Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 560 Prosperity and Decline

In the words of Jin state literati,

Zhao Yu was a man who "had great ambitions from a young age and became talented as he grew up".

Although his family were outsiders...
However, the State of Qi borders the State of Jin, and the two countries have long been connected by trade routes. Therefore, by leveraging personal connections, it is always possible to establish some connections with the other side.

Not to mention that the Zhao family are big merchants with money to pave the way and reduce their worries.

This enabled Zhao Yu to achieve a relatively smooth promotion after joining the army.

With undeniable merit as a foundation,
They also have money to make friends and deal with the troublesome brats.

Being able to navigate the officialdom is generally much better than being one with a shallow foundation.

And Zhao Yu indeed possessed a demeanor and style different from that of the people of Xihai today—

People who grow up in chaotic times,
They either drift along aimlessly, or even join a religious sect to numb their spirit and place all their hopes on the next life;

They are either anxious and worried, and when they see things, they inevitably become pessimistic, feeling that they haven't done enough here or prepared enough there. In the end, they rush about and often die prematurely.

Even when a king is feasting with his ministers and consorts, there are instances where he suddenly lamented, "Let's drink and be merry while we can," or "After I die, who cares about the deluge?"

all in all,
The situation in the West China Sea remains chaotic to this day.
The peace and prosperity of the former Western Qin has become a distant dream for local scholars and intellectuals, something whose splendor can only be glimpsed in faded historical records.

The common people need not say more.
They no longer even have the energy to dream of a peaceful and prosperous future.

A long period of chaos,
It has made too many people numb, indulgent, and ignorant, behaving like beasts and devoid of manners.

But Zhao Yu was different.

Although the Qi state he came from did not have a rich history, this did not prevent it from making up for its shortcomings by utilizing the heritage of the Xindu River in the new Xia Dynasty.

The people of Qi were direct descendants of the Xia dynasty.
As the source of the Xinxia River, why can't it be considered part of their territory?

And after filling the gap in civilization,
The military strength of the State of Qi also enabled it to build a relatively stable and prosperous internal environment.

Although the war with the Sui state to the east had never stopped,
But what does this have to do with the Zhao family, who do Silk Road business and mainly travel between the Western Sea?

Before that high-ranking official from the State of Qi, who had a very good appetite, opened his mouth wide in front of the Zhao family...
Zhao Yu did not suffer much trouble.

A carefree childhood
A smooth and fulfilling youth.
It gave him a sufficiently firm mindset.

When faced with situations that feel difficult, daunting, or make you want to back down or avoid them...
He rarely backs down.

Even if well-meaning people analyzed the pros and cons for this young man, advising him to "avoid discussing national affairs, protect himself wisely, and respect the fate of others,"
Zhao Yu also glared and said in a loud voice:
"Although I am a military general and do not like literature, how could I not understand the principles of human affairs?"

"But some things have always been this way, so is that right?"

Zhao Yu was handsome, had a loud voice, was confident and assertive, and was capable of keeping his word.

in this way,

He then revealed an extraordinary brilliance amidst the decaying and gloomy Western Sea.

First, a group of young people who hadn't experienced much hardship and still had dreams for the future gathered around him.
Then came some veteran clerks whose passion had been ignited and who had felt their talents unappreciated for many years.
Finally, some prominent families also began to invest in this young man.

The Jin ruler in the palace felt terrified and then indulged in the little pleasure he had left, becoming even more dejected.

Some loyal ministers of the Jin dynasty wanted to persuade him to strike first, trick Zhao Yu into attending a meeting in the palace, and then kill him with a knife, thus eliminating this great threat.

As a result, the Duke of Jin remembered Zhao Yu's martial prowess in leading a dozen men to break through the blockade of thousands of enemy soldiers on the battlefield, and even fighting back. The flame that had just been lit was extinguished.

He said to his ministers:
"That's fine!"

“My family gained the country because of the Tian family’s usurpation of the Qi state, and it was never meant to last long.”

"If I could obtain a fiefdom and enjoy wealth and honor, why bother with all this trouble?"

If this were to spread...

The idea that Zhao Yu would seize power from the Jin dynasty became even more prevalent among others.

They really want to improve!

The nursery rhymes and street talk that He Bo heard were mostly spread by these people.

For this,

Zhao Sheng's elderly father said:
"This matter has indeed been discussed at home."

The Zhao family doesn't have many rules.
Besides, family members should rely on each other, so there's no reason to hide or conceal certain things.
"Zhao Yu is a very opinionated adult; he doesn't like to be pushed around by others."

After the Western Qin was destroyed and split into multiple countries, power became extremely out of control.

The regional military governors (jiedushi) might rebel due to dissatisfaction with the emperor's rule.

The arrogant soldiers below might also rebel due to their dissatisfaction with the governor's rule.

According to the statistics of the underworld historians,

Since the great rebellion led to the formation of warlord separatism in the Western Sea region, the situation has persisted to this day.
Only two or three out of ten military governors were suppressed by the monarch.

Of those killed, seven or eight out of ten were killed by their subordinates who shouted, "Give me a promotion and a raise, or I'll kill you!"

Even worse,
Several squad leaders, enraged after losing money gambling, went to the governor's house to rob and kill people. They then incited others to grab a richly dressed passerby from the street, force him to take the governor's place, and use the pretext of "supporting" him to force him to give money as a reward.

The trend of subordinates overthrowing their superiors is truly rampant.

This is also why the people of Jin generally accepted Zhao Yu's usurpation of the throne.

I'm used to it anyway.

Just accept reality and give up; struggling is a waste of energy.

But for Zhao Yu,

This trend is really bad.

He will take what he wants himself; he doesn't need anyone else to push him.
And it's something I can get in a while.
But if someone gives you a push and you get it ahead of time, should you reward them for "helping the dragon"?

Who is actually helping whom here?

Who is taking advantage of whom?
How disgusting!

"No wonder he ran off with his wife, leaving you two old folks at home to take care of the children."

Lady Zang stayed by Zhao Yu's side, taking care of his daily life.

The eldest son was already ten years old and of age to be raised, so his father took him in as well.

Only a few children were left so that the elderly could enjoy family time.

"Ahhhh-"

While the adults were drinking water to soothe their throats, the two boys ran out of the east yard yelling and then quickly ran to the west yard.

Several loyal yellow dogs were still behind, huffing and puffing as they followed their little master.

No one knows why those two boys are like this.

Even God can't understand the thoughts of a five- or six-year-old boy.

Zhao Sheng's face fell, showing no joy at enjoying his grandchildren, only a helpless resignation.

He also wanted to persuade He Bo to stay at his home for a few more days so he could share his hardships with him.

Fortunately, He Bo ran fast and Zhao Sheng didn't catch up.

……

Just as the State of Jin in the Western Sea was about to welcome a new ruler...

The emperor of the Eastern Central Kingdom is receiving the Duke of Yan, who has traveled from afar, in the Luoyang Palace.

Looking at the respectful and humble demeanor of the fallen king before him, the joy of recovering Liaodong faded, replaced by a nameless worry.

He then expressed his feelings to his ministers:
"Back then, the Yellow Turban Rebellion fought against Emperor Guangwu for control of the empire. Their power was immense."

Even after being defeated and forced to retreat to Liaodong, he was able to establish the Yan state, which gathered hundreds of thousands of people and became a prosperous land in the east of the sea.

"Why did the country perish after only sixty years, and why was its ruler so absurd?"

The emperor knew,
The last Duke of Yan was escorted out of Ji'an City by Han troops amidst a chorus of curses from the people.

The minister said, "People's hearts are like water, and their movements are like smoke; how can they remain in one place for long?"

"Moreover, the establishment of the Yan state depended on its impartiality."

“If injustice is not served, what will become of the Yan state?”

The emperor then recalled a conversation he had had with someone about the state of Yan, and shook his head, saying:
"The people of Ji'an have never changed their hearts; it is only those nobles sitting in the Gantang Palace who have changed their hearts."

Beautiful things are always fleeting.
Like a shooting star that occasionally streaks across the night sky.

When he is gone, all that remains for those who look up to him is the dark night.

Although that darkness did not stop people from gazing at the starry sky and pursuing the profound depths of the cosmos,
But desires will always obscure people's vision and hinder their progress.

A united group can turn into a scattered mess.
Those who are close to each other may turn on each other and fight.

The Yan state, which broke its promises to both superiors and subordinates,
Even the powerful and wealthy are only thinking about protecting themselves, so where do they get the strength to maintain those few glimmers of starlight?
The emperor then recalled the events of the Former Han Dynasty.

The reason why the Han Dynasty lost its Mandate of Heaven at that time was
Isn't that why? The reason why the Han Dynasty was able to be revived, compared to the Yan Kingdom, was not only due to Emperor Guangwu's great talent and strategy, but also inseparable from the support of local powerful families.

Because of the parallel system of commanderies and kingdoms in the Former Han Dynasty, many local forces were already closely bound to it.

Even Emperor Wu's Edict of Grace did not directly abolish the enfeoffment system, but rather allowed the local lords to further subdivide the fiefdoms themselves.

What if I don't get a share of the property?

That can only be blamed on the incompetence of our ancestors, who failed to leave us a sufficient legacy.

In contrast, the Yan state,

The person sitting in Gantang Palace is nominally elected by the people, but in reality, he only speaks of his own interests.

Because public resources cannot be used for private purposes.

Therefore, they chose to abandon public resources.

The voices of the people could not truly reach the Gantang Palace, so they did not feel that the country had anything to do with them.

This tax is getting higher every year.

A country where credibility is declining year by year.
Is it really "mine"?

Before the powerful rulers of Ji'an surrendered, the emperor and his ministers had worried:
The State of Yan enjoyed a period of prosperity lasting sixty-five years.
Could it be that when the kingdom falls, some people will spontaneously struggle to save it?

After all, once the news of Wang Mang's usurpation of the throne spread, local counties and prefectures rose up in rebellion against him, and there were too many people who wanted to restore the Han Dynasty.

result,

The State of Yan collapsed quietly, without a trace of convulsions.

"The Great Han must learn from this and never repeat its mistakes!"

After discussing the subsequent handling of the Yan state, the emperor said the following to his ministers.

The subject naturally agreed.

When the emperor returned to the inner palace, he said the same thing to his concubines.

Whether the women understood him or not, they outwardly echoed him and praised the emperor's wisdom.

Only Empress Yin's complexion was not very good.

Because the emperor bypassed her and handed over the power to deal with the noblewoman of Yan and the various treasures obtained from Yan to Deng Sui.

This gave Empress Yin a strong sense of crisis.

Before this,

Her relationship with the emperor was indeed deteriorating.
However, the emperor still granted her the status and power she deserved.

Yin was therefore pleased with herself, believing that she was still important to the emperor.

The truly hateful one is Deng Sui, who vies for favor and sows discord!
But now?
When Yin's mother visited her in the palace, she couldn't help but show a worried expression, holding her hand and saying, "The family's wealth and honor depend on you, so don't be willful."

Empress Yin grew angrier the more she listened.

then,

Not only did he give his mother a hard time,

Even as the emperor, celebrating his successful territorial expansion, was sharing his joy with others, she angrily turned and left.

The emperor was furious and reduced her privileges as empress as punishment.

Empress Yin felt even more aggrieved.

Her maternal grandmother visited her in the palace and, moved by the Empress's grief, suggested:
"Let's try witchcraft and see if we can win back the emperor's heart and make him love you again."

Although Yin's maternal grandmother also married Deng Yu's son.

According to the relationship, she should be considered Deng Sui's aunt.

But human nature is inherently biased.

Deng Sui's father and her husband, who were brothers, did not have a good relationship to begin with.

Not to mention that Deng Sui had no blood relation to her, while Empress Yin was her granddaughter.

Therefore, in response to the latter's tearful complaints,

Unable to force the emperor to favor Lady Yin, Lady Zhu could only think of other ways to alleviate her granddaughter's grief and at the same time save the Yin family's wealth.

Empress Yin showed no intention of learning from the lessons of the past. Instead, she directly adopted her maternal grandmother's suggestion and attempted to use witchcraft in the palace to curse Deng Sui.

Whether it was due to insufficient spiritual cultivation or the emperor's increasing favor towards Deng Sui and his frequent visits to her palace, it is unclear.

Deng Sui was not infected, but the emperor fell ill instead.

The officials of the living world and the dead ghosts of the underworld were all terrified and uneasy.

Because the emperor has only one surviving child so far, who is born weak, frequently suffers from convulsions, and is destined to be ineligible for the throne.

Perhaps fate is always fair.

When you give something to someone, you take something back from them.

He endowed the emperor with exceptional talent and wisdom as a ruler.
However, he also took away the monarch's important offspring.

From the fifth year of Yongyuan,
Since the emperor began to favor his concubines and became aware of the affairs of the palace, there have been many happy news stories circulating in the harem.

However, the concubines either suffered miscarriages or their children died before reaching adulthood, leaving only one prince alive.

The emperor also struggled with this issue.

He moved with his concubines to the old palaces of Emperor Guangwu and Emperor Ming, hoping to receive some of their blessings, as these two emperors had many descendants.

He arranged for people to secretly monitor the personnel in the harem because he suspected that someone was scheming behind the scenes, like the Zhao sisters of the Former Han Dynasty, to harm the emperor's bloodline.

Nothing came of it.

Even the jealous Empress Yin did not take any action in this regard.

After all, she herself was troubled by the lack of offspring.

Fortune tellers from all over the country were invited to divine the emperor's offspring, but the final result was stammering and incoherent.

When physicians diagnosed the emperor, they mostly sighed, saying that the emperor's vital energy was not strong, his body was cold, and his semen was like water, which was not conducive to the reproduction of offspring.

This left the emperor feeling hopeless, and in the end, he could only bring his elder brother Liu Qing's offspring to the Luoyang palace, secretly considering them as a safety net.

Now that he has suddenly fallen ill, there is a possibility that he may pass away.
The emperor, who had already accomplished enough, was not too disappointed. He only regretted his health and the promotion of the investigation of things.

He summoned a trusted minister and said, "We must not ignore the lessons of the Yan state!"

"We must clarify the laws governing the state, strengthen people's minds, and unite their strength, so that the world will not turn its back on the Han Dynasty."

"The world of the various Xia is so vast, and the population of the various Xia is so numerous. If the Great Han cannot be like this, then who will occupy the throne of the emperor?"

The ministers prostrated themselves on the ground, weeping as they answered the emperor's words.

The emperor then summoned Deng Sui.

"If I leave this world, I will leave you a will so that you can continue to promote the investigation of things, enlighten the people, and make the Han Dynasty more prosperous."

Deng Sui was surprised by the emperor's high regard for her, and she kowtowed to him like a subject, making a promise.

At last,
She was Empress Yin.

The emperor's only expectation of her was that she be more composed and take good care of the successor.

After all, the illness came on suddenly.

The Yin family was also a powerful maternal relative.

If he were to depose the empress again, the situation could spiral out of control.

Both Liu Sheng and Liu Hu were very young when they ascended the throne, so the Empress Dowager was destined to rule from behind the curtain.

The emperor felt that he had been more than kind and righteous to the Yin family, and that after all this commotion, he had not betrayed their friendship from back then.

However, Lady Yin disregarded the emperor's instructions and only asked him, "What did you write in the edict you gave to Deng Sui?"

Did you say something bad about her?
Do you want Deng Sui to become the new empress and then the empress dowager?

The emperor suddenly felt exhausted and turned his head away, no longer speaking to her.

However, Yin believed that this was a sign of the emperor's guilty conscience.

She felt the emperor was terminally ill and the situation was already settled, so she stopped pretending and said directly:
"Humph!"

"It's all that bitch's fault!"

"Once I rule as Empress Dowager, I will kill the entire Deng family!"

"Ok!"

The emperor, startled by her words, suddenly sat up.

(End of this chapter)