Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 556 Couple
The envoys from the eight Western nations finally boarded their ships and set sail back to their countries in late spring, when the north wind was still blowing.

Before leaving,

The emperor bestowed upon them many treasures and brocades, compiled some books, and gathered some talented people from the country to send to the princes of the West.

"Pioneering is not an easy task."

“Your country is situated in the jungles and swamps of the west, surrounded by too many barbarians and wild beasts, a situation similar to that of the feudal lords in the early Zhou Dynasty.”

"However, the feudal lords of Zhou were able to see the emperor and pay homage to the Zhou, but the feudal lords of today are separated by mountains and seas, and even if they look as far as they can see, they cannot find a trace of their country."

"I have given you the classics and craftsmen of the Xia people, hoping that you can grow stronger in the western lands, so as to continue the bloodline of my ancestors and spread the glory of the Xia people."

The envoys prostrated themselves three times, vowing, "We will not fail in our mission!"

The emperor nodded in satisfaction, then added:
“You can educate barbarians to understand the Way, but you cannot teach them skills.”

“Barbarians and Rong and Di are all beasts, cruel by nature, and shameless.”

"If they learn the principles, they can still establish themselves as human beings."

"However, if one were to learn the skills of casting iron and sharpening knives before attaining enlightenment, it would only be like adding wings to beasts."

The mighty Han Dynasty stood for hundreds of years.

The attitude towards barbarians was very direct—

Obedient ones will be accepted as dogs.
Those who disobey will be killed on the spot.

If one behaves well as a dog, one can receive treasures bestowed by the emperor, and even obtain classic texts containing the wisdom of various philosophers.

But the real skills that can help a nation or people grow rapidly include forging bronze and iron, and weaving armor.
They give very little.

This caused the Xiongnu, who had been the nephews of the Han emperors for several generations, to repeatedly take action on the border, mainly by abducting women and artisans.

Even the Way of Peace,
The process involves first educating the other party before teaching them basic skills such as farming and weaving.

We still need to observe the performance of other more advanced and user-friendly features.

The envoys from various countries naturally understood this principle.

They are of Chinese descent and are blessed with God's mercy; they lack nothing in skill.

The Central Kingdom, with its bravery, sharper swords, and stronger armor, could make one Han Chinese warrior equal to five Barbarians.

They also achieved the feat of "resisting three barbarian tribes in one summer" in the western regions.

But there are just a few people.

The struggle between civilizations requires population as a foundation.

Gentlemen living in the western lands, among the Rong and Di tribes, would not do anything to aid the enemy before their wings are fully grown, thus putting a noose around their own heads!

Especially Liu Chu!
In order to gain the assistance of the barbarians without strengthening their power and to attract them to accept the teachings of civilization, the ruler of Liu Chu personally took the lead and sacrificed several generations of his people for the country!
unfortunately,

Rome had its own cultural foundation, unlike the Germanic barbarians who were easy to deal with.

When the Qin dynasty of the Western Sea was destroyed, Rome, as its old neighbor, feasted on its corpse, took in many Qin people, and introduced many advanced technologies that originated from the Xia people and had been cultivated by the Qin for many years.

Therefore, after Tacitus arrived in the Central Plains, he did not pursue this aspect intensely, but focused more on thinking about the future of civilization.

The essays by various philosophers that the emperor prepared for him were exactly to his liking.

They belong to the type that transcends base desires, has a longer-term vision, and pursues higher ideals.

No wonder they were able to contend with the migrated Xia peoples in the west of the mainland.

……

"Can you understand the deeper meaning behind my handling of Taixi?"

After seeing off the Western delegation, the emperor summoned Empress Yin and asked her the following question.

In dealing with his relatives and friends, the emperor was somewhat as gentle as Emperor Xuan of the Former Han Dynasty.

Perhaps because he lost his mother at a young age, he was cared for and looked after by his two older brothers.

Therefore,
Even though he thought Empress Yin was a bit too lively and spoiled, the emperor still felt a little reluctant to part with his wife, who was close to his age and whom he had spent his childhood with.

He wanted to cultivate Yin's abilities so that she could grow into a qualified queen.

When doing practice problems for fun,
Deng Sui, a companion who could keep up with the emperor's thinking, often advised him to give Yin Shi a chance to practice.

After all, not everyone possesses the extraordinary talent of an emperor, who can assume the corresponding responsibilities simply by sitting on the throne.

Yin was born into a noble family and her parents doted on her, so it was normal for her to be a little spoiled.

The emperor then said, "You are also of noble birth, why don't you become like her?"

Deng Sui then explained, "My father was a military general and did not like literature."

Deng Sui's father, Deng Xun,
He was an official during the reign of the late emperor, serving as the Prefect of Wuwei and the Protector of the Qiang.

However, he died in office in the fourth year of the Yongyuan era due to illness.

When the emperor remembered this incident, he stopped talking about these sad things with Deng Sui.

They only came to Lady Yin and instructed her on how to be a good empress.

However, the Yin family was unwilling to accept it.

She thought she had done enough, but the emperor's demands increased every day.

This aroused some resentment and jealousy in her, and she suspected that it was Deng Sui's conspiracy to have the emperor deliberately make things difficult for her in order to damage her reputation and spread her virtuous name.

Yes,

Faced with the emperor's inquiry,
Yin, who was inwardly resentful that he had taken back her power to handle state gifts, pursed her lips and refused to speak.

But the emperor was still asking her questions.

Yin then said with dissatisfaction, "Deng Sui is intelligent; why ask me about such a trivial matter?"

The emperor frowned and said, "You are the empress; only you and I can handle this matter. How can we entrust it to someone else?"

Upon hearing his words, Lady Yin suddenly wiped her face with a silk handkerchief and began to cry softly.
"But why didn't you speak up for me when Deng Sui humiliated me?"

"Your favor towards her has surpassed mine. How much longer can I remain empress?"

The emperor then asked her, "When did Consort Deng humiliate you?"

Yin was somewhat jealous; she was always the one bullying the other women in the harem, never the one being bullied in return.

Given Deng Sui's somewhat serious nature, she would only show the utmost respect to the Empress as a subject would to a monarch, and would not dare to show any disobedience.

Yin then said, "When she walks with me, she often bends down, which is clearly a way of mocking me for being inferior to her!"

Empress Yin was not tall and slender, and had a rather flamboyant personality, so she often behaved inappropriately.

Deng Sui was worried that this would attract ridicule from others in private, so she was very careful to conceal Yin Shi's identity when she was with her.

Unfortunately, Deng Sui inherited the bloodline of her father and grandfather, who were military generals, and was taller than ordinary women. Therefore, she could only bow and bend over to the empress to avoid any oversights due to her height.

When the emperor summoned his concubines to ask them about political matters that he could not immediately resolve, he had seen Deng Sui in such a manner.

He greatly appreciated Deng Sui's respect.

After all, despite the affection, her status and position meant she couldn't act recklessly.

Unfortunately, Empress Yin did not accept this kind offer.

She felt like she was being mocked silently.

The emperor was speechless about this, and his relationship with Lady Yin gradually cooled.

However, mindful of their past relationship, he did not entertain the idea of ​​deposing the empress.

This relieved the former emperors in the underworld.

"Establishing an empress and an heir are matters of national importance and should not be done lightly."

Having experience in this matter, Emperor Guangwu admonished his descendants.

To show his sincerity, he also revealed his various thoughts and concerns about deposing his eldest son Liu Jiang and installing Emperor Ming Liu Zhuang as emperor.

Ugh,
Even now, after death

Many things you have to accept whether you want to or not.
His body had long since turned into a pool of dirty water in the heavy coffin, so why did he still put on the airs of an emperor and care so much about saving face?
Just as that Liu Chu envoy said:
“Sometimes, if you care about saving face, you can’t get things done… and face can’t put food on the table.” Upon hearing his father’s frank words, Emperor Ming turned his gaze to his son.

Emperor Zhang blushed immediately, wanting to explain his thought process in deposing and installing Liu Qing back then.

unfortunately,

Liu Qing's ability to take good care of Liu Zhao under Empress Dowager Dou's nose, and to help him connect with internal and external forces and regain power, has already proven his capabilities.

He is definitely not as good as his younger brother Liu Zhao.
But it's not something an ordinary person can do.

This made Emperor Zhang's disdain for him back then take on a slightly sarcastic tone.

fortunately,

Today's gathering only brings together the entire family of the present Han dynasty; we haven't invited our ancestors from the former Han dynasty.

otherwise,

Emperor Taizu of Han and his followers would surely laugh bitterly, then summon the former rulers of the nearby Qin dynasty to start a bizarre yet protracted melee.

Finally, unable to refute the argument, Emperor Zhang fell silent, and thinking of the quarrel he had had with Lady Dou a few days earlier, he couldn't help but sigh again.

Empress Dowager Dou's reign was short-lived, and she focused her main efforts on promoting her relatives, which did not lead to any additional disasters.

therefore,

Her death was not a long process, and she was even able to purchase a property in a large city in the underworld by relying on the sacrifices she received from the temple of Emperor Zhang.

Of course,
She won't be a dead couple with Emperor Zhang.

Their relationship now can't be described as blissful; it's more like a state of mutual silence and growing increasingly irritating.

“But I still think that Deng Sui is more suitable to be an empress than Yin Shi,” Liu Jiang whispered beside him.

He was crippled.
He lived for many years under the combined pressure of his father, brother, and those who benefited from his rule, and died young from melancholy.

Therefore, when the other dead ghosts asked him if he harbored any resentment after he died, Liu Jiang would answer with silence.

But now,
Everything that Princess Biyang, the daughter, did.
He was so ashamed that he couldn't face his father and brothers.

In this way, all grudges have truly faded away, and when similar matters are discussed again, we can offer some objective and fair evaluations.

The relationship between Deng Sui and the current emperor Liu Zhao

To say they are as loving as an ordinary couple is not really true.

Ancestors like Emperor Xuan and Lady Ximen, who were truly in love, said, "They just gave each other mathematical and astronomical problems to pass the time, but it really didn't make me happy."

After the compilation of "Mingwu" was completed, the dead immediately took a copy to appreciate the wisdom that God praised as "understanding the world and utilizing the world".

After watching it again and again, most of the dead felt that they would rather die again.

People can do many things when they are pushed to the limit.

But if you can't do math, you just can't.
Removing your brain from your neck and shaking it repeatedly in an attempt to "remove the dross and retain the essence" will not achieve any results.

Unfortunately, Liu Zhao and Deng Sui loved playing this kind of game that geniuses love to play, and they did it more often than the usual cuddling and intimacy between emperors and their consorts.

But to say there were no feelings involved is impossible.

Liu Zhao expressed his admiration for Deng Sui on many occasions, and the tacit understanding between the two was undeniable.

otherwise,

Why should Empress Yin repeatedly breach her defenses because of Deng Sui?
Fortunately,

Born into an imperial family, one only needs to focus on doing things well; emotions are merely a secondary comfort.

Given Deng Sui's performance, making her empress and empress dowager would be a good thing for the country.

Emperor Guangwu also knew that comparing people is a recipe for disaster, and comparing goods is a recipe for disaster.

But remembering his own past experience, he ultimately said, "Let's wait and see!"

Emperor Ming looked around and, finding no sign of the Supreme Deity, asked with considerable puzzlement, "Why are there no spirits or deities?"

God used the current Han imperial family and the Zhao family, who originally lived in the State of Qi and later moved to the Western Sea, as a control group for observation. They knew this.

It stands to reason,

Today's small family gathering, which coincided with the recent death of Empress Dowager Dou, should have easily attracted someone who loves to have a good laugh.

Emperor Guangwu said, "It's probably because of Wang Chong!"

Wang Chong,

He was a wise man of his time, and a descendant who inherited the Taoist philosophy from the pre-Qin philosophers.

In contrast, the Way of Peace, which has become a prominent sect with its influence spread throughout the world, is called Taoism but actually originates from the Yin-Yang School and the Mohist School.
As a disciple of Taoism, Wang Chong paid more attention to observing the matter of heaven and earth itself.

Because the people's wisdom has not been sufficiently enlightened in this world, prophecies and apocryphal texts are quite popular. In some places where the government is negligent in its management, there are often cases of people being robbed or harmed under the pretext of witchcraft and spirits.

Wang Chong, deeply disgusted by this, devised a plan to expose the tricks of those who pretended to be gods and ghosts, and to dispel the ignorance in the hearts of the people.

His actions naturally attracted the attention of the Taiping Dao.

The Taiping Dao also deeply despises the practice of using ghosts and gods to make money, and the sect has many internal rules and regulations to restrain such behavior.

After all, this kind of thing,
Firstly, it diminishes one's karmic merit, preventing Taoist priests from entering the underworld system after death. They may even face imprisonment for "knowingly breaking the law," which would aggravate their punishment.

Secondly, it goes against the original intention of the Way of Peace.

When this sect first emerged, it mostly promoted the ideas of "punishing evil and promoting good" and "speaking out against injustice," and did not mention much about specific matters of ghosts and gods.

God himself did not exert any additional influence on it, but only observed whether the fundamental nature of it was just and fair before deciding on his attitude towards the subsequent branches.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been the great chaos of the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Until the establishment of the Sui Dynasty,

With their main duties suspended, the Taoist priests of Xinxia were able to complete the rituals, organize the scriptures, and build a sufficiently complete "Taoist system".

With such a background and lineage, Taoist priests would naturally not tolerate the shamans who should have been thrown into the river to feed the fish long ago.

then,

During a critique of a local sorcerer, Taiping Dao encountered Wang Chong.

The two sides had a cordial and friendly conversation and exchanged views on issues including global perception.

When the news reached He Bo's ears, it also made God express serious concern about Wang Chong.

At last,
Faced with years of debate, yet finding themselves unable to out-argue an ordinary young man, the Taoist priests, deeply aggrieved, received a divine instruction:
"Don't worry about him!"

"And you are absolutely forbidden from turning into a ghost in front of him!"

The boundary between life and death was drawn long ago.

The dead went about their lives.
The living also enjoy their lives.

The two are like two rivers that occasionally meet as they flow, but ultimately they each flow to their designated sea areas.

Many things happen in this world.
It is something that the living must face and deal with.

Faced with that overwhelming force, the dead could only watch from the sidelines, unable to make any further intervention.

Even the Taiping Dao, which can transcend life and death and communicate between Yin and Yang, can only rely on its own power to deal with everything that follows once it chooses to throw itself into the tide of the times.

of course,

Except for the western part of the country.

The environment there is too barbaric.
Without the blessings of their ancestors, the seeds of the Chinese people would hardly have made a ripple.

……

"That old devil Ximen Bao has been admiring you for a long time!"

"Only today can I see you with a clear conscience!"

In the temple of ghosts and gods,
He Bo picked up his wine glass and smiled at Wang Chong, who was still reeling from the brainstorming session.

(End of this chapter)