Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Just as Xuanyuan was troubled by this, the goddess Nuwa gracefully descended before him in her fairy dress.

When Xuanyuan first saw the goddess Nuwa in front of him, he could hardly believe his eyes. It was only when Li Xiuyuan called him that he came back to his senses.

Xuanyuan bowed deeply to the Goddess Nuwa, and only rose after receiving her permission.

"I've heard that many things have happened to the human race these days, and I feel very saddened by them! But you've done a great job! The human race is now prosperous, and your contribution is indispensable!"

"Your Majesty flatters me. I have only done my duty. All of this is thanks to Your Majesty! Without Your Majesty's compassion, how could the human race be what it is today?"

"I am very pleased that the human race has developed so well. These nine cauldrons are a gift for you. Burying them in the Nine Provinces will bring peace and stability to the Nine Provinces!" Nuwa said, waving her long sleeves, and nine large cauldrons appeared in front of the Yellow Emperor.

Looking at the nine large cauldrons in front of him, Xuanyuan wondered if these nine cauldrons alone could shake the Nine Provinces and ensure stability.

However, this was a gift from the Goddess Nuwa, and there must be a deeper meaning behind it. Xuanyuan gratefully bowed to Nuwa, saying, "On behalf of the human race, I, Xuanyuan, thank Your Majesty for your great kindness!"

"No, you should thank the Dragon King for this favor!"

"Dragon King?" Xuanyuan asked in confusion. Could these nine cauldrons have some inextricable connection with the demon dragon king?

As expected, Nuwa continued, "These nine great cauldrons were created by the Dragon King sacrificing his nine sons and casting their true spirits into them. That is why these nine cauldrons have such power to suppress the nine provinces."

Xuanyuan suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! No wonder these nine great cauldrons are so powerful and can bring peace to the nine provinces."

"The Dragon King is truly righteous! The Dragon King's Ao clan has a very good relationship with our human race. Not only did they bestow upon us the Water of Life, but now, for the sake of the stability of the Nine Provinces, they have also placed the true spirit of their own child within the cauldron. We, the human race, will forever be grateful for the Dragon King's kindness to us. I have decided to make the dragon our totem forever!"

Nuwa nodded in agreement, "I am very pleased that you can do this!"

Then Nuwa changed the subject, saying, "The demon race caused heavy casualties to the human race back then, which was certainly the demon race's fault. However, the demon emperor has been dead for a thousand years, and you have seen how the demon race has treated the human race for the past thousand years. It's time for the human and demon races to put aside their grudges!"

Chapter 1087 The Five Emperors Gradually Emerge

After hearing this, the Yellow Emperor felt that the matter was feasible, so he readily agreed that as long as the demon race was willing to protect the human race, the human race would definitely offer incense to them.

Nuwa then departed, satisfied.

From then on, although there were still some undercurrents among the human, demon, and witch races, on the surface everyone lived in peace and harmony.

A century later, Xuanyuan attained enlightenment. Before he passed away, due to the short time available, he did not designate a successor in advance. Ultimately, the ministers jointly elected Shaohao as the new ruler of the human race.

Li Xiuyuan had heard of Shaohao. He had heard the Yellow Emperor say that when Shaohao was born, there were five phoenixes in the sky, each a different color, which were formed according to the five colors of the five directions: red, yellow, blue, white, and black. They flew down to Shaohao's courtyard, so Shaohao was also known as the Phoenix Bird Clan.

Shao Hao initially used the black bird, or swallow, as the totem of his tribe. Later, when he was the leader of the Great Alliance in Qiong Sang, a phoenix flew in, which made him very happy. So he changed the tribe's deity to the phoenix and worshipped the phoenix totem.

Li Xiuyuan knew that the Phoenix Clan couldn't sit still after learning that the Dragon Clan was about to become the totem of humankind, and had come to get a share of the spoils.

Shao Hao, chosen by the Phoenix Clan, possesses extraordinary talents and abilities.

When he was young, the Yellow Emperor sent him to the Fenghong tribe, the largest tribe in the Dongyi tribal alliance, to train. He married a woman from the Fenghong tribe and eventually became the leader of the Fenghong tribe, and later the leader of the entire Dongyi tribe.

Following this, Shao Hao established a state on the shores of the East Sea and set up a peculiar system: using various kinds of birds as civil and military officials. The specific division of labor was based on the characteristics of different birds.

The phoenix is ​​in charge of all birds, then the swallow governs spring, the shrike governs summer, the parrot governs autumn, and the golden pheasant governs winter.

In addition, he appointed five kinds of birds to manage daily affairs. The dutiful dove was in charge of education, the fierce hawk in charge of military affairs, the fair cuckoo in charge of construction, the majestic eagle in charge of law, and the eloquent turtledove in charge of speech. There were also nine kinds of birds in charge of agriculture, so that the people would not become dissolute and licentious.

The five types of pheasants are in charge of five different trades: carpentry, painting, pottery, dyeing, and leatherwork.

Shao Hao was sincere and diligent, continuing to implement the various policies established before the Yellow Emperor, and constantly innovating and improving them, all of which played a significant role in the development of the human race.

Li Xiuyuan was very pleased with this. He knew that the human race was about to usher in its golden age, and during this period, the human race could fully develop on its own. So he left the human world with peace of mind.

As Shao Hao grew older, he passed the position of human ruler to his virtuous and wise son, Zhuanxu. Thus, a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. As Zhuanxu grew old, he felt that his body was deteriorating day by day and he could no longer lead the various tribes of the human race. He wanted to pass the position of human ruler to a capable person, just like Shao Hao had done.

So Zhuanxu visited all the tribes in the clan and found that his nephew, Emperor Ku, was intelligent and virtuous. Therefore, Zhuanxu abdicated the position of leader of the human race to Emperor Ku.

Emperor Ku was intelligent and studious from a young age, and was exceptionally clever. He had a reputation for wisdom by the age of twelve or thirteen. At fifteen, he was recruited by Emperor Zhuanxu to assist in government affairs, and at the age of thirty, he succeeded to the position of ruler of the human race.

Emperor Ku's birth was also quite legendary. It is said that his mother accidentally stepped on a giant's footprint before giving birth to him. Therefore, when Emperor Zhuanxu passed the throne to Emperor Ku, few people among the human race were dissatisfied.

After Emperor Ku ascended the throne, he was "wise enough to know the distant future, and insightful enough to perceive the subtle details. He followed the will of Heaven and understood the urgent needs of the people. He was benevolent yet awe-inspiring, kind yet trustworthy, and cultivated himself so that the world submitted to him." During his seventy-year reign, the world was well-governed, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.

Before Emperor Ku, although people had the concept of the four seasons, they only worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. There was no scientific time sequence for engaging in agriculture and animal husbandry, which seriously restricted agricultural development and the improvement of people's quality of life.

To further improve people's quality of life, Emperor Ku often observed weather changes and the trajectories of stars day and night, scientifically explored celestial phenomena and the laws of phenological changes, and ultimately divided the seasons into four periods to guide people in carrying out agricultural and livestock activities according to the seasons, which greatly promoted the development of social productivity.

The era of Emperor Ku can be described as a golden age of peace and prosperity in ancient times. His governing strategy was: "No virtue is greater than universal love for people, no policy is greater than universal benefit for people. No policy is greater than trustworthiness, and no governance is greater than benevolence." He emphasized governing the world with integrity and benevolence.

Therefore, the later Records of the Grand Historian said that he "universally benefited all things, was wise enough to know the distant, and insightful enough to observe the subtle. He followed the righteousness of Heaven, knew the people and their urgent needs, was benevolent yet awe-inspiring, kind yet trustworthy, and cultivated himself so that the world would submit to him. Wherever the sun and moon shone, wherever the wind and rain reached, all submitted to him."

Emperor Ku is especially renowned for his integrity among the people. The story of "marrying his daughter to Panhu the dog" has remained popular for thousands of years.

It is said that the King of Fang of the Quanrong rebelled. Emperor Ku led an expedition but failed to defeat him. He then issued a proclamation to the world, saying that anyone who took the head of the King of Fang would receive a thousand pieces of gold, be granted a fief of ten thousand households, and be given an imperial daughter as a wife.

Later, a man with a head shaped like a dog's head named Panhu used his bravery and wisdom to take the head of the King of Fang. Emperor Ku then fulfilled his promise and married his daughter to Panhu, granting him a fief.

Emperor Ku, as a ruler of his time, was not only self-disciplined and selfless, but also advocated integrity and discerned good from evil. He was admired by the people and revered by emperors throughout history, and is still revered today.

Emperor Ku was knowledgeable about spirits and deities, and served them with utmost care. He was dignified in appearance and of high moral character. His actions were timely, and his attire was that of a scholar. Emperor Ku governed the people impartially, like rainwater nourishing farmland, extending his influence throughout the land. Wherever the sun and moon shone, and wherever the wind and rain reached, no one failed to submit and obey him.

Emperor Ku married two wives. The daughter of Lady Zi bore him a son named Zhi, while the daughter of Lady Chenfeng bore him a son named Fangxun. After Emperor Ku abdicated, Zhi succeeded him. However, Zhi was short-lived and died soon after taking office. Therefore, everyone elected Fangxun to succeed him, changing his title to Yao.

Yao's mother, Qingdu, was from the Chenfeng clan and was born in the wilderness of Douwei. There is a Qingdu Mountain in Tang County, which is said to be the place where Yao's mother lived. When Qingdu was born, yellow clouds often covered it. After she came of age, a dragon often followed her. ...Then, a cold wind gathered from all directions, and the red dragon was moved by it and became pregnant. Fourteen months later, Yao was born in Danling.

With the blessing of the dragon clan, Yao became a wise and virtuous ruler. The dragon clan made the right bet once again and became the totem of the human race.

Chapter 1088 The Rule of Yao and Shun

Yao was a man of both civil and military prowess. After he succeeded as the ruler of the human race, there was actually no basic state system at that time. The state was just a loose tribal confederation, which was not conducive to the unified management of the state.

Therefore, after Yao had accumulated some experience in governance, he began to establish a national political system, one of the most important aspects of which was to appoint officials according to various administrative matters.

Under Yao's command, the ministers formulated the first calendar based on the laws of sunrise and sunset and the distribution of stars in the sky, and guided the people's production and migration according to the solar terms.

The length of a year was set at 366 days, and leap months were added to adjust the seasons.

Even after Yao came to power, he lived a very simple life, residing in a thatched hut, drinking wild vegetable soup, and wearing coarse cloth woven from kudzu vines. However, he always paid attention to listening to the opinions of the people. He set up a drum for remonstrance in front of the simple palace gate. Anyone who had any opinions or suggestions for him or the country could strike this drum at any time. When Yao heard the drum, he would immediately receive the person and listen carefully to their opinions.

Under his rule, the human race has developed better and better in all aspects.

As Yao grew older, he discussed with his ministers the selection of a successor, and some of them stepped forward to recommend Yu Shun.

Shun's childhood was marked by a very difficult upbringing. His divine mother died early, and his father was blind. Not long after his mother's death, Jiuyou married a woman and soon had a child named Xiang.

Unfortunately, the blind man was wicked, and the stepmother often abused Shun. His younger brother was unruly and stubborn. However, even living in such an environment, Shun still maintained his kind character. He was a dutiful son to his parents and very filial. He was also very friendly to his younger brother. He did this for many years without the slightest slackening.

Gu Sou doted on Xiang. As Shun grew older, several people conspired to kill Shun so that they could pass all the family's wealth to their son Xiang.

Shun sensed the murderous intent emanating from his family. Although he was heartbroken, he did not hate his relatives. He simply fled whenever he sensed their intention to harm him, and returned to their side as soon as things improved, offering them as much help as possible. Despite his unfortunate background and harsh environment, Shun displayed extraordinary virtue and managed his family relationships well. He repaid evil with kindness, and he did his best to fulfill any request his family made.

People around Shun were moved by his filial piety and spread his good name to each other. Gradually, more and more people knew about Shun.

When Shun farmed at Mount Li, the people of Mount Li offered him land; when he went fishing at Lake Leize, the people of Lake Leize offered him a place to stay. Wherever Shun lived, the local people came to visit him. In one year, his place became a settlement; in two years, a town; and in three years, a city.

Yao's son, Danzhu, was hot-tempered, and Yao felt he was unfit to be the ruler of the human race. In his old age, Yao planned to abdicate in favor of a virtuous person.

Hearing the ministers praise Shun so highly, he married his two daughters, Ehuang and Nüying, to Chonghua, and subtly tested Chonghua's character through his daughters.

The final results of the investigation greatly pleased Yao, so he appointed Shun to be in charge of teaching people the five ethical virtues of fatherly righteousness, motherly kindness, brotherly friendship, fraternal respect, and filial piety. After Shun's teachings, the people's customs changed dramatically.

Later, Yao allowed Shun to participate in government affairs, manage officials, receive guests, and undergo various trials. Shun not only handled government affairs well, but also made improvements in personnel management.

The "Eight Worthies" and "Eight Virtuous Ones" whom Yao failed to employ were already renowned for their virtue. Shun appointed the "Eight Worthies" to manage the land and the "Eight Virtuous Ones" to manage education. There were also the "Four Evil Clans," namely, the unworthy sons of Emperor Hong, Qiongqi, Taowu, and Taotie, who were notorious for their evil deeds. Although Yao failed to deal with them, Shun exiled the "Four Evil Clans" to remote and desolate lands.

The implementation of these measures demonstrates Shun's governing strategies and political talent.

After undergoing numerous tests, Shun finally gained Yao's approval. Yao then intended to abdicate in favor of Chonghua, but Chonghua felt that his prestige and virtue were insufficient and refused to accept the throne.

Yao had no choice but to let him temporarily assume the duties of the ruler. If Heaven did not allow Chonghua to succeed him, then something would surely happen.

After Chonghua assumed the duties of the chief minister, he observed the Big Dipper to examine whether there were any abnormalities in the movement of the sun, moon, and the five planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). He then held a temporary ceremony to worship God, used the ritual of burning offerings on fire to worship heaven and earth and the four seasons, used the ritual of remote worship to worship famous mountains and rivers, and also universally worshipped various deities.

He collected the five jade tokens held by the five ranks of marquises—Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron—namely Huan Gui, Xin Gui, Gong Gui, Gu Bi, and Pu Bi, and on an auspicious day and month, he summoned the Four Sacred Mountains and the governors of various prefectures, and then bestowed them upon them.

In February, Shun went on an inspection tour to the east. When he arrived at Mount Tai, he offered sacrifices to the Eastern Peak with a firewood-burning ceremony and to famous mountains and rivers in various places with a remote sacrifice ceremony. Afterwards, he summoned the feudal lords of the east to coordinate and correct the four seasons, the length of the moon, the days of Jia and Yi, and to unify the standards of musical scales, length, volume, and weight.

More than twenty years later, Yao died. When the people learned of Yao's death, the whole country grieved as if they had lost their parents.

Shun decreed that, in order to commemorate Yao's achievements, no banquets or performances should be held in any direction for three years.

After the three-year mourning period, Chonghua abdicated in favor of Yao's son Danzhu and retreated to the south of the South River.

However, when the feudal lords paid homage, the people sang praises, and when cases were settled in the villages, they all went to Chonghua, while Danzhu was almost completely ignored. All the officials said that this was the will of Heaven, and Chonghua could no longer refuse, so he had no choice but to assume the position of ruler, becoming Emperor Shun.

After Shun came to power, he revised the calendar and held grand ceremonies to worship the sages, the heavens and the four seasons, and the gods of mountains and rivers. He also collected the jade tablets (信圭) of the feudal lords, selected an auspicious day, summoned the feudal lords from various regions, and held a grand ceremony to reissue the tablets. In the year of his ascension, he toured various regions, worshipped famous mountains, summoned the feudal lords, and investigated the people's conditions. He also stipulated that he would tour these regions every five years to assess the feudal lords' achievements and clarify rewards and punishments. This demonstrates Shun's attention to maintaining contact with local areas and strengthening his rule over them.

The duties of the people who had already been appointed, such as Gun, Gaotao, Qi, Qi, Boyi, Kui, Long, Chui, and Yi, were not clearly defined. Therefore, Shun appointed Gun as Minister of Works, specifically to manage water and soil.

Chapter 1089 Flood

Shun then appointed Qi as Houji to manage agriculture; appointed Qi as Situ to promote education; and appointed Gaotao as Shi to be in charge of criminal law, making fair judgments so that all people could receive fair treatment.

He appointed Chui as "Gonggong," in charge of all craftsmen, so that all artisans could devote themselves to their work; appointed Yi as "Yu," in charge of the mountains and forests; appointed Boyi as "Zhizong," to preside over rites and ensure that everyone respected and respected him; appointed Kui as the music official, in charge of music and education; and appointed Longdan as "Nayan," responsible for issuing orders and collecting opinions.

It was also stipulated that performance would be assessed every three years, and the results of three assessments would determine promotion or dismissal. Through this rectification, all aspects of work were revitalized and a new look emerged.

From then on, all within the four seas revered Emperor Shun's achievements, and the world's enlightened virtue began with Emperor Yu, presenting an unprecedented peaceful and prosperous situation.

Shun also had the shapes of the five punishments drawn on objects as a warning; he replaced corporal punishment with exile to show leniency. However, he also established whipping, beating, and redemption punishments, especially to severely punish unrepentant criminals. When bad people were punished, the people of the world were sincerely convinced.

During the reign of Emperor Shun, a devastating flood struck the Central Plains, causing immense suffering to the people.

Gun, as the official in charge of water and soil, was tasked with controlling the floods. After nine years, the floods were still not quelled. When Shun toured the country, he found that Gun's method of damming the floods had yielded no results and had only caused hardship and expense to the people. To demonstrate justice, Shun finally had Gun executed at Mount Yu.

The floodwaters continued to rage, and no more effective methods for controlling the flood could be found for the time being. Shun could only lead the people to live on higher ground to temporarily avoid the raging flood.

Although Gun died, his body did not decay. Three years later, people noticed that Gun's belly was getting bigger and bigger. People dared not move it. One day, the heavens and earth shook, and colorful clouds appeared. Gun's belly trembled. Soon after, a child was born from Gun's belly. This was Yu.

Yu was kind-hearted by nature. After his birth, he was ignorant and spent his days staring blankly at the surging waters below the mountain.