Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 611, Year 608: The Third Year of Guanghe
In the third year of Guanghe,

Spring arrived very late.

The ice and snow remained on the ground.

First, in response to the farmers' long-held expectation, the insects hiding within were frozen to death.
Then, because it took so long to melt, it brought unknown fears to the farmers.

Farmers belatedly realized that this year was another year of disaster, with insufficient rainfall and unpredictable temperatures.

When the late spring cold snap starts,
The damp air, carrying with it a biting cold wind, also caused the epidemic to spread in the Central Plains.

This made the already difficult lives of the people even worse.

then,

They began to flee towards the noble manor.

It's the same principle—

In today's world,

There is no shortage of land.

For millions of ordinary people,

What they lack is a place where they can farm in peace and continue their lineage.

Even with such thoughts in mind, heading towards a nobleman's estate, one might very well end up as the latter's livestock.

But the hope is to hide even more people.

In places beyond the reach of imperial power, powerful clans that have built their own small kingdoms tend to be gentler towards cattle and horses.

After all, the population is not yet so abundant that it can be referred to as "mineral resources."

They also need adults to have children, to prepare for their descendants.

Therefore,
With the benevolence and generosity of the benefactor, the cattle and horses' prayers for peace still have a chance to be fulfilled.

As for situations where cattle and horses are unwilling to reproduce?
That only shows that the caregivers are incompetent.

The descendants of the Xia people possess unparalleled patience and diligence.
If such a group is so unwilling to reproduce and expand their lineage,

Isn't that enough to prove the cruelty of meat-eaters?
"We need to hire more people!"

"We need to work hard!"

"We need to stockpile plenty!"

"We need to forge many more weapons!"

After inspecting their estates, certain dignitaries would say the following to their subordinates in charge of management.

With their hands behind their backs, they stroked their meticulously trimmed beards, the refreshing early summer breeze lifting their silk robes and revealing their unparalleled elegance and nobility.

However, the words he spoke were completely inconsistent with his appearance.

"The imperial court is becoming increasingly incompetent, and the emperor's actions are becoming more and more absurd. My family should make preparations as soon as possible."

If the world were to descend into chaos like it did during the Former Han Dynasty...
His family should have accumulated resources for the chaotic times earlier.

They had no desire to contend for supremacy or rule the world.
But as Qin Chancellor Lü Buwei said:
"Establishing a ruler for the nation brings countless rewards!"

As long as his family gains merit in the struggle for supremacy, the family's prosperity can continue for hundreds of years!
Ugh,
To do great things
We must always plan ahead!
but,

If the powerful families think this way, then naturally, heroes who share the same ideas will emerge among the millions of ordinary people.

During the reign of Wang Mang of the previous dynasty,

Wang Kuang, who lived near the Green Forest Mountain in Xinshi and eventually gathered fellow villagers to launch a rebellion, is a typical example.

"The court is incompetent, and the bureaucrats are useless!"

"If this stable situation truly cannot be maintained, then we will have to rely on our own abilities!"

In the vast land of the Han Dynasty,

A group of people who had received basic education and had more acute insights into things gathered together.
After drinking a few cups of turbid wine, they closed the doors and windows, and in the dimly lit room, they opened their hearts and spoke of their anxieties about the future.

And such a scene

The closer to the northern border, the more frequent the occurrences.

Because the Xianbei people in the north would frequently migrate south to raid for grain.

In order to force the common people to flock to their estates and to obtain horses at high prices from the Xianbei people, the local nobles...
They often turn a blind eye to this.

It doesn't even compare to the love for their homeland held by the powerful families south of the Yellow River and north of the Yangtze River.

There was no invasion by the Xianbei people, nor the temptation of expensive horses.

Their main sources of wealth are land and population.

Therefore, if a disaster strikes there, the local benefactors will still outwardly try to provide assistance.

Even though they still harbored the idea of ​​registering officially registered citizens as private farmers for their manor,
But unless absolutely necessary, one should still act with some dignity.

On the other hand,

If a good reputation can be cultivated, the people might come on their own and become part of the estate, without the need for natural disasters or man-made calamities.

However, there are always some people who are unwilling to bow down and grovel before the powerful.
They are even less willing to give up the fields and houses that their ancestors worked so hard to cultivate, and to squeeze into someone else's enclosure.

"Gather the able-bodied young people in the village, cultivate the land during busy farming seasons, and train during slack seasons... Only in this way can we protect our hometown and our families!"

That's what they were saying.

But some people worried, "We don't have much money, how should we do this?"

The proposer slammed his fist on the table and replied:
"Does having no family wealth mean you can't find a way to protect your fellow villagers?"

"We've all had a few years of schooling. Even if we can't even become minor officials in the county, we should at least put our knowledge to use!"

Since one is born into this world, one should strive to accomplish something significant.

This is a principle inherent in every great man!

Now that they have read books,
Through history and the guidance of teachers, we broadened our horizons and enhanced our abilities and wisdom.
They should seize the opportunity to excel and make a name for themselves in history!
"If we don't prepare in advance, where will our families go to hide when the swords of enemies and bandits come, or when floods and locust plagues strike?"

The hesitant person stopped speaking and simply nodded vigorously in agreement with this reasoning.

While busy carrying bricks on the plateau, He Bo caught a glimpse of these scenes and clicked his tongue in amazement:
"The powerful families are raising private armies, the villagers are organizing local militias, and Zhang Jiao is leading people to prepare for a rebellion... It's truly a vibrant scene, with everything flourishing!"

If in the end we end up with a mess of dog brains and someone else gets the better deal, then we'll just have to go cry to our ancestors after we die.

"When the original order is broken, people will naturally try to find a way out in order to survive."

"We can't just sit here and wait to die, can we?"

The two old historians who were directing their disciples to lay bricks and stones also responded casually.

They did not feel much sadness about the suffering in the world.

The historical records written by hand are so thick, with so many precedents, that they have become numb to them.

Fortunately, the cycle repeats itself, and ultimately, things move upwards.

After the temporary turmoil subsided,
The Chinese civilization will usher in a new era of prosperity.

Many dead people firmly believed in this principle.

just,

After considering the current situation and making some predictions about a chaotic world,
Some of the dead, however, began to worry.

They said:
"With the central government failing and local powers rising and falling incessantly, if a powerful ruler who can sweep across the land cannot emerge after the turmoil begins, will the Central Plains fall into endless warfare like the Western Sea a hundred years ago, or like the Warring States period five hundred years ago?"

As for those restless barbarians around us?
They have never been taken seriously by the gentlemen who grew up in the Central Kingdom.

During the reign of King Zhou, the territory was not as vast and large as it is today, nor was the population as abundant and numerous. Yet, they were still able to show utter contempt for the barbarians.

Not to mention the Han people who treated the barbarians like groundhogs.

If any barbarian dares to act rashly, the gentleman will truly dare to fight! It's just that these past two years have been plagued by internal strife, and there are shameless traitors in the North who betray their own side.
This gave the Xianbei the opportunity to grow powerful.

Once the Central Plains have recovered some of their strength,

The Xianbei people's current glory will soon be gone.

Regarding such concerns

The other dead men replied with righteous indignation:
"The Central Plains is the backbone of the Zhuxia ethnic group, and its foundation is even deeper and more stable than that of Xinxia and Xihai."

"If those two branches could decline and then revive, what about the main trunk?"

"Moreover, the struggle for supremacy among the various states during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods ultimately led to the unified and prosperous Qin and Han dynasties, didn't it?"

The many former rulers of the Qin and Han dynasties, unusually, stood together and nodded in agreement with great pride.

So those gloomy ghosts shut up.

Only God, sitting high on the plateau, can mutter a few words in secret, taking advantage of the cold air currents of the plateau.

but,

Building an observatory is more important.

He Bo turned around, easily lifted a large pile of bricks, handed them to Gan Shi and the other man, and casually instructed them:
"This platform will be repaired soon. When observing solar activity, don't stare at the sun all the time, it's bad for your health."

Although the dead have God's protection, they still tend to avoid the "sun".

Because staying in the sun for too long will cause damage to the dead, like being washed away by a weak river.

This is a law established by Yin and Yang in nature, which He Bo cannot completely violate. At most, he can only add some "sunscreen" measures for the dead ghosts accompanying him.

This is one of the reasons why He Bo doesn't usually bring Si Gui along for picnics and play when he comes to the plateau.

The plateau is the roof of the world.
Standing in such a place, you're still quite close to the sun.

but now,
Gan Deshi and Shen, the two most capable astronomers, were to be stationed on the plateau to observe the rising and setting of the sun and moon every day.

They said:
"That climate change, which is longer and more extensive than the four seasons, has a tremendous impact on humankind."

"And because its lifespan is far longer than that of ordinary people, it is difficult for people to detect its arrival and departure... Fortunately, we have received your protection and have been able to glimpse its traces through comparisons over hundreds of years."

Perhaps this cycle existed between heaven and earth even before humans learned to wrap themselves in animal skins for warmth.

Perhaps its shadow also lurks behind those ancient, great calamities etched on yellowed tortoise shells and passed down orally in myths.

How could this not fascinate historians who were accustomed to the ways of the world?

Moreover, if a similar situation occurs again in the future, their current research will provide reassurance and allow for a more composed response.

in this way,

They didn't care about being scorched by the sun right now.

Gan De smiled at He Bo and said:
"The purpose of observing the heavens is to study the changes in temperature of the earth and sky in order to formulate a calendar that is appropriate for the times and to guide things in the fields."

"Back when we were in the West Sea, we didn't complain about the pain of being sunburned, so why would we complain now?"

Not long after Ying Qin began ruling the Western Sea,
To prevent this branch from drifting further and further away from its ancestral homeland in the Central Plains due to its remoteness and unfamiliar climate, and thus from scattering like its brothers and compatriots...

The historians also put in a lot of effort!

"Okay, okay!"

Listening to the old ghosts' words full of dedication, God could only nod helplessly and say, "Anyway, I often stay on the plateau."

Don't worry that these dead ghosts will get so engrossed in watching the sun that they'll end up turning into a puddle of water, slippery and flowing into the source of the Three Rivers, then being washed into the sea, where the all-encompassing ocean will finally digest them completely.

……

Just as the spirits rolled up their sleeves and began building an observatory brimming with humanistic brilliance on the desolate plateau,
The emperor in Luoyang finally emerged from the shadow of his "money flowing out in a flash" and found something new that could soothe his soul—

He opened a market in the palace, letting the palace servants act as peddlers and merchants, playing a simulation management game that could completely immerse people in.

It's as if manipulating transactions between people can fill the emptiness and loneliness in one's heart caused by financial losses.

Other than that,

The emperor also collected a large number of beauties in the luxurious and exquisite Western Garden, ordering them to hold uninhibited gatherings with him so that he could explore the mysteries of the human body at any time and place.

Wealth and lust,
This caused the emperor, who had previously studied Taoist fitness techniques and appeared quite energetic, to suddenly become thin and dejected.

Upon seeing this, Shi Daoren was deeply saddened and could not help but offer advice to the emperor.

This time, the emperor wasn't impatient; he just looked utterly exhausted and told him helplessly:
"I really can't understand it."

"Why is it that nothing ever satisfies me?"

Was he really that bad as emperor?
Liu Hong believes that there is no such thing.

Although he was greedy for money
Although he was lecherous
Although he favored eunuchs and engaged in factional persecution,

Although he sold official positions and titles, turning the court, which should not only pursue profit, into an auction house where only money determines status,
Although he was reluctant to part with the money in the treasury, he didn't provide much relief to the local disaster victims...

But if we're talking about directly targeting ordinary people,

Liu Hong did not do it.

He has been on the throne for over ten years and has never increased taxes once; he has even exempted many disaster-stricken areas from taxes.
This naturally stems from the thought that "how much money can you squeeze out of a poor person?"

When evaluating a person, one should judge them by their actions, not their intentions.

With his "love for the people," doesn't he deserve divine protection and blessings for a prosperous and peaceful world?
Why are there always rebellions?

Why are there always disasters?

This constant stream of bad news is really devastating!

Aside from his initial motivation to make money, Liu Hong was never a person with strong willpower.

Occasional efforts
His indirect acts of wisdom and diligence did not provide him with enough positive feedback, which only made him more decadent and complacent.

Shi Daoren then recalled the various aftereffects of the emperor's actions:
The emperor's own greed and lustful behavior further corrupted the already decadent atmosphere of the Han Dynasty.

This policy of persecuting political factions, which was continued during the reign of Emperor Huan, further depleted the nation's strength due to the already intense political factions.

The sale of official positions has directly allowed some incompetent people to take up the positions of local officials. In the past two years, it has even evolved to the point where "re-election requires money, and promotion also requires money."

But whose money is inexhaustible?
Are people who are willing to spend a lot of money to buy an official position really going to be loyal to their duties, instead of thinking about making money and recouping their investment while they are in power?

The Han Dynasty was being turned into a "tax farming system" by the emperor!

Admittedly,

In this process of deterioration
The emperor did not directly influence the common people.

However, the indirect impact is enormous.

The treasures and books rotted in the box.

Are those who guard and protect it without any guilt?

Shi Daoren reported this to the emperor.

The emperor remained silent for a moment, then turned his head away and forcefully changed the subject:
"I have heard that among Taoist priests, those with profound magical powers can communicate with ghosts and gods."

"You are a respected and virtuous person. Could you convey my doubts to the spirits and gods so that they may find an answer?"

Liu Hong believes that

Many of these things were done by previous monarchs as well.

How come they can live a more stable life than I do?
"If you can do this, then I can consider your advice and do what a wise ruler should do."

Shi Daoren immediately fell into deep thought.

He was indeed tempted by the offer.

(End of this chapter)