Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 509 Liaodong
"The soil and water in Liaodong are still acceptable."

When the snow, reaching waist-deep, recedes and the ice on the frozen rivers melts...
Dressed in a fur coat and wearing a deer-feather hat, He Bo, riding a large tiger, also ascended Mount Gaima, overlooking the scenery below that originally belonged to the Goguryeo County of Xuantu Commandery of the Han Dynasty—

Winter passes, spring arrives.
People living in this cold northeastern region, like plants sprouting in spring, are gradually peeking out.

The ground beneath their feet had not yet fully thawed, but the local climate urged them to get to work as soon as possible so that they could stockpile more food later.

after all,

The winters here are so long.
Snowflakes, which people in Lingnan have never seen in their lives, are a terrifying disaster in the vast Liaodong Plain.

but,

Compared to the situation in later generations,

He Bo felt that Liaodong was really nice at this time.

Who can blame us when the world is still in a relatively warm period?

Many large marshes have not yet degenerated or disappeared. After soaking up the summer rains, the abundant waves surge up, making people mistakenly think they have arrived at the seaside.

After crossing the Yangtze River,
There were even scattered herds of elephants.
If the herd encounters a confused elephant leader who loses his way, the herd might even wander into the Huai River basin and graze on the fruits and grasses there.

This shows that

This current warm and humid century is the perfect opportunity for the Chinese people to spread to Liaodong and even further north.

"There are many rivers and mountains in Liaodong, and there is no shortage of water and heat in summer and autumn. There will be no problem in cultivating and developing here."

The "Grand Commander of the Vast Sea," who had traveled all the way from Langjuxu Mountain, also accompanied the main body, holding thick documents in his hands and speaking of the water and heat of Liaodong that he had observed and recorded over decades.

of course,

Such diligence and meticulousness were not done voluntarily by the mountain god of Langjuxu Mountain.

The main reason is that Langjuxu Mountain is really desolate.
Even though the Xiongnu people still had the custom of coming here to worship their ancestors, singing and dancing, it only happened once a year.

most of the time,
The poor mountain god could only walk among the treacherous mountains where even tall grass and trees could not grow, and play with the small animals that lived there.

When He Bo, this so-called God, finally connected the mountains and rivers under his rule and integrated them into one,

He even went to Su Wu to complain and accused him, saying, "Back when you were herding sheep in the vast desert, I even went to accompany you to fish and knit sweaters."

"I'm all alone in the northern desert now, why don't you come to see me even a little bit?"

Could it be the time they spent together?
Were all our efforts misplaced?
Su Wu scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "I really forgot."

Whether it is yin or yang,

The Central Plains are always so beautiful.

Even the Xiongnu who migrated south and sought refuge there were so captivated by it that they said, "I am so happy here that I don't miss the grasslands." How much more so Su Wu, who had indeed suffered in the Gobi Desert?

Hearing this,

The Grand Commander of the Vast Ocean felt even more aggrieved.

He went straight to the main body and said, "I'm going to travel along the mountains and rivers to Liaodong. Don't cross the Yanshan Mountains and try to take my territory."

"I think you just want that Liaodong region, don't you?" While petting the Pallas's rabbit brought as tribute from the northern desert, the wise God saw through his clone's thoughts at a glance.

"if not?"

"Are you really going to just stay there and watch the Huns herd sheep and ride horses?"

"I'm determined to have Liaodong!"

then,

He Bo then sent him to this "Promised Land of God," instructing him to survey the mountains, rivers, and soil, so that he could make some small contributions for the future gentlemen of the Xia people.

"And unlike in the West, where everything has to start from scratch, here it's not like that."

The happy old home of the wild men and beasts of the Western Regions

Their civilization was so simple that even the Romans despised them as "barbarians."
Therefore, one can imagine how difficult it was for Yageer and his men to explore that area.

If they weren't a bunch of dead ghosts,
No, it should be called "Heroic Spirits" who follow along and provide assistance, which probably makes the difficulty even greater.

Meanwhile, in Liaodong...
During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, they received education from the Central Plains.

In addition to eliminating the Shang dynasty and its affiliated forces, King Wu's conquest of King Zhou and the Duke of Zhou's conquest of Yan also drove out some barbarian tribes in the east.

According to historical records, the ancestors of the Huimo people, who have lived in Liaodong for generations, originated from a branch of the Dongyi people.

In the early Western Zhou Dynasty,

The thunder and rain bestowed by the virtuous rulers of the Xia dynasty utterly defeated these barbarians, forcing them to utter words of gratitude and voluntarily relinquish their original lands, migrating to Liaodong. The Zhou emperor bestowed upon them the exclusive barbarian name "Mo" to distinguish them from the "Di" people who originally lived in the north.

Although in subsequent historical records, historians upheld the long-standing tradition of despising barbarians, often referring to the various Mo tribes together with the Northern Di and Donghu, just as the gentlemen of the Central Plains collectively called the vast area south of the Yangtze River "Baiyue" (Hundred Yue).
But if they weren't gentlemen, how could they have received the honor of having the character "貊" (mo), which is derived from the form of birds and beasts, as their name?

This debt of gratitude can never be fully repaid.

So the Mo people had just migrated to Liaodong and their tribal life had just stabilized when they had to face the arrival of the Kingdom of Jizi, which had established itself in Haidong and expanded into Liaodong.

They made a powerful contribution to Jizi's continuation of the Yin-Shang tradition in Liaodong by using their own bodies.

Afterwards, the state of Jizi declined and its power shrank to the Haidong Peninsula. Before the Mo people could even relax, they were met with a heavy blow from the state of Yan.

King Zhao of Yan's reforms unleashed the power of the Yan state.

While the State of Qi, located to its south, suffered a severe beating for this, the Mo people of Liaodong became a tool for Yan generals to rack up military achievements, and frequently appeared in Yan's historical records as spoils of war.

By the time of Emperor Wu of Han,
The Han army destroyed Wei Manhaidong and expanded its territory to the north of the Liao River, establishing the four commanderies of Lelang, Xuantu, Zhenfan, and Lintun.

The surrounding barbarians all rushed over to pay homage, prostrating themselves before the mighty Han Dynasty.

In the second year of the Yuan Shi era of the Han Dynasty,
The Zhenfan and Lintun prefectures were abolished and merged into Lelang and Xuantu respectively. This created a situation where the area outside the Great Wall and west of the East Sea was under the jurisdiction of Xuantu Prefecture, while most of the Haidong Peninsula was under the jurisdiction of Lelang Prefecture.

that's it,
Generation after generation of Mo people, in the process of repaying the debt of gratitude, felt the influence of the virtuous people of the Xia and learned many advanced technologies.

Thanks to the vastness of Liaodong and the loose rule of the states of Jizi and Yan, they thrived and multiplied, even giving rise to many new branch tribes during the Qin Dynasty.

The Buyeo, Goguryeo, and Okjeo tribes were all descendants of the Maek people.

These tribes, along with the development of the times, successively established their own states.

Buyeo was the most powerful of the three and was a country whose main industry was agriculture.

As a rising power, Goguryeo followed in the footsteps of its predecessors, showcasing its own unique characteristics in agriculture and textiles.

"It is conceivable that using this as provisions would satisfy Sun En's expectations for future generations."

As for the opposition from Buyeo and Goguryeo?
That has nothing to do with God, He Bo.

Why did Sun En choose Liaodong after looking around the surrounding areas of the Central Plains?

Want to swear?
Go and curse them before the Great Teacher and his successors!

"Can you win?"

"The combined population of these two countries is several hundred thousand!"

The mountain god who came from Langjuxu Mountain still had some worries.

But God, who was used to all kinds of storms, waved his hand and said, "Your brain must have been crammed up in the northern desert."

"Have you forgotten the rule that 'when the Chinese are in great chaos, the surrounding areas suffer'?"

say nothing else,

Since the chaos that broke out in Western Qin, the surrounding barbarian tribes under its rule have suffered great losses.

Local lords who harbored ambitions to "replace their rulers" and possessed a certain degree of governing wisdom all strived to demonstrate their power. To slaughter the people of their own territory to showcase their "bravery and fearlessness" was a foolish act.

But slaughtering barbarians is a different story.

Who turned the mighty Qin Dynasty into what it is today?

Who is this ambitious man who, unwilling to be a local king, covets the throne as a bastard?
And who supported the ringleader and instigated the rebellion?

After all,

It's all the fault of barbarians!
Therefore,

The feudal lords all expressed their views to the barbarians of the Western Sea:
"In order to achieve our great cause, please become our sacrifices!"

"As for the retribution for doing these things?"

"It's alright. I'm willing to endure the loneliness and isolation at the top!"

"How can the barbarians in the Central Plains be compared to those from beyond the borders?"

The other person touched the large face of the tiger beneath God's throne and replied.

Monster rooms have existed since ancient times.

The Xia and Qin dynasties, which failed in the infighting in the Central Plains and even voluntarily fled, are typical examples.

Those barbarians who can stay by the side of the virtuous men of the Central Plains for a long time, endure all kinds of hardships without dying, and even establish a foundation, would terrify the local barbarians when placed in foreign lands, and would be beaten into doubting their barbarian origins.

"This is a problem that Sun En needs to consider."

God pushed away the clone who was getting more and more addicted to touching the tiger and trying to usurp his position, saying, "He chose this place himself, so no matter how half-cooked it is, he has to grit his teeth and eat it."

otherwise,

God then excommunicated Sun En and sent him to the Western Sea or the Western Regions to properly study the art of "gentleman and beast"!
"But can his body hold out until we reach Liaodong?"

The Mountain God of Langjuxu rubbed his hands together. "Should we bring him some ginseng, a specialty of Liaodong, to help him recover?"

After swallowing a single top-grade old ginseng, wouldn't it be enough to make a dead person jump up from the dead?
He Bo snorted, "His body is already weak, don't overfeed him and kill him!"

"I often go to him to treat his health now, so you just need to worry about the future!"

He left behind this statement.

He Bo patted the tiger's rump and let it lead him to wander aimlessly through the dense forests of the mountains.

Meanwhile, the Grand Commander of Hanhai put the documents he was holding back into his arms and continued to secretly observe all aspects of Goguryeo and Buyeo.

He looked at the locals, whose attire and demeanor, though clad on the right, still exuded an exotic charm and even retained the Shang Dynasty custom of "respecting white," and couldn't help but sigh softly:
"The Zhongshan people, who were once wholeheartedly devoted to the assimilation of the Chinese, were swallowed up by the Chinese themselves. What chance do you have?"

"But Sun En is a kind-hearted fellow. I doubt he would use the traditional Chinese methods of education to govern Liaodong, would he?"

……

"can you?"

Hebei, in the Central Plains
A Yellow Turban general asked the Great Teacher of Wisdom, who was deep in thought, "Will you accept the conditions of the Han Dynasty?"

In the fifth year of Jianwu,

The Han Dynasty, now in its second life, is thriving under the leadership of Liu Xiu.

After restoring the Han dynasty and returning to the old capital, he issued many reform orders, pardoned a large number of slaves, and inspected a large area of ​​land, which made his foundation increasingly solid.

Meanwhile, the powerful families under his rule also adopted a docile and gentle attitude during this process, cooperating with Liu Xiu's reforms.

They released the people who had been treated as private property in the manor, returned the land they had seized by all means, and everyone vied to become a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty.

It was as if, after experiencing the resurrection of the Han dynasty and the various upheavals caused by Wang Mang, they had become prodigal sons who had turned back, expressing immense remorse for their past ignorance, and were willing to sacrifice their own flesh and blood to compensate the Han emperors they had betrayed and abandoned.

This completely baffled Kong Guang in the underworld.

Why did he receive completely different feedback when he had done similar things during his lifetime?

"If Wang Mang knew that in just a few years, with the same group of people, the reactions to the reforms were so drastically different... he would probably go even crazier, wouldn't he?"

He followed the Confucian sages, secretly observing the changes in the world, pondering the relationship between people and society, and couldn't help but think of his disciple who was still serving his sentence.

The wise Xunzi, who was proficient in both Confucianism and Legalism, told him, "How could they possibly have a change of heart!"

"I only knew that if I didn't support Liu Xiu, I would have to face the Yellow Turban Army's blades, so I had no choice but to do it!"

If we say,
The powerful landlords truly missed the Han Dynasty.
That was also a way of reminiscing about the tolerant and unrestrained life since the reign of Emperor Yuan.

They clung to a vast nation, happily feeding on its flesh and blood without a care for the consequences.

but now,
They can no longer act as recklessly as before, and must treat the new emperor above them with the same attitude they had towards Wang Mang.

first,
Wang Mang did not have enough troops to suppress the powerful clans and make them obey his wishes.

But Liu Xiu, who started his rebellion in Nanyang and fought his way to the throne as a distant member of the imperial clan, wielded a sword that was sharp enough.

Secondly,

This was due to the rise of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Those guys holding the "Taiping Jing" and chanting "take from the surplus and give to the deficiency" were truly hated and feared by the powerful.

After reading the scriptures promoted by the Taiping Dao, such as the Taiping Jing, they became even more convinced that this group of lowly people would be their mortal enemies.

If the common people do not band together, do not occupy land and build their own power, then the powerful will only scoff at the so-called "speaking out against injustice" and use the weapons at their disposal to suppress all those who resist.

But why!
The Way of Peace brought together the scattered common people and formed the Yellow Turban Army!

Moreover, this group of thieves has even grown to the point of being able to rival the Han Dynasty!
This sent chills down the spines of the powerful figures.

They know clearly that
If we don't fully support Liu Xiu and help him defeat the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the east,

Once the latter conquers the world, his own fate will inevitably be one of utter ruin.

"So, they don't think they're wrong."

"All I knew was that I would die if I failed!"

Kong Guang lowered his head and began to ponder the meaning behind those words.

As for Liu Xiu

The Yellow Turban Army, which occupied the eastern prefectures, was indeed a tough nut to crack.

Considering that Gongsun Shu, who has declared himself emperor in the southwest, and Jiaonan, which has already dominated the Western Regions, refused the investiture sent by his envoy last year, and that the Xiongnu in the north are also interested in supporting a puppet ruler and joining this chaotic war...

Liu Xiu then sent people to the east to appease Sun En and others.

He offered very generous terms in the letter, which would have swayed even those with weak wills.

They also arranged for messengers to spread rumors under the rule of the Yellow Turbans, claiming that the two sides had reached a peace agreement, in order to weaken the will of the Yellow Turbans.

The young general who came before Sun En was there to seek advice from the Great Teacher of Wisdom, because of the ripples caused by the rumors.

"rest assured."

“I will not accept these things.”

Sun En put down the letter and smiled slightly at the other party, "If I wanted wealth and power, I could have become a king or emperor long ago. Why would I have delayed until now?"

He then shook the letter in his hand and laughed again, "Besides, this emperor who is restoring the Han dynasty doesn't want me to agree."

(End of this chapter)