[Zhu Yuanzhang: According to history, Chen Ping proposed bribing the Yanzhi with lavish gifts of gold and jewels, along with a portrait of a beautiful woman. She persuaded Modu, and only then did the Xiongnu open a gap in their encirclement and let the Han army leave.]
Chen Ping proposed it?
Liu Bang was doubtful when he heard this.
"Bribing Modu's woman certainly sounds like a scheme Chen Ping would devise, but what was the portrait of a beautiful woman for?"
Unable to work it out, Liu Bang continued asking.
[Liu Bang: Could you explain in more detail?] [Zhu Yuanzhang: That's all I know. If you want the details, Han Gaozu, just wait for Chen Ping to propose his plan.]
That makes sense.
Liu Bang nodded.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: Han Gaozu, I've answered two questions for you this time. In return, please have Xiao He, Zhang Liang, or Chen Ping advise me twice in the future. How does that sound?]
Liu Bang laughed. This Zhu Yuanzhang really does count every penny.
He promptly replied.
[Liu Bang: Don't worry. Once I've confirmed that your second answer is correct, I'll have those three advise you twice in the future. But don't put it off too long. By your account, I only have five years left to live. Once I'm dead, I won't be able to order those three around.]
Recalling the historical account of Liu Bang's death, Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated.
If he told Liu Bang what caused his death, perhaps Liu Bang would not die in the twelfth year of Emperor Gao of Han's reign. But would that affect the present Great Ming?
I must get to the bottom of this. Otherwise, I'll have to tread on eggshells whenever I reveal anything in this Rebel Army Group.
With that thought, Zhu Yuanzhang entered another message.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: Han Gaozu, if you learn about future events through this Rebel Army Group and change history, will that affect things on Zhang Jiao's side or mine?]
Reading those words, both Liu Bang and Zhang Jiao froze for a moment.
Then both began considering the question.
Just then, a new message appeared in the Rebel Army Group.
[Administrator: Although the members of this group come from the same historical timeline, joining the group automatically branches off a new historical timeline. This timeline runs parallel to the original spacetime, and their development does not interfere with each other. This is a parallel timeline. Think of a river branching into separate streams: no change will affect the original river, because time in every spacetime is irreversible.]
The Administrator's sudden message caught all three by surprise-they had almost forgotten this "person" existed.
Or rather, they had subconsciously assumed that the other party was not one of their kind and would not converse with them.
Clearly, they had been mistaken.
Liu Bang was the first to ask.
[Liu Bang: Who are you, sir? Why have you gathered us in this Rebel Army Group?] [Administrator: I am this group's administrator. I am only responsible for answering certain questions and hosting certain activities.]
It seems this person is unwilling-or unable-to answer my questions, Liu Bang immediately concluded.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Jiao reached much the same conclusion.
Then Zhu Yuanzhang tried asking something else.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: May I ask whether this Rebel Army Group will invite other rebel leaders in the future?] [Administrator: Of course.]
That answer stirred something in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.
Whenever a dynasty reaches its final years, the common people almost always rise up and form rebel armies. Even the Song Dynasty had uprisings led by Fang La and others during Emperor Huizong's reign.
When my Great Ming reaches its final years, the common people will most likely rise up too. Once a rebel leader from the Late Ming is invited into this group, won't I be able to ask him about future events, just as Liu Bang has?
I could even use the information that Late Ming leader provides to correct flaws in national policy and remedy mistakes in governance.
It seems this Rebel Army Group is a fortuitous encounter bestowed upon me by Heaven!
At that thought, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.
Meanwhile, seeing that the Administrator had answered Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Liu Bang decided to ask another.
[Liu Bang: What do you mean by hosting certain activities?]
The group remained silent. Once again, the Administrator gave no response.
Why won't he answer my question? Does this Administrator look down on me?
While Liu Bang was considering what other question he could ask to test the waters, the group stirred again.
[Administrator: We will now begin the "Rebel Army Q&A" round. Correct answers earn rewards. Wrong answers incur penalties.] [Question: What similarities were there between the falls of the Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty? Enter the correct options within ten breaths. (You will not be able to see anyone else's answers until everyone has entered their choices or the time limit has expired.)] [A: Land consolidation spiraled completely out of control.] [B: Severe corruption within the ruling elite.] [C: The central government lost control over local regions.] [D: Peasant uprisings shook the foundations of their rule.] [E: The fiscal system collapsed completely.] [F: Invasions by northern barbarians.]
Why had this "Rebel Army Q&A" round suddenly begun?
The abrupt change in the Rebel Army Group surprised Liu Bang, Zhang Jiao, and Zhu Yuanzhang, and put them on their guard.
Correct answers earn rewards, and wrong answers incur penalties. Never mind the rewards-what sort of penalty? Could it endanger our lives?
Zhu Yuanzhang's brow furrowed deeply.
Earlier, he had considered his invitation to the Rebel Army Group a fortuitous encounter. If it truly put his life in danger, he would rather do without it.
Since this Administrator invited us into the group, surely he wouldn't take our lives lightly?
There are only ten breaths to answer. There's no time to think too much-I have to choose the right answers first!
With that thought, Zhu Yuanzhang carefully examined the six options.
Meanwhile, Liu Bang had fewer misgivings about the quiz. Instead, he wanted to summon Chen Ping to help him answer, since his own learning was relatively limited.
But he quickly realized that sending someone to fetch Chen Ping and then explaining the situation would probably take too long.
Besides, he did not yet want to tell anyone else about the Rebel Army Group.
It's only a quiz! I'll do it myself!
Liu Bang knew nothing about the Late Han or the Late Ming, but he had lived through the final years of Qin. Presumably, the final years of Han and Ming had shared some similarities with them.
D must be one of the answers, but B should be too, shouldn't it?
If Qin Er Shi hadn't been debauched and tyrannical, and Zhao Gao hadn't purged his opponents for selfish gain and thrown the court into chaos, the Qin Dynasty probably wouldn't have fallen so easily. Isn't that severe corruption within the ruling elite?
If my Great Han falls, it will probably have similar problems. Should I choose B or D?
Liu Bang stroked his beard in thought.
Then his eyes lit up.
Wait, the question never said I could only choose one. I'll choose both!
Haha! I wonder whether Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Jiao will spot that.
Liu Bang laughed. Seeing that the time limit was nearly up, he hurriedly recited his choices in his mind and entered "B, D."
Meanwhile, Zhang Jiao also quickly entered his choices.
Though he knew nothing about the Late Ming, he had traveled through Great Han for years. Not only had he witnessed the suffering of the common people, but his dealings with aristocratic clans and officials had also shown him the rot within Great Han's ruling class.
It was equally obvious that the Great Han court had serious fiscal problems. Otherwise, why would Liu Hong have resorted to selling offices?
As for land consolidation, that went without saying.
The rich owned fields stretching across countless paths, while the poor lacked even enough ground to plant an awl-this had already been true during the Former Han, and it was largely why the common people lived in such poverty now.
As for C and D, those problems might not have been apparent before he led the Yellow Turban Army in revolt. But whether his uprising succeeded or failed, it would inevitably shake Great Han's foundations and cause the court to lose control over the provinces.
The final years of Qin and the Former Han had already demonstrated that.
Besides, the question itself offered a hint—didn't asking about the causes of Han's fall imply that even if the Great Han court suppressed his Yellow Turban Rebellion, it would still be set on the road to destruction?
Only the final option had not occurred in the final years of Qin or the Former Han. Of the barbarians surrounding Great Han now, only the Xianbei were somewhat strong, but even they lacked the power to invade Han territory on a large scale.
So all five of the first options should be causes of the Han Dynasty's fall?
Were those five also causes of the Ming Dynasty's fall?
Having reached the end of his analysis, Zhang Jiao suddenly hesitated.
After all, he knew absolutely nothing about the Ming Dynasty.
And although he did not know what rewards the Administrator meant by "correct answers earn rewards," he imagined they would be far from ordinary. If he obtained one, perhaps it could help him break the siege of Guangzong!
The more Zhang Jiao thought about it, the harder it became to choose.
But the ten breaths were almost up!
I'll take the gamble! All five of the first options!
A, B, C, D, E!
At the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang had also settled on his answer.
Over the years, from leaving Guo Zixing to strike out on his own to ascending the throne, he had listened to many books being recounted and read quite a few himself. Most were histories, so naturally, he understood the situation in the Late Han.
Looking across the dynasties that had once unified the realm, almost all had suffered from the first five problems.
Only invasions by northern barbarians had afflicted some dynasties but not others.
Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang had suffered barbarian raids, but their falls had little to do with barbarian invasions.
Only the Song Dynasty had fallen to the Mongol Yuan.
What about his Great Ming?
If the Great Ming fell, would barbarian invasions play a part?
No, the fall of the Han Dynasty can't be blamed on barbarian invasions. So whether or not my Great Ming faces that problem when it finally falls, I don't need to select it here.
Having worked that out, Zhu Yuanzhang silently recited his choices and entered "A, B, C, D, E."
[Administrator: All three group members entered their answers within ten breaths. Your answers and the correct answer will now be revealed.] [Liu Bang: B, D.] [Zhang Jiao: A, B, C, D, E.] [Zhu Yuanzhang: A, B, C, D, E.]
Seeing the three members' answers in the Rebel Army Group, Liu Bang's face immediately darkened.
Even before the correct answer appeared, he knew he must have chosen incorrectly-the other two choosing those options surely meant that Great Han had suffered all five problems when it fell!
What kind of lousy question is this? Isn't this blatantly putting an ancestor like me at a disadvantage?
While Liu Bang grumbled with a dark expression, the correct answer appeared.
[Correct answer: A, B, C, D, E!]
Correct!
Both Zhang Jiao and Zhu Yuanzhang brightened with delight.
Zhang Jiao, in particular, could barely stop himself from bursting into joyous laughter.
Then he began eagerly awaiting the reward from the Administrator-or rather, the Rebel Army Group.
The Rebel Army Group soon stirred again.
[Administrator: Liu Bang answered this question incorrectly and will receive a penalty-please note that Liu Bang will receive a negative status lasting three days: Sleeve-Cutting Fetish!]
Zhang Jiao and Zhu Yuanzhang had been quite solemn as they awaited their rewards, but the moment they read those words, their expressions turned peculiar.
[Liu Bang: Sleeve-Cutting Fetish? What is a Sleeve-Cutting Fetish?] [Administrator: Please find out for yourself.]
At that, Zhu Yuanzhang could no longer hold back and burst into laughter without a shred of sympathy.
Even Zhang Jiao laughed as he recalled the origin of the term "Sleeve-Cutting Fetish."
"This punishment... for Han Gaozu, it rather strikes at the heart as well as the man."