Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 593 Transition
In the early spring of the fourth year of the Jianhe reign of the Han Dynasty,
Empress Dowager Liang Na, who had been depressed for a long time, finally fell ill and never recovered.

Those around her urged her to follow the doctor's advice and take the prescribed medication, but she refused.

"What's the point of someone like me still existing in this world?"

"After Emperor Chong left, I lost the joy of being human; after Emperor Zhi left, I lost the freedom of being human."

“My illness was destined to be incurable the year the current emperor ascended the throne. Last year, my body became swollen due to the disease, which made it even more difficult for me to move around, and I gradually stopped eating.”

Liang Na lay on her sickbed, looking pale and haggard.

She slowly covered her face with her hands, letting out the same sigh as Empress Ping of the Former Han Dynasty:
"How dare you face the Han people!"

just,

After the fall of the Former Han Dynasty, he was forced by his father, Wang Mang, but he still had the courage to burn himself to show his resolve.

She tolerated and retreated in the face of her brother Liang Ji's tyranny.

Fortunately, these days no longer have to continue.

After a few days,
Empress Dowager Liang died of illness. Before her death, she ordered that the administration of the state be returned to the emperor.

However, Liang Ji refused to accept the order and continued to control the government, which intensified the hidden discontent among others.

Liang Buyi stood up to criticize his elder brother, and was subsequently dismissed from his official post.

Liang Buyi was overwhelmed with shame and asked the emperor to reclaim the title and fiefdom he had received through the grace of his family. He then took his wife and children and went to live in seclusion in the south.

Some of the Dou family members in the underworld, seeing Liang Ji's monopolization of power, couldn't help but say:
"What this guy did was way more outrageous than what my family did when we were here!"

"If his fate is even better than my family's, I will die with regret!"

We must block the gate of Emperor He's tomb and curse him!
Some of the deceased who had lived through the Former Han Dynasty and witnessed the Wang family's dictatorship in Yuancheng also voiced their opinions upon hearing this:
"The imperial relatives of the Han Dynasty are truly getting worse with each generation!"

"The Wang family's wealth and status have continued for three generations, from grandfather to grandson."

"The Dou family's wealth and status were able to continue for many years, and they even had the achievement of having their name inscribed on Yanran Mountain."

"What does the Liang family have now?"

"Liang Ji not only failed to recommend virtuous people for the country or fight against barbarians, but he also drove away his virtuous brothers and couldn't even appease his sister, who was the Empress Dowager, and get her to work for the benefit of the Liang family."

"As a relative of the imperial family, it's one thing if they don't care about the Liu family's rule."

"As the elder of the clan, he was unwilling to even grant temporary wealth to his clansmen. Instead, he doted on his wife, surnamed Sun, and allowed the Sun family to fraudulently claim the wealth and honor that the court had arranged for the Liang family, his maternal relatives, and to promote them to official positions both inside and outside the court."

"How long can such a person maintain their wealth and status?"

"I don't know what kind of punishment I'll face after I die!"

Liang Ji was naturally unaware of the dead men's conversation.

He was only busy consolidating his position through other means after losing his sister, Empress Dowager Liang, who was the legitimate figurehead for seizing power.

then,

The emperor was forced to issue an edict, bestowing upon him rewards such as not having to hasten his arrival at court, being allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace, not having to use his name when receiving audiences, being granted a fief, and being granted the authority to handle affairs of the Ministry of Personnel.

During court assemblies, Liang Ji could sit alone, not among the other officials.

He was therefore very proud of himself, believing that this was the true meaning of being "second only to one person".

Upon returning home, his wife, Sun Shou, came to greet him and, relying on his favor, continued to ask Liang Ji to "reward and bestow titles upon the Sun family members."

Liang Ji agreed to everything and said to her, "Nothing in the world is unsatisfactory to you or me."

The Qi envoy who stopped in Luoyang, upon seeing his arrogance and domineering attitude, merely sneered and said:
"No wonder they ignored my king's pleas for help; it turns out the emperor's situation is no different from my king's!"

At present, Qi State

Although it hasn't deteriorated to the point of the Great Battle Royale that occurred before the Western Sea incident.
However, many local powers also rely on the barriers of mountains and rivers, the wealth of their estates, to carve out their own territories and usurp the title of ruler.

The King of Qi was sidelined and had no real power.
The former centralized power has vanished.

Even more saddening is that

After Lü Peng, the founding emperor of the present Qi dynasty, ascended the throne, he was deeply affected by the chaos within the royal family of the former Qi dynasty and imposed strict controls on his descendants. This led to a chaotic political situation, and among those who gained power in the provinces, very few people with the surname Lü and the surname Jiang were left behind.

With no one to rely on externally, the King of Qi could only retreat to Luocheng, a city modeled after Luoyang in the Central Plains, and live as a ruler of a city with its own fief.

Anyway,

It also replicated the classics of the Zhou Dynasty.

However, being the Zhou emperor also had its advantages.
At the very least, their territory was small and their power weak, insufficient to arouse the vigilance of others.

The two-hundred-year reign of the dynasty protected it, which made it difficult for local warlords to commit regicide and usurp the throne for a time.

King Qi was indeed incompetent,

Localities are indeed independent,

But once he is killed by treacherous officials, countless loyal ministers and sons of Jiang Qi will instantly emerge throughout Japan, waving the banner of avenging King Qi, and righteously annex his former power.

therefore,

Although he had been the city lord for decades
The only territory he had was also taken by local forces, who brought their swords to Luoyang many times. Who knows how much of Jiang Qi's accumulated essence over the past two hundred years was squeezed out of him?

However, the King of Qi was relatively accepting of the current situation.

At least the people who came and went in Luoyang didn't cause him any harm.

Moreover, in order to compete with their enemies, several feudal lords would occasionally come to offer King Qi treasures and gifts in order to gain a legal advantage.

Therefore, the King of Qi said to his ministers:
“You often use the story of the Zhou emperor to advise me to cheer up and revitalize the country.”

"However, you only know the suffering of the Zhou emperor, but unlike me, you do not know the joy of the Zhou emperor!"

The voice just fell,

Before the ministers could react,
King Qi clutched his stomach and burst into laughter, clearly overjoyed.

but,

His happiness didn't last long.

Just like the Nine Tripods of the Zhou Dynasty were eventually taken away by the Qin people.

Just as the throne of Western Qin was eventually usurped by others,
Local equilibrium cannot last forever.

There will always be powerful figures who step forward to inquire about the weight of the Nine Tripods and test the quality of the Imperial Seal.

King Qi could no longer laugh.

The Zhou emperor's dire debt situation was also replicated in him.
Even compared to the creditors surrounding the former,

Those who surround you with swords and knives are even more vicious and dangerous.

Without any choice,

The King of Qi could only send envoys to secretly seek help from the Central Plains.

Due to decades of turmoil in the State of Qi, its exchanges and interactions with the Central Plains have decreased significantly compared to the past.

Or,

The coastal vassal states maintained contact with the Central Plains.

King Qi, who lived alone in Luoyang, was unable to do so.

therefore,

In the King of Qi's heart
The Han Dynasty remained powerful, prosperous, and stable, a scene of great prosperity.

Then I recall that during the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Former Han Dynasty, he responded to the request of the Xin Xia and traveled thousands of miles to suppress the rebellious barbarians there.

King Qi felt that,

Japan is closer to the Central Plains, so it is unlikely to be refused.

As soon as they got closer, their beautiful fantasy shattered.

The loyal Qi envoy, imitating Shen Baoxu, cried and begged at the Han court, but before he could complete three days and three nights, the impatient Liang Ji ordered him to be thrown out.

When the Qi envoy still tried to struggle, Liang Ji imprisoned him and fed him prison food for a period of time.

When he was released, the Qi envoy was dejected and wanted to return to Japan to report the sad news to the King of Qi. However, his ship was capsized by the storm at sea and he drifted all the way to Jiaozhi.

After being found by local officials, it was sent back to Luoyang.

Thus, even after two years, the Qi envoy was still able to hide in a corner of Luoyang and make sarcastic remarks about the chaotic politics of the Han Dynasty.

But being argumentative can only provide temporary satisfaction.
Having been blacklisted by Liang Ji, the Qi envoy was not receiving adequate treatment in Luoyang. He needed to find a way to acquire some wealth to support himself in the Central Plains and to raise enough money for his return journey to Japan.

I sincerely hope that

Before he returned to his country, the king remained seated in the city of Los Angeles.

Gazing towards the East China Sea, Qi Shi thought to himself.

that's it,
In the first year of Emperor Liu Zhi's personal rule,
Everyone was doing their own thing.

The power struggle in the imperial court has not yet ceased.

Despite Liang Ji's thorough understanding of past lessons and his close monitoring of the emperor, the future of the Han Dynasty remained shrouded in mystery.

After all, they didn't truly hold power.
They did not truly convey their voice to the four directions of the Great Han.

No one can be sure that Liu Zhi will be a wise ruler who can preserve the legacy of his ancestors.

But considering the stories of He and Shun,
The former emperors of the Han Dynasty in the underworld couldn't help but have expectations for him, secretly wishing that Liu Zhi would have a healthy body and survive until the death of the powerful minister Liang Ji, so that he could reclaim the power that belonged to him.

……

"But wise rulers and virtuous ministers will eventually pass away."

"Human desires will always exist."

"Some things cannot be changed by wise rulers and virtuous ministers."

When the emperor changed the era name from Jianhe to Yuanjia in order to convey his joy at assuming personal rule to the world,
Zhang Jiao is also growing up well.

Time flows by with the Zhang River, leaving its mark on everyone.

Zhang Jiao's parents gradually aged, and the lines on their faces became more pronounced.
Zhang Jiao's brothers gradually grew up and found a teacher to read and write.

Once they are stronger, the three brothers will learn martial arts to prepare for the increasingly turbulent situation.

Although the Zhang family were small merchants who mostly focused on their own lives and didn't have much of an awareness of the world's affairs,
However, Zhang Jiao, who knew his master and had extensive connections, could always get some information from other places and then tell them the hidden meaning behind it.

After listening to his elders' advice, Zhang Jiao believed that since the situation in the world was showing signs of collapse, he could not hide in a corner to protect his family.

He asked his elders to take him out to see more places and experience more scenery.

If one does not know the vastness of the prefectures and counties...
Therefore, they could not defend even a single city.

Sun En and Zhou Jian patted his shoulder and measured his height. They felt that the young man was indeed of age, so they did not refuse and took Zhang Jiao out to work as itinerant doctors.

but,

The two old ghosts didn't keep Zhang Jiao with them the whole time.

After all, life and death separate them, and the living and the dead are different.
Even though they, by virtue of God's grace, can roam the earth longer and do more things than ordinary dead people,

However, one cannot stay by a boy's side every step of the way and take good care of him when he is only ten years old.

Just right,

Sun En's reluctance to accept Zhang Jiao as his disciple was also due to concerns about seniority.

Julu is near the Zhangshui River.
As the "place of the dragon's rise" of God, the Zhangshui River naturally saw many Taoist activities.

A Taoist priest once met Zhang Jiao and was very satisfied with his talent and will, intending to take him as a disciple to cultivate a new pillar for the Way of Peace.
Upon learning that Sun En had acted ahead of time, the Taoist priest couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"The old master is even competing with the younger generation for the title of successor... If I were to become his disciple and kowtow to him, wouldn't I have to call that kid my ancestor?"

God heard his rambling and, without any intention of keeping his privacy, immediately told Sun En.

Sun En thought that what he said made a lot of sense.

Elders like younger generations, and a few words of guidance are enough.

If you take on more apprentices,
Within the vast organization of Taiping Dao, this could indeed easily lead to confusion regarding seniority.

So in the end,
Sun En did not accept Zhang Jiao as his disciple, but instead recommended a highly virtuous Taoist priest as his ordination master.

Zhang Jiao would often follow and learn from those who came after him.

However, whenever Sun En had free time, he would peek out from the underworld and give Zhang Jiao more in-depth and comprehensive guidance.

Zhou Jian, who pioneered surgical techniques but didn't have many disciples to inherit his skills, didn't have such concerns.

Surgical suturing and repair techniques are indeed useful, but they are also truly frightening. You'll often end up covered in blood, like you're going to slaughter pigs or sheep.

If the doctor uses too much force or has poor eyesight, the bones and flesh might suffer new injuries on top of old ones, causing the patient to suffer even more pain.

This makes it difficult for surgeons to pass on their skills and knowledge.

of course,

More importantly, such a method of treatment is simply inelegant and undignified.

In a time when extravagance is increasingly prevalent and the Confucian legal system is becoming more firmly established,
The wealthy and powerful were very resistant to this simple and crude treatment method.

After all, for pampered and privileged people...

External injuries are not common; internal injuries caused by food are more frequent.

A series of reasons combined,
Surgery has not yet flourished sufficiently in the Central Plains.

The Taixi region has a large number of shards of clay, which has greatly promoted Master Zhou's craftsmanship.

And now,
Zhang Jiao then followed his two former teachers and poured out his recent experiences and insights to them.

"The universe has its own way of operating, and so does the human world."

"Dynastic governance has never been determined by the existence of Yao, nor by the demise of Jie."

No matter how gentle and soft the river water is,

The rising silt at the bottom of the river will also force it to overflow the boundaries of the dikes and flood the farmland.

Sun En expressed his appreciation for his words, saying, "It's really not easy for someone your age to realize something like this."

Zhang Jiao smiled modestly.

Then, he let out another sigh.

"The world is not completely in chaos yet, but the people are already suffering greatly."

"I wonder what the situation will be like in the Central Plains once the real chaos arrives."

He learned the story of the Western Sea from his teachers.
Knowing its current strength and prosperity,

Also aware of its past chaos and turmoil,
It's hard not to feel a pang of pity for the countless people living under the rule of the Han Dynasty.

It's laughable that he's so young.
At an age when you can't even protect yourself, you still have the leisure to pity others.

"So you need to watch carefully, study hard, and think deeply."

Looking at his appearance, Sun En was reminded of his own past.

then,

He, like his mentor Sun Ping, touched Zhang Jiao's hair and said to him:
"The struggle in the imperial court will take time to determine the victor."

“Local powerful families also devoted a lot of energy to trying to gain more benefits in that power struggle.”

"We are not yet worthy of being noticed by important people; we still have a lot of time to grow."

We should strive to improve ourselves, observe the situation calmly, and wait for the right opportunity.

This is what Taipingdao, which is spread throughout Kyushu, has been doing all along.

If the world is at peace
The Way of Peace, just like its name suggests, will allow people to do what they love with a stable emotional state.

If the world is unjust
Then the Way of Peace will rise up and raise its voice for all the people of the world, a voice that has been silenced for so long.

"The Central Plains are alright."

"Xinxia couldn't hold back any longer."

Zhou Jian, who was standing next to him, also spoke up and brought up the matter of the Sui Dynasty.

"oops!"

"No wonder it was the first place to develop gunpowder; it managed to explode before the Han Dynasty could explode."

(End of this chapter)