Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 612 The Storm Has Arrived
finally,
Shi Daoren still tried every means possible, exploiting loopholes in the laws of the underworld, and found a former emperor of the Han Dynasty who could appear in a dream to Emperor Liu Hong—

Please ask God to answer Liu Hong's questions.
Naturally it is impossible.

Ghosts and spirits rarely interfere in the affairs of these meat-eaters.
Moreover, the emperor's every word and action can affect the very existence of the entire country.

However, it is permissible for deceased ancestors to appear in dreams of their descendants and tell them certain things, according to the laws of the underworld.
However, there are certain limitations regarding the clarity of the dream and the recipient of the message.

To have a clear dream so that the words of our ancestors will linger in the minds of future generations for a longer time, requires consuming a great deal of good karma.

Even if one wants to send a message to one's descendants in a dream outside of designated special times such as the seventh day after death or the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, it still requires expending good karma.

Moreover, the higher the status of the descendants and the greater their influence on the national political situation, the higher and more stringent the requirements for receiving messages in dreams will become.

in addition,

You also need to find a deceased ancestor who is willing to cooperate, go to the underworld of Fengdu, and endure the pressure from those impartial judges to complete the application process.

Leaving aside the ancestors of other families...
In any case, most of the former emperors of the Han dynasty were unwilling to meet Liu Hong.

They are now,

I'm just waiting for this kid to die so I can give him a good beating!

In the later years of his reign, Emperor Huan of Han (Liu Zhi) neglected state affairs and indulged in pleasure, becoming engrossed in the game of "ministers fighting crickets." However, he still had some concern for matters of state.

At least he knew he couldn't go too far and let the Han Dynasty's foundation crumble in his hands.

But what about Liu Hong?

This kid's series of actions have practically let all the local forces in the Han Dynasty go free!

Once the other party has paid, they stop caring about it.

This person is incredibly principled and has a very strong bottom line when it comes to doing business!
in this way,

Why waste energy sending him dreams?
Why not just summon his soul, curse him to die soon, and make him kneel before his ancestors to repent!
then,

After all the trouble Shi Daoren went through, the only one who was willing to appear in Liu Hong's dream was his nominal father, Emperor Huan of Han, Liu Zhi.

This person has not yet been reincarnated and has been lingering in the underworld ever since, being criticized again and again by various ancestors, and is holding back a bellyful of anger waiting to be vented.

therefore,

When he saw Liu Hong in his dream, he didn't gently answer his questions, but instead cursed at him, helping Liu Hong prepare for life after death.

Liu Hong reigned as emperor for more than ten years.
Although their power is not as great as that of their ancestors, they are not submissive puppets.
How can one tolerate being insulted so harshly by a dead man?
He immediately roared and lunged at his father, staging a scene of "filial piety between father and son".

the next day,
Having spent a tense night, Shi Daoren, still somewhat tired, came to the palace to see the emperor, wanting to see the results of Emperor Huan's teaching of his child the previous night.

The emperor, equally exhausted, did not tell him the details, but simply shook his head angrily and waved his sleeve, saying:
"How dare that kind of guy say such things to me!"

"Just wait and see!"

Shi Daoren then became curious about what Emperor Huan had said.

unfortunately,

The more one gets involved in such disputes,
The more they distance themselves from ghosts and spirits, the more they avoid getting tainted by worldly karma.

Zhang Jiao, determined to accomplish great things, still held the nine-section staff representing the Great Teacher of the Central Plains in his hand even before his full uprising.
But the response from ghosts and gods to him was already negligible.

Only when God has nothing better to do will Hefei travel along the mountains and rivers to see this young man.

As for Shi Daoren...

Although he wasn't a great and wise teacher, the influence of his words was far less powerful than that of direct action.

But those who were meant to drift apart still drifted apart.

This time, in order to achieve my goal,
In order to satisfy the emperor's demands,
He had exhausted his previous savings.

When they descend to the underworld, they will no longer receive any special treatment because of their status as Taoist priests.

Fortunately,

The emperor eventually rallied.

The emperor felt deeply humiliated by the harsh rebuke from Emperor Huan.

In the days that followed, he finally devoted most of his wisdom and ability to governing the country, attempting to prove the truth that "a son is not worthy of his father."

The officials were naturally shocked by this.

Some loyal ministers even shed tears, believing that the Liu family's destiny could continue for several more generations thanks to this resurgence.

As for the thriving Western Sea Song Kingdom?
Humph,
Anyway, it's far away.
Just pretend you can't see it!
The aristocratic families were quite pleased to see this.

As a large family that has existed for hundreds of years, they have always been agile and versatile.

If chaos truly arrives...
They would never put all their eggs in one basket.
It is necessary to invest in multiple areas and in various places to ensure the continuity of the family business.

The secret to the prosperity of a small family lies in "gathering".
The secret to the prosperity of a large family lies in "dispersal"!
Among the selected betting targets, the "Han Dynasty" naturally accounted for the largest proportion.

After all, it has been passed down for four hundred years.
Furthermore, with the blessing of prophecies and apocryphal texts,

In some people's minds, the Han dynasty did indeed possess the Mandate of Heaven, and the descendants of the Liu family were born to rule the central country.

Those powerful clans that arbitrarily built small kingdoms in their territories also understood:
The reason they were able to obtain so many benefits in a reasonable, legal, and compliant manner, squeezing the lives of the people until they bled and wept, was because the rule of the Han Dynasty provided them with corresponding conveniences.

Just like those black mines and kilns in Yuyang County that would arrest people and force them to sell themselves into slavery.

Without greater support or greater shelter,

How can weeds grow so vigorously under the shade of a tree?

therefore,

The Han dynasty was able to continue to exist.

The aristocratic families would naturally be delighted.

If the Han dynasty held out until the very end
Only a little bit of breath was left.

Only one piece of skin remained.

It transformed into the Zhou emperor of the Spring and Autumn period, who nominally still commanded the feudal lords but was in reality preoccupied with his own survival.

That would make the aristocratic families clap their hands and laugh heartily.

Spring and Autumn were a good time!

The rites and music had not completely collapsed.
The battles between the feudal lords still retained traces of refined manners.

Even though the Zhou emperor had no jurisdiction over lands beyond Chengzhou, he could still enjoy a decent life.

The feudal lords and high-ranking officials could rise directly to power in the court based on their bloodline, without needing to acquire much knowledge or accumulate many merits.

Those talented scholars from humble backgrounds could only rely on the patronage of influential people to serve them...

That was truly an era of unbridled prosperity for aristocratic families.

"You're so good at thinking?"

God was slightly surprised to discover this secret ideology, and then decided to grant the wishes of these scions of noble families.

He said to Ximen Bao:
"Make a note of these people's names, and arrange for them to be reincarnated in Japan or the West."

"By the way, we can keep some memories so that the program effect is not good enough."

Isn't it because we miss the vibrant scenery of the Spring and Autumn Period?

Then I'll send you to experience it for yourselves!
Hopefully, by then,
Just don't act like the man who loved dragons but was terrified of them!

correct!

The western region has been affected by the climate in recent years.

Whether it was the Huns or the Germanic barbarians, they all accelerated their migration westward to the prosperous lands pioneered by the gentry of the Chinese and the old farmers of Rome.

They wanted to escape the cold and also wanted to plunder the wealth there.

The Western states, impacted by the crisis, followed the example of their predecessors who were first granted fiefdoms in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, and began to relocate their capitals.

Unable to hold on,
It's definitely unbearable.

The cold not only harmed the nomadic barbarians, but also caused great pain to the civilized gentlemen of the West.

Even though the State of Song fulfilled its responsibilities as the "Son of Heaven" by sending troops from the Northern Commandery to strike at the barbarians, it was too late to help them in their immediate predicament.

Obviously,
Those aristocratic families who longed for the "Spring and Autumn Period" found themselves in a lot of turmoil when they arrived in the West.

"I know," Ximen Bao replied.

Let the dead retain some of their memories before they are reincarnated.

This is one of the systems of punishment in the underworld.

After all, only by suffering while fully conscious can one truly taste the bitterness of "retribution."

In order to better enforce punishment,

The knowledge the other person acquired in their previous life will be largely erased, leaving only the basic understanding of their past, so that they know the mistakes they made and why they ended up in such a state.

If one is unaware and unaware,

To be born into this world in a completely new form means that all past grievances are wiped clean, and all old acquaintances are gone forever.
The newcomer will then begin his own unique journey.

"I remember, Liu Zhi was subjected to this kind of punishment?" God picked up a bowl of soup and drank it, suddenly thinking of Emperor Huan.

"Yes."

Ximen Bao replied, "The date he set for his reincarnation is one year from now."

Another year has passed,
Emperor Huan of Han, who had both merits and demerits, but whose demerits ultimately outweighed his merits, was about to return to the mortal world.

So He Bo calculated, "A year later... if we wait until he grows up, wouldn't it be just in time for a chaotic world?"

There are many problems right now.

There are already signs of an outbreak.
Natural disasters and man-made calamities keep coming.

Internal and external troubles erupted at the same time.
How many miserable and wretched things will those newborn children, still crying and begging for affection in their parents' arms, see when they grow up?
"So what he said to Liu Hong was inevitably somewhat..."

Ximen Bao stroked his beard, momentarily unable to think of a word to describe Liu Zhi's tension, urgency, and anxiety.

In the end, he just sighed and shook his head.

Human nature is always like this.

When the knife doesn't fall on you,
They are indifferent to things that cause harm to others.

Although Emperor Huan always insisted that he had fulfilled his basic responsibilities as a monarch.
But the Han is, after all, an old car.

The frequent changes in leadership, the inconsistent and intermittent instructions, and the accumulated problems had already caused considerable wear and tear on the system.

The person who inherited the old car didn't know how to cherish and maintain it; he simply sat on it with his sleeves rolled up, eyes closed, letting it slowly glide down the slope.
How could there be a good outcome?

Now,

The old car drove up to a steep slope.
The grunting sounds grew louder.
The distance to the valley floor is getting closer and closer...

The trajectory of the times
Ultimately, it will take away everyone in this world.

Who can escape it?
God didn't delve into Ximen Dafu's sentiments; instead, He laughed heartily at Emperor Huan's filthy curses.

The laughter, when it reached the human world, turned into wind and rain.

During the Little Ice Age
The unusual and unpredictable summer rains suddenly swept across the Central Plains.

The river water rose as a result, violently pounding against the dikes on both banks.

Fortunately,

Wang Jing, the "King Yu" during the reign of Emperor Ming, was an outstanding craftsman.
The new dike he oversaw the construction of firmly restrained the raging river, preventing it from regaining its freedom and reverting to its former state of being a loving mother who would slay her children.

But the rivers in other places,

But they never received such confinement.

They surged out of their original course and flowed towards the low-lying areas in all directions.

The Zhang River flows around Julu and merges into the Daluze Marsh.

The Xiang River rippled and rushed into the Yunmeng Marsh, the waves it created shaking the nearby cities;

The Si River, the Fei River... and countless other rivers were freed from their constraints in this storm.

Small pebbles rolled down from the mountaintop.

A thin stream of water gushed out from the riverbed.

The accumulated soil is about to form a mountain.

Even a drop of water can form a deep pool.

Even though the great river that swept through the Former Han Dynasty under Wang Mang has now been replaced by a gentle and virtuous woman staying in the same place,

What good would it do?
The flood will still come.

……

"This rain is so annoying!"

It never comes when you need it, but it keeps coming back when you don't!

In Luoyang City,

The emperor, who had just finished dealing with a batch of government affairs, was also filled with anger by the wind and rain.

The doors and windows of the century-old palace creak and groan under the erosion of wind and rain.
The originally bright candlelight in the hall dimmed as the sound rang out.

"Go and close the doors and windows for me!"

"Go and make the candles burn even brighter for me!"

The emperor urged the palace servants, whose steps were tinged with haste in the sudden downpour.

The palace servants carried out the orders swiftly and efficiently.

The emperor, still seething with anger, lay down on the soft couch.

Zhang Rang, a trusted confidant, massaged the emperor's shoulders to help him relax and rejuvenate.

Everyone looked at the emperor, who had his brows furrowed and eyes closed, and dared not breathe too loudly.

Since the emperor adopted an unprecedentedly diligent approach to governance,

Has the situation in the Han Dynasty improved?

Those servants who lived deep within the palace were unaware of this.

But the emperor's temper grew increasingly aggravated by the burden of official documents, a fact he had personally experienced.

Like this,
Anyone who dares to say or do anything inappropriate,
The emperor would inevitably seize people and vent his anger by taking their lives.

Therefore, all the palace maids serving the emperor obeyed him.

When the sound of wind and rain outside subsided,

The emperor also fell into a deep sleep.
The palace servants tiptoed to open a few small windows to let out the damp heat and stuffiness that often lingered indoors after summer downpours.

As soon as his hand reached out, before he could even touch it, the palace door was forcefully pushed open from the outside.

Empress He strode in and went straight to the emperor's bedside.

The loud noise startled the emperor awake.

He opened his eyes and looked at Madam He with displeasure:
"What are you doing here again!"

Seeing the undisguised disgust in his eyes, Mrs. He immediately looked aggrieved.

"Consort Wang is about to give birth, and I only wish to tell Your Majesty this good news in person!"

"Why did it suddenly start?"

"Didn't they say we'd have to wait another two weeks?"

Upon hearing that it was one of his favorite concubines from the past year who had gotten into trouble, the emperor didn't bother to reprimand Lady He. He simply got up, straightened his robes, and prepared to visit Consort Wang Rong.

He Shi still felt wronged, having fallen behind the emperor. The thought of Wang Rong filled her with unbearable bitterness and resentment.

Before this woman appeared,
She was the emperor's most beloved woman.

to this end,

The emperor deposed the original Empress Song and installed her, the daughter of a butcher, in the position, and also promoted her brother to the rank of general.

This led Empress He to naively believe that she had won the heart of an emperor.

After all, among all the empresses of the Han Dynasty, she was the one with the humblest origins.

Empress Yan, the wife of Emperor An, was also a woman from a minor noble family.

When Yan's cart was traveling on the street, it was a presence that even the butcher He could not look up at.

But she still managed to outshine the noble-born Empress Song and even gave birth to a healthy eldest son for the emperor.

During those loving years,

Lady He was so engrossed in the emperor's favor that she was unwilling to open her eyes.

She only wished that such affection would never leave.

Until the arrival of the nobleman Wang Rong.

That seductive woman,
She captivated the emperor the moment she entered the palace and gained his favor.

In early winter last year, she became pregnant and was about to give birth to a new child for the emperor.

"Damn it!"

"Why did we let her end up like this, even though we forced her to take the medication?"

Empress He remained rooted to the spot, growing angrier with each passing thought, until a palace maid reminded her:
"His Majesty's carriage has already started moving."

Mrs. He then came to her senses and hurriedly followed.

(End of this chapter)