Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 566 The Iron-Blooded Song Dynasty
"This is just great!"

"The Liu family has an emperor emeritus, the Zhao family has an emperor emeritus, now only the Ying family is missing."

When Zhao Yu, brimming with ambition, planned to conquer the Western Long region and reclaim the two former capitals of the Qin dynasty...

The black bird of the Western Sea and the pigeon of the Mediterranean met in a bird's nest.

Between them,

Because they live in adjacent areas, are both birds, and are very similar in size, they have always gotten along well.

He visits other people's homes more frequently than any of his brothers.

And now,
Although the main body went into the sea and was knocked unconscious,

But what does this have to do with these clones?

As long as the East Sea ceases its resistance and summons the ocean as its powerful backer, the Jade Emperor has no need to recall these local emperors to strengthen their power and stabilize their spirit.

Moreover, when He Bo mentioned this to them beforehand, he hesitated about whether to capture two wild clones and temporarily refine them into the hardship and sweat on his face.

The elder among the clones
Ying Qin's Black Bird and the insect-fighting master of Lingnan told him directly:
"Since the East China Sea has plenty of water and is very fertile, why don't you go out on your own?"

Don't pass on the pressure of work to your subordinates and then brag about your efforts to those who don't know the inside story.

Are you tired of adding points?
"There's no need to be so clear about things between us." He Bo was still reluctant to let go, like a water ghost trying to grab a substitute.

Then the Grand Commander of Lingnan, who was in charge of the Pearl River, the second largest river in terms of water volume in the Central Plains, waved his hand with great pride:
"Once you go into business, I'll definitely give you my full support!"

"I'll give you two shots right here!"

He Bo fell silent, then turned and walked towards the East Sea, leaving only the regional emperor and Ximen Bao, the one in charge of the seal, to continue managing the affairs of the Great Nine Provinces.

However, among this group of people, only Dr. Simon is truly capable of doing the work.

"Alas, Ying Qin!"

Hearing the pigeon's teasing remarks about the three families, the black bird glanced at Zhao Sheng and his wife, who were admiring Zhao Yu in Andu City, and couldn't help but mutter something under its breath.

My ancestral home in Guanzhong was taken over by the Liu family.

The hegemony of the Western Sea has been seized by the Zhao family.
Of the states that split off from it, Ying Yue had already reverted to the matrilineal side of his ancestors and was becoming more and more like the Chu state.

The Liang Kingdom in Rongzhou is not yet perfect in its system, but it is playing with great enthusiasm, even more so than when the original body was playing with the whole Pea family.

The Qin state in northwestern Thailand, the only one to retain the name "Qin," was slow to expand due to its northern location, cold climate, and proximity to the Western Sea to the east, Rome to the south, and Germania to the west, unlike its neighboring Western vassals who could band together for mutual support.

A few years ago, there was an incident where the Roman Emperor Constantine wanted to send back the child he had with the Northern Qin prince, who had been forced to marry into the family, to compete for the throne, which caused some chaos within the Northern Qin for a period of time.

This is because the dead are unwilling to admit that it was also "Ying Qin".

"It's ok!"

The black bird mumbled something for a while, then shook its feathers. "Anyway, Zhao Yu acknowledges me!"

The Western Sea has been in chaos for so many years.

The long-dead Qin dynasty, amidst the clamor of war, was romanticized by some scholars who longed for its former glory into a heavenly existence.

Even when the Taiping Dao led the people in an uprising, they would fly the banner of the Black Bird.

This led Zhao Yu, after ascending to the throne, to better win over the people's hearts, to build a solid rule using those ethereal legal principles, and also to promote the "Black Bird".

After all, when it comes to bloodline,
Hi,
The Zhao family and the Ying family really do share the same ancestor!

Back then, when the founding emperor of Western Qin fled to the Western Sea and re-established the ancestral temple, he still recognized King Wen of Xia as his elder in the new Xia dynasty and worshipped with him the common ancestors Zhuanxu, Boyi, and Feilian!
The contents of that sacrificial text, as well as the document in which the Qin and Xia states swore brotherhood, can still be found in the thick history books today!
So what's wrong with the "Black Bird," a symbol that originated in the Yin and Shang dynasties and flourished in the Qin people, now being inherited and held high by the Zhao people?

In any case, King Wen of Xia and Ying Pijiang in the underworld had no objections.

They now only hope that peace can be restored in the Western Sea.

On the other hand, the influence of the Way of Peace was also present.

The Taoist priests of the Western Sea possessed sufficient martial virtue, but lacked civil administration skills, yet they also possessed matching qualities like Emperor Wu of Sui, Sui Jian.

Whenever one side develops well, the neighboring vassal states also develop well.

The perfect opponent always puts the Taoist priests in a difficult position.

Fortunately, all those years of hard work were not in vain.

While the Taiping Dao (the Way of Peace) was trying its best to maintain the most basic living conditions for the lower classes, it was preventing them from completely degenerating into a living hell.

On one hand, he led his men to elbow the warlords and regional governors who had completely abandoned humanity and degenerated into beasts, and on the other hand, he helped other rulers maintain a basic level of clarity of mind, so that the situation in the Western Sea would not deteriorate from the already miserable state of leading beasts to devour people to the point of being "two-legged sheep" and "tragic people".

But clearly, that's not enough.

The descendants of the Xia people in the Western Sea are still weeping and grieving.
Even their numbness to life made them more dependent on the Way of Peace, believing in the preachers' propaganda, and converting to become Taoist disciples, spending their entire fortune to worship ghosts and gods...

But the Taoist priests have never been happy about this!
Because this is not a pleasant phenomenon, but merely a microcosm of a chaotic world.

then,

When Zhao Yu rose to prominence and displayed a completely different demeanor from other warlords in the chaotic world, the Way of Peace came into contact with him.

The two sides had a friendly exchange and reached a consensus on "rebuilding the nation and creating a new world".

Zhao Yu's privileged background and his experience of being pressured by high-ranking officials in the State of Qi also made it easier for him to maintain a gentle and harmonious relationship with the Way of Peace in terms of governance style.

Not to mention how surprised the Great Sage Teacher of the Western Sea was when he tried to communicate with the spirits and consult them about some issues, but ended up connecting directly with a guest in Zhao Yu's house.

What else is there to say?

Just do it!

After the Taoist priests of the Western Sea finished their meeting in their dreams, they took stock of their assets, gathered their manpower, and came over to become angel investors for Zhao Yu, who was still developing his power.

Considering that God had not revealed his identity to the Zhao family, the Taoist priests could not expose him and betray God. Therefore, they could only remind Zhao Yu in some ways to "respect old customs and follow the will of the people" and continue to use the folk belief in the Black Bird.

After all, once they die, that big, fat black bird will be everyone's leader, so they can't afford to offend it.

The Prince of Ning and the Prince of Zhai, who replaced the Qin Kingdom in the east and west and ordered the burning of the Black Bird flags under their rule, are still in hell!

Zhao Yu, unaware of the full story, simply followed advice, demonstrating the tendency of his maternal lineage to be compliant.

"My son has now become emperor, which has truly brought honor to your maternal grandfather!"

Just as the black bird and the white dove were sharing their recent news from both places in their nest,

Liu Yirong, granddaughter of Emperor Guangwu of Han, niece of Emperor Ming of Han, and daughter of the Prince of Guangling of Han, who single-handedly ignited the fuse for the Han Dynasty's reconquest of the Western Regions, was laughing triumphantly with her son by her side.

She is old, but the vibrancy of her youth still lingers in her eyes.

"Once the State of Song is unified, you will become the representative of the Black Bird in the human world, and you should also carry on the unfinished work of the Qin Dynasty!"

Empress Dowager Liu Yirong, who became Empress Dowager through her son's influence, patted her son on the shoulder and said this to him.

Zhao Yu assumed his mother hoped he could restore the prosperity of the Western Sea, but he was instead told:
"It's about competing with the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains for 'legitimacy'!"

Liu Yirong told his son in the accent he used when he grew up in Guangling, "Don't worry about whether it will succeed or not, as long as it can cause trouble for the Han Dynasty!"

Having heard his mother recount the grudges and feuds of the Han Dynasty since childhood, Zhao Yu did not have much aversion to this.

Who wouldn't want to be number one in the world?
Moreover, he possesses the royal blood of both the Han and Zhao-Xia dynasties, and now occupies the ecological niche of the Qin dynasty in the Western Sea, making him a combination of the essence of the three imperial families.

Why can't he go further and challenge for the supreme position of "Son of Heaven"?
"We must not let the State of Qi go either!" Zhao Yu added, recalling the grievances he suffered in his hometown when he was young.

Wealth and honor do not return home, just like walking in brocade at night!
Therefore,
He had to lead his army, with the regalia of the Song emperor, back to make a strong impression on the State of Qi.

If that high-ranking official is unlucky enough to still be alive, then Zhao Yu will have to catch up with him!
Watching his wife freely express her dreams under the bright sun, Zhao Sheng suddenly thought of an old friend from the State of Qi.

He couldn't help but sigh, "I wonder if Master Liu is still alive."

After Liu Yirong married Zhao Sheng
Liu Jing, as her father, had visited her before.

However, according to the rules of the underworld, the deceased cannot appear in front of their descendants in broad daylight, so as to avoid causing some trouble.

So Liu Jing could only imitate the appearance of his good brother Liu He and borrow his name, pretending to be a wandering Taoist priest, passing by the Zhao family's gate, and taking a look at the daughter who was already married and had raised the next generation.

He felt that his daughter was doing very well, and her complexion and appearance were truly excellent, so he didn't want to disturb her any further.

We'll meet again sooner or later, so there's no need to rush.

But the appearance of his son-in-law Zhao Sheng made Liu Jing, his father-in-law whom he had never met before, frown.

The other person was thin, with faint bluish marks under his eyes, and looked listless, which made Liu Jing a little worried about whether he could be a good husband to his daughter in every way.

At that time, Liu Yirong was only in his thirties or forties, and he had a lot of demands!
therefore,

Liu Jing, who had originally intended to just take a quick look and leave, couldn't help but step forward and recommend some nourishing things to Zhao Sheng, telling him that these were things that "Liu He, the King of Changyi of Han, had personally experienced and that there was absolutely no problem with them."

Zhao Sheng accepted his recommendation and indeed recovered his health as a result. After sleeping with his wife, his once weak and haggard back was able to straighten up.

The worries of middle age vanished from him in an instant!
This left Zhao Sheng with a deep impression of "Master Liu," this passerby.

Today,

The faces of many relatives and friends have faded with time, but Master Liu still occasionally appears in Zhao Sheng's mind.

He thought:
When they met, they looked to be about the same age.

Taoist priests have always been good at health preservation, so that Taoist priest Liu He must be as long-lived and healthy as I am!

"Alright, now the rightful ruler of Qin is truly in the Song Dynasty."

When he heard that Zhao Yu had followed his mother's guidance and set his sights on a goal even greater than becoming emperor,

The pigeon immediately let out a cooing laugh.

The black bird flapped its wings, thinking that this was something it could really accomplish:
"The Central Plains are facing serious problems right now!"

"Following the trend of development, wouldn't we be just in time for the decline of the Han Dynasty and the rise of the Song Dynasty in a few decades?"

"I, the Emperor of the Western Sea, am not incapable of sitting on the throne!"

"But let's forget about Rome for now. We'll talk about it after we've finished fighting with the Xia people to the north!"

The pigeon was a bit indignant and wanted to uphold justice for Rome, but it was suppressed by the black bird's weight.

Don't say

The territory under the jurisdiction of the Black Bird is mostly covered with towering mountains, so suppressing the Mediterranean pigeons that live in the water is a very easy task.

A child, who happened to be passing under the big tree and had sharp eyes, couldn't help but comment on this fratricidal act:
Is it about to lay an egg?

He tilted his head back and looked around curiously.

As a result, the two birds flew away quickly, leaving him without a trace.

So the child could only leave with his parents, filled with regret.

……

After Zhao Yu had rested and recuperated for a period of time, and the treasury had accumulated some reserves,
He then mustered his troops again and personally led an expedition to Longxi.

Once this area is recovered, the Song Dynasty will be able to see the sea, and then the recovery of the fertile land of Lixuan County will be put on the agenda, taking a more solid step on the road to "making the Western Sea prosperous again".

Unfortunately, Rome would not allow it.

Taking advantage of the turmoil in the Western Sea, Rome had already occupied half of Longxi and annexed Longnan, turning the Mediterranean Sea into its own inland sea and achieving a unified Western empire.

The Romans could not tolerate the destruction of such a beautiful and complete territory.

Moreover, having been neighbors with the Qin dynasty for two hundred years, and recently provoked by the Xia people who moved to the north, how could Rome sit idly by and watch a powerful iron-fisted nation reappear in the Western Sea?

interrupt,

Must interrupt!

Previously, the Song state was quite far from Rome, so that was to be expected.

Now that the two sides' territories are almost touching, there's no need for everyone to pretend to be virtuous gentlemen anymore!

Come and fight!
then,

When Gan Ying received an order from Empress Dowager Deng, who was ruling as regent, to come to the Western Sea again...
He happened to stumble upon the intense battlefield between Song and Rome.

A group of Roman soldiers, for some unknown reason, got lost during the fighting and wandered into the heart of the Song Dynasty, where they began to roam freely across the Mesopotamian plain.

This greatly angered Emperor Zhao Yu of the Song Dynasty, who immediately ordered the execution of the other party.

Dare to come?

I'll make sure you never leave alive!

When the brief clashes ceased, the Song soldiers, carrying the defeated, triumphantly went to their superiors to claim their rewards.
Gan Ying was still a little slow to react.

He hasn't been to Xihai for several years, how come it has changed so much?
Although she had long been prepared for Zhao Yu's promising future, it was still somewhat unexpected for Gan Ying that he would become emperor directly.

Not to mention that when he last came, Zhao Yu and Rome had a very good relationship, otherwise he wouldn't have had the connections to get him there.

Aren't our friends on the other side of the ocean?

How did they become enemies now?
For this,

Zhao Yu simply waved his hand and said, "Distance makes things better, proximity makes things worse; this is perfectly normal."

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Now that the Song Dynasty wants to reclaim its lost territory and Rome wants to maintain its new borders, the two sides are almost at point of no return. It would be strange if they didn't end up fighting each other.

Gan Ying then stopped interfering.

After all, he was just a passing envoy, and the feud between the two countries had nothing to do with him.

But afterwards,
The news coming from the north of the Song Kingdom made Gan Ying's eyebrows twitch and he had to take it seriously.

Zhao Yu was also surprised:
"What do you mean the Di Kingdom was destroyed by the Xiongnu, who appeared out of nowhere?"

Then, in a fit of anger, he slammed his hand on the table:
"Great, I can't escape these guys' harassment no matter where I go!"

He recalled that the state of Qi was essentially descended from the Xiongnu people.

The high-ranking official who forced his family to relocate claimed that their lineage was inherited from the Xiongnu nobles who followed Wang Zhi westward.

It was truly a case of old grudges and new hatreds all coming rushing in at once.

Zhao Yucai didn't care about the fact that the Xiongnu had already separated from the Xiongnu.
He's the emperor now, and he'd rather exterminate his entire family than target his enemies with precision!
Gan Ying nodded repeatedly, feeling that the Xiongnu people really had a grudge against the Qin and Han dynasties.

They were driven here by the Han Dynasty, yet they still come to harass the successors of the Qin Dynasty. It is truly hateful!
(End of this chapter)