Covering the sky: Starting with the holy body, the immortal Taoist comes to attack

Chapter 180: The End of a Lifetime of Mortal Experiences?

To be fair, the Southern aristocratic regimes were not without elite figures.

For example, this time they planned to invite the Quanrong tribe to attack Chen Shilong, the sick tiger of the new government.

In addition, the Xie family of Lu County, the Li family of Jiangnan, the Cui family of Qinghe, and other prominent families among the five surnames and seven clans in the south, each had a talent similar to Xun Yu, the advisor to a king in ancient China.

Take Chen Shilong, the sick tiger, for example.

This man came from the second-rate Chen clan, but was known as the Sima clan's strategist, helping the Sima clan to plan and strategize all the way, almost succeeding in usurping the throne.

If it weren't for the fact that they encountered a peerless ruler like Emperor Xuan, who was unprecedented and unparalleled, the Sima clan would have successfully usurped the throne!

This time, after fleeing to the south, he plotted to invite the Quanrong tribe to attack the north from both sides, which also brought considerable trouble to the new government.

To be fair, regardless of the era, Chen Shilong and his ilk were among the most brilliant strategists in the world.

however.

The tragedy of these people lies in this: no matter how brilliant their plans are, they cannot overcome the general trend of the world!
Moreover, they did not expect that what they thought was just the beginning of the two-pronged attack with the Quanrong tribe had actually become the peak!

The changes brought about by the Northern New Deal within a year of the armistice were like a world-shaking transformation!
After Gu Xuan completely consolidated the two major legions of the western border army, he did not make any rash moves.

He did not launch an attack on the south, nor did he launch a retaliatory attack on the invading Quanrong tribe. Instead, he devoted all his energy to the new policies.

First of all.

After the powerful clans, that is, the big landowners, were overthrown, all the criminal forces involved in the canal transport, mining, usury, monopolistic industries, and so on were wiped out.

In the past, these people attached themselves to various powerful families and committed numerous evils, committing countless crimes.

In the era of aristocratic rule, these people would have been the most capable henchmen of the wealthy and powerful.

However, after the new policies mobilized the poor masses, these people were treated like rats in the street, publicly tried and executed, and received the punishment they deserved.

Second.

Based on the "Great Harmony Society" ideology, the elites selected through the imperial examination system replaced the many corrupt officials whose power was monopolized by powerful clans.

This not only broke the foundation of the monopoly of powerful clans, but also opened up channels for more talented people to rise in society.

again.

Under Gu Xuan's strong promotion, the "Datong Society" has long since broken out of the scope of the Imperial Guard system and extended to all aspects of the country.

From the very elderly to the youngest children, everyone was generally aware of the "Great Harmony Society's" principles.

That is, to resist the many injustices, oppressions, and even bullying under the rule of powerful clans, until a fair and just utopian world is established!

With the implementation of the national policy of "overthrowing the aristocratic families and distributing land," land annexation was greatly alleviated through violent means.

The poor people, who were being allocated land of their own for the first time in their lives, were extremely excited!
They did resist, but were repeatedly suppressed and brutally murdered.

Ultimately, they came to believe that this was just how the world was, and that their descendants could only serve as slaves and bullies to the sons of the powerful.

Unexpectedly, under the leadership of this King Zhou and the "Great Harmony Society," this day of resurgence has arrived!
The saying goes, "Those who are united in purpose will prevail!"
Apart from Gu Xuan, no one expected that the Great Zhou Dynasty would be able to unleash such strong cohesion and centripetal force a year after the implementation of the new policies!

of course.

For Gu Xuan, this was far from being an advanced society, but it was already far better than the previous rule by powerful clans!
Under his strong advocacy, two major events with far-reaching impact occurred.

First, there was the reform of the Great Zhou military system, including the establishment of "Datonghui" committees in military headquarters at all levels, the nationwide army's obedience to the "Datonghui" general committee headed by Gu Xuan, and basic equality between officers and soldiers.

Secondly, we must combine the realities of this land and study agricultural fertilizers to the greatest extent possible.

The significance of these two events is beyond doubt, and they are also the homework that Gu Xuan did according to the answer.

Naturally, compared to the template he referenced, the Great Zhou Dynasty was clearly far inferior.

but.

Compared to the powerful clans in the south and the Rong tribes beyond the western border, this was absolutely a case of being outmatched.

……

Furthermore, the development of things is often influenced by dynamic factors.

As the Great Zhou Dynasty was developing rapidly under the implementation of new policies.

The southern aristocratic regimes naturally obtained a lot of intelligence and began some reforms.

Regardless of whether it was due to feeling some kind of pressure.

The leaders of the Southern regime, led by the Xie clan of Lu County, the Li clan of Jiangnan, the Wang clan of Langqiao, and other five clans and seven prominent families, began to promote the so-called "reform" whether passively or actively.

This included cracking down on organized crime, partially adopting the imperial examination system for selecting officials, and partially distributing land, among other things.

All of this was tantamount to cutting off their own flesh for many powerful clans and aristocratic families, which they were extremely unwilling to accept, but they still carried it out.

Unfortunately.

The so-called "reform" was ultimately just a poor imitation of the new policies in the north.

Moreover, due to their own interests and limitations, their "reform" becomes difficult to push forward once it reaches a certain point.

This situation naturally caused great distress to the heads of several major families and policymakers such as the ailing Chen Shilong, but they were helpless to change it!

Unless they are willing to cut off their own flesh and bones and undergo a complete rebirth.

But if they did that, would they still be the same powerful clans and aristocratic families?!

Therefore, this is a deep-seated problem that is difficult to reverse!
And at the same time.

Far to the west, among the Quanrong tribe, the new king gradually consolidated his power.

He began a bloody crackdown on those opposing forces, including his own mother's faction and the Southern Rong King who had previously invaded the Great Zhou.

Moreover, the new king of Quanrong had also heard the legendary stories of the new Zhou king in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

He also learned about the various new policies and measures implemented within the Great Zhou Dynasty through various channels. Although some of these policies seemed absurd to him, he did not rule out his judgment on them.

Without a doubt, the human races in the East are growing stronger day by day, and may even pose a threat to the Quanrong tribe in the future!

This is the conclusion reached by the new king of Quanrong and his capable civil and military officials!
After reaching this conclusion.

The new king of Quanrong and his trusted subordinates further accelerated the consolidation of power and the enhancement of military strength within their ranks.

Their goal is simple.

That is, just like the fierce and powerful Quanrong kings throughout the ages, to forcefully subdue the Great Zhou Dynasty, this human nation! This time, the new Quanrong king's goal is even further: to completely disrupt the path to human revival!
If possible, we should kill the new Zhou king who is rumored to have the bravery of the Great Zhou Emperor, make all the human race slaves of the Quanrong tribe, and turn their fields into the Quanrong tribe's grasslands.

……

The movements of the southern powerful clans and the Quanrong tribe were all detected by the secret agents of the Great Zhou Dynasty's National Guard.

This intelligence was relayed to His Majesty King Gu Xuan of Zhou via military carrier pigeons.

The other members of the highest authority of the Great Zhou Dynasty, namely the General Committee of the "Great Harmony Society" headed by Gu Xuan, also saw this intelligence.

"Time waits for no one; we must divide and conquer as soon as possible!"

This was the first thought of all decision-makers, including Gu Xuan.

If we don't strike first and eliminate either the southern powerful clans or one of the Quanrong tribes, we may once again find ourselves in a passive situation of being attacked from both sides.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty is now vastly different from what it used to be, both its internal cohesion and military strength have reached a new level.

However, if they were to actually fight on two fronts, they would obviously be at a disadvantage.

Therefore.

This day.

Under Gu Xuan's leadership, the General Committee of the "Datong Society" finally adopted the previously planned overall strategic decision of "first the south, then the west" and finalized many matters concerning the southern expedition.

With the resolution issued by the highest decision-making body, the terrifying war machine of the Great Zhou Dynasty was finally set in motion!
Firstly, the Northern Border Army Group, led by Jiang Bushi, is stationed in the north to guard against the numerous small tribes outside the northern border, in order to prevent any unforeseen complications.

Secondly, Yuchi Rui's army and another Western Army army were on high alert to prevent attacks from the Quanrong tribe and to stabilize the western border.

Thirdly, Gu Xuan personally led the expanded 50,000-strong "Datong Army" to conquer the powerful clan regimes in the south, aiming to end the division between the north and south and unify the entire territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The so-called "Datong Army" was actually a large army formed by eliminating the dross and refining the elite troops from the previous 30,000 Imperial Guards.

Furthermore, after this battle, the original northern and western border armies will change their military designations and be renamed "Datong Army Northern Army" and "Datong Army Western Army," etc.

Moreover, from a military deployment perspective...

These 50,000 "Datong Army" were also divided into two groups to attack the southern powerful clans from both sides.

Among them, Gu Xuan directly led 30,000 men and set off via the eastern route.

Yue Jing, the former Vice Minister of War, who was also a newly emerging famous general of the empire, led the remaining 20,000 troops on a westward advance.

As for the remaining members of the General Committee of the "Great Harmony Society," including Luo Zheng, the former Imperial Censor, and other confidants of Gu Xuan, they remained in the capital to oversee all logistical operations and ensure the continued implementation of the new policies, etc.

And in fact.

With Gu Xuan's unparalleled martial prowess, enough to rival a thousand men, and Yue Jing's military strategy, comparable to Han Bai's, military advancement was not a cause for concern.

Comparatively speaking, Gu Xuan knew that what was truly more important was logistical support.

"All the necessary supplies and logistics for the three armies must be properly prepared before we can launch an attack. We must store enough grain and provisions to last for two to two and a half months. We must also carefully mobilize the people's strength and rely on them as the foundation, so that they can work together with one heart and one mind to support the war and defense."

This was the highest military order he issued in the name of the General Committee of the "Datong Society".

In general terms, it means to widely mobilize the masses, rely on the masses, and go all out to support the front line.

With the "overthrow of aristocratic families and the distribution of land" and the selection of officials through the imperial examination system in the north, as well as the crackdown on numerous criminal gangs, the vast majority of poor and impoverished people have shown great enthusiasm for supporting the cause.

This situation of unity and shared purpose is a scene never before seen on this land!
For the powerful clan regimes in the south, this was undoubtedly a devastating and overwhelming force!

This is a torrent of the times, and also an inevitable trend.

In just about a month, Gu Xuan and Yue Jing's two armies marched south with unstoppable momentum, capturing the capital of the southern aristocratic regime and marking its basic demise.

Whether it was the top-tier clans led by the Five Clans and Seven Families, or the hundreds of secondary clans of all sizes, as well as the so-called "sick tiger" Chen Shilong, they were all wiped out.

The saying goes, "When fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune turns, even heroes are powerless." But they weren't exactly heroes.

This force has dominated this land for thousands of years, and no force has ever been able to truly shake them.

But now, under the new political forces led by Gu Xuan, it is like a vampire encountering the sun, melting away like ice and snow, turning into nothingness.

of course.

During this process, the "Datong Society" also secretly mobilized the grassroots people in the south to help them, because people knew which side represented true fairness and progress.

This southern expedition lasted less than two months from start to finish, which even surprised Gu Xuan and the others.

Moreover, the Quanrong tribe was completely caught off guard; otherwise, they might have launched a harassment attack as a distraction.

After the suppression of the powerful clans, the new policies were naturally implemented on a large scale in the south.

With a ready-made model in the north and a large number of experienced talents, the dark aristocratic forces that had been plagued by problems for thousands of years within the Great Zhou Dynasty finally came to their complete end.

The "Great Harmony Society" program was thus implemented throughout the entire human race's kingdoms, and the Great Zhou Dynasty seemed to have been reborn!
……

And at the same time.

Perhaps sensing some kind of crisis, the Quanrong tribe also accelerated the process of suppressing opposing forces and consolidating the entire tribe's military strength.

Moreover, this generation of Quanrong kings is exceptionally cold-blooded, ruthless, and cruel.

He showed no mercy to his political enemies, even his mother and brothers, either imprisoning or killing them outright. None of his other followers were spared either.

By this time, he had finally consolidated his royal power and unified all the internal military forces.

It is no exaggeration to say that a new military superpower has been born!
With 300,000 archers, it was a rare sight among the Quanrong regimes throughout history!
If they were to encounter an ordinary Zhou king, or a powerful dynasty formed by the Sima clan after their successful usurpation, the human race would surely suffer a crushing defeat!
It was even foreseeable that the entire northwestern border of the Great Zhou would fall, and many humans would face the tragic fate of being burned, killed, and plundered.

For thousands of years, the Quanrong tribe had been harassing the Great Zhou, killing and plundering countless people.

However, this generation of Quanrong encountered the Great Zhou people led by Gu Xuan and the "Datong Society"!
The so-called "300,000 archers" and the Quanrong cavalry's guerrilla advantage of "fighting when they can win and running when they can't" were, in Gu Xuan's view, not something that couldn't be countered.

Three years after unifying the entire territory and implementing new policies, the Great Zhou Dynasty's national strength, military power, and cohesion reached an all-time high.

At the same time, under Gu Xuan's special promotion, intelligence infiltration against the Quanrong and the development of domestic military technology have also reached a new level.

finally.

In the fourth year after Gu Xuan's arrival, he, along with Yue Jing and Yuchi Rui, each led tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry troops out of the Great Wall to carry out a thorough purge against the Quanrong tribe.

With overwhelming intelligence support from the National Guard and other minor tribes.

The three armies of the Great Zhou Dynasty, as if with precise positioning, successively found and swept away hundreds of thousands of Quanrong troops, almost annihilating the Quanrong tribe!
The soldiers of the Great Zhou showed no mercy to this ferocious alien race that had harassed and harmed humanity for thousands of years. In the end, they even built nine large mounds of Jingguan (a type of human pyramid) to deter the many treacherous alien races!
After that, Gu Xuan's trials and tribulations in the mortal world on this land finally came to a juncture.

(End of this chapter)