Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 591 Changes
In the first year of Jianhe of the Han Dynasty,
The young emperor Liu Zhi, whom Liang Ji regarded as a puppet, sat solemnly on the throne, remembering the lessons of his predecessor, and dared not say or do anything that revealed his true feelings.

To demonstrate his subservience to the powerful minister, Liu Zhi not only endured the tyranny of Empress Liang Nüying in the inner palace, but also issued an edict in the court to execute Li Gu, who was suspected of plotting to murder Emperor Zhi.

After watching the young emperor die before his eyes

Li Gu then wanted to expose Liang Ji's treasonous act of regicide.
Unfortunately, the inner palace and the outer court were largely controlled by Liang Ji. Not only did he fail, but Liang Ji also turned the tables on him and imprisoned him.

When the new emperor ascended the throne

None of them have issued an order to pardon his "sins".
This respected old minister, who had quelled peasant uprisings and pacified local areas for the Han Dynasty, was still imprisoned in a dark dungeon.

Even when someone mentioned him to the young emperor, they would only briefly mention his achievements and emphasize the story of how he had recommended Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe, to be emperor.

The emperor was therefore dissatisfied with Li Gu.
Under Liang Ji's tyrannical power, he was executed with a mixture of reluctance and coercion.

Li Gu's disciples and friends were unable to offer any assistance and could only bid him farewell with tears in their eyes.

Li Gu, also in shackles, said to them with tears streaming down his face:
"What is there to fear about death? There has never been anyone who is immortal."

"What I regret is that I have received the favor of the Han Dynasty and the promotion of Emperor Shun, but I am unable to assist the emperor to restore the prosperity of the Mingzhang and Yongyuan eras. I am also unable to drive out the evil beast in the court and can only watch it harm the virtuous and good people of the country and shake the Han Dynasty."

"To see Emperor Zhi die and be unable to save him is my disloyalty as a subject."

"To see beasts occupy prominent positions and use their power to harm the people, and to be unable to stop them, is my lack of humanity as a human being."

"Now, the only way to preserve the virtue of 'righteousness' is to sacrifice this old body and let it be slaughtered."

"After I die, if you see my descendants, tell them to bury me in a simple coffin in a barren place in my hometown, far away from my father's grave, so that my father's spirit in heaven will not see me, this unfaithful and unkind son, and thus add to my sin of 'filial impiety'."

Li Gu's three sons,
Because of his father, he was also hated by General Liang Ji.

The first two have already been captured and killed.
Only the thirteen-year-old son has fled and his whereabouts are unknown.

therefore,

Li Gu could only tell his last words to his friends.

His relatives and friends readily agreed, their tears flowing endlessly.

Subsequently,

Li Gu died after being tortured.

Liang Ji wanted to eliminate all traces of Li Gu, so he arrested his young son who had fled, as well as those who, like Li Gu, did not obey him. Therefore, he placed Li Gu's body on the streets of Luoyang, exposing it to the winter sun.

A cold wind blew by.

It made those who came and went shiver with cold.

The pale sun hung in the sky, devoid of any warmth.

During this period, the loyal and virtuous officials of the Han Dynasty slowly decayed under the watchful eyes of countless people.

Some people couldn't stand it anymore.

They stepped forward and covered Li Gu's face with hemp cloth, then wailed and wept.

Liang Ji decisively arrested him in order to consolidate his authority.

And at this moment,
The envoys who went to the Western Sea during the reign of Emperor Shun finally returned to Luoyang.

They rode wearily in their carriages, carrying the spoils from the State of Song, and gazed upon the walls and streets of Luoyang, their hearts filled with emotion.

On the way back,

They had naturally experienced a lot, heard about the change of the throne, and knew about the tyranny of General Liang Ji.

This caused the envoys some concern.

Before departure

They were still under the rule of Emperor Shun.
Even if disasters or corruption occurred in the Central Plains at that time, once the news was reported to the capital and reached the emperor's ears, the court would issue corresponding decrees and try to solve the problems.

Regardless of the outcome, let's leave that aside for now.
At least their attitude was correct; they did not evade or ignore the disaster, nor did they allow it to spread.

Therefore, when the envoys were in the State of Song,

Even if one is amazed and envious of the magnificent, robust, simple and powerful style that it has displayed so soon after its founding, one will not feel sad.

They are still very confident.

The prosperity of the Central Plains
The rule of the Han Dynasty by several wise rulers
Let them feel:
Although his own man had problems.

Although for a time it seemed that the State of Song was overtaking it,

But once they complete their studies and return home, they can serve the emperor and work diligently to govern the country for a period of time.
With its rich land and thriving population, the Central Plains was bound to maintain its status as the "Central Kingdom," preserve the crown of the emperor of all the kingdoms, and leave the State of Song only able to look up to it, daring not to have any more thoughts of usurpation.

However, the successive deaths of Emperor Shun, Emperor Chong, and Emperor Zhi made the Han court's actions extremely slow.

Under a system where the monarch rules the world,
The emperor is the core of a country.

The loss or neglect of core functions will naturally affect the operation of the imperial court.

When Emperor He and Emperor Shang died within a year of each other, the construction of their tombs resulted in empty treasuries and the people suffering from forced labor.

What's more, there's one more now.

It can be said,
During these three years, the quickest, most effective, and most skillful thing the court did was to wear mourning clothes and mourn the emperor and father, while also conveying the news of the new emperor's new reign title to officials and people in all directions.

Of course,
The envoys boarded ships and landed on land, returning to Luoyang from east to west, intending to report their harvest to the court.
He then saw many people who had been displaced by the disaster and the court's delayed relief efforts.

That bleak appearance, as if all color had faded and all hope had been lost, could move even the most hard-hearted person.

On their journey, they even heard about a rebellion somewhere and feared that the rebels might attack them.

If he hadn't died on his mission,

He did not die in the Western Sea, which was competing with the Central Plains.

However, after finally setting foot in the Central Plains, he was killed by bandits causing trouble in the vicinity.
That would be terrible!
As they approached Luoyang, the number of refugees decreased, while the number of wealthy families singing and dancing increased.

This, of course, did not make the returning envoys happy.

The rich feast on meat and wine alongside the dead bones on the roadside.
How could this possibly lead the envoys, who had just experienced the customs and culture of the Song Kingdom, to think that "our Great Han is invincible"?
"This is a sign of national crisis."

"Once we meet the Emperor, we must report back on everything we have seen and heard along the way, so as to warn the officials in the court!"

Having just entered Luoyang and not yet heard of the turmoil that had occurred a few days prior, the envoys, who were quite dissatisfied with Liang Ji but held high hopes for the new emperor Liu Zhi, said the following.

It wasn't until they found Li Gu's body on the bustling street that they learned of his movements over the past few days.

The leading envoy, who was also Zhang Heng's disciple, immediately knelt down and wept uncontrollably.

"How could a loyal minister be treated like this!"

"Luoyang is the center of the world, the capital of the Han Dynasty, yet it allows the corpses of its subjects to be exposed!"

"Is the Mandate of Heaven no longer hanging over the land of the Central Plains?"

Such cries attracted the attention of the people Liang Ji had arranged to keep watch nearby.

They were responsible for arresting those who attempted to collect Li Gu's body or mourn him.

but,

The envoy had received Emperor Shun's order and was also tasked with establishing friendly relations between the two countries, so he could not be thrown into prison immediately.

Liang Ji could only allow them to enter the palace first, meet with Empress Dowager Liang Na, and report on the situation in the Song state before taking any further action.

"Queen Mother!"

"How could the country have deteriorated to this state!"

When he saw Liang Na,
The messenger wept even more bitterly.

Before setting off, Liang Na had been nestled beside Emperor Shun, her expression one of feminine charm and ease, but now she had aged considerably.

Her hair lost its luster.
Lines appeared between her brows.
She was tainted with an aura of illness that wouldn't dissipate.

His eyes were dim, his spirits were low, and he would cough after saying just a few words.

Even upon seeing the envoy she had spoken of many times before, she showed no sign of excitement or enthusiasm. It was only upon hearing the envoy's sorrowful and indignant words that Empress Dowager Liang showed any additional reaction.

She was stunned at first, and then tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Empress Dowager Liang said with self-reproach:
"it's all my fault!"

“I have failed His Majesty’s trust, I have failed the ancestors of the Han Dynasty, I have failed to take good care of the children, I have failed to take good care of this family…”

Her lack of resolve
Her slackness,
This allows wicked people around us to take advantage of the situation and harm the country.
Even he himself lost his freedom.

The two wept together for a long time before finally stopping.

The envoy comforted the Empress Dowager, hoping she would cheer up and assist the young monarch in restoring order to the chaotic court.

But Liang Na had been through a lot of hardship and had become quite aware of her own abilities.

She was unable to fulfill the messenger's wishes.

Moreover, Liang Ji wouldn't give her that opportunity.

After all, the emperor was young, and the empress dowager ruled as regent, which was the ancestral system of the Han Dynasty.

Liang Ji was able to wield immense power in the court, even sidelining the Empress Dowager.
They simply took advantage of the Empress Dowager's grief and inability to extricate herself from her sorrow, placing people in the palace to cut off communication between the inside and outside, thus achieving this goal.

Thanks to the power grabs of Emperor He and Emperor Shun,

This made Liang Ji, a later figure, deeply aware of the appeal of monarchical law to his subjects, and the role that lowly people like eunuchs and palace servants could play.

This made him very strict in supervising the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

If it weren't for the fact that the envoy was sent to the Western Sea, which was far from the Central Plains, and that his task was something as trivial as compiling letters, it wouldn't have warranted any attention.

Liang Ji would not be lenient and allow Liang Na to see them.

"...I will have someone make arrangements for Li Sinong."

Finally,

Liang Na wiped her eyes and said to the messenger, who was filled with grief and indignation over the current state of the Han Dynasty, "Although I am subject to others in many matters, I am not so incapable of even collecting the remains of others."

She had been confined to the palace for many days and only learned of Li Gu's death today, and only then did she realize the tragic circumstances surrounding his passing.

This made Liang Na pull her clothes tighter around herself. After venting her emotions, her body, under the chill of winter, also felt weak and empty.

"I seem to always be like this."

"Without anyone telling me or asking me, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"He is not very bright either, and he can't even distinguish between the loyal and the wicked."

"I'm sorry, Da Han."

As the envoy was urged by his palace attendants to end his audience and leave the palace,
Liang Na lowered her head again and began to mutter to herself.

She watched the envoy leave, his figure swallowed by the cold sunlight, before slowly standing up and issuing the decree to have Li Gu buried.

"Go tell the general that if he has any humanity left, he should stop pressuring me!"

"The Liang family is a powerful maternal relative of the emperor. If I, the Empress Dowager, am gone, their position will not be secure!"

The palace servants who served her had no choice but to comply with her request.

Liang Ji knew the importance of the "Empress Dowager" to the Liang family, which is why he reluctantly gave up the idea of ​​continuing to hang Li Gu up to dry.

but,

Li Gu's youngest son still hasn't been captured.
It was his friends who took care of him and made arrangements for him.

When spring arrives,

Liang Ji still held absolute power.

The emperor remained silent.

Empress Dowager Liang still couldn't muster any enthusiasm.

But perhaps it was the vibrant energy of spring that touched her as winter turned to spring.
With the support of the palace servants, she rarely stepped out of the palace gates and came to the Imperial Garden to admire the newly sprouted buds and flowers.

When his gaze swept over the sapling he had planted with Emperor Shun...
Liang Na was overcome with grief again. She stroked the tree trunk and stood under the tender leaves that had not yet unfurled, reluctant to leave.

The spring breeze blows, and the branches and leaves rustle together, making a soft, rustling sound.

On that day,

She then relayed a message to Liang Ji:
"You have already taken control of the affairs of the court."

"Now I will manage the Imperial Academy and continue Emperor Shun's will in educating people. You must not stop me!"

Liang Ji agreed to this.

After all, no matter how well someone studies at the Imperial Academy, they still need his approval to embark on an official career.

That place claims to be cultivating talent for the nation.

But if you accumulate talent but don't use it, how can you be considered a talent?

"Let the Empress Dowager and the kids at the Imperial Academy do their thing!"

"I want to focus my energy on assisting in governing the country!"

Liang Ji said, puffing out his chest and showing his belly.

His brother Liang Buyi passed by and, seeing him in this state, sighed inwardly.

Thinking of my sister's rare moment of recovery these past two years,

He put away the resignation letter he had written in his pocket, intending to help his sister first before requesting to resign and retire to the mountains.

Regarding the actions of his elder brother Liang Ji,
He couldn't stand it either.

But like Liang Na,
Bound tightly to Liang's carriage, unable to break free, he could only hang in mid-air, suffering the torment of his conscience.

that's it,
In the spring of the second year of Jianhe,
The Empress Dowager ordered the renovation of the Imperial Academy, incorporating the academy established in the early Yuan Dynasty into it, restoring the educational system of the Shun Emperor's era, and also promoting those envoys who had been sent to the Song Dynasty to serve as teachers.

Some ministers disagreed with this.

Because the lecturers in the Imperial Academy were usually renowned Confucian scholars of the time, and there were no scholars specializing in the study of natural phenomena.

During his lifetime, Emperor Shun had only managed to ruin the Yuan Chu Academy to this extent.

Fortunately, Liang Ji played a rare advantage by forcefully suppressing all gossip, allowing Liang Na to feel the remaining authority of the Empress Dowager within the Imperial Academy.

Subsequently,

The Empress Dowager issued another decree, requiring the princes and ministers in Luoyang to send their eligible children, regardless of gender, to the Imperial Academy to learn the knowledge introduced from the Song Dynasty.

Criticism was still suppressed by Liang Ji.

Forced by his tyrannical power, the officials could only send their illegitimate sons to deal with this chaotic imperial edict that they had no choice but to obey.

"They're not happy even though they got a good deal."

"I'll fry you guys up next time, and you'll clear your heads."

He Bo, who had infiltrated the Imperial Academy, watched the minister who brought the child over with a rather unpleasant expression and muttered to himself.

After all,

He turned and walked deeper into the Imperial Academy.

There,

Several PhDs who had studied in the State of Song and acquired a more refined and systematic understanding of physics,

They were carefully carrying some saltpeter and sulfur indoors.

(End of this chapter)