Sky Curtain: The Overlord Charges into Battle, Shocking Emperors of All Dynasties

Calm rivers cannot nurture brilliant civilizations.

The Yellow River, as the mother river of Chinese civilization, has struck the Central Plains for five thousand years, and no dynasty has been able to escape its influence.

[No, there seems to be one dynasty that never experienced Yellow River floods, and that was the Southern Song Dynasty.]

[From ancient times, the Yellow River has been a part of the history of striking the Central Plains.]

In Egypt, the Nile is actually called the Great River, or even a god, not the Mother River.

Perhaps the ancients had no other choice but to call the Yellow River their mother, hoping it would be calm for a while.

[But Huang He responded: Child? What child? I don't have any children. Go talk to me about elbow strikes. If you want to be my child, you'd better survive first.]

From the time of Yu the Great's flood control efforts to the breaching of the Suxu Pass in 602 BC, which marked the first major change in the Yellow River's course, it continued to change course and relentlessly disrupt the Central Plains.

The Yellow River has breached its banks more than 1500 times in the past three thousand years, averaging one breach every two years.

[It has undergone six major course changes, each of which brought severe disasters to the flooded areas.]

The Yellow River changed its course at least once in almost every dynasty, except for the Eastern Han and Tang dynasties, and also the Southern Song dynasty.

Since Wang Jing of the Eastern Han Dynasty regulated the Yellow River, it has remained unchanged for a rare millennium.

Although flooding does occur frequently, compared to diversion, flooding is truly a gentle caress.

"Brother Zhongtong, you've made something of yourself! You've accomplished something remarkable!"

"I never expected that Brother Zhongtong's river management skills were so superb. There has been no major flood in a thousand years. I'm afraid future generations will really have to worship Brother Zhongtong as a river god."

The court officials showered Wang Jing with praise.

This is the first person in this dynasty, besides His Majesty the Emperor, to ascend to the heavens and be remembered by posterity.

This will truly be remembered for eternity and go down in history!

"Brother Wang, do you need any help in managing the Yellow River?"

"Don't listen to him. My home is on the other side of the Yellow River. I know the Yellow River very well. Brother Wang, you must take me with you. I really want to ascend to the heavens... no, no, I really want to make a contribution to the people!"

Liu Zhuang looked at the crowd surrounding Wang Jing in the court and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Ahem, alright, alright, don't make things too difficult for Wang Qing!"

"By my decree, a banquet will be held in the palace to celebrate Minister Wang's victory!"

During the Zhenguan period,

"I never imagined that my Great Tang Dynasty would be free from large-scale river disasters!"

Li Shimin was quite surprised. More than 800 years had passed since Wang Jing controlled the river, and he never expected it to still be effective.

"Indeed, the Tang Dynasty I established is the most beloved child of Mother Yellow River!"

Li Shimin's minor slip of the tongue went unnoticed by his ministers; that was their prevailing opinion anyway.

The fact that the Yellow River did not change its course during the nearly three hundred years of the Tang Dynasty was truly beyond their expectations.

Compared to other dynasties, the Tang Dynasty was actually quite fortunate.

"Wang Zhongtong truly performed countless meritorious deeds!!"

"Yes, the Yellow River has remained peaceful for thousands of years, and Wang Zhongtong deserves much credit for that!"

During the Tang Dynasty, Wang Jing was simply regarded as a capable official in charge of water management, and was considered an ordinary water management official.

This is also true among the common people, who believe that the Yellow River's stability for eight hundred years was due to the work of Yu the Great.

Wang Jing, however, remains unknown to most.

"Wang Jing's work in controlling the Yellow River was truly remarkable!"

"I intend to establish two shrines to Wang Jing at the site of his river management, one in Xingyang and the other at the mouth of the Qiancheng River. What do you all think?"

Li Shimin spoke, ostensibly seeking the opinions of his ministers, but everyone could hear the unquestionable authority in his words.

"This is a good thing!!"

"That's right, Your Majesty, we have no objections!"

"Your Majesty is wise!!"

If the Yellow River had remained calm and still after changing its course, the disasters it caused wouldn't have been so great.

[Starting with the breach at Shanghu during the Northern Song Dynasty, the Yellow River began to meander across the North China Plain.]

In the second year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yellow River changed course and flowed into the sea via the Huai River. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, especially the Ming Dynasty, the Yellow River constantly changed its course within the tributaries of the Huai River, resulting in an extremely chaotic river channel, which could be considered a major threat to the Ming Dynasty.

[Until the Qing Dynasty, the Yellow River once again diverted into the Daqing River and flowed into the Bohai Sea. For the next seven hundred years, the river course remained the same.]

[It can only be said that the Yellow River will punish every dynasty that fails to maintain its water systems. Whoever fails to properly manage water resources will be taught a lesson by the Yellow River: what true maternal love is.]

[Actually, I was just joking. Even proper water conservancy work can be hampered!]

We call the Yellow River our Mother River simply because we're completely defeated and have no other choice but to call it "Mom."

[Huang He: You're even calling for your mother to save your life? Eat my elbow first!]

To this, every dynasty could only say one thing: Mother, love me, don't kick me.

"We're completely convinced! We're truly convinced!"

"My goodness, Mother River, please stop dragging us down, we can hardly survive anymore."

The people south of the Yellow River are heartbroken and on the verge of tears. Who knows if another major course relocation will happen now?

Even if it's not a major detour, a small detour would be too much for a dam to withstand!

But if you want to escape, where can you escape to?

Are you going to the area near the Yangtze River?

If the Yellow River is like a mother who occasionally gives a sharp nudge, then the Yangtze River is like a father who usually keeps quiet.

When they strike, it's with overwhelming force; no one can escape their wrath.

At least the Yellow River elbow strike leaves a few survivors, but the Yangtze River strike leaves no one alive.

So now you understand why Mount Tai is considered the foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains—it single-handedly blocked countless blows from the Yellow River.

Mount Tai: I am the foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains, and shall suppress all enemies in the world.

[And why is Mount Tai said to be the entrance to the underworld, the place where the souls of the dead report?]

[It's possible that during each major flood of the Yellow River, the people who drowned were carried downstream and eventually accumulated at the foot of Mount Tai.]

Of course, the Yellow River has been a constant source of resistance in the Central Plains for thousands of years. Has no one ever resisted?

[No, of course there are, and quite a few!]

[Similar to the Three Changes in the Yellow River's Course during the Northern Song Dynasty, there were multiple attempts to artificially divert the Yellow River's course.]

[But the inhuman actions of the following two individuals are the real blow to the Yellow River.]

In the second year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song Dynasty, Du Chong breached the Yellow River dike and attempted to block the Jin army by elbowing the river. The Yellow River eventually flowed into the Huai River and then into the sea, flooding large areas of eastern Henan, southwestern Shandong, and northern Anhui. Countless people drowned and were displaced. Du Chong himself surrendered to the Jin Dynasty the following year.

[Coincidentally, in modern times, the old bald man breached the Huayuankou dike, again to stop enemy troops, causing flooding in eastern Henan, southwestern Shandong, and northern Anhui, displacing countless people.]

Ah, how can such a person exist?

Is it really human to blow up the Yellow River dike?

In their efforts to stop the enemy, they truly didn't treat the people along the river as human beings.

People in many dynasties simply couldn't believe that such a divine being could exist.

From this perspective, the people of Xuzhou were truly in dire straits.

They might not know Du Chong from some dynasties, but they were very familiar with that bald man.

So, it's really not surprising that the bald guy lost.

You've turned Xuzhou into this mess, how can it not become your final resting place?