Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 588 Early Death

"...Is this the afterlife?"

Guided by our ancestors,
Liu Bao arrived in Haoli.

He has already gone through the process of the underworld, and based on his merits in life, he has obtained a mansion in Haoli, where housing prices are soaring.

but,

He did not immediately begin to enjoy his posthumous life.

He asked reluctantly, "Is it really impossible to ask the gods and spirits to bless my son with good health and a long and worry-free life?"

His ancestors told him:
"Emperors are involved in far too many things."

"Ordinary people's wishes for good health and their hopes of meeting a good man can also be answered by the gods and spirits."

"But emperors cannot."

Because of his personality and achievements in governing, Liu Bao, who was posthumously honored as "Emperor Shun" by his subjects, could only sigh, "I originally thought that a monarch had everything and would be more favored by Heaven than ordinary people."

Who knew that in these aspects, they received even less favor than the common people.

His ancestors comforted him, saying, "Being born into an imperial family and enjoying power above all others, without having to worry about food and clothing, is already a blessing from heaven."

But heaven and earth are always fair.

Having gained many benefits, one must naturally pay many prices.

There's no such thing as everything going perfectly.

If one enjoys the prestige of an emperor but is unwilling to shoulder the responsibilities of one, and only indulges in one's own selfish desires...

Emperor Cheng of the Former Han Dynasty and Emperor An of the Present Han Dynasty are prime examples of such despicable rulers who ate meat.

"From this perspective, perhaps being born into a wealthy family and living as an ordinary person is not so bad."

Liu Bao thought:
At least like this,

He could be close to his loving elders; there was no need for him to take on the responsibility of maintaining the ancestral temples and the state at the age of ten.

Sun En, who was passing by, heard his words but shook his head and said:
"When you haven't experienced something before, you can't help but feel a sense of unrealistic beauty about it."

Those in power, tired of infighting, will yearn to retreat to the countryside.
After indulging in too much meat and alcohol, one will crave light porridge and side dishes to cleanse the palate.

However, the former did not consider that the countryside is not only filled with leisurely pastoral songs, but also with the troubles of daily necessities.

After eating two bland meals, the latter would grow tired of their tastelessness and crave the stimulation of meat and alcohol.

Do you know what life is like for ordinary people under the rule of the Han Dynasty?

Sun En asked Liu Bao this question.

Liu Bao didn't know who the old man passing by was, and his ancestors' attitude towards him was also quite strange.
However, he responded with the name Heshun, which was in accordance with his posthumous title, and shook his head, saying, "I was born in the deep palace and raised outside the palace in my childhood, but I have only ever seen the markets and streets of Luoyang."

Sun En then said, "Then when I have time later, I'll ask the underworld for permission to go and see the four corners of the human world."

The Central Plains are vast.

The population is large.

On this land, there are countless things that can happen in a single day.

Even just explaining the current situation in the area to Liu Bao would take a considerable amount of time.

Sun En was just passing by.
There was no need for him to strain his old legs and speak his heart to the Han emperor.

Subsequently,

The old man then left with his hands behind his back.

Liu Bao looked at his ancestor with suspicion and asked the old man about his identity.

Emperor He replied helplessly, "This is the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Duke Wen of Yan, who founded the Yan state."

Liu Bao's eyes widened in surprise. He was first astonished that such a "great thief" who had vied with Emperor Guangwu for the throne could live a carefree life in the underworld. Then he couldn't help but ask:
"Was the lifespan of the Han Dynasty really related to him?"

Because of Sun En's background,
This made the Han emperor quite wary of Taoist priests.

After the emperors died young one after another,

There are even rumors that the Taiping Dao, which had once opposed the Han Dynasty, secretly cursed it!
Sun En held such remarks in utter contempt.
God chuckled from the side, "Rather than saying the Taoist priest cast a curse, it's more accurate to say that Xiu'er has prematurely absorbed all the blessings of her descendants!"

He was turned into a ghost after inhaling it.
They were capable of "cursing" their great-grandson Emperor An to death with a single sentence.

Isn't that even more outrageous?
Thinking of this, Emperor Guangwu did not answer his descendants' questions, but simply waved his hand, telling them not to be curious anymore.

Let's settle down first!

But Liu Bao still did not go to his tomb.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked his ancestors, "I want to see my children who died young. What should I do?"

Since he cannot bring blessings to his children in the mortal world, he should at least express his feelings as a father to the children in the underworld.

Upon hearing his words, Emperor He also thought of his own child who had died young, and thus agreed.

He had been there several times and was very familiar with the roads there.

then,

The two Han emperors arrived at the carefree land that God had specially set up for children who died young.

Guided by his bloodline, Liu Bao found his child in this paradise.

The frail baby, who hadn't even survived a hundred days in life, was now fast asleep in his crib, his chubby face pressed into a soft mass by the pillow.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bao couldn't help but shed tears, holding the child tightly and refusing to let go.

He called out the name he had given his child, but there was no response.

Emperor He asked him, "What do the children of the Land of No Worries know?"

"It's nothing more than eating, playing, sleeping, and then eating again after waking up..."

Until one enters the cycle of reincarnation again in a dream.

"What will become of these children?"

Put the child back in the crib.

Looking at the other children laughing and playing not far away, Liu Bao had a new question.

"I'm not sure about this either."

The cycle of reincarnation in the underworld is quite complex.

Perhaps because being human involves both sorrow and joy, the act of "being reborn as a human" can be seen as both a punishment and a reward.

corresponding,
The same principle applies to being reborn as a beast or bird.

To walk and run in the deep forests and plains far from the hustle and bustle of the world, even to chase the clouds and waves.

For some dead ghosts who have had enough of the mundane details of life, it is also a very peculiar experience.

Liu Bao looked around and finally sighed, saying:
"No matter what, as long as there is peace in the world, we can continue to be happy."

But will the world truly be peaceful in the future?
Liu Bao recalled Sun En's earlier words and his two-year-old successor, and slowly fell silent.

He could only hope that,
Empress Dowager Liang Na, who ruled as regent, was able to inherit her husband's ambition and protect the Han dynasty, just like Empress Deng Sui.

……

"You must take good care of this child."

"Don't let anything happen to him."

The world of the living,

Having changed her identity and attire, Liang Na looked at the sleeping little emperor in Consort Yu's arms and whispered some instructions to her.

"When His Majesty turns five and becomes stronger... I will be grateful to you."

The Han Chinese system often honored the principal wife.

Therefore, when the young emperor ascended the throne, only Empress Dowager Liang Na was able to rule as regent, while Consort Yu could not receive any additional honor.

In the past, Emperor Zhang sat on the throne.
His birth mother was still alive, but she only respected Empress Ma, Emperor Ming's wife, and relied on the Ma family, her maternal relatives, without giving any rewards or promotions to her own maternal family.

After all, for the Han emperor,
The empress is the mother of the nation with equal status to the emperor, and is second only to the emperor in power, able to mobilize ministers and the army.

The concubines in the harem, apart from those they truly loved, were merely byproducts in the process of procreation.

This is why Emperor Zhang completely ignored Empress Dou's attack on the birth mother of the princes.
It was Dou's actions that aroused the dissatisfaction of the first emperor of the Han Dynasty.

After all,

The Liang and Song families posed no threat to the Dou family.

As a result, the latter still refused to let them go.

Now that the young Emperor Liu Bing has ascended the throne, the reign title has been changed to Yongxi.

As the most noble woman in the world,
Liang Na was willing to give the emperor's birth mother the respect and preferential treatment, allowing Lady Yu to share the honor of "Empress Dowager" with her.

This is something that has never happened before.

Yu was naturally moved, and holding the child, she vowed that she would raise him well.

Empress Dowager Liang Na, on the other hand, had to devote more energy to familiarizing herself with court politics. She did not possess the intelligence and talent of Empress Dowager Deng, nor did she have the steadfastness of her predecessors.

Even when the late emperor was alive, and he took the initiative to discuss matters of the court with her, she would mostly let it go in one ear and out the other, wanting only to be a relaxed and happy empress under the emperor's protection.

but now,
She must take responsibility!

She needs to learn to handle government affairs that she is unfamiliar with before.
One must carefully consider whether the courtiers, dressed in fine clothes, are being sincere or feigning.

We must keep our eyes wide open and our spirits high, searching through countless memorials commenting on current affairs to find correct suggestions that benefit the country without causing immediate upheaval in the court.

She truly had no time left to care for the young emperor.

Fortunately, Lady Yu, the emperor's birth mother, was someone she could trust.

then,

In the first year of Yongxi,

When Empress Dowager Liang first came to power, she followed the example of Empress Dowager Deng and implemented a policy of frugality.

Liang Na doesn't yet know how to manage others.
But she can manage herself first.

As a result, her brother Liang Ji frowned upon hearing his sister's first order after taking office.

He disliked the Deng family.

After all, their fate was so tragic, who would want to follow in their footsteps?

Before this, the Liang family had already endured a lot of suffering. Why couldn't they live a more carefree life after becoming a formally powerful maternal relative?

frugal?

Holiday my ass!
Nowadays, who in the government and among the people is willing to be frugal?

In other words, the late emperor kept a close eye on things and imposed restrictions, which prevented corruption and ostentatious displays of wealth from being made public.

Now there's a little emperor, too young to even speak clearly.
After years of painstakingly hiding their true nature, why would carnivores want to keep their fangs hidden any longer?

"You're really asking for trouble!"

Liang Ji hummed in his mansion.

When he heard about his sister's meaningful promise to Consort Yu, he became even more furious.

For Liang Na,

This demonstrates her sincerity in standing firmly on the same side as Consort Yu.

Even if the two widows might fight for power in the future,
But the most important task is to ensure the safety of the two-year-old emperor.

But for Liang Ji,

If the Yu family is given the opportunity to climb the social ladder, they will share the benefits of the Liang family as relatives of the emperor.

That's all the food.
If one person eats too much, the others will get less.

Moreover, in terms of power,
Everyone wants to seize power and become the undisputed leader.

then,

Liang Ji then secretly sought out a eunuch he knew in the palace.

When his father, Liang Shang, was alive, he was indeed honest and dutiful, content to be a mere decorative figure in the imperial court.

However, due to his understanding that his wealth and status all stemmed from the emperor, and his concern for the daughters in the palace,
Liang Shang had dealings with some eunuchs in the imperial palace.

He didn't do anything shady.
He simply gave the eunuchs some money, asking them not to speak ill of him or his daughter to the emperor.

During the reign of Emperor Shun,

Judging from the way those eunuchs dared to falsely accuse Cao Teng of "deposing and installing the emperor,"
These rootless people are indeed capable of doing such things.

As a result, Liang Ji forged deep friendships with certain people.

……

"Liang Na is still a bit naive."

Upon learning of Liang Ji's actions, Deng Sui shook his head helplessly.

She cared about Liu Bao, her grandson with whom she had no blood relation, and naturally she would also know something about Liang Na.

Liang Shang, who had already died, once said that his daughter was gentle and had no dark thoughts. It was beyond his father's expectations that she was able to defeat a series of rivals in the harem and become Emperor Shun's empress.

otherwise,

He wouldn't stoop so low as to befriend eunuchs whom his self-proclaimed upright colleagues despised, just to find out about his daughter's movements in the palace.

therefore,

When Liang Na came to power and, in order to implement a policy of frugality, reduced the salaries of palace eunuchs and servants, but did not replace the palace servants around the young emperor and Consort Yu, only allowing those she trusted to be near them,
She had foreseen some things.

"She imitated my behavior, and I never thought she would even copy my mistakes!"

The untimely death of Emperor Liu Long was a wound that Deng Sui could never heal.

Even if one learns this from ghosts or spirits after death,

Liu Long did indeed die of typhoid fever.

She often blamed herself for not arranging for someone dedicated and considerate to take care of the emperor's orphans.

Such a small child,

Even the slightest bump or bruise could lead to a life-threatening situation.

therefore,

It would be far too easy to cause an accident to a toddler who is born weak and can't even walk steadily by the age of three!
No need for poison.
No assassination is needed.
All you need to do is send some careless palace servants over.

All that's needed is for the little emperor's food and supplies to be prepared without the usual warm and simple fare.
All you need to do is take the little emperor out to bask in the sun and replenish his vital energy, then let him encounter some things he's afraid of...

Everything will fall into place naturally.

then,

When the two mothers prepared for Liu Bing's third birthday, celebrating that he had outlived Emperor Shang of Han, Liu Long, and that he was expected to grow up,

Liu Bing suddenly sneezed, looking like he had caught a chill.

A fire was immediately lit inside for warmth.

The flickering flames reflected on the young emperor's face, making him glow red.

My body feels a little cold.
The outside of my body is getting hot again.

The young emperor cried out that he was in pain, and soon fell seriously ill and died.

The two royal widows wept bitterly.

But the wind is invisible, and the coolness cannot be touched.

No trace

They couldn't imagine what was going on inside.
Their gentle nature also prevented them from acting as decisively as Empress Dowager Deng when the palace servants around them were crying and grieving. Instead of killing the innocent, they would replace the entire group of palace servants.

……

Why would he do that?

Seeing that the white banners used to summon the young emperor's soul on the seventh day after his death had not been removed, and that Liang Ji had gone directly into the palace to persuade his sister to select a new emperor from among the imperial clan, Emperor Shun, Liu Bao, held Liu Bing in his arms, his expression still showing lingering hatred.

"Hasn't he enjoyed enough power yet?"

When Empress Dowager Liang was in power, in addition to promoting ministers she had trusted during her lifetime who had made sufficient contributions, she also relied heavily on the Liang family.

The turmoil in the court made her lose her judgment, and she was unwilling to govern recklessly and ruin the foundation laid by the late emperor. The safest way was to trust her family.

Appointing relatives of the emperor

This is also an ancestral system of the Han Dynasty, and it has its own reasons.

Thus, Liang Ji, who had already become a Grand General, gained even more power.

Liu Bao really couldn't understand his actions.

Does he want to usurp the throne like Wang Mang?
He Bo, who was standing next to him, told him, "Human hearts are unpredictable."

"Perhaps he only wants to be a unique and powerful minister and relative of the emperor, and doesn't care at all who becomes emperor?"

Emperor Shun was still furious. "Without an emperor, how can he be a maternal relative?"

"How could he be such a bad family member!"

He Bo then laughed, “This kind of power struggle among relatives is common in ordinary people.”

"The mess of people and things involved is beyond your imagination."

"If you want to understand what Liang Ji is thinking, you should listen to Sun En and go to the countryside to see more of what's going on."

Although many similar events that could serve as lessons and inspire wisdom have long been turned into various anecdotes by God and the dead, and included in "A New Account of Tales of the World,"
But no matter how much reasoning is given, it's useless.
Things teach people, but only once.

Emperor Shun was then taken away by He Bo.
The son in his arms, his sickly expression gone, was curiously playing with the little toys that his father had received from his elders when he was a child.

(End of this chapter)