Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 133 The Surprise Attack Strategy, Li Shimin and Gu Quan (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
With the birth of the Gu family, history changed once again.

The Gu family is like a railway track.

This set the wheels of history on a different path once again.

As the news gradually spread.

—The entire land was shaken!
No one could have predicted that Li Yuan would take this step first at this time.

Do not emulate the lingering power of the Sui Dynasty;

Do not cling to the support of the world;

By using the name of the Gu family, he declared to the whole world his determination to create a prosperous era.

Li Yuan was definitely a qualified emperor.

To stabilize the country, the emperor established his eldest son, Li Jiancheng, as crown prince and enfeoffed Li Shimin as Prince of Qin, appointing him as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and General of the Right Guard.

They have firmly established their foundation.

Similarly, he was very clear about what his men wanted.

As for his subordinates—

He was extremely generous with his rewards and promises, bestowing various honors upon the recipients.

Of course, the Gu family was involved in this.

He even considered appointing the eldest son, Gu Quan, as Grand Tutor, thereby demonstrating his determination to the world once again.

But Gu Quan refused.

Not only him, but all the Gu family members who came this time refused the offer.

The Grand Tutor of today is no longer just a figurehead in history, because the influence of each generation of Grand Tutors has been too great.

Even Yang Jian did not directly remove this position or weaken its real power.

Although he never appointed a Grand Tutor.

But keeping the position open already speaks volumes about his attitude.

Regardless of how others feel about it, even the members of the Gu family feel immense psychological pressure when facing this position. Who would dare to accept it?
Compared to that, what they want more is to adapt to their current position.

—For example, generals who fight on the battlefield.

Li Yuan would naturally not be stingy with anything in return.

Li Yuan's thoughts were very clear; he didn't care what the future held, he only cared about the present.

For everyone.

Li Yuan would not hesitate to reward those who were capable, precisely because he wanted them to give their all!
The news kept spreading.

The impact of this incident also completely exceeded everyone's expectations.

Perhaps it was because the people had been waiting for the Gu family for too long, or perhaps it was because they had no more attachment to the Sui Dynasty and longed for a true golden age.

Even though Li Yuan did not inherit the Sui Dynasty, he still gained the support of many people.

Not to mention the already stable Guanzhong region.

People from all over the country began to flock to Guanzhong, a phenomenon that is hard to imagine in the current chaotic world.

This matter was as if a door had been opened.

When all the feudal lords realized this, those feudal lords of the Sui Dynasty had completely lost their power.

And who wouldn't want to be emperor?

In July of the same year;

Xue Ju, the Hegemon-King of Western Qin, ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor in Longxi.

September;

Li Gui declared himself emperor in Hexi, calling himself the Emperor of Great Liang, changing the era name to Anle, establishing government offices and appointing officials, all in imitation of the practices of the Sui Dynasty during the Kaihuang era.

At the same time, Wang Shichong deposed Yang Tong, declared himself emperor, established the state of Zheng, and adopted the reign title Kaiming.

They occupied Luoyang and confronted the Li Tang dynasty.

Dou Jiande, Yuwen Huaji, Xiao Xian, and so on.

The chaos in the world reached its peak at this moment.

This is an inevitable phenomenon.

Just like Yang Jian back then, once a crack is opened, some things can never be stopped.

But how could Li Yuan not have foreseen all of this before taking this step?

Changan.

Li Shimin, clad in armor, was looking at a geomantic map on the table with his generals and soldiers.

“After my father conquered Chang’an.”

"Xue Ju frequently invades our territory. Father has decided to order me to punish Xue Ju. Do any of you brothers have a good plan?"

Although he has now been enfeoffed as the Prince of Qin, Li Shimin still treats his trusted generals with the same humility as before.

The Tang Dynasty was determined to eliminate Xue Ju.

Otherwise, the Tang Dynasty would be completely trapped in Guanzhong, and Xue Ju would seize the opportunity to send troops to Chang'an at the slightest movement.

Li Shimin was certainly aware of this, which was precisely why he was so serious.

The soldiers all spoke up.

But Li Shimin's expression was serious as he slowly looked at Gu Quan and the others, and said earnestly, "What do you all think of a surprise attack?"

—That's right, it was a surprise attack.

For the Longxi region.

In the past, there were Marquis Zhongwu Gu Xiao and Marquis Zhaolie Gu Chen.

Both men employed surprise attacks, ultimately bringing Longxi under their complete control.

This event has now become a well-known battle that everyone knows about.

But replicating all of this is by no means easy.

The risks involved are unimaginably high.

Li Shimin only has this idea at the moment.

"feasible."

Gu Quan was a very serious person, and when faced with Li Shimin's question, he immediately nodded.

Instantly, everyone turned to look at him.

At this moment, Gu Yan smiled and cupped his hands towards Li Shimin, saying, "Your Highness, the generals may not know this."

“In the past, when our ancestor Zhaolie was in Longxi, he drew a geomantic map of Longxi.”

"Although hundreds of years have passed, the terrain has not changed much, so a surprise attack is feasible."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of everyone present lit up almost instantly.

Even Li Shimin was the same, and immediately asked, "Is this true?"

"good."

Gu Quan took over the conversation and looked at the geomantic map on the table: "The maps made by our ancestors are much more detailed than this one. We, the descendants, have all seen these since we were young."

He paused slightly, then looked at Li Shimin and said again, "Your Highness."

"The strategy of surprise attack is indeed a brilliant plan."

"In the present situation, Xue Ju's army is powerful, and his son Xue Rengao is an even more valiant general."

"If our army were to engage in a direct confrontation, even if we were to win in the end, the casualties would likely be considerable."

"But if we want to launch a surprise attack, the risks involved are not small."

A surprise attack requires truly elite troops!

Only the most elite soldiers can withstand several days of traversing mountains and valleys, and withstand the dual pressure on their bodies and minds.

In fact, the people trained by the Gu family were indeed suitable.

But Gu Quan couldn't possibly use all of the Gu family's trump cards on this!
Li Shimin listened intently, and fell into deep thought.

He was well aware of the risks and difficulties involved.

But to say that Li Shimin just ran away like that is of course impossible!

He only pondered for a brief moment.

Li Shimin had already made up his mind.

"it is good!"

"If that's the case, then let's launch a surprise attack!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than several men volunteered to lead their troops. They were all fierce generals!

I'm not afraid of danger!
But looking at the generals who volunteered for battle, Li Shimin shook his head directly: "I will go to this battle myself!"

Go there in person!

Li Shimin would naturally not give up this opportunity to follow Gu Chen's path.

Of course, he was also unwilling to entrust all the risks to his subordinates.

Li Shimin was a man who always charged to the front lines in every major battle!

But as soon as he finished speaking, Gu Quan shook his head and said abruptly, "Your Highness, you must not do this."

"Huh?" Li Shimin was taken aback.

Gu Quan said very seriously, "Your Highness, the world today is different from the past."

"The surprise attack on Longxi is a well-known fact."

"If the elite troops of our Great Tang cannot stand on the front lines, if Your Highness cannot stand on the front lines, then no matter who goes, they will not succeed!"

The hall fell silent immediately.

Li Shimin frowned deeply, clearly having taken his words to heart.

Gu Quan is right.

Li Shimin is no longer an unknown figure.

If he weren't at the front lines, Xue Ju would definitely be on guard, and might very well turn the tables on him.

This is a point they must consider.

"What are your thoughts, Ziyuan?" Li Shimin asked slowly after a moment of silence.

This time, Gu Quan did not hesitate at all. He cupped his hands towards Li Shimin and said, "If Your Highness trusts me, this humble general is willing to lead the army into battle."

As soon as he opened his mouth.

Gu Yan and several other members of the Gu family did not hesitate at all, and bowed to Li Shimin to request to fight.

Such matters should naturally be handled by the Gu family members.

The discussion should focus on the study of geomantic maps.

No one can compare to them.

Gu Quan, in particular, had already imagined how to carry out several surprise attacks on Longxi since he was a child.

Li Shimin was not a person who lacked a sense of the bigger picture.

Although he also really wanted to go, he slowly nodded as he looked at the crowd in front of him.

And so the matter was settled.

Gu Quan then shared his tactical ideas with Li Shimin.

He wanted Li Shimin to station troops at Gaozhi to draw Xue Ju's attention, while he would lead 5,000 elite troops westward along the Wei River to launch a surprise attack on Qinzhou.

Completely sever Xue Ju's connection with the entire Longxi region.

Besides--

Gu Quan even thought about Xue Ju's precautions.

If any unexpected situation arises, he will adjust his tactics and switch to harassing the rear.

They fought against the Western Qin army in the mountains and forests.

This move was extremely dangerous, but seeing Gu Quan's determined expression, Li Shimin finally agreed.

The generals left one after another.

Li Shimin then gave Gu Quan, Gu Yan, and others many instructions, urging them to be extremely careful before leaving.

Gu Quan's expression remained serious throughout.

He bowed respectfully and left.

Once outside the gate, Gu Yan couldn't help but say, "Brother, why be so serious? His Highness the Prince of Qin is not one to care so much about etiquette, so why be so formal?"

Although they knew that what they were about to do was extremely dangerous, the Gu family members were not afraid at all.

“I am the eldest son of the Gu family. My father is not in Chang’an, so I cannot disgrace the Gu family.”

As Gu Quan spoke, he suddenly stopped and looked at his four brothers: "In this battle, I will go alone, and you will follow His Highness the Prince of Qin."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yan and the others' expressions changed drastically.

They stared wide-eyed and shook their heads almost instantly, "Brother, why is that?"

"This journey is fraught with danger. Even if we fail, the Gu family will still have hope. Moreover, without a member of the Gu family by our side, Xue Ju will surely become suspicious." Gu Quan seemed to have already thought everything through, showing no mercy whatsoever.

“Brother!!!”

Although they understood Gu Quan's good intentions, how could Gu Yan and the others accept it?

But Gu Quan doesn't care what they do.

He was very serious from a young age, and among his brothers, his word was law.

He didn't care about the expressions on their faces.

Turn around and leave.

Upon seeing this, the brothers' expressions instantly fell, and their spirits plummeted.

But what more can they say?
Gu Quan is right.

Since this matter is so dangerous, we cannot tie all the brothers together.

Several people followed behind Gu Quan with complicated expressions.

Li Yuan also left behind the Champion Marquis Mansion belonging to the Gu family in Chang'an City, where his brothers now live.

They had just returned to the manor not long ago.

Gu Yan then approached Gu Quan again and said very seriously, "Elder brother, let your younger brother accompany you. Leave the third and fourth brothers and the others to His Highness Prince Qin's side."

Gu Quan ignored him and drove Gu Yan away with silence.

A short while later, more brothers arrived.

"Eldest brother, let your third brother accompany you. This journey is fraught with danger, and morale is of paramount importance. With me here, you'll feel less pressure. The burden of the Gu family can be entrusted to your second and fourth brothers."

Gu Quan once again drove him away with silence, but then someone else came along.

"Eldest brother, since I've always been good at traversing mountains, let's entrust the heavy responsibility of the Gu family to our second and third brothers."

Perhaps it was because of their youthful vigor that they all dreamed of making great achievements.

No member of the Gu family would refuse this opportunity to retrace the steps of their ancestors.

Unfortunately, Gu Quan would never agree to their request.

Apart from himself, everyone else was on this trip.

He would only bring Xue San and his bodyguards; the rest would be elite Tang soldiers.

Seeing that Gu Quan had already made his decision, Gu Yan had no choice but to go to Li Shimin to ask him to put in a good word for him.

But would Li Shimin agree to that?
Just as Gu Yan walked out of the Qin Prince's mansion with a helpless expression, he unexpectedly ran into Princess Pingyang, who had come to find Li Shimin.

"I've met the young master."

Gu Yan hadn't noticed at first, but when he heard the spirited female voice, he realized what was happening and quickly bowed to Princess Pingyang, saying, "Greetings, Princess."

"Son."

Although she was still an unmarried woman, Princess Pingyang showed no shyness whatsoever. She looked at Gu Yan seriously and asked, "I have heard that women can also hold important positions in the Gu family. Is this true?"

She said this very seriously.

Hearing this, Gu Yan, though unsure of Princess Pingyang's meaning, nodded and replied, "Indeed, my sisters are currently assisting my uncle in managing clan affairs."

Instantly, Princess Pingyang's eyes flashed with envy, and she sighed softly.

Unlike the original historical account, Princess Pingyang is currently unmarried.

However, she had already heard the news.

Li Yuan already had plans to marry her off to a powerful clan in Guanzhong, in an attempt to win over the people.

Princess Pingyang was not willing to accept this outcome.

This is related to her personality.

Especially now, after hearing Gu Yan's answer, she is even more unwilling to end up like this.

Although she, as a princess, naturally had to do something for the sake of the Tang Dynasty's foundation.

But why must it be used to win people's hearts?

She absolutely refused to accept this!
The reason I came to see Li Shimin this time is for this matter!
P.S.: (Double update, begging for monthly votes! There will definitely be plenty of updates this month, so please lend me a hand, brothers! I'm so grateful!!)

(End of this chapter)