Gaochang Kingdom was a vital transportation hub in the Western Regions, located on the northern route south of the Tianshan Mountains, and was a must-pass place on the Silk Road.
How did it come to be a country?
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, soldiers were sent with their families to the front of Cheshi to cultivate land and defend the area.
During the reign of Emperor Yuan, military fortifications were built in the area, which was described as having "high and open terrain and a prosperous population," and was called Gaochang Wall or Gaochang Fortification.
At the same time, the Wuji Colonel was established, stationed in Gaochang, to be in charge of land reclamation and military affairs.
This was the prototype of the Gaochang Kingdom.
If we trace back through history, Gaochang was a state of the Han people, belonging to Han territory!
For the next thousand years, Han people lived in Gaochang, and more than seven hundred years ago, they established Han Chinese states.
In the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan era, the Kingdom of Gaochang was destroyed by the Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin established Gaochang County here, and later the Anxi Protectorate was set up to govern this area.
However, during the An Lushan Rebellion, the Uyghurs seized the opportunity to occupy Gaochang, and were known as the Gaochang Uyghurs.
Song was unable to retrieve it.
Zhao Huan sat at the table, leaning back slightly, his right hand tapping lightly on the armrest of the wooden chair with the five fingers, making a crisp "tap-tap" sound.
Zhao Chun was practicing calligraphy not far away. The sunlight after the rain shone through the window and fell on Zhao Chun's face, making him look clean, handsome, and with a natural air of heroism between his brows.
The incense burner on the table emitted wisps of smoke.
When Zhao Huan was deep in thought, he would tap his fingers lightly.
Zhao Huan was furious about what had happened in Gaochang.
He certainly protected the Han Chinese, but he wasn't exactly a pure racist.
For the past ten years or so, all his actions have been motivated by the desire to solve problems, resolve conflicts, and improve public order.
He killed any corrupt officials, maggots, or traitors among the Han people without any mercy.
He could tolerate Wanyan Dan in Tokyo, and even when war broke out with Gaochang, if Bilege's son sincerely wanted to return to Song, Zhao Huan allowed him to do business in Tokyo.
His purpose in killing the nobles of Liaodong was to remove the cancerous growth that was hindering the governance of the imperial court.
The killing of the nomadic tribes of the grasslands was to eliminate the border troubles of the grasslands.
In his mind, there was no concept of racial superiority or inferiority based on extreme emotional biases.
But he was genuinely angry about the Gaochang incident.
In his vision of the future, Gaochang was a prosperous city in the Western Regions, where merchants from Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and even Europe would stop and transit before entering Chang'an and eventually reaching the world capital, Tokyo.
Bilego is challenging my bottom line!
Duan Zhijie, the deputy director of the Censorate, hurried over.
"His Majesty."
"Pack your things quickly and head to Yumen Pass."
Duan Zhijie looked puzzled. Why was he suddenly being asked to go to Yumen Pass?
Isn't there a war going on there?
Even if it's to supervise the army, there's no need for him, the second-in-command of the Censorate, to go personally.
The military police force at Yumen Pass is quite large, so there is no need to send him there personally.
But since the emperor had spoken, Duan Zhijie dared not disobey.
"Once Yue Fei has captured Gaochang, hang Bilege's head on the city wall as a warning. Also, kill all those in Gaochang who are related to Bilege, leave no one alive."
Zhao Huan spoke in a calm tone, but this calmness contained an absolute intent to kill, which made even the ruthless Duan Zhijie feel a chill in his heart.
Besides opposing the Song Dynasty, what exactly did Bilege do to anger His Majesty the Emperor so much?
Zhao Huan added, "You'll understand when you get to Yumen Pass. Once you enter Gaochang, arrest everyone who participated in the massacre of Han people and exterminate their entire family! If you let even one go, I'll take your head!"
Duan Zhijie trembled violently and repeatedly said, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
He lowered his head, not daring to meet the emperor's sharp, knife-like gaze.
I was horrified. The Gaochang Massacre of Han Chinese?
Holy crap! Bilege is dragging the entire Gaochang region down with him!
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly not fail in my mission."
"Go."
After Duan Zhijie left, Zhao Chun, who was concentrating on practicing calligraphy, put down his pen, handed the paper to Zhao Huan, and said, "Father, I've finished writing."
Zhao Huan glanced at his son's handwriting and saw the sharp and powerful strokes. His anger subsided considerably.
"Father, why did the Kingdom of Gaochang massacre the Han people?"
"It was a political feud," Zhao Huan explained patiently.
Why would there be political feuds?
"Because we need to survive." Zhao Huan paused for a moment, then continued, "Because it is human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm."
Zhao Chun shook his head, indicating that he didn't quite understand.
"Humans will gravitate towards things they perceive as beneficial and avoid things they perceive as harmful; this is a biological instinct and the fundamental principle governing all aspects of life."
"For example, your dad likes to eat hot pot. Hot pot makes me feel happy, and this happiness makes me think that hot pot is good for me."
Zhao Chun looked at Zhao Huan with his big, round eyes and retorted, "But actually, eating too much hot pot can cause diarrhea, which isn't necessarily good for your health."
Zhao Huan smiled and said, "Chun'er has really grown up."
"Humans are divided into the id, ego, and superego."
Zhao Chun shook his head: "I don't understand."
"Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is instinctual, but the instinct of the id, such as our fear of getting close to fire and our liking to eat hot pot that satisfies our taste buds, are all driven by the id. The id is the most basic instinctual ideology."
"But when a person's ideology matures to a certain extent, self-awareness will emerge."
"For example, your father, although he likes to eat hot pot, he knows that he should only eat it once a month, not every meal. Even if he really wants to eat it now, and knows that taking a bite will make his taste buds feel good, he still won't eat it. Because his self-awareness tells him that eating too much hot pot is bad for his health and he needs to restrain himself."
"The superego is the moral control part of human nature. Confucius's saying about cultivating oneself, regulating one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world belongs to the superego."
"The scholars and officials in the court all know that a gentleman should cultivate himself, regulate his family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world, but who can truly do it?"
"It's not that they are hypocritical, but that Confucius's view is about the superego part of human nature, which exists to restrain the ego."
"The human id is unconscious and no different from that of a wild beast, so the human superego is needed to counterbalance it and form a middle self."
"The self is the individual existence in reality."
"The massacre of Han people that occurred in Gaochang was a kind of self-collapse, with the ego taking over."
Zhao Chun asked, seemingly understanding but not quite, "Then, Father, was it also your ego that led you to kill those people from Gaochang?"
"Father killed those people to let the whole world know that killing Han people comes at a huge price. Father's conscious mind does not like killing, but his ego tells him that killing is to achieve a certain purpose."
"Will Father reach that transcendental part of himself?"
Zhao Huan stood up, patted Zhao Chun's head and said, "No, Father will not become an absolute moral exemplar, because Father is the emperor. The emperor's code of conduct is to weigh the pros and cons within himself and should not be constrained by morality and sacrifice the people."
"Chun'er, this is politics. You were born into the royal family, so you must understand it, comprehend it, and put it into action."
"Chun'er understands, Father. Don't worry, Father. Chun'er will remember your teachings."
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