Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 541 Dou Family
"I didn't expect that Liu Jing was actually right about one thing."

"The current emperor does not really agree with Liu Zhuang's strictness."

"However, in other respects, he did not disobey his father."

When the reign title was changed to "Jianchu",
Some dead ghosts who were observing the world situation were talking in the shadows.

Emperor Ming of Han, Liu Zhuang
In the eyes of countless people, especially those from Northeast China, he was an absolutely wise ruler.

After all, the fact that he went to great lengths to tame the Yellow River was enough to earn him praise from the people.

Not to mention his strict discipline, often expressing to his subjects:
Severe measures are needed to govern chaotic times.
In times of peace and prosperity, even harsher measures are necessary!
As a successor who maintains the legacy, if one feels that the work is done and the situation is settled, one should retire and enjoy a comfortable life.

That would only lead to new problems, causing the dynasty to eventually decline after reaching its peak.

Therefore, we must never relax our standards!
This caused great distress to the officials under Emperor Ming.

They also wanted to emulate their predecessors and say with confidence, "My ancestors have already suffered for me, so I should enjoy wealth and honor."

But they dare not.

Because Emperor Ming would indeed wield an iron fist against these second and third generations, forcing them to "constantly experience the hardships their ancestors endured in establishing the dynasty."

And such bitterness

The newly enthroned emperor also had good taste.

After all, Emperor Ming was strict in disciplining his ministers, so how could he possibly let his successor off the hook?
When the new emperor was very young, his father arranged a heavy workload for him, requiring him to learn various kinds of knowledge and to go to different places to connect with reality and apply what he learned.

When Empress Dowager Ma, who had raised him, saw this, she asked Emperor Ming, "Isn't this a bit too much for him?"

At such a young age, with her hair all curled up like that, she doesn't even look as energetic as the kittens she keeps in the palace.

Emperor Ming then told her, "That's how I grew up."

"Moreover, he will become the ruler of all people in the future. If he is not careful, he may bring disaster to the people... How can he not be cautious?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Ma stopped thinking about reducing the burden on her child and simply followed Emperor Ming's wishes, raising the baby along with him.

Ok,
For Ma,

Her husband was a truly virtuous and capable king.

He can't be wrong!
Furthermore, as the son of Emperor Ming, surely the son should be able to do what the father can do but not what the father can do?

thus,

Before ascending the throne, Emperor Liu Da felt immense pressure as the ruler of the country.

After finally ascending the throne, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and announced some adjustments to the policies of the late emperor.

As a carefully cultivated successor,

Liu Da was not lacking in wisdom and ability.

On matters of principle, he stood firmly with his father.

But the fact that even in a prosperous era, one must maintain a tense posture, as if ready to fight against heaven and earth at any moment...

Let's relax a bit.

Liu Da stroked a precious bow that had been presented as tribute from the local area and said to his mother, Madam Ma:
"What's the difference between people and events, and this bow?"

"If you relax, you won't be able to shoot an arrow, but if you keep it too tense, the bow will break."

"The Qin Dynasty's demise was also due to these reasons."

"That's what Emperor Yuan thought back then too."

Mrs. Ma was not an unwise woman; she immediately pointed out the drawbacks of this approach.

What became of the Han dynasty after Emperor Yuan?
All I can say is that the vibrant scene of life and all things flourishing is still vivid in my mind.

Fortunately, Liu Da smiled faintly and was not bothered by his mother's subtle opposition.

He said:
"How can Emperor Yuan compare to me?"

The former's benevolence and weakness, and his governance of the country with Confucianism, showed a lack of understanding of the national situation and a result of being foolish from reading the classics.

His emphasis on Confucianism and his benevolence, however, were based on principles and had a plan.

"Relaxation should be within limits; how could my son not understand this principle?"

"I'm relieved that you're here to rest assured, Mother!"

The world is now in great order.

Internally, they eagerly anticipate enjoying the joy of this prosperous era.
Externally, the recovery of the Western Regions and the decline of the Yan state also allowed for a reduction in military strength.

The imperial court only needs to relocate enough people to the empire's frontiers to cultivate land and assist in defense.

As for the others,
A general like Ban Chao would naturally not give the emperor any reason to be troubled.

Against this backdrop,

Opportunities to gain status through military merit are gradually decreasing.

If powerful families still wanted to maintain their aloof status, besides exploiting loopholes in the imperial court to acquire land in various regions and gain practical benefits,
They also needed to rely on annotations of many Confucian classics, to control the interpretation of the classics, and to cultivate a large number of followers for themselves, so as to have a bright and shining reputation and use good reputation and sufficient knowledge to ensure that the family can have a longer and more stable inheritance.

The Kong family of Qi,
Isn't that a perfect example?
Exposing his true colors, Wang Mang before usurping the throne.

Isn't he an expert in this field?

Various events in later generations,

This also proves that in times of peace, having the power to speak and making one's voice loud enough to overpower others can indeed bring many benefits.

So much so that as times changed and dynasties rose and fell, scholars were still able to use their pens, wielding the "words of sages" as swords, to do far too many things.

unfortunately,

Emperor Ming had taken note of this before they even began to seize such power.

It is impossible to truly control the words of the people.

Some words,
There will always be people who will say it.

therefore,

Emperor Ming did not do anything to "suppress public opinion," but simply held the classics in his hands and, in his spare time from handling state affairs, called upon his ministers from prominent scholarly families to debate the classics.
"Come!"

"war!"

Subsequently, he won the struggle with his exceptional wisdom.

The emperor became the most famous, outstanding, and respected Confucian master in the world.

Even the descendants of Confucius and Mencius cannot diminish their brilliance.

This is the main reason why, despite being thoroughly trained by Emperor Ming, they were ultimately unable to use the "subtle words and profound meanings" in historical records to smear this monarch.

Although Liu Da did not possess the same intelligence and methods as his father, he was well-versed in the classics.

He intentionally recruited some eloquent scholars to hold a grand debate, and then firmly grasped the "right to interpret" many classic texts.

in this way,

Powerful families relied on the imperial court both internally and externally.

This is truly a golden age.

Seeing the emperor's resolute promise, Empress Dowager Ma said, "That's fine too."

"As long as you live up to the late emperor's expectations, I will not become the villain who hinders your progress."

Madam Ma has never been interested in promoting her own relatives to become in-laws.

When the late emperor was alive...
The strict management and discipline of everyone, regardless of kinship or distance, meant that the Ma family's children had absolutely no chance to perform their talents on stage.

This gave Liu Da a wider scope for governance.

"Unfortunately, the Western Sea was in the midst of war, and the scholars there could not travel to Luoyang to participate in the future ceremony of the Daoist discourse."

"Otherwise, the grand occasion of compiling the 'Literary Canon' could be recreated under my rule!"

When the emperor mentioned this matter to the scholars he had summoned, he said with some regret.

Fortunately,

It's just a small thing.

What he needs to pay more attention to is the rule of the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains.

"Even without the participation of the Qin people, can't His Majesty's will be carried out?"

"The emperor holds grand ceremonies, but the feudal lords from various regions cannot attend; it should be the latter who are sighing in regret!"

In the harem,
Consort Dou, whom the emperor has recently been extremely fond of, said this.

Her appearance was exceptionally beautiful, with a rare air of heroism in her eyes, adding to her allure. When she spoke, she would straighten her posture, tilt her head slightly upward, and glance downward…

Every move she makes will arouse the desire and admiration of those who love beauty.

The emperor, who met his father's requirements in many ways but was powerless against beauty, had the idea of ​​making her his empress the moment he saw her.

For now, we'll just treat him as a benefactor.

It was simply because Lady Dou had only recently entered the palace and had not yet conceived any children.

"What you say always pleases me!"

After chatting with Lady Dou about matters of the court and hearing her remarks, the emperor couldn't help but burst into laughter and reached out to pull her into his arms.

The two quickly became close.

This made Emperor Ming, who had obtained permission from the underworld to return to the mortal world to visit Lady Ma and incidentally pass by his son's place, frown somewhat.

He Bo, who was standing nearby, said, "Why are you unhappy that your son and daughter-in-law are so loving and affectionate?"

It can't be that knowing about their parents' separation after their deaths has left them with a lingering fear, causing them to feel annoyed whenever they see a sweet young couple, right?

But Liu Zhuang himself still couldn't let go of Ma Shi, could he?

Liu Zhuang replied, "I am worried that this woman will undermine our Han dynasty system."

"If Emperor Yuan heard this, he would probably burst into tears and shut himself away again."

Upon hearing such praise, He Bo immediately laughed.

After all, the last guy who was labeled a "bad system" was still agonizing over his life even years after he died!

"And isn't it perfectly normal for a seemingly refined gentleman to fall for a lively and passionate woman?"

Thinking back to Emperor Yuan of Han's most favored concubine, the beautiful and powerful Lady Fu,

And then there's Zhao Sheng from the State of Qi, who appears shy and reserved on the surface, but can actually coordinate with his wife in any position.

He Bo then said this.

"But Fu was never made empress, and Yi Rong's nephew was not as cunning and ruthless as this woman."

After his death, because of his younger brother Liu Jing,

In addition, his nature has always been earnest and steadfast.
Liu Zhuang had visited the State of Qi and met his niece who had eloped with someone.

When Emperor Ming saw Liu Yirong's beaming face, he said nothing, simply nodded, and then turned and left.

in fact,

Emperor Ming always knew that

Liu Jing, the third brother, was not inherently bad; otherwise, many of his evil deeds would not have remained merely on his lips, nor would they have received Emperor Ming's repeated tolerance.

Liu Yirong, who was spoiled from a young age and inherited his father's personality, could not be called a stupid and evil person.

She possessed even more wisdom and courage than her own father.

Having understood the purpose of the "marriage alliance," grasped the bottom line of his uncle Emperor Ming, and put his escape plan into action, he fled from the Western Regions to the State of Qi, even taking over the management of the Zhao family's business...

These individual cases,
If you don't have a brain, you definitely won't be able to do it.

If he were naturally arrogant and domineering, Zhao would not have allowed him to interfere with the family business, and would have maintained a kind and harmonious atmosphere.

But the Dou family was different.

Even in the underworld,
Emperor Ming had also heard about the Dou family and even encountered palace servants who had been unjustly beaten to death by the Dou family.

This left Emperor Ming with a very bad impression of him.

"Her mother had a rather unpleasant temper, so naturally she couldn't raise a kind and loving daughter!"

Back to the underworld,

Emperor Ming told his parents about his worries, his face showing resentment at the thought of his descendants.

When Emperor Guangwu heard him say this, he did not respond with comfort immediately, but only let out a long sigh.

"Old grudges have led to this bitter fruit... It's truly a cruel twist of fate!"

Dou's mother was Princess Biyang.

Princess Biyang was the daughter of the former Crown Prince Liu Jiang.

Therefore, according to the distance of blood ties
Lady Dou should be considered the emperor's niece from a generation away.

Such a combination,
Although the rules of "no marriage between people with the same surname" and "close cousins" were not explicitly prohibited by etiquette and law, it was still somewhat uncomfortable.

However, Princess Biyang still chose to send her daughter to the palace.

Because she wanted to avenge the loss of her father's title as crown prince years ago—

Even though Liu Jiang no longer wanted to bear the pressure from the court and the harem,
But his young, naive daughter thought differently.

All she knew was that she had gone from being the daughter of the crown prince to the daughter of a feudal lord.

Their status has declined.
The pay has also decreased.

The way people around her looked at her changed.

This made her very unhappy.

When Liu Jiang was deposed and about to be sent to his fiefdom, she cried and made a scene at home, shouting that she wanted to stay in Luoyang.

This is where she should be!
Liu Jiang couldn't win against her.

Emperor Guangwu still felt some guilt towards his son, so he took the initiative to keep his young granddaughter by Guo's side, allowing her to continue to enjoy the treatment of a princess.

But the young Princess Biyang knew in her heart that...

The treatment they had received in the past was now back to them, no longer something they took for granted, but rather a reward from the emperor.

She was still not very happy, and even thought of helping her father become the crown prince again by pleasing her grandfather.

Obviously,

it's no use.

When Liu Zhuang ascended the throne, she had no choice but to leave Luoyang and return to her father's fiefdom.

This intensified her hatred for her uncle Liu Zhuang and his descendants.

Even after Liu Jiang's death,

Liu Zhuang, unusually, set aside his strictness and conferred the title of "Queen of the Marquisate" upon his elder brother's two daughters, granting them inheritance rights equal to those of men. However, this still failed to alleviate Princess Biyang's hatred.

After her husband and father-in-law were imprisoned for their crimes, Princess Biyang, without any remorse, decided to take action.

This was all forced upon them by the emperor!

They took away the wealth and power that he and his father should have enjoyed, and now they are using it to bully him!
She won't tolerate it anymore!

then,

After learning that the current emperor had a strong interest in beautiful women, Princess Biyang sent her daughter to the palace.

Emperor Liu Da gladly accepted the offer.

After all, although he was fond of beautiful women, he was different from Emperor Cheng, who died at the hands of the Zhao sisters.

He has very high standards for "beauty".

Appearance is just the foundation.

In addition, one must possess talent, intelligence, and a good family background...

In these respects, Lady Dou was very much in line with the emperor's wishes.

Therefore,
Even after Empress Dowager Ma had spoken to him specifically after he accepted his cousin's niece into the palace, she said:
"I've heard that Princess Biyang has a fiery temper. What about her daughter?"

"Considering her maternal grandfather, let's allow Lady Dou to leave the palace!"

But the emperor did not give up.

He simply replied respectfully to Madam Ma, "Your son knows what he's doing, so please don't worry, Your Majesty!"

Mrs. Ma had no choice but to let him go.

……

"No wonder Sister Guo has been asking me to go out less often these days."

Yin Lihua said helplessly, "Even in death, one cannot escape this kind of sorrow!"

Hearing her words,
Emperor Guangwu shook his head and said to his son, "I still hope that Liu Da can stay clear-headed and not be misled by the Dou family!"

(End of this chapter)