China knows everything for 5000 years

Chapter 4

Yu summed up the lessons of his father's failure in water control, and believed that before water control, one must first understand the terrain.So, he led a group of assistants to do fieldwork along the Yellow River to observe the water potential of mountains and rivers.They traveled all over the land of Kyushu, and finally found out the terrain and the river course.Yu then decided to divert the flood into the sea by opening canals and dredging the river.

After the water control project started, Yu worked together with the others. He wore a hat, picked up a shovel, and took the lead in digging mud and soil, regardless of the wind and rain, and was not afraid of hardships and fatigue.He ate and lived on the construction site all year round, his body was covered with mud and water, and he looked like a bear, so there was a legend that "Yu turned into a bear".

Yu has worked on the construction site for 13 years, and has never entered the house three times.For the first time, he led someone to repair the canal and passed by his house, and heard his newborn son crying inside the house. How much he wanted to kiss his own flesh and blood, but he thought the task of water control was arduous, so he left with tears in his eyes.When he passed by his home for the second time, the son could already call him daddy. Seeing his tired expression at the door, his wife distressedly advised him to go home and rest for a few days. Yu shook his head and said, "No, the water is not cured. I can't go home." When Yu passed the door for the third time, his son was already able to walk, and he ran to hold his father's hand and let him go home.How much Yu wanted to go home with his son, but in the end he gave up.He kissed his son, turned around and strode towards the construction site.

Yu's deeds of "passing through the house three times without entering" in water control inspired people. After 13 years of hard work, Yu finally led everyone to dredge the river, diverted the flood into the waterway, and provided a "home" for the flood.As a result, the roaring river was tamed, the formerly flooded land became a granary, and the people built houses to live in, and lived a happy life again.

Because of Yu's meritorious service in water control, Shun passed on the position of leader of the tribal alliance to him.Later generations were grateful for the achievements of this water control hero, built a temple for him, and respected him as "God Yu".The land of China is also known as "Yu Yu", which means that it is the place where Dayu ruled.

●Sunyu Cheng Zen and the swan song
Shun's throne was abdicated by Yao Chan.In Shun's later years, Yu completed the great cause of flood control.So Shun took his wife to travel abroad. He followed the example of Yao and asked Yu to take over his position after he left.At that time, there was a custom that after the old leader was resigned, in order for the new leader to exercise power, establish prestige as soon as possible, and gradually transfer the hearts of the people to the new leader, the old leader would leave the capital and live the life of ordinary people.

After Shun's death, Yu, according to the tradition of the Huaxia Tribal Alliance, held a memorial ceremony for him, handled the funeral, and kept filial piety for three years.Although Yu was already very powerful, according to the tradition of the tribal alliance, he said he would give way to Shun's son, Shang Jun, and live in Yangcheng, the old base.But the situation at this time is quite different from before. The so-called "All the princes of the world go to Shang Jun and go to Yu" ("Historical Records·Xia Benji").That is to say, the chiefs of the clans and tribes who supported Yu from all over the world did not go to court with Shang Jun, but went to court with Yu to express their support for Yu as a leader. This is an inevitable trend of social development. "Yu then became the emperor, facing the world in the south, his country name was Empress Xia, and his surname was Si" ("Historical Records Xia Benji").The first dynasty in the history of our country - the Xia Dynasty was born in this way.From then on, the system of the family world where the father dies and the son succeeds has replaced the meritocratic public world system, and abdication has become a swan song.Calculated from the time, this is a certain year between 2100 BC and 2000 BC.The Empress Xia is the King of Xia, and the Empress Xia clan referred to in ancient books refers to the Xia clan headed by Yu.

●Nine tripods were cast at the Tushan Conference
During Dayu's inspection, he saw that most tribal leaders respected him, but some tribal leaders did not take him seriously as a leader.

Once, Yu held a meeting of tribal leaders in Tushan. At the meeting, each tribe used the copper they contributed to cast nine big tripods, which symbolized Kyushu.Each tripod is cast with the geographical production, rare birds and animals of each state, and then the nine tripods are transported to the palace, known as the treasure of the town.When the tribal leaders pay tribute to King Yu on a regular basis, they have to salute Jiuding, which is the allusion of "Jiuding Zhizun".King Yu, who owns Jiuding, of course became the master of the land of Kyushu.These nine tripods have been handed down and become the symbol of feudal state power.At the same time, the story of Zhu Ding tells us that the handicraft industry and smelting technology have been developed in Yushi.

Xia Yu began to have supreme power in the tribal alliance, and the casting of Jiuding gave him the opportunity to strengthen and sanctify this power, making it more consolidated, so as to unite the tribes together.

●Succession to the world as home
During Yu's reign, with the development of productive forces, there were more surplus products.As food production increased, people learned to make wine.The handicraft industry has also made great progress, and people have learned to smelt copper in the process of labor.Vessels made of copper are harder and more flexible.Because there is a surplus of products, people need each other's goods, so commodity exchange occurs.

Yu is getting older, and according to the usual practice, it is time to choose the heir of the tribe.Yu also wanted to give up the position of leader to a virtuous person through elections in accordance with the original abdication system within the tribe.Everyone unanimously recommended Gao Tao who was in charge of criminal law.Gao Tao is kind and kind, willing to sacrifice everything for his father.But soon Gao Tao died.Everyone also recommended Boyi, the son of Gaotao, who was the one who worked with Dayu to control the water.When Boyi was controlling the water, he endured hardships and stood hard work, offered advice and suggestions, and had a high prestige among the people.Moreover, Boyi has assisted Yu in managing the affairs of the tribal alliance for more than 10 years.But at this time Dayu already had selfish intentions, and he wanted to give up his position to his son Qi.But he didn't want to casually break the rules handed down by his ancestors, so he came up with a plan and decided to give Boyi a false name, and hand over the real power to his son Qi.Gradually, Qi established a prestige in the hearts of the people.

Later, when Yu died in Kuaiji during his east tour, Boyi held a funeral for him, and kept mourning for three years. After the three-year funeral, Boyi followed Dayu's example and took shelter.When Dayu held the funeral for Shun, he gave up the position of successor to Shun's son, but Shun's son did not inherit the throne, but gave it up to the talented Yu.Boyi also pretended to give the throne to Dayu's son Qi.But Boyi never expected that Qi would not be polite at all and ascended to the throne.Leaders of various tribes also came to congratulate.The ancient system of "abdication" was destroyed in this way, which is an inevitable phenomenon after the emergence of private ownership.Since then, the hereditary system of the throne passed down from father to son and brother has been established.Yu passed on his son, and his family belonged to the world. This is another major change in Chinese history.

Boyi was waiting for Qi to come to ask him to succeed him, but his dream came to nothing. Boyi was very annoyed and led his soldiers to attack Qi.Qi had already made precautionary preparations, and killed Boyi without much effort.

After Qi established Xia, he gained a firm foothold and designated the world as "Kyushu", and the officials of "Kyushu" were called "Jiu Mu".Qi asked Jiu Mu to manage Kyushu. Jiu Mu was not the tribal leader in the past, he was the local governor sent by the king, and he must absolutely obey the king's will.

Economically, Xia began to levy taxes as financial expenses and equipped the army.From then on, a country in the true sense was born.

●The princes of the Qijuntai Conference
After Qi destroyed the Youhu family, in order to further consolidate its dominance, he followed his father Xia Yu's method of "Tushan Conference" and ordered princes and Fang Bos from all over the country to come to Juntai (now south of Yuxian County, Henan Province) to meet.On the one hand, the princes and Fang Bos from all over the world were grateful for Yu's merits and virtues, and wholeheartedly supported the Xia Dynasty;So they all followed the example of the Tushan Conference, prepared tribute items according to the local specialties produced in various places, and came to Juntai successively to meet.This is the famous "Juntai Enjoyment" in history.In order to show the majesty of the emperor and the wealth of the Xia Dynasty, Qi changed Yu's frugal and simple style during his lifetime, and besides the general meeting ceremony, he also set up "enjoyment ceremony".

"Enjoy ceremony" is to hold a sacrificial ceremony when receiving the court visits and gifts from the princes and Fangbo, and then set up a feast of wine and food for the officials, eating delicacies of mountains and seas, and drinking sweet and sweet wine.It is said that during the time of Yu, there was a young official named Yidi who made a kind of mellow and sweet wine out of rice and offered it to Yu. After drinking it, Yu felt sweet and delicious, but felt weak in limbs and drowsy.So he warned the ministers that they should not drink alcohol, otherwise there will be a monarch who will perish due to drinking mistakes.Although Yu had issued a "ban on alcohol" back then, Qi still entertained the princes with wine because wine can not only add to the fun, but also show the abundance of food.

In the early Xia Dynasty, bronze was still a precious metal, and it was rarely used as utensils.In order to show the wealth and luxury of the emperor, Qi used bronze tripods, Yizun and other vessels to hold meat and wine.A large number of exquisite pottery, bamboo and woodware were also used.With such a rich food and drink and a wide range of exquisite gourmet utensils, many princes and Fang Bos were eye-opened.And during the banquet, there are music and dances to add to the fun.

Qi likes music and dance, and his courtiers found some novel songs and dances among the people after they knew about them. here.So when the princes of the Juntai Conference were held, Qi specially played these music and dances.

●Taikang is fatuous and loses the throne
After Qi died, his son Taikang was made king, but Taikang was not a good man. He indulged in wine and sex all day long, ignored the government, governed the country without obeying the law, and did not know rewards and punishments.Like him, his ministers are all drunk and lustful.The power of the country is declining day by day, the government is loose, the princes are disobedient, and the orders of the court are not obeyed. Some princes are ambitious and want to usurp the power of the court.

Under such circumstances, Taikang's five younger brothers left their own country in pain and took refuge in other countries. When they left, they sang a song while weeping. "Song of the Five Sons".

At that time, there was a country among the vassal states called Youqiongguo, and the ruler of Youqiongguo was called Houyi. This Houyi was the fierce man who was good at shooting in the legend in history.It is said that when he was 5 years old, he went to the mountains to play with his parents, and was lost in the mountains. He grew up in the mountains alone.

Because he climbs in the mountains every day, his arms are as long as a gibbon, and his body is as nimble as a monkey.In order to survive, he learned to shoot birds and catch animals.In this way, year after year, day after day, his shooting skills are extremely superb, and he has become the famous shooting king in Chinese history. After he was 20 years old, he went down the mountain. With his brave courage and unparalleled shooting skills, he soon became the king of the princes.

When Xia's government was slack, it was the time when Hou Yi won the victory. Hou Yi moved to Qiongshi and later established his capital here.But Hou Yi was just a rude and illiterate person, who only knew how to shoot, but could not do anything about governing the country. He had a group of very capable people under him, such as Wu Luo, Boyin, Xiong Kun, etc., but these people Hou Yi gradually None are reused.If he doesn't use good people, those villains will gain power, and one of them is Han Yun.

Han Yun likes to slander behind his back and is used to making treacherous tricks. It is said in ancient books that he "fawns on the inside and acts on the outside, fooling his people while Yu Yi is in the field".

Both Hou Yi and Han Yun wanted to usurp the Xia House. When Taikang ignored the government all day long, they were looking for an opportunity to attack the Xia House.Once, when they heard that Taikang was hunting in the distance, they immediately raised troops, set off from several roads, attacked Xiadu, and sent troops to ambush on the road Taikang must pass back.Hou Yi led his soldiers to occupy the defenseless capital, where they burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of crimes.

Taikang led a group of people back from hunting. They were very happy along the way, and their men carried many prey they had caught.Taikang was sitting in the car, hugging two singers.They walked to a mountain road without making a sound. Suddenly, countless people rushed out from the woods and grass, each holding a bow and arrow. slipped away from the path.

In this way, countless people under Taikang were killed and injured, and Taikang himself had to live in another country, and later died in depression.

●Shaokang rejuvenated and revived the Xia Dynasty
Taikang's younger brother, Zhongkang, saw that his elder brother died of depression, and he could not return to the capital, so he established himself as the king of Xia and continued to live in exile, waiting for the opportunity to restore the country.Due to years of exile, Zhongkang was seriously ill and unhappy, so he died soon.His son, Hou Xiang, put on the crown with a false name again. Han Yun was afraid that Hou Xiang would become more powerful in the future, and he would come back to revive the Xia Dynasty, so he sent his eldest son to lead troops to kill Hou Xiang.

After Hou Xiang was killed, Xiang's wife, Mianzheng, was pregnant. Mian escaped from a hole in the wall and gave birth to Xiangkang's posthumous son, Shaokang, in the tribe of the mother's family You still.Shaokang was smart since he was a child, and through his mother, he learned about the humiliation of his ancestors and the tragedy of the family.

Time flies, and Shaokang turned 20 years old in a blink of an eye.In order to restore the Xia Dynasty, he learned various skills and made preparations for the restoration of the foundation.At first, he managed the animal husbandry with his grandfather, and at the same time he took the time to learn the skills of leading troops to fight.Unexpectedly, one summer, the news that Shaokang was the posthumous son of Empress Xia reached Han Zhuo, which shocked Han Zhuo greatly. He thought that the descendants of the Xia family had been exterminated.Hearing this news, Han Yun was immediately disturbed. He knew that if he didn't get rid of Shaokang, he might become a serious problem in the future.So Han Yun immediately sent his son Yao to lead a group of people to hunt and kill Shaokang.

Shaokang got the news in advance, and hurriedly fled to Yu Shun's tribe, the Youyu clan, and escaped the pursuit of Jiao.At that time, there was Si, the leader of the Yu family, who had always been dissatisfied with the tyranny of Hou Yi and Han Yun, and seeing Shaokang's extraordinary bearing, reminiscent of the ancestors of the Xia people, he was appointed as Paozheng (the official in charge of meals) in the tribe. , Learn the skills of managing property.In this way, Shaokang became a man with both civil and military skills.Later, when Yu Si saw that Shaokang was honest and reliable, shrewd and capable, he married his daughter to him and gave him a place called "Lun" to manage.

The area of ​​Lun is about 10 li. Although the land is small, the land is fertile and the climate is suitable. There are 500 people under his jurisdiction.Therefore, he used this land as a base to avenge his shame and revive the summer house.He spread virtue and righteousness, recruited sages and wise men, and recruited people who were cornered by Han Yun's rule.Bo Mi, a survivor of the Xia Dynasty, once served under Hou Yi. After Hou Yi died, he fled to the Youge family (southeast of today's Dezhou, Shandong) to gather strength and get in touch with Shaokang, preparing to attack Hanyun together.Taking advantage of the cold weather, Shaokang and Bo Mi took advantage of the frequent use of troops and intensified internal conflicts, and finally launched a war to restore the country.Shaokang adopted the strategy of cutting off his wings first and then attacking his head. First, the Yu family's army suddenly rushed to the ground to attack Yao's army, and wiped out him in one fell swoop.He also ordered his son Ji Shu to lead the army to defeat the independent army in Gedi and killed Fu.Han Yun's two hopes were cut off, and Bo Mi led You Ge's army to attack Han Yun's lair in a large scale, defeating Han Yun's You Qiong army.

Because after Han Yun usurped power, he never treated his courtiers and common people with kindness, and tortured them indiscriminately.Those who had helped Houyi destroy Xia and the old tribes of Zhenxun and Chuguan who were destroyed by Hanyun all gathered at this time to help Shaokang fight against Hanyun, finally wiped out Hanyun and his son, and recaptured the Xia family dynasty .

After Shaokang came to the throne, he paid attention to absorbing the lessons of Taikang's loss of the country, implemented a virtuous government internally, and shared the suffering and happiness with the people.Properly resolve the relationship with other surrounding tribes externally, so that the Quartet is stable and the country is peaceful. Even some tribes that were hostile to Xia in the past also came to congratulate and express their submission.As a result, the regime is stable and the country is strong. This is the "Shaokang Zhongxing" recorded in the history books.

●The violent and fatuous Xia Jie
The name of Jie, the last monarch of the Xia Dynasty, was Lu Gui, and "Jie" was the posthumous title given to him by later generations.He is a talented emperor in civil and military affairs. Legend has it that he can fight tigers and leopards with his bare hands, and he can straighten bent metal hooks with his hands.But he can't govern the country, and he has a tyrannical personality.He even invented a form of torture called "cannon fire".It was to smear ointment on the copper pillar, burn coals under it, and order the prisoner to walk barefoot on the copper pillar. The prisoner slipped down and fell onto the burning coals to be burned alive.

Minister Guan Longpang dissuaded Jie from carrying out tyranny and torture.Jie said to him: "You only know that other people's danger is in front of you, but you don't know your own danger is also in front of you." So Guan Longpang was burned to death, which made Guan Longpang the first person in Chinese history to be left behind. The loyal ministers and direct ministers of the name.

Jie's queen sister liked to hear the sound of the silk being torn, so Jie ordered the maid to tear the silk beside her.According to legend, Jie's wealth and luxury are also unprecedented: meat can be piled up like a mountain, and the pond used to hold wine can be used to drive ships.Yi Yin, the leader of Youxin tribe, warned Jie that if this continues, the country may perish.Jie retorted angrily: "The people have a monarch, just like the sky has the sun. When the sun dies, I will die." So the people of the whole country cursed him: "When will this sun perish, we would rather perish with you."

●Shang Tang prays for rain and rain
Shang Tang also won the support of the common people because of his diligence and love for the people.One summer, early in the morning along the Ru River, in order to pray to the heaven for rain, crowds of people lay barebacked, with incense burners on their heads, lying in the wilderness. Many people died of heatstroke due to the sun.

Seeing this tragic scene, Tang wept sadly.He prayed to the sky and said: "God, show mercy and save all peoples! If I offend God, I would rather die, and please don't embarrass the people in the world." Filled with dry firewood, he sat on the stage by himself and swore to the sky: "If the sky still does not rain, I have offended the god. Then, I will use my life to exchange for a rain for the people." After finishing speaking, he Let the follower light the fire.But just as the fire started, a strong wind blew up on the ground, followed by dark clouds, lightning and thunder, and a heavy rain fell from the sky, which extinguished the fire in a short time.The common people cheered with joy, or knelt in the muddy water to bow down to Tang, thanking Tang for his sage virtue.

Mingtiao's battle against Xia Jie was defeated

(End of this chapter)