Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 584, Year 581: The Flow of Destiny
The Han Dynasty eventually accepted the Song Dynasty's invitation.

The emperor dispatched scholars trained in the academy, as well as some open-minded scholars who were not bound by classical texts, to the Western Sea to participate in the grand event of compiling the book on the investigation of things.

While scholars had some reservations about this, they generally did not object.

Because "debating scriptures" is something that cannot be avoided.

Not uttering one's own words,
The right to speak for the people is about to be taken away by others.

If it goes on for too long,

People naturally obey the teachings and rules of others.

The Han emperor of the Central Plains was also going to follow the same path as the Zhou emperor.

Moreover, the envoy from the Song Kingdom had informed the scholars and intellectuals of the Han Dynasty in advance that the Emperor of the Western Sea had already decided on a name for the classic that had not yet been published.

It's called "Physics".

Describing the Way of Heaven and Earth
To understand the principles of all things.

Compared to the Mingwu, which was completed during the reign of Emperor He, this work is much larger, and upon closer inspection, its content resembles a combination of the two books, Mingwu and Lunheng.

And the spirit of this name is also very profound and expansive.

In the beginning of the world, many things had no names yet, and one had to point to them when they were mentioned.

Therefore, many ancient books, which represent a new condensation of human wisdom, have very simple names.

For example, the Book
For example, the Book of Poetry
For example, the Book of Changes.

As I wrote more books later, I came up with all sorts of different titles to highlight the content and differentiate them from those of my predecessors.

therefore,

When scholars of the Han Dynasty heard this name, they could glimpse the ambition it contained.

They naturally didn't want Xihai to be the founder of this sect.

However, if he were to take over, it would mean that the imperial court would once again strengthen its support for the study of things, thereby shaking the dominant position of Confucianism.

This is absolutely not okay!

With this in mind,
The scholars in the Central Plains then compromised, secretly hoping that the emperor would send all the pillars of the study of natural philosophy out to prevent them from remaining in the Central Plains, getting in their way, and competing with them for food.

……

"The fact that the emperor of the Western Sea was willing to do such a thing shows how flourishing the study of things was there."

"When you get there, you should see more and think more."

"The nation needs young people like you to exert your efforts, sweep away the ignorance within the land, restore its prestige, and solidify the Central Plains' position!"

On the day of departure,

Zhang Heng, representing the emperor, left Luoyang to see off the delegation from the Western Sea, as well as the scholars sent by the Han Dynasty to the Western Sea to participate in the grand event.

He spoke earnestly, his gray hair and beard radiating an air of old age under the summer sun.

He is already old.

The constant travel he endured in his youth left Zhang Heng with many health concerns.
Gaining the emperor's trust and being placed in a high position, the work he did, along with the ensuing court intrigues, left him exhausted.

This was a key reason why Zhang Heng, despite winning the previous debate on the investigation of things, still managed to persuade the emperor to send someone to the Western Sea.

He could sense the vitality that the Western Sea was bursting forth with after emerging from turmoil.

One can also sense the filth that has accumulated over the past century in Han Dynasty China.

This country is as old as I am.

It desperately needs young people to inject vitality into it.

The founding of the Western Sea Song Kingdom took less than two generations and still exuded the simple and vigorous spirit of its founding.

That was exactly what the Han Dynasty desperately needed at that time.

Let some young people who are open to new things go there; they might be able to "absorb yang to replenish yin" and make the old man feel younger.

Zhang Heng thought:
I'm getting old.

But the emperor was still very young, only twenty-four years old.

He needs more capable, ambitious, and courageous ministers to assist him in governing and to create a great revival of the dynasty.

"We know!"

The younger generation bowed to Zhang Heng in farewell, keeping his teachings in mind.

He Bo, who was passing by, witnessed this scene but was not moved at all. He simply raised his hand and mocked:
Is this a new round of water ghost catching and replacement?

Wang Yanshi arrested Wang Jing.
Wang Jing also arrested Zhang Heng.

right now,

Zhang Heng also started arresting people.

Wang Jing remained silent, only gazing at the marks of time on Zhang Heng's face, and let out a soft sigh.

There are some dead ghosts,
Having already been granted God's grace and his own achievements in life, he was able to enjoy a long period of posthumous wealth in Haoli, and in that long period, he gradually lost his sense of time.

But Wang Jing cannot do that yet.

He is still "young".
Old friends I've met and spent time with haven't been completely lost in the river of time.

He can thus witness their aging and death.

Zhang Heng,
Wang Jing still remembered this junior, his dashing and spirited appearance when he first arrived in Luoyang and studied at the Imperial Academy.

at the moment,

The boy of yesteryear has grown so old that he has to walk a little further and then become breathless and need a cane to lean on.

"He was not a very qualified minister; his talent lay more in his research on things."

Wang Jing said, "If I had not recommended him to Emperor He back then, perhaps Zhang Heng could have lived a life free from worldly troubles, like Wang Chong, and enjoyed his own life."

In the imperial court, the struggle between people is everywhere.

Among the nobles,
Some are clever, some are dull-witted.

In the ensuing national affairs,

Things go smoothly sometimes, and sometimes unexpectedly.

Dealing with them is incredibly exhausting and frustrating.

Zhang Heng did not have a strong desire for power, and therefore could not be satisfied or replenished by the enormous power that came with victory in struggles.

He would only feel sad and powerless about the losses caused by internal strife.

They would feel particularly disgusted by the fact that it would take more effort to make up for the losses.

He was never happy to become one of the Three Dukes, the Grand Minister of Works!

Wang Chong, who also loathed officialdom, chose to retire gracefully and live a life of seclusion.

"Wang Chong also had the idea of ​​serving the country, but he was not destined to be with you, and he retired earlier, which is why he was not arrested for replacement!"

He Bo said this with a smile.

Wang Jing sighed again, then looked at the departing carriages and said, "I wonder what the Han Dynasty will be like when they return."

To get better?

Or will it get worse?

Recalling the information gathered from all directions by the wandering ghosts, Wang Jing and the former emperors of the Han Dynasty were somewhat inclined to the latter.

Even the most wise monarch,

Even the most capable ministers,
There is no way to stop the torrent formed by the passage of time.

The current emperor inherited the throne from his ancestors, and he also inherited the problems they left behind.

He could not, like Emperor Ming, rely on the prestige inherited from his father, as well as his own rigorous character and outstanding abilities, to restrain the dissolute officials and powerful families.
They also couldn't be like Emperor Wu, possessing a natural domineering and impetuous nature, ignoring everything that came before, and transforming the entire country according to their own will.

He could only be like Emperor Zhang and Emperor He.
By making repairs and modifications based on the work of predecessors, we hope to gradually replace the parts on the century-old ship and achieve the goal of "replacing as many parts as possible to create a new ship".

to this end,

He was very concerned about the administration of officials.
In education, they have devoted far more energy than their predecessors.

He has placed many things in the future.

The dead in the underworld commented on this:
"The idea itself is fine."

"The root of many problems lies in people's hearts."

"If we can smooth the flow of public opinion and encourage officials to move from being lazy to taking action, the country will indeed get better."

To govern a country, one must first govern its officials.
This is an inherent principle since the establishment of dynasties.

However, because they are unwilling to start from scratch, many things take time to achieve.

But does the emperor still have that much time?

Will his successors continue to cultivate the path he has set, just as he envisioned?

For this,

God ignored it completely and simply said to Wang Jing:
"Why don't we take a look at the scenery of the West Sea?"

"That place is also the land of the Chinese people. Its prosperity and beauty brought joy to our ancestors."

Wang Jing recalled the enthusiasm and expectations shown by the gods and spirits ever since the State of Song carried forward the traditions of the Qin Dynasty and declared that it would unify all the "weights and measures" in the world, regulate the way of investigating things, and establish standards. He couldn't help but ask, "The Western Sea is prosperous while the Central Plains are stagnant. Is the Mandate of Heaven really going to shift to the West?"

He Bo still didn't answer directly, but just waved his hand and said, "Isn't competitive recruitment a good thing?"

With so much land now divided into so many states, the Central Plains can't be allowed to remain the only beneficiary forever, can it?

Moreover, the enfeoffment of feudal lords, sending them to explore uncivilized lands to expand the territory, inherently carried the hidden danger of the feudal lords becoming too powerful and the emperor becoming too weak.

However, this policy was still implemented by the Zhou emperor.

It can't be something that even the Zhou emperor could accept.

The Han emperor wouldn't accept that, would he?

"A country without external threats is often in danger of extinction."

“Now that there are places vying for the Mandate of Heaven with the Central Plains, it can also bring a sense of urgency to those guys and urge them to change the outdated system.”

Roll,

Regarding relations between countries,
Roll it up, and you'll be healthier.

If everyone were lying on the ground, it would be a race to see who could rot the slowest, the last one to die.
Then there would be no future for humanity.

Wang Jing listened and tacitly agreed with this reasoning.

However, nothing is settled yet.

The dead men will continue to observe.

What if Emperor Liu Bao of Han lived a long life and, during his long reign, did not change his original intention and firmly implemented the policy of "replacing the old with the new," thus greatly improving the social atmosphere in the Central Plains?

What if the Song emperors after the Western Sea Emperor, like the Han emperors of today, suffered from many illnesses and had many premature deaths, leading to stagnation of the nation and the corruption of its great empire?
These assumptions,

Leaving aside the present and the future,
There are precedents for this in historical records.

Perhaps this is why ghosts and spirits like to roam the human world.

After all, history always plays tricks on future generations unintentionally, causing some unexpected commotion.

……

"All the talents of our time are now under my control!"

When talented individuals from all directions, skilled in practical matters and capable of applying their knowledge to practical affairs, gather in the Western Sea,
Emperor Zhao Chengye of the Song Dynasty stood on the city tower, gazing at the scholars and officials debating, discussing, studying, and recording in the square in front of the palace. He couldn't help but stroke his beard, revealing a smug smile.

Because my father lived a long life,

When Zhao Chengye succeeded to the throne, he was already over forty years old, an age when his grandchildren were already running around.

With the late emperor who swept through the Western Sea and brought peace to the vast land, as our predecessors...

It was indeed difficult for Zhao Chengye, the successor emperor, to achieve any further territorial expansion.

After all, the predecessors had already taken 80% of the land they could conquer. The remaining places, such as Yubi, relied heavily on their terrain. Once a battle broke out, it would trigger an extremely difficult tug-of-war.

The Western Sea needs to recuperate and cannot easily get bogged down in a war.

But how could Zhao Chengye, at his age and in such a position, tolerate his own inaction?
Our ancestors came before us, and history will follow us through the ages.
He must do something to earn the remembrance and veneration of future generations.

then,

That's how we ended up with the scene we see today.

"I have heard that the emperors of the Han Dynasty used subject-based examinations to select talented people."

The emperor turned to the ministers who had served as envoys to the Central Plains and said, "This is a very good policy, and I also want to implement such a system in the Western Sea."

Throughout history, the various Chinese states have selected officials based on different criteria: bloodline, military merit, or morality.

However, those who are in the lead are too likely to make those who come after them lazy, lose their drive to improve, and rely solely on the achievements of their ancestors, thus creating a large number of short-sighted, predatory people who are disrespectful to their superiors and bully their inferiors.

Although those in the middle have abilities, these are mostly manifested in martial arts.

But those who only know how to wage war cannot govern the world.

There were so many states among the various Xia peoples, and dynasties changed several times.
The principle that "one can gain the world on horseback, but cannot govern it on horseback" has long been proven true.

As for those who came after, even though the system was more advanced than before, it did promote many capable and virtuous officials.

However, as time went on, the drawbacks became obvious.

After all, there are two standards for recommendation and selection.
People who lack ability will always try to make up for it with goods.

However, character and morality can be faked.

When many people in the world try to cultivate the appearance of a humble gentleman in order to gain status and power,
Then who can distinguish the real beast?

If this continues...

There will always come a day when "rotten wood serves as an official in the court, and beasts feast on the riches of the palace."

therefore,

The emperor, who lived in the Western Sea and valued the study of things as a method beneficial to production and governance, wanted to follow the principles of studying things and set a clear standard for "talented people".

Subject-specific exams will be conducted, and those who excel in their respective areas will be selected.

This perfectly suited the emperor's wishes.

Talent cannot be inherited through bloodline.
Character can be faked.
But an exam is an exam.

If you can't write it, you just can't write it.

As long as the test questions and the examination process are strictly controlled,

This way, a large number of qualified talents can be selected for the country.

"I'm getting old, and I should leave something for future generations."

Looking at the scholars from various countries busy compiling books,
The emperor was ruthless and decisive, and in his pavilion, he established the system for selecting talents for the Song Dynasty.

of course,

The specific details still need to be discussed with the court officials.

Fortunately, the Song Dynasty has only been established for two generations.

The emperor himself had followed his father in numerous campaigns and had served as regent several times, which gave him considerable prestige.

His words still carry considerable weight.

Even among the founding heroes, there were those who sought lasting wealth and status for their descendants.

However, it is not to the point that in this vibrant era, one should place one's own selfish desires above the interests of the entire nation.

While the Song state was simultaneously undertaking the two major tasks of compiling books and establishing systems,
Scholars of the Han Dynasty also marveled at the wisdom accumulated in the Western Sea over hundreds of years.

Even the most dull-witted
They could also infer the significant impact of those labor-saving and convenient objects on many things in the world.

But upon closer reflection...
The reason why the Chinese were able to sit firmly above the barbarians on all sides was because of their sharp swords and sturdy sickles and plows.
国之大事，

In sacrifices and in war,

In farming and in war.

If you focus only on one aspect, it's like a person walking on only one leg; sooner or later, they will fall to the ground, get hurt, and bleed.

Scholars from the Han Dynasty thus began to study in the Western Sea, hoping to introduce useful things from there to the Central Plains to alleviate the pain caused by the disaster.

Scholars from other places naturally did the same.

"In this way, in a few decades, the title of 'Son of Heaven' can be transferred to the head of me, the Emperor of the Western Sea!"

Witnessing this scene of "all nations coming to pay tribute,"

Zhao Yu and Ying Pijiang, the two generations of scholars, couldn't help but stroke their beards and smile.

The Han emperors had no time to stop the former's beautiful fantasies about the future; they were only worried about the various disasters that had recently broken out in the Central Plains.

"Prophecies and omens are still useful!"

With deep sorrow in his heart, Emperor Guangwu crossed his arms and said:
"The reign title Yonghe can be considered a kind of reverse 'prophecy'!"

During the previous "Yangjia" period, although there was some turmoil in the world, it was generally peaceful and developed.

How come Yonghe has only been around for three years?
With frequent external threats, internal troubles have also arisen.
"This reign title is unlucky; let's not use it again!"

The dead from other countries shared the same sentiment and tried to appear in dreams to explain that they had established a foundation abroad and become descendants of kings and nobles, thus avoiding this "curse".

"So, should we acknowledge the Song dynasty as the legitimate ruler and submit to it?"

Taixi

He had invited a high-ranking Taoist priest to perform divination, asking himself, as a vassal king of the Liu family and the King of Chu, which emperor he should serve and which reign title the current ruler of Chu should use. He stroked his chin and spoke to the divination results.

“But my family’s ancestral temple was established only because it was conferred by the emperor of the Central Plains.”

"Now that we have received less favor from them and have less contact with them, isn't it a bit impolite of us to turn to the Song State in the Western Sea for assistance in terms of population and wealth?"

The Taoist priest asked him directly, "Is the Central Plains farther or the Western Sea farther?"

"Of course, the Central Plains are farther away."

"Did the seeds of the Xia people in the West come from the Central Plains or the Western Sea?"

"Then it must come from the Western Sea."

"Your Majesty, who do you think is more likely to defeat you as the army marches forward?"

"……Rome!"

"Does Your Majesty intend to submit to Rome and bring in their population?"

The King of Chu quickly waved his hand and said, "Then I'll just have to bow down to the State of Song."

"As long as it's not Ying Qin!"

(End of this chapter)