Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 527 Guangwu
"I have already removed many of the splinters from the vines for you."

"Some people from the past will not become obstacles to your governance in the future."

"After I pass away, the empire will be handed over to you. I hope you can lead it to a prosperous era."

After eating a small bowl of rice,

The emperor put down his chopsticks and spoke gently to Crown Prince Liu Zhuang.

The latter was naturally moved and agreed.

Looking at his youthful and heroic features, the emperor felt a fatherly affection, but even more so, a sense of pride as an aging monarch.

This summer,
Empress Dowager Guo Shengtong has passed away.

The emperor was deeply saddened by this.

Although he deposed the empress who had been with him for more than ten years,
But he still had deep feelings for that person.

otherwise,

He would not have had so many children with her, nor would he have given Guo the same generous treatment.

But with the nation and its people at stake,
No matter how intense the feelings, they would not sway the emperor in the slightest.

If other women gave birth to children even more outstanding than Liu Zhuang's...
Just as the emperor had demoted Yin Lihua to a concubine after only three months of marriage and then married Guo Shengtong, he would also ruthlessly abandon Yin and Guo, along with their child, and appoint the other as emperor.

After all, the second generation of a nation bears the heavy responsibility of "carrying on the legacy of the past and ushering in the future," which cannot be taken lightly.

As the emperor who established his empire,
No one wants the fruits of their life's hard work to be lost in the second generation.

For this,

Liu Zhuang was not unaware of this.

He readily accepted the fact that "the fate of the nation is more important than parental love."

After all, he possessed exceptional political talent.
They were all aware of the consequences of Emperor Xuan of the Former Han Dynasty's benevolent fatherly actions.

Therefore, some principles should not be shaken by emotions.

"I will never let my father down!" Liu Zhuang left the table, came before the emperor, and solemnly kowtowed to him.

The emperor patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction, "There are only a few years left. The future belongs to you who come after us."

When Guo Shengtong died
The emperor then realized that his lifespan was also running out.

He fought many battles in his youth, and after ascending the throne, he was often exhausted by the affairs of the country, which led to a stroke. Even after recovering, he often felt headaches and fatigue.

At the funeral of Empress Dowager Guo,

The emperor even felt dizzy for a moment, then his heart raced and he couldn't see the people around him.

Although it did not last

But it was obvious that this was a sign that he was getting old and heading towards death.

Fortunately,

His task has been completed.

The "land survey," which began in the fifteenth year of Jianwu and caused a temporary upheaval, finally delivered a reassuring result to the emperor before he passed away.

On the surface, the imperial court declared that by the seventeenth year of Jianwu, the decree to measure the land area of ​​the whole country had been fully implemented and perfectly concluded.

But in fact,

Such a large-scale statistical survey is never something that can be done in one or two years.

Moreover, the emperor harbored deep suspicions about the documents and data submitted by local authorities.

Because manipulating words and forging documents is something that has been clearly done before.

At the beginning of the land survey,

Local powerful families colluded with officials to falsify data and do perfunctory work.

They believed that the court was doing this in order to collect large amounts of taxes from them based on the amount of land they owned.

So they distributed these things onto the common people, causing them to have some non-existent land recorded in the county and prefecture records, and then pay the actual taxes for the powerful families.

When the emperor heard about this, he sent people to investigate again. He once again abandoned his gentle persona and, with a resolute attitude, punished and executed dozens of high-ranking officials, including prefects and prime ministers.

During this period,

Local powerful figures attempted to rebel, but the emperor dispatched troops to suppress them.

Afterwards,

Officials dared not falsify documents anymore.

However, they were still unwilling to comply with the order to survey the land and pay more taxes.

Humph,
Who in the world would spit out the meat they've already eaten?

then,

They then opted to double the execution.

Let them measure the land?

Even the houses and courtyards of ordinary people are being measured!
Every village and every township,

Every household

Before the officials have made a clear assessment, everyone must gather in the fields and is not allowed to leave!

Even under the scorching sun,

Even with the moon rising and the wind chilly!

This greatly displeased the people, naturally sparking further unrest.

After the emperor quelled the rebellion,
Having fully learned from the experience, the decision was made to arrange for officials to handle the matter in a different location.

He sent people from Guanzhong to investigate the lands of Guandong and suppress the local tyrants.
He sent people from Guandong to investigate the lands of Guanzhong and suppress the powerful families there.

Such heroes investigate heroes, and good men kill good men.

Only then was the "field measurement" system truly implemented.

However, the underlying characteristics of the local area have not truly changed.

The emperor was very worried that if he relaxed his supervision, the previous chaos would happen again.

therefore,

When the new statistics were sent to Luoyang each year and presented to him, the emperor would send envoys to the localities to verify them again and hold those responsible accountable once more.

Until these past few years,
The initial report and the follow-up investigation yielded no discrepancy. The embroidered-robed envoys who went on secret investigations throughout the region also submitted memorials praising the officials' dedication and loyalty.
Only then did the emperor put aside his doubts and believe that he had completely ruled the central country and laid a solid foundation for his descendants.

Subsequent emperors no longer needed to contend with those powerful and influential families, which drained the nation's resources internally.

They can exert all their efforts to spread the fame of the Han Dynasty and establish the majesty of the Central Kingdom.

It existed in the Former Han Dynasty.

They must have it!

It did not exist in the Former Han Dynasty.
They need it too!
"The land now occupied by the various Chinese is extremely vast."

"In the future, you will not only be the emperor of the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains, but also the Son of Heaven of all the lands of China!"

"Let them know that the Liu family's destiny can never be shaken!"

Walking with the Crown Prince through the palace in late autumn,
The aged emperor, facing the blowing wind, gave instructions to his successor, outlining his goals as the next generation.

"Of course!"

After Liu Zhuang agreed, the emperor added:
"Once your treasury is full and you have found suitable talent, then find a way to repair the dikes of the great river!"

"The powerful clans in Hebei have already been taken over by the imperial court. Even if they were to reappear like grass, it would not be easy to do so."

Profits don't wait for someone else to collect them.
When the original owner leaves, a new embrace will open to it.

So some things,
It's better to get it sooner rather than later.

It's always good to secure your profits!
"Hebei has a vast land area. Once the river stops overflowing, countless riches and grains will emerge from there."

"It will become a new major source of national tax revenue."

in this way,

As the capital, Luoyang could travel along the Yellow River to the west to collect wealth from Guanzhong and to the east to collect grain and money from Hebei. Then, by using these gains, it could achieve a prosperity even greater than that of Chang'an during the Han Dynasty's golden age!

Liu Zhuang carefully wrote it down.

The emperor then put his hands behind his back, bent slightly over his body which was covered by magnificent robes, and said to his son:
"Let's go visit your mother."

……

Shortly after,
The emperor boarded his carriage and began his tour of the empire's eastern territories.

He had been entangled with the land and people of Hebei for far too many years. As the old conflicts came to an end...

At a time when even former friends and enemies are gradually drifting away,

The emperor felt he should take advantage of the remaining time to visit and appreciate the scenery of that place, which had completely submitted and dared not disobey the central government's orders.

When the vehicle frame reached the border of Shandong,

His eldest son, Liu Jiang, who was enfeoffed in this place, came to greet him.

"Why do you have so many gray hairs?"

When the emperor met Liu Jiang, he asked him in surprise.

Liu Jiang kowtowed and said, "Having received Your Majesty's excessive favor, I dare not relax my guard at any time. I am constantly worried about whether I have fulfilled my responsibilities as a subject, which is why I have become like this."

When the emperor heard him say this, he simply smiled, bestowed some precious medicines to nourish Liu Jiang, and issued an edict to proclaim to the world the loyalty and filial piety of his eldest son.

The Crown Prince, who remained in Luoyang to oversee the country, sent a letter to thank his elder brother for his efforts.

As a result, Liu Jiang, the King of Donghai, spread his "virtuous reputation" and gained even more white hair.

"They've put him on a pedestal!"

"The best outcome for a deposed crown prince is to live his life with his head down."

"Now that he is being praised and rewarded in this way, all eyes in the world are on him, just like fish being roasted over a fire!"

He had just died not long ago.

Invited by He Bo to travel the world, Wang Feng, who happened to arrive in the land of Qi and Lu, had gained a lot of wisdom during his years of seclusion and had a clearer understanding of human relationships.

He could tell at a glance.
When Liu Jiang accepted his father's reward, his smile was not very happy; his eyes revealed deep fear.

"Who is he, the one currently closest to the emperor among the Hebei faction?"

Following Wang Feng's words, God, who was lighting a fire to roast various kinds of meat, replied in this way.

He didn't look up, but calmly took out many seasonings and spices in bottles from his pocket and placed them in front of him, preparing to give the roasted meat its soul.

Unfortunately,

Because life in Yinzhou was truly barbaric,

The explorations by the virtuous men of the Central Plains there were extremely difficult.

Therefore, the promise that Su Guang made with God back then has not been fulfilled to this day.

This saddened God, who longed for roasted potatoes, roasted corn, and the addition of fiery red chili oil to various bland foods.

Although the Divine Continent is extremely vast and contains many spicy plants,
But the brightly colored chili peppers are ultimately more favored by God.

Wang Feng, who was skewering meat nearby, was unaware of the regret in He Bo's heart.

He simply continued, "That's true!"

“Those powerful families are now so suppressed by Liu Xiu that they can’t even raise their heads. They will inevitably have designs on the next emperor.”

The throne can be inherited.

Does this mean that aristocratic families cannot pass on their traditions?
As long as desire remains, the struggle will never cease.

If one is temporarily at a disadvantage,
That allows one to lie low, to bow one's head.

It's perfectly acceptable to wait until they've endured the hardships and oppression brought upon them by the emperor before seeking an opportunity to raise their heads and enjoy the freedom and sweetness of the air!

Even if the second generation receives constant guidance and instruction from the first generation, they are still born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

Unless one is exceptionally gifted and has a keen mind, sooner or later one will fall into the trap carefully prepared by those below.

not to mention,
Lacking the prestige of a founding emperor

The same method,
The second generation is even more effective.

If it weren't for this,
Why do things like people dying and governments ceasing to function always happen in the world?
With such concerns,

The emperor and his successor frequently sent gifts and condolences to the deposed crown prince Liu Jiang, demonstrating their special attitude towards him. This was nothing more than a subtle way of stabbing Liu Jiang in the back, letting him know just how intense their "care and love" for him really was.

Liu Jiang responded to this.

I was so moved that I dared not move. Even when I was sick, I had to write down the cause and effect, for fear that the authorities in Luoyang would think that I was faking illness and had colluded with others in private.

After his mother's death, Liu Jiang became even more cautious and cut off all contact with his brothers.

But he wasn't a cold-hearted person by nature.

He longed to have a mother to confide in.

I hope to have brothers to support each other.
I hope some relatives can visit and get closer...

"Unfortunately, I can't do that."

“When my father stood beside me, I didn’t dare to straighten my back, let alone look him in the eye.”

When the emperor's carriage finished its inspection and left the east to return to Luoyang...

Liu Jiang, who had become even thinner from the heavy burden of his father's love, hid in his room and cried out to his mother's portrait.

Even though he received the unprecedented treatment of a deposed crown prince,
But when it comes to emotional matters,

Who can say for sure?
Compared to the wealth and luxury of living in a grand mansion, the freedom of the countryside...

Which side is more popular?
"I want them all!"

"Because I'm God!"

After grilling a row of meat skewers and using the overpowering aroma of cumin and other spices to lure several seabirds, He Bo spoke to Wang Fengzhen in a loud voice.

Wang Feng glanced at the seabird perched on his head, then at the grease smeared on his face from eating skewers, and the emotions she felt about the love and hatred within the royal family dissipated.

He simply said, "I really don't know whether it's good or bad that I've entered the Taoist path and become a believer of you, God."

The power of ghosts and gods,
He had already gleaned this from various details.

I am often deeply moved by God's love for all living beings.

But turning his head,

Looking at He Bo as a specific "person," and at what he did and what he said,
The respect and admiration I felt quickly faded away with the wind.

can only say,
The mysterious and enigmatic concept of "God"

It's best not to have a specific image, but to showcase extraordinary vitality.

Make a clay sculpture or wood sculpture.

Just wait quietly for people to come and kowtow to Him.

otherwise,

The psychological damage caused by the shattering of the sacred filter that people imagine can be quite severe.

What does it mean to 'become my follower'?

"I have never forced anyone to do things my way!"

He even outsourced the writing of his sermons to others!

Moreover, Taoist priests from various countries selectively recorded his words and deeds, and incorporated them into their scriptures as parables. He Bo never asked him for copyright fees!

What a merciful and forgiving Lord He is!

He Bo waved the meat skewers in his hand, attempting to refute Wang Feng's statement.

As soon as he raised his hand, the seabird that had been waiting on his head for a long time immediately seized the opportunity, opened its long beak, snatched the meat skewer, and flew away.

He Bo stomped his feet in anger and vented his frustration on Wang Feng, yelling, "It's all your fault!"

Wang Feng felt even more strongly that his choice to become a Taoist priest had some negative consequences.

But shaving his head like a monk and showing off his bald head to everyone felt rather unseemly to Wang Feng.

Although Wang Feng was not a handsome gentleman,

But whether or not someone has hair is far too important to their image.

This is the main reason why Buddhism, despite being introduced to the Central Plains for over a century, has not yet flourished.

"never mind."

"Anyway, Zhao Shen and other seniors have told me long ago that God's actions have nothing to do with believers."

"I just need to follow my heart and do what I should do!"

Seeing God so angry that he picked up pebbles from the ground, trying to chase after a bird and reclaim his meat skewers,

Wang Feng secretly comforted herself in this way.

(End of this chapter)