Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 519 Interaction with Yin Zhou
With the deposition of Guo Shengtong,

Crown Prince Liu Jiang also began submitting memorials, requesting to resign as crown prince and give way to a virtuous and capable person.

Some officials, unwilling to let him retire so easily, wept and pleaded with the emperor in court:
"Empress Guo committed no wrongdoing, yet you deposed her."

"The crown prince is both the eldest son and the legitimate heir, and he has committed no wrongdoing. How can he also be deposed?"

"Moreover, the Crown Prince has been appointed by you for seventeen years, but because of Your Majesty's request, he has never lived in the Eastern Palace and has not enjoyed the treatment that the Crown Prince should have. Isn't this Your Majesty being harsh on your son as a father?"

The officials spoke with great conviction, even disregarding the emperor's wrath, sticking their necks out as if they were trying to speak up for Liu Jiang and the former empress, now the Empress Dowager of Zhongshan.

Guo Shengtong, who was still residing in the palace, was greatly alarmed upon hearing this and immediately went to Liu Jiang to say:
“Those guys appear upright and honest, unafraid to pay homage to the monarch, but in reality, they want to murder you and me!”

Don't listen to them!

To outsiders, Liu Xiu, the emperor who revived the Han dynasty, was a very kind and benevolent monarch who valued friendship.

But whenever the fate of the nation and its people is at stake...

His heart would become as cold and hard as iron, and he would not back down in order to maintain the "gentle and kind" persona he had previously established.

After all, the purpose of acting is to make things unfold in accordance with one's own wishes, rather than to impose so-called "etiquette and morality" constraints on oneself.

Now, those officials are using the issue of deposing and establishing the crown prince, as well as the emperor's previous display of cherishing his reputation, to challenge his authority. This will inevitably provoke the emperor's fierce suppression.

Liu Jiang readily agreed to his mother's request.

During this period,

Because of the mother's demotion,
Because of the words and actions of his subordinates,
Because his younger brothers had secretly expressed their dissatisfaction with their father and the son of the Yin family.
Liu Jiang felt extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

At only eighteen years old, he already had a few gray hairs and looked haggard.

Guo Shengtong was deeply saddened by his passing.

But the storm was fierce and danger lurked, so she had to harden her heart and help her son stay calm and make the right decision.

"Other people's wealth and status have nothing to do with you!"

"Just follow your father's wishes!"

As long as we tolerate the changes brought about by Liu Xiu.
As was the monarch's custom, he would naturally make amends to them after things had settled down.

Just like Guo Shengtong, who never argued with Yin Lihua and often took care of other women in the harem, after being deposed by Liu Xiu on the grounds of "harboring resentment and lacking virtue," her family and relatives were promoted and rewarded by the emperor.

Liu Jiang withstood the pressure from his maternal family and subordinate officials, and resolutely submitted a memorial to his father requesting the abolition of the crown prince position.

The emperor declined three times, but finally in the nineteenth year of Jianwu, he granted his request, changing Liu Jiang's title to Prince of Donghai and Liu Yang's title to Crown Prince.

Shortly thereafter,

The emperor was pleased and arranged for Liu Yang to enter the Eastern Palace, and bestowed upon him a new name, "Liu Zhuang".

On the day Liu Zhuang moved, Liu Jiang went to congratulate him, showing his subservience.

He stood before the magnificent palace, silent for a long time.

Seeing his stunned expression, his younger brother Liu Kang sneered:
“My elder brother waited eighteen years to live in such a palace, but that person got it less than a month after being appointed.”

"The former crown prince became the Prince of the East Sea, and the former Prince of the East Sea became the new crown prince..."

"Heh, I wonder if His Majesty's switching of your identities was intentional or unintentional!"

Liu Jiang was startled by what he said and immediately replied, "Don't say such things again!"

"Do you want my mother and me to suffer that terrible torment again?"

Liu Kang then shut his mouth, but his expression remained defiant.

Liu Jiang gave him a few more instructions, and then went to see Liu Zhuang.

In front of all the officials who came to offer their congratulations, he performed the courtesies of a subject to the crown prince, presented the gifts he had prepared, and then sensibly withdrew.

the next day,
Liu Jiang boarded the carriage and, in accordance with the emperor's decree, left Luoyang for his fiefdom.

Guo Shengtong received permission and secretly left the palace to see him off.

Liu Jiang knelt on the ground to say goodbye to his mother.

Guo Shengtong stroked her eldest son's hair and said, "You don't need to worry about me."

"I have no conflict with the Yin family; in fact, we have a very close relationship."

They all possess the same rationality as their spouses, preventing them from making foolish decisions for trivial matters.

The emperor's harem remained harmonious, and the empress dowager remained kind and benevolent.

The only difference is that the person who becomes the First Lady has changed.

After watching her son's entourage disappear into the distance, Guo Shengtong returned to the palace and encountered Empress Yin.

The other person asked, "How are you feeling?"

Guo Shengtong chuckled softly, "Having saved my life and possessing the second-highest wealth in the world, how could I feel depressed?"

"That's good."

Empress Yin then extended her hand to her, inviting her, "Would you like to try out the new rouge with me?"

“That was a gift from the Western Regions, and I haven’t opened it yet.”

Guo Shengtong naturally agreed.

The two women linked arms intimately and walked deeper into the palace courtyard.

……

"very nice!"

Having been observing this power struggle from the sidelines, hoping to witness some dramatic scenes, Lü Jiao huddled in a corner untouched by the sunlight, wiping away tears at the poignant sight.

"They did not lose their integrity in the power struggle and received a commensurate reward."

He Bo, who was also huddled to the side like a bedbug that couldn't stand the light, said, "It's pretty good."

"At least he wouldn't have to worry about being attacked by his female enemies after his death, like Emperor Jing did."

Liu Xiu's actions in choosing an heir are remarkably similar to those of Emperor Jing.

However, Liu Xiu had better judgment than Emperor Jing. Neither of the two women in the palace had the cheerful personality of Consort Su, nor had either formed a deep-seated hatred with him.

"I think that after they die, they should be able to get along with Empress Lü and Empress Xuan."

Although there were many conflicts between the rulers of the Qin and Han dynasties.

However, the empress dowagers of the Qin and Han dynasties got along quite well with each other.

After Empress Lü died, she met the bold and unrestrained Empress Dowager Xuan and received her guidance on "how to keep male favorites".

However, compared to the Empress Dowager Xuan's magnanimity,

Empress Lü preferred to be with Shen Shiqi, whom she had known since her death, rather than simply eating a piece of old, bland meat and seeking new excitement.

"And compared to that old geezer Liu Ji, Shen Shiqi isn't exactly an old hag!"

Having let go of many things from her life, Empress Lü smiled and said this to her close friend.

As for Emperor Taizu of Han, whom she disliked?

When He Bo came to his door with a ring of tender green grass, he did not get angry. Instead, he walked to the next street and knocked on the door of King Huiwen of Qin, Ying Si.

When the King of Qin met him, Liu Laosan immediately rebuked him, "Brother, do you care about what your wife does outside?"

"What kind of nonsense is this?" King Huiwen was speechless.

He thought Liu Bang had come to cause trouble!

So Emperor Taizu of Han turned around, snapped the straw ring onto the head of the Emperor, and said to the Emperor:
"Look!"

"This has absolutely nothing to do with me!"

Want to mock Emperor Taizu of Han?

snort!
It would be better to publicize the story of how he was chased by a dog and his pants fell down when he was a child!
God, who only intended to sow discord and wanted to see rivers of blood, was very disappointed.

Now Liu Xiu's harem is in perfect harmony, and Guo and Yin have little hidden resentment left, so they won't even have the chance to enjoy themselves after death.

"never mind!"

"Let's go to the beach!"

With that, God left Lü Jiao, who still wanted to explore the secrets of the Luoyang Palace, and turned to the land of Wu and Yue, at the mouth of the mighty Yangtze River.

There,

A ship from Yinzhou is docking—

Although when Wang Mang's envoys made rude and ridiculous demands on the Xinxiang Kingdom, which they had painstakingly developed across the ocean, the local Xia gentry declared that they would never again come to the Central Plains to pay tribute to that absurd emperor, in reality...

Regardless of the pressures of reality,

It still comes from the guidance of ghosts and spirits entering my dreams.

People from Xinxiang cannot truly sever ties with the Central Plains.

The Shang dynasty descendants in the south have degenerated quite severely. They speak haltingly, their speech lacking any trace of the ancient Xia language, and their customs are difficult for gentlemen to accept.

Barbarians are very useful tools.
The warriors of the tribe are the pillars of the nation.

How could they all be used for sacrifice?
This is not good for future development!

A warning from the past, a warning from the past.

The emperor and his ministers in Xinxiang sat down together and did some accounting.
I think it would take about two generations to educate them, change their customs and traditions, and help them rediscover their long-lost ancestral memories.

in this way,

It would be better to find a way to bring in some talent from our homeland in the Central Plains.

Although ocean voyages are arduous and lengthy, if they can add a few dozen strong young men to Xinxiang, then according to the rules established by the Qin people when they were multiplying in the Western Sea, Xinxiang will have several hundred more heroes in eighteen years.

Besides,

Because it was necessary to maintain contact with the remaining people in the south, Xinxiang had always attached great importance to the construction of seagoing vessels.

Occasionally, a talented individual would suddenly appear before the palace of the King of Xinxiang, offering him new methods of shipbuilding.

in this way,

After decades of hard work and dedication in Stardew Valley

Having accumulated sufficient national strength, Xinxiang finally made a bold move and decided to send envoys to bring some "refugees" from the Central Plains to Yinzhou.

Yes,

They're refugees!

Thanks to the harsh environment of Yinzhou, the rulers of Xinxiang throughout the ages have all been quite capable.

After all, Xinxiang has a strong resemblance to the feudal states of the early Zhou Dynasty.

If a ruler lacks the ability to enjoy himself like the rulers of his own country, he will face the risk of a popular uprising.

When the officials and ministers in Xinxiang used the wisdom gleaned from the ancient texts and historical records left by their predecessors to predict the future of the Xin Dynasty established by Wang Mang, they reached a consensus:
"This dynasty will not be peaceful."

"If even the initiators are like this, what about those who follow?"

History has already proven that
The character and style of a nation's founder will influence the nation he establishes.

After defeating the Yan Emperor at Banquan, the Yellow Emperor did not choose to regard him as a complete spoil of war. Instead, he established a close alliance with him. This marked the beginning of the unity of the various Xia peoples, who were able to maintain their ethnic groups through civilization and thought, even beyond blood ties.

Subsequently, the brotherly affection and respect between King Wu and the Duke of Zhou made the feudal lords willing to work with the Zhou emperor to create prosperity for the Xia dynasty, setting aside the issue of military force.

As for the Qin and Han dynasties

The lessons learned from these two dynasties are still fresh in our minds.

Therefore, insightful people in Xinxiang believed that when their ships docked at ports in the Central Plains, they could easily persuade many people to join them in going to sea and embarking on new ventures.

As a result, in the first two years,
When the first group of messengers arrived ashore after the resumption of exchanges, they simply stared at each other and said:
"Why did the new dynasty fall so quickly?"

No way, bro.
Wang Mang's previous abdication ceremony was so grand that it even affected Xinxiang, which was far away across the ocean. People thought he was confident that he had established a dynasty that would last forever!

Meanwhile, the Central Plains had undergone two hundred years of unification, concentrating power in the central government, unlike the First Emperor who still needed to physically travel to various regions to suppress lawbreakers.

Therefore,
What strange things did Wang Mang do after ascending the throne that caused him to gain and lose so much, making him even less successful than the Qin Dynasty, which lasted for two generations?
When the Qin Dynasty fell,

His ruler was able to resist the Xiongnu and die for the state, thus earning himself the final respect of having his sacrifices preserved from the Han dynasty.

But how did Wang Mang's head become a treasured artifact in the Luoyang Palace?
more importantly,
Where are the "refugees" they planned to meet?

Now that peace has been restored in the Central Plains, it is not conducive to them recruiting people to Yinzhou.

then,

The envoy could only spend more money to achieve his goal, and then, with the help of the wind and waves and the secret protection of the gods, he would return safely and report the matter to the king.

The new emperor was so distressed by this that he didn't eat.

But when I wake up hungry in the middle of the night, and my mind still lingers on the feeling of being beaten by my ancestors in my dream,
The new emperor found the Grand Minister of Agriculture in the capital and told him with a resolute expression:
"It's worth spending more money for the future of Xinxiang!"

The Grand Minister of Agriculture was also awake, only vaguely watching the king, who, in the middle of the night, was full of energy and arrived at his home by carriage. He hugged his blanket and responded with a soft "Yes."
"middle!"

The new emperor nodded in satisfaction upon receiving the steward's reply. Too lazy to go back, he climbed directly onto the Grand Minister of Agriculture's bed and slept side by side with him for the night.

of course,

At dawn, when the rooster crowed, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, who had been having nightmares all night, was terrified when the King suddenly appeared in his home. That's something that outsiders can't know.

the above,

This was the main reason why Xinxiang, gritting its teeth and stamping its feet, sent people to the Central Plains.

of course,

If that were all, it wouldn't be enough to provoke God's intervention.

"After this back and forth, we became familiar with the ocean currents, which made communication much easier later on!"

"The magpies I released into Yinzhou will no longer be orphans!"

He Bo retrieved a pottery bottle from the back of Yinzhou's ship. He stroked the "Angry Birds" drawing on it, which was created using his own painting skills, and said with great joy.

Having conquered the Yangtze River and overcome the obstacle posed by the ocean, allowing it to flow freely and abundantly,
Although he hasn't truly refined a sea area into his own domain, making the waves move according to his will, He Bo can still utilize the existing ocean currents to create enough wind to fill the sails.

otherwise,

No matter how much those guys from Taixi harass him through rituals, it's useless.

Because God is simply not good enough, even if you eat the most potent tonic pills as your staple food, it won't work.

Subsequently,

He Bo then naturally began to think about his clone who was far away in Yinzhou.

Exchanges were conducted using the Xinxiang fleet.

It's still not enough.

Because personnel changes are unpredictable, no one can guarantee that the current close relationship will continue into the future.

What if Xinxiang decides to separate from the family and live independently?
He can't just abandon a clone to an isolated continent and leave it to its fate, can he?

The land of Yinzhou, both north and south, is vast and its mountains and rivers abundant!
Don't wait until thousands of years later to meet again.
The ambition that the Grand Commander of Lingnan could not realize back then was fulfilled by that yellow-beaked magpie from Yinzhou!
Therefore,
He Bo must find a way to get his voice to Yin Zhou so that the orphan Magpie can feel the warmth of a big family!

When the envoy from Yinzhou returned by boat, He Bo secretly placed a special message in a bottle behind the boat, allowing it to drift along the water created by the boat and reach Yinzhou, where it fell into the hands of a magpie.

such,

He Bo was able to combine theory and practice to fully understand the ocean's west-to-east currents, instead of blindly following the flow and letting the message in a bottle end up in strange places.

Inside the bottle, He Bo put some of his thoughts and instructions on how to make a message in a bottle, so that the magpie would know how much he cared for it.

right now,

The magpie-made message in a bottle also traveled from Yinzhou to the Central Plains with the fleet.

This means that He Bo has also thoroughly understood the ocean currents flowing from east to west.

after,

He can then fully enjoy the taste of the ocean currents and let them help him achieve emotional communication with the magpies!
Holding onto beautiful expectations for the future,

God pulled the stopper out of the bottle, wanting to know what kind of surprise his clone had prepared for him.

This is a divine artifact that can bear a portion of the power of ghosts and gods and automatically release it after activation. He Bo is only willing to let his clone use it now!

I imagine the other person would be touched by this and reciprocate!
"boom!"

When God looked into the tiny opening of the bottle, trying to glimpse the deep darkness within, a red light burst forth.

Subsequently,

He Bo put down the bottle, covered his eyes, and cried out in pain.

"mean!"

"They actually tried to ambush me!"

The remaining power in the bottle transformed into a round little bird, flapping its short wings and croaking at God.

(End of this chapter)