Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 606 The Third Year of Xiping
In the spring of the third year of Xiping,
An epidemic broke out in Luoyang.

This naturally caused a huge uproar in the central government of the Han Dynasty, a sound even greater than that caused by a solar eclipse or the shifting of celestial bodies.

After all, there is an unspoken understanding between the ruler and his subjects.

It is known that the so-called "interaction between heaven and man" is more of a politically tacit rule.

Subjects could therefore offer strong remonstrances to the emperor, regardless of whether the purpose was public or private.

The emperor could also use this as a way to deal with ministers he disliked, blaming them for failing to fulfill their duty of assistance, which led to "a warning from Heaven".

In general,

It poses little threat.

It's just a power struggle between the emperor and his ministers.

This is something that nobles are very familiar with.

But the plague is truly different!
Illness, like death, does not take corresponding measures against living beings based on differences in status between people.

It is the result of the natural cycle and a manifestation of God's perfect justice and benevolence.

No one is entitled to special treatment in the face of a plague.

This made it rare for the officials in Luoyang to put aside their differing political views, stop pointless arguments, and work together to help the court prevent and control the plague.

The emperor, naturally unwilling to risk his own life, gritted his teeth and ordered the treasury to provide funds to deal with the situation.

When summer comes,

Under the scorching sun and rising temperatures, the plague that had kept the nobles in a state of fear for an entire season and had taken the lives of many in Luoyang finally receded.

The emperor and his ministers in the court breathed a sigh of relief, and then began to reward the physicians and Taoist priests who had contributed to this process.

Yes,

The Taoist community also participated in this prevention and control effort!
After Emperor Liu Hong ascended the throne...

Taking into account his own bloodline and the many predecessors who died young, he had long ago gathered a group of people skilled in medicine and health preservation to surround him, hoping to prolong his life.

say nothing else,

You should live to at least forty!
His encounter with Zhang Jiao in his youth also led to a subtle shift in his attitude towards Daoists compared to that of previous Han rulers.

It's unlikely that they would make a decision that goes against their ancestors and switch to Taoism.

However, Liu Hong was willing to trust several Taoist priests and allow them to get close to him.

Just right,

Within the Taoist school, there does indeed exist a ideology different from that of the martial arts faction led by Sun En and Zhang Jiao.

Compared to directly leading the people and using violent means to overthrow the dynasty's rule,
This school of Taoist priests tended to influence and guide the dynasty, reducing detours in the governance of the country and alleviating the burden on the people under its rule.

They did not disobey the teachings of the sages, and they also agreed that even when the journey came to an end, force was still needed to open up the future and tear away the darkness.

But before that,
Before the dynasty's rule enters a new cycle,

They should also take measures, like ministers advising their monarchs, to prevent high-ranking officials from inflicting excessive harm on ordinary people.

Having learned from the lessons of their predecessors in the Way of Peace,

After adopting the experiences from places like Xihai and Xinxia, ​​which had deeper ties with the Taiping Dao,

Some Taoist priests couldn't help but think:
When a dynasty falls, one always replaces another.

From the Xia to the Zhou dynasties, thousands of years passed.
However, only four hundred years have passed from the Qin Dynasty to the present Han Dynasty.

From this perspective,

The system of "one royal court" will not disappear with the loss of the Liu family's mandate of heaven.

Even if the Taiping Dao's rebellion succeeded and they established their own "Taiping Heavenly Kingdom," could it be guaranteed that those who came after would follow in the footsteps of their predecessors?

The idea of ​​a republic is truly wonderful.
But the example of the Yan state is right before our eyes.

Elder Sun En himself admitted that the world has developed to the point where it is not yet able to ensure the long-term and stable implementation of such a wonderful system.

Yes,

They must acknowledge reality and face it.

They need to divert some of their energy from pursuing the future to focus on the immediate present, in order to improve the atmosphere between superiors and subordinates in the cyclical process.

Just like the Sui and Song states:
Taoist priests were involved in the rule of these two branches of the Xia state.

Although the Sui Dynasty had declined to its lowest point and its ruler lacked sufficient ability, he constantly used wine and women to numb himself and escape the pain of becoming a ruler who would eventually lose his country.

However, the Song Dynasty, at its peak, still did not part ways with the Way of Peace.

Some of the Taoist priest's suggestions could reach the ears of the Song emperor, thus influencing subsequent national policies.

When they arrived in Taixi,
That goes without saying.

The Way of Peace was even revered as the state religion.
Both Augustus's accession to the Roman throne required the support of the Taoist school.

Then,

Why is the Central Plains not doing well?

The old grudge between Emperor Guangwu and the Yellow Turban Rebellion over the empire had lasted for nearly two hundred years.

Later Han emperors also violated too many of their ancestors' teachings.

Why can't we loosen our stance on the Taiping Dao side?
This explains why Taoist priests would come to Emperor Huan's side when he was troubled by the lack of an heir.

As for now,

Liu Hong, who had a strong connection with the Way of Peace, even entrusted his son to a Taoist priest for upbringing.

"How could Liu Bian, this child, not have died from the plague?"

In the palace,

The emperor kept Shi Daochang, whom he trusted, and asked him about the prince's recent situation.

Liu Bian,

She was the child born after the emperor favored a palace maid named He.

Because all the children born to the emperor in the past had died shortly after birth.
The emperor then concluded that Liu Bian could not survive for long either.

But ultimately, it's about the continuation of bloodlines.
Is there really a throne in the family that needs to be inherited?
The emperor then followed the example of the late Emperor Shang and entrusted the young prince to Shi Daoren for upbringing.

If they can be raised

Then the emperor would be able to pay more attention to the Taoists represented by Shi Daoren.

If not...

Let's talk about it later!
Although several children had died, the emperor did not feel much grief about it.

Previously, Luoyang was ravaged by plague.

The emperor thought that Liu Bian, being a tiny infant, would surely meet a tragic end.

Who knew he would be so lucky?

Is it possible that this child will live to adulthood safely?
"The prince is very healthy."

In response to the emperor's surprise, Shi Daoren simply replied calmly.

The emperor immediately ordered someone to bring the young prince from outside the palace.

The son was only one year old and could not recognize his father.

The father had only met this child a few times before releasing it to someone else, and was quite unfamiliar with it.

But the latter still reached out, took the baby into his arms, weighed Liu Bian in his hand, looked at his not-so-thick baby hair, and kneaded his tiny hands and feet.

The child was so frightened that he cried out and wanted to seek help from Shi Daoren.

But there was no response.
The emperor was still holding Liu Bian's small hand, opening it and then closing it again.

He simply did as he pleased, teasing the child without caring whether the child was uncomfortable.

"it is good!"

"You did very well!"

After confirming that Liu Bian's lifespan was indeed far longer than that of his brothers who had died young,

The emperor nodded in satisfaction and ordered the eunuch to take the child away.

There's no need to return it to Master Shi.

Once the princes have grown up and their bodies have stabilized, they will naturally return to their parents' side.

To prevent Lady He, who was granted the title of Noble Lady for giving birth to a prince but had never raised the child, from constantly nagging the emperor.

Shi Daoren was reluctant, but there was nothing he could do. His father was taking his son away.
The emperor wanted to take the prince away.
He couldn't intervene, neither emotionally nor logically.

Fortunately, Liu Bian's mother, Consort He, was at the height of her favor in the imperial harem and needed an heir... so she should be able to take good care of Liu Bian.

What reward do you desire?

Then, Shi Daoren heard the emperor say this.

of course,

This was not because the emperor suddenly changed his nature and became benevolent and compassionate.
Rather, he knew in his heart that...
Shi Daoren was a very traditional Taoist priest who had no extra pursuit of wine, women, wealth, or power.

The thoughts he harbored were quite similar to those of Li Gu and Yang Zhen back then.

However, compared to Zhang Jiao whom he met in Hejian, he still lacked a certain quality that was hard to define.

but,

This was not a bad thing for the emperor.

Shi Daoren's reaction was exactly as the emperor had expected.

He did not ask for any additional reward, but only hoped that the emperor would pardon the students he had punished last year.

"can!"

The emperor did not hesitate.

He is not a petty person.

If you really think about it, his magnanimity was even greater than that of the ancestors of the Han Dynasty.

otherwise,

Why should the nation be regarded as an asset that can be bought and sold?

Humph,
The early emperors of the Han Dynasty were still too hesitant to act freely.
As a result, they didn't get to enjoy much of the good life they were entitled to.

Liu Hongcai is not like that!
"If you hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten about them."

The emperor laughed twice and sent Zhang Rang to handle the matter.

The students of the Imperial Academy, who had been imprisoned for a long time, were finally able to see the light of day.

It's just that there were many people arrested at the time.
Few of them made it out alive.

Among the remaining fruits, there was a man whose legs trembled, who stood there in a daze for a long time under the sunlight, and finally knelt down directly in the direction of the palace, constantly expressing his gratitude for the emperor's benevolence.

They looked as if they had been utterly humiliated and were only capable of bowing down and begging for power.

"This can be considered a talent!"

I wonder if it can be used to my advantage!
Upon hearing Zhang Rang's report on the specifics, the emperor couldn't help but stroke his newly grown mustache, and a peculiar feeling arose in his heart towards those imperial students.

Don't say anything else,

He had long been dissatisfied with those powerful families who occupied positions in the court and colluded to seize his power!
If we follow the principle of "transaction",

The powerful and influential families, having attached themselves to the Han Dynasty and seized power from the court, naturally felt obligated to contribute something in return.

Leaving aside fulfilling one's duties,

Not to mention serving the country and its people,

At the very least, when the country needs money to spend, it should be more generous and considerate of the emperor's difficulties!
Now the barbarians from all sides are stirring up trouble again.
The influx of refugees caused by local disasters was endless, like a tidal wave.
No matter how much the emperor loved money, he still had to spend some to demonstrate the court's remaining conscience and avoid inciting numerous popular uprisings, thus inadvertently following the old path of the Former Han Dynasty.

As a result, the emperor, who had already suffered some losses himself, turned around and tried to get some financial assistance from the powerful families, only to be ruthlessly rejected by them.

This was something the emperor could not tolerate!

They took the items but didn't pay.
How could there be such shameless people in the world!
They must pay the price!

Thinking like this,

After a moment of intense emotion, the emperor turned and went to the inner palace to relax.

Ok,
There's no need to rush into dealing with powerful families.

right now,

He still needs to focus his energy on ensuring the continuation of the Han dynasty!

And on the other side,
He Bo, who was fishing by the Fei River, also turned his gaze away from Luoyang.

Zhang Jiao and his followers were traveling along the Fei River, from their self-built stronghold, towards the nearby city of Hefei, intending to engage in trade and exchange for the resources needed for further development.

at the moment,

Even though the Han Dynasty was on the verge of collapse,

The tomb built by the people is more than half complete.
But the Huainan region was ultimately far removed from the chaos of the Central Plains.

Therefore, Hefei, a city that brings joy to some and sorrow to others, has not yet become very famous, and even the seat of Yangzhou is still in Shouchun.

The world's understanding of Hefei tends to be that of a city built near the Fei River, which prospered due to its convenient water transportation, rather than a major city or important town.

but,

Zhang Jiao, by virtue of his status as a great teacher, was quite knowledgeable about the movements of mountains and rivers throughout the land.

When choosing a location to build the base between Zhongli County and Hefei

Zhang Jiao then explained this to his brothers and followers:
"Hefei's water network can connect major north-south routes."

"If you want to go south from the Central Plains, follow the Huai River and then enter the Fei River, it is very easy."

"Correspondingly, the same applies when traveling from south to north."

"At the same time, traders flocked to Hefei, and the city always had a lot of goods stockpiled."

"If the world becomes turbulent in the future, we can occupy Hefei in advance, take advantage of its location, and seize its weapons and equipment."

“The neighboring Zhongli County has always been known for its fierce and tough people, and it also has a considerable population.”

"If we can recruit the people of Zhongli to accomplish great things in the future, it will strengthen our foundation."

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

Upon learning of the Great Teacher's foresight, Zhang Liang and his companions couldn't help but become restless again.

sometimes,
Even when a wise person with a long-term vision explains their plans for the future, they cannot completely soothe the minds of others.

Because the scenery is too high and too far away,
Those who have been able to see it have always been few and far between.

More living beings,
They are forced into an impatient nature by the necessities of life such as food and clothing, or by harsh external environments.

They didn't have high expectations for the future.

Because often, they have no future.

For the Taoist priests who followed Zhang Jiao, however...
Those who are still suffering will also make him feel anxious and impatient.

Fortunately,

Zhang Jiao possessed sufficient prestige and acted with remarkable honesty. Now, he had proven to his followers that "what he said was true" with a thriving fortress.
This prevented impatient people like Zhang Liang from getting agitated.

"But if that happens, won't Hefei also become a strategic location fought over by military strategists?"

He Bo, who was listening in, raised his hand and voiced his doubt to the Great Teacher.

Zhang Jiao simply smiled and said, "It's alright."

"Our Taoist sect has the legacy of the Mohist school. We may not be good at attacking cities, but we are good at defending them."

The reputation of "Mogu" (墨守, meaning to adhere to or maintain integrity) has endured for so many years, and it's not something that's been fabricated.

"Oh."

He Bo nodded, but in his heart he thought of the gunpowder that those scholars who believed "stealing technology is not stealing" had brought back from the West Sea.

However, this is not a big deal.

Gunpowder was something invented by Taoist priests.
As early as when it was first created, it was shown off at a Taoist gathering by a Taoist master from Xinxia.

Afterwards, gunpowder displayed its great power in the Western Sea, attracting many Taoists to study it.

"Ugh!"

"What if everyone's throwing fireballs?"

"After all, Zhang Heng's disciples are now scattered all over the place, and we don't know if they will spread gunpowder."

A gentle breeze was blowing over the fertile water.

Even the fishing rod that God cast at Xiaoyaojin didn't react.
He let out a long sigh.

(End of this chapter)