Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 409: Hehuang Scenic Spot (Special thanks to the book friend Seventeen Years Old Bookworm for his two monthly tickets!)

Chai Zongxun and other members of the imperial family stayed in Luoyang for five days. After instructing Prince Song and others to take good care of the eldest grandson Guo Meitai, they set off to continue their tour to the northwest.

Before leaving, he rewarded King Song's family with a large number of rare treasures.

The imperial carriage traveled northwest from Luoyang on the national highway for twelve days and entered the Liugufan area from Weizhou.

When the local Han and Tibetan people along the way heard the news, many of them rushed to welcome the emperor and to see his holy face.

Since Liugufan was conquered by the Great Zhou, serfdom was abolished and the Tibetan people became their own masters together with the Han people.

After the establishment of government offices at all levels in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the national policy of "giving priority to agriculture and industry and commerce" and "exemption from labor service and reduction of taxes" was implemented. As the burden on local people was greatly reduced, their enthusiasm for production increased greatly.

The total number of fields and pastures in the Liugufan area increased sharply from just over 3 million acres when the Great Zhou Dynasty first began to over million acres by the end of the th year of Kaixi.

The local population also increased from only 700,000 to 800,000 in the 15th year of Kaixi to 3.2 million in the past 15 years, of which more than 500,000 came from all over the Great Zhou to do business and work.

Due to its advantageous terrain and lush grass and water, the Hehuang Valley quickly became the economic, political, and cultural center of the Liugufan region, and the seat of the Dazhou prefecture was also located here.

Hehuang, also written as "Hehuang", gets its name from the Yellow River and Huangshui River flowing through the area, and also refers to the area between the two rivers.

At the end of primitive society, the famous Kayue culture was formed in the Hehuang Valley. This type of culture was named after Kayue Village, which was first discovered in Yunguchuan, Huangzhong County in 1923. Kayue culture fully shows that people at that time engaged in both farming and animal husbandry and lived a relatively stable settled life. The pottery production of Kayue culture is more abundant, including two-eared jars, four-eared jars, cups, urns, beans, tripods, etc. The painted colors are mainly ochre, and the patterns are rich and colorful, and there are animal patterns such as sheep, deer, and dogs.

The Liugufan area has abundant agricultural output, and the ten characteristic agricultural and animal husbandry industries include rapeseed, potatoes, barley, yaks, Tibetan sheep, cold-water fish, wolfberries, quinoa, fodder, and wheat.

Among them, rapeseed is the most suitable area for cultivation in the whole country of Da Zhou, and the rapeseed produced here is of high quality and high oil yield.

With the rapid economic development of the Liugufan area in the past decade, the oil pressing industry has gradually become a major pillar industry in the area.

In recent years, as more and more national and state roads have been completed on the "Great Zhou Straight Road", the rapeseed oil from Liugufan has been sold to surrounding areas.

For example, in Shu, the Hexi Corridor, the entire Tubo area, and Gansu and Shaanxi, people have now begun to use rapeseed oil produced in Liugufan, which has greatly increased the income of local people.

Although it is still far from the prosperity and wealth of places like Bian Jing and Yangzhou, the life of the local people in Liugufan can be described as "three have enough food and clothing, five are well-off, and two are wealthy."

Chai Zongxun randomly selected cities to stop in along the way, and inspected the local people's conditions and officials, paying special attention to the "Local Worthies Bureau" and judicial situation.

Generally speaking, since the establishment of the rule of the Great Zhou government, the "Local Worthies Bureau" in each state of Liuhefan has also been established under the guidance and assistance of the Wude Bureau. Relying on the respected and capable people from the folk elected by the local people, they have carried out constant supervision of officials.

As a result, over the years, the officialdom became cleaner and the judiciary became more upright.

Princess Liugufan and Concubine Zhebu Tinglan, who accompanied Chai Zongxun on this trip, returned to their hometown after fifteen years and witnessed with their own eyes the prosperous and thriving scene of Liugufan. They could not help but feel extremely happy and excited.

Zhebu Youlongbo, the younger brother of Zhebu Tinglan, who was almost beheaded for contradicting Emperor Chai Zongxun, has become a successful person under the guidance of Dai Hong, the former Minister of Rites.

In the 26th year of Kaixi, when he was 21, Zhebu Youlongbo passed the civil service examination and married the third daughter of Liu Fu, the secretary of the Ministry of Revenue. Emperor Chai Zongxun, for the sake of his wife Zhebu Tinglan, specially granted him a mansion in Bianjing, rewarded him with 10,000 taels of silver, and appointed him to the Ministry of Works as a walking official. On July 22, the 31st year of Kaixi, the emperor arrived in Liangzhou, where the former Liugufan King's court was located. Chai Zongxun and the imperial family moved into the temporary residence and Liugufan King's palace.

Majiayao culture already existed in Liangzhou three thousand years ago.

Before the Warring States Period, China's ancient Western Rong tribe was active in the Liangzhou area. After the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, Liangzhou was occupied by the Yuezhi and Wusun.

Emperor Wu of Han sent Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to lead an army to capture the Hexi Corridor area, placing Liangzhou within the territory of the Central Plains dynasty for the first time.

In the fifth year of Yuanfeng in the Western Han Dynasty (106 BC), Emperor Wu of Han divided the world into thirteen states, each with a governor, known in history as the "Thirteen Governorates". Among them was the Liangzhou Governorate in present-day Gansu Province. The name Liangzhou began from then on. The meaning of Liangzhou is "located in the west, often cold and cool."

During the Three Kingdoms period, Emperor Wen of Wei re-divided Liangzhou and made Guzang the capital of the prefecture. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Former Liang, Later Liang, Southern Liang, and Northern Liang all built their capitals here. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Liangzhou was gradually divided into other prefectures, and its jurisdiction was reduced, but Guzang was still the capital.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Liangzhou was changed to Wuwei Prefecture twice, with Guzang as its seat of government. After the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, Liangzhou was occupied by Tubo.

In the 15th year of Kaixi (974 AD) during the reign of Emperor Chai Zongxun of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Hexi Corridor, including Liangzhou, was once again brought back to the territory of the country.

Thanks to its unique geographical environment and climatic conditions, the area has fertile land and abundant products. Since ancient times, it has enjoyed the reputation of "Liangzhou is not cold and the rice is abundant".

After a day's rest, on the next day, July 23rd, at the time of si, Chai Zongxun accompanied his concubine Zhe Bu Tinglan and the 37th prince Chai Jiyuan for a walk in the palace.

Chai Jiyuan was born in the 21st year of Kaixi and is now 10 years old. He has the characteristics of his father, the emperor, and his mother, the concubine. He is strong, lively, and martial.

When the three of them, accompanied by the imperial guards, eunuchs, and palace maids, came to a huge well in the backyard of the palace, Zhe Bu Tinglan pointed at the well and said sadly:

“Your Majesty, that day, I and my brother were saved from my father’s sword by two loyal eunuchs. We hid in a large wooden barrel used to draw water from the well, but we were still discovered by the Longxiong Army.

That was also the last time I saw my father, the king, and my mother, the queen."

Chai Jiyuan said strangely:
"Mother, are you saying that Grandpa wanted to kill you with a sword? How could that be possible?"

Zhe Bu Tinglan realized that he had said something wrong, and hurriedly said:

"Yuan'er, mother is saying that grandpa was playing a joke with mother that day."

Chai Jiyuan suddenly realized and said:
"Oh, I know! Mother was playing a game of marching and fighting with Grandpa at that time!
Just like the war games that I often play with my brothers and sisters."

Chai Zongxun smiled and said:
"Yuan'er, this is where your mother grew up when she was young, and there are many things you don't understand.

Father wants to talk to your mother about the past, so go to the back garden and play with your brothers and sisters."

After Chai Jiyuan bowed and agreed, he skipped away accompanied by several personal attendants.

(End of this chapter)