Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 614 The Third Year of Zhongping
In the third year of the Hanzhong Ping era,
The flames of war in the Central Plains burned even brighter.

Despite the efforts of the Han army,

Peasant uprisings in some areas, as well as barbarian invasions, were quickly suppressed.

But in other regions, a similar wave will then sweep across the land.

They were not as drastic as those at the end of the Qin Dynasty or the end of the Xin Dynasty.
In just a few months, it has gained the momentum to sweep across the world.
But the rushing of thousands of rivers and streams always kept the imperial army constantly on the run.

As the battle drags on, more problems will be exposed.

For example, the amount of supplies and provisions provided by the logistics department often did not match the notifications issued by the imperial court.

For example, envoys sent by the central government always demanded payment from the generals for their hard work.

For example, local forces are deeply entrenched, and large armies sent to quell rebellions can be hampered by conflicting interests that may arise at any time.

Dong Zhuo, who had taken over from Lu Zhi with great ambition, had been dismissed from his post by the emperor and sent back to his hometown on the grounds that he was "useless".

The reason was that his battle reports from the front lines did not satisfy the emperor.

The emperor was further angered by the frequent memorials requesting supplies and provisions.

I've already allocated you so much money.
I have already given you so much grain.
Why haven't you quelled all those bandits yet?!
Once my money is in your hands, is it just going to be wasted?

I don't want to hear your explanation.

I don't want to know about your difficulties in commanding the army.
I will not read your petitions that interfere with local affairs.
All I want is for you to win!

If you can't even do this, then get out of my sight!
The fact that Dong Zhuo was able to return to his hometown unscathed, without being immediately imprisoned by the emperor, was also thanks to Li Mi's efforts.

When Dong Zhuo's beloved son-in-law was ordered to quell the rebellion in Hebei, he rescued Empress Dowager Dong's relatives who had escaped from Hejian County.

He used this life-saving grace, along with a large amount of treasure, to establish a relationship with them and persuade them to acknowledge Dong Zhuo's status as a "relative of the imperial clan."

When Empress Dowager Dong learned of this, she softened her heart in the face of the treasures offered by Dong Zhuo and persuaded the emperor to let him go.

This mother looks a lot like her son.

He is very principled when it comes to doing business.

Once they receive the money, they will do the job.

of course,

If the final result is unsuccessful, the money will not be refunded.

Fortunately,

The emperor, who was not very concerned about many people and things and truly embodied the meaning of the phrase "heartless and ungrateful," was a dutiful son when it came to serving his mother.

He accepted Empress Dowager Dong's words, only requiring Dong Zhuo to pay a large sum of "atonement money," and then he was dismissed.

As for those generals who neither achieved victory nor paid enough money, the emperor sent people to bring them back to Luoyang in prison carts, where they were imprisoned with Shi Daoren.

……

"You're starving to death."

"All the rats here have run away, so there's no way to catch and eat them."

In the prisons of Luoyang,

As more and more residents moved in and the place became more popular, the traces of snakes, insects, and rodents decreased.

no way,
Mice need to eat too.

Their living space has been squeezed out by humans, so they have no choice but to leave their damp and dark "homes" and go out to make a living.

but,

The filth that used to be there is gone.

New filth will naturally fill the void.

He Bo mingled among the crowd of people who had been sent to prison by the emperor for various reasons, such as poor performance in battle, insufficient "travel expenses," or simply being unworthy of their positions, and went to the prison to visit Shi Daoren.

This Taoist priest, who had once been trusted by the emperor and had even exhausted all his savings to encourage him to revitalize the country,

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion reappeared in the Central Plains, they were almost killed by order of the emperor.

But the emperor, mindful of past events, ultimately did not carry out a fatal attack.

For Shi Daoren
The emperor valued it quite a bit.

Because many of the people gathered around him, to varying degrees, had desires and cravings.
Those eunuchs who desperately fawned over him, and were addressed as "parents" by the emperor with a smile,

Those scholars who adopted the posture of loyal ministers and filial sons, weeping and remonstrating in the court and before the palace,

Who wouldn't want to benefit from the emperor?

Power, status, fame, money...

This is what draws people back and forth.

But Shi Daoren was different.

He doesn't need wealth or fame.
He seemed to be sincere in his advice.

He hoped to be a good emperor.

The emperor had previously asked him about this:
Are all the people of the Way of Peace like this?

He recalled his encounter with Zhang Jiao years ago.

I find it really strange that Taoist priests don't seek fame or fortune.

"Why are you doing this?"

Shi Daoren then explained the principles of the Taiping Jing to the emperor and told him about the disputes between himself and other Daoists regarding their respective paths.

of course,

He did not say anything about the "struggle faction" represented by Zhang Jiao.

However, the emperor at the time did not frankly tell Shi Daoren, and showed no unnecessary expression.

Even in his youthful, thoughtful days, he was not corrupted by Zhang Jiao's conscience.
Not to mention the current ruler who has been a monarch for over a decade.

but,

Ultimately, he had gained more trust in Shi Daoren.

The results of it?
When news of Zhang Jiao leading the followers of the Way of Peace in rebellion spread...

The emperor felt that he had been deceived emotionally.

This is a wound that no amount of money can heal!
"Would you like a pancake?"

Looking at Shi Daoren, who appeared much more haggard, He Bo took out a sesame seed cake from his pocket and shook it at him.

Shi Daoren, leaning against the corner of the wall, did not respond.

He Bo then took out a scallion, rolled it up in the pancake, and started eating it himself.

He ate half of it, and then started talking about the Yellow Turban Rebellion and other rebel groups.

Let's first talk about where the various heroes have fought their way to.
They also said that new smoke and dust had sprung up somewhere.

Interspersed throughout were a few sentences about the court's response.

After listening, Shi Daoren remained silent for a long time before letting out a sigh.

He finally spoke.

"...My attempt failed."

Even if the emperor did some things,

But the overall situation was still beyond saving.

He Bo said, "No matter how strong an individual's will is, it cannot stop the inevitable torrent."

Even if the ruler in power is a wise and virtuous monarch,
At most, it can only postpone the problem for a while.

Regarding this,

The past rulers of the underworld have discussed this.

They eventually admitted,

Within the established framework, even the most capable person can only be a paperhanger.

Why was Wang Jing able to manage the Yellow River so well that it did not overflow and cause disasters despite the current volatile situation?

It's simply a matter of abandoning the original river channel, which was blocked by silt, and opening up a new, unobstructed river channel.

"Was my work in vain?" Shi Daoren asked in confusion.

His old and thin face held a bewilderment I had never seen before.

He doesn't regret his choice.

He only regretted that after trying for so long, nothing had changed.

He Bo thought of the students of the Imperial Academy who had survived because of him, and then of the things they were developing for them in the manors of powerful families.

But he didn't say that; he just listed a record with the names and experiences of certain people.

He Bo told him:
"It still has some use." "Some families have indeed enjoyed a better life because of the emperor's actions."

Liu Hong's actions over the past few years cannot be completely denied.

otherwise,

Now, the Han Dynasty is engulfed in war.

Where did the imperial court get the money, food and supplies to support several armies fighting at the same time?
The emperor was a good merchant who didn't like making money off poor people!

However, the war spread too rapidly and the firefighting took too long, so his efforts were quickly burned to ashes.

The hidden dangers that he had personally sown also erupted rapidly with the arrival of the war.

"That's good!"

Shi Daoren learned from God that there really were people who had improved their lives and gained more confidence to survive in this chaotic world, and he smiled with relief.

"Zhang Jiao's talent and ambition far surpass mine."

"So he wanted to save all the people in the world."

"But I want to save each and every family."

If even this point is not addressed...
He's probably going to become a laughingstock.

He Bo didn't comfort him, but just ate his pancake with scallions and said:
"Keep trying in your next life!"

At least it's much better than being deceived by my disciple in my previous life, where I couldn't even return to my hometown for burial!
He Bo recalled Shi Daoren's initial version.

Kong Guang, the great Confucian scholar of the Former Han Dynasty who had once been Wang Mang's teacher, couldn't help but smack his lips.

"Remember to be reincarnated early."

If it were like in the previous life,

After relaxing in the underworld for decades, he set his goal of "reincarnating as a human to assist a wise ruler," and then waited in line for another decades...

Don't miss the dynasty's golden age again, only to fall into decline.
As for why the other party devoted himself to the Way of Peace in this lifetime?
That wasn't something God secretly orchestrated.
The path to advancement for the Han dynasty is completely blocked by powerful clans.
To quickly gain fame and get close to the king,

Joining the Taoist sect is indeed a shortcut.

Shi Daoren took it as a simple reminder and didn't think about it deeply.

He simply retreated to the corner.

He died quietly from starvation, deliberately forgotten by the emperor.

By now,

He had nothing more to say to the emperor.

The emperor did not lay a hand on him.

But as he listened to the news outside and saw the burly Han generals being continuously brought to the prison to keep him company,

What else can we do?
Death is a kind of peace.

Upon hearing the news, the emperor hesitated only briefly before issuing the order:
"Let's find a place to bury him."

soon,

Prince Liu Bian also learned of this matter.

He still had some feelings for Shi Daoren, who had raised him and taught him for a period of time.

So he wanted to go and see the place where Shi Daoren was buried.

But this idea only earned him a reprimand from the emperor.

After he began to favor Consort Wang and she bore him another son, Liu Xie,

The emperor, whose affections had shifted completely, abandoned Empress He and his eldest son Liu Bian, whom he had once loved.

When Empress He, out of jealousy, took advantage of the emperor's uninhibited gathering with other beauties in the West Garden to send Consort Wang to her death with a bowl of poison,
The emperor's aversion to the mother and son intensified.

of course,

Behind this sentiment was also the fact that He Jin, the elder brother of the He family, had sided with a powerful family.

He Jin,

He was originally just a butcher.
He was able to enter the court because his younger sister gained the emperor's favor.

The emperor originally intended to support him as a role model for those from humble backgrounds, in order to attract talented individuals who were dissatisfied with the aristocratic families and to unite them closely around him.
result,

But it was like a ghost or god, and as Yuan Wei secretly commented:
Too hasty promotion
Judging solely by someone's background and abilities, one naively assumes that the person will necessarily follow them and fight against rampant evil.
That would definitely lead to a severe setback in terms of "human nature".

Who would have thought?
After He Jin, a butcher, suddenly rose to power, he not only did not follow the emperor's wishes and become his tool, but instead followed the footsteps of the aristocratic families in everything he did. His words and actions were exactly the same as those of the aristocratic families in order to prove the "nobility" of the He family.

The "convert fanaticism" that was once displayed in the Zhongshan Kingdom.
The same pattern is now being replicated in these poor families who were promoted by the emperor.

Even to demonstrate their determination to break with the past,

They also turned around and dealt a heavy blow to their juniors who also came from humble backgrounds but had not yet had the chance to be noticed by the emperor and gain favor.

Their methods were far simpler and more brutal than those of the aristocratic families.

After all, the latter involves three steps: hosting a banquet, beheading, and taking the dog as a servant.

Those who boarded first were only thinking about closing the doors tightly.
He himself sat in a luxury car pulled by a Akhal-Teke horse, and smiled at the people walking outside.

How could this not anger the emperor?
His nature is to be very arrogant.

He lost his father at a young age.

My mother also lacked wisdom and courage.

Young Liu Hong became the pillar of his family, maintaining the dignity of being a member of the Han imperial clan by demanding money in various ways.

Such an experience
He is far superior to the "child prodigies" touted by scholars today.

The fact that he successfully seized power in a coup at the beginning of his reign gave Liu Hong the illusion that he was "destined by heaven."

This is why he firmly believes that people from poor families will follow him.

However, He Jin's actions made the emperor realize:
Some things are not things he can do just because he wants to.

Some people are not born to follow him.

But when he angrily wanted to deal with He Jin,
The family, who greatly admired this foolish butcher, intervened to stop him.

Such a good maternal relative

How could they bear to let it be abandoned by the emperor?

then,

The emperor could only vent his anger on Empress He and Liu Bian.

Because of the saying "a nephew resembles his uncle,"

Liu Bian, the eldest son, was frequently scolded and insulted by him.

Empress He did not put up any resistance.

She appeared to be tall and athletic, possessing a heroic spirit unlike that of ordinary women, yet her temperament was as submissive and obedient as her brother's, always submitting to those in power.

Because of her status as Empress, she dared to poison Consort Wang.

But in front of the emperor, she could only weep and beg for her husband's affection.

How could she dare to speak up for Liu Bian?

She even blamed Liu Bian, believing that the child lacked talent and couldn't win her father's favor, leading to her own fall from grace.

I've completely forgotten.
She was able to become empress because she gave birth to Liu Bian, the eldest son of the emperor.

Liu Bian was treated this way by his parents, so naturally he couldn't develop a strong and confident personality.

He was often silent and his demeanor was somewhat timid.

He could only relax a little when Shi Daoren entered the palace and taught him some principles and doctrines.

Because Shi Daoren would not make any demands on him, he only hoped that this prince, who might inherit the throne, could develop upright and benevolent character.

but now,
Shi Daoren is gone.
Liu Bian still has no way to see the place where he was buried.

He could only hide in his room and grieve. Then he would take out some valuables and have some palace servants who could enter and leave the palace to make purchases take them to Shi Daoren to decorate his tomb.

No one knows a father better than his son.
Liu Bian was able to guess the desolation of the place where Shi Daoren was buried.

And wait for the palace servants to take the things out,

Liu Bian then heard that his younger brother Liu Xie had secretly come to play with him.

He wiped his face and then went to be respectful and courteous to his brothers.

Although there was deep hatred between their mothers.

Even Empress Dowager Dong, who took over the task of raising Liu Xie, harbored ill will towards Lady He, and consequently disliked her grandson Liu Bian.
However, the two young princes were not greatly affected.

In this vast and old palace,

In this turbulent era
What reason could there be for these two brothers to be distant?

(End of this chapter)