Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 512 The New Yan Kingdom

In the tenth year of Jianwu,

The newly established Han dynasty, with its capital in Luoyang, continued to implement its reforms.

Compared to Wang Mang of the Xin Dynasty,
Liu Xiu, who restored the Han Dynasty, was clearly more capable and had a better grasp of people's hearts.

Kong Guang, who had always been curious about him and therefore enjoyed secretly observing the court in Luoyang, asked:
"This emperor's upbringing is quite similar to Wang Mang's, so how come the two are so different?"

Wang Mang lost his father at a young age.

Liu Xiu also lost his father at a young age;
Wang Mang was raised by his uncle.

Liu Xiu was raised by his uncle.

When they were young and had not yet gained fame, both of them were humble and patient, and made friends with many people in and out of the government.

Why did Liu Xiu appear to be much more mentally healthy?
For this,

He Bo simply said, "Who could possibly know?"

"Human nature is always so complex that even ghosts and gods cannot predict it."

then,

He also said to the pensive Kong Guang, "Even someone as intelligent as me can't figure out the pattern. With your mind like yours, you shouldn't get hung up on it."

"Let's observe closely how the reforms of the Eastern Han Dynasty were formulated and implemented!"

Kong Guang agreed with God's assessment of him.

Even in death, with his body rotting into a pool of sewage, he still couldn't grasp the principles of "human nature" amidst the chaos of the world.

All I can do is keep watching, keep listening, and keep learning.

"Fortunately, I still have plenty of time."

Although he did not do many good deeds during his lifetime

He also failed in his duty as a subject to assist the monarch and govern the country well.
But the muddle-headed Kong Guang did not commit any additional sins.

This allowed him to reside in the underworld and observe the changes in the human world.

Maybe,

Time will allow him to enlighten his dull mind by learning from the wisdom of future generations.

Thinking like this,

Just like in his lifetime, Kong Guang found a place in the Luoyang court, sat down properly, adopted the posture of "a subject paying homage to the monarch," and quietly joined the court assembly.

After recording the relevant matters, He Bo turned and left, going to the side of Sun En, the leader of the Yellow Turban Army.

This Great Master of the Way of Peace is very old.

He suffered hardship in his youth.

In his youth, he traveled extensively with his teachers.
On the eve of his old age, he led an army, thus beginning his rebellion against the new dynasty.

In the current context of the restoration of the Han dynasty,
Even with God's intervention to care for and heal the body of this elderly man,
Ultimately, it could not withstand the ravages of time.

His lung disease, which had plagued him since childhood, caused him to rise and fall in his sickbed many times, and this year it completely drained his strength.

But Sun En did not complain much about it.

He was even somewhat happy and grateful.

"My teacher once said that I wouldn't have a long life, but now it seems he was wrong."

Sixty-five years old

No matter where you place it, it represents longevity.

"And I also planted a seed called 'Peace' in Liaodong!"

Sun En was even happier at this point.

He twitched his gray beard and said, "This will absolutely shock the teacher."

He Bo then said, "Should I call Sun Chong over for you now?"

“You can show off in front of him.”

"...That's not necessary."

He was a dying man; how could he withstand the impact of a dead man?
Let's just wait until we die!
He Bo helped him up from the warm kang (heated brick bed), supported his old back with a cotton-stuffed cushion, and then took out a booklet and told him about the things Liu Xiu had recently promoted.

Sun En listened quietly, only speaking after God had finished reading.

"These are all things that are beneficial to the country."

"This is the true elegance of the new dynasty's governance."

How could Wang Mang's reforms, which were so deeply immersed in his own world, possibly compare to those of Liu Xiu, who had spent his life farming and studying in his hometown?
"However, this was ultimately done for the sake of imperial ambitions."

In order to consolidate their rule,
A monarch controlled by the throne beneath his seat will resort to various means.

If distributing land and freeing slaves is beneficial, then it should be implemented;

If it is beneficial to befriend aristocratic families, then it should be promoted.

Just as Liu Xiu chose to make Guo Shengtong his empress and place his first wife Yin Lihua in the position of a noblewoman in order to appease the powerful families in Hebei who were uneasy about his land distribution to the people.

“Several generations later, it is inevitable that descendants like Cheng Ai will appear.”

A founding emperor with great talent and vision can still maintain his own will, control the power of the people, and understand how to safeguard the hard-won country.

But what about future generations?

They always lament the situation without learning from it.

"Ugh!"

"The more you read history books, the more you feel saddened by them."

He Bo said, "Rise and fall are natural occurrences, prosperity and decline are inevitable. Just do your best."

"Moreover, sand piled up can form a tower, and trickles of water can converge to form a lake."

"When the time comes for a great flood to rise and destroy the old world, the flood will come."

Xunzi once said: "The course of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie."

"Bury the seeds well, wait for them to sprout and grow, and one day they will become towering trees."

Sun En nodded.

He then made a new request to God: "Give me some strength, I want to go out and see the world."

At this time, the Yellow Turban Army had already defeated Goguryeo, Buyeo and other forces in Liaodong, and seized the land that the latter had cultivated, making it their own source of resources.

corresponding,
Their original lands in Shandong and Hebei were gradually swallowed up by the Han court.

In this world, where the feudal Zhou dynasty collapsed and a unified, centralized dynasty had only existed for less than three hundred years,
Sun En's ideals are not recognized by many people.

After experiencing the turmoil of Wang Mang's era, most people's longing for the Han Dynasty led them to embrace the Han court before they understood and agreed with Sun En's ideals.

after all,

Liu Xiu was a good emperor.
If life can continue under his rule, then there's no need to change it.

Humans always have a tendency to be lazy.

Those with a long-term vision and a steadfast mind are a rare breed among people.

Without external impetus,
Who would be so idle as to think about going to the battlefield and risk losing their head?

In later generations, rulers who offended not only their rivals but also most of the power within their own territory were still quite rare.

……

Walking in the warm summer countryside,

Looking at the newly reclaimed land and the busy people coming and going,

Sun En smiled and said, "That's great."

"The Yan Kingdom should become better in the future!"

After several discussions,
Sun En ultimately decided to establish a formal state and, from historical records, give it a name that reflected the current situation.

He had not done this before.

This was because the Yellow Turban Army still had to contend with many forces in the Central Plains, and he himself did not have much of a desire for power.

but now,
He's leaving soon.
The territory they ruled over also became Liaodong, which was beyond the reach of the imperial court.

According to the flow of human hearts and the mission bestowed upon the virtuous men of the Central Plains by God.

What is needed here is a regime that can unite people's hearts and spread education.

If he doesn't take action, his descendants will surely. And when that happens,
Sun En cannot be considered a "founding emperor".
It is quite possible that many of the things he hoped for, and many of the measures he implemented, were changed or destroyed by those who came after him.

This is something Sun En cannot tolerate.

Thus, the new Yan state was established, becoming a reborn entity from the vast expanse of time.

just,

Compared to the former Yan state ruled by the Ji clan,

The state system established by Sun En did not have a monarch.

He combined the Xia state's original system of "selecting the virtuous" with the system of "public consultation" he used when he formed the Yellow Turban Army, thus creating the unique system of the Yan state in Liaodong.

He hopes that such a system can sustain his career and be enough to support him until the seed sprouts and bears fruit.

In order to find legal justification for his new system and persuade more people to accept it, Sun En, who was well-versed in history, dug up the story of the Zhou-Zhao Republic from a thousand years ago—

During the reign of King Li of Zhou,
Because he regarded the mountains, rivers, lakes and marshes as his private property, it sparked a national uprising, which led to his expulsion from the capital, Haojing.

At that time,

King Li's son, Jing, was still very young, and the people who hated King Li were unwilling to support his succession.

Therefore, the renowned and talented Duke Ding of Zhou and Duke Mu of Zhao stepped forward, appeased the people, stabilized the order, and jointly governed the world for fourteen years.

During this period,

The fact that the throne was vacant but the country continued to function normally provided a clear example for the new system implemented by Sun En.

Moreover, regarding the relationship...

Duke Ding of Zhou was a descendant of Duke Dan of Zhou.

Duke Mu of Zhao was a descendant of Duke Shi of Zhao, the founder of the State of Yan.

Their "republican rule" provided a solid foundation for Sun En's rule from the perspectives of Zhou rituals and the "ancestral system of the Yan state."

then,

The people accepted Sun En's proposal and no longer insisted that he wear the crown and become a monarch. Instead, they made him the first Duke of Yan of this "Republic of Yan".

"This 'public' is not the 'public' of dukes and marquises, but the public of the world."

In the document announcing the founding of the nation, Sun En wrote a special sentence to remind future generations not to forget their original aspirations.

but,

Sun En could find legal justification for his actions in historical records, claiming that this was in accordance with the Zhou rites.
The Han court officials in the Central Plains could naturally find corresponding examples in historical records to ridicule Sun En's wild ideas.

"Hasn't he heard the story of King Kuai of Yan and Zizhi?"

"Having power but not keeping it in one's own hands, instead dispersing it to others, will inevitably lead to turmoil in the country!"

"No matter how benevolent Sun En was, how could a handful of dust a hundred years later prevent such changes?"

For this,

Sun En didn't say anything.

Only the King of Yan in the underworld felt offended.

He stomped his feet and cursed the Han court officials:
"Don't let me be so caught up in not even getting a share of my son's offerings!"

He had a very difficult time in the underworld, so how could he still be betrayed by people almost four hundred years after his death!
He Bo told Sun En about the deadbeat's reaction, which made the great teacher laugh out loud.

"It's really starting to resemble the Spring and Autumn Period more and more."

Can anyone think of,

Four hundred years after the Spring and Autumn Period,

The states of Qi, Qi, Yan, Qin, and Sui, which are recorded in history, can once again be active in the broader world of the Xia people.

"If the new town of Yinzhou were to be replaced, it would probably have to be renamed Song!"

Sun En laughed, "Isn't it good that the Spring and Autumn Annals are reborn?"

"That was an era when the Chinese civilization was open and inclusive, teaching and influencing all directions, which perfectly matches the current state of the world!"

The Mo people of Liaodong
The people of Sindhu in the new summer,

The Western Rong tribes, reduced to ashes by the explosion of the Qin state,
There were also the Wa (Japanese) and Ezo (Hokkai) peoples in northern Japan.
Everyone welcomes this kind of "Spring and Autumn Annals"!

Anyway, under the "New Spring and Autumn Period",
It was not the gentlemen of the Chinese nation who were suffering.

Even someone as kind as Sun En could not find any objection to this.

He Bo thought of the Taiping Dao who was instructing the barbarians in the west, the Ying clan members who were working hard in the south, and the group of Qin people who crossed the Western Sea and headed to the black soil of the north, where they had already clashed with the local natives. He Bo smiled along with Sun En.

"That's true!"

"This place is truly vibrant with life, a place where everything is flourishing!"

He is really looking forward to the completely new landscape decades from now.

And as they returned indoors...

Having lost God's grace, Sun En lay down again.

just this time,
He did not regain consciousness.

The newly established Yan Kingdom in Liaodong welcomed a new Duke of Yan.

That was the young general who, upon hearing that the Han court had offered generous terms to induce the Yellow Turban army to surrender, stormed up to Sun En to voice his doubts and concerns.

of course,

By this time, he had long since shed his naiveté and was capable of shouldering the responsibility of a nation.

He inherited Sun En's dream, harbored fervent hopes, and made many contributions. It was thought that he could lead the newly established Yan state to go further along the path of his ancestors.

but,

After three generations, things will be hard to say.

……

at the same time,

Lelang County on the Haidong Peninsula
A ship is sailing away from the port, heading towards the Qilu region in the Central Plains.

The ship carried officials from Lelang County, whose purpose was to go to the capital, Luoyang, to pledge allegiance to the emperor.

Since Wang Mang's usurpation of power

The communication between Lelang and the Central Plains had been severed for many years, and the former governor had the idea of ​​establishing his own independent territory.

At the banquet, he addressed the powerful local figures:
"During the turmoil in the Central Plains, even commoners and lowly people dare to call themselves generals or rulers."

"I come from a distinguished family and own a prefecture. Why can't I do what a great man should do, just like them?"

The powerful families initially agreed with his actions, believing that since the prefect had made progress, they had "meritorious service in following the emperor's rise" and could also advance along with him.

However, the land east of the sea is not very peaceful either.

The governor who occupied this area intended to establish his own state, while the Qi state across the sea also wanted to incorporate it into its territory.

Although Haidong is barren,

But no one ever thinks they have too much land.

The Qi people had endured too many storms and earthquakes on the islands of Japan, and they had a great longing for a safe land!
However, seizing Qilu, the "ancestral land," is still somewhat difficult.

Let's compromise then.
Let's take Haidong!
then,

Qi's ships would frequently drift eastward, harassing the eastern sea.

The locals could not tolerate such harassment. After hearing that the Yellow Turban Army had retreated to Liaodong, which was adjacent to it, and that there was a possibility that they might invade Haidong, they felt that "self-reliance and self-strengthening" was ultimately impossible.

They in Haidong are just small grasses and shrubs, unable to leave the shelter of big trees!
Therefore,
After much painful reflection, the powerful families of Lelang County turned around and killed the "treasonous" governor, then sent representatives to express their desire to return to the Han Dynasty.

What will the Central Plains be like?

on board,

A child, biting his finger, asked his father curiously.

"It's a place a thousand times more prosperous than Lelang County!"

His father told him this.

Upon hearing this, the child developed a strong sense of anticipation for Zhongyuan, imagining what he would eat and play there after reaching the shore, and how he would savor flavors even better than those of his hometown.

When they landed at the port of Qilu,

As you walk along the road toward Luoyang,
The floodwaters, which remain unrepaired and continue to overflow, elicited a disappointed cry from the child:
"how so!"

My father lied to me!
The floodwaters have spread like this.
There are always disaster-stricken people fleeing and migrating along the roads.
How could this possibly be better than my hometown?!
(End of this chapter)