Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 616 After the Fall
Nanyang

It is the hometown of the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty.

It is the birthplace of a dynasty.

However, as the peasant uprising grew larger, Nanyang was inevitably affected.

The Yellow Turban army, having crossed the Huai River, launched an attack on this place.

However, Nanyang City was fortified with high walls and was not easy to attack.

then,

Zhang Jiao took out gunpowder—

At this point, the gunpowder still couldn't produce a powerful and effective explosion, enough to blast a large hole in a thick city wall.

However, it was still possible to launch catapults into the city, ignite the defenses and provisions inside, and then use the loud explosions to disrupt the enemy's morale.

Now, when Emperor Shizu of Han rose to power, his experiences, filled with myths and legends, made the Nanyang garrison, who saw fireballs flying towards them at night, uncontrollably recall the "Battle of Kunyang" of that year.

The prophecies and apocryphal texts, which originated and spread during the Former Han Dynasty, were exploited by Wang Mang and secretly tolerated by Emperor Guangwu, who also benefited from them. They were used to deify the status of the Liu family and thus had a great influence among the people.

That very night, the bitter fruit finally ripened, one that the Han dynasty could not accept.

"Rise with a rain of fire, perish with a rain of fire!"

"The Liu family's fate has truly run its course!"

As fireballs flew in one by one,
It fell on the roof tiles of the houses in the city.

It landed on the stockpiled grain and fodder.

When it fell on the soldiers,

Someone covered their ears and shouted out these words amidst the series of explosive sounds.

Many soldiers immediately lost the will to defend.

Even if a general determined to serve his country and the emperor used a whip to drive him or scold him, he could not make what had been extinguished by this "heavenly fire" reignite.

Nanyang soon fell into the hands of the bandits.

When the news reached Luoyang,

The emperor was naturally furious.

Amidst the fury of losing the "land of the dragon's rise,"

There was another reason that the emperor found unacceptable.

gunpowder,

It was something he didn't even glance at, didn't care about, and simply gave up on back then.

Because in his eyes, this thing had no investment value.

Even the elderly pleading did not sway his resolve to "sell off ancestral assets".

But who could have imagined,
Would someone use it on the battlefield, in Nanyang?

The emperor often boasted that he was "the greatest merchant in the world," daring to sell what others dared not sell and to do business that others dared not do.

But the people of Taipingdao showed him through their actions that...
He has absolutely no eye for investment.

How could the arrogant emperor tolerate this?
"This is not my fault!"

"It must be that Shi Daoren secretly colluded with Zhang Jiao to leak the gunpowder formula outside!"

The emperor was unaware of the connections between the various regions of the Taiping Dao (Way of Peace).
But he remembered that Shi Daoren had pleaded for the students of the Imperial Academy.

Perhaps it's precisely because of this opportunity that...
He stole state secrets, causing the Han Dynasty to suffer unbearable losses at this very moment!

Think about it more deeply.
Back when I was still in Hejian,
Zhang Jiao then led his men over and met with him.

After he ascended the throne, Shi Daoren recommended himself to be close to him...

It might just be a conspiracy by the Taiping Dao!
"what!"

At the home of Grand Commandant Cao in Luoyang,

A middle-aged man who had studied at the Imperial Academy and suffered greatly in prison, breaking several fingers, had nowhere to go after his release and sought refuge with the Cao family. Upon hearing of the emperor's fury, he couldn't help but laugh.

His friend, who had shared a similar experience and was practically a sworn brother, asked in bewilderment:
Why did you suddenly start laughing?

"Of course I was thinking of something happy!"

The man, whose face was etched with the marks of time, stretched out his mutilated hand, closed the doors and windows, and then took out a jug of turbid wine, pouring drinks for himself and his friends.

He drank his turbid wine in the dim light of the room, his smile tinged with a hint of resentment.

"I imagine His Majesty must be furious with us and Master Shi right now."

After a moment's thought, the friend understood the meaning behind the other person's words.

He shook his head and said, "...It's all in the past, why bother saying anything more?"

The winds are strong and the rain is torrential now.

Even walls can have ears.
For safety's sake, it's best to say as little as possible.

"Past hurts are still hurts."

"If I wait any longer, will my finger grow back?"

“Every spring and autumn when the rain and fog are thicker, my leg, which was broken in prison, will still ache and swell.”

"...Those scars are still there, and I can't forget the pain I felt back then."

His friend then stopped trying to persuade him, and simply checked again whether the doors and windows were properly sealed and whether anyone was eavesdropping outside.

While in prison,
He has also suffered hardships.

It was just lucky that no limbs were injured.

The man, holding his wine, continued to chuckle:
"Back then, His Majesty didn't want to pay any attention to us at all. He also treated the teachers in the school like trash, not to mention the research results."

"Now that we've suffered because of gunpowder, we've realized its benefits. I doubt His Majesty will reflect on his past actions; he'll only blame us for not preserving the gunpowder formula, for not enduring the pain and torment, and for not continuing to serve the court selflessly."

"But doesn't he think about it at all!"

Who in this world is born willing to suffer?

Too much effort,
Too much struggle,
Behind every one of them lies a goal pursued by someone.

If the goal cannot be achieved,
The effort spent cannot be compensated.
Relying solely on the phrase "destiny"
Based solely on a single word of "loyalty"
Those countless ordinary people struggling in this world,

Who would be willing to work themselves to death for the Liu family?

Unlike aristocratic families who are born with a rich life foundation and the right to pursue those mysterious and untouchable "ideals," they are not born into privilege.

Therefore, even the Taiping Dao, which enjoys interacting with people from the lower classes, will not glorify suffering.

They hope that everyone can have food to eat, clothes to wear, and enough strength to pursue their ideals.

They abhor suffering.

From beginning to end,

The only things worthy of praise are the tenacity and fighting spirit of Nuwa patching up the sky, Kuafu chasing the sun, and Yu the Great controlling the floods—their refusal to succumb to hardship.

But it is obvious,
Meat-eaters hate this kind of tenacity.

If the bones of the lowly don't bend...
How could they possibly sit there and enjoy the good life?
"...Have you become a believer in the Way of Peace?"

After exchanging ideas for a while,

The friend suddenly realized something from the other person's words and expressions.

The man stroked his palm without saying a word.

My friend could only say, "Luoyang is now very wary of the Taiping Dao."

"After the fall of Nanyang, His Majesty did not even consider the past affections, and ordered people to level Shi Daochang's grave and smash his tombstone... The eldest son, who had been raised and educated by him, was also reprimanded and ordered to reflect on his actions."

"So when you're out in public, never say things like that."

"I know."

The man nodded and said, "Not for myself, but for my wife, children, and elderly parents, as well as for you and my benefactor."

He won't implicate his friends.
It would also not implicate Cao Song, their benefactor who had lent them a helping hand during their time of crisis.

Although for the nobles of the Han Dynasty,
Cao Song, the descendant of a eunuch, was truly despicable.

When the emperor initiated the era of rampant selling of official positions, this fellow, who had consistently cooperated, bribed the emperor, and risen through the ranks to become the Grand Commandant, one of the Three Dukes, was especially vehemently denounced and despised by the upright officials.

But the students of the Imperial Academy back then were still very grateful to him.

Regardless of what Cao Song did in other areas...

At least he genuinely helped the Imperial Academy and even took in some students who had nowhere else to turn.

Not to mention,

Because of Cao Song's immense wealth, those who worked for him also received financial rewards.

He thus married a gentle wife and had a lively child.

Those who were originally destitute found new vulnerabilities in this shelter. It was in this dimly lit little house that...
Facing friends who have gone through hardships together,

Only then did he dare to show such an attitude.

Put it outside.

Feeling the awe-inspiring power emanating from the palace,

How could he dare to say anything more?
"Ugh……"

The two exchanged a glance, then silently finished the pot of turbid wine.

And in the palace,

Enraged, the emperor placed himself in the soft embrace of the beauty.
The wine made his body sluggish, and his thoughts gradually became out of control.

His original intention was to use fine wine to escape the troubles of reality.

But when the flush from the alcohol spreads across the face,

The emperor couldn't help but think of the powerful families, the rebel armies in various places, and the entire eastern region of the Han Dynasty that was in ruins.

He suddenly laughed, startling the beauty who was trying to please him so much that she dared not continue.

"That's all!"

"What does that have to do with me?"

Anyway, he's already let go.

After the removal of the historian and the establishment of the governor,

Let those people handle the local affairs themselves!

Since they complain every day that the court has failed to maintain peace and stability in the country and has not fulfilled its responsibility to protect their property and status,
So the emperor simply let go.

joke,

The emperor lived in Luoyang.

My hometown was just a county in Hejian, but now it has been occupied by that bandit leader named Dou Jiande.

There were other rebels in other prefectures and counties in Hebei.

The land is too high and too far to be reclaimed, so it seems impossible.

Why waste so much money and energy on people you've never been to or met?
Aristocratic families can only care about their own clan and their own hometown.
Why can't the emperor only care about himself and only care about Luoyang?
"Let them be!"

"As long as I stand on high ground, that's enough!"

What good is it if floods inundate countless places?
He was the emperor.

He is the emperor!

He occupied Luoyang, the most central and prosperous city in the land.
He possesses the most wealth and resources in the world.
Compared to those places that have already been submerged and swept away by floods,

He was standing on the mountaintop.

It's unlikely that he'll be submerged by the floodwaters.

Therefore,
What is he anxious about?
Wouldn't it be better to use the money spent on suppressing local rebellions to strengthen the defense of Luoyang and train the imperial guards directly under our command?
At least the money is spent on yourself.
The emperor can see the results directly, which gives him peace of mind.

Instead of spending money and getting nothing in return, and then being complained about for being incompetent.

"My energy will indeed have to be spent on you!"

Having figured this out, the emperor reached out and embraced the two beauties, continuing their previous pleasure.

Liu Xie, who came to see his father hoping he could release his elder brother from confinement, was stopped.

The palace servants told him that it was not convenient to go in and disturb the emperor at this time.

Liu Xie could only retreat in disappointment, not daring to use his status to cause any further trouble.

Although many people believe that

He was the emperor's most favored prince.

To highlight the affection shown to him,

The emperor also repeatedly reprimanded his eldest son, saying that he lacked the demeanor and bearing of a ruler.

It seemed as if they were about to appoint Liu Xie as the crown prince.

After all, from the perspective of ordinary people,

The emperor currently has only two sons.
Given the lifespan of the current Han emperors,

Based on the incidence of premature death among the emperor's children,

These two children are probably the only ones he'll ever have in his life.

Therefore,
Dislike this one
Isn't that just showing affection to the other person?

But only those who understand the emperor know the truth.
This monarch loved no one but himself.

How much did he favor Empress He back then?

Now, how much they despise Empress He.

How much did they dote on Consort Wang back then?

When Consort Wang was poisoned to death shortly after giving birth to the prince, did Liu Xie receive any extra fatherly care from her other than being raised by Empress Dowager Dong, as arranged by the emperor?
He reprimanded his eldest son.

It's just because I simply dislike it.

But what should the elder brother do?

Liu Xie thought of Liu Bian, who was being held in solitary confinement.

He wanted to seek help from his caretaker, Empress Dowager Dong, but his innate intelligence told him that this was not possible—

Generally speaking, widowed mothers all over the world have a strong attachment to their children.

Because they lost their first husbands and the misfortunes of life offered no new solace, they could only turn their attention to their second husbands.

child,

It is my mother's future support.

So in essence,

Empress Dowager Dong still cared about the emperor.

However, her wisdom was limited, and she had that kind of personality.

Her concern manifested in her talking to Liu Hong when he was very young, about the family's lack of money and the difficulties she faced in life.

After Emperor Liu Hong became emperor and had his own concubines,
Empress Dowager Dong couldn't help but start finding fault with the various beauties who had stolen her son's attention.

then,

This led to a conflict with the He family, who had once enjoyed great favor.

Empress Dowager Dong loved money as much as her son.
Empress He also had considerable experience in this regard.

Because she came from a butcher's family, her status was considered low among the many concubines of the Han emperor.

This habit of being petty and calculating is also reflected in her.

Empress He, however, had a fiery and impulsive personality, which perfectly matched her seven-foot height and voluptuous figure.

This made Empress Dowager Dong dislike her even more.

Perhaps they saw too much of themselves in Empress He, but were unwilling to admit that they had those problems too.

all in all,
Empress Dowager Dong, like the emperor, disliked the He family, mother and son, who were related to her by blood.

She did not allow Liu Xie, whom she had raised, to have much contact with Liu Bian.

This meant that the two brothers' playtime often took place in private, without the adults noticing.

right now,

How could he dare to go directly to Empress Dowager Dong?
Embracing sorrow,

The young Liu Xie wandered in the palace gardens.

Having exhausted all other options, he went to the base of a large tree and kicked its trunk to vent his frustration.

then,

He heard an eunuch relaying the emperor's new orders:
It wasn't that she stopped tormenting her eldest son.
Instead, they reinstated Dong Zhuo and sent him to quell the recent Qiang rebellion in Xiliang.
Cao Cao, who had fought bravely on the front lines and achieved great success, was summoned to Luoyang to serve as the Commandant of the Western Garden Army, where the emperor resided, and was given the important task of protecting the imperial family.

"hiss--"

I don't know why,
Liu Xie disliked the names of these two people very much.

He was momentarily distracted when he heard the news.
He didn't control his strength, and the force he used to kick the tree trunk ended up injuring his toes.

Liu Xie then squatted down, hugging his legs.

The withered yellow leaves of autumn rustled and fell all over him as he kicked and punched them.

(End of this chapter)