Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 549 Change
last year,

In the same year that Emperor Zhang of Han died, Zhao Yu underwent the coming-of-age ceremony and became a formal adult.

But as Zhao Sheng grew older, he still did not hand over his business to him.

Because you can tell what a person will be like at three years old.
Zhao Yu's personality is really not suited for doing business with people.

Zhao Sheng was really worried.

If the son were to negotiate with the merchant, would he be unable to withstand the verbal sparring and the traps hidden in the contract, and then shove the other party's head into a bowl of soup?

Ugh,
Therefore, for the sake of world love and peace,

Zhao Sheng still couldn't let go of such a heavy burden.

However, Zhao Yu, naturally strong and as restless and untamed as a wild bull, still managed to get into trouble outside, even without inheriting the family business.

Youthful passion

He was made to kill a powerful nobleman from the State of Qi.

The other party's father was a high-ranking official in the country and had long coveted the wealth accumulated by the Zhao family.

Therefore, upon hearing the news of his son's death, the ministers couldn't help but shed tears of grief, and used this as a pretext to launch a vigorous crackdown on the Zhao family.

Merchants have always found it difficult to fight against the powerful and wealthy.

in the past,

Because the Zhao family was deeply entrenched, they were able to avoid becoming mere pawns for powerful figures and ending up as their blood donation bags.

but now,
The other party has truly lost a son.
The woman who was rescued, having received some promise from a high-ranking official, denied Zhao Yu's help, claiming that the murdered young master was her lover and that the two of them were merely playing a game.

This infuriated Zhao Yu.

The Zhao family's business also suffered greatly.

After a lot of trouble,
The elderly Zhao father decided to make a tough decision and move the family business to the West Sea.

The struggle for legitimacy between the Qi and Sui dynasties remained fiercely contested and difficult to resolve.

The two armies were locked in a tug-of-war in the desert between the Sindhu and Ganges rivers, neither able to gain the upper hand.

This caused even the ambitious emperor of the Sui Dynasty to lament:
"When I prosper, he prospers too; when I innovate, he innovates too. Is this fate?"

After all,

He then went to vent his anger on the people of Sindhu in the south.

Those creatures are like cockroaches; despite being continuously attacked by the virtuous men of the Central Plains for hundreds of years, their land is dwindling while their population continues to grow.

In order to maintain the peace and tranquility of the world

The gentlemen of the Xia people had to periodically travel south to cut grass and eliminate the "toxicity" of the Sindhu people.

But none of this has anything to do with the Zhao family's business.

They just didn't want to get involved in the world of the strong.

If that high-ranking official were to accuse them of "colluding with foreign powers" again, they probably wouldn't even have time to flee.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Western Sea...
After years of chaotic fighting, the most fanatical ones are long gone.

Even the most vibrant fireworks are gradually fading or going out.

This restored some peace to the Xihai region, making it suitable for the Zhao family's migration.

"As you know, I have always focused on trade between the Western Sea and Rome, and I have made many friends there."

"Now that such an accident has happened, it's quite normal for my family's assets and personnel to be taken there."

"As for the stories of the people from the ancient state of Qi..."

Having accepted God's help and packed all his belongings onto the ship, Zhao Sheng, intending to travel by sea to the Western Sea, looked in the direction of his hometown and finally sighed:
I wish them good luck!

Seeing his worried expression, He Bo also said, "How miserable!"

Then they arrived behind Zhao Yu, who was standing by the sea, gazing at the vast ocean, with his hands behind his back, looking like a wise man.

After the boy fell, he didn't become more silent; instead, he became even sharper.

"Of course, it wasn't my fault, nor was it my family's fault, that happened!"

Facing the rippling sea, Zhao Yu said, "It's the world's fault!"

"So, do you want to change it?"

He Bo also put his hands behind his back and stood side by side with him.

As the sunlight gradually slanted towards the western mountains, the two figures intertwined, their inexplicable air of mastery becoming even more pronounced.

"Change the State of Qi?"

"Hmph, I don't want to!"

Zhao Yu grew up in a very privileged environment, which fostered his strong sense of right and wrong.

He was willing to approach and pursue anything he liked or wanted to do, even if it was a ragged beggar or a flower hanging on a cliff.

And what he doesn't like...

He simply doesn't want anything he doesn't like!
If there is still any resentment, he will seek revenge!
Therefore, Zhao Yu had no ill feelings towards the Qi Kingdom, which had harmed his family and forced them to go to the Western Sea.

Even high-ranking officials are so greedy and shameless.

I suppose monarchs aren't all good people!

How long can the prosperity of the State of Qi last?

Zhao Yu didn't care and even cursed it to rot and stink.

"I don't have the Taoist ideal of a world of universal harmony, nor the Buddhist monk's compassion. I only wish that there were no extra constraints in the world, so that I could do many things I want to do."

"Such a dream can only be realized when you become a leader!" He Bo said to him with a smile.

"That's why I want to go to the Jin Kingdom in the West Sea, and I don't want to go to the Sui Kingdom in the East!"

Although the Sui Dynasty had a closer connection with the Zhao family, it was still a dynasty that had been established for a hundred years.

Recent monarchs have worked diligently to govern the country.
Even though fate intervened, preventing him from conquering the State of Qi and recovering his lost territory, he still managed to make the country's power flourish.

The past laziness still lingers.
But it's no longer mainstream.

And went there
No matter how talented Zhao Yu was, he could only serve as his subject.

But the state of Jin was different.

This country has not been established for long, and Zhao Yu heard that its monarch seized power through a coup, so its foundation is not solid.

He felt he could have a better future here.

Therefore, Zhao Yu said:
"I want to take my talent to the State of Jin!"

He Bo admired his confidence and believed that Zhao Yu indeed had the ability to realize his dream.

With his current robust physique and extraordinary strength, this kid certainly has a chance to win the PUBG tournament in the West Sea, which is already halfway through.

"Then I wish you good luck!"

He Bo stood on tiptoe and patted him on the shoulder, thinking to himself that as expected of someone who grew up in the Qi Kingdom, a land of cattle and sheep, even after reaching adulthood, his height could still continue to increase.

See you another day!

As the boat moved toward the direction where the sun was setting, He Bo waved to the people on board.

The tall Zhao Yu lifted the white goose he had raised from a foal above his head, letting the goose flap its wings as a farewell gesture.

He Bo then laughed and raised his voice to ask Zhao Yu:
"Have you managed to come up with the last three lines of your poem 'Ode to the Goose'?"

The white goose was put down, and Zhao Yu disappeared from the boat.

Only Liu Yirong's laughter returned as an answer.

The bow pushed aside wave after wave of ripples.

The sun sets and rises again.

A new day begins.
A new era is about to begin.

How would people react to this?

In any case, Dou Xian, the most honored relative of the emperor since the restoration of the Han dynasty, was very unhappy.

Dou Xian, who had pushed all the way to the Yanran region, pointed to the flat mountainside in front of him and said angrily:
"Who drew a picture on this before me!"

He originally intended to leave his mark at this moment, but the spot he had his eye on had already been taken by someone else.

His subordinates naturally couldn't understand it either.
In this desolate and wild land, how could anyone have the leisure to draw children's pictures on the mountainside?

He drew so much in one go, filling up the entire mountainside.

"Wearing the words again after the damage is too time-consuming; let's find a new place!"

Dou Xian's nephew stepped forward to offer advice.

Having achieved the desired results, he really didn't want to stay in a place like the northern desert for even an hour longer! So, Dou Xian could only angrily send someone to another place to carve inscriptions to record his military exploits.

But he still didn't let go of the ugly picture in front of him.

"It's disgusting to look at. Get it off!"

Dou Xian pointed his whip at the mountainside and gave the order.

The ghost who was secretly observing said, "He's finished!"

"God holds grudges!"

"Yes, He especially hates it when people say his paintings are bad! Dou Xian stepped into two pits in one go; he'll have a good time after he dies!"

Speaking of such a lively scene,
The onlookers laughed again.
The air is filled with joy.

When news of the renewed sweep of the northern desert reached the Xiongnu kingdom in the middle of the Yellow River, the current Chanyu (ruler) could not help but lament.

"Everything is difficult; are we going to have to move again?"

The war between the Xiongnu and the southern state of Qi has been going on for a long time.

The latter, in his words and deeds, fully embodied what it means to "turn your back on someone without mercy" and what it means to "cut ties with old friends and relatives as the first step to getting ashore."

In any case, the Xiongnu people felt that the people who hated them the most in the world, besides the Han people in the Central Plains, were their wealthy relatives in the State of Qi.

What does it mean that "heretics are more despicable than heretics"?

A few days ago,
The Xiongnu suffered another major defeat.
Kangju, in alliance with Qi, launched a pincer attack on the Xiongnu, resulting in the loss of vast amounts of pasture and livestock.

It has suffered a severe blow.

Dou Xian's act of inscribing a stone at Yanran was like salt grains scattered on a wound; it didn't cause much damage, but it certainly made the Xiongnu people wince in pain.

Therefore,

They then conceived the idea of ​​expanding further west.

After all, once you've done something once, you'll want to do it again.

Moreover, the Xiongnu people were nomadic, following the water and pasture, and were not opposed to migration.

"Let's go then!"

"Go further afield, go further west!"

After discussing the matter several times with his confidants, the Chanyu finally made up his mind.

that's it,
Their tents were taken down, and their cattle and sheep were driven away.

The herdsmen, originating from the East, once again mounted their horses and embarked on a new journey from east to west, as losers.

The horses ran very fast.

Traveling along the more northerly route, even fewer people would stand in the way of this migrating group.

They crossed the sea, whose waters were salty because it was located deep in the continent.
They crossed even further west, to the Caspian Sea, which was even wider than the former.

When the Xiongnu stopped again...

They had arrived near the Di state, which had replaced the Eastern Qin.

Separated only by the sea and mountains,
The two sides have not yet met.

The fact that his old rival from hundreds of years ago lived next door.

The Xiongnu were completely unaware.

They hurriedly set up their tents, drove the cattle and sheep to the newly found pasture, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

A new life for the Xiongnu people had begun.

The historian who had been secretly following them mixed the ink with water from the Caspian Sea, then turned to a new page and wrote new words.

According to the Xiongnu language, this land was recorded as "Alanliao".

same year,

Zhao Yu announced that he would abandon his business career and join the army, bidding farewell to his parents and geese at home.

……

In the fourth year of Yongyuan,

The dampness of late spring has not yet faded, but the sun is already high in the sky, revealing the beginnings of summer.

General Dou Xian, who had once again led an expedition beyond the Great Wall, fought against the Xianbei and Wuhuan instead of the Xiongnu, and returned to the capital with his army after accumulating great military achievements.

This greatly excited the young emperor.

He summoned Zheng Zhong, a eunuch whom he trusted and who was also subject to imperial power, and said:
"The time has come, be prepared!"

Zheng Zhong nodded solemnly, and in the dark, enclosed room, kowtowed to the young but mature emperor, saying:
"We will absolutely not fail in our mission!"

In order for the emperor to assume personal rule,
For their own future,
This time, I'm going all out!

Liu Zhao watched him leave, then pressed his hand to his chest again, gazing silently in the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, thinking:
Father, Mother, you must bless my success.

I will correct the mistakes of the past immediately.

I will soon repay the humiliation of the past!

Thinking about what would happen after he ascended the throne,
Empress Dowager Dou's wanton pursuit of power and the arrogant and domineering behavior of the Dou family members...

Liu Zhao frowned.

At this time last year,
Empress Dowager Dou even discussed the matter of deposing and installing an emperor with her own mother.

Princess Biyang never forgot the idea of ​​"restoring order" and believed that the throne should be returned to Liu Jiang's lineage.

Guo Ju, her lover, came from the Guo clan, a powerful family related to the empress. He also longed for the glory and wealth that Guo Shengtong had enjoyed as empress. He often whispered in Empress Dowager Dou's ear, trying to bewitch her with his body, hoping to restore Guo Shengtong, who had gradually lost her former glory after Emperor Ming ascended the throne, to the state she had been in decades ago.

Empress Dowager Dou was constantly advised in this way, both in and out of bed, to the point that she actually began to consider it.

then,

She summoned her mother, her lover, and her close friend, Madam Deng, with whom she shared a man, to discuss the matter of deposing and installing the emperor.

When Liu Qing and other imperial henchmen heard this news, they were terrified and wanted Zheng Zhong to mobilize the palace forces in advance to eliminate Empress Dowager Dou and her associates.

But the emperor held them back.

"No, Dou Xian is still leading troops in the field, how can we take such a risk!"

"I'll go find the Empress Dowager!"

that's it,
The emperor, feigning innocence, approached Empress Dowager Dou and expressed his affection and closeness to her.

After all, in Empress Dowager Dou's eyes, Liu Zhao was unaware of his true parentage and only recognized her as his mother.

Who in the world can be closer than a mother and child?

“I am made of my mother’s flesh and blood. Even cutting off my hair would be unfilial to you. Seeing you worrying about the country makes my heart even more painful.”

When Empress Dowager Dou heard him say this, she felt a rare pang of compassion.

During the years she held power after Emperor Zhang's death, being above all others, she no longer needed to conceal her strong temper to please others, nor did she need to worry about other beautiful and talented women stealing her favor.

Empress Dowager Dou's aggressiveness also decreased somewhat.

Other than that,

She gradually came to her senses:
Liu Zhao was the child she raised, with whom she had an extremely close relationship, and he was also the legal basis for her ruling as regent.

If Liu Zhao is deposed and the current King of Donghai is installed,

Then what right does she have to continue being the Empress Dowager?
The ministers often used the story of Wang Mang from the previous dynasty to criticize the Dou family's monopolization of power.

Empress Dowager Dou was naturally disgusted by this, but she was forced to listen to some of it.

She knew how Empress Wang Zhengjun of the previous dynasty was treated after losing her biological son, Emperor Cheng, and having her nephew inherit the throne.

She therefore changed her mind and stopped mentioning the matter of abolishing the emperor's position to her mother.

Liu Zhao, with his watery eyes, left the Empress Dowager's palace.

He returned to his room, changed out of his sweat-soaked undershirt, punched it a few times, and then angrily lay down on the bed.

Fortunately,

Fortunately, after years of forbearance,

Today, I can finally get my wish!

"You only get one chance!"

"If we cannot wrest power back from the Dou family and restore the Han Dynasty to the prosperity and peace of the Ming and Zhang era, then let Luoyang burn!"

As Liu Zhao pondered this, he looked toward the direction where Empress Dowager Dou was.

The wind blew up his robes.

(End of this chapter)