, once again witnessed this farewell ceremony.

When he first arrived,
Wang Mang was holding a funeral for the Grand Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty;

As he was preparing to leave
Wang Mang was holding a funeral for the empress of the Xin Dynasty.

"Why do I always run into these kinds of things?" A few pieces of white paper money drifted down and landed on Liu Xiu's head. He helplessly patted them off and let out a sigh.

His friend Deng Yu casually remarked, "When you get old, this day will come eventually."

Wang Zhengjun lived to be eighty-four years old.
Wang lived to be sixty-five years old.

At this point, one could certainly be described as "very old".

At their age, they are so fragile that a simple fall could cost them their lives.

Deng Yu did not think that Liu Xiu's encounter with such a thing when he came to or went to Chang'an had any profound meaning.

It was just a coincidence.

Liu Xiu, however, always tended to overthink.

He is a very intelligent person, and he always thinks much more than the average person.

Upon hearing Deng Yu's words, Liu Xiu couldn't help but laugh and say, "Yes, that day will come eventually."

"Is there anyone in the world who is old and does not die?"

Wang Mang was already past sixty, and all four of his legitimate sons had passed away before him, leaving him with only two illegitimate sons and some grandchildren who were not yet adults.

In the current turbulent times
To which successor will he entrust the empire he has worked so hard to build?

And among his descendants, who can shoulder such a heavy responsibility, protect their own lives and property, and prevent the ancestral legacy from being swept away by the impending turmoil?
Liu Xiu was filled with emotion, but he showed no sign of it on his face.

He simply bid farewell to his friend with his usual warm and gentle smile.

"If there is an opportunity in the future, let us talk again by candlelight!"

Liu Xiu got into the carriage and waved to Deng Yu, who was seeing him off.

Deng Yu did not refuse.

then,

The carriage started moving.

Accompanied by the funeral music of the new dynasty's royal family, Liu Xiu headed towards his hometown.

over there,
His elder brother, Liu Yan, was already prepared to fulfill the prophecy that Wang Mang had strictly forbidden—

"The Han dynasty will be restored, and the Xin dynasty will perish!"

……

"You see, focusing too much on the name and being unable to control the reality leads to this situation."

In the underworld,
He Bo led the dead ghosts to observe human affairs, pointing and commenting on the figures involved.
"Without a solid foundation, even if a tall building is erected temporarily, it will collapse soon."

"We can only hope that Wang Mang dies soon!"

"If he had died sooner, he could have passed the throne to his descendants and let them rule for a few years before the country fell."

"Otherwise, it would be a bit awkward if he gained it and then lost it!"

Liu Laosan, who had just returned from the Western Sea, chimed in, only to be glared at by the petty and sensitive First Emperor.

Emperor Taizu of Han quickly explained, "Hey brother, I wasn't talking about you here!"

The First Emperor, with a displeased expression, said, "Did you say anything to me? Do you think I don't know?"

He habitually rattled off a string of adjectives describing Liu Bang, such as "rogue, scoundrel, cunning, and shameless."

He Bo waited quietly for him to finish cursing, then asked Liu Laosan, "Did you climb over his wall and provoke him again?"

Emperor Taizu of Han chuckled and said, "This time it didn't turn into a ruse!"

The First Emperor's skill of poking people with a stick could be used to catch cicadas with ease, let alone poking the Han Taizu, who was trying to climb over the wall and forcibly close the gap between the Qin and Han dynasties, back into his own courtyard.

"I just compiled my experiences in Western Qin over the years and sent a copy to Zheng Ge'er."

Then He Bo understood.

The reason why the early rulers of Qin were unwilling to stay in the Western Sea and deliberately played the game of exchanging homes with the Han Dynasty was that they did not want to see their descendants suffer.

Who would have thought that Liu Laosan, this good-for-nothing fellow, who used to urinate on a Confucian scholar's hat while he was alive, could turn around and write various records full of emotion about the decline of Western Qin?

can only say,
When people do bad things, their energy is indeed limitless!

"This is all Wang Mang's fault!"

He Bo intervened and stopped the two emperors from pulling at each other, and forbade Liu Laosan from performing the First Emperor's unique footwork, "Qin King Circling the Pillar," in his own palace.

then,

He pointed to the mirror reflecting human affairs, magnified Wang Mang's image, and sincerely told the First Emperor.

"If this guy hadn't gone crazy and gone to Liu Laosan's temple to do performance art, he wouldn't have suddenly come back from the West Sea and disturbed your leisure time."

Liu Bang was a very free-spirited person.
He was already very satisfied that the country he had worked so hard to build could last for two hundred years.

Therefore, when Wang Mang officially usurped the throne, he did not return, but remained in the Western Sea to watch the great chaos of the various warlords of Qin.

But regarding matters of the ancestral temple,
Regarding posthumous treatment, no matter how carefree Emperor Taizu of Han was, he would still have to come back for a second look.

"What if Wang Mang also demolishes my Gao Temple?"

"Does this mean you'll be sitting at the same table as Liu Shi from now on?"

Upon receiving the news, Liu Bang immediately slammed his fist on the table. He then used superstitious means to quickly return to the Central Plains, where he beat up Emperor Yuan, claiming that it was the demolition of his temple that inspired Wang Mang to ruin his own Gao Temple.

How dare Emperor Yuan speak?
He could only bear twice the grievance, endure a beating from the Taizu Emperor, and then turn to his parents for comfort, cursing Wang Mang's recklessness—

Last autumn,
Some couldn't help but complain: "The country has not only failed to improve after the change of government, but has become even more chaotic... In that case, it would have been better to let the Liu family continue to rule!"

Wang Mang was furious upon hearing this and immediately executed the man. He was also deeply worried because everyone missed the Liu family.

He consulted shamans and sorcerers, and ultimately adopted their advice, intending to drive away the remaining destiny of the Han Dynasty by performing a shamanic dance in the ancestral temple of Emperor Taizu of Han.

He then splashed dog blood on the Gao Temple, smeared it with cinnabar, and had it occupied by a group of strong men who spent their days and nights there cursing Liu.

When Liu Laosan rushed back and saw this scene, he stomped his feet in anger.

"Why can't you choose something nicer!"

"If he arranges for a group of handsome men and beautiful women to live in Grandpa's temple, he'll even accept Grandpa if he paints the entire temple green!"

It's smelly and dirty now.
Even if there were still offerings, he had no appetite to eat them!
Ying Zheng, who lived next door, heard his words and couldn't help but let out a sneer.

Emperor Taizu of Han then climbed over the wall and glanced at him, quickly pulling his head back. This led to the writing down of his experiences and observations, which he then threw to the First Emperor for review.

"Try to think positively!"

He Bo comforted the First Emperor, saying, "At least the Central Plains are more chaotic than the west!"

Regardless of the situation in Western Qin,

They managed to preserve their core base in Xihai, allowing them to barely survive.

In the Central Plains, even Chang'an was filled with complaints and discontent, and there were countless local uprisings and rebellions.

"Besides, Liu Han has already lost the throne, but you still have descendants to take care of you... Why are you arguing with this guy?"

He Bo pressed the two emperors back into their seats and urged them, "Keep watching, keep watching!"

"Wang Mang is going to take another concubine!"

Tsk tsk,

This guy is about to come up with something new again if we're not careful.

Seeing this, Madam Ximen, who had been watching everyone's playful antics with a smile, said somewhat displeased:
"This old man is almost seventy years old, how can he have the nerve to prey on young women?"

Moreover, Wang Mang ordered the selection of eligible women from across the country before Wang's body was even cold and she had just been buried in the mausoleum. This was utterly shameless!
"This is an attempt to preserve the few remaining hearts of the people by confirming the prophecy."

Sitting with his wife, Ximen Bao stroked his beard and said, "Wang Mang's path has come to an end. He has no ability to change everything in reality, so he can only resort to witchcraft to paint himself with some color and show off his power."

He sighed, "How can a country be governed in this way for long?"

"Wang Mang's downfall is imminent; it will only take a few years!"

(End of this chapter)