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

Chapter 146 The Beginning of the Reign of Zhenguan (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Compared to previous generations of family heads, Gu Yu's death did not have a significant impact on the entire Kyushu.

He ultimately remained behind the scenes.

It was simply a way out for the Gu family and the world.

Even Gu Yi never expected his ending to be like this, as he had also held high hopes for Gu Yu.

Unfortunately, Gu Yu was born at the wrong time.

With his talent, he could have done so much more.

If he abandoned his family and pursued power solely for the sake of power, even if his achievements couldn't compare to those of Gu Chen and Gu Xi, they would at least be as glorious as those of Gu Kang and Gu Sheng.

But as he said, the most difficult emotion for people to control is their desires.

However, he himself did it.

For the sake of his family, he did not leave the world for many years;

For the sake of the world, he traveled thousands of miles, witnessing the rise and fall of dynasties and searching for a way out.

For the sake of the Nine Provinces, even though he had already gained the upper hand on the battlefield, he could still gain considerable merit by launching an attack, even if he couldn't wipe out the entire Turkic Khaganate in one battle. However, he restrained himself.

This is a truly selfless person.

This applies to both the Gu family and the entire Kyushu region.

But someone like him is destined to remain hidden behind the scenes, and all his efforts will remain unknown to the world.

As Gu Yu's eyes closed slightly.

The Luo Shu Harmonizing Device fused within his body flashed out instantly and appeared in Gu Yi's backpack.

At the same time, game prompts also flashed out.

Gu Yu passed away.

【.】

He didn't accumulate many achievement points, and even the game didn't acknowledge all of Gu Yu's quiet contributions. The achievements he made were ultimately far less significant than those that earned him high achievement points.

But fortunately——

The world doesn't know, the game doesn't recognize it, but the Gu family members do.

As long as the Gu family can continue its glorious legacy.

In time, the world will finally know all that these people who laid the foundation for the Gu family have done behind the scenes.

Changan.

Upon hearing the news of Gu Yu's death, even Li Shimin fell silent, a rare occurrence.

For him.

Gu Yu was his mentor.

In the past, although he had the intention to build an unprecedented golden age, his understanding of what a golden age truly meant was far too lacking.

It was the realization of their aspirations after the trip to Julu; it was the result of many days of lively conversation.

This is what enabled Li Shimin to achieve his current success.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Li Shimin was able to become emperor because of Gu Yu.

Rather, it's his current personality.

Li Shimin had a very clear idea about the governance of the entire Tang Dynasty, which was the experience he drew upon from Gu Yu.

The reforms proposed by Gu Yuxi in the past have formally established the first step in the current system of the Tang Dynasty.

Now it was Li Shimin who inherited everything and began to make the Tang Dynasty flourish.

This incident did indeed deal a blow to Li Shimin.

Although Gu Yu had specifically instructed that a posthumous title should not be given, Li Shimin still had this idea.

Others are unaware of Gu Yu's contributions.

How could he not know?
Given his character, how could he allow Gu Yu's name to fade into obscurity in history?

No one else would try to dissuade him from doing this, except for Gu Quan.

"Does Your Majesty wish for my father to die with his eyes wide open in disgrace?"

Inside the Tai Chi Hall.

Only when the emperor and his minister looked at each other did Gu Quan’s voice resound throughout the hall, “The Gu family’s descendants pass on their legacy from generation to generation, just like me. When I choose to stand by Your Highness’s side, I will never return to the Gu family in this life.”

"And so it was with my father."

His eyes were also red, and he was extremely sad, but as Gu Yu's eldest son, he understood Gu Yu's thoughts and had to say these words.

"The Gu family has been descended from their ancestor, the Marquis of Zhongwu, to this day. Indeed, several generations of their ancestors have made contributions to the people of the land, and thus they were given posthumous titles for their descendants to worship."

"But my father..."

Tears streamed down his face, but Gu Quan forced back his grief and said through gritted teeth, "In the end, I have done nothing of great service to the nation."

"If Your Majesty were to grant my father a posthumous title, he would surely die with his eyes wide open in disbelief."

Looking at Gu Quan before him, Li Shimin fell completely silent.

This is what makes the Gu family extraordinary.

most of the time.

He even finds it hard to imagine how the Gu family got to where it is today.

He was able to refuse the throne that was within his grasp time and time again, and he was able to voluntarily give up his posthumous reputation.

Which of these isn't something that most people would want their whole lives?
Only the Gu family—

They are able to proactively push all of this away.

The so-called disputes, including the scenes of the brothers fighting in the past, would never occur in the Gu family.

It might be manageable in the short term, but the Gu family lasted for hundreds of years.

How could Li Shimin know that all of this stemmed from the teachings passed down from generation to generation, as well as the Gu family's continued glory? As the Gu family's prestige gradually declined, Gu Yi even used the Spirit Jade to restrict the Gu family's members.

Otherwise, the Gu family might have been completely torn apart during the chaos of the late Han Dynasty.

But it is precisely because of this that Li Shimin had such complicated feelings.

"I understand."

After remaining silent for a long time, he finally nodded slightly, which was considered his agreement.

"Your Majesty, I thank you." Without any hesitation, Gu Quan immediately knelt down, bowed deeply to Li Shimin, and said with a resounding voice, accompanied by tears, "Father said that Your Majesty is the Holy Son of Heaven."

"Your Majesty and I, along with my brothers in the clan, also believe in Your Majesty."

Li Shimin understood Gu Quan's thoughts.

Gu Yan and the others did not return to the capital. According to them, they were there to guard the borders of the Tang Dynasty and allow the entire Kyushu region to rest and recuperate.

They all believed in Li Shimin.

I believe that Li Shimin will one day lead them out of the land of China.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and nodded seriously: "I understand!"

Although no posthumous title was given to Gu Yu, Li Shimin still gave Gu Yu a very solemn funeral and buried him in Julu.

And then the funeral ended.

The entire Tang Dynasty finally returned to peace, and the disaster relief efforts proceeded smoothly.

It went even more smoothly than before.

Because Li Shimin drew his sword.

After stabilizing the situation, Li Shimin finally stopped tolerating the important ministers who had been trusted by Li Yuan in the past.

He wanted everyone to understand that he, Li Shimin, was indeed an emperor willing to accept advice.

But he is not someone who only knows how to back down.

As for these court officials, the better they were to be dismissed, the more obedient they were to be spared their lives, but those who were resentful or harbored other intentions were all exiled!

The entire court was on edge, seeing threats everywhere.

Even so, the internal affairs of the Tang Dynasty remained completely orderly.

Li Shimin's own faction formed the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, and let's not forget the Gu family members who were skilled in governing the country.

Although these people's attributes don't seem particularly outstanding on their own.

However, their abilities were enough to allow them to keep up with the pace of an emperor like Li Shimin and usher in a golden age across the entire land!
The second year of the Zhenguan era.

Having learned from the devastating famine in Guanzhong the previous year, Li Shimin proposed establishing local grain reserves to cope with the disaster.

and--

In addition, Li Shimin also had the idea of ​​repairing water conservancy projects.

This is naturally a big deal.

The entire court was abuzz with detailed discussions about these matters. The discussions were not about the usual debates, but rather about whether it was appropriate to do things this way now.

"Your Majesty, the people under the courtyard are exhausted, and the forced labor imposed by Emperor Yang of Sui in the past is a precedent. If the court suddenly starts construction again, I'm afraid the people may object."

Changsun Wuji said with a serious expression.

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling nodded: "There is a great famine in Guanzhong. If construction were to begin suddenly and something unexpected were to happen, the court might not be able to afford it."

Both of them were rather conservative in character, so they naturally advised Li Shimin to wait a few years before starting construction.

Water conservancy can indeed help people.

But it also depends on the time.

“You two are wrong.” Before Li Shimin could speak, Du Ruhui said directly, “Now the land is at peace and the world is at peace. With the Grand Tutor and others guarding the borders, they can keep out enemies from all sides.”

"Your Majesty is unaware that I recently heard that the Turkic troops would retreat immediately upon seeing the banners of our Great Tang and the Gu family."

"Now is the perfect opportunity to break ground."

Many people nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

There was no dispute between the two sides.

It's simply a matter of different judgments made due to differing governing philosophies.

As everyone expressed their opinions, Li Shimin frowned slightly and remained silent for a long time before finally raising his hand to interrupt the debate.

"Emperor Yang of Sui was a tyrant. His actions were solely for the satisfaction of his own desires. He never cared about the hardships and happiness of the people."

His gaze slowly swept over Changsun Wuji and other important officials, his expression resolute. "My heart is set on the light, and the only purpose of implementing this policy is for the sake of the people. Even if it brings criticism, what is there to fear?"

These words, once spoken, were like a stone falling to the ground, clearly demonstrating his decision.

"I am well aware of the suffering the people have endured during wartime—" he said in a deep voice, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, "but this flood control effort is undoubtedly more beneficial than harmful."

"Look, you see—"

He looked up at the geomantic map, his tone suddenly becoming impassioned, "The water conservancy in all directions has been neglected for a long time, the river channels are silted up and the dikes are collapsing. If we delay any longer, we will be watching the people's livelihood decline!"

"This year, the whole country is making every effort to repair it. Even though it is the first year, we have to tighten our belts and grit our teeth to persevere. In the future, with convenient irrigation of the fertile fields, the grain harvest will surely be several times greater than before."

"This is a meritorious deed that benefits the present and future generations!"

"My mind is made up—"

His words were like a heavy hammer striking a drum, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker slightly: "From this day forward, all civil and military officials should practice frugality and share weal and woe with the people."

"Let's start with me." He ran his fingertips along the edge of the dragon desk, then suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "I recently discussed with the Empress that the palace maids are too numerous. Tomorrow, I will have someone take a look at the roster, and those who wish to return home will be given silver and allowed to go back to their hometowns to get married—it's far better to have more children of the Tang Dynasty than to be trapped inside these palace walls."

The hall was completely silent, save for the wind chimes on the eaves that chimed softly in the twilight.

As soon as he finished speaking, Changsun Wuji was the first to kneel down, followed by a thunderous chorus of prostrations from the assembled officials, their voices causing the dust on the beams to tremble: "Your Majesty is wise!" "Enough," Li Shimin waved his hand, his sleeve sweeping over the memorials on the table. "The empire is not yet at peace; how dare I claim to be a saint?"

He leaned forward, his gaze sweeping intently over Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and the others. "The prosperous dynasties of the past all had their lessons to offer, but what I want..."

"It's not a golden age that follows the rules and regulations, but a golden age that future generations will marvel at when they open the history books, a golden age that is 'unprecedented'!"

"My lords, you must remember this—"

"The hardships we endure today in saving water are all for the sake of the people's happiness in the future, where 'no one picks up lost items on the road and no one locks their doors at night'."

"If there are any who are negligent..."

He suddenly laughed, but there was no warmth in his laughter: "My Zhenguan Code is much more 'lenient' than the oppressive policies of Emperor Yang of Sui."

The Zhenguan Code—this is the very code that Li Shimin is currently revising.

It does not correspond to the original history.

Aside from being merciful, Li Shimin also made the punishment of corrupt officials much harsher.

This is Li Shimin's decisiveness today!
Once he has a clear goal, no obstacle in front of him will affect him.

The ministers all agreed and then took their leave.

A vigorous campaign to control floods once again rose throughout the Tang Dynasty.

Today, Kyushu's water conservancy technology far surpasses that of its original history.

Any technology will continue to improve over time.

In the past, Gu Kang's appearance greatly accelerated the progress of water conservancy, which naturally promoted its development.

However, this flood control effort is still quite challenging.

The Tang Dynasty was too poor!
The world is now in chaos, and since Li Yuan became emperor, the taxes levied on his people have never been high. In addition, there have been years of war and Li Yuan's preference for using heavy rewards to gain the support of others.

This naturally led to the poverty of the imperial court.

In fact, Li Shimin was dancing on the edge of a knife this time, as repairing water conservancy projects was not an easy task.

But it really came true.

Everyone in the world has a scale in their heart.

They may be illiterate, unaware of classic texts, or ignorant of profound principles, but they can discern good from evil through the actions of the imperial court.

Unlike the corvée labor imposed by Emperor Yang Guang in the past, this time the repair of water conservancy projects received support from all corners of the country.

Not just the people from all directions;
There are also other local powerful families.

This is a move that benefits the people, especially after the prosperous era created by Gu Kang, Gu Xi and others who repaired water conservancy in the past. People will only support Li Shimin's move even more!

The people of the world have longed for a prosperous era for far too long!
They wanted a stable environment so that their entire family could survive.

Suffering a little now is nothing to them.

This is perhaps also one of the unique characteristics inherent in the Chinese nation.

—No pain, no gain!
The benefits of reforming officialdom were fully demonstrated at this time. Although only a short time had passed, the fate of officials who were successively taken down and beheaded had already shocked many people.

At the very least, this measure ensured that officials met a minimum standard during the flood control efforts.

But even so.

Li Shimin also sent Gu Quan to dispatch many envoys, unlike the previous Censorate.

This time, the envoy went into the community.

To observe the hardships of the people and to understand the local officials through the people.

This move was indeed unexpected by everyone; Li Shimin cared for the people far more than any previous emperor.

Even within the current government, a hint of opposition has arisen.

But Li Shimin's answer was very simple. In the Taiji Hall, he declared to his ministers: "A wise ruler cannot be one who does not understand the suffering of the people, and a prosperous era cannot be achieved without shouldering the responsibility of the state."

"If an emperor only cares about his own comfort, avoids the important issues, and is timid and hesitant, how can he break through the predicament and protect the lights of every household?"

"Now that I have taken the throne, I will take the world as my responsibility. Even if the road ahead is full of thorns, I will definitely forge a broad and prosperous path!"

Such a declaration of resolve made those who heard it feel ashamed.

This move did indeed work, bringing to light another group of hidden corrupt officials for Li Shimin.

But Li Shimin did much more than just that.

For the Guanzhong region.

When he heard that many people in Guanzhong who had suffered severe disasters had chosen to sell their children to survive, he even selected gold and silver treasures from the palace to redeem their children.

Under his influence, the court officials were also forced to make their own statements.

He inspected the damaged farmland in various states, providing relief and comfort to the poor;
Although Li Shimin never left Chang'an, the envoys he sent out seemed to become his incarnations, telling the people of the world about the emperor's benevolence.

If it were someone else, they might not have acted this way.

Even if they were to use Li Shimin's name, they would not forget to make a name for themselves.

But this envoy is different.

It was led by Gu Quan.

Those so-called envoys were originally ordinary people, just like Xue San and his group of ordinary people who had been trained by the Gu family.

Gu Quan doesn't need to become famous, and neither do they.

As for bringing fame to the Gu family—they have no need to do that at all.

As long as the Gu family remains in the court.

People will naturally attribute this credit to the Gu family.

A wise ruler paired with a woman of noble birth will usher in a golden age.

This is an indelible mark on the entire Kyushu region.
However, the task of flood control will not be smooth sailing.

Although Li Shimin had made thorough preparations, and under his influence and various means, the entire Tang Dynasty court was united as one.

But accidents can happen.

In the third year of the Zhenguan era, drought struck again.

Fortunately, this drought was not as severe as the one that Gu Xi faced years ago, which spread to several states, but it still affected the entire disaster relief effort.

Although Li Shimin firmly believed that human effort could overcome nature.

But in order to appease the people.

He still had to back down and hold a grand ceremony to worship Heaven at the Luo River, and have Fang Xuanling and others perform a rainmaking ritual.

Besides--

Li Shimin even confessed his own mistakes and granted a general amnesty.

He even sent out more envoys to comfort the people in all directions, and even had temples built everywhere to commemorate those who died while repairing the water conservancy project.

Fortunately, this drought is not too severe.

Despite Li Shimin's various measures, the overall water conservancy project was not significantly affected.

On the contrary, Li Shimin's actions evoked gratitude from the people.

Clouds move in all directions.

The voices of His Majesty's virtuous rule resounded throughout the land.

After years of hardship, this generation has finally come to realize how much influence a wise ruler can have on the entire world.

There were more sacrificial rites in the Luoshui area.

However, it was completely different from before. In the past, the sacrifices were made by the people begging the immortals who created the prosperous world, such as Gu Kang, Gu Xi, and Gu Chen, to descend and save them.

Now, it's a time of gratitude.

The common people, who couldn't read a single character, didn't understand so many intricacies, and in their hearts, they naturally felt that perhaps it was truly the descent of immortals.

Even if they can't bring any valuables, so what?
Many years have passed.

The Gu family, which had been declining since the reign of Emperor Yan Han, returned to the Nine Provinces.

Moreover, the impact this time far exceeds that of the past.

One by one, the Gu family members stepped out of the grassroots and truly entered the hearts of the people. Under the leadership of Emperor Li Shimin, they re-established the benevolence of the Tang Dynasty and the Gu family in the hearts of the people.

In addition, there are Gu Yan and others who have been guarding the borders of the entire Kyushu;

The Gu family finally embarked on the path chosen by Gu Yu.

Gu Yi had been silently observing all of this, his thoughts equally complex.

He actually understood—

This path is also destined to be incredibly difficult.

However, the Gu family could not escape this transformation.

Being tied to a single dynasty could indeed bring the Gu family unparalleled glory, and even allow them to rival imperial power.

But as long as the Gu family doesn't take that step, they will always be subject to the imperial power.

He single-handedly shouldered the rise and fall of a dynasty.
Gu Xi of yesteryear has already done it.

If the Gu family never transforms itself, it will eventually perish along with a dynasty destined to die out.

Only by being bound to the entire Kyushu can one be exempt from its karmic consequences.

Even if this path is destined to be difficult.

But if the Gu family wants to remain glorious forever, they must endure all of this.

After much deliberation, Gu Yi ultimately decided to integrate the Luoshu Harmonizing Artifact into Gu Quan's body, preparing for the future.

At the same time—

He also began to observe the next generation of the Gu family.

It's not just their attributes that matter, but also their personalities. The Gu family's responsibilities are getting heavier, and in addition to attributes representing talent, personality is also a key factor.

But there's no need to rush anything at the moment.

The mission of this generation is not yet over.

Whether it was Gu Yan and others, or the Gu family members in the court, even Gu Quan was waiting.

Once Kyushu has recovered;

When the people of the world gradually become wealthy and recover from their exhaustion.

Currently, it still belongs to their era.
------

In the spring of the second year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong, prioritizing agriculture, issued an edict to repair water conservancy projects throughout the country and ordered all officials to practice frugality.

He personally set an example by sending out more than three thousand palace women to save money from the inner palace and use the savings to fund the country.

At that time, the people were delighted upon hearing the imperial edict, and all prefectures and counties launched construction projects. Rivers and canals were dredged, weirs and sluices were repaired, and countless fields were irrigated.

In autumn, he again dispatched envoys to tour the four directions and observe the people's hardships.

Seeing the famine-stricken lands where many were selling their children to survive, the emperor felt compassion and ordered officials to use the imperial treasury to redeem their children, and also bestowed upon them grain and silk to ensure their livelihood.

The people wept with gratitude, saying, "Your Majesty sacrificed your personal wealth to save your young children; your virtue extends even to the grass and trees. What could Yao and Shun surpass you in this regard!"

Fang Xuanling and others petitioned to have their story recorded in history, saying: "Since the chaos of the late Sui Dynasty, fathers and sons have been separated for a long time. Now, the holy ruler cares for the young, and his benevolent reputation reaches the four corners of the earth. This is the transformation of the Zhenguan era."

The whole country rejoiced and praised His Majesty's virtues.

—From the Annals of Emperor Taizong of Tang (Book of Tang)

(End of this chapter)