Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 585 Liu Bao, Exhausted

"The Liu family has betrayed the Liu family!"

"The people of Chu have betrayed the people of Chu!"

When the envoy from the Western Chu Kingdom arrived in the Song Kingdom with expensive gifts and kowtowed to the Song Emperor,

God himself took up his pen and recorded this scene in the annals of history.

The historian whose job had been taken away reminded him from the side:
"This is written incorrectly!"

"By the time the Han Dynasty was established, the world had already accepted the concept of 'unified rule,' and the writing style of Sima Qian, who referred to people by the names of ancient states, was no longer used!"

From the Former Han Dynasty until the reign of Emperor Wuxuan, remnants of the Warring States period's ideas were still preserved.

Emperor Taizu of Han, who was born into the state of Wei, grew up in the state of Chu, and later served as a minor official in the Qin Dynasty, was no exception.

He always listens to songs and dances in the style of the Chu region.

"OK then!"

He Bo readily accepted the good advice and picked up his pen again to correct his mistakes.

The pen of history is as firm as iron, every word a gem; it cannot be used arbitrarily.

of course,

Excluding unofficial histories.

Why did the State of Chu submit to the Western Sea?

Emperor He of Han was very displeased when he saw the respectful expression of the Chu envoy.

He recalled how compliant and gentle the envoys of the Eight-Nation Alliance had been when he received them during his lifetime.

How come thirty years have passed?
The Western kingdoms have turned their backs on us and sided with the Han Dynasty's rivals!
"Feelings are feelings, but people still have to make a living!"

In response, God simply handed the pen back to the historian and casually replied.

When the Eight-Nation Alliance sent envoys to pay tribute to the Central Plains,
The Xiongnu people did not bypass the Western Sea to exert pressure on the west;
The neighboring great power Rome then hastily replicated the "four generations of chaotic rule," so where would it find the time to launch an attack on the Western Xia states and put pressure on them?

But now it's different.

The Xiongnu, driven to the west by the Song state, displayed their indomitable spirit, seemingly indestructible and able to take root wherever they were driven, like cockroaches and wild grass.
In just ten years, it has had a tremendous impact on the Black Forest west of Mount Taiwu and east of the Reina River.

Their arrows were both accurate and fast.
Their whips were thick and powerful.
When a horse's hooves tread on the desolate grasslands of the cold northern plains, they can easily break through the blockade of snow and thin ice, and easily advance into the interior of the Black Forest, causing the moisture contained within to splash violently.

The Rierman were in great pain from being stabbed by this group of archers from afar. Upon hearing news of the Xiongnu, he couldn't help but tremble, and his genitals were overflowing with fluid.

no way,
The Japanese barbarians, who have yet to achieve unification and establish consensus, may appear numerous and large, but upon closer examination, they are indeed inferior to the Xiongnu, who have endured many years of hardship and been subjected to the trials and tribulations of generations of Chinese rulers, which have forced them to strengthen their cohesion.

After the two sides gained a better understanding through passionate clashes, the Huns, who were among the best of the nomadic peoples, the founders of the first steppe empire in history, and who could fight against the gentry of the Xia Dynasty for three rounds without being killed, were given the title of "Scourge of God".

A sect that originated from the Chinese people.

Even the Ri'er barbarians, who live near Taiwu Mountain, had heard of it.

Therefore, they knew that the Chinese people were under God's protection and were God's children.

The Xiongnu people, who were driven here by the Chinese, can naturally be regarded as the long whip that God wielded.

Don't say

This is far more reasonable than that group in the Western Sea that claims to be "God's chosen people"!
As the Hunnic arrows continued to strike the Black Forest, the ripples they created gradually spread outwards.

Some thought that life didn't matter who they spent it with, so they turned and walked into the embrace of the Huns.

Some migrated from east to west, crowding around the Xia state.

This has caused the latter a lot of trouble.

The virtuous men of the Xia people were attached to their homeland and found it difficult to live like nomadic barbarians, who wore animal skins and ran around happily.

But guarding the ancestral lands and refusing to let barbarians invade naturally requires a lot of effort.

in this way,

How could the Xia tribes of the West not rely on the Western Sea and draw sustenance from the State of Song?

We can't really submit to Rome, can we?
That "Great Qin" it refers to is not the real Great Qin Dynasty!

Moreover, the current Roman emperor, Augustus, was a very cunning man.

He first feigned madness, allowing the Imperial Guards, who were attempting to "use the mad king to command the Senate," to seize the throne for him.

He then took advantage of the complexity of the Roman factions, moving back and forth between them, speaking to different people in different ways, gradually sorting out the mess and bringing it under his control.

After that,
It is said that the prince who had been living abroad became the Northern Qin of Augustus of Rome. Naturally, he sent people to plunder, and naturally, the monarch, whose mind was determined by his own interests, seized them and turned them into a new province of Rome.

His words of rebuking the Northern Qin envoy and proclaiming the legitimacy of his succession were still ringing in our ears, yet his actions in turning around and allying with the powerful Song state revealed remarkable shrewdness.

In any case, when the princes of the West met and spoke of the contemporary Roman monarchs, they couldn't help but frown and wave their hands, and they would warn each other not to be misled by their lineage and words, lest they lose the state passed down from their ancestors.

It's fine to disown our relatives in the south!
"They really do look like descendants of the Qin Dynasty."

"Back when Ying Si and Zhang Yi were deceiving people everywhere, they were just as brazen in their deception, breaking their promises, and being shameless."

"However, by recognizing his place, not failing the people under his rule, and curbing the increasingly rampant barbarian forces in the country, he can face his ancestor Octavian with a clear conscience."

Regarding Augustus's words and actions,
God did not show any disgust. On the contrary, he felt that the other party was truly the essence of the Qin and Rome, just like the big, round and green peas in his own garden, only the best of the best.

As for the pressure that Rome, under its rule, brought to the surrounding Chinese states, God did not care.

"How can you see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain?"

"The branch of Taixi has grown to a sufficient level and should step out of its comfort zone to face some challenges."

What kind of skill is it to bully these savages, the Rierman?
Continuing the "clash of civilizations" with Rome is the right thing to do!

Where are the Xiongnu?

Humph,
Let's wait until God's whip pierces through the dark mystery of the Black Forest before we talk about it!
……

"The Nine Tripods were originally in Luoyang, but were later moved westward by the Qin people."

"Now that the country is facing difficulties, is it going to be moved away by the Song people again?"

In the fifth year of Yonghe,

Standing before the collapsed officials, the emperor, ignoring the pleas of his ministers to "leave the dangerous wall," uttered only this soft remark.

His expression was one of obvious exhaustion and helplessness. His usual vigor seemed to have been shaken away by the recent earthquake, leaving only a faint remnant.

"Rebellions by various tribes on the border continue unabated, and the tyranny of the people within the country is difficult to quell."

"Man-made disasters have already occurred one after another, and now natural disasters are following one after another."

"Am I, the emperor, so disliked and abandoned by Heaven?"

After all,

He simply waved his sleeve and left, without even boarding the emperor's carriage again.

The attendants could only hurriedly follow with their ceremonial regalia, not daring to make any big movements, for fear of disturbing the emperor who was in a low mood.

Only ruins remained behind it.

People huddled in the corners of the streets and alleys held their frightened and sleepless children in their arms, gently patting the children's backs with their hands covered in dust, hoping to bring them some peace.

But the child kept crying.

The adults were distressed by this, and the neighbors sighed repeatedly when they met.

Some people say, "It's always shaking!"

"Could it be that I really want to become the 'Emperor of Zhou'?"

His companion immediately covered his mouth, saying, "Don't talk nonsense!"

"Earthquakes in Luoyang are not uncommon, this year's was just a bit more severe... As long as we're alive, that's good enough!"

Don't be killed by the earthquake.

He was executed by the imperial court for speaking out of turn!
The man remained silent, only bending down to pick up the collapsed tiles and bricks and begin repairing his house.

And such a scene

This was extremely common in Luoyang at that time.

even though,
Since the Han Dynasty established its capital in Luoyang, earthquakes have occurred before.

Even in the twenty-second year of Jianwu, this vast and magnificent capital city suffered a series of disasters, including a solar eclipse in summer, an earthquake in autumn, and locusts in winter.

After Emperor He of Han died and Empress Dowager Deng took power, disasters occurred frequently around Luoyang.

But none of them are like this time.
The earthquake caused houses to collapse and government offices to crumble. The emperor, who was discussing with his ministers the relief efforts for drought-stricken counties such as Taiyuan, was so frightened that he rushed out of the palace without even changing his shoes, looking at the murky sky.

The ground beneath his feet trembled, and a glazed tile swept across the emperor's crown, shattering into pieces before him.

Inside the palace,

On the seismograph, which was made by Zhang Heng and his disciples to detect the location of earthquakes, the golden dragon coiled on it opened its mouth wide and spat out the pearl it was holding into the mouth of the golden toad that had been waiting with its head raised.

What saddened the emperor even more was that

He personally went to the imperial treasury, intending to gather supplies to provide relief to the people under the emperor's rule, only to find it terribly empty.

It wasn't because someone was so audacious as to empty Taicang, located in Luoyang.

Rather, there have been far too many worries over the years.
The emperor was not a stingy tyrant who would cling to his purse strings and rather let the people starve than give up the mountains of wealth and food he had hoarded.

Whenever news of a disaster comes,
He would then order the granaries to be opened and the grain released.

Whenever war breaks out,
He would then reward the soldiers who defended their country and provide a large amount of military supplies to the front lines.

The Han Dynasty, however, was riddled with holes.
Repairing it is very difficult.

This earthquake,

This is not the first time since the emperor ascended the throne.
But its intensity, the destruction it causes,

But the pressure made the emperor feel a little suffocated.

"Has all my efforts over the past ten years been in vain?"

Upon arriving at Zhang Heng's residence, the emperor, like a junior, tearfully poured out his heart to his trusted old minister.

Having been seriously ill for many days and further weakened by the earthquake, Zhang Heng managed to speak, offering words of comfort to the emperor:
"Where is it useless?"

"Things are a little better now, and we can at least share some of the burden with our children and grandchildren."

"If we only indulge in pleasure, then what happened today will not only shake Luoyang."

If an emperor, like his biological father, only knows how to squander the hard work of his predecessors, only knows how to enjoy the power and pleasure of being an emperor, but does not shoulder any responsibility as an emperor,
So, more than ten years have passed.
The Han dynasty would also be shaken and disintegrated.

"Empress Dowager He Xi was like this back then, so I hope Your Majesty will not underestimate yourself."

The emperor's annoyance did not subside upon hearing this.

He said, "Natural disasters are bound to happen, and human effort cannot stop them; we can only make up for the losses afterward."

"Therefore, I didn't feel too resentful."

"Just thinking about the rebellions inside and outside the court, and those who are secretly opposing the court, makes me feel depressed."

The deterioration of the situation during the Yonghe era of the Han Dynasty

It started with the Qiang rebellion in the northwest.

After a brief period of suppression,
The emperor had begun investigating the reasons for this Qiang rebellion.
The investigation eventually revealed that it wasn't that any ambitious individuals among the Qiang people were plotting to disrupt China, but rather that border officials were exploiting them excessively.

Admittedly,

The Chinese people have always looked down on the barbarians and imposed various restrictions and oppressions on them.

But the latter is ubiquitous among barbarian groups; sometimes slaves are not even as good as cattle and sheep!

By currying favor with the virtuous rulers of the various Xia tribes, one can obtain extremely valuable treasures and resources that are scarce in the tribe. Even better, one can gain the promotion of some powerful figures who dare to appoint people, thus transforming the barbarians into the Xia and receiving their support.

The level of civilization among the Chinese had long surpassed that of the barbarians, and deliberate oppression was perhaps less effective than the customs within their tribes.

Even the Shang dynasty, which had an extraordinary fondness for the Qiang people and longed to cook the little sheep, would have taken the same measures against the nobles and even the royal family.

At most, nobles could enjoy a pot all to themselves when they sacrificed themselves for their ancestors.

How could the Khan and Chanyu of the barbarians end up in the pot?

Therefore, the barbarians from all directions readily accepted the discrimination against gentlemen.

In markets open to the border, even expensive items like cloth and pots that could be bought and passed down as family heirlooms can be tolerated.

However, the local meat-eaters were still not satisfied.

They also captured Qiang people to enslave them, or forced them to become their henchmen, driving them around like hunting dogs.

The Qiang people, who were already known for their fiery temperament, thus launched a rebellion.

His nature was like that of a wild beast.

The previous subservience was only evident because of the vast disparity in strength and the replenishment of resources from the Central Plains.

Nowadays, the supplies are decreasing, while the punishment is becoming increasingly severe.

in this way,

Even knowing that the opponent is a powerful enemy,

Even a toothless old wolf will try to pounce and bite, making a desperate attempt to save itself.

Local officials did not take such actions seriously.

Since the founding of the nation, the Qiang people have rebelled quite a few times.

As long as the suppression continues...

Then life will return to how it used to be.

However, the emperor paid extra attention to it.

Once the details of the matter are investigated and clarified,

When the local governor was questioned by the angel, he said with great grievance:
"The Qiang people have never submitted to the king's rule and have frequently rebelled and revolted. How can you say it's my fault for governing them?"

After the angels revealed the evidence of his profiting from the border markets, the official said:
"They're just barbarians, how can they be considered criminals?"

The emperor was so angry that he put him in a prison cart and took him to Luoyang for personal interrogation.

The other party remained stubborn and retorted defiantly:
"Why not investigate the peasant uprising in Jiangnan? Are the actions of the local officials any different from mine?"

On exploitation,

The tolerance of the people of the Xia people is far greater than that of the wild Qiang people.

Moreover, isn't the impact of peasant uprisings within the Central Plains more serious than the rebellions of barbarians on the frontier?
Why only check the border?
Does the mainland expect preferential treatment not only in the recommendation and selection process, but also in the supervision and assessment process?
The emperor was moved by what he said, so he sent people to the areas in Jiangnan where the peasant uprising took place to investigate the inside story.

A few days ago,

The message was sent back.

Indeed, it's not much different from what the other party said.

If we really have to rank them, then we can only say that the officials in Jiangnan were more "gentle" in their dealings.

Unlike frontier governors who, without much cover-up, forcefully impose their own needs on the Qiang people and even the common people under their rule, they are not easily swayed.
Instead, they slowly, from top to bottom, reached out to the people in unison.

Adhering to the principle of "frugality" that the emperor had always emphasized,
And the emperor's spies sent out to inspect the localities.

Those officials tightened their belts a bit, no longer daring to openly solicit bribes and exploit the people's wealth as they did during Emperor An's reign.

However, the control in the interior is much more detailed than that in the border regions, and more officials and personnel are required.

Moreover, officials in the mainland have a much higher chance of promotion than those in the border regions who face covert discrimination.

They collect and save money because they genuinely have urgent and important matters to attend to!
So, layer by layer, one by one, they all "took a little."
Even the most magnificent wealth, as towering as a mountain, will be eroded away by it.

When the rebellion broke out in Jiaozhi in the south,

The imperial court was to transfer supplies from the Jiangnan region to Jiaozhou in Lingnan as military pay and rewards.
Local officials, unable to come up with the money immediately, had no choice but to extend their physical hand again, further exacerbating the already impoverished lives of the people.

The common people's resistance then re-emerged.

The emperor, who understood everything, was just as angry as the people who had been bullied and endured for so long.

then,

He became disappointed and dejected.

"I am reminded of a problem in the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art."

After a long silence, the emperor suddenly smiled, "I don't remember the exact numbers, but I have a general impression of the question."

"If a pool full of sewage is drained away by a canal, and then another canal is opened to inject fresh water, how long will it take for the pool to become clear again?"

He looked at the aging Zhang Heng, rested his hands on his knees, and sighed, saying:
“After Emperor Zhang, no monarch in the Han Dynasty lived past the age of thirty-five.”

"And you are getting old soon, and I have not yet given birth to a son."

Will what we're hoping for ever come true?

(End of this chapter)