Diqin Designer

Chapter 312: Rain and Wind Blow Away (End of the Three Kingdoms)

Li Nian smiled and said, "Simas did these things, which made the Jin Dynasty unjust and led to many problems. For example, the scholars in Jin Dynasty became confused and didn't know what they should believe in and pursue. So they took Wushisan, indulged themselves wildly, and pinned their hopes on some illusory things."

"It was during this period that Buddhism was able to develop rapidly in China."

"As for the fate of the Sima family, after the fall of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, they were exterminated by Emperor Wu of Song, Liu Yu. The one who first created the burial mounds will have no descendants. The Sima family deserves this fate!"

Meng Tian was satisfied only after hearing that the Sima clan was exterminated by Emperor Wu of Song, Liu Yu.

He would be unhappy only if Sima had a happy ending.

However, the First Emperor discovered another blind spot from Li Nian's words.

"Emperor Wu of Song Liu Yu", why is this guy surnamed Liu? Could he be related to Liu Ji?

The First Emperor asked tentatively: "Who is Emperor Wu of Song, Liu Yu?"

Li Nian understood the Emperor's intention in asking this question and replied with a smile, "Liu Yu, also known by his courtesy name Deyu and nickname Ji Nu, was an outstanding politician, reformer, and military strategist from the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties. He was the founding monarch of the Liu Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. He claimed to be the 22nd generation grandson of Liu Jiao, the King of Chu and the younger brother of Pei Gong."

Fortunately, fortunately, he is not the direct descendant of Liu Ji...

What a fart!

Even if they are not direct descendants of Liu Ji, they are still related to Liu Ji.

The First Emperor didn't know how to describe his current mood. He felt that future history was shrouded in the shadow of Liu Ji. This guy was still alive and well, and from time to time someone would come out to do something for him.

Why haven’t we seen anyone in later generations come out to represent the Qin Dynasty and him?
Did the Qin Dynasty perish so completely?
The First Emperor couldn't help but think about how to make the Qin Dynasty deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and achieve the same success as Liu Ji's Han Dynasty.

No, he wants to be better than Liu Ji!

Seeing that the First Emperor was silent, Li Nian knew that this extremely competitive emperor must be thinking that he was not as good as Emperor Gaozu of Han, and that his Qin Dynasty was not as good as the Han Dynasty.

So, how to defeat the big man?

But this is a good thing, as it can make use of the First Emperor's own competitive spirit to restrain him and prevent him from becoming the First Emperor in history again.

Li Nian continued: "It was only after Cao Pi usurped the Han Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor that the Eastern Han Dynasty officially perished and the world entered the Three Kingdoms era."

"This is also the reason why Cao Cao was attributed to the Eastern Han Dynasty instead of the Three Kingdoms period."

"After Cao Pi became emperor, Liu Bei, who had already taken Yizhou, which was Shu County, thought that Emperor Xian of Han had been killed by Cao Wei, so he held a funeral for Emperor Xian of Han in Shu and posthumously named him 'Emperor Xiaomin'."

Meng Tian laughed and said, "I'm afraid Emperor Xian of Han didn't expect that he was still alive and well, but he had become a dead man in Liu Bei's eyes."

"I think Liu Bei or his subordinates did this on purpose. Otherwise, how could they not have heard the news of the emperor's death? And without waiting for the news to be confirmed, they announced the emperor's death and gave him a posthumous title?"

"I think this is to make it easier for Liu Bei to become emperor. If Emperor Xian of Han was still alive, even if he was usurped by Cao Pi, Liu Bei would not be able to become emperor legitimately."

Li Nian did not refute Meng Tian's conjecture, and said, "General Meng's words are indeed possible."

"In the second year of Huangchu, which is the first year of Zhangwu, on the Bingwu day of the fourth month, Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor at Wudan Mountain in Chengdu. The country's name was still 'Han', and it was known in history as Shu Han. 'Zhangwu' was the first reign title of Shu Han."

"In July of the first year of Zhangwu, Liu Bei sent troops to attack the Eastern Wu in the name of revenge for Guan Yu, but was defeated by Lu Xun of the Eastern Wu and suffered heavy casualties. Although the number of troops lost was not as large as in the novel, the elite troops of Shu Han were lost."

"If this battle had not been fought, it might have been easier for Prime Minister Zhuge to lead the Northern Expedition later on, but it was impossible not to fight. Emperor Liu was known for his loyalty and righteousness, so it was impossible for him to let go of his vengeance on Guan Yu."

"Some people in later generations believed that the Shu Han group was able to come together because of 'loyalty and righteousness'. If this was discarded, people's hearts would be scattered."

To illustrate how serious the consequences of losing people's hearts are, let alone other things, the Qin Dynasty in history is a living example. Even the old Qin people themselves did not support the Qin Dynasty. It would be strange if it did not end.

"After the defeat, Liu Bei returned to the Baidi City and fell seriously ill. In March of the third year of Zhangwu, Liu Bei entrusted his son to the care of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang. It was at this time that Liu Bei said to Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, 'If he is not talented, you can take it yourself.'"

"Liu Bei also told the crown prince Liu Chan to treat Prime Minister Zhuge as his father, and warned Liu Chan to 'do not do evil even if it is small, and do not refrain from doing good even if it is small.'"

"On the 24th day of the fourth month of summer, Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han, who had been traveling around the country since he was 24 and achieved great success only when he was nearly 50, died of illness at the age of 63."

At this point, the story of Liu Huangshu ends here, and the rest of the journey of Shu Han should be walked by the prime minister and A Dou.

Upon hearing that Uncle Liu's life had ended like this, the First Emperor and the other two were silent for a while.

Liu Bei was not a very capable and heroic ruler, but he was very unique, especially in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, an era when cannibalism was rampant and the princes did not take human life seriously.

The First Emperor said: "The posthumous title of 'Zhaolie' is used because it describes his virtue and ambition, and it can truly summarize his life."

Li Nian said: "People in later generations also think so, and think that the posthumous title of 'Zhaolie' means that his virtue is bright and his ambition is strong. It's a pity that Emperor Liu's wish to revive the Han Dynasty was not fulfilled in the end!"

What if it is achieved?

That would be the most remarkable historical achievement in the entire ancient history of human civilization so far, and the value of Pei Gong would skyrocket again.

The First Emperor asked, "You also feel sorry for Shu Han?"

Li Nian said: "I also want to see Shu Han continue the glory of the Han Dynasty. After all, that is the Han, the origin of the name of the nation I am from."

"Han is called Han because Pei Gong was named King of Han. Pei Gong was named King of Han because there was a river called Hanshui in his fiefdom. The river was called Hanshui because the Milky Way in the sky was called Han. The river resembled the Milky Way."

"So, the Han people are a nation that came from the stars, and our journey should be in the sea of ​​stars!"

Hearing Li Nian's words, the First Emperor couldn't help but laugh and said, "Then you will be disappointed. In this world, the Chinese people will no longer be called 'Han people'."

His Great Qin will replace the Han Dynasty in history, and the term "Qin people" will also replace "Han people".

Li Nian smiled and said, "The Qin people and the Han people are both Chinese. They are both acceptable! Sun Quan became emperor eight years after Liu Bei became emperor and named his country Wu. The Three Kingdoms fully emerged at this time."

"The Three Kingdoms divided the world into three parts, and they were not on good terms with each other. Cao Wei was the strongest, followed by Sun Wu and Shu Han. Although Shu Han was weak, it had the ambition to march north, and was determined to make the Han Dynasty great again and return to Chang'an, the old capital of the Han Dynasty." "Therefore, even though he was not as strong as Cao Wei, Prime Minister Zhuge still launched several northern expeditions, but each time he failed for various reasons, which made people sigh."

"It was also during the Northern Expedition that Sima Yi faced off against Prime Minister Zhuge. It was only in the novel that he was portrayed as Prime Minister Zhuge's nemesis. In the novel, his wisdom was only slightly inferior to that of the Prime Minister."

"It was also during the Northern Expedition that Prime Minister Zhuge died of illness, which inspired the great poet to write, 'Death before the mission is accomplished, always makes heroes shed tears.'"

He did what he knew was difficult and continued to serve loyally until his death. No wonder later emperors hoped to have ministers like Zhuge Liang.

"Although Prime Minister Zhuge failed in the Northern Expedition, it does not mean that his military ability is not good. It is just that he is somewhat inferior to the top military strategists."

"Moreover, Prime Minister Zhuge is a man of many talents. He is involved in domestic affairs, foreign affairs, military affairs, literature, and inventions. When he leads the army to war, he has the demeanor of a great general. When he governs the local areas, he has the talent of a prime minister."

"When Prime Minister Zhuge ruled Shu, although he did not make the people of Shu very wealthy, Shu was superior to Cao Wei and Sun Wu in terms of public security and legal fairness. The people of Shu in later generations all respected him very much. Even in my time, the Wuhou Temple was always visited by people."

"Some people even brought soil from Chang'an to the Wuhou Temple, as if they were talking to the prime minister across time: Prime Minister, we have brought you the Chang'an soil that you have been thinking about all your life!"

After hearing this, the First Emperor and the other two were silent. They knew that Zhuge Liang was highly respected by later generations, but they did not expect that he would be respected to such a degree.

"Many of Prime Minister Zhuge's actions have influenced later generations. For example, he encouraged farmers to rest their soldiers in Hanzhong and built additional water conservancy projects that are still used in later generations and irrigate many acres of land. He also quelled the rebellion of the Yi people in Shu and promoted the development of ethnic minorities, making them an inseparable part of China."

"In the historical novel, this part is also written into an interesting story called 'Seven Captures of Meng Huo', which says that Prime Minister Zhuge once captured and released the Yi leader Meng Huo seven times in order to make the Yi people submit."

"Later, Meng Huo was truly convinced by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang and never started a rebellion again in his life. He rose to the position of Chief Censor in Shu Han."

"The relationship between Prime Minister Zhuge and Liu Chan was also very good."

"Liu Chan was not a great leader. In later generations, if we talk about a person who cannot be supported to become a talent, there is a saying that goes 'Adou who cannot be supported'. Adou is Liu Chan's nickname."

"Of course, although Liu Chan was not a heroic ruler, he was not a tyrannical ruler either. He treated Prime Minister Zhuge Liang just as Liu Bei had entrusted him to do. He treated him like a father and called him 'Prime Minister Father'. He never doubted Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's loyalty and tried his best to follow Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's instructions in everything."

The word "Prime Minister" made the First Emperor raise his eyebrows slightly. Although the word was not quite the same as the one he remembered, it still reminded him of some unpleasant memories.

The First Emperor did not ask questions like "Liu Chan trusts Zhuge Liang so much, isn't he afraid that Zhuge Liang will usurp power?" because history has already given the answer.

If there was no trust, how could there be the later story of Prime Minister Zhuge's loyalty?
"Even after Prime Minister Zhuge died of illness, Liu Chan continued to act according to the strategies left by Prime Minister Zhuge, allowing Shu Han to continue to exist for nearly 30 years."

"Many people in later generations regretted that Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital" was not long enough to pave a further path for Liu Chan."

The First Emperor then asked, "What is the Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital?"

Li Nian said, "Those are the two memorials that Prime Minister Zhuge left for Liu Chan when he led his army to the north. They analyzed the situation in the world for Liu Chan, taught him to 'be close to wise ministers and stay away from villains', and told him what talents Shu Han could use. Liu Chan's use of people was basically in line with the 'Departure to the Imperial Academy'!"

The First Emperor said, "So Liu Chan used up all the talents in the "Book of Departure" and couldn't find new ones, so Shu Han couldn't survive?"

Li Nian shook his head and said, "The reason why Shu Han couldn't hold on is not only because of the loss of talent. Shu Han is the weakest of the three. It is rare that it can hold on for so many years."

"Liu Chan trusted Prime Minister Zhuge, and Prime Minister Zhuge did not disappoint Liu Chan's trust. Although he held great power, he never had the intention of betraying his master and instead worked hard for Shu Han."

"The prime minister died of illness at Wuzhangyuan when he was fifty-three years old. He left the hermitage at the age of twenty-six and assisted two generations of kings of Shu Han for a total of twenty-seven years."

"Many people believe that the prime minister died of illness because he worked too hard for many years. This is in line with his words in "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital", 'I will devote my soul to the cause and will not stop until my death'!"

The First Emperor sighed and said, "What a great saying: 'Devote all your energy to the cause, and never stop until your death'. Zhuge is truly a loyal minister!"

Li Nian said: "In order to commemorate the prime minister's contribution, people in the Northern and Southern Dynasties built the Wuhou Temple. In fact, the Zhaolie Emperor's temple and the Wuhou Temple were in the same place. Later, the Zhaolie Temple and the Wuhou Temple were combined together, and then it became that many people knew about the Wuhou Temple, but did not know that the Zhaolie Temple was also there."

The fact that the minister's reputation is better than that of the monarch is enough to show how outstanding this minister is. But Liu Bei would probably not care about these things. It was because he invited Zhuge Liang to come out of seclusion that this period of history came into being.

Of course, he was the only one who could invite Zhuge Liang to come out of seclusion, and the two of them, the monarch and his subject, got along well with each other and composed a historical story that will be passed down through the ages.

However, the dancing pavilions and singing stages were always washed away by the wind and rain, and the late Han Dynasty, which once had heroes and heroes vividly remembered, has now entered its twilight.

The "adoptive father-stabbing" Wenhou Lu Bu is dead, the wife-loving Cao Cao is dead, the loyal and righteous Liu Huangshu is dead, Zhuge is also dead, and only Sun Quan is still alive...

Li Nian said: "The situation of Sun Wu is different from that of Shu Han. After becoming emperor, although Sun Quan still has ambitions for the world, he is more concerned about internal stability. As long as he can protect Dongwu's one acre and three points of land, he will not force it if he cannot unify the world. As a result, Sun Wu has serious internal strife!"

"On the yiwei day of the fourth month of the first year of Shenfeng, Sun Quan passed away at the age of seventy-one. He reigned for twenty-four years. He was posthumously named the Great Emperor and his temple name was Taizu."

Wait, it seems like something strange has been added. What does the posthumous title "The Great Emperor" mean?
Was this the posthumous title that Sun Quan specifically asked his successor to give him before his death, or did the successor of Sun Wu do it on purpose?

Hearing the question from the First Emperor, Li Nian smiled and said, "I don't know why this posthumous title was given. Not only me, but also historians of later generations have not figured out the reason for this posthumous title and can only guess. But the posthumous title of 'Great Emperor', I think from the literal meaning, Sun Quan is not worthy of the title of Great Emperor!"

Every great emperor should be a top-notch person who dominates an era. Although Sun Quan is also a top-notch person, his achievements did not dominate an era, and he was not the top-notch person in his time.

"Because Sun Quan watched the internal strife in the Eastern Wu, and may even have added fuel to the fire, he left the Eastern Wu with many problems, making the Eastern Wu the second strongest of the three kingdoms. However, it was still unable to resist the trend and was eventually destroyed by the Western Jin Dynasty under the Sima clan."

"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms begins with the statement, 'After a long period of division, there will be unification; after a long period of unification, there will be division.' From the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the princes fought for power, to the three factions of Cao, Liu and Sun, everything finally converged into the great river of Jin."

When the three families returned to the Jin Dynasty, an era came to an end, and the stories of the heroes of that era also came to an end.

But Li Nian hadn't finished speaking yet. He said, "I like the stories and characters of the Three Kingdoms, but I don't like the era of the Three Kingdoms. 'It is better to be a dog in peace than a man in chaos.' Behind the stories of the great figures of the Three Kingdoms are the bones of the sons and daughters of China. Cao Cao once said in a poem:"

"Lice grow on armor, and all the people die."

"White bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no rooster crow for thousands of miles."

"If one person out of a hundred dies, the thought of him breaking one's heart."

"The poem is good, but he is also the one who caused this scene!"

(End of this chapter)