Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 600: Often Sighing Over Huan and Ling
In the first year of the Yongkang era of the Han Dynasty,
Perhaps it was the tribute obtained from the Sui and Yan states that proved effective.

Throughout the year, the emperor's harem was filled with joyous news.

Although the earliest possible delivery date is next spring,

But it's still better than the previous lifelessness, where there was no hope at all.

And for the sake of their beloved heir,
The emperor also specially invited famous alchemists, monks, Taoists, and doctors from all over the country to come to Luoyang to examine the pregnant concubines in order to guess whether the baby in their wombs was a boy or a girl.

But that's naturally hard to say.

However, in order not to spoil the emperor's mood, he even sacrificed his own life.

Most of them pointed to the bellies of certain concubines and said, "The true dragon will surely give birth to a noble son."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyebrows nearly flew up, and he rewarded those who had spoken well with a considerable amount of money.

Only Empress Dou Miao showed displeasure, looking at the concubines with gritted teeth.

Against this backdrop of mixed emotions,
A Taoist priest suddenly started talking about the emperor's health:
"Your Majesty has used too many potent drugs without restraint, which has already damaged your very foundation. In the future, please cultivate your character and focus your energy on state affairs."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face darkened, and he immediately said:
"The Taoist sect has survived to this day. If they are not grateful for the benevolence of the Han Dynasty, how dare they speak such arrogant words in front of me?"

"If you continue to be so arrogant, I will imprison all Taoist sects in the world, just as I imprisoned the partisans back then!"

The Taoist priest then fell silent.

The baton was taken over by a doctor.

He offered the same advice, pointing out the hidden dangers within the emperor's body.

But the emperor still wouldn't listen.

And then there was a monk.

He wanted to tell the emperor the words "form is emptiness," but before he could finish speaking, the emperor, who had reached his limit of tolerance, packed him up and drove him out of Luoyang.

Empress Dou Miao watched this scene and a bold idea suddenly came to her mind.

She found her father, Dou Wu, and told him about it.

"Taoist priests, physicians, and Buddhist monks were originally unconnected, but they all gathered in Luoyang because of the emperor's decree."

"They all said in unison that the emperor had damaged the foundation of the dynasty, and it's probably true."

"So what do you want to do?" Dou Wu asked, looking at his daughter.

Dou Miao gave a heavy snort, and said with deep resentment:
"Since he is unrighteous, I will be unrighteous!"

"This isn't the first or second time that a woman has ruled the Han Dynasty!"

Dou Miao's relationship with the emperor was not deep.
She was only made empress because the emperor was concerned about the power of the Dou family, and only reluctantly agreed to this.

After the Han Dynasty welcomed another Empress Dou,
The emperor did not give the "Mother of the Nation" the slightest respect.

He often embraced other beauties, forgetting the Empress in the deep palace, and allowed his favorite concubines and eunuchs to be disrespectful to her.

This made Dou Miao, who was already narrow-minded, hate him even more.

no way,
"Jealous" and "narrow-minded".
This is a unique characteristic that the Dou family women have inherited and never changed.

"Does Father not wish to restore the glory of the Dou family during the reign of Emperor Zhang?"

Seeing the look of surprise and uncertainty on her father's face, Dou Miao stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and said:
"Do you want to wait until I am deposed and the Dou family suffers another exile before you regret not listening to me today?"

Dou Wu recalled the pain of being exiled to Lingnan that his father and grandfather had mentioned, and so he no longer hesitated.

"I'd rather be a member of the Liang family than a member of the Deng family!"

The imperial court's cruelty and ingratitude have long been proven by facts.

Sacrifice yourself to treat others kindly.

There is no future for them!

It's better to act in advance and avoid trouble!

but,

They did not resort to methods that would easily leave traces, such as poisoning or assassination.

Dou Miao simply said:
"Since Your Majesty is so fond of women, then I will give you women!"

Subsequently,

Dou Wu then presented the emperor with ten beauties of different styles.

The emperor was somewhat suspicious of his sudden enthusiasm.

But he couldn't resist the allure of the beauty. After a period of caution, he became completely infatuated with her and couldn't extricate himself.

After many women in the harem became pregnant,
The emperor no longer paid attention to conserving his vital energy as before; he only felt that drawing the bow and releasing the string, shooting as soon as he felt the time was right, was the most enjoyable thing.

Of course,
After enjoying the pleasure for two or three months...

First, the chill of winter hits you.
Behind them were flames burning fiercely inside the house.
The emperor suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and fell ill.

December,
He died before his concubines could give birth to their children.

In his final moments, the weakened emperor finally remembered his empress, knowing that after his death, this woman would inevitably take power.

So he summoned Dou Miao and his favorite concubines, wanting to use the example of Empress Dowager Deng's dedication to maintaining the bloodline of Emperor He to get Dou Miao to help maintain his lineage.

Dou Miao tried to cover her mouth, but she still couldn't help but laugh.

"puff--"

"Good good!"

"I will definitely take good care of them for Your Majesty!"

Seeing her reaction, the emperor could naturally guess what she was thinking.

unfortunately,

Like Consort Li of the Former Han Dynasty and Empress Yin of the Present Han Dynasty, there were divine physicians who could cure emperors with a single sentence.
There is no third one like it in the world.

And just as the emperor died with his eyes wide open in dismay, his body was placed in the coffin...

Dou Miao then used the excuse of "mourning the emperor" to summon a large number of concubines to his coffin, and sent soldiers to kill them all.

One of the concubines, clutching her stomach, wept and pleaded:
"I wish to give birth to an imperial heir before committing suicide!"

But Dou Miaocai didn't care about any of that.

She patted the coffin lid of the late emperor and said:
"This guy made me unhappy when he was alive, how can I let him die and still enjoy the sacrifices of his descendants?"

Moreover, the palace intrigue experiences of her predecessors had long made Dou Miao understand the importance of "cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots."

She would rather choose a young emperor from the imperial family than keep the child of her enemy.

The ministers were naturally very dissatisfied with her domineering and cruel nature.

They didn't care about the late emperor's concubines, but they were very concerned about the unborn children in their wombs.

therefore,

Some ministers joined together to criticize Dou Miao for "harming the imperial heir."

Dou Miao first blatantly lied, claiming that none of the concubines were pregnant.
Then, angered by the scolding, he stomped his feet and angrily rebuked his subjects in the hall:
"All you ever do is talk about the prince!"

"Are women in this world only capable of giving birth to sons?"

"Why don't we have a few of them brought up before their bodies rot away, so you can see the condition of the imperial heirs for yourselves!"

The minister immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word.

Dou Miao's temper was even more explosive than that of her kinsman's predecessor, Empress Zhangde Dou.

However, due to her noble birth, the ministers could not deal with the Dou family in the same way they dealt with the Yan family.

Her father was in charge of the palace's defenses.
The soldiers who obeyed his orders were now holding swords and guarding outside the palace gates.

...In the end, I held back.

"But who should be chosen as the new ruler?"

After the blood in the palace was wiped clean, Dou Wu found his daughter and discussed this important matter with her.

Dou Miao then said, "I want to find someone younger, and whose experience shouldn't be too prestigious."

Children from wealthy families are always raised with great care, which inevitably leads to some becoming cunning and difficult for their "mother" to control.

Dou Wu nodded and then approached some ministers:
"The bloodline of Emperor Zhang now all originates from Hejian."

"Among the members of the Hejian royal family, are there any suitable candidates to serve as the new ruler?"

Liu Shu, a native of Hejian, immediately recommended Liu Hong, the Marquis of Jiedu Pavilion, saying, "He is a young and talented man whose father died early. He can be adopted by the late emperor as his heir."

Dou Wu inquired about Liu Hong's situation and learned that he was indeed an orphan and a widow, and that his life was indeed difficult considering his status as a member of the royal family. So he adopted Liu Hong's suggestion.

"What kind of ambitious people can be nurtured in a small village?"

"Once we arrive in Luoyang and sit in this magnificent palace, would this ten-year-old child still disobey me?"

When Dou Miao arranged for someone to pick up Liu Hong in Wang Qinggai's carriage to welcome him to Luoyang, she said to her father with a smug look on her face.

Dou Wu also had high hopes for the Dou family's future wealth and status. Meanwhile, in Hejian...

Liu Hong learned from the envoy that he was going to become emperor, and he was extremely excited.

He said to those around him:
"Who would have thought that this day would come for me?"

Everyone else congratulated him, but his mother, Madam Dong, was very unhappy.

Because she requested to accompany her son to Luoyang, the envoy refused, and veiled a warning:
"The Empress Dowager is in the palace, not in Hejian."

At the moment when the Dou father and daughter decided to support Liu Hong,
Legally, he had already become Emperor Huan's heir, and his mother naturally changed to Dou Miao.

Even if the birth mother is still alive, she cannot act as "Empress Dowager" because of the change in her son's status.

This is an established rule since the Han Dynasty.

Consort Yu, the birth mother of Emperor Chong, had previously had the opportunity to break it.
Unfortunately, Emperor Chong died young, and Liang Ji seized power.

Empress Dowager Liang Na died in despair, let alone Consort Yu?
Emperor Zhi's birth mother also passed away when he was three years old.

Therefore, the Dong family is currently facing the same predicament as Liu Qing, the Prince of Qinghe, did back then:
When a mother is both legally recognized and physically recognized, which one should one be closer to?
According to the ideas of Dou and his daughter
Mrs. Dong should understand her position and obediently send her son away.

But Lady Dong never cared about so many rules and regulations.

She's a very practical person!

"Why should I stay here when my son is about to become emperor?"

Lady Dong dared not vent her anger on the stern-faced messenger, who was under the protection of the Imperial Guards. She could only look at Liu Hong's back and sigh.

Liu Hong wasn't a heartless, rebellious son.

He turned to comfort his mother, "It's alright. To do big business, you naturally have to compromise a little first."

"Is it more advantageous to be the mother of a marquis or the mother of an emperor?"

Mrs. Dong immediately replied, "It must be the latter!"

"How much can I earn?"

After secretly calculating on her fingers for a while, Dong said, "Anyway, there will be a lot!"

Like her son, she hadn't seen much of the world, and her usual interactions with other wealthy women were mostly with people of similar social standing.

therefore,

The Dong family, belonging to the lower-middle class of nobility, knew neither the suffering of ordinary people struggling to survive nor the extravagant luxury of Luoyang.

But she really wanted to go to Luoyang and become the Empress Dowager.

"If you want to make a lot of money, you have to pay the initial investment first!"

Liu Hong waved his hand and continued packing his things.

They, mother and son, do indeed love money.

However, they still highly approve of the principles of "cash on delivery" and "clearly marked prices".

Now it's their family's turn to be chosen, and this is an opportunity that won't come again if you miss it.

No matter how dissatisfied they were, they could only suppress their dissatisfaction and wait until they received the goods.

"Take good care of yourself at home, and in a few days I will definitely take you to Luoyang to enjoy a life of luxury!"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Madam Dong said, "Then don't forget to send some precious gifts to Hejian."

The formal recognition can be postponed.

Money can't be delayed.

Liu Hong nodded in agreement.

then,

His words and actions always paused when he touched upon some old books.

That was two years ago.
The books were given to him by a group of Taoist priests.

Liu Hong greatly agreed with the principles contained within, and he repeatedly read it over the past two years, to the point that the pages were covered in creases and wear.

"but……"

"They don't need to be taken to Luoyang."

these things,

It is enough to take a look, understand the thinking of the common people, and learn the methods of the Taiping Dao in bewitching people.

If he can only be an ordinary marquis in his entire life,

Then this book still has value.

After all, there are still quite a few powerful figures who can overshadow the Marquis of Ting.

But this time he's going to Luoyang to become emperor.
Is there any need to worry too much?
"Just burn it."

Liu Hong called over a servant and pointed to the books.

The servant was somewhat surprised:
These books,
The young master used to frequently peruse it, and thought he would bring it with him on this trip to Luoyang.

Who knew they'd just throw it away like that?

The thoughts of important people are always so unfathomable.

……

The next day,

The chassis set off.

Liu Hong traveled all the way to Luoyang.

He spent the night in the palace to familiarize himself with his future residence.

Then, as dawn broke, he yawned, changed into his imperial robes, ascended the throne, and received the homage of his ministers.

Empress Dowager Dou Miao sat behind him.
The eunuchs left behind by the late emperor served him.

General Dou Wu sat at the head of the officials' seats.

A group of burly, loyal, and upright men followed closely behind, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

It was truly a scene brimming with vitality.

"Just looking at the scene in Luoyang, one might think that the Mandate of Heaven still hangs brightly over the Central Plains!"

God, accompanied by several dead ghosts, once again witnessed the Han Emperor's ascension to the throne. Pointing at the emperor and his ministers in the palace, as well as the guards, God laughed at the dead ghosts.

Ximen Bao let out a soft sigh:
"If the capital is also gloomy and desolate, what kind of miserable state must the Central Plains be in?"

The capital city is the place where a country's wealth and power converge.

Whether in prosperity or decline

It will always be much better than other places.

Ok,
In the capital, the powerful are the powerful.
This point is a truth that holds true everywhere.

Is a glamorous exterior really a good thing?

He Bo led the dead ghost out of the palace, avoiding the carriages and horses that occasionally sped past on the streets of Luoyang.

That was caused by the commotion made by the distinguished guests traveling.

Although Luoyang has laws prohibiting people from galloping around the city, it is clear that these laws are now just empty words.

"It's better than it being dilapidated."

Dr. Simon has seen too many storms.

As the person truly in charge of the underworld's operations, I have witnessed far too many powerful and influential people in life, whose ugliness of humanity was exposed when they faced judgment after death.

He knew of the Han Dynasty's corruption, which had not yet been exposed to the world.
Knowing the contradictions hidden in the shadows, suppressed beneath the mountain,
They also knew that once the veil of shame was lifted, the long-suppressed volcano would erupt.

What kind of turmoil would it bring to the world?

But in the end,

We cannot keep giving in and backing down just because we are afraid of temporary pain.

If rotting flesh is not dealt with, it will only further deplete the lives of the nation and even the people.

"Then why are you suddenly lamenting the glamour you have now?" He Bo asked deliberately.

"I'm just feeling sad for the people of Luoyang."

As Ximen Bao passed by a small vendor, he looked at the owner calling out to customers and said:
"They couldn't see the underwater buoys, so they assumed everything was as calm as before."

But with the storms of dynastic change,
No one can escape it.

He Bo then laughed again, “There are always people who think that the foundation they have built can be passed down for thousands of generations and will never be defeated.”

"But time, too, is a loser in the face of human nature!"

(End of this chapter)