Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 589 Before the Mountain Collapse
At the strong insistence of his elder brother Liang Ji

Liang Na ultimately chose Liu Zuan, the eight-year-old son of Liu Hong, the Prince of Le'an, to succeed to the throne, rather than Liu Suan, the older and seemingly more reliable Prince of Qinghe.

Li Gu and other officials were deeply disappointed by the Empress Dowager's trust in her brother.

They attempted a final objection, pleading with the Empress Dowager about the Prince of Qinghe's dignified and prudent character, and the relationship between the Prince of Qinghe's faction and Emperor An:
"Emperor An was the son of Liu Qing, the Prince of Qinghe. He was adopted by Emperor He and thus succeeded to the throne."

"What problem is there in selecting from Qinghe again now?"

Liang Na was thus shaken again.

She is always wavering in her resolve and soft-hearted, always trying to make the safest choice so as not to make a mistake.

In raising Emperor Chong (Liu Bing), she had already wronged Emperor Shun.

But Liang Ji persuaded her.

What's the difference between the sons of the Prince of Qinghe and the Prince of Le'an?

Among Emperor Zhang's descendants, the one with the longest lineage is his eldest son Liu Kang, whom he always looked down upon and who was very low-key.

Liu Zuan was the great-grandson of Liu Kang, the Prince of Qiancheng.

Liu Suan was nominally from the Qinghe lineage, but the Qinghe King lineage, passed down by Liu Qing, only lasted for two generations.

His successor, Liu Huwei, died without a son, so Liu Kang adopted Liu Yanping, the third son of Liu Chong, the Prince of Le'an, as his heir.

Therefore, when discussing bloodlines,
There is no difference between the two.

On another note,
Liu De, who continued the lineage of Liu Sheng, the son of Emperor He, was also adopted from Liu Kang.

He also died childless, and Empress Dowager Deng arranged for Liu Yi to be his heir so that the ancestral temple could be maintained.

Emperor An, however, harbored resentment and not only deposed Liu Yi but also abolished the Pingyuan Kingdom, causing this branch of the royal family to die out after only two generations.

Other than that,

Liang Ji also said to his younger sister:
"The Prince of Qinghe is older and has already made his plans. Can he still sincerely acknowledge Emperor Shun as his father?"

Liang Na thus became resolute and no longer changed her mind about supporting Liu Zuan.

Li Gu and his ministers then privately grieved:
"The Empress Dowager trusts the Grand General, but Liang Ji is narrow-minded and greedy, and I fear he will bring chaos to the country!"

They are loyal and dedicated ministers.

Li Gu, for example, quelled a popular uprising in Jiangnan, making outstanding contributions.

In the last year of Emperor Shun's reign, he promoted him to the central government and appointed him to the important position of Grand Minister of Agriculture, which was in charge of money and storage.

He thus learned about the situation of the Han Dynasty.

It seems peaceful on the surface, but things are already quite unbearable behind the scenes.

But this surface is too flat

It was also the result of Emperor Shun's efforts to maintain the order amidst a series of natural and man-made disasters.

If those who come to power later lack a firm will, exceptional wisdom, and the responsibility to the nation and its people...

Then this century-old house in Jinhan will be quickly eroded by insects and ants, and will soon face the tragedy of collapse.

"Is it impossible for there to be another Deng family in the world?"

Upon seeing Liang Ji, who had become even more arrogant and domineering after supporting the new emperor, Li Gu could only visit the Shenling Mausoleum, where Emperor He and Deng Sui were buried together, to pay his respects, reminisce about the prosperity of the Yongyuan era, and remember the extremely virtuous Deng family relatives.

An unknown person passed by and, seeing the heartbroken old man Li Gu, shook his head and said:
"The fate of a good maternal relative is already clear; who would want to follow in their footsteps?"

Emperor An, who could abandon even his only son, had long since severed the unseen and untouchable, yet undeniably present, "political trust" between the emperor and his maternal relatives.

It's one thing for a criminal relative of the emperor to be punished with exile, but it's another.

Even someone as virtuous as Deng could end up like that.

Even when loyal and respected officials carried coffins and pleaded with Emperor An to rebury the unjustly killed Deng Zhi and others, they were met with a stern refusal…

in this way,

Which maternal relative would still be willing to work tirelessly for the Han dynasty for many years?

Either completely abandon it,

Either hold power firmly in your own hands and completely sideline the emperor!

Li Gu also understood how much influence the deeds of his predecessors would have on future generations.

After all, the Chinese were a people who loved to record history and learn from it.

But his loyalty to the Han dynasty prevented him from giving it much thought.

He was simply puzzled by the passerby's question: "This is the Emperor's mausoleum. What is your status that you dare to appear here?"

The matter of mourning at the tomb,
It's perfectly fine for a subject to do it.

But ordinary people cannot do that.

Deng Zhi did not answer him, but turned and walked into the desolate depths of the cemetery.

This is indeed true.

Deng Zhi only came to see the place where his sister was buried.

He rarely came to the human world, and seldom inquired about the happenings in the mortal realm from other dead ghosts.

So after hearing about Liang's situation,

Like Li Gu, I had a sudden inspiration and went to Shenling to reminisce about the past.

Now that we've seen the scenery...
It's time to return to the underworld.

Li Gu chased after him, even summoning several guards to watch over the tomb, but to no avail.

He assumed the other person had run away, and then he burst into tears and grief.
"In just two years, Shenling has fallen to the point where even vagrants can break in?"

Emperor Shun respected his grandmother and admired the "prosperity of the Yongyuan era" established by his grandfather.
Therefore, when he was in power

He issued several imperial edicts to repair Shenling Mausoleum and required the guards to be loyal to their duties and not let the people around them disturb the spirits of his grandparents in heaven.

As a result, when Emperor Shun died, Emperor Chong followed him in death.

Empress Dowager Liang, weary and suffering from typhoid fever due to the loss of this connection, was even somewhat powerless to govern the court.
Moreover, they send people to Shenling to sweep the tomb and pay respects regularly.
"This is how our ancestors' legacy has been squandered!"

When leaving,

Li Gu looked back towards Shenling and saw the wild grass and flowers growing there in the wind, and thought to himself.

but,

This has nothing to do with him anymore.

Under the torrent of the times,
Even a wise ruler cannot have his wishes fulfilled.

What about him, as a subject?

……

Why are there so many people praying to gods and Buddhas?

"Shouldn't our ancestors be the ones who can best protect us?"

Jizhou in Hebei Province, which is far from Luoyang,
Six-year-old Zhang Jiao was being taken by his parents to a temple near his hometown to worship the local gods and spirits.

It is said that He is the deity who governs the Zhang River, and has enjoyed hundreds of years of worship in this land.

Zhang Jiao's parents, grandparents, and even ancestors going back eighteen generations all burned wooden tablets filled with prayers in front of this ancient temple and lit incense and candles in the incense burner inside.

no way,
Who told him to grow up in Julu?
This equally ancient city was built on the west bank of the Zhang River.

Heading north, you can reach the vast continental marshland.

That place was also eroded and converged by the Zhang River and other rivers.

When the spring and summer sun shines brightly,
The water of Daluze, like the Zhangshui River, ripples with a beautiful luster.

In autumn and winter,
Although the water level will decrease, the fish in the water will remain vibrant, allowing the local people and birds flying from the north to the warmer south to fill their empty stomachs and replenish their strength.

However, Zhang Jiao never went there.

He was still very young and had never even seen the main channel of the Zhang River, let alone the Daluze, which required a long walk to reach.

Many of the above descriptions,
He heard it all from his father.

Zhang Jiao's father was a small merchant who frequently traveled around the area, buying and selling various things. As he accumulated some wealth, he also naturally gained a lot of knowledge.

When Zhang Jiao was still young...
He was often held in his father's arms by his father, who had drunk two cups of turbid wine, while the latter boasted about his experiences outside.

The way they pointed and gestured.

It seemed as if the entire world was beyond his control.

Speaking of the sand dunes a little to the east,

Zhang's father would then mention King Wuling of Zhao, who died here, and then speak animatedly about the love-hate relationship between Zhao's father and sons. He would also talk about Guangzong further east, across the Zhang River...
This would bring up the story of the first King Guangzong.

I heard he was from the Former Han Dynasty.
They finally received the emperor's favor and were granted a small territory to enjoy the prestige of a prince, but before they could enjoy it for more than a few years, it was destroyed by Wang Mang.

The Prince Guangzong, who shared the same name as Emperor Taizu of Han's most beloved son, fled westward in a fit of anger and settled in a faraway place.

The next news about him from the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains came when his descendants sent envoys to tell him about the Liu family establishing a kingdom in the Western Regions.

all in all,
He's a very amazing person.

They displayed extraordinary talent.

Zhang Jiao, with his small mind, simply couldn't understand how his father knew this story.

When they talked about their hometown, Julu, Zhang's father's tone became even more impressive.
When taking the children for a stroll in the suburbs, they would often point to a spot and say, "That's where Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, fought against the Qin army."

How many participated in the war, and how many died?

It's as if he was there during the massive free-for-all back then.

We've now arrived at a nearby temple.
Feeling quite learned, Mr. Zhang naturally began telling his wife and children related stories.

He spoke with great enthusiasm.

Zhang Jiao listened very attentively.

When the father's mouth was dry from talking, he took a sip of water to quench his thirst.
He then raised his little hand to ask a question:
"Did ghosts and gods really do so many things?"

"Does that mean any wish I make to him will come true?"

Mr. Zhang nodded affirmatively.

But in fact,

He didn't really understand the nature of ghosts and spirits.

What I just told my son was basically what I heard from other people when I was doing business.

But how can a father say "no" in front of his son?

So Zhang Jiao opened his mouth wide and exclaimed "Oh!" as he pondered what wish he should make to the gods and spirits later.

I haven't decided on the result yet.
The child's thoughts were interrupted by a burst of laughter.

The Zhang family of three looked in the direction of the laughter and found two elderly men passing by.

They had long, white beards, wore Taoist robes, and had the air of sages.

Mr. Zhang was somewhat intimidated by this man who looked very knowledgeable.

Because in the current world situation,

People who are "well-read and naturally elegant" usually come from prestigious families.

This is not something that ordinary people can access.

Fortunately, the two elderly men did not show any hostility towards them and even apologized for their sudden appearance and overhearing their private conversation.

Zhang Jiao's parents naturally accepted it.

Subsequently,

The old man, who claimed to be surnamed Zhou, took out a piece of candy from his pocket, lured Zhang Jiao to his side, and began to tease the child.

Zhang Jiao, while sucking on a piece of candy, didn't stop talking and kept asking the old man curiously:
Why were you laughing just now?

"Isn't my father right?"

Zhang's father awkwardly rubbed his hands, thinking to himself that he would have to be more careful when bragging in front of his son in the future.

This time, if we cause such a scene in front of someone important, we're sure to lose face.

Zhang's mother was also very nervous, secretly pinching her husband's arm and complaining that he talked too much and caused trouble.

If you come here and immediately offer incense and pray to the gods, and then turn around and leave, where would you find this kind of pressure?

fortunately,

The two old men were consistent inside and out, and were not arrogant people.

The man surnamed Zhou said, "Although ghosts and gods are spiritual, they will not respond to everything."

Humans have their own way of doing things.
Heaven and earth have their own rules.

The role played by ghosts and spirits
It is similar to a gardener who takes care of plants and flowers.

Occasionally prune any overly invasive branches and water and fertilize as needed.

As for how deep the roots of plants and flowers penetrate...
The branches and leaves are lush and abundant, and the fragrance is rich and strong...

That's none of their business.

As long as it doesn't block out the sky,
Everything will naturally grow towards the sunlight.

Zhang Jiao asked in bewilderment, "But if wishes cannot be fulfilled, why do people worship ghosts and gods so much?"

The old man surnamed Sun said:
"Perhaps it's to seek inner peace."

Many things in life are as tangled as a ball of yarn, pulling on one thing and tripping over another.

Only spirits and deities can disregard everything else and resolve related issues through complete external intervention.

Moreover, in the mortal world...

There are just too many things used to distinguish between people.

The pain inflicted by carnivores as they devour flesh and blood is something the swallowed cannot tell others or seek help from. They can only pray to the gods and spirits, placing their hopes on the afterlife.

When the existing rules of the secular world collapse, morality also declines.
Faith then becomes the pillar that supports people's hearts.

This is a major reason why various religious sects have been able to survive for so long and have followers who believe in them.

Human beings need to use the concept of ghosts and gods to comfort themselves and to restrain those in power.

unfortunately,

Zhang Jiao was still young and not old enough to understand the mysteries involved.

He simply sucked on the candy, feeling a sense of disappointment towards ghosts and spirits.
If spirits and deities often merely sit on the altar as ornaments, listening to the prayers of believers, then fulfilling their wishes is entirely up to fate.
What should be done about the wishes he just listed?
He finally figured out what he wanted to eat and what he wanted to do!

Seeing his dejected appearance, Sun En stroked his beard and laughed.

He then said to the child:
"Furthermore, if ghosts and gods could truly grant people's wishes at will, all it would take is for mortals to kowtow enough and praise them more..."

"Then will you still be able to come here and see the River God in the Zhang River?"

A god who answers every call.

There will be no opportunity for ordinary people to worship and admire them.
They've long been surrounded by influential people who are now seeking wealth and prosperity for them!

Zhang Jiao still didn't quite understand when he heard him say that.

"Why not?"

"If ghosts and gods are so good, wouldn't it be more convenient and beneficial for everyone to share in their blessings?"

Zhou Jian did not answer his question, but turned to Sun En and said:
"Now I know why ghosts and spirits always like to play with children."

"Only this childlike heart is the most beautiful thing in the world."

Sun En continued to smile.

He asked Zhang Jiao's parents:
Does this child go to school?

Zhang's father said, "We have money at home, and we plan to give him his first education and then send him to learn some medical skills."

Born into a commoner family,

Even the phrase "from a poor family" doesn't qualify them for such a background.

Studying medicine is indeed a very good career path.

At least compared to vendors, they are more likely to gain respect from others.
When interacting with superiors, they also have more confidence to stand up straight.

"fair enough."

"We have done quite a bit of research in the field of medicine."

"If you have time, could you come and tutor your child?"

How could Zhang Jiao's parents refuse?

A teacher delivered to your door

This is an extremely rare thing in the world.

(End of this chapter)