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

Chapter 163 Gu Quan's Death (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The entire Tang Dynasty immediately sprang into action once again.

In fact, everyone knows that Li Shimin could not possibly succeed in this matter.

Regardless of the attack on the Blackwater, being able to maintain stable navigation in coastal waters was a huge challenge for Li Shimin's dynasty.

The production technology is right here.

Although the Gu family already possessed sufficient theoretical knowledge, it would still take time to build a large ship of this caliber, in addition to the time required for voyage.

All of this is taking far too long.

Moreover, Gu Yi understood that this kind of thing was destined to be impossible to accomplish overnight.

Sailing requires more than just ships; it also requires routes. For Kyushu at present, all of this requires human lives to pave this path.

But even so, it's enough.

Gu Yi has no shortage of time. For him, it is enough that Kyushu successfully takes this step!
The focus of the government and the public shifted rapidly.

Li Shimin paid close attention to this matter and was clearly determined to establish maritime trade, even setting up the Maritime Trade Office.

Although it was much simpler than the systems of later generations.

But it's enough for the Tang Dynasty at present.

Li Tai was indeed very good at winning Li Shimin's favor. After discovering that Li Shimin had taken notice of this matter, he began to try every means to please Li Shimin.

They even managed to get some fishermen's manuals from coastal areas.

Analyze the tides based on the experience of fishermen.

The Gu family already possessed these things, but Li Shimin was still very pleased and bestowed them upon Li Tai again in front of his ministers.

In an instant, the entire imperial court was in turmoil.

The courtiers couldn't help but think twice.

Li Shimin doted on Li Tai far too much, and given that Li Chengqian was a cripple, how could they not have some thoughts about it?

But Gu Quan disliked Li Tai somewhat.

In his eyes, Li Tai's opportunistic and ingratiating nature was that of a petty person.

He was purely pragmatic, and sometimes he wouldn't even boast about his achievements, so he looked down on Li Tai's behavior.

Of course, Gu Quan wouldn't take the initiative to express his opinion.

Even though he had let go of everything, his personality remained as calm and composed as ever. He would only express his opinion when Li Shimin asked him.

Tai Chi Hall.

"How could His Majesty dislike the Crown Prince simply because he is straightforward?"

Gu Quan looked at Li Shimin, who was frowning, and said softly, "Your Highness is pragmatic, which should be a cause for celebration."

"Does Your Majesty still remember the days of the late Emperor?"

"Was Your Majesty only good at winning the late Emperor's favor?"

His tone was very calm.

Now, only Gu Quan dares to say such a thing; none of the other members of the Gu family would dare to say it in front of Li Shimin.

Gu Quan is completely different from others.

He doesn't represent any power; he only represents himself.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was momentarily stunned.

He recalled something from years ago.

At that time, Li Yuan was frolicking with the beautiful women at the banquet, and he secretly sighed, "If only my mother were still here."

Li Yuanji overheard this and told Li Yuan, which greatly displeased Li Yuan.

This isn't the first time this has happened.

Back then, he had many options to please Li Yuan and make Li Yuan like and trust him more.

But he didn't do that at the time, and always stuck to his own choice.

The same is true for Li Chengqian today.

In an instant, Li Shimin's expression became complicated. After a moment of contemplation, he gave a wry smile and said, "It seems that I have become the Emperor."

“Your Majesty need not think too much,” Gu Quan said again. “His Highness the Crown Prince is already excellent enough and will surely inherit Your Majesty’s great cause.”

"Thinking back to the time of the Former Han Dynasty."

He gave Li Shimin an example.

Liu Chen — Liu Jun.

They even mentioned Yang Jian – Yang Guang.

These examples made Li Shimin even more clear-headed.

His gaze grew increasingly complex, but he ultimately said nothing more, only nodding slightly.

The two continued chatting for quite a while.

It wasn't until dusk that Li Shimin had someone send Gu Quan back.

Gu Quan has indeed changed somewhat, even Gu Yi was somewhat surprised that he actually met Li Chengqian and personally educated the Gu family members together in the mansion.

This was completely unexpected by Gu Yi.

But thinking about it, it's understandable.

He doesn't have much time left; Gu Quan has dedicated his entire life to his family and the Tang Dynasty.

If I can cultivate a qualified successor for the Tang Dynasty in my lifetime, I will have no regrets.

Gu Quan knew Li Shimin all too well.

Just like Empress Zhangsun, she was still entrusting Li Chengqian's affairs to Li Shimin before her death.

He is a person who strives for perfection.

Li Chengqian's foot ailment was an insurmountable obstacle for him.

He personally taught Li Chengqian, which can be considered as giving Li Chengqian some more help.

Gu Quan was unwilling to hand over the Tang Dynasty to an emperor who was good at flattery, as he was well aware of the impact an emperor could have on the entire dynasty.

The emperor was good at flattery, so it goes without saying that his ministers were also good at it.

He did this out of a sense of public duty.

Li Chengqian didn't initially pay attention to Gu Quan's identity.

But as the days went by, he began to have some doubts.

The Marquis of Champion's Residence.

"Sir, are you General Gu Quan?" Li Chengqian asked Gu Quan respectfully, bowing slightly.

Gu Quan did not deny it, but looked at him and asked, "How did the Crown Prince know this?"

“Sir, you hold a very high position in the Marquis of Champion’s mansion.” Li Chengqian replied with his head down. “When I first saw your military treatise, I asked Mingyan who wrote it.”

Mingyan did not answer.

"I didn't pay attention at first, but later I learned that it was written by the gentleman."

"And yet you, sir, have been able to enter the palace so often. Back in the days of Xuanwu Gate Incident, everyone knew that a masked general had helped the Emperor and then disappeared. Moreover, the Grand General died during that very incident."

Li Chengqian immediately voiced all his thoughts.

After listening, Gu Quan nodded and exclaimed, "Your Highness is very thoughtful, I admire you."

—This means he has already acknowledged his identity.

Hear this.

Li Chengqian's eyes immediately lit up, and without the slightest hesitation, he quickly bowed to Gu Quan again: "Sir, please don't do this, Chengqian dares not accept it."

"Sir, you helped my father establish his career and are a meritorious official of our Great Tang Dynasty."

"He also taught Chengqian."

"How could Chengqian maintain his dignity in front of you, sir?"

Perhaps it was because of Gu's upbringing that Li Chengqian, like Li Shimin, had a special affection for Gu.

When he was young, he heard about Gu Quan's achievements and even admired him.

Now, in addition, their identities have been recognized.

He naturally understood all the battles in the northern and western regions, and his admiration for them burst forth.

From that day on, Li Chengqian came even more frequently.

Gu Quan also taught him everything without reservation, not only military strategy but also how to deal with foreign tribes, including the path of the Tang Dynasty and various other issues.

Gu Quan is not a polymath.

But there is too much information about the Gu family.

Of course, the most important aspect is how to deal with foreign tribes.

Gu Quan did not intend to mold Li Chengqian into an emperor who only knew how to wage war; it was impossible for Li Chengqian to suffer from a foot ailment.

All he needed to do was let Li Chengqian know how to fight and the importance of military might to a dynasty.

Its core principle is that "barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue, and they have small courtesies but no great righteousness."

This is what matters most.

It seems that the words spoken some time ago had an effect, or perhaps because Gu Quan personally began to teach Li Chengqian, Li Shimin's attitude towards Li Chengqian improved more and more.

This is a very obvious signal.

He began to praise Li Chengqian in front of his ministers, not too frequently, but much more so than before.

He even improved the treatment of the Crown Prince.

For the courtiers, this signal was far too obvious.

Although most people did not know why Li Shimin had made such a change, his confidants understood the connection perfectly and remained silent about it.

Who dares to speak out?
Regardless of the fact that this was a taboo between Li Shimin and the Gu family, and that it concerned the struggle for the foundation of the state.

For people like them who have come this far...

Taking even the slightest step could lead to an abyss.

Only Gu Quan was able to change Li Shimin's mind at this time.

Surprisingly, the atmosphere in the Tang Dynasty court gradually stabilized under these circumstances.

Li Tai did indeed want to struggle.

Unfortunately, he could no longer win over the court officials!

Not to mention Li Shimin's confidants, even the other ministers dared not make any further moves after seeing Li Shimin's obvious change in attitude.

Li Shimin was indeed benevolent.

But who can know what will happen when future rulers come to power?

Although Li Shimin still greatly favored Li Tai, the difference in their social status was such that Li Shimin did not need to hide his affection for Li Tai. As long as he did not show favoritism and neglect Li Chengqian too much, that would be enough.

The bureaucracy of the Tang Dynasty had not yet reached the point where factional strife occurred at every turn.

Gu Yi also noticed this, but he didn't pay too much attention to it.

Regardless of who inherits the throne.

For the Gu family, it was all the same.

No one can touch the Gu family now. As long as the Gu family doesn't commit any major mistakes, even the emperor would have a headache if he wanted to take action against them.

The Gu family has completely taken root throughout the entire Kyushu.

It's not the top-down approach of the past.

Instead, it spreads slowly upwards from the bottom layer.

In his view, even if the succession to the throne changes this time due to Gu Quan's influence.

However, the Xuanwu Gate succession law of the Li Tang dynasty was still unavoidable.

When Li Shimin took that step at Xuanwu Gate, everything became irreversible.

His true focus remained on the Western Regions and shipbuilding.

Li Shimin has taken this very seriously, but progress on these two matters is still very slow, even slower than Gu Yi had imagined.

Leaving aside the Western Regions issue, let's just talk about the large ship that is to be built this time.

It involves many entirely new technologies.

It can be said that it absorbed all the available technologies in the world, including tung oil sealing and bamboo weaving of sail ribs, and the workload was extremely large.

Every step needs to be taken slowly; a slight mistake can lead to the loss of all previous efforts, and everything will have to start all over again.

This is destined to take a long time.

Li Shimin would often talk about this with Gu Quan, hoping that one day he and everyone else could see the large ship sailing into the sea.

But as time went by, Gu Quan's health problems gradually became apparent.

The sixteenth year of Zhenguan, the second month, Bingchen day.

Tai Chi Hall.

There was a "pop" sound.

The memorial in Li Shimin's hand suddenly fell onto the imperial desk. He stared intently at Xue San before him and said in a trembling voice, "What...what did you say?"

"Your Majesty, the young master is dying." Xue San knelt on the ground, his eyes bloodshot.

He is no longer young, and his physique is no longer as robust as it once was; he has lost a lot of weight.

The voice just fell.

Li Shimin stood up almost instantly and headed straight for the outside of the Taiji Hall.

"Prepare the carriage! Quickly!"

Li Shimin's urgent voice rang out instantly. Although the palace officials had reacted very quickly, he could not wait any longer and ran straight out of the palace.

This was the first time he had ever lost his composure like this.

Even during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he had never been this panicked, but now he was truly flustered.

The cold wind howled.

Snowflakes fell with the wind, each one pure white and icy cold, clinging to the emperor's hurried dragon robe and landing on his increasingly graying temples.

Li Shimin disregarded his demeanor, the biting cold, and even the crimson tassels of his crown, a symbol of supreme power, fluttering wildly in the wind and snow. He simply strode step by step across the jade-paved palace path, his dragon-patterned brocade boots shattering the precious jade with each step, a heart-stopping experience.

This is a shocking scene.

Fortunately, there were no other ministers in the palace at that time, only some eunuchs and guards.

Even they were extremely shocked.

Your Majesty, what's going on?
The Marquis of Champion's residence was not far from the palace. When Li Yuan granted Gu a title, he had already intended to emulate the Han Dynasty. After Li Shimin succeeded to the throne, and with Gu Quan falling ill, he made some further adjustments.

The entire Marquis of Champion's residence was placed right next to the imperial city as a sign of imperial favor.

But he ran for a long time, never stopping from beginning to end.

He didn't dare stop.

Behind him, palace guards hurriedly chased after him, but he sternly rebuked them. He and Xue San plunged into the swirling snow and rushed toward the Marquis of Champion's mansion.

The world was a chaotic expanse of white.

Whether it was the wind and snow blurring the vision or the state of mind, the once magnificent and illustrious Marquis of Champion's mansion now appeared somewhat desolate and bleak amidst the vast snow.

The courtyard was deserted and empty; not even the guards on duty were in sight, and no guests came or went.

This was originally the core of the Gu family, adjacent to the imperial city. Who would come to disturb it for no reason?
This unusual, deathly silence weighed heavily on my heart, more suffocating than the howling wind.

Li Shimin could even hear sobs coming from the Marquis of Champion's residence.

For an instant.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and stood in front of the gate. As if he were somewhat afraid, his body swayed uncontrollably, and he staggered, almost unable to stand.

Xue San quickly caught his slightly tilted arm.

Li Shimin suddenly jerked his head away from Xue San's hand, took a deep breath, and stepped directly into the mansion.

He knew the way perfectly well without needing any guidance.

Along the way, the Gu family's guards and disciples knelt on the ground in a dense mass, facing the tightly closed door.

Li Shimin's expression grew increasingly grim.

He ignored everyone and went straight to the room. As soon as he entered, he hurriedly asked someone to close the door so that no cold air could get in.

The air inside the room felt like solidified lead, even more suffocating than the howling wind and snow outside.

Only the direct descendants of the Gu family, including Gu Zi, who was also getting on in years, were in the room.

Gu Quan's breath was as faint as a candle in the wind, almost imperceptible, and he did not even notice Li Shimin's intrusion.

All his strength seemed to be concentrated on the tip of his tongue, as he intermittently gave his final instructions to the clansmen surrounding the bed.

It was less of an explanation and more of a plea made after exhausting the last spark of his life.

"After I die," he gasped, each word seemingly squeezed from the depths of his chest, "remember... do not let His Majesty bury me in Julu."

"The name Gu".

"We must not let our actions tarnish the reputation of our ancestors."

The voice was as faint as a whisper, yet every word was like a knife.

Which member of the Gu family would not want to be buried in Julu?

Only Gu Quan could do it.

It wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that he couldn't; he didn't want his family to bear any risks because of him.

This is Gu Quan's stubbornness.

"If...if Your Majesty takes pity on me, may...may I request to be buried at the foot of the Imperial Mausoleum on Mount Jiuzong, so that I may...guard the Imperial Mausoleum for Your Majesty."

The weak voice rang out again, piercing Li Shimin's heart like a thorn.

In an instant, Li Shimin's eyes turned bloodshot.

He rushed to the bedside, almost kneeling down, and grabbed Gu Quan's withered, cold hand. His voice trembled with a fear he himself didn't realize, urgently interrupting Gu Quan's last words:

"Ziyuan!"

"Why are you doing this? Do you intend to abandon me as well?"

Tears kept falling.

At this moment, Li Shimin had completely lost the demeanor of an emperor, just as helpless as he had been when Empress Zhangsun was about to pass away.

He was even more out of control than before.

"Your Majesty?" Gu Quan finally recognized Li Shimin, and his voice suddenly rose a lot, a smile even appearing on his face. "To be able to see Your Majesty before I die, I am content."

"Ziyuan, don't talk nonsense!" Li Shimin shook his head, crying, trying to summon a physician to prolong Gu Quan's life.

But Gu Quan suddenly grasped Li Shimin's hand in return, his breathing becoming increasingly heavy: "Your Majesty, there's no need for that, please listen to what I have to say."

His voice gradually became clearer, but no one was happy about it, as everyone knew it was a final burst of energy before death.

Li Shimin's expression froze, and he forced back his tears as he looked at Gu Quan and nodded.

"Your Majesty must remember the matter concerning the Crown Prince!"

Gu Quan immediately brought up Li Chengqian, just like Empress Zhangsun back then.

The intense grief grew stronger and stronger, making it difficult for Li Shimin to control himself; his body was even trembling slightly.

"Your Majesty, there is no need for a major upheaval in the Tang Dynasty at present. A great undertaking that will last for generations cannot be accomplished in a short time. Your Majesty must remember to wait until the situation in the Western Regions is settled."

His tightly clenched hand began to tremble, his strength rapidly fading, but the light in Gu Quan's eyes grew ever brighter.

In the very end, with an almost pleading resolve, he hammered once more, clearly and forcefully, that lingering, unwavering obsession into the emperor's heart:

"Your Majesty, I beg you to allow me to guard the imperial mausoleum."

He held Li Shimin tightly, even stopping his breathing, unwilling to take his last breath.

Li Shimin's eyes grew increasingly blurry.

Looking at Gu Quan, who had completely reached a dead end, he finally couldn't bear it and nodded.

The next instant, the withered hand that was gripping his hand finally lost all its strength.

"Ziyuan!!!"

A sudden wail from Li Shimin rang out.

The atmosphere of grief throughout the Gu family reached its peak instantly, and Xue San and the two guards who had been with Gu Quan since childhood immediately came out of the room.

"Your Majesty! The young master has departed, and the road to the Yellow Springs is far away! We beg Your Majesty to grant us permission to follow the young master and guard the imperial mausoleum for eternity."

Before the words were even finished, no one had time to stop or react!

As soon as they finished speaking, they drew the short blades they had prepared at their waists and immediately slashed at their own necks.

When Gu's son died, his guards followed him to their deaths.

In fact, the Gu family had already been prohibiting this kind of thing, but it was impossible to stop such behavior.

Even if you could stop them in person, they would starve themselves to death or try every means to go to the underworld together.

This is the oldest form of loyalty.

It originates from the depths of one's heart.

They did not want their son, whom they had followed since childhood, to walk alone on the road to the underworld.

The snow is getting heavier.

Li Shimin slowly walked out of the room after a long while, his cries echoing, but no one paid any attention.

News from within the palace had long been blocked; this was an order issued by Li Shimin the moment Gu Quan returned.

No one will ever know.

Looking at the swirling snow and the Gu family members scattered everywhere, Li Shimin's sorrow reached its peak at this moment.

The death of a meritorious official like Gu Quan was met with such a casual greeting.

Scenes from the past kept flashing through my mind, finally settling on the moment Gu Quan cut his face.

As tears streamed down his face, Li Shimin could only sigh deeply in the end.

This is the charm of the Gu family's descendants.

He did nothing more, but immediately issued an imperial edict upon returning to the palace.

—The court will be closed for fifteen days!

And a new mausoleum was built at the foot of Jiuzong Mountain.

No one knows what happened, and those who do know won't discuss it; they'll just go and silently pay their respects.

When Li Chengqian learned of this, he was also very excited and wanted to go to the Marquis of Champion's residence immediately, but Li Shimin stopped him.

He could not let Gu Quan down.

Only at the time of the formal burial was Li Chengqian allowed to pay his respects.

Li Chengqian knelt before this not-so-luxurious tomb for three whole days.
------

"In the sixteenth year of Zhenguan, on the day of Bingchen in the second month."

It snowed heavily that day.

The emperor suddenly issued an edict to suspend court attendance for fifteen days, which shocked both the court and the people.

He then ordered the construction of a separate Xuan Palace below the Zhaoling Mausoleum on Mount Jiuzong, a decision that puzzled all the officials.

He secretly inquired with Situ Changsun Wuji, Sikong Fang Xuanling and other veterans, but they all remained silent as if they were cicadas in winter, keeping the matter deeply secret.

Wuji, Xuanling, and others then led members of the imperial family and close officials to offer a solemn sacrifice at the new mausoleum.

Upon the coffin's burial, Crown Prince Chengqian, dressed in mourning clothes and barefoot, prostrated himself before the coffin and wept for three days before rising.

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

(End of this chapter)