Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 554 Yin Deng
The envoys of the Eight-Nation Alliance came from afar.

The emperor received them warmly.

The officials also sang praises of this, believing it to be a manifestation of the might of the Han Dynasty spreading far and wide, and of the world's peace and prosperity.

The emperor took such praise to heart, which enabled him to treat Liu Chu's curly-haired envoy with kindness and friendliness.

"I never imagined that the Prince of Guangzong of the Former Han Dynasty would have such an extraordinary encounter."

After discussing kinship and examining family genealogies, the emperor remarked to the Liu Chu envoy, "He is not much different from the founding emperor of Western Qin."

However, while Liu Chu has now established itself and grown strong in the barbarian mountains and seas, the flames of war have not yet been extinguished in the Western Qin state.

It's truly lamentable how ruthless time is.

Subsequently,

The emperor then inquired about the situation in the West from the envoys and commended these vassal states for their contributions in expanding into foreign lands.

As for Rome,

He then addressed the messenger, Tacitus:
"Han and Luo are two countries at opposite ends of the earth, far apart, yet similar in culture and nature, and should not be opposed or hostile to each other."

"I should also send an envoy to accompany you to Rome, as a sign of reciprocity."

Tacitus responded to the emperor's friendliness with Roman etiquette, and expressed it in the straightforward language common among foreigners:
"The friendship between our two countries will last until the end of time!"

The emperor then burst into laughter, feeling that Rome pleased him even more than the Qin people.

Although the Qin people described Rome as "similar to us".
However, the relationship between Han and Luo was limited to simple trade.

The conflict between the Qin and Han dynasties lasted for three hundred years.

it's a pity

Even though the Qin Dynasty has been shattered into pieces, the Han Dynasty still hasn't seen its old rival bow down.

The emperor, thinking to himself, then instructed his officials to provide excellent temporary accommodations for the envoys from various countries and not to neglect them.

Sending goose feathers from thousands of miles away is a light gift but heavy with affection.

Moreover, what the Western countries sent were not goose feathers, but carefully selected gifts from the feudal lords.

The Eight-Nation Alliance envoys were very grateful for the emperor's magnanimity. After praising the emperor's benevolence, they returned to their embassy and began to enjoy life in the Central Plains.

They came from afar.

They certainly didn't turn around and go home after meeting the emperor.

I haven't had a chance to fully appreciate the local customs and culture of the Central Plains.

Who would be willing to leave?
that's it,
The envoys stayed in Luoyang and spent the following days visiting relatives and friends with whom they had any connection.

Although Tacitus was a complete outsider, it was precisely because of this that his impartial pronouncements earned him the trust of gentlemen.
In addition, Rome possessed its own dazzling civilization, so it was often invited by nobles in Luoyang to banquets to discuss matters between the two countries.

And in the palace,

Empress Yin, however, expressed her dissatisfaction with these envoys.

She complained to the emperor, “The gifts brought by these small countries are not luxurious or beautiful. Even if they are from thousands of miles away, they are not worthy of Your Majesty’s great favor and attention.”

now,

Although the emperor's favor towards Lady Yin diminished due to Deng Sui's wisdom and decisiveness.

But the other party was, after all, the Empress.

The emperor still granted her the honor and power of an empress.

just,

Yin Shi's previous vivacity and cleverness, which had previously pleased the emperor, were not suitable for handling state affairs or fulfilling her duties as the mistress of the Han Dynasty.

The emperor entrusted Empress Yin with the gifts presented by the small countries and counties that came to pay tribute, instructing her to select suitable gifts from the national treasury to return, thus demonstrating the attitude of the Han Dynasty.

This involves politics and diplomacy, so it naturally requires more thought.

As a result, Empress Yin simply classified the gifts according to their level of luxury, keeping the superior ones and returning the inferior ones.

The person whose gift was returned was naturally terrified, and then went to great lengths to find more treasures to please the queen.

The emperor had pointed out Empress Yin's inappropriate behavior in this regard, but Empress Yin retorted confidently:
"The world is at peace and prosperous; it is only right to enjoy wealth and honor!"

"Our ancestors worked hard to build this empire, and we, as their descendants, must not only maintain it but also receive its blessings!"

Our ancestors endured hardship so that future generations would not have to suffer the same.

If one's descendants become emperors and have not failed the expectations of the ancestral temple, why should they restrain themselves with frugality?
This is what the monarch deserves for his hard work in governing the country!

To persuade the emperor, Empress Yin quoted passages from the book "Guanzi," citing the example of Duke Huan of Qi, who loved both beautiful women and hunting, yet ultimately became the hegemon of the Central Plains.

The emperor did not agree with her statement, but considering his favor towards Lady Yin, he did not force her to correct it, and only said a few more words to her.

Ms. Yin complained about this and was even more unwilling to change her approach.

When the Western countries arrived this time, she followed the same precedent, believing that it was a loss for the emperor to accept such simple gifts and allow the eight-nation envoys to stay in a magnificent mansion.

This time, the emperor could not tolerate it.

"The West is so far from the Central Plains, yet their envoys are willing to risk their lives to come and pay homage to me. Their friendship has long surpassed that of ordinary gold and silver treasures."

"Now that you have become Empress, you should also show the magnanimity of the Mother of the Nation and consider the dignity and prestige of the court more."

The state certainly has matters that need to be accounted for.

But how can everything be like that?
Those who only know how to scheme and manipulate things are not the imperial court; they should be called merchants!
Empress Yin felt wronged by what he said.

But she didn't think she had done anything wrong; instead, she accused the emperor, "Are you blaming me because of Deng Sui?"

"If I had known she would compete with me for your favor, I shouldn't have been friendly with her in the first place!"

Empress Yin was the great-granddaughter of Deng Yu, a founding hero of the Han Dynasty.

Deng Sui was the granddaughter of Deng Yu.

The two were close in age and had played together with adults when they were young.

Although they entered the emperor's harem at different times, resulting in a strange change in their seniority, it was common practice for political alliances to take daughters of noble families as concubines.

Moreover, when people discuss kinship, they usually start from the father's side, so the situation of Yin and Deng is not really a problem.

The example of Empress Dowager Dou is still fresh in our minds.
Becoming the Empress or Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty would bring immense honor and wealth to one's family, a truly tempting prospect.
This is a trivial matter, not something that would hinder powerful figures from sending women into the palace as an investment.

The emperor said helplessly, "What does this have to do with Deng Sui?"

“You went to her place earlier, and when you came back you accused me. Wasn’t that because she instigated you?”

"That's because she was curious about the origins of the Western feudal lords and asked me a few questions!"

The origins of the Western vassal states were quite a shock to the emperor and his ministers of the Han Dynasty.

Regarding Rome

They already knew this before the messenger arrived.

Living next to Rome, the Qin dynasty, which initially loved and cherished each other but eventually fought and killed each other, had already brought the situation of Rome to the Central Plains.

Therefore, when the late emperor heard that a Roman envoy had come to the Central Plains, the emperor and his ministers were only slightly surprised, and then calmly received him.

But then these few people from Taixi suddenly popped out, holding the imperial edict of Guangwu, and swore that they had received the emperor's permission and were not an illegally established state of the Xia. What exactly is going on?
Did such a thing really happen back then?
Thanks to Emperor Zhang's untimely death,
This means that since we are not too far removed from the time of Emperor Guangwu, many documents and records have not decayed or broken with the passage of time or the neglect of later generations, and can still be read and viewed.

Some veteran officials who grew up during the reign of Emperor Guangwu also searched through their memories, but ultimately could not find any relevant clues.

Fortunately,

After some investigation, they found records in the archives from the reign of Emperor Ming.

When the emperor and his ministers in Luoyang resolved their doubts, and the feudal lords of the West could then proclaim, "Our identities are clear,"

In the underworld, Emperor Guangwu stared at his son and asked, "Didn't I tell you in my dream to complete the formalities?"

After he died, he was asked by God, who was clearly impersonating him but acted with complete self-righteousness, to complete the formalities.

then,

Xiuer could only appear in her son's dream and ask him to handle this matter.

Emperor Ming said, "I did indeed do it, but I never expected that Lady Ma would compile the 'Daily Records' for me and place this document with me." Lady Ma was a very conscientious woman.
Her admiration for her husband made her pay close attention to the policies and orders issued during Emperor Ming's reign.

When Emperor Ming passed away, Empress Ma, during her long and tedious reign as Empress Dowager, would not have disliked the tedious and complicated documents and records left over from Emperor Ming's era.

She carefully sorted through it all and naturally found the documents that Emperor Ming had approved for the Western side using her father's name.

Although she didn't understand her husband's intentions,

However, Ma, who was solely in charge of her husband, felt that regardless of whose name it was, as long as it was written and reviewed by Emperor Ming, it should belong to that person.

This glory cannot be shared with others.

"...Very well, as long as future generations won't have any doubts about this!"

Looking at the ministers in the mortal world, who suddenly realized what was going on and then complained about Empress Xiaoming's carelessness in mixing up the documents from the reigns of Emperor Guangwu and Emperor Ming, causing them to waste a lot of their energy, Xiu'er shook her head.

Even the usually strict and demanding Emperor Ming did not follow the advice of his living ministers and criticize Ma Shi.

Anyway, the couple are of similar mindset, so this shouldn't cause any conflict.

But the emperor and his empress in the mortal world cannot do this.

Empress Yin felt that the emperor was unfaithful, to the point that whatever she did was wrong in his eyes.

The emperor was quite helpless about her attitude. After hearing Yin's complaints so many times, he felt a rare anger rising in his heart.

He stood up with a stern face, waved his sleeves, and left the Jiaofang Palace.

Empress Yin was still crying and shouting behind him, "You are not allowed to go to that wicked woman, Deng Sui!"

The emperor ignored her and simply boarded his carriage.

The accompanying eunuch, trying to gauge the emperor's expression and attitude, tentatively asked, "Shall we go to Consort Deng's place?"

The emperor, however, ordered, "Go to the Southern Palace!"

"I must go and inquire about the Empress Dowager's health!"

So the eunuch shut his mouth and drove the carriages toward the Southern Palace.

That was where Empress Dowager Dou spent her retirement.

Although she is only forty years old, she has reached the highest peak that any woman in the world could reach.

However, ever since she seized power at Baihu Temple in the fourth year of Yongyuan, she has shown signs of aging.

For someone as strong-willed and competitive as her
He was betrayed by his children, whom he had always kept under his nose, who conspired to seize power.
The eunuchs and palace maids, whom he had always ignored and belittled, joined forces to connect the inside and outside.
This led to the destruction of the once-prosperous Dou family, and he himself was banished to the Nangong Palace, a place inaccessible to the core of the state.

That was a truly devastating blow.

Therefore, in recent years, Empress Dowager Dou has been suffering from heartache and illness, and she often has an attack after scolding the emperor.

The emperor was not intimidated by her attitude.

To demonstrate his filial piety, the emperor would often visit the Southern Palace.

but,

This did not allow Empress Dowager Dou's influence to return to the court.

The emperor only held power for five years.

Many officials then rarely mentioned her anymore.

……

"I'm about to die, do you still want to come and laugh at me?"

When the emperor's carriage arrived,
Empress Dowager Dou, who was ill and depressed, said this to him.

The emperor did not reply, but simply brought over the medicine, tasted a sip, and then helped Empress Dowager Dou take it.

The latter, unusually, did not refuse and quietly drank the bitter medicine.

She then had someone help her up, and as she gazed at the scenery outside the window, she suddenly began to mutter to herself:
“When I was very young, my mother often told me about the story of Emperor Guangwu’s deposition and enthronement.”

"This made me sympathize with my maternal grandfather and I thought that Emperor Guangwu made the wrong choice."

Her maternal grandfather was gentle and quite talented. Why would anyone assume that if he became emperor, he would be inferior to Emperor Ming?
After learning many things, she felt even more that her lineage was no less capable than Emperor Ming's.

After entering the palace, she wanted to prove that her talents were enough to influence this vast country.

"but now……"

"I'm convinced!"

Ten years have passed since Emperor Zhang died.

If we do a rough calculation, let's say she held power for five years, and Liu Da held power for five years.

What would the world be like during that half of the time?

Empress Dowager Dou's senses were not yet blocked, and she could still hear the praises of the young emperor from her subjects.

The recent news that the feudal lords of the Western Regions are coming to pay tribute from afar is something that deserves to be mentioned in historical records as a testament to a prosperous era.

in this way,

What else could she say?

She had nothing more to say.

of course,

If they really wanted to steer the conversation towards a certain topic, Empress Dowager Dou could even tell the Emperor about things happening in his harem—

The emperor was, in essence, a good person.

His attitude towards the harem was neither as strict as Emperor Ming's nor as neglectful as Emperor Zhang's; on the contrary, he was remarkably considerate.

Even with myself in front,

The emperor did not hesitate to discuss state affairs with his concubines in the harem, asking for their opinions as if they were his ministers.

If it's bad, just laugh it off.
If it's good, we'll adopt it.

This was one of the main reasons why Deng Sui was able to gain the emperor's favor.

After all, given Deng Sui's wisdom and temperament, the fact that she received extra favor after being considered "manly" by the emperor speaks volumes.

unfortunately,

Later generations often tend to ignore the lessons of their predecessors, always thinking that they are smarter than them, have the advantage of being latecomers, and will not repeat their mistakes.

The emperor didn't even think about it.

For an empress, it would be incredibly stimulating to favor a concubine and even allow her to influence court affairs through her.

Empress Yin, who was favored by her parents and pitied by the emperor for several years after entering the palace, was not a good-tempered woman.

Since Deng Sui possessed talents no less than those of men, Empress Dowager Dou did not believe that she would not stir up trouble in the harem.

Who knows what kind of impact it might have in the future, it might be even more severe than my own or Wang Zhengjun of the Former Han Dynasty!
Empress Dowager Dou thought this to herself, but showed no inclination to remind the emperor.

She simply lay sprawled on the soft cushions, her eyes closed, too lazy to look at the emperor pretending to be filial in front of her.

Humph,
Indeed, they are descendants of the Liu family.

He knew perfectly well that he had driven his mother to her death, yet he still managed to put on this kind of attitude.

Don't they find it exhausting to torture each other?
Seeing that she had lost interest in speaking, the emperor got up and left the Southern Palace.

After thinking about it,

He still went to see Deng Sui.

The latter can follow his train of thought, understand his ideas, and make conversations very comfortable.

It really does n’t work.

The two sides would take out their books, such as "Mingwu" or "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art," and pose questions to each other to make things difficult. This could be considered a way to pass the time.

(End of this chapter)