Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 504 The Fall of Chang'an

When the star fell and landed precisely on the heads of Wang Mang's hundreds of thousands of troops outside Kunyang City,

The ghosts who were secretly observing all sighed:
"The Han Dynasty is truly about to be restored."

Gan and Shi, who had been observing celestial phenomena, couldn't help but quote God's words upon witnessing this scene:
"It was truly a case of 'when the time is right, heaven and earth lend their strength'... However, Wang Mang can hardly be called a hero."

Wang Yi, the Xin Dynasty general who attacked Kunyang, was the son of Wang Mang's uncle, Wang Shang, and shared the same personality and abilities as his father.

His close relationship with Wang Mang led him to become the Minister of Works in the Xin Dynasty, where he was highly valued by Wang Mang and was able to lead troops to the east to quell the Green Forest Army, which dared to claim the title of emperor and compete with Wang Mang for the title.

While the army was marching,

Wang Yi sang and danced all the way, and did not change his demeanor as a pure son of the Yuancheng Wang clan despite the changes in the external environment.

The soldiers looked down on him as a result, but at the same time, they couldn't help but imitate their commander's carefree attitude and also relaxed and had fun.

Their camp was poorly planned, the earthen stoves for cooking were haphazardly built, and many soldiers who should have been patrolling and keeping watch at night were absent.

Liu Xiu, who was personally leading the team out of the city, noticed this and then said to those around him:
"Disorder arises from above!"

"Even with 400,000 men, how much power can they exert?"

Commanding a large army has always been an extremely troublesome task.

Emperor Taizu of Han was incredibly powerful in military strategy, conquering the world and pacifying the feudal lords in just a few years, yet he was still only described by Han Xin as having "a force of 100,000 men".

Therefore,

As long as you pay even a little attention to the matter and have a basic understanding of the situation,

They would all be nervous and take the matter of "leading an army of 400,000" very seriously.

result,

Wang Yi felt incredibly powerful to have 400,000 men following him, and ever since he left Chang'an, he has frequently uttered arrogant pronouncements such as "I will kill any god or Buddha who gets in my way."

After making those harsh remarks, he went to drink and watch the beautiful women who accompanied the army singing and dancing.

When the siege of Kunyang began, he shouted, "The advantage is in our hands," and refused to allow the weak in the city to surrender, claiming that he would kill every last blade of grass in Kunyang.

His arrogance

It provided great help to Liu Xiu.

At least the soldiers who had been driven to the brink by Wang Yi responded to Liu Xiu's call in order to survive. They rallied around him, leading their elite troops and constantly mustering their courage to launch attacks on the large number of new troops outside the city.

Liu Xiu led his army to victory after victory, which greatly boosted the morale of the defenders in the city.

Thanks to Liu Xiu's skillful command, they were able to hold out against Wang Yi's siege for a month, until the strange celestial phenomenon that lasted for half the night appeared—

As soon as July comes,
The wind and rain then turned wild.

First, a terrifying flash of lightning streaked across the night sky.

Then a hailstorm began.

Something the size of an adult's fist was smashed inside and outside the city.
People inside the city had city walls and houses to hide in, but those outside the city could only rely on their meager tents.

Of course,
They were smashed so badly that the sky and earth were completely darkened.

Before anyone could get up from the ground, a sudden downpour began.

The torches that were providing illumination were all extinguished, and the Shahe River, which flows down from the Qinling-Funiu Mountains outside Kunyang City, swelled and flooded the already loosely set up camp.

The meteorite, mixed in with the torrential rain, pierced through the clouds and, through the gale-force winds, fell onto the Xinjun side.

Wind, rain, water, and fire appeared together, becoming a fleeting light in the dead of night.

Some people cried out, "Heaven has sent down this disaster!"

The general on horseback shouted, the soldiers on the run shouted, and the laborers accompanying him cried out in fear.

Suddenly, thousands of people cried out, thousands of people wept, and hundreds of horses neighed.

The sounds of the camp collapsing, trampling, and howling wind all came together.

Interspersed among these were cries for help from hundreds and thousands of people, the creaking of grain carts being pulled, sounds of looting, and shouts of blocking.

Everything that should be there is there.

Upon seeing the chaos in the new army, Liu Xiu immediately displayed an expression of ecstatic joy.

He donned armor, brandished his weapon, and led his troops into battle, achieving victory in this protracted and protracted war.

Unfortunately,

The enemy commander, Wang Yi, was neither killed nor captured.

Seeing the army in disarray and defeat inevitable, this man immediately unleashed all the wisdom and strength a human being could muster—

He led a group of his personal guards in a charge towards the rear, and after a fierce battle on horseback, they managed to carve out a path to survival.

At last,
He waded across the turbulent waters of the Shahe River, where a floating bridge had been "built" on the wide expanse of water flooded by torrential rain, and the corpses of the new army hurriedly looked eastward and fled.

Shortly after,
When news of Liu Yan's capture of Wancheng arrived, thunderous cheers erupted in Kunyang City.

"He possesses a reputation that can unite people, the courage to lead troops into battle, and the wisdom to overcome the weak and defeat the strong..."

"Liu Xiu has a better chance of becoming emperor!"

After repeatedly savoring the battles at Wancheng and Kunyang, the wise men of the underworld began discussing "which of the Liu brothers is more qualified to compete for the throne."

Liu Xuan was nothing more than a puppet who was jealous of talent and ability.
Wang Mang is now nothing more than a skeleton in a tomb, not worth worrying about.

As for Taiping Road, from the perspective of the dead, it's nothing more than something that makes ghosts sigh.

in this way,

Then we can only look to Liu Yan and Liu Xiu.

Liu Yan was a man of bold and unrestrained character, who acted without regard for trivial matters. He was very talented in military affairs, but this also made him arrogant and unable to hide his emotions.

This puts him at risk of being "the tallest tree in the forest, the more likely it is to be felled by the wind".

Liu Xiu's talent was no less than his brother's, but his personality was the opposite; he was extremely calm and shrewd.

Anyway, when Emperor Taizu of Han, who had already gone to Xinxia for fun, heard him declare that "one should marry Yin Lihua," he spat out the wine in his mouth.

After all, Yin Lihua was only eight years old when Liu Xiu said those words.

Compared to him, when my father went to the Lü residence to shout "Congratulations on receiving ten thousand coins," he was actually a bit more respectable.

Liu Bang remarked with deep feeling, and profoundly believed—

He felt incredibly proud that, after so many generations, his descendants could still inherit the shamelessness he had shown in taking the first step towards wealth!
"And this kid's luck is just unbelievable!"

Recalling the "fall of the celestial star," which was not actually that large but had a very serious impact, even the dead ghost couldn't help but wonder if Liu Xiu had mastered some kind of magical magic.

But the dead wanted to ask God, but they couldn't find him.

After God had witnessed these two great battles, He packed up the historians, including Gan Shi, and carried them with him to other high mountains and steep ridges to observe the stars and predict the subsequent weather changes.

The dead can only rely on their own efforts to secretly observe Liu Xiu, and plan to interview him properly after he dies.

……

"Does the Liu family's destiny still exist?"

The world of the living,

Sun En and Wang Mang, on the east and west sides respectively, both received news of the Green Forest's great victory and couldn't help but have similar thoughts in their hearts.

But compared to Wang Mang's frenzied rage, Sun En was more peaceful, only worrying about other things.

"If the Liu family regains power, will the new emperor still govern this ravaged country in the same way as before?"

Having defeated the Red Eyebrow Army, seized large swathes of land in Hebei, and forced Fan Chong to lead his army to flee westward, Sun En made arrangements for the surrendered Red Eyebrow Army while thinking this through.

"If he can't do it, how can his great and wise teacher stop at this point?"

then,

Sun En summoned his men and said to them, "I have heard that there are many powerful local lords in Hebei, and they have done many things that are detrimental to the people of our country."

“I intend to cleanse them, implement the principle of ‘peace,’ follow the way of Heaven that takes from the surplus and gives to the deficiency, and restore the world to its former peace.”

His subordinates agreed with this idea to his face, but once he was out of the Great Teacher's sight and back in his room, they gathered together to discuss it:
"I have worked so hard, yet I still cannot obtain wealth and status. I am very dissatisfied with this."

"I imagine you all feel the same way."

The others nodded and said, "It's human nature to prefer leisure and wealth to hardship and lowliness."

"The *Taiping Jing* is ultimately a book about gods and immortals. Gods and immortals can live on dew and live in seclusion, but we cannot do that." They rose up in rebellion back then...

Aside from the burning passion within, how much of it stems from the regret of not being rich and powerful?

This attack on the Red Eyebrow Army,
Because of the Yellow Turban Army's consistently good reputation, it can be said that when the southwest presented a "vibrant scene of all things flourishing," the northeast could also be described as "wherever our army went, the people welcomed us wholeheartedly, truly taking full advantage of the opportune moment."

Among those who fell with the wind, quite a few harbored the idea of ​​"following a new master to save their lives and families."

Following the guidance of the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) will certainly ensure one has food to eat.

But they were already full, and now all they wanted was to eat more and better food!
"I heard that the bandits have advanced westward into Wuguan and started attacking Chang'an."

“Once they take that place, they’ll establish a new, legitimate dynasty. Why don’t we…”

Some things,

Since Sun En and the Way of Peace refused to give it,
Then you can't blame them for demanding things from outside.

"No!"

Someone interrupted the suggestion.

But it wasn't because of loyalty.

If he were truly loyal, this person wouldn't have shown up at this meeting.

"The situation is still unclear, so we cannot make a choice immediately."

Find the right opportunity.

Only then can they gain more benefits!
"However, we can send some of our offspring and relatives there first."

In recent years, they have gained momentum and status, and naturally, they will acquire wealth.

Even though Sun En repeatedly warned and was extremely vigilant, how could he, as an individual, possibly plug all the cracks?

But because of this,
They cannot directly display the wealth they have acquired in front of others. Otherwise, if Sun En comes looking for them and questions them about the "unexplained source of their huge sums of money," how will they answer?
Only by finding a way to take this wealth to the west, to the land where Xuanhan resides, can their descendants rightfully become local tycoons and enjoy a life of luxury.

such,

This also makes it easier for them to weigh the pros and cons between the two major forces and choose the right side.

"As expected, you are wise indeed!"

The others agreed to his suggestion and immediately sent their brothers and illegitimate sons to migrate westward by carriage at night.

Sun En had a premonition about this, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He simply came to the bank of the great river that flowed through the territory of the Yellow Turban Army, looked at the overflowing, muddy yellow water, and asked the people around him, "After the new era arrives, can the floods be restrained? Can the collapsed dikes be repaired?"

The other person dared not answer such a weighty question, and remained silent with their head down.

Sun En then stopped asking him questions and went to inspect other places.

During the years when the Yellow Turban Rebellion arose,

Sun En once thought about managing the great river.
But how could a regional warlord possibly manage and appease this mother river that runs through the entire Central Plains?
The Yellow River will not give up its act of striking at the lives of people on both banks unless it sacrifices decades of the nation's energy and wealth.

Therefore, he had no choice but to give up and truly look forward to the wisdom of future generations.

"Liu Yan, Liu Xiu..."

"They are all young and promising people."

"Even if they follow different principles, their passion hasn't faded, so they should be able to accomplish this, right?"

And so, Sun En drifted further and further away amidst his expectations.

……

Shortly thereafter,

Having triumphantly entered Wancheng and achieved the feat of Emperor Taizu "becoming emperor in Wancheng," Liu Xuan, worried about Liu Yan's soaring prestige, launched a surprise attack on Liu Yan, who was attending a banquet, at the suggestion of Wang Kuang and Zhu Wei, using the breaking of a cup as a signal.

Liu Yan failed to learn from the lessons of his predecessors and attended the meeting without armor, whereupon he was stabbed to death by soldiers arranged by Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan beheaded Liu Yan and a group of his generals, intending to use their heads to intimidate others and show them, "This is the consequence of rebelling against the emperor."

Wang Feng dissuaded, "This is a brave warrior who has just made a great contribution; he should not be insulted like this."

But Liu Xuan and Wang Kuang still wouldn't listen.

He felt increasingly that this wealth and glory was meaningless, and that it had turned his once brave and decisive elder brother into a narrow-minded and short-sighted person.

"How can I possibly face Liu Xiu?"

"If something like this happens again, you don't need to call me."

Wang Feng realized that he couldn't persuade anyone, so he simply devoted himself to the war against Wang Mang, thinking that after capturing Chang'an, he would pack his bags and return to his hometown to live a wealthy life.

As for whether Liu Xiu would launch an internal power struggle and turn his military might against his nominal ruler after hearing that his brother had been tricked into attending a meeting and assassinated by Liu Xuan, Wang Feng didn't want to care.

"Let them all die!"

He complained about this in private, his longing for Green Forest Mountain growing stronger.

just,

Liu Xiu's subsequent reaction surprised everyone.

He did not rebel or utter any complaints about his brother's sudden death, but instead maintained a kind and gentle demeanor, submitting to Liu Xuan's throne.

Liu Xuan then said smugly, "That's the effect of deterrence!"

"Even if Liu Xiu had the prestige of the Battle of Kunyang, he would not dare to fight against me!"

Wang Kuang nodded repeatedly, believing that Liu Xiu was so weak that he didn't even dare to avenge his brother, and therefore wouldn't pose a threat to him like Liu Yan.

But unnoticed by them, Liu Xiu quietly absorbed the forces left behind by his elder brother and befriended many generals, making his power even stronger.

wait,

He's still waiting!
Once Chang'an is captured,

After Wang Mang was eliminated,

Then he can do whatever he wants!

right now,

Nothing is more important than overthrowing the new dynasty!

September of the fourth year of the reign of the Earth Emperor

Riding high on their victory, the Green Forest Army triumphantly arrived at the gates of Chang'an, a city established by the Han Dynasty but later occupied by Wang Mang.

They quickly breached the magnificent capital and headed straight for the palace.

Inside the palace,

Wang Mang did not panic.

His fear and anger had long been exhausted when the news of the fall of Wancheng and the crushing defeat of hundreds of thousands of troops in Kunyang arrived.

Right now,

He regained the composure and calmness of his youth, his face radiated a full, healthy glow that was not typical of an elderly man, and his body became relaxed and agile.

"Somebody come!"

"Change my clothes!"

Wang Mang called out, but received no response.

When the palace maids serving him were besieged by the Green Forest Army in Chang'an, they escaped from the palace on their own to seek a way to survive.

The vast palace,
The majestic palace,
The imperial palace, which embodies what Wang Mang yearned for throughout his life.

It had long since become empty and desolate, filled with the mess left behind during the escape.

Fortunately,

Wang Mang did not expect anyone to respond.

He put on the emperor's robes and crown, then shook his sleeves and said, "Attend court!"

Still, no one responded.

But Wang Mang walked on his own and sat down in the hall where his ministers had once gathered.

(End of this chapter)