Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 568 The Female Ruler
"awesome……"

"Sure enough, you can't have two kinds of people sleeping in the same bed."

In the eleventh month of the first year of Yongchu
After Empress Dowager Deng executed some officials in the palace, the ghosts in the underworld watched as batches of young men descended, each carrying a disheveled young man before his death, and couldn't help but marvel.

However, some of the younger generation were still unconvinced.

After recovering from the shock of "the dead really do become ghosts," they immediately clamored to find the former emperors of the Han Dynasty to plead their case and seek justice.

"I'm going to complain to Emperor He!"

"I'm going to complain to Emperor Shizu!"

unfortunately,

These former emperors were unwilling to see them, and the laws of the underworld were strict and would not allow them to act recklessly.

Do you want to settle the scores with others from your previous life?
Let's make sure I can get out of the Fengdu Hall first!
"...What our ancestors said is true!"

As Liu Zhao watched as a group of former officials who had shouted "in the name of Han," attempted to seize power in their lifetimes, and were not entirely convinced even in death, were completely dealt with by the underworld, he suddenly spoke up.

Liu Qing, who was standing next to him, asked, "Our ancestors said many things. Which one are you referring to?"

Liu Qing, the Prince of Qinghe, was cautious and law-abiding throughout his life. After his eldest son, Liu Hu, was adopted by Emperor He and succeeded to the throne as the latter's son, he kept the palace gates tightly closed and did not interact with outsiders.

After all, in terms of status, Liu Qing found himself in a truly awkward position after Liu Hu became emperor.

Although there were instances in the Former Han Dynasty where emperors had no heirs and adopted members of the imperial clan as crown princes, Emperor Ai and Emperor Ping's biological fathers had already passed away when they ascended the throne, so many issues could be overlooked.

But Liu Hu became the new emperor, while his biological father was still alive. What kind of treatment should he receive?

To avoid troubling the child,

Also, in order not to make Empress Dowager Deng, who was already under a lot of pressure, even more nervous.
After returning to Qinghe, Liu Qing dismissed the physicians from the palace.

quickly,

He died.

Liu Zhao was deeply moved and came personally to welcome his brother's spirit.

Liu Qing's mother, Consort Song, also came over, stroking her child whom she hadn't seen for many years and saying:
“Back when I was being tormented by the Dou family, I was worried that you, a sickly young child, would not be able to bear the hardships of life.”

"Fortunately, the gods and spirits took pity on you, allowing you brothers to live in harmony, rely on each other, and build a prosperous era."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qing burst into tears and embraced his mother and brothers.

Emperor Zhang, who came to visit his son later, couldn't squeeze in and could only stand awkwardly to the side.

But nobody paid him any attention.

After Liu Qing, he chose to live with his mother like a brother, and Emperor Zhang did not have the opportunity to use his belated fatherly love to prepare a burial site for him in advance.

at the moment,

Upon hearing of the coup that had occurred in the Han Dynasty, Liu Qing also rushed over, worried that something might have happened to the orphans and widows in Luoyang.

Fortunately, Deng Sui was not weak, and he acted swiftly and decisively, bringing down all those who caused the problems.

"It's the phrase 'You must wear armor and carry a sword when you attend a meeting.'"

Liu Zhao burst into laughter.

He died earlier than his brother, so he naturally knew more about the jokes and gossip that were popular among the dead.

Liu Qing didn't react at first, but then he remembered how those old officials died and started laughing.

After the laughter subsided, Liu Qing stroked his beard and said:
"It's a good thing that Zhou Zhang and his group's plot to depose the emperor was thwarted this time."

"It is hoped that Hu'er and the Empress Dowager will work together to continue the prosperity of the Han Dynasty."

Zhou Zhang,

He was the Grand Minister of Works of the Han Dynasty.

After Emperor Shang died and Liu Hu ascended the throne, he conspired with his ministers to use the excuse that "Prince Pingyuan Liu Sheng's health has recovered somewhat" to put him on the throne and restore order.

After all, the previous attempt to force Deng Sui to relinquish power through righteousness and propriety had already failed.

They had no choice but to resort to force.

"Ugh!"

"The Empress Dowager ruling as regent is an ancestral system."

"When you were fourteen and under the control of the Dou family, you didn't see their fierce loyalty to the emperor."

"Liu Hu is only thirteen years old now, but they say he has the appearance of a mature ruler and has the potential to surpass you."

While Deng Sui in the mortal world was amused by the memorials he received, weren't Emperor He and his ilk in the underworld also amused by the same?

Those who appear upright and honest will abandon all sense of shame when it comes to power, blatantly spouting righteous lies.

It's unknown whether they wrote their memorials with tears in their eyes or with smiles on their faces.

Liu Zhao said, "Liu Hu was a smart child, and Deng Sui was also a wise caregiver."

"There won't be any problems between them."

Liu Qing nodded, no longer worrying about worldly affairs.

He returned to Haoli with his brother, and on the way, he couldn't help but ask him, "Dou and Yin haven't been visiting you much lately."

After learning the rules of the underworld, Empress Dowager Dou and Empress Yin became even more arrogant and unrestrained than they had been in life.

Because the two families were involved in the struggle, their descendants who died alongside them would occasionally run over and cause Liu Zhao some minor trouble.

But recently, the frequency has decreased significantly, and the sarcastic tone used by the two women when mentioning Liu Zhao and Deng Sui has also faded.

Liu Zhao said, "Deng Sui ordered the recall of the two families whose members had been exiled and returned the property that had been confiscated."

"Having received such a favor, they naturally couldn't make sarcastic remarks."

Liu Qing then remarked with emotion, "To disregard past grievances and bestow favors upon former enemies is a benevolent act, and it also helps to appease the hearts of one's subjects."

The coup failed, and the ensuing turmoil terrified everyone. Deng Sui naturally had to find ways to appease them.

These are turbulent times.

These ministers have so much energy, why waste it on worry and trouble? They should focus on their work!

"The Han Dynasty will get better and better."

The two brothers smiled at each other and drifted towards Haoli on the Weak Water.

In the mortal world,

Empress Dowager Deng, who had reorganized the court, continued to implement her policies without wavering.

She first promoted Wang Jing, who had been retired at home for many years and was still alive, to the position of the new Grand Minister of Works. Then she sent Zhang Heng with the talents in the Imperial Academy who had been trained in recent years to inspect water conservancy projects in various places.

Although those disasters may be exaggerated or man-made, they ultimately did exist.

Deng Sui would not arbitrarily ignore powerful figures out of anger, thus harming innocent civilians.

Upon receiving the appointment, Wang Jing, on the verge of death, sat up in shock, patted his chest, and lamented:
What's the point of living a long life?

"The longer you live, the longer you'll have to endure being a beast of burden!"

How old is he? Why is he forced to take over the position of Grand Minister of Works?
The blood from the previous one hasn't been wiped clean yet!
unfortunately,

Resistance is futile.

No matter how much Wang Jing resisted, he could only be grateful for the Empress Dowager's appreciation and then climb up to the Ministry of Works to shine.

As long as you can leave the company alive, you've succeeded!
Zhang Heng, on the other hand, didn't have any major ideas.

He learned so much knowledge precisely so that he could use it to benefit the people.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager had previously summoned him and thoroughly investigated his background:
To improve water conservancy and solve flood problems,
This has always been a great achievement for the gentlemen of the Chinese nation.

Those who have rendered meritorious service should naturally be rewarded.

As a result,
The Empress Dowager could then bypass the obstacles of the recommendation system and directly promote outstanding students from the Imperial Academy to the court under the pretext of "rewarding meritorious service," thereby strengthening her own power and weakening the forces of those who were resentful and still wanted to sit in the court and oppose it.

"In addition, the Jiangnan region also needs further development and cultivation to resettle the disaster-stricken population."

During the reign of the late Emperor Yuanxing, in order to target powerful and influential families, he ordered a census of the population of the Han Dynasty.

The final registered numbered over 53 million.

Even if we include the hidden households of powerful families, the total is estimated to be only around 60 million.

Overall, compared to the vast territory occupied by the Han Dynasty, it was still somewhat "sparsely populated".

therefore,

After much thought, Deng Sui concluded that the problem of the Han Dynasty was not that there were too many people and too little land, and that the people had to work as tenant farmers and servants in order to make a living.

The key issue is whether or not people can have a piece of land where they can cultivate it with peace of mind.

The land reclamation outside is naturally beautiful.

But every now and then they would encounter a group of robbers, a group of government officials who would raid illegal properties, and the ever-present local tyrants who would disguise themselves as robbers to plunder the property of passersby...

This is really hard for ordinary people to accept.

Unfortunately,

This situation is still considered a prosperous era.
If they encounter a year of war and cannot seek protection from any region, their lives will not be much better than those of their compatriots in the Western Sea.

The reason why those powerful families were able to force commoners to become their servants, even more humble than the tenant farmers of later generations, was because of this.

Leaving my manor,

The outcome will most likely be unpleasant.

The wilderness of present-day Han Dynasty
Strict management under a unified system
People cannot be allowed to live happily and self-sufficiently in the countryside like the wild people of the pre-Qin period.

Taxes, corvée labor...

The weak and vulnerable people could not break free and could only endure the heavy burdens that were piled on their shoulders by those in power.

This is why powerful local clans intentionally allowed natural disasters to spread, creating a large number of displaced people.

Where else could the people who were originally registered by the imperial court go besides converging on nearby manors?

Clearing land also incurs costs.

For disaster victims, survival is a problem, so how can they talk about reclaiming wasteland?

To some extent,

In this way, powerful figures tightly bound the people of a region to themselves.

This is why they dared to challenge Empress Dowager Deng and even conceive of the idea of ​​deposing and installing the emperor.

Deng Sui put herself in their shoes and thought about it for a long time. She also felt that it was really troublesome. She understood why the late emperor, who was so wise, still chose to temporarily give in and make plans slowly.

ingrained,

It is truly deeply rooted.

then,

After much deliberation, Empress Dowager Deng decided to promote the development of Jiangnan.

After Emperor Ming sent Wang Jing to repair the Yellow River, many people from what is now Han gathered on the vast plains of Guandong.

In terms of wealth and prosperity, only the Sichuan and Guanzhong regions can compare.

As for the Jiangnan region, its water and heat are only weaker than those in Xinxia and Zhongnan.

Although the Yangtze River is much more stable than the Yellow River, it has never hesitated to kill children on both banks.

When the summer rains fall,

As the Yangtze River rises,

Countless people want to go underwater and become mermaids.

Therefore, the development of Jiangnan cannot be described as advanced today.

The world today is not like the pre-Qin period.
The people of Chu could only stay in the land of Chu.
Unlike early summer, when it's scorching hot and pouring rain everywhere you go,

Why should ordinary people go to the Jiangnan region to suffer when they can live in the more prosperous and stable Central Plains?

To know,
When the Liang Kingdom envoy from Rongzhou visited the Central Kingdom, he had the experience of going south to enjoy the scenery, but he was so hot in Jiangnan that he fainted!

However, this situation was a good thing for Empress Dowager Deng.

The Jiangnan region is vast.

Some places are not well developed, while others are. And because they are latecomers, they have not yet nurtured the powerful and lawless aristocratic families that are as influential as those in the Central Plains.

For example, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou.

Deng Sui intentionally relocated the disaster-stricken people to these areas, both to strengthen her control over Jiangnan and to better combat the latter by dismantling the relationship between the common people and the local tyrants.

Zhang Heng thus realized the immense responsibility he bore.

There are so many local disasters.

If Jiangnan can become a place where millions of people can live in peace, the blessings it brings will be immeasurable.

He was eager to give it a try and to have a battle with the land and sky of Jiangnan.

just,

When Zhang Heng crossed the Huai River and reached the land north of the Yangtze River, closer to the coast...
His soaring ambition was dampened by the sudden storm.

The person leading the way said, "The wind and water blowing in from the sea have been so strong these past few years, much stronger than usual."

"Fortunately, with the protection of the gods and ancestors, and the reminders from virtuous Taoist priests, many people were able to hide in high places before the disaster struck, thus saving their lives."

"The imperial court will also issue an order to reduce taxes and corvée labor, and send people to rent oxen and farming tools to cultivate the fields again... Otherwise, we would have been unable to make a living long ago!"

Zhang Heng said, "I have heard that the wind and rain blowing from the sea are inseparable from the heat of the sun."

"If we can understand the relationship between the two and make predictions about it, it should be able to better alleviate the disaster and benefit the people, right?"

The other party replied with a smile, "It's good to be able to predict, but ultimately, more people still believe what the imperial court says."

Taoist masters of high virtue aren't found everywhere. Every year, there are places where warnings are either not issued in time, or where people receive them but don't follow them.

After a torrential rain, the village was scattered, and there were hardly any people left.

The Taoist priests had no solution for the latter.

What gives them the right to force people in a place to relocate?

Only court officials could do such a thing.

Ok,
Looking at it this way,
The credibility of the Han Dynasty had not collapsed like that of the Yan Kingdom, and there was still harmony between the upper and lower classes.

If a similar thing happened in the Yan state,

As soon as the official document from Gantang Palace was issued, questions and resistance from the local people followed.

Some people remain silent, not because they trust Gantang Palace.

He was just so disheartened that he couldn't even be bothered with official documents, nor did he want to waste his emotions anymore.

Zhang Heng did not reply, but only looked at the rainwater that formed a line outside the eaves and fell heavily to the ground, and estimated in his mind how the water conservancy in Jiangnan should be built so as to better and faster alleviate such heavy rain.

that's it,
The big man continued to move forward, keeping pace with time.

Zhang Heng grew increasingly tanned in Jiangnan, and even his tastes gradually began to resemble those of the locals.

While vying for power with his ministers, Deng Sui, who was stationed in Luoyang, also dealt with a multitude of complex government affairs.

After discovering that there was poison in her food, Deng Sui once again purged the palace and revoked the power that the late emperor had delegated to the eunuchs.

She did not extensively employ relatives of the Deng family, and many officials were dissatisfied with her rule. Furthermore, even the eunuchs could not be trusted.

The burden on her shoulders grew heavier and heavier, gradually robbing her of her youthful vibrancy and causing her to become dull.

She wasn't old yet, but she was incredibly weary inside.

But the emperor was not mature enough.

Some thorny issues remain unresolved.
She cannot relax; she cannot allow the excellent situation created by the four previous emperors of the Han Dynasty to be ruined.

"Let's return power to the emperor once the country is more stable."

Deng Sui looked at the newly presented memorial concerning the local disaster situation and sighed slowly.

However, such good intentions were unacceptable to the emperor, who was gradually coming of age.

"With the Empress Dowager so power-hungry, even if I have the ambition to wield power, I can only be confined to a corner and depend on her!"

Inside the palace, Emperor Liu Hu uttered these sorrowful words to his wet nurse, Lady Wang.

(End of this chapter)