Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 542 Two Couples
In the third month of the third year of the Jianchu era of the Han Dynasty,
After the winter chill fades,

The emperor couldn't wait to make his favorite, Lady Dou, his empress.

After that, he doted on her even more.

As Dou rose to the position of Empress, her temperament became increasingly undisguised.

She pestered the emperor, demanding that he focus his attention only on her, and suppressed the other concubines in the harem, asking the emperor to promote her family members.

Empress Dowager Ma therefore advised the emperor, "A monarch should not act solely on his own whims when governing the country and the inner palace."

The emperor initially agreed, but after listening to his mother's repeated complaints, which subtly implied accusations of Dou's domineering nature, he grew impatient and said:
"What's wrong with loving the Empress?"

"I am the father of all people, and the Empress is the mother of all people. The love between parents is a sign of the prosperity of the nation!"

After all,

He turned and left, leaving the Empress Dowager standing there sighing.

When Lady Dou heard about this, she served the emperor even more attentively and properly, making the emperor even less inclined to pay attention to other women.

However, the Empress Dowager would not allow a certain possibility to continue to develop.

If she were to allow this beautiful land to fall into ruin because of her domineering daughter, how could she possibly have the face to go down to meet the late emperor?

then,

The Empress Dowager pressured the Emperor to grant him extensive favors and to curb the Dou family's influence as relatives of the Empress Dowager, which allowed them to occupy a significant portion of the Han court.

The emperor assumed that his mother was simply jealous of the Dou family's treatment.

After all, the late emperor was serious and upright, and he rejected relatives of the emperor and princes, and never promoted members of the Ma family to high-ranking positions.

Therefore, after the Dou family was promoted, he bestowed many official positions and wealth upon the Ma family members, hoping to prevent the Empress Dowager from hindering his favoritism.

However, the Empress Dowager did not buy it.

She persisted in her beliefs, attempting to uphold the system left by the late emperor.

This greatly displeased Dou.

However, filial piety was extremely important in the Han Dynasty, and she could not openly disobey the Empress Dowager, so she could only curse her in private.

Her mother, Princess Biyang, visited the palace and also uttered a few curses. Then she said to her daughter, "His Majesty loves you so much, how come you are not pregnant yet?"

If a woman enters the harem and wishes to maintain her wealth and status, she must rely on having children.

Not to mention that Princess Biyang dreamed of having her own bloodline sit on that high throne!
This is her revenge plan.

This is her "correction of wrongs"!
Princess Biyang would not allow it to be destroyed.

For this,

Dou was also quite helpless.

She said to her mother, "Fate doesn't allow me to have a child, what can I do?"

Her health was not bad; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to run rampant in the emperor's harem and bully the other concubines.

The emperor himself appears to be heroic and powerful, and in fact he is. He has three sons and two daughters to date, unlike the emperors of the Former Han Dynasty who indulged in sensual pleasures for many years and failed to sow a single seed or grow a single tree.

"Try taking some herbal medicine first!"

"My family's wealth and status depend on you. If you cannot have a son, our prosperity will only last for a short time!"

Princess Biyang said unwillingly, and then she really sent people to find some famous doctors, prepare some medicine, and send it to the palace to help her daughter.

Dou also hoped to have a child of her own.

So she took as much as her mother sent.

Unfortunately, it had no effect whatsoever.

Her stomach remained flat, and her appetite had even increased.

"This is how to do?"

"If others can become parents, why can't I enjoy the joy of having a child in my arms?"

Lady Dou nestled in the emperor's arms, whimpering and complaining to him.

The emperor hugged her tenderly and comforted her, saying, "We are both still young, why are you in such a hurry about this?"

Who told that old woman to use filial piety to force the establishment of a crown prince!
Around the middle of the year,
Empress Dowager Ma fell seriously ill and lost a lot of weight.

The emperor personally served him.

The mother and son, who are not related by blood, have finally returned to their former close relationship.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Empress Dowager took the Emperor's hand and said, "My health is not very good, but I have not yet seen the future successor of the Han Dynasty. I don't know how I will answer the late Emperor's questions about this in the afterlife."

Upon hearing this, the emperor fell silent.

He always held his father in both respect and fear.

Respect the other party's wisdom and self-restraint.

Fearing the heavy workload and high standards set by the other party.

But when he ascended the throne, the reasons for many of his actions became self-evident.

So he agreed to the Empress Dowager's request, promising her that she would see the successor he had chosen before she died.

Upon hearing this news, how could Lady Dou possibly remain calm?

She was the emperor's most beloved woman.

Her son should be the crown prince!
Although the Han dynasty had already had two experiences with the matter of deposing and installing crown princes, the foundation of the state should not be taken lightly.

Once established, it is not an easy task to abolish it.

She then clung to the emperor, her tears softening his heart.

Finally, the emperor promised her, "I will appoint Liu Qing as the crown prince."

"He's only two years old, too young to understand anything... Before he grows up, let's work hard and give birth to a legitimate son."

Liu Qing,

He was the emperor's third son.

Before him, there were two other princes, Liu Kang and Liu Quan.

The former's mother came from a humble background and, after her early education, never displayed any extraordinary intelligence.

The latter was in poor health and frequently fell ill. The physician privately told the emperor that he might die young.

Therefore, whether from a practical standpoint or to appease true love, Liu Qing, this young boy, is arguably the best choice at present.

Only then did Lady Dou fall silent. She tugged at the emperor's sleeve, urging him to fulfill his promise immediately.

anyway,

The emperor must give her a child.

The emperor was happy to cooperate.

Only the two former emperors of the Han dynasty in the underworld secretly prayed that Empress Dou would not get what she wanted.

"What kind of ancestor is that?"

"He actually cursed his own wife to be unable to have children!"

The passing ghosts and spirits overheard the father and son's conversation, then climbed over the wall and rebuked them for being unworthy of being grandfather and great-grandfather.

For this,

Emperor Ming, Liu Zhuang, simply and solemnly said, "I don't want a daughter-in-law who isn't someone I approve of!"

If one had a birth mother like Dou,
Having a maternal grandmother like Princess Biyang
Who can guarantee that a child will receive a good education and become an excellent monarch?
Rather than giving birth to a descendant who squanders family property and destroys ancestral temples, it's better to address the problem at its source.

But for the royal family,

Whether the empress could bear children was not actually a big problem.

"People don't necessarily have to give birth to sons themselves; the real fear is not taking good care of and raising them."

After Liu Zhuang finished expressing his attitude, He Bo, perched on the wall, cleared his throat and suddenly uttered these words.

Liu Zhuang's expression shifted, then he walked away with a sullen face.

He Bo was left laughing so hard on the wall that he fell to the ground with a thud.

Xiuer quickly came over to help God up and asked in confusion, "What did that sentence mean?"

Why did my son make that face as soon as he heard that?

But He Bo just smiled and waved his hand, telling him to ask Liu Zhuang himself.

Anyway, he wouldn't tell Xiu'er that these words were spoken privately by Liu Zhuang to Lady Ma when he gave the prince Liu Da to her to raise.

As for how these words, spoken in the comfort of the bed and in the embrace of husband and wife, ended up in the ears of ghosts and spirits...

Then there's no need to ask any more questions.

"Let's just pray that future generations are clear-headed enough!" "Or maybe Liu Da was just a lecherous fellow, and once Dou Shi's allure faded, he'd turn to someone else."

Before leaving, He Bo patted Xiu'er on the shoulder, offering her words of comfort.

Although it has no effect whatsoever

But this does not prevent God from showing His mercy.

Subsequently,

He Bo then went to the State of Qi to play with the current emperor and empress of the Han Dynasty, who served as a comparison group.

Zhao Sheng and Liu Yirong's child is five years old this year.

His parents raised him very well; the illnesses he suffered as an infant have disappeared, leaving him as a chubby little boy who can run and jump.

It's that age when cats and dogs hate you.

But God, who enjoys playing with cats and dogs, really likes this kid.

"Hi!"

"Where are we going to play again?"

When He Bo peered out of the Xindu River and arrived at the Zhao family's house, which was located near the river,...

Zhao Yu, the chubby boy, happened to be leading his goose out.

He was very lively, and his muscular physique gave him considerable strength, often leaving the cats and dogs in the house looking utterly hopeless.

When He Bo came last time,
I once saw the Zhao family's guard dogs hiding in the corner, their heads drooping, covering their ears to avoid their young master's calls.

Xiao Zhaoyu was naturally very saddened by this.

He first tried to seek comfort from his father's cat, but the big fat cat couldn't stand the child's harassment either. It retracted its claws and punched him twice with its paw pads before climbing over the wall and running away.

Then Zhao Yu burst into tears, feeling as if the whole world had betrayed him, clutching tightly the large clump of fur he had plucked from the fat cat.

His grandparents came to comfort him and eventually chose a new pet for him that wasn't afraid of people.

A large white goose with bright white feathers, an elegant posture, a proud neck, and a loud voice...

This thing is indeed not afraid of people.

Moreover, they are not afraid of children of this age who are full of energy but, due to their young age, cannot control their strength.

quickly,

In the city where the Zhao family lived, two more "tyrants" appeared.

Xiao Zhaoyu often took his white goose out, followed by several servants, and went outside to harass innocent passersby, dogs, cats, and so on.

If any potential danger arises, the strong servants behind him will step in.

of course,

More often than not, these servants are simply responsible for following behind their young master, bowing and scraping and apologizing to anyone he or the goose has offended.

When He Bo, this strange uncle, greeted him, Zhao Yu politely replied, "Let's go play in the water outside the city."

The goose, as tall as Zhao Yu, also squawked twice, its voice even more unpleasant than a donkey's, exuding the aura of a village bully.

"Playing in the water is a bit dangerous!" He Bo said.

"So, we'll let Big White go swimming, and I'll stand on the side and watch!"

Zhao Yu stood by the doorway, his fat bulging out, trying to look like an adult. "I'm not one of those three or four-year-old kids who don't know any better!"

He Bo really liked how he always acted like a big brother, even though he was small and short.

Then he laughed and went with Zhao Yu to the Xindu River.

The big white goose spread its wings and charged bravely into the river, its white feathers floating on the green water and its red webbed feet stirring the clear waves.

After watching for a while, Zhao Yu suddenly had another idea and started moving the smooth pebbles on the riverbank, trying to pile them up into a circle to enclose the water.

He Bo then said to him, "Didn't you say last time that you would write a poem for me to show off your literary talent?"

Are you ready today?

When He Bo came to the Zhao family last time, Zhao Sheng didn't go out to talk business with his wife, but instead received this friend who seemed very free and always seemed to be wandering around.

He complained to He Bo, "Ji Nu was in poor health when he was young, and I was always worried that he wouldn't grow up safely."

"I never imagined that after being given a nickname, he would grow up to be such a little tyrant!"

Zhao Sheng muttered about all the things his son had done to destroy the house lately, and finally slammed his hand on the table and let out a long sigh:
"Although I was born into a merchant family, I have read many books and classics... Ji Nu has no interest in reading at all. What should I do?"

Zhao Sheng really couldn't understand it.

How could his refined seed produce a descendant like Zhao Yu?

Could it be a problem with the soil and farmland?

But his wife is essentially a smart person, just a little lively!
How can two people coming together produce a more lively child?

He Bo, sipping his refreshing mung bean soup, casually retorted, "You only look quiet; what you do in private... hmph!"

Zhao Sheng immediately reacted and stared at He Bo with wide eyes.

God, who could have known everything but whose laziness shielded him from many things, explained to him:
"I didn't spy on your daily life with your wife!"

"It was your son who told everyone!"

He Bo had previously played hopscotch with Zhao Yu. The little boy had short legs and great strength, so he could only kneel down and pound the ground, losing in frustration.

He Bo, beaming with pride, demanded that he hand over the "reparations" for the defeat, and told him some private secrets to cheer himself up.

Zhao Yu thought about it and realized that he couldn't lose face, otherwise he probably wouldn't be able to continue being the leader of the children.

then,

He told He Bo about some things that happened between his parents.

He Bo could only marvel at Zhao Jinu's filial piety, which moved Heaven.

Upon learning this, Zhao Sheng immediately became furious, grabbed his son, and spanked him until his buttocks were swollen. He then forced his son to sit in front of the desk and made him study.

Zhao Yu first glared at He Bo, who had "reported" him, then said to his father with his neck stiff, "My talent is outstanding, what does studying matter?"

"In a couple of days, I'll even be able to write poetry!"

"it is good!"

He Bo, who was watching from the sidelines, immediately cheered and applauded, and made a promise with Zhao Yu that he would come next time to witness the beautiful verses he wrote.

Zhao Yu readily agreed, even though he was humiliated and didn't back down.

but now?
He immediately stopped moving the stones.

His already plump body suddenly began to heave, and he started breathing heavily.

"how?"

"Can't you do it?" He Bo showed no remorse for bullying the child and even poked Zhao Jinu's chubby cheek.

The latter's face flushed red, her lips pursed, and her gaze resolute.

He was poked several times by He Bo, then suddenly opened his mouth and said:
"goose!"

He Bo was surprised, thinking that people might really do anything when they are pushed to the limit.

As a result, after the chubby boy said "goose" twice, he puffed out his cheeks and couldn't say anything more.

He summoned even the big white geese, who looked at their master with the odd-eyed stare typical of a village bully.

Zhao Yu's face swelled up even more.

He Bo wanted to poke it himself.
But the child turned and ran away.

"Why go?"

He Bo chased after him and asked him.

Zhao Yu remained silent with his head down, so He Bo put his hand under the child's arm, lifted him up, and shook him.

What if we could somehow manage to elicit the next line of "Ode to the Goose"?

But Zhao Yu just kicked his legs in the air and shouted:
"Put me down!"

"I need to pee!"

……

It turns out that

When people are pushed to the limit,
There are many things I don't know how to do, and I still can't do them.

However, the surging blood and qi stimulate the body, which does help with excretion.

(End of this chapter)