Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 514 The Fifteenth Year of Jianwu

In the fifteenth year of Jianwu of the Han Dynasty,

Liu Xiu's reforms continued.
His sons also grew up and each showed their talents.

Among the various schools of thought,

Liu Yang's performance greatly surprised Liu Xiu.

This spring,

Liu Xiu issued an order to conduct a thorough survey of all the land in the country.

Because he noticed that after the country was stabilized, local powerful families were showing signs of resurgence.

Emperor Liu Xiu naturally chose to take strong action against such matters that threatened his rule, and he also involved his sons in sorting out the complex political affairs.

When Liu Xiu saw strange annotations on a document transferred from a local area, he began to examine his descendants:
What does it mean that the official in Chenliu wrote on his desk, "Yingchuan and Hongnong can be questioned, but Henan and Nanyang cannot be questioned"?

Crown Prince Liu Jiang stammered, unsure how to answer.

Liu Yang, the Duke of Donghai, who was only twelve years old, said, "This is how the officials of the prefecture teach the officials of Chenliu how to check the land."

Liu Xiu then asked, "Why can't I ask in Nanyang, Henan?"

Liu Yang said, "Henan is the capital of the emperor, and Nanyang is the hometown of the emperor. The fields and residences in these two places must have exceeded the regulations, so we cannot conduct a thorough investigation."

Such an answer,
If it came from the mouth of a seasoned and experienced minister, the emperor would not be surprised.

But Liu Yang was just a prince raised deep in the palace who had never gone out to see the people's lives or experienced human affairs!

The documents in front of me were only sent to Luoyang today.

The previous question was also about my offspring, which I asked on a whim.

It's impossible for Liu Yang to have received any guidance from others to prepare such a perfect answer sheet in advance.

then,

The emperor's gaze toward him hardened, revealing obvious delight.

Liu Jiang noticed his father's expression and felt somewhat uncomfortable.

He returned to his mother, Guo Shengtong, and told her about it.

Empress Guo hugged him tightly, disregarding the fact that the child before her was already eighteen years old, a man on the verge of adulthood.
Then, she started to cry silently.

Will I die?

Liu Jiang asked his mother in a low voice.

When he was very young, he was made crown prince because of Liu Xiu's compromise.

Therefore, from the time he was old enough to understand, Liu Jiang received the traditional education of a crown prince.

How could he not know about Liu Rong, the deposed crown prince of the Former Han Dynasty?
The other party was also a crown prince who was made in favor of his father because of his compromise with his ministers, and was later deposed!
"Will not!"

"Mother will never let you suffer such a thing!"

Guo Shengtong wiped away her tears and stroked Liu Jiang's bewildered face.

"You and your brother will live a peaceful and prosperous life!"

As she spoke these words, she prayed in her heart that the emperor would not be as cruel and ungrateful as Emperor Jing.

But who can truly understand or fathom the thoughts of an emperor?

Just as she had long been prepared to be deposed, yet she never received an imperial edict from Liu Xiu.

She knew that she was merely a "stopgap measure" for Liu Xiu.

Even though the other party clearly loves and values ​​Yin Lihua, he would occasionally show her some tenderness.

Guo Shengtong did not feel satisfied or happy because of this. She believed that she had surpassed others and could firmly become the most honored woman in the world.

Instead, she felt inexplicably apprehensive.

Despite having such a deep entanglement with Yin Lihua, he was still able to set her aside.
What merit do I possess to be able to occupy the position next to the other person indefinitely?
therefore,

Guo Shengtong served Liu Xiu with gentleness and virtue, and also treated Consort Yin with great respect.

If nothing bad happened as she had anticipated, then she could be considered to have fulfilled her duties as empress.

If fate ultimately does not favor her...
This posture can also be used to plead with the other party for a safe landing.

"Don't overthink it, and don't do anything too much."

"Just like before is fine."

Liu Jiang is not a person with a fiery temper.
He treated his teachers with respect, his brothers with kindness, and his subordinates with leniency.
This earned Liu Jiang a reputation for being virtuous and capable.

This also meant that there was never any conflict between him and Liu Yang.

Therefore,
A kind-hearted child like her should not become a victim of a meaningless struggle.

Guo Shengtong was definitely not as foolish as Su Ji, a woman who only dragged her son down!

Liu Jiang obediently agreed.

After that,

Following his mother's wishes, he did not express any dissatisfaction or resistance towards his increasingly prominent brother, and would appropriately remain silent to avoid causing conflict.

When Liu Xiu saw him like this, he sighed inwardly for the son he had raised for more than ten years, while at the same time he showed even greater favor to Liu Yang.

Therefore, many ministers knew that

This debate on the "Mother of the Nation and the Foundation of the Nation," centered on the emperor, will soon reach a conclusion.

just,

All of this has nothing to do with Wang Feng, who has been living in seclusion in the Green Forest Mountain for many years.

When He Bo, who was visiting him, relayed the details of the lawsuit to Wang Feng,
The former bandit leader, now aged but with a more composed and carefree demeanor than before, slapped his thigh and clicked his tongue in delight.
"When Liu Xiu married Yin Lihua, I even went to drink with them and congratulated them."

"When he remarried Guo Shengtong, I complained about his heartlessness."

"Now it seems that those who can seize the world and become emperors are much more determined than people like me!"

Know what your goals are.
And in order to achieve their goal, they sacrificed many things.
This is something Wang Feng cannot do.

After all, not long after he raised his army, he became bewildered by the sudden wealth and the things he did in the Green Forest Army.

"Someone like you is better suited to running in the mountains and fields!"

He Bo laughed along and picked up his chopsticks to taste the food that Wang Feng had personally cooked to entertain their distinguished guest.

He only chewed it twice.

God then put down the bowl and chopsticks and began to care about Wang Feng's physical and mental health:
“I know you’ve been through a lot of trauma before, but it doesn’t warrant hurting yourself like this.”

"Huh?" Wang Feng looked puzzled.

He Bo pointed to the things on the table and said, "Do you eat this kind of food every day?"

"Yup!"

Wang Feng said confidently, "I'm just an old man living alone. As long as I have food to eat, I'm content. Why should I worry about the taste?"

"Besides, the taste is alright!"

Wang Feng picked up her chopsticks and finished a bowl of rice in the blink of an eye, to show that what she said was true and that she was not deliberately making terrible food to persecute God.

But He Bo still refused to back down.

He glanced at the food in front of him and felt it would be wasteful to just throw it away.

then,

God tapped the rim of the earthenware bowl with chopsticks, making a tinkling sound, and called to Wang Feng's yellow dog, "Hey, come and eat!"

Dahuang didn't turn its head, but turned its back to He Bo and pointed its ears forward.

Obviously,

The food Wang Feng cooked was not worth Da Huang's time to look back or wag his tail.

What does it usually eat?

Seeing Da Huang's chaste and dignified appearance, God asked Wang Feng curiously.

Wang Feng said, "It won't eat what I cook. When it's hungry, it runs into the mountains and catches a few wild rabbits and bamboo rats to fill its belly."

He Bo then exclaimed sincerely, "This dog eats better than you!"

"However, the wild animals in the mountains also suffered as a result."

"I might as well give this bowl of rice in my hand to the birds and beasts!"

Anyway, God won't eat it!
After all,

He Bo placed his portion of food in a corner and fed it to the birds and animals that passed by.

The rest were naturally wiped out by Wang Feng, the creator. "I still think that as long as something is edible, it's fine."

When the skeptical God inspected Wang Feng's vegetable garden, wanting to know how the ingredients of his culinary disasters differed from those used by ordinary people...
Wang Feng remained steadfast in her opinion.

He Bo ignored him and looked at the vibrant vegetable garden with a puzzled expression. "They all look normal, so how come they turn into something weird in your pot?"

"Why do you say that?"

"I planted these fruits and vegetables according to the guidance of Master Zhuangzi!"

At this point, Wang Feng stepped over the fence, picked a few melons, and handed them to He Bo.

After wiping away the fine fibers, He Bo took a bite and was even more puzzled. "It's a normal melon!"

"How did you turn it into a paste?"

"No matter how unrestrained Zhuang Zhou was, and how much he liked to write dirty things in his articles, he wouldn't actually put those kinds of things in his own bowl, would he?"

After Wang Feng secluded himself in the Green Forest Mountain and figured out some things, he developed a desire for a carefree life in nature and often studied the principles of Laozi, Zhuangzi, Liezi, and Yang Zhu.

Seeing this, He Bo introduced him to Zhuang Zhou.

When they first met, Wang Feng didn't know that this was her idol in person. She turned her back to He Bo and asked, "Who is this old man who looks like a peeled winter melon?"

He Bo also quietly told him, "It's the person you've been in contact with lately!"

Wang Feng scratched his head, puzzled.

Zhuang Zhou, who overheard their conversation, was not angry; he simply smiled and patted his round belly.

After learning about the other party's background and He Bo's distinguished status,
Wang Feng was so surprised that she remained silent for a long time.

His expression shifted several times, and in the end he only let out a sigh.

"never mind!"

"That's all in the past!"

He didn't even ask He Bo to use his power to let him see his brother Wang Kuang again.

"We can reunite after we die anyway, so what's the rush?"

then,

Wang Feng then apologized to Zhuang Zhou, the senior, and sought his advice.

He gained much wisdom, became more detached from many past events, and found his secluded life increasingly comfortable.

In spring and summer,
He would lead his yellow dog around the green forest mountains, catching some prey that he managed to catch, and cultivating some fruits and vegetables.

In autumn and winter,
They would lie inside and enjoy the scenery outside.

"Therefore, I think with your attitude, you could join the Taoism of the Sui Dynasty!"

After ravaging Wang Feng's vegetable garden, He Bo ate boiled beans in salt water and said to her.

"What are the differences between the Taiping Dao of the Sui Dynasty and the Taiping Dao of the Central Plains?"

"Of course!"

"The world is so vast, and there are so many Taoist priests, how could they possibly be exactly the same?"

Taipingdao has developed to this day,
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it is the largest religious sect in the world today.

After all, other religions don't have God providing targeted assistance.

But just as an orange grown south of the Huai River is an orange, while grown north of the Huai River it becomes a trifoliate orange, their branches and leaves are similar, but they will inevitably have different tastes due to different soil and water.

The Qin dynasty valued martial prowess.

Sui Dynasty valued literature.

Both Han and Daoist practices were adopted.

Nothing more than that.

However, the Taiping Dao, residing in the old homeland of Xinxia, ​​faced considerable difficulty in acting as arrogantly and recklessly as their counterparts in the Qin and Han dynasties due to their special relationship with the Sui state.

Therefore,
After the Sui Dynasty rose to prominence, the Taoist priests of the new Xia Dynasty focused their efforts on perfecting rituals and scriptures.

The reason is,

Apart from the Sui Dynasty, which has existed for less than ninety years, although turmoil has arisen within it and the nobles have become increasingly obsessed with wine and women, losing the vigorous spirit of their ancestors, its foundation remains strong. Superficially, it still presents the image of a prosperous great nation, thus preventing the Taiping Dao from playing its role.

This is also related to the unique ecology inherent in Xinxia.

While the people of Sindhu are extremely incompetent in other aspects, even risking soil and water pollution if used as fertilizer, they are indeed quite powerful in influencing people's minds and engaging in debates and arguments.

The caste system promoted by Brahmins can be described as a precise attack on the negative aspects of human nature.

Meat-eaters of the world,
Who doesn't want to stay rich forever?
Who wouldn't want to ride roughshod over others forever?
Who wouldn't want to continue their family's prosperity without any effort, simply by relying on their bloodline?

therefore,

Even knowing that Brahmanism is something promoted by a foreign religion,

Even knowing that such statements are detrimental to the future of the nation and its people,

However, there are always influential people who can't resist introducing it and trying to instill the concept of "nobles and generals are born with special privileges" into the minds of the people.

after all,

What is the relationship between nations and ethnic groups and meat-eaters?

The world is so big,
Assets can be transferred to other countries.
The individual and their offspring can also flee to other countries.

Even if you can't run away,

The nation was destroyed and foreign tribes invaded.

But as long as outsiders still identify with "Brahmins," they can still preserve their entire family and wealth!
When those in power consciously deceive the people's senses, stifle their thoughts, and lead them to depravity,

If the Way of Peace does not develop its practices regarding "reciting scriptures and discussing doctrines," it may cause great chaos that could harm the nation and its people!
Just as God's reply was given after learning that the Taoist priests of the New Summer had shifted their focus:
"If we don't occupy the high ground of thought, the enemy will."

"Given the vastness of the Chinese lands, what foreign barbarians could possibly contend with them?"

"But if we consider the danger of losing the world, it must lie in the loss of the people's hearts!"

Human nature is corrupt.

The states of the Xia dynasty all committed suicide and perished.
What's the point of talking about the future?
And what's with this talk of "even different species can be kings"?

Moreover, building up morale is not something that can be done overnight.

Once the bones soften,
Getting it back up hard is really difficult.

In addition, with the excessive heat of early summer, it is natural for Taoists to advocate self-cultivation and emphasize "a calm mind brings coolness".

Under the influence of many factors

The theoretical development of the New Xia Taiping Dao can be considered one of the best in the Three Kingdoms period.

His style of conduct also leans more towards that of later generations.

"If that's the case, then I do have some longing for it."

"But Xinxia is too far from the Central Plains, and my body is getting old. If I want to go there to see it, I'm afraid I can only dream about it."

After listening to He Bo's introduction, Wang Feng replied to him in this way.

"Yup!"

"So if you lie down now and close your eyes, you might just end up in Xinxia!" He Bo laughed heartily.

Wang Feng blinked at him, then slapped her thigh, realizing what he meant.

"Right!"

With you here, why should I worry about the journey?

After he finished speaking, he got up and walked towards the bed.

He Bo stopped him and said, "Flying thousands of miles in a dream, and doing things and talking about those things, is also very energy-consuming."

"Eat more food first, so you won't be too weak to get up when you wake up."

So Wang Feng changed direction and headed towards the corner where He Bo kept the culinary disasters.

Why go pick that thing up?

"That food must have been eaten by birds, insects, and rodents!"

"No way!" Wang Feng said confidently. "I've already tried it, and my cooking doesn't attract insects, rats, birds, or snakes!"

"Aside from the traces of smoke around the stove, there wasn't even a cockroach in sight!"

"what?"

(End of this chapter)