A race to answer?
Reading the words in the group, Liu Bang, Zhang Jiao, and Zhu Yuanzhang all began to think.
A race to answer, as the name implied, meant competing to answer first.
"Looks like I'll have to be quick this time. But won't that make calling Chen Ping and Lou Jing here useless again?"
As he pondered, Liu Bang's gaze kept roaming over Lou Jing and Chen Ping.
Lou Jing merely found it strange.
Chen Ping, however, recalled those two or three days during their breakout from Mount Baideng. Goosebumps instantly rose all over him, and he edged closer to the carriage door.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jiao and Zhu Yuanzhang grew nervous as well.
Neither had yet suffered punishment from the Rebel Army Group. They had originally worried that this method might give them a negative status similar to the "Sleeve-Cutting Fetish." Now that they saw a chance to escape punishment, their nerves naturally tightened.
Not to mention that two correct answers earned a reward, while three earned a "great reward."
[Administrator: During the speed-answer round, each question permits only one answer. Regardless of whether the first respondent answers correctly, we will proceed to the next question. (Reminder: Each incorrect answer adds one punishment.)]
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that he knew the most history and had the greatest advantage in answering. He immediately entered a message.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: Han Gaozu, Zhang Jiao, if you two are not confident, do not rush to answer and waste the opportunity!]
Liu Bang was amused when he read it.
[Liu Bang: Begging your old man now? Weren't you unwilling to form an alliance just a moment ago? No alliance? Then your old man insists on answering first!]
"That Liu Bang! What a scoundrel!"
Zhu Yuanzhang cursed with a dark expression, then continued entering his message.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: Each additional wrong answer means another punishment. Aren't you afraid?] [Liu Bang: If the punishments are like the Sleeve-Cutting Fetish, what does your old man have to fear? Bring on a few more!]
At that moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's thoughts raced like lightning as he swiftly weighed the benefits and drawbacks of his options.
This speed-answer round only activates when all three of us answer incorrectly. That's a rare occurrence. If I miss this chance, who knows when another will come?
I was already tempted by Liu Bang's proposal for a three-way alliance. Earlier, I was only deliberately playing hard to get to secure more benefits.
Now that this speed-answer round requires their cooperation, I might as well make that my condition and agree to the alliance!
At that thought, Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly recited the words in his mind and entered his message.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: I agree to the three-way alliance, but whenever there are similar question rounds in the future, you two must yield to me!]
Liu Bang's earlier words had seemed like retaliation, but his true goal was to force Zhu Yuanzhang to agree to the alliance.
Now, seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's message, he stroked his beard and smiled.
[Liu Bang: Good, your old man agrees. Zhang Jiao, you agree too.]
Zhang Jiao had no reason to refuse, since Zhu Yuanzhang was the only one of the three who knew what happened after the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
[Zhang Jiao: Agreed.]
The exchange between the three seemed lengthy, but it had actually happened very quickly.
Just as they finished communicating, the speed-answer round began.
[Question one: Which of the following descriptions most vividly captures the emperors of the Eastern Han as a group?] [A: Grand magisters. B: Eastern Han kindergarten. C: Eastern Han little property-confiscation experts.]
Although Liu Bang no longer intended to answer first, the question still left him startled and puzzled.
"Grand magisters? Kindergarten? Little property-confiscation experts?"
"Why does your old man recognize every character, yet understand none of them when they're put together?"
Elsewhere, Zhang Jiao was also quite puzzled by what he read.
He naturally had no idea what "grand magisters" meant.
As for "little property-confiscation experts"-the common people called the seizure of assets "property confiscation," so it probably had something to do with confiscating family property.
But what did "little experts" mean?
"Kindergarten," on the other hand, reminded him that several previous Han emperors had ascended the throne as young children, which seemed quite consistent with what the question asked...
Great Ming.
Inside the Western Warm Chamber of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the question and options in the group, also thinking rapidly.
Grand magisters... That sounds like it refers to some emperor who enjoyed occult arts or was involved in witchcraft. It probably doesn't describe the Later Han emperors as a group.
Little property-confiscation experts... Does that refer to some Later Han emperor who enjoyed confiscating property? Clearly, that isn't suitable for describing all the Later Han emperors either.
But Eastern Han kindergarten... Several Later Han emperors did indeed ascend the throne as young children. Some even took the throne a hundred days after birth and died on it at around one year old. Comparing the three options, this one clearly fits the question best.
At that thought, Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated no longer and immediately entered his choice.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: B.] [Administrator: Congratulations to Zhu Yuanzhang for answering correctly! Your punishment for the previous incorrect answer has been waived!]
Although Zhu Yuanzhang had been fairly confident about this question, seeing that he had answered correctly still filled him with delight.
Zhang Jiao felt a little regretful, since he had also intended to choose B.
Only Liu Bang's face darkened again.
The Later Han emperors were actually being described as a "kindergarten"?
He truly did not know what a kindergarten was, but he knew what young children were. A little thought suggested that several Later Han emperors had probably taken the throne as children, and some had even died before growing up, which was why they had been described this way.
If several children had ascended the throne, then the Later Han must have suffered either court infighting and fierce struggles for the throne, or emperors with very short lives, or both.
Furthermore, a child ascending the throne would inevitably allow powerful ministers to control the government, even wresting imperial authority away!
"I never imagined that the second Great Han founded by my Liu family would look like this. No wonder the people were driven beyond endurance!"
Just as Liu Bang was feeling disappointed, even furious, over the state of the Later Han, the second speed-answer question arrived.
[Question two: Beginning with the Qin and Han, even unified dynasties generally lasted only one or two hundred years, and at most a little over three hundred. What was the chief reason for this endless cycle of dynastic rise and fall?] [A: Imperial relatives or eunuchs always monopolized power and brought disaster upon the state. B: Insufficient checks on imperial authority. C: Land consolidation. D: The cycle of the five virtues and changes in the Mandate of Heaven.]
Seeing this question, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned in thought.
B was the first option he ruled out.
Based on his years of studying history and his nearly ten years of experience as emperor, he believed that most problems within a country arose because officials abused the authority he granted them, deceiving their superiors and concealing the truth from those below.
Thus, he wished he could remove every restriction, concentrate all authority in his own hands, and control everything completely.
To put it more vividly, in his eyes, an emperor was like the head of a household. What head of a household did not want his family to become stronger and richer, and every family member to live well?
Therefore, if a household had problems, it could never be because there were insufficient checks on its head's authority, but because his authority was not concentrated enough or great enough.
Next, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at option A.
The Qin, Han, and Tang all seemed to have suffered from imperial relatives or eunuchs monopolizing power and bringing disaster upon the state, yet their falls had not been entirely due to imperial relatives and eunuchs. Furthermore, the falls of the Wei, Jin, Sui, and Song clearly had little to do with either.
Thus, option A should not be chosen either.
Then which should he choose between C and D?
The cycle of the five virtues and changes in the Mandate of Heaven... The Song possessed the virtue of fire, and the Yuan possessed the virtue of metal, so fire generated metal. My Great Ming possesses the virtue of fire again, and fire does indeed overcome metal... No, that's wrong!
Zhu Yuanzhang had been tracing the cycle of the five virtues through successive dynasties when he suddenly remembered something.
During the first "Rebel Army Q&A" round, a question had asked what similarities existed between the falls of the Han and Ming. Severe land consolidation had been mentioned, but there had been nothing about "the cycle of the five virtues and changes in the Mandate of Heaven."
"Humph! Those prophetic interpretations really are deceptive tricks. Even I nearly fell for them!"
With a cold snort, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately entered his choice...
Liu Bang's procession finally entered the city and arrived before Zhao's "royal palace"-which was actually just a somewhat larger courtyard residence. (It was Zhao, not Dai; the earlier text has been corrected.)
As his son-in-law, Zhang Ao stepped forward with an ingratiating smile and bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Liu Bang was staring at the Rebel Army Group. He waved casually and asked, "Where's the warm chamber? Have someone lead the way at once!"
Beside Zhang Ao, the state chancellors Guan Gao and Zhao Wu could not help seething inwardly at the sight. Both had once been retainers of Zhang Ao's father, Zhang Er, and were therefore deeply loyal to Zhang Ao. Naturally, they could not bear to see him treated with such disregard.
But not only was Zhang Ao Liu Bang's son-in-law, his title as King of Zhao had also been granted by Liu Bang out of regard for his old friendship with Zhang Er. Even if the two men were displeased, they dared not show it.
Zhang Ao, however, appeared unconcerned and remained enthusiastic as he personally led the way for Liu Bang.
Yet no sooner had he brought Liu Bang to the warm chamber than Liu Bang drove him out.
Seeing this, Guan Gao and Zhao Wu grew even angrier.
The pre-Qin era was still not far removed, and as retainers, they both held to the belief that a retainer should die when his lord was humiliated. Although Liu Bang's disregard for Zhang Ao had not quite reached the level of outright humiliation, it still made both men feel disgraced.
Liu Bang knew nothing of this. Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang choose option B, he could not help feeling both puzzled and anxious.
"Land consolidation? What land consolidation was there when the Qin fell? Clearly, he should have chosen imperial relatives and eunuchs bringing disaster upon the state!"
Elsewhere, after seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's choice, Zhang Jiao continued staring intently at the Rebel Army Group.
He actually thought that both A and C could be the answer, and even B and D were possible.
He truly could not settle on an answer to this question, so he wanted to learn the answer as soon as possible.
Fortunately, the Rebel Army Group responded immediately after Zhu Yuanzhang entered his choice.
[Administrator: Congratulations to Zhu Yuanzhang for answering correctly! You will receive one reward!]
He had actually answered correctly?
Liu Bang and Zhang Jiao both froze for a moment upon seeing the administrator's message in the group.
"Land consolidation was actually the chief reason for the endless rise and fall of dynasties?"
For a moment, Liu Bang pinched his beard and sank deep into thought.