Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 596 The Decline of Emperor Huan of Han
In the first year of the Yanxi era of the Han Dynasty,
This was the new era name adopted by the Han emperor after the execution of the powerful minister Liang Ji, to celebrate the true beginning of his rule.

In this brand new year,

The emperor, having tasted power for the first time, naturally did some things.

He rallied his spirits, straightened his back, and began handling state affairs in the court. He also promoted talented generals such as Duan Jiong, Zhang Huan, and Zhong Gao to defend against the frequent invasions and raids by barbarian tribes from all directions, taking advantage of the internal turmoil in the Central Plains, and to consolidate the Han Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions.
Internally, he suppressed the frequent local unrest one by one.

For a time, the Han Dynasty showed signs of stability and peace again, and the officials submitted memorials to praise the emperor's martial virtue.

With such praise, the emperor's motivation to become a wise ruler grew even stronger.

He even loosened his grip, reducing taxes for the people and ordering local prefectures and counties to borrow money and grain from powerful local figures for disaster relief.

As for why the government granaries weren't opened and the stored grain used for relief?
Humph,
The country has been delayed for so many years.
The imperial court is rotten to the core.
The area was completely rotten.
Not to mention the grain in the warehouse?
The giant rats had already devoured it completely!
The emperor was a very intelligent man.
He inherited the blood of the Liu family emperors and possessed an innate political acumen.

Through years of forbearance, he has observed too many people and learned too many things.

He knew how deeply entrenched powerful families were on the land of the Han Dynasty.

Too much fertile land has been seized by them.

Too many people have been captured by them.

As a result, the imperial court lacked funds and had to borrow money from them.

But that's okay,
The emperor was not in a hurry to repay the money.

If you borrow too much money,
The creditor will become the weaker party.

more importantly,
With the blessing of destiny,
No one in the world can force the emperor to repay his debts.

then,

Thanks to the generous donations from powerful families across the region, the disaster situation in the area has been somewhat alleviated.

With food in their mouths and their stomachs no longer empty, the people, who were usually gentle and tolerant, became peaceful with their previously fierce expressions.

The anger in his chest also dimmed and died down.

They no longer complained about the corruption and incompetence of the court, nor were they angry about the exorbitant taxes imposed on the people by the emperor.

Holding only half a bowl of mixed porridge, wrapped in thin clothes, he began to sing praises to the nobles.

That's just how people are.

I've been to many places.
Zhang Jiao, whose brows were etched with wrinkles from witnessing the coldness of the world and whose temples were frosted with age from years of hard work, said this.

As long as there is even a glimmer of hope in one's heart,
As long as those in power show even the slightest bit of goodwill,
They would not become fiercely violent, as described in the memorials submitted by officials sent to quell popular uprisings—a terrifying and brutal sight.

"Human nature is lazy."

"Who would risk their life unless they were driven to the brink?"

He Bo, who was with Zhou Jian and the others, was delivering medicinal herbs to the younger generation. He sat on the side watching Zhang Jiao give simple treatments to the disaster victims.

Zhou Jian fanned the flames from the side, brewing the medicinal liquid.

His beard was so long that it was touched several times by the flames that bounced out of the stove.

Fortunately, Zhou Jian is essentially a deadbeat, so he won't be hurt even if he dances in a fire.

So he wasn't flustered at all.
He stretched his old face and went close to the earthen stove where the medicine was being boiled, smelling the herbal aroma emanating from the pottery jar to determine whether the medicine's effects had been activated.

Naturally grown herbs, if you want them to have a nourishing effect on the body...
There are also very high requirements in terms of processing and boiling.

Zhou Jian heard God say:
"Just like in the previous cases, if no one steps forward, they will not know what they should do, and the initial achievements will eventually be stolen by others due to their laziness and contempt."

The uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang,
Isn't the scale of the event impressive enough?

But where were Chen Sheng and Wu Guang among those who later vied for power?

The uprisings of the Green Forest and Red Eyebrows during Wang Mang's chaotic reign were also a case in point.

"This is due to their lack of wisdom and composure."

"This does not negate their initial courage."

Zhang Jiao, taking advantage of God's protection, diagnosed and treated patients while uttering words that could not be heard by a fourth person—words that strongly suggested rebellion.
"As Professor Sun said, some things cannot be improved or perfected overnight."

educate,

It's a very long process.

The person who planted the trees back then may never see them flourish before they die.

Humans love to record history, yet they also have a tendency to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.
It can also create many unnecessary twists and turns in the process of ethnic and national development.

But as long as you don't give up, that's fine.

Just keep walking towards the sunlight.

On this long and arduous road,
Taiping Road should effectively serve as a "guide" to prevent disoriented and weary pedestrians from turning back.

Or it may stagnate and decay, remaining in place.

Things will get better in Xinxia.

Zhang Jiao said to He Bo, who was dispensing the medicine.

These few years,
The originally smooth Sui uprising took another turn.

When the former Xia dynasty was destroyed, the internal strife and turmoil that had occurred before reappeared among the former rebels who occupied a prefecture and established a state.

Too many once passionate and valiant warriors have fallen before the allure of wealth and beauty, transforming into the very carnivores they once despised.

of course,

Perhaps their hatred back then
More than anything, it's a resentment that they weren't in the position of the powerful, enjoying the same privileges and treatment.

This gave the Sui Dynasty court, which had been cornered, a chance to breathe. They even sent envoys from the mouth of the Ganges River all the way to the Western Song Dynasty to request their support.

Before this,

The Sui Dynasty naturally first sought out the Han Dynasty.
I hope that the Han army can, like it did two hundred years ago, generously send an expeditionary force to help stabilize the new Xia dynasty, traversing the Hexi Corridor, crossing the Western Regions, and passing through the Xingshan Pass.

However, the Western Regions were not peaceful at that time. The internal strife of the Han court for many years made the rulers of the oases restless. They wanted to enjoy this land surrounded by mountains and nourished by melting snow, just like Jiaonan had in the past.

Moreover, to reach the Western Regions from Xingshan, one must pass through the territory of the State of Qi.

This old rival will not stand by and watch the Sui Dynasty enjoy peace.

Although over the years,

As the state of Qi aged and its government became corrupt, it lost the desire and ability to expand and advance, and the entire country began to show signs of old age and decay.
Even so, taking advantage of the internal turmoil in the Sui Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty was unable to advance eastward, unify the entire new Xia Dynasty, and resolve the century-long dispute over "who is the real Xia."

But causing trouble for the Sui Kingdom is still no problem.

These numerous obstacles meant that the Sui envoy seeking help spent far too much time before successfully reaching Luoyang.

As a result, the Han Dynasty was no longer the same as it used to be.
The emperor was not the same Emperor Xuan of yesteryear.

He did the math and decisively rejected the Sui envoy's request.

Thus, the Sui envoy could only return to Xinxia dejectedly, just like the Qi envoy had done years before.

When the Sui emperor learned of this, he felt that since the emperor could not help him, he could not blame the Sui state for seeking refuge in other powerful states.

The Western Sea is still vying with the Central Plains for the Mandate of Heaven!

The State of Song was also happy to make this move, even though the losses from the long-distance campaign would inevitably be considerable.

But if one wants to prove that one is more deserving of the "Mandate of Heaven" than the Han Dynasty, to serve as the head of the various Xia peoples, and to establish one's own system within the known world,

How could there be no losses and sacrifices?
The position of "number one" has always been stained with blood.

There is never a smooth path to power, nor is there ever a mutually agreeable retreat.

To gain others' recognition as the Son of Heaven of the Chinese nation...
That requires demonstrating the emperor's magnanimity, ability, and courage to protect all Chinese states! The submission and tribute of Western countries were precisely because the Song Dynasty, separated by the ocean, could exert influence on Rome and the Germanic barbarians, thereby relieving the pressure on the former.
Although located at a crucial transportation hub connecting several continents, the area could generate substantial profits and significant influence simply by acting as a middleman and profiting from the price difference.

But all things considered, it's just the behavior of a businessman.

A businessman who only knows how to calculate money

There is no way to become the "Son of Heaven" and obtain the Mandate of Heaven.

"The Song Dynasty forged so many weapons and trained so many soldiers all for this day!"

When the Song emperor received the Sui envoy, he uttered only these words in a loud voice.

And now,
The Song army, through force, had compelled the Qi state to clear the way and entered the territory of the Sui state.

The forces, both internal and external, have joined together to suppress the various forces that are resisting the Sui Dynasty.

God could only shake his head and lament that the rebels had missed their best opportunity.

"Besides, the meat will rot in our own pot anyway."

"It wasn't snatched away by someone else!"

After boiling the medicine, Zhou Jian poured out the bitter liquid, walked over to He Bo, poured the herbs that He Bo had divided into portions into the jar, and began a new round of boiling.

"Weren't the Sindhu people driven away again?"

"They tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead!"

The Sui Dynasty was in turmoil.

The Sindhu people, who were tightly suppressed in the southern corner, had additional fantasies that they could take advantage of the situation and go there to take advantage of the situation.

They tried once or twice, and both times they met with disastrous results.

There were also the virtuous men of the Xia dynasty who, feeling unable to compete for hegemony in their homeland, decided to migrate to lower-level regions and crush their weaker rivals.

So they launched another attack southward, almost forcing the Sindhu people, who were crowded in the small southern region, to that island in the southeast corner.

"If all you know is how to attack internally, but you don't even have the courage to expand and conquer externally, then I'm afraid I won't be able to resist unleashing a great flood!"

When God heard Zhou Jian's words, he simply shook his head with his arms crossed.

Turn around,
He then posed a question to Zhang Jiao:
"If you really follow in Sun En's footsteps, which way would you run?"

"Liaodong has already been occupied by the Murong clan!"

We can't exactly head towards the plateau, can we?
Zhang Jiao was speechless.

He hasn't yet acted with the same high moral character as the Taiping Dao predecessors.
The situation in the Han Dynasty did not deteriorate to the level of the late Qin Dynasty or the Xin Dynasty.

But God was already planning for him to "travel thousands of miles".

Zhang Jiao really didn't want to reply, so he pretended not to have heard God's doubts, calmed his mind, and continued to treat the thin people in front of him.

Time passed as Zhang Jiao traveled around, healing the sick and spreading his teachings.

In the imperial court,
Even the emperor who held absolute power over the land felt genuinely weary from handling state affairs, and thus chose to lie down and give up.
After several years of hard work, he achieved some results, which slightly improved Da Han's condition.

If we could be as steadfast as our predecessors...
It is possible that the Han Dynasty could last for several decades, as long as the Wu Kingdom in Southeast Asia.

The latter, relying on the abundant water and heat of Southeast Asia, rich produce, and the surrounding ocean, lived the "small country with few people" life that Lao Tzu longed for, which has continued to this day.

This caused the ancestors in the underworld to praise the emperor and boast to the former ruler of Qin, "The bloodline of my Liu family is truly extraordinary!"

"The Mandate of Heaven cannot be transferred from the Central Plains to the Western Sea!"

I've never seen anyone encounter danger so often.
Will each of them be able to find a talented and wise ruler to lead them through the old and worn-out Han dynasty?
This can only be a manifestation of "destiny is in my hands"!

Unfortunately, facts have proven that...

People shouldn't be praised too much.

Having heard many praises from his ministers, the emperor felt the appreciation of his ancestors and was extremely satisfied with the achievements he had made during his years in power.

He therefore felt that he should relax and enjoy himself.

After all, in terms of personality, Liu Zhi is really not a resilient or tenacious person.

If there is strong external pressure
Liu Zhi would then use his intelligence to find a way to solve the problem.

But Liang Ji died,

External and internal troubles have been alleviated.

Why should he make things harder for himself?

It's time to "keep the music playing and keep dancing!"

His feelings for governing the country and being a wise ruler were as unbreakable and unshakable as his feelings for his favorite concubines in the harem.

When Liang Ji was alive,

The emperor greatly disliked Empress Liang Nuying and only adored the beauty Deng Mengnu.

For this beloved concubine

The emperor even lost his patience and clashed with Liang Ji several times.

When the late Emperor of Han saw this, he couldn't help but exclaim, "The Han family has produced another romantic hero!" He felt that after the two had weathered the storms together, their relationship would surely become even more harmonious, creating a beautiful story.

But after the emperor kills the Liang family and seizes power,

He then fell in love with the noblewoman, Lady Guo.
The fervent concern he expressed was exactly the same as when he treated Deng Mengnu back then.

right now,

His passion for politics shifted to music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and philosophical discussions.

The emperor summoned some of the most famous scholars, monks, and alchemists of the time to the palace to discuss refined matters, and even revealed his pursuit of longevity.

no way,
The fact that so many emperors in the Han Dynasty died young made him uneasy, and he felt that he, who was over thirty, was also in danger of an accident at any time.

We can't afford to be complacent!
But prolonging life is still prolonging life.

Enjoyment is enjoyment,
On the one hand, the emperor arranged for a large number of alchemists, monks, and even some Taoist disciples to pray for his own well-being and to concoct the legendary "elixir of immortality."
And like Wang Mang in his later years, he began to worship the Yellow Emperor, the Buddhist pagoda, and the Taoist Lao Tzu, among other deities.

On the other hand, he disregarded the advice of physicians and ministers and collected beauties on a large scale, to the point that his harem had five or six thousand women.

Ok,
After favoring Consort Guo for a period of time

The emperor lost interest in her again, and his gaze had already shifted to other beautiful women.

at the same time,

His trust in eunuchs led to the peak of eunuch interference in government affairs since the Han Dynasty.

His ancestors in the underworld were furious.

His boastful words to Ying Qin, which he had only recently made, have become an absolute joke because of his actions.

Fortunately, the late ruler of Qin was very cultured and comforted the Liu family, saying:
"Don't worry, we won't laugh."

After all,

It was as if he also realized he had told a joke.

The first ruler of Qin covered his mouth, making a "hissing" sound in an attempt to conceal his misunderstanding.

The early emperors of the Han Dynasty could only lament this.

Emperor Guangwu, reflecting on the hardships he had endured in establishing the Way of Peace and observing the activities of its descendants in the Central Plains, finally sighed and said:
"It rose to prominence because of this, and it perished because of this... What more can be said?"

(End of this chapter)