Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 586 The Restoration of the Han Dynasty
In the winter of the fifth year of Yonghe,
Zhang Heng, who served as Grand Minister of Works under three emperors, has passed away.

The emperor was deeply saddened and specially dispatched an envoy to escort him back to his hometown for burial.

But when spring came the following year
Perhaps Heaven was finally moved by the emperor's sincerity.
Perhaps the tradition of sacrificing a high-ranking official in the event of a natural disaster played a role.
all in all,
In the sixth year of Yonghe, the internal and external troubles that had troubled the emperor for a long time and almost made him doubt the effectiveness of his efforts finally subsided.

First, the Qiang people in the northwest were defeated and suppressed by the Han army, and several leaders surrendered to the Han Dynasty one after another, becoming vassals and subservient once again.

after that,

It was Li Gu, the newly appointed governor of Jingzhou, who, through appeasement and surrender, declared "a fresh start with the people," thus quelling the fierce peasant uprising in Jiangnan.

After that,
Zhang Dan, the Xiongnu general, and Ma Xu, the general who crossed the Liao River, defeated the combined forces of the Xiongnu and Wuhuan, and the northern border of the Han Dynasty was finally restored to peace.

The emperor was thus invigorated and felt that "Heaven's mandate is in my hands."

In such excitement,

The emperor ordered the reign title "Yonghe" to be changed to "Han'an" in order to commemorate this hard-won peace.

"Your Majesty has been in much better spirits lately!"

In the harem,
When Empress Liang Na was taking a walk with the Emperor, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle as she looked at his radiant face, teasing her husband.

The emperor also laughed and said, "With the government functioning smoothly, the burden on our shoulders is much lighter, and people will naturally become more energetic."

"Look, the saplings we planted back then have grown into magnificent canopies now."

As the emperor passed by the garden, he pointed to a tree standing gracefully in a corner and remarked with great emotion.

It takes ten years to grow a tree.

Half the time has passed in the blink of an eye.

The slender saplings of yesteryear have, over time, established firm roots and spread their branches and leaves.

Although it is not tall enough, it can still provide some shade for pedestrians.

The emperor and empress of the Han Dynasty lingered under this tree, touching its patterns, reminiscing about the past, and feeling the present.

"It's a pity Cao Teng isn't here."

Liang Na suddenly mentioned an old friend, her words tinged with a sigh.

Two years ago,
The emperor was extremely worried and anxious about state affairs.

After hearing the news that the concubines in the palace who finally conceived either miscarried before full term or that their babies always died young,

He then vented his pent-up frustration and anger on the eunuchs responsible for taking care of the harem.

The eunuchs then also became dissatisfied.

In the eyes of some eunuchs, the emperor was able to ascend the throne because of their support.

otherwise,

The imperial edict for the selection of a new crown prince by the Yan family had already been issued. How could they allow Liu Bao, a brat residing in the West Bell Hall, to touch their power?
After gaining full power

The emperor only allowed the eunuchs to enjoy their glory for a few years before suppressing and imprisoning them, citing the inviolability of ancestral laws.

If everyone is treated equally, then it's fine.

However, people's hearts are naturally biased, and even emperors are not immune to this.

Cao Teng, who did not play a significant role in the Xizhong Coup and was not particularly talented, gained the emperor's trust and favor.

Not only was he appointed as a Palace Attendant, but because of him, an order was issued allowing eunuchs to adopt sons and inherit their adoptive fathers' titles!
What a grace this is!
Although this order also brought benefits to other eunuchs,

But human nature has always been more concerned with scarcity than with equitable distribution.

With comparison,

The jealousy and resentment only deepened.

but,

These people didn't cause any major problems.

After all, the emperor's shackles still held sway over them.

The emperor's earlier decision to allow his adopted son to inherit the title, besides showing favor to his confidants like Cao Teng, also aimed to weaken the old aristocratic families through the eunuchs, rather than the emperor suddenly losing his mind.

therefore,

Those guys could only forge letters, contact people, and falsely accuse Cao Teng and other eunuchs of plotting to "depose and install the emperor."

The emperor was furious.

The person who made the false accusation was then imprisoned.

Although Cao Teng was falsely accused, he also pleaded guilty, resigned from his post, and returned to his hometown to prevent court officials from using this as an excuse to reignite the conflict against the eunuchs.

He often served the emperor.

Cao Teng also developed a keen sense of political affairs.

He knew the underlying motives behind the emperor's appointment of eunuchs.

He couldn't let the emperor suffer because of him.

In the end, the emperor granted his request.

Now, two years have passed.

The turmoil of that year has subsided.

"Cao Teng can come back now."

The emperor looked at the lush green trees in front of him and remembered that Cao Teng had moved them there years ago. He nodded and said...

"In addition, your elder brother has been observing mourning for almost three years and is now allowed to enter and leave the court to succeed him as Grand General."

General Liang Shang was humble and cautious throughout his life.
Although they lacked the virtue and competence of the Deng family, they also did not cause trouble or add pressure to the court like the Dou and Yan families.

In addition, Liang Na was gentle and considerate, able to share the emperor's worries, and was therefore greatly favored.

The emperor greatly admired his wife's family.

Liang Na hesitated for a moment, then twirled her fingers and said, "But Father left a will that he did not want my elder brother to sit in a high position in the court."

Liang Ji had a fiery temper.
Even with her father keeping her in check, she was still capable of instigating her younger sister to vie for the emperor's favor and plotting against members of the royal bloodline.
If one holds a high position
Nobody knows what will happen to him.

unfortunately,

The father and daughter, Liang Shang and Liang Na, gave the emperor the illusion that "Liang Ji couldn't be that bad."

Besides, he has always trusted the people he employs.

Even when Cao Teng was falsely accused, the emperor's loyalty to him never wavered.

"Just do it!"

"The world is so vast, how many people can I, the emperor, truly rely on?"

"You are my wife, and your people should be my support!"

When Liang Na heard him say that, she stopped refusing.

This empress possessed a gentleness rarely seen among the empresses of the Han dynasty.

She was taught by her father to be extremely dependent on and trusting of the emperor and her husband.

Since the emperor has spoken...

Why would she object?

Just as the emperor himself said:
If you can't trust the people around you, then who can you trust?

that's it,
As the winter snow falls...

The era of "Yonghe" has come to an end.

Amidst the joyous news of peace and prosperity throughout the land, the emperor and his ministers of the Han Dynasty welcomed the long-awaited first year of "Han'an".

Having removed his mourning clothes, Liang Ji became the new Grand General.

Cao Teng, who had been hiding in his hometown to escape the turmoil, also returned to Luoyang with his adopted son.

The emperor received them.

The young man named Cao Song bowed to the emperor with timidity, dryly uttering words of "thank you for the emperor's grace."

Cao Teng was so angry with his incompetent son that he blushed. He often winked at him, telling him not to embarrass himself in front of the emperor.

Where did that cleverness of trying to please his adoptive father go when he was in his hometown?

But the emperor was not angry; he just laughed heartily.

He even praised Cao Song for his honesty and loyalty.

"It is a good thing that you have such offspring to carry on the family line."

Not much thought,
He could be a true father and son with Cao Teng, instead of being a guy who covets his family fortune and is biased towards his biological parents.

In the latter case,
Although there were restrictions imposed by etiquette and law, it was not entirely impossible. Moreover, from the perspective of people in that era...
Being the adopted son of a eunuch was truly a humiliating thing.
Even if one enters the imperial court, one will still be ostracized by the purists.

Fortunately, the emperor did not need the power of eunuchs and joined forces with the upright officials.

“Serve your father well and continue the sacrificial rites of this lineage.”

The emperor waved his hand, bestowed some wealth upon Cao Song, and gave him instructions.

Cao Song quickly kowtowed, wishing he could swear to the heavens to show how much he valued the emperor's words.

"Unfortunately, the envoy sent to the Song Kingdom has not yet returned."

Enjoying Cao Teng's service after several years, the emperor, in a rare moment of relaxation, began to inquire about the situation in the Western Sea.

Under Han'an,

His pent-up frustration dissipated considerably, and a belated anger arose towards the Western Sea's attempt to challenge the Central Plains' status and the Song Emperor's schemes to claim the glory of the "Son of Heaven."

Although I had been feeling unwell before,

However, the affairs of state kept the emperor busy, leaving him with no time to concern himself with such empty titles.

Luoyang experienced several earthquakes in recent years.
This further alarmed the emperor, who began to suspect that the Mandate of Heaven had truly shifted to the West, causing Heaven to abandon the Central Plains, the "eldest son," and instead favor the "third son" of the Western Sea.

As for the second son?
That's definitely the new summer!

As for the other branches of the Xia dynasty?
Humph,
Those places are small and sparsely populated, and their rulers only have the ability to call themselves kings or kings. They can't even become "emperors," let alone compete for the title of "Son of Heaven."

Therefore, they could only be born as illegitimate sons!

This is the true lineage!
"Could they have been detained by the State of Song?" The emperor recalled the story of Su Wu herding sheep, the precedent of Emperor Wu of Han detaining the Qin envoy, and Emperor An's past offense of feeding the Song envoy prison food, and couldn't help but suspect the State of Song.

"Although the people of Song were arrogant and rebellious, they did not mistreat the envoys."

Cao Teng, who was pouring water and grinding ink for the emperor, said with a smile, "It must be because compiling the book was difficult."

"But the Book of Documents and the Book of Poetry aren't exactly long, are they?"

Cao Song laughed again, “These few classics, though few in number, represent the efforts of many generations and should not be regarded as ordinary.”

"How easy would it be for the people of Song to catch up with the sages of the past?"

"And they might not even have that ability!"

After all these years, I still haven't been able to fix the book "Physics". Maybe I set the bar too high, but it's too difficult to do. I'm stuck in mid-air and can't get down to earth!
in this way,

We absolutely cannot let envoys from other countries leave prematurely!

The emperor stroked his mustache, first agreeing with Cao Teng's words, then turning his head to think of the Confucian scholars in the Central Plains.

That's something that can truly sustain three generations with just one book.

"I only hope they can bring back some good things from the Western Sea to dilute the turbid currents in the Central Plains."

Finally,

The emperor simply said it calmly.

He composed himself and resumed dealing with government affairs.

Midway through the journey, a palace maid came to report that Consort Yu was pregnant again.

The emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"She's pregnant? I just hope it's a prince this time!"

Consort Yu,
They were concubines selected from respectable families by special order of the emperor.

Her background seemed extremely humble compared to the daughters of noble families in the harem, yet her body was much stronger and healthier than those of the noble ladies.

The emperor's eldest daughter was born to her and has survived to this day.

Unlike other women in the harem, who might not be able to give birth even if they were pregnant, and might not be able to raise their children successfully even if they did.

"All my efforts have truly been worthwhile!"

Reflecting on the past year's hard work, the emperor expressed his lingering fear to Cao Teng.

Loves beautiful women

This is human nature.

During the Former Han Dynasty,

Faced with Emperor Cheng's prolonged childlessness, some ministers, growing increasingly anxious for him, even submitted a memorial pointing at the emperor's face and cursing him:
"As emperor, it is my responsibility to pass on the bloodline!"

"Therefore, Your Majesty should disregard beauty or ugliness, and regardless of status, dedicate your body and energy to the sake of our ancestors and the nation, and strive to give birth to a child!"

"Even palace maids and widows with children outside the palace are good as long as they can bear children for the royal family!"

Emperor Cheng felt that his ministers were treating him like cattle for breeding, so he slammed his fist on the table and scolded them before turning around and embracing the Zhao sisters.

He truly disregarded the fate of the nation for the sake of a beautiful woman.

But Liu Bao couldn't be that carefree.

His personal motives in this regard were even stronger than those of Emperor He.

After learning of his health condition, Emperor He immediately summoned Liu Hu to Luoyang and placed him in the palace to prepare for his recovery.

Liu Bao has yet to summon any eligible members of the imperial clan to the capital.

to this end,

He'd rather suffer a little hardship and toil himself!

Upon hearing the emperor's words,

Liang Na, who rushed over to offer her congratulations, couldn't help but feel downcast and touched her belly.

But this was only a fleeting action.

She quickly regained her smile and told the emperor about the matter of ensuring Consort Yu's safe pregnancy.

The emperor was increasingly pleased and eventually bestowed rewards upon Cao Teng and his son Cao Song.

He said:
“You have returned today with such good news; you deserve a reward!”

Cao Teng also couldn't stop smiling.

He glanced at his son, expressing his gratitude for the emperor's favor, "This reward should be taken home and enshrined."

"Who knows, maybe in the future we'll be blessed by the heavens and that Cao Song will also be able to produce a seed of good fortune."

Perhaps it was because he was raised by a eunuch.

People inevitably pointed fingers at Cao Song and said inappropriate things, which made the young Cao Song have some concept of marriage and having children.

His face flushed red again, and he became shy and awkward.

He Bo, who witnessed this scene, burst into laughter.

He said to Ying Quliang, "This reminds me of your father's story."

"It's a pity it wasn't a jade pendant; otherwise, it would have looked even more like one!"

Duke Xiao of Qin was completely confused.

He was living a carefree and happy life in the underworld just moments before.
As soon as God heard that Cao Teng had brought his son to the capital to meet the emperor, he took him to his side and witnessed everything that had happened before...

Surely we can't expect the former ruler of Qin to offer blessings to the unborn next generation of the Han dynasty, can we?
"So what does that mean?" Duke Xiao asked directly.

But God simply waved his hand and said, "You'll find out later."

However, judging from the situation of the Murong in Liaodong and the Song Kingdom in Xihai, it is possible that certain people and events will not happen.

"The Qin dynasty is gone, why should I care about what happens after that?"

Duke Xiao was even more confused.

Fortunately, he had a carefree attitude similar to that of the Liu family and did not get caught up in God's mysterious words and deeds.

After touring the Luoyang Imperial Palace and admiring the Liu family's grand mansion,

Duke Xiao then turned and left.

Because God suddenly mentioned his father, Duke Xian of Qin, Duke Xiao, Ying Quliang, who had been dead for a long time and whose ancestral temples and state had been in decline for many years and who had become somewhat estranged from the world, suddenly felt a long-lost sense of filial piety.

He felt somewhat ashamed.
Having become a dead ghost, one can enjoy the blessings and happiness of the underworld.
My father, however, lies buried underground in Guanzhong. His tomb, abandoned for centuries after the Qin dynasty withdrew from the Central Plains, has become a mound overgrown with withered grass and old trees.

That's really unfilial!

then,

At the command of their ancestor in the underworld, the First Emperor and the Great Ancestor of Western Qin rolled up their sleeves and hurried to the tomb of Duke Xian to carry out a spring outing and tomb sweeping activity.

When I saw the old tree, weathered and worn, on my father's grave...
Duke Xiao of Qin couldn't help but chuckle, recalling the tree that the Han emperor had planted himself.

"These girls are much better looking than those in the Luoyang Palace!"

(End of this chapter)