Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 565 A new era
Let's stop here.

After witnessing how the powerful figures in Sichuan incorporated local barbarian soldiers into their own retinues, and how the corrupt officials and their cronies in the interior privately took in displaced people into their manors, one could understand their situation.

He Bo stood at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Emperor Wu of Han was still lamenting, "If it were my time, I would have found a way to send those guys to heaven," while Sun En remained silent.

Although the Yan state did not openly produce the kind of wealthy manors that flourished in the Central Plains,

However, it is not uncommon for powerful and wealthy individuals to possess vast estates and properties in private.

just,

It's still a systemic problem.
The powerful families in the Yan state did not display their wealth publicly, and naturally they would not take in refugees.

After all, taking in refugees makes some things harder to explain.

To protect their own reputation, to protect their own power,
They would rather watch the disaster victims be displaced than take out what was in their pockets.

They even withheld a portion of the supplies sent from various places as compensation for their own hard work.

As for the later stages

The credibility of Gantang Palace has deteriorated further, and the morale of its leaders has become even more skewed.

Therefore, when faced with the powerful clans in the Central Plains who, while their intention was to use refugees to strengthen their own forces, had indeed provided a glimmer of hope for desperate people, and the Han Dynasty court that, in the face of repeated reports of local disasters, frequently opened granaries to distribute grain and implement relief efforts, Sun En did not know what to say.

Although the above favors will inevitably be repaid to the people later.

But for many people, dying later is better than dying early.

"...How long will this cycle continue before I reach my ideal state?"

At last,
Facing the waves stirred up when the river flows into the sea, Sun En asked this question.

"I really don't understand this."

If God were willing to reveal His divine presence before the entire world, and forcefully redefine the relationships between people as a transcendent and supreme ruler,
That might happen soon.

But what's the point?

Ghosts and spirits appear suddenly, and they can also disappear suddenly one day.

Moreover, there is never a constant gentleness in the universe.

Humans cannot be treated as pets, as flowers and plants, kept in swaddling clothes, raised in a greenhouse, made soft and boneless, and then thrown out by their unfaithful owners to face the cold and violent wind and rain.

You have to rely on yourself for many things.

"When will this day end? I will perish with you!"
If you don't even have the courage to go down with the enemy, how can you talk about changing the world and making the sun and moon new again?

I've never heard of praying and chanting scriptures bringing forth a peaceful and prosperous world, a utopian world.

But as Sun En worried,
Relying solely on people's hearts will indeed make dreams seem distant.

What has been will be again.

Dynasties may come and go, but human nature is hard to change.

"But we can't be so sure!"

"People's views change as they gain more knowledge and experience, and they also change as the world they live in changes."

"The struggle between Sima Qian and the Ban family exemplifies this principle!"

The Grand Historian, whose eggs were removed by Emperor Wu, was born nearly a century after the First Emperor unified China.

However, the ancestral historian education he received still carries a deep-rooted pre-Qin style.

This can be seen from certain terms used in the "Records of the Grand Historian".

The treatment enjoyed by Emperor Wu of Han, who advocated unification and forged a new path based on the foundation laid by the First Emperor, made Sima Qian even more opposed to the emperor.

It can only be said that His Majesty the Pig Prince did become a bit more gentle in his later years.

If he were younger, I would have killed his whole family long ago.

As for Ban Biao and his son Ban Gu...

Born two hundred years after the establishment of the Han Dynasty, he already had a strong sense of identity with the concept of "unification".

Having witnessed the upheavals of dynastic changes, he understood why the sages always spoke of "unity," and thus became a staunch supporter of the unification of the nine provinces.

Due to differences in ideology,

Because Ban Biao and Ban Gu, father and son, had written articles criticizing the elder Sima Qian during their lifetimes,
The two then began to fight in the underworld.

at first,

Sima Qian, relying on his early death and status as an old fox, managed to maintain a semblance of harmony with the Ban family.

But now that Ban Chao is dead, the Ban family father and son have become a complete force, leaving Sima Qian completely powerless to resist and forced to sadly give up the struggle.

The two senior figures, Gan and Shi, witnessed the entire process of this battle and then wrote it down in history to commemorate the transition between old and new ideas.

"Now that the Han court has established many schools and promoted the study of things, coupled with the education system you have established in Yan, it is conceivable that some talented and wise people will be cultivated in the future."

Emperor He of Han was indeed remarkably mature in his understanding of politics, but he could not hide his youthful vigor and curiosity.

After acquiring "Mingwu" and Zhang Heng, a talented individual who willingly walked into their trap,

He then tried teaching related courses at the Imperial Academy and never hid his preferences.

What the superiors do, the subordinates follow.

In recent years, the Sikong Bureau has indeed welcomed many talented young people as a result.

Meanwhile, in the Yan state...
Although Sun En's efforts quickly faded in political affairs after his death, some of them remained in other areas.

A typical example is the community schools in various parts of the Yan state.

The State of Yan was sparsely populated and suffered from floods due to ice jams in spring and summer, as well as heavy snow in autumn and winter. Therefore, at the beginning of its founding,
Within a village,
Within a town,
The oxen and tools are shared, and a designated person is assigned to look after and care for them.

When undertaking major tasks, we should work together to avoid wasting labor and resources.

As for children,

Sun En deeply understands that the younger generation is the hope, and he has invested a lot of resources in their daily education.

He set the rules:
Each community must establish a school, called a "community school," which is responsible for teaching people basic literacy, grammar, and punctuation, as well as studying the books they compiled based on the "Taiping Jing."

In Sun En's words
After all, the officials of Gantang Palace could physically touch books they disliked, but they couldn't openly criticize or ban them.

It is indeed a legacy of the founders, the "foundation" of the Republic of Yan.

As long as they still want to leech off the legacy of their ancestors, they have no choice but to endure its existence.

all in all,
After the Yan state was incorporated into several commanderies of Liaodong under the Han dynasty,

After Emperor He rectified the atmosphere of the Imperial Academy and established new disciplines,
The education system in the Han Dynasty underwent some changes.

"As our understanding of the world changes, so do our ideas."

"There aren't that many stubborn people in the world!"

Young people from the Han Dynasty have always been bold and daring, with an imposing presence. Even when they go out as envoys, they ride roughshod over the heads of local rulers.

What astonished future generations of friendly nations, who would make them hesitant and fearful, meant nothing to them.
To carry out an action that "shocks the world" is nothing special.

It's a coincidence,

The Han Dynasty, steeped in the recommendation system, needed young people to spread their fame.

As long as they don't directly rebel.

It wouldn't be a big problem to launch a magnificent attack on Confucianism.

"Moreover, there are no fixed principles for governing a country; it is normal for them to change in accordance with the times!"

Emperor Wu, who was very experienced in this matter, also spoke up, echoing God's words.

However, before Sun En could even praise the "tyrant's" prowess, Emperor Wu, with his hands behind his back, gazed at the river flowing towards the sea and began to reminisce about his glorious past.

So Sun En shut his mouth, thinking that the tyrant was indeed still the tyrant, always immersing himself in his own world and unable to extricate himself.

……

"You guys go back, I'm going to become the Sea King."

When the journey ended, and the ghosts around God, apart from Sun En, had changed several times, He Bo said this.

Over the years, the rivers flowing into the sea have caused his power to increasingly seep into the ocean.

Although the ocean is tolerant and never resists the rushing rivers, it shows He Bo an even more tender love, as if it wanted to melt him into its embrace.

But He Bo said that this heavy love was unnecessary.

Of the mountains and rivers on the land of China, He Bo has now taken more than half into his possession.

However, the grandeur of all the mountains is not enough to replace the plateau that stands between heaven and earth, known as the roof of the world;
Even the mighty waves of a hundred rivers cannot fully saturate the vast and deep ocean, which is far more expansive than the land.

Therefore, he has not been able to conquer the plateau to this day. At most, he can use the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which detours around the snow-capped mountains, to nourish the land all the way to Xinxia in the southern part of China.

As for the deep sea and open ocean, there's no need to elaborate further.

of course,

Even in relatively enclosed, shallow, and self-contained seas like the Mediterranean and the Western Sea, God still extended His invisible hand, and through the efforts of various local entities, He touched upon them.

Like the East China Sea and the South China Sea, which are directly connected to the ocean and are actually the nearshore parts of the ocean, He Bo only recently had the ability to contain them.

Explain the reasons,

It is not that the East China Sea and the South China Sea have more water or a larger area than the Mediterranean Sea or the Black Sea.
The main point is that,

While sucking on the water of the East China Sea, He Bo also had to divide the East China Sea and the ocean to avoid accidentally slipping into the abyss and becoming part of the ocean.

This is unlike the Mediterranean region.
Since the sea area is located between two continents, He Bo can make full use of the rivers flowing into it to first surround it and then dye it, making it easier to get started.

Other than that,

Being directly adjacent to the ocean and located closer to the hot equator, the East China Sea and the South China Sea have richer ocean currents and more complex hydrology.

He Bo needs to be even more careful when he takes charge.

Look at the number of storms generated in these places every year due to the intense and repeated evaporation of moisture.
Even God wouldn't want to be thrown off the red-maned steed and fall to the ground, rolling around in agony.

That would be so embarrassing!
Although God is lively, He clearly distinguishes between His own strangeness and His own unfortunate predicament.

Given the time and effort required, it's understandable that He Bo, the Lord of Mountains and Rivers, is now able to concurrently hold the position of Shanghai Dragon King.

Will it be like before?

Recalling the story of He Bo's fifty-year dream about the Yellow River during the Former Han Dynasty, Ximen Bao couldn't help but ask.

"It shouldn't take that long!"

He Bo scratched his chin.

With the regions clearly defined and the ocean currents well understood, the rest is actually quite easy.

Not to mention he has already thoroughly explored the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, which is even larger than the East China Sea.

Take the eastern part of the mainland as an example. It has been blessed by God since very early times. If it weren't for the ocean, which is its real mother, the East China Sea would have been eroded into a hull by time alone.

However, with the Sea Dragon King newly appointed, some things are still uncertain.

"Anyway, it won't keep you tired for too long."

He Bo waved to Ximen Bao, whose brows showed a hint of worry.

Ximen Bao thought:
This is as if He had handled the affairs of the underworld, rather than entrusting them entirely to Him!
But the old doctor ultimately did not want to spoil God's mood.

He simply said to the sea breeze, "Go early and come back early."

"Don't wait until a new dynasty is established before you come to your senses."

The current situation of land and population in Han Dynasty.
As the de facto ruler of both the Yin and Yang realms, Ximen Bao was naturally aware of this.

If it is not curbed
The story of the Former Han Dynasty will repeat itself within a few decades.

"knew!"

He Bo continued to wave his hand, displaying a confident demeanor as if he had everything under control.

After all,

He turned and walked towards the sea.

The sea breeze, carrying God's murmurs, reached the ears of Sun En and Ximen Bao:
"Without the howling north wind and the fluttering snowflakes, it just doesn't feel right for the Sea King."

Why do you need these things to go into business?

Watching God descend towards the East China Sea and disappear from sight, Sun En turned to ask the old ghost senior.

Ximen Bao said, "Sometimes I can't even understand the thoughts of ghosts and gods."

So Sun En didn't ask any more questions, and disappeared from the world with Ximen Bao.

They returned to the place where the dead should rest, continuing their carefree lives, but in the dark and gloomy underworld, their lives inevitably revealed a bit of monotony and boredom.

But human affairs continue.

West Sea

Riding on his prestige from the destruction of two neighboring separatist regimes, Zhao Yu kicked aside the useless ruler of Jin and ascended the throne himself.

After recovering Andu City, which had been lost for many years due to war and had been passed down through many masters, he directly declared himself emperor.

When he put on the crown, it happened to be Zhao Yu's fortieth birthday.

His territory stretched from the highlands of ancient Persia all the way to Mesopotamia, westward to the Longdi Mountains overlooking the Western Sea, and northward to the ancestral lands of Western Qin, which had been occupied by the Di state.

After the explosion in Western Qin
He was the ruler of the vastest territory in the Zhuolu campaign and the monarch most likely to reunify the Western Sea.

"But there are still many things to do, and I don't have much time left!"

Zhao Yu, a robust man with a full beard, sat on his throne, raised his wine cup, and addressed the assembled officials.

"Although the Di Kingdom is weak, its terrain is advantageous to us, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

Taking it all at once won't be easy.

"Yu Bi City is still under Roman control, and the Northern Qin in the northwest has always considered itself the successor to the Qin Dynasty and wants to reclaim its ancestral homeland..."

Not to mention the warlords entrenched in the Xilong Mountains!
Zhao Yu thought,
He still has many enemies!
"We cannot let our guard down. We cannot become complacent just because I have become emperor and you have become founding heroes!"

"Whether we can establish a unified, prosperous, and stable Song Dynasty still requires continued effort!"

The ministers readily agreed, and some of the men in their prime revealed their ambition to gain more merit and higher status.

Many of them came from humble backgrounds.

However, Zhao Yu never considered background when appointing people; as long as they had talent and made contributions, they could be promoted by him.

Those local powerful families who wanted to curry favor with him and use marriage alliances to get something for nothing were mostly suppressed by Zhao Yu.

Because Zhao Yu, who had not yet lost his arrogance, looked down on them.

These powerful families possess so many resources, yet they never use them to their full potential. They only know how to eat, drink, and be merry, and they still put on an air of superiority.

If it weren't for these guys causing trouble...

How did the West Sea become what it is today?
Since he wants to restore the glory of Western Qin, it is normal for him to abolish the old and establish the new.

The former meat-eaters will be swept away by him.

He will lead a group of new hunters who have fought their way out of the chaos, and establish a new era for the Zhao family.

"Back then, because I offended a nobleman from the State of Qi, the Zhao clan had to migrate from the State of Qi to the Western Sea... There were many complaints about this within the clan."

"Now, how should we face them?"

After celebrating with his ministers, Zhao Yu hosted a family banquet.

He invited his elderly parents to take the seats and also invited many of his clansmen who had migrated with him years ago and were still alive.

While everyone was having fun, Zhao Yu, the protagonist, suddenly burst into laughter and said the following to his clansmen.

Those clansmen who had complained about Zhao Yu were speechless, bowing their heads in shame and fear.

Zhao Yu then laughed even louder.

(End of this chapter)