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

Chapter 151 An Emperor Should View the World as One Family (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
This is absolutely a scene that will go down in history.

From the moment the banners belonging to the Tang Dynasty and the Gu family were planted on the sacred mountain of the Turks.

This is significant for the entire Kyushu region.

Its impact and significance far exceed what others can imagine.

Jieli Khan surrendered.

That's right, he surrendered.

Even though the entire force on Mount Yudujin numbered less than three thousand, neither Khan Jieli nor his soldiers had any will to fight.

The collapse of their faith caused their already tense emotions to completely explode.

That feeling of despair permeated everyone.

It's simply not enough to sustain them in continuing the fight.

Even Khagan Jieli himself was affected by unprecedented despair and had completely lost the courage to choose to resist.

The outcome is decided!

Li Jing was a highly experienced commander.

After realizing that Jieli Khan was going to abandon Yinshan, he had already planned his possible retreat route.

They stayed right behind me the whole time.

I thought we would fight our last battle on this sacred Turkic mountain.

But when he heard the news brought back by the scout, he was completely stunned.

"Grand Tutor has already captured the sacred mountain, and Jieli has surrendered?"

Li Jing was filled with astonishment, and his generals were also completely dumbfounded at this moment.

The slightly tense atmosphere dissipated instantly.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at each other, unable to react for a moment.

Li Jing was actually the same.

However, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Li Jing reacted quickly and immediately ordered his troops to head towards Yudujin Mountain.

The army galloped forward.

Although they already knew the battle reports from the front, many people still found it hard to believe.

Gu Yan only had a few thousand men under his command.

That's what they know.

Moreover, after the battle of Baidaochuan, even if the casualties were not large, the continuous raids would definitely affect the combat effectiveness of the three armies.

They simply couldn't imagine how Gu Yan had managed to stop Jieli Khan.

But when they saw with their own eyes the banners of the Tang Dynasty and the Gu family flying over this sacred Turkic mountain, they accepted this reality.

Li Jing met Gu Yan.

He was still somewhat curious as to why Gu Yan would make this choice instead of attacking Yinshan from both sides.

If that were the case, we would be completely spared from the current troubles.

Gu Yan did not hide anything from this and directly revealed that he had already occupied Juyan Lake.

Without needing to explain the reasons, Li Jing instantly understood the significance of occupying Juyan Lake after just glancing at the geomantic map, and his eyes lit up instantly.

This is the heartland of the Western Turkic Khaganate!

Once this territory is occupied, we can launch a direct attack on the Western Turks in the future.

Then we will recover the Western Regions!
No general is without the desire to fight and achieve merit.

The same applies to Li Jing.

After realizing this, he quickly understood the meaning behind the Gu family's series of arrangements, and his expression became even more complicated.

"The Grand Tutor truly lives up to his reputation as a member of the Gu family."

Such strategic brilliance!

"It reminds me of the Great General."

He couldn't help but sigh, and his eyes suddenly became complicated.

Li Jing did not participate in the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

That's why he had no idea about Gu Quan's current situation.

Although there are indeed some rumors circulating in Chang'an that the Faceless General is Gu Quan, these are ultimately just speculations and there is no evidence whatsoever.

Li Jing did not believe these things.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yan's expression changed instantly, but he remained silent for a moment and ultimately did not say anything more.

He could not let down Gu Yu and Gu Quan's trust.

This is also his responsibility.

The two talked for a long time, with one ordering the remaining Eastern Turkic soldiers to be controlled, and the other ordering the return of Khagan Jieli to Chang'an.

This had become one of Li Shimin's biggest concerns.

Although history has changed, Li Shimin did not make the humiliating Wei River Alliance with Jieli Khan.

However, Li Shimin's ambition was also far greater than that of the original historical records.

For him.

It is a disgrace that someone like Jieli Khan, who clearly had an alliance with him, still dared to harass the Tang Dynasty at all times!

The news kept spreading.

Only then did everything that happened at Yudujin Mountain spread in all directions.

This also includes the surrender of Khagan Jieli and the complete annihilation of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

—The whole world was astonished!
There are far too many tribes on this vast land.

For them...

The Eastern Turks were already an untouchable behemoth, but now this behemoth has fallen under the iron hooves of the Tang army, and even the sacred mountain has been breached by the Tang army.

The fear this instilled in them was unimaginable.

After many years.

They were reminded once again of their fear of the people of the Central Plains, and of that "surname" filled with endless legends.

Gu Yan's name resounded far and wide.

Those two banners, which were clearly only fluttering on Mount Dujin, seemed to have been planted all over the grassland, making all the tribes feel a fear from the depths of their souls.

Even the various factions within the Western Turkic Khaganate were astonished.

Although they had long since broken away from the East Turkestan.

But their beliefs remain the same.

Yudujin Mountain is also a sacred mountain in their hearts.

Now that this place has been captured by the Tang army, it is a disgrace to them.

But what can they do?
The Western Turkic Khaganate is currently experiencing internal strife. Since the death of the former Tongyabghu Khan, the entire Western Turkic Khaganate has been plunged into unprecedented chaos.

The ten tribes rose to power one after another, and completely split into the five tribes of Nushibi in the southwest and the five tribes of Dulu in the northeast.

The two sides were constantly at war.

Under the current circumstances, who would dare to offend the Tang Dynasty?

They didn't take the Tang Dynasty seriously before.

But after this battle, who would have the courage to do the same?
A short battle.

The balance of power has completely shifted.

The strength displayed by the Tang Dynasty has instilled fear in far too many people.

These tribes made a very wise choice.

They all took advantage of this wave to send envoys to the Central Plains, beginning to take seriously this rising dynasty in the Central Plains.

Changan.

—The government and the public were greatly encouraged.

With such a great victory, the imperial court naturally would not choose to conceal the news. In fact, the people in all directions knew about the news from the north much earlier than Li Shimin himself.

As the news spread, the whole world was instantly in an uproar!
"You damned Turkic wolf cubs! With the Holy Mountain fallen, the so-called gods will have to change their surname to Tang—yesterday, a foreign merchant in the West Market was kneeling down wiping the table for me, how satisfying! How satisfying!"

"Bah! Those Turkic soldiers who stole three bushels of rice from me two years ago, their heads are probably hanging on the holy mountain like lanterns now, aren't they? Lord Gu's fire is even brighter than my newly dyed crimson silk!"

"."

Cheers echoed throughout the Central Plains.

Even within a short period of time, nursery rhymes about the matter emerged.

"Gu family banner, Vermilion Bird cries! Turkic god, burrows into the mud! My father gave me a flatbread to eat, I'm no longer afraid, even if the barbarian horses cry at night and cross the river to the west!"

Many years later, the people of Kyushu finally began to vaguely understand the contempt they had felt for the barbarians of the past during the Han Dynasty.

—With the four directions subdued, no one dared to offend the people of the land.

This situation further enhanced the already increasingly powerful Tang Dynasty.

The people's hearts and minds ultimately became completely devoted to it.

The people of the land finally, without realizing it, stood completely alongside the entire court, experiencing the honor and shame that came with it. This was extremely important for the Tang Dynasty.

People all over the world couldn't help but sing praises of Li Shimin's wisdom, and the name of the Gu family was also mentioned, along with many prophecies.

"This is the protection that the ancestors of the Gu family have once again brought to the land of China."

No one could possibly notice it.

After so many years of silence, and several years of gradually building influence from the bottom up.

In the hearts of the people, the entire Gu family has completely broken free from its former situation during the Han Dynasty and has become thoroughly integrated with the rise and fall of the entire Nine Provinces.

This is a change in people's hearts.

For the Gu family, this was definitely a fundamental step forward.

At least the Gu family will no longer be affected by the rise and fall of dynasties, as they were during the Han Dynasty.

News kept coming from all directions.

When news came from the front lines, the officials in the court were greatly excited.

For them, this is a monumental achievement.

Even if they weren't involved, so what?
The Tang Dynasty had already laid the foundation for a golden age, with the people bowing in submission and the barbarians from all directions fearing it.

As long as we can create a prosperous era.

Therefore, these people were able to gain considerable fame throughout history by following Li Shimin!

The crowd is excited!
But Li Shimin was not as happy as one might expect, especially after reading the detailed battle report, he would fall into a deep silence.

All the credit goes to other people.

From Gu Yan and Li Jing to all the generals and soldiers, everyone deserves credit.

On the other hand, Gu Quan gained no fame whatsoever.

But how could Li Shimin not know everything that Gu Quan had sacrificed in all of this?
"His Majesty loves his soldiers like his own children."

This is how the generals and soldiers from all directions evaluated Li Shimin.

But it was precisely because of Li Shimin's personality that he felt even more sorry for Gu Quan.

He could choose to be capricious and confess everything to the world to clear Gu Quan's name.

Now he can handle any trouble.

No one could target or criticize the Gu family without his consent.

But Li Shimin ultimately could not do that.

Gu Quan Gu Quan.

This was Gu Quan's own choice, which took into account both his own conscience and the interests of his entire family.

He cannot let Gu Quan down.

The Gu family is unlike any other aristocratic family in the world; temporary honor or disgrace cannot affect the path the Gu family has chosen.

Others may not understand, but how could he not?
The struggle for imperial power is completely different from other struggles.

If it were any other family, Emperor Li Shimin would have directly brought them down from their pedestal, indirectly weakening their status under the guise of bestowing favors.

But this is the Gu family.

For any dynasty in the Central Plains, wasn't the Gu family also a protector of that dynasty?

He could only bestow this reward upon the Gu family.

And right after this reward and ecstasy.

Another problem has been presented to everyone.

—How should we deal with Jieli Khan and the remnants of the Eastern Turkic tribes?

In the Taiji Hall, all the officials gathered.

Li Shimin sat upright on the dragon throne, looking intently at his ministers and asking for their opinions.

"Your Majesty, this traitor Jieli has repeatedly broken the alliance, invaded our Great Tang territory, and plundered our people. I urge Your Majesty to execute this traitor and demonstrate the might of our Great Tang!"

"I second the proposal!"

"This traitor Jieli has repeatedly broken his promises, and his years of plundering have made the people hate him to the bone. Now, envoys from all the tribes are rushing to our Great Tang. If Your Majesty can kill this traitor, it will surely make the tribes tremble with fear!"

"This traitor must be executed!!!"

"."

The sounds of voices echoed throughout the entire Taiji Hall.

The ministers all wore fierce expressions, filled with hostility towards Jieli Khan.

"Your Majesty, we must not allow that traitor Jieli to return to the grasslands under any circumstances. The remnants of the various tribes are still here, and we must not allow Jieli to seize any opportunity. I believe that we should now relocate the people of the various tribes, just as we did in the Han Dynasty, and teach them etiquette and law, select their chiefs, and send them to the court to serve as guards. This will consolidate the border."

"The Grand Secretary Wen Yanbo said with a solemn expression."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Zheng immediately shook his head and objected, saying, "The Turks are beasts in human form; they submit when weak and rebel when strong. How can we move them into the Nine Provinces?"

"As for Jieli, I also believe that he should be beheaded to establish authority."

Du Ruhui, who was standing nearby, also spoke up at this moment: "Your Majesty, I believe that although the Turks have submitted, their hearts are hard to fathom. Now we can follow the example of Marquis Zhaolie in the past and disperse their tribes to the prefectures and counties, so that they can learn to farm and weave, and transform the barbarians into Han people."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a military officer shook his head and said, "Absolutely not!"

"How many people have these Turks plundered from our Great Tang? They've all been enslaved. Now we should all behead their tribal leaders and relocate their people to the Nine Provinces as slaves!"

"."

Voices continued to ring out.

The ministers discussed how to deal with Jieli and the various Turkic tribes.

This is the current political climate of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin had already decreed that all his ministers could speak freely in his presence. Although no one dared to do so at first, as many people subsequently received rewards, this trend gradually began.

This was definitely a good thing for a feudal dynasty.

As long as the ministers dare to offer advice.

It can indeed correct the emperor's mistakes on many occasions.

That's enough as long as the emperor is good at accepting advice.

Li Shimin listened very attentively, carefully considering the reasons given by his ministers.

But in reality, he had already made up his mind.

The vision he shared with Gu Quan that day was not just a vision, but a vision to guide the entire Tang Dynasty toward this goal.

Not to mention the examples set by Gu Chen and Gu Ye in the past.

Fusion of alien races —

For the Central Plains as a whole, as long as the stability of the court and the strength of the nation can be maintained, it is definitely a matter of more benefits than harms.

This move was also the first element that Li Shimin wanted to expand.

Lost in thought, he waved his hand slightly.

The courtiers immediately fell silent.

Li Shimin solemnly surveyed the crowd present, pondered for a moment, and slowly rose to speak: "I believe that an emperor should regard the whole world as one family."

“In the past, Marquis Jingxiang Gu Ye led an expedition to Lingnan, opening up trade routes and spreading education. He pacified the barbarians with benevolence and righteousness and rectified customs with laws, so that Lingnan remains as stable as Mount Tai today. Even if there is some chaos, it can be quelled in an instant.”

"Isn't this the best example?"

"Although the Eastern Turks were a threat to the border, their people were also knowledgeable about etiquette and morality, and knew right from wrong."

"Now that Jieli has been captured, if we simply slaughter him, we will only satisfy our momentary pleasure, but we will lose the hearts of the people."

"At that time, only weapons can quell the chaos."

“Now all the tribes from all directions are sending envoys to our Great Tang, also to observe our Great Tang’s attitude.”

"If I could emulate the ancient sages and virtuous men, embrace foreign tribes within my territory, establish tributary states and allow them autonomy, and send capable ministers to educate and teach them etiquette and law."

"In this way, the barbarians will surely admire the style of our Great Tang and feel grateful for our benevolence, and will naturally submit to us sincerely."

"I believe that within a few years, the Han and non-Han peoples will integrate and share peace."

"At that time, our Great Tang Dynasty had a vast territory, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and the surrounding barbarians submitted to us. This was truly a golden age!"

As he spoke, a smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he calmly looked at the crowd and asked, "Do you all think that my abilities are inferior to those of Emperor Xiaoren of the Han Dynasty?"

"Can't you control this land? Can't you subdue those surrounding tribes?"

His tone was very casual, but it gave the assembled officials a particularly heavy feeling.

Who in the world today dares to underestimate the current emperor?

Even though Li Shimin did not personally lead the troops into this battle.

But who can deny Li Shimin's ability to command troops?

The name of the Holy Emperor is known throughout the world.

How could it not intimidate the world?

Everyone understood the meaning behind Li Shimin's words, and their expressions became somewhat complicated.

But what can they say?
Li Shimin's ambitions were known not only to the ministers in the court but also to the common people.

This was a path Li Shimin had to take; when he uttered these words, he was once again demonstrating his resolve to his ministers.
(P.S.: It's almost the end of the month, so please continue to vote with your monthly tickets!)

(End of this chapter)