Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 523 The Division of the Qin State

After the Sui Dynasty lost the land on the left bank of the Xindu River, which was considered its ancestral home, it also signed an agreement to send annual tribute to the Qi Kingdom to avoid further war. Meanwhile, it considered internal reforms to improve its military capabilities.
The Qin state, which had deep ties with the new Xia, was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Its descent was very smooth.
Just like the emperor of Western Qin, who abandoned Andu City and came to Yubi City after the initial turmoil, and then fled back to Beidu Afang City by boat due to the subsequent turmoil.

However,
Unlike Sui Ping, Ying Pijiang did not show any unnecessary disappointment or sadness.

He was actually quite happy.

first,
Long ago, Ying Pijiang had prepared for the decline of his country. He even went to Xinxia for further studies and witnessed the chaos when the country fell.

Secondly,

This means that the lifespan of the Western Qin dynasty has exceeded his expectations.

"As long as I can live past the Han Dynasty, I have no resentment."

"But the Han Dynasty has been restored!"

A certain ghost couldn't stand the slight smugness in his expression every time he mentioned the "Qin and Han dynasties fought, and in the end, the former outlived the latter," so he tried to attack him.

Ying Pijiang replied, "The main branches have changed, and the capitals are not in the same place. How can we conflate the Former and Later Han dynasties?"

"But in terms of bloodline, they are still descendants of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty!"

"Then my descendants will still be rulers of Qin!"

"The Qin state is only fractured now, it's not completely destroyed!"

"Unlike you, who reigned as the Hegemon of Western Chu for several years, only to end up contributing a few marquises with ten thousand households to others!"

Ying Pijiang immediately snorted and began attacking Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu naturally continued to retort, "Yes, it even split into several pieces in one go!"

"Do you want to fight?!" Ying Pijiang couldn't take it anymore and glared fiercely at Xiang Yu.

Following the chaos in Jade Wall City
Unfortunately, unlike the Sui Dynasty, the Western Qin did not eliminate all the competitors and then usher in a new, relatively rational ruler.

Amidst the ongoing power struggles, this country, unsurprisingly, has faced its own division.

The original emperor could not stand the chaos in Yu Bi City, could not tolerate the provocations of his ministers and relatives, and was even more afraid that if he continued to stay, he would suddenly hear the news of a prince leading a coup in the dead of night.

then,

The emperor found an opportunity and sailed towards the ancient capital of Epang in the east, determined to emulate the founding emperor and start anew here to rebuild the world.

However, the unruly ministers who remained in Yu Bi City were unwilling to cooperate with him in realizing his dream.

After discovering that the emperor, who was considered a puppet, was using the ancestral movement technique of the Qin dynasty to escape,

They acted decisively and chose to support another prince, who became the new emperor.

In this regard,

Having long lost its vast southern prefectures and counties, the Western Qin state was neatly divided in the middle of the Western Sea into the Eastern Qin state with its capital at Afang Palace and the Western Qin state with its capital at Yubi City.

The North and South forces that received this news were also delighted.

The most powerful warlord in the south said to his subordinates, "The Qin dynasty has fallen to such a state, which shows that its power is gone. I may well take its place!"

However, his most trusted advisor advised him, "There are many vying for power now. You should not rashly declare yourself emperor, otherwise you will easily become the target of everyone's criticism."

"In my view, the fate of the Qin Dynasty is like that of the Zhou Dynasty in the past. Although its power is weak, it has ruled the country for two hundred years and still has people who are attached to it. Therefore, it cannot stand on its own."

The warlord was somewhat displeased. "But if this drags on any longer, how can I rightfully claim to be a regional warlord?"

Hearing his urgent tone, his aide said, "It's too early to declare yourself emperor, but it's feasible to call yourself a prince or duke."

So the warlord set up an altar, ascended it on a clear, cloudless auspicious day, took the name of Zheng County, where he had risen to power, and called himself "Duke Zheng".

Under his leadership
Other powerful warlords also began to declare themselves kings and dukes.

One of the warlords, who was of royal lineage but had long since lost all connection to the royal family, even asked his advisors:
"I am a descendant of the Qin dynasty, and now I call myself Gong Jianye. I don't know what title to take."

Although the main branch of the royal family has split, it still has the right of succession no matter which way you look at it.

He was unable to call himself "Qin" before the two Qin emperors died.

Fortunately, his advisors were well-versed in history and quickly resolved his doubts, saying, "He can be called Duke Liang."

The State of Liang during the Spring and Autumn Period, also known as the State of Shao Liang.

He was the youngest son of Qin Zhong, the ancestor of the Qin dynasty, and established the dynasty through his military achievements.

Qin Zhong was an outstanding ancestor of Ying Qin who, after obtaining the fiefdom of "Qin" and being accepted as a subject by the Zhou emperor, led Ying Qin to obtain the high-ranking official position of "Daifu".

Therefore, from any perspective, it would not damage the warlord's reputation and would even emphasize his status as a member of the "royal family".

then,

The Liang Kingdom was also established.

As for those guys in the north who were busy fighting with the Japanese barbarians for territory and with the Guangye people in the west, they didn't have the same concerns as Liang Gong.

Because their leader was a close relative of the royal family within three degrees of kinship, if his father had not failed to seize the throne and had to flee to the west, he might have been able to gain the support of the powerful ministers in Yu Bi City and become the ruler of Western Qin.

"But I can call myself the ruler of Northern Qin, that's fine too!"

So, once the trend of claiming the titles of king or duke subsided, three Qin states emerged along the western coast.

If we only consider bloodline,
There were as many as five groups in the world that could be called "Qin"!
This is also a major reason why Ying Pijiang felt he had surpassed Liu Han.

Could the Liu family produce so many feudal lords in one fell swoop, like the Ying family?

According to proportion,

It is very likely that his descendants will be the ones who will reunify the Western Sea and stabilize the country!
Only He Bo, who happened to be passing by and watching his fight with Xiang Yu, held a melon and uttered a scathing critique of the current state of Western Qin:
"Why are they like maggots, crawling everywhere after our hometown was bombed?"

"But with such a large and prosperous family, it's no wonder!"

Hearing this, Ying Pijiang, who was busy fighting, became even angrier.

He twitched his mustache, his old face puffed out, and with a forceful push of his hands and feet, he was knocked unconscious by a punch from Xiang Yu, who was focused on the street brawl.

And then,
Xiang Yu was arrested by He Bo on the grounds that he was "bullying an old man".

Xiang Yu defended himself, saying, "If we're talking about birth dates, who's older or younger?"

He Bo told him, "Who told him to outlive you?"

"But he's in good health! Just the other day he was playing football with Liu Ji and Liu Taigong with his son!"

"The four of them combined have a lifespan of exactly 250 years. Can you compare to them?"

then,

Xiang Yu could only be captured with resentment.

Far away in the West, Liu Ruyi, who was busy using her charm to deal with various forces, heard the news from the East and felt the same resentment as Xiang Yu.

He twitched his gray beard, patted his son's shoulder, and said, "Qin is everywhere, we can't fall behind!"

"Cracked like Ying Qin?"

His son scratched his head and laughed jokingly, "The Han Dynasty in our ancestral lands is still powerful. Even if it's far away in the west, I wouldn't dare to create a whole 'Western Han' there!"

"Is this what I wanted you to think about?" Liu Ruyi jumped up and flicked her son on the forehead.

When I was young,
Liu Ruyi was in good health and was tall and handsome.

This is a major reason why he was able to make friends everywhere, and even follow his friends from the east of the mainland to the west.

But now, approaching seventy, his teeth have fallen out and his speech is no longer clear; his wrinkles have made him look less handsome; and his bones have become soft and shrunken, turning him into a listless old man.

He used to be able to lift his son up and play with him.
Now, you'd have to jump up to even get a picture of this kid's forehead.

"I'm getting old and dying, when will I be able to see your country established!"

Regarding the matter of "establishing a country in the West",

At the last Taipingdao sleepwalking gathering, Yege'er, who had grown a beard like an old coconut, had consulted with his seniors.

The great wise teacher who founded the Yan state said, "Governing a country and administering its affairs is not an easy task."

To spread the sect's ideology and lead its followers in doing things.
And to rule a country and lead its people in doing things.

The difference is enormous.

Missionary work requires travel; if one place doesn't work, one goes there. Just like the activities of the Western Way of Peace, which have already spread far and wide, not only are the surrounding tribes and Romans aware of it and have many converts, but even the Celts and Germanic barbarians further afield have heard of it.

But once a nation is established,

The distinction between official positions and political power was clearly defined; one could no longer roam freely like a Taoist priest.

What kind of ordinary citizen would casually travel to another country?

Moreover, once a dynasty is established, there must be a distinction between "those who labor with their minds govern others, and those who labor with their bodies are governed by others."

Once those in high positions have gained their titles, how could they not harbor the desire to obtain corresponding power and special treatment?

"When I was in Qi and Lu, I hesitated to establish a state and system until after Liaodong, because of these concerns."

"The State of Yan has been established for more than ten years, and some of the events that have occurred during this time have confirmed my concerns."

The human heart is unpredictable, and so are human desires.

Before a nation is established and positions and powers are clearly defined, some people can still maintain their honest and simple appearance.

But once the praise becomes too much, the "shell" built with morality and ideals will eventually be cracked.

The inner desires flowed out along the cracks, just like the beginning of a flood.

Fortunately,

After his death, Sun En no longer needed to confront the various miseries of the human world; he could observe the many changes in the mortal world from the perspective of the dead.

He could see things more clearly because of this.

"Realizing an ideal requires a very long process."

"And along such a journey, one must constantly contend with the desires and desires of men, so it is impossible to accomplish this in just one dynasty."

"But if you wish to become the ruler of a country, then please remember to return the nine-section staff given by God, and do not let earthly power bind it, turning it into an emperor's jade seal, crown, and other such objects."

When the Yan state was established

Sun En then took off his yellow robe and threw his nine-section staff into the fire offered to God, ordering it to be retrieved, thus demonstrating the difference between the Duke of Yan and the Great Teacher of Virtue.

Some things,

They still cannot be lumped together.

After hearing his words, Yggdrasil laughed and said, "It sounds like preaching is much more difficult than building a nation!"

"In that case, I'll do the more difficult things and let others do the easy and fun things."

"Moreover, I have no intention of getting married and having children, let alone becoming a ruler and ruling over many subjects."

then,

When Guangye's number of Xia seeds exceeded ten thousand, it had become a powerful force in this wild land. Yege'er suddenly summoned old partners like Liu Ruyi, who were not Taoists of the Taiping Dao, but who owned Guangye's original shares.

He said:
“I have received divine revelation that I will implement a system similar to the enfeoffment system of the early Zhou Dynasty here.”

The person summoned by the Great Teacher was quite surprised by this.

Several years ago, following the tradition of the Xia people, they wanted to encourage the Great Sage Teacher to take Guangye as the foundation, unite the surrounding tribes that had been assimilated, and establish a state belonging to the Xia people.

Besides his personal desire for wealth and status,

In order to promote the spread of civilization, it is also very necessary to have a strong and powerful country to support it.

The Romans also spread Roman civilization here, and their efficiency was much faster than that of the other Chinese civilizations.

But clearly, in terms of farming, calculation, and craftsmanship, the Chinese were more advanced back then!

How could a group of Romans, who couldn't even dress properly and only knew how to drape bed sheets as robes, possibly educate more barbarians than the virtuous gentlemen of China?

The answer is obvious—

"Guangye" was merely a city belonging to the Zhuxia people.
"Rome," on the other hand, is a nation with vast tracts of land and numerous subjects.

No matter how inhumane barbarians may be, they will still use their brains when choosing a living environment.

Therefore,
They must establish a formal state, develop appropriate systems, and train a powerful army!
But Yegor did not want to wear the crown that belonged to a monarch; he preferred the floral crown that a white deer had given him when he preached to the Germanic barbarians living in the forest.

This caused great anxiety among Liu Ruyi and his elderly followers.

After hearing Yege'er's announcement, they immediately had a clearer understanding of the situation, and the internal strife ceased instantly.

Right!

They can improve through their own efforts!
"But granting fiefdoms requires the emperor's decree and sufficient support..."

When the Zhou emperor made promises to the feudal lords, he would also provide them with manpower and weapons so that they could establish an advantage over the barbarians and avoid being defeated as soon as they arrived in the new territory.

Leaving aside the question of how to obtain the mandate from the emperors of the various kingdoms, which is far away in the west...

Even if Guangye had a population of just over 10,000, and if they took out 5,000 of them as assets for enfeoffment, and then distributed 1,000 to each of the enfeoffed individuals as initial "people," they could only create five so-called feudal lords.

In terms of its scale,

They're not even as good as the neighboring Ubier tribe!
In response, Yacob replied, "Since God has revealed the truth, He will surely find a way to solve these two problems!"

"You can go and do it with peace of mind!"

Liu Ruyi and the others could only leave with some doubt.

As he watched them leave, Yggdrasil turned and grasped the nine-section staff, communicating with the spirits.

Upon receiving the news, He Bo sent a white deer from the Reina River to deliver the imperial edict from the emperor of the Central Plains, which officially recognized the Western vassals.

The white deer first appeared in Yegos's dream, told him the news, and asked him:
"The main body delivered the imperial edicts written by the Zhou emperor, the Qin emperor, and the Han emperor."

What format do you need?

After considering various options, Yege'er asked, "Could it be the current emperor?"

"This will prevent future historians from creating doubts for posterity when they record the events."

Could it be that Qin Shi Huang sent people to explore the western regions, and the people of the western regions were so moved that they presented him with a polar bear to ride?
"But the current emperor is not dead yet."

"That's alright. We can have one of the Han emperors write a draft for him in advance, and then complete the formalities after he dies!"

In this way, even if later generations still have doubts, the time and the people involved match up, which is much more acceptable than having "the signatures of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han" on the edict.

The white deer stared at Yege'er for a while, then left behind the words, "Like father, like son," and disappeared into Yege'er's dream.

When the new Mass arrives,
After Jesus finished reciting the scriptures and distributing eggs, he and God's people went to the farmland that had been cleared on the riverbank to work.

A tall white deer, like a lotus emerging from the water, gracefully arrives, carrying on its back the imperial edict, seal, and ceremonial objects bestowed by Emperor Liu Xiu of the Han Dynasty upon the feudal lords of the West.

The onlookers bowed in astonishment, and those who had been trained by Yako through various rituals and were now assimilated into Buddhism immediately closed their eyes and began reciting the Western version of the Taiping Dao scriptures.

When Liu Ruyi and the others arrived, they only saw the white deer's silhouette disappearing into the forest mist as it trod on the water.

They were therefore convinced by Jehovah's words, and felt that God was truly a benevolent God, repeatedly shouting "Oh God!"

After that, they spurred their descendants on, hoping to see them build their own kingdom before they died.

After all, Yege'er had already told them.

When he leaves after being granted the title, Guangye will only give him 500 initial men.

If they want more power, they just need to see how many barbarians they can persuade and educate, so that they are willing to follow them.

This meant that even after they received their appointments, they did not immediately leave Guangye to start their own businesses.

I just want to recruit more people before I set off.

"If you can take control of the Ubier tribe, our family can establish a kingdom right here!"

"Why did we let the Qin people in the east gain the upper hand?"

Liu Ruyi slapped her thigh, lamenting her son's "incompetence."

The latter also felt helpless, "According to the rules of the Japanese barbarians, although women can inherit the family business, there is also a priority order."

"Besides, I also have a brother-in-law!"

But this reason failed to comfort Liu Ruyi.

The old man was still leaning on his cane, sighing to himself.

(End of this chapter)