Chapter 452 A new chapter, a fresh start
The seventh year of Yuanzheng.
When the Donghu rebelled, the Protector General of Liaodong sent troops to attack them. All the Donghu who were taller than the wheels of a wheel were killed. The other Hu people in Liaodong were both shocked and fearful and treated the emperor with great respect.
The civil uprising in Langya and Jiaobei counties under the Qingzhou Provincial Administration was quelled within ten months.
The eighth year of Yuanzheng.
The Shanyue people plundered the Han territory, and the three armies came out together to strangle them. The mountains and rivers of the ancient Yue land wept blood. The Yue people begged for surrender, but the emperor refused. After three years, the Yue people never appeared again.
The ninth year of Yuanzheng.
Before the Yueyi were pacified, Dayuan rebelled. The Protector-General of the Western Regions sent troops to fight against it. It took four months to put down the rebellion. Thirteen people from Dayuan were killed and the other countries were frightened.
The refugees under the Jizhou governor's command rose up in rebellion, gathering a crowd of 100,000 and the rebellion was put down in three months.
The tenth year of Yuanzheng.
The southern barbarians rose up, the King of Lingnan was defeated and sent envoys to ask for help. The Emperor, headed by the King of Yuzhang, commanded Yuzhang County, Yuzhang Kingdom, Kuaiji County, and Yue Kingdom, with a total of 100,000 troops by land and sea to expel the southern barbarians. The rivers in Lingnan were blocked by corpses, just like the situation of King Luo Wen in the past.
There were earthquakes and locust plagues in Guanzhong, and chaos was rampant. More and more people were brought to justice, and more and more prisoners were found.
The eleventh year of Yuanzheng.
Thousands of Xiongnu cavalry invaded Kangju, and the Protector-General of the Western Regions reported this to Chang'an. The emperor was shocked and ordered the Protector-General of the Western Regions to send 30,000 troops and the Protector-General of Liaodong to send 50,000 troops to the north to search for the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu did not dare to confront the Han army and failed to escape. The Han army tried to go out of the border three times but failed, so the emperor stopped.
The Shanyue were pacified, and there were many rebellions among the people in the Yangzhou governor's department, which were settled in half a year.
…
In the 12th year of Yuanzheng, there was neither internal unrest nor foreign invasion, and the Han Dynasty seemed to have entered its peak of prosperity.
After drinking, the King of Dong'ou of the Southern Yi said privately: "The Han Dynasty is too overbearing. It's a pity that Dong'ou is not strong enough. Otherwise, I will definitely teach the emperor of the Han Dynasty a lesson."
As a result, the walls have ears, and the news of this conversation leaked out. The Han envoy came to Dong'ou alone and rebuked him in the palace of Dong'ou: "King Dong'ou, you are a barbarian and a wild animal.
Only after being canonized by the Emperor of Zhuxia did he finally shed his beastly form, put on silk and satin, and have the appearance of a human.
Isn’t this the grace of re-creation?
You should kneel on the ground every day, and pray to the King Su and the Emperor day and night to express gratitude.
I didn't expect you to say such a thing. You are so cruel.
Because Dayuan spoke rudely, the Han army captured its capital and killed 30% of its population. The head of the king of Dayuan was spread throughout the Western Regions and finally hung on the gate of Chang'an.
The Dong Hu dared to make trouble, and now they have been killed. You are still alive now, shouldn't you thank the emperor for his grace?"
The King of Dong'ou was furious and wanted to kill the Han envoy, but he was killed by the ministers of Dong'ou instead. They begged, "Honorable Han envoy, please intercede for us to the great and supreme emperor of Zhuxia.
The Dongou Kingdom dared not have the slightest dissatisfaction with the Han Dynasty. That was the king's stupidity. Killing him is our respect for the emperor."
The Han envoy came to the Dong'ou State alone, but when he left, he was seen off by the ministers of the whole country.
…
Chang'an City, Changle Palace.
Emperor Liu Dan listened to the report of his ministers on the deeds of Dong'ou State and could not help laughing and said, "The prestige of the Han Dynasty has reached such a level. This must be an unprecedented achievement.
My wish has been fulfilled, and I should go and offer sacrifices to the ancestors of the Han Dynasty.
Oh, go and call the master carpenter to me. I have something to tell you."
Soon, the chief architect hurried into Changle Palace. Liu Dan said with great interest, "Chief architect, now the four barbarians in the world are submissive, the seas are peaceful and the rivers are clear, and the Han Dynasty is thriving. I heard that without a magnificent palace, the emperor's majesty cannot be displayed. Changle Palace and Weiyang Palace are too old. I want to build an unprecedented luxurious palace west of Chang'an to show the majesty of the prosperous times, so I summoned you."
The master craftsman was surprised when he heard this, and then he was overjoyed. His family was a hereditary master craftsman who specialized in building magnificent palaces and mausoleums for royal families of various countries. So far, the most powerful ancestor was the one who built the mausoleum for Qin Shi Huang.
Although I knew from the day I started construction that I would be buried with the dead in the end, it was worth it!
The master craftsman said excitedly: "Your Majesty, my family has a set of ancestral palace blueprints that have been published since the Qin Dynasty.
Your Majesty, you know that the First Emperor thought that his achievements were great, so he wanted to build a majestic palace complex and named it the Afang Palace. However, the tyrannical Qin Dynasty was destroyed before the Afang Palace was completed.
The Afang Palace is actually a variation of this set of drawings. Over the past hundred years of the Han Dynasty, the family has been adding magnificent palaces to this set of drawings.
I can now say that if this palace complex could be brought to the world, it would be an unprecedented palace complex that would shock everyone!"
Liu Dan never expected that the master craftsman would have such a surprise for him. "How does that palace complex compare to my Changle Palace?"
The master craftsman said proudly: "Let me tell you about it.
It is a hundred miles long from east to west. You ride in the luxurious imperial chariot, and the palace servants can see a loft every ten steps they take.
You stand on the high star-picking platform, looking at the dark shadow in the distance. Is that a mountain?
When I got closer, I realized that it was an aerial bridge connecting the attics. There were many such flying bridges, like a rainbow in the sky.
On a clear day, there is a sun in the sky and a sun on the ground. It turns out that the light is shining brightly against the backdrop of countless colored glazes.
There is no woman in the world who does not like it, no scholar in the world who does not admire it, and no noble in the world who does not admire it. You are the only one in the world who can build it."
The great craftsman's work was full of boasting, which was quite similar to the description in Du Mu's Fu on Afang Palace in later generations. Emperor Liu Dan was so excited after hearing it that he could not control himself.
"I want to build this palace!"
This was Liu Dan's only thought. He thought for a moment and said, "I will name this palace complex 'Eternal Life'!
Master Craftsman, I will give you whatever you want, but you must build me a palace that is as exquisite as the work of nature."
The chief craftsman naturally bowed and accepted the order, then walked out of the hall with great interest.
…
"Three hundred million dollars?!"
When Sang Hongyang heard the number of palaces reported by the chief architect, he felt his hands shaking. He thought the chief architect was joking. The annual salary of Han court officials converted into money and goods could not even reach 30 million coins. How could it cost 300 million coins to build a palace?
Sang Hongyang said angrily: "When Emperor Xiaowu fought the Great Battle of Mobei, not counting the rewards after the victory, the military expenditure was only 100 million coins!
Your Majesty has made great military achievements over the years, but the military expenditure plus rewards are only a few billion coins.
Now you tell me that building a palace will cost 300 million dollars?
It must be you, a traitor, who wants to enrich yourself."
Unexpectedly, the master craftsman was not in a hurry at all. He said leisurely, "Doctor, there is no need to be so anxious. It is certainly not 300 million yuan."
Before Sang Hongyang could relax, the chief architect continued, "Three hundred million coins was the cost of building the Afang Palace during the tyrannical Qin Dynasty. What I am building for Your Majesty is a magnificent wonder far beyond the Afang Palace. Three hundred million coins is far from enough. One billion coins is about right.
Moreover, the number of conscripted laborers will probably be more than 500,000. It is not enough to rely on Guanzhong alone. We need more support from the doctors."
After hearing this, Sang Hongyang was completely speechless. He only felt dizzy and his eyes went dark. After he threatened him, the master craftsman still dared to say this, which proved that he was fearless.
The problem was that the treasury was empty, and the money for the wars over the years was obtained by robbing Peter to pay Paul. Naturally, the state-run salt, iron and wine industries had been completely transferred to the hands of the court, which basically monopolized the purchase and sale of all kinds of goods.
The chief carpenter stood up, bowed to Sang Hongyang and said with a smile: "Doctor, there is no need to be so anxious. The ten billion yuan will not be needed in one year. You have plenty of time to raise it.
I will leave now and ask you to raise money. One hundred million coins will be enough this year."
After saying that, he walked out, with Sang Hongyang looking extremely ugly.
Is there any way to make money?
have!
Do you dare to use it?
Dare not!
At first, Wang San wanted to kill the county magistrate and then came to Chang'an City to assassinate him. In the end, Wang San was taken away by Luo Sheng, but there is more than one person in the world.
It is impossible to count how many people wanted to kill him, and it was only in recent years that they gradually stopped trying. If he had continued to help the emperor make money, it is hard to tell how long he would have lived.
but……
Sang Hongyang looked at the seal and ribbon on his body, and one step further away he would be the prime minister with a gold seal and purple ribbon!
…
The news that the emperor wanted to build a palace spread. Ordinary people might not realize anything, but the nobles, officials, and students knew it very well. A group of more upright officials and students wrote letters to express their opposition. Some of these letters came from the counties and some from Chang'an, and the views were roughly the same.
“The country appears strong on the outside, but it is gradually becoming empty on the inside.
The people of the Han Dynasty are so tired and exhausted, they should be allowed to rest.
Now is the time to overcome difficulties together. What's the point of building palaces?
The county where I am located has begun to fall into decline. It no longer has the prosperity of the past and is unable to provide sufficient corvée labor or pay more taxes.
Your Majesty, please think carefully about this. I wish you the best of luck and hope you will have a long and healthy life."
These memorials made Liu Dan very dissatisfied. In the past few years, the Han Dynasty was at its peak and all the barbarians were submissive. Moreover, the Han Dynasty was vast and rich in resources. How could it not even be able to build a palace?
————
The twelfth year of Yuanzheng.
The emperor said: "Han is the ancestor of all Chinese and the ruler of the world. The territory opened up by Emperor Xiaowu is almost double that of the previous dynasty. I have been in power for twelve years, but I dare not claim to have made great achievements. I am only trembling with fear and not daring to lose an inch of my ancestors.
The great Han Dynasty is feared by all barbarians, and its territory is vast. Once an order is issued, the barbarians will obey. I will promote it, build a palace to prolong my life, and the princes will come to congratulate me. The great Han Dynasty's majesty will shine forever in all directions."
The wise and virtuous people all said, "Your Majesty has made great achievements and has carried forward the spirit of the country. However, the people have been exhausted by the continuous wars. There are even strange things happening in the country. The construction of the palace is very expensive. Please be careful."
The emperor was unhappy and said, "The territory of the tyrannical Qin was only 5,000 li, with a population of no more than 20 million, yet it repelled the Xiongnu in the north, conquered the Baiyue in the south, dug canals, built imperial mausoleums, and connected the Great Wall. The Han Dynasty has a territory of 10,000 li and a population of 500 million, yet it does not even have a palace?
How ridiculous! "
The wise and upright people also said: "It was acceptable in the time of Emperor Xiaowen, but not in the present time."
The emperor was angry and said, "Anyone who ridicules me should be put to death."
So he killed him. - "Records of the Grand Historian: The Chronicle of Emperor Li"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
