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

Chapter 165 Gu Yan's Death and the Turmoil in Liaodong (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
This is an era filled with melancholy.

No one can defy time; everyone will eventually fade away with the wheels of history.

In the eighteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Wei Zheng passed away.

This minister, who was highly valued by Li Shimin in the court and had a very legendary life, also fell victim to the passage of time.

As for Wei Zheng, he had no regrets.

Having survived so many hardships, and later working with Li Shimin to build this prosperous era, he was selected for the Lingyan Pavilion.

That was enough for him.

However, he did have a last wish—he wanted to be buried in Julu.

This is probably the greatest ambition of every scholar in Hebei in his life.

Being buried in Julu would not only bring them unparalleled glory, but would also make the entire family even more beloved by the people.

The Gu family did not refuse.

The entire court was desolate.

At the end of the same year, Gu Yan passed away in the Western Regions.

The impact of this event on the entire Tang Dynasty far exceeded that of Gu Zi and Wei Zheng.

—This is the Grand Tutor in name only!

Whether in the entire Kyushu or in deterring the barbarians from all directions, Gu Yan is extremely crucial.

The world mourns.

Although compared to their ancestors such as Gu Kang and Gu Xi, this generation of Gu family members seems to be mostly living away from home.

But it also affected the entire world.

Gu Yan's last wish was also very simple: to be buried in the Western Regions.

Furthermore, he did not want Li Shimin to grant him a posthumous title.

According to Gu Yan, he was not worthy of this posthumous title.

He had already inherited too many benefits during his lifetime, and he could not continue to do so after his death. This was his only request to Li Shimin in his life.

Gu Yan's actions caused Li Shimin even more grief.

Perhaps it was because he was getting older, but the relationship between the two brothers, Gu Quan and Gu Yan, made him feel inexplicably lost.

Similarly, he had to admit it.

Although the world knows him as an emperor who was good at recruiting talent and treated his ministers very well.

But the Gu family's children were ultimately different from other children.

For an emperor, the descendants of the Gu family naturally inspire greater trust, and this is the most important legacy left by generations of the Gu family.

Court officials passed away one after another.

Even the sunset over Chang'an seems to tell of the inevitable end of a glorious era.

However, as time goes by, a new era will eventually arrive again.

Gu Yan's death indeed had a very significant impact on the Tang Dynasty.

Leaving aside other places, let's take the Western Regions as an example.

—After Gu Yan, the sharp blade hanging over their heads, fell, the implementation of various systems in the Western Regions indeed encountered problems.

First, there was another rebellion.

Although many members of the Gu family remained in the Western Regions, no one believed that every member of the Gu family was a dragon among men.

With Gu Yan's death.

There will always be someone who chooses to stand up at times like these.

Whether for profit or for their beliefs.

Although this level of rebellion would not cause great harm to the Tang Dynasty at present.

But everyone understands.

These four forces are gradually testing the Tang Dynasty, trying to see if this giant dragon of the East is truly too old to fly anymore.

However, Li Shimin did not pay attention to these things.

For the Tang Dynasty at present, all of this is just a minor disturbance and not enough to attract its attention.

The four forces are testing each other little by little.

However, they ultimately lacked the courage to directly wage war against the Tang Dynasty, whose current national strength was still beyond their reach and was continuing to rise.

But for a dynasty...

The peace could be disrupted not only by forces originating from within the dynasty itself.

April of the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era.

Tai Chi Hall.

The assembled officials created an atmosphere of profound solemnity.

The Silla envoy knelt in the palace and cried out to Li Shimin, "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang, the incomparable Heavenly Khan."

“I come to the Tang Dynasty on behalf of the King of Silla.”

"Goguryeo, in alliance with Baekje, is attacking Silla. If the Great Tang does not come to Silla's aid, Silla will be in danger of national annihilation!"

“Our Silla has never had any other intentions towards the Tang Dynasty, and our tribute has never been less.”

"We implore Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty to remember the loyalty of Silla and send troops to aid Silla!!!"

The sound of wailing echoed throughout the entire hall.

The Silla envoy grew increasingly agitated, and before Li Shimin could speak, he began to discuss the situation in Liaodong.

The situation in the Liaodong region is indeed quite turbulent these days.

The three powers of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje maintained a fragile balance of power.

All three also submitted to the Tang Dynasty.

Before Gu Yan died, the Liaodong Peninsula was relatively balanced.

This is because such matters are essentially a tacit political understanding.

Li Shimin would never tolerate uncertain threats to the Tang Dynasty from all sides, and the tripartite balance of power on the Liaodong Peninsula was also a means for these three parties to protect themselves.

Although small-scale frictions have continued over the years, no one dares to take steps toward unification.

The King of Goguryeo had a deep fear of the Gu family.

However, in the sixteenth year of the Zhenguan era, a coup occurred in Goguryeo. The powerful minister Yeon Gaesomun murdered King Yeongnyu and more than a hundred nobles, installed Gojang as a puppet king, and appointed himself Moliji, thus seizing military and political power.

Li Shimin even reprimanded Yeon Gaesomun at one point, and his attitude in admitting his mistake was also very humble.

But then Gu Yan died.

He finally took that step again.

Of course, it wasn't that he didn't care about the Tang Dynasty.

He felt that Li Shimin was too old and he didn't believe that Li Shimin would wage war again for the sake of a foreign vassal.

In his eyes, Li Shimin was an emperor who cared a great deal about his reputation in posthumous times.

The current Zhenguan era of prosperity is enough.

If he were to cause any more trouble, and were to die on the battlefield at his age, it would be a stain on his reputation. He didn't believe Li Shimin would take action!
This led to a full-scale war across the Liaodong Peninsula.

Looking at the Silla envoy in the hall, the assembled officials couldn't help but frown.

—War and military action are still things they are unwilling to face, let alone for the sake of foreign vassals.

But Li Shimin's expression immediately turned serious.

"Hmph, what does Yeon Gaesomun take me for, and what does he take my Great Tang for?"

Before the ministers could speak, Li Shimin's voice, clearly filled with anger, rang out.

The courtiers immediately guessed Li Shimin's thoughts.

If it were any other emperor, only a few with courage would speak up at this point, but the Tang Dynasty was completely different.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! You must not make a rash decision!"

Huangmen Shilang Chu Suiliang immediately stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Li Shimin, and said...

At almost the same time, the ministers rose one after another.

Grand Chancellor Ma Zhou said with utmost solemnity: "When our Great Tang army goes on an expedition, we must find out the reasons. We must not make a judgment based on the words of one country!"

"My lord, second the motion!"

"Your Majesty, I second that suggestion! Please calm your anger!"

"."

Shouts rang out instantly, reflecting the prevailing political climate in the Tang Dynasty. Even though they could clearly sense Li Shimin's anger, the ministers still dared to offer advice and dissuasion.

"How can you say that, gentlemen? How can Goguryeo's loyalty to the Tang Dynasty compare to that of Silla?" The Silla envoy panicked.

But Li Shimin's expression softened.

He hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said, "The King of Silla has entrusted the country with his life; we cannot fail to save him."

"deliver an imperial order."

"And send an envoy to Liaodong to convey my imperial edict that Goguryeo and Baekje must immediately withdraw their troops!"

--retreat!
Li Shimin did not fully heed the advice of his ministers.

He didn't care about the reasons, but he couldn't allow Goguryeo to have the opportunity to unify the Liaodong Peninsula!
This is the most crucial thing for the Tang Dynasty!

Upon hearing this, the courtiers were speechless.

The Silla envoy immediately showed gratitude and repeatedly bowed to Li Shimin.
Liaodong.

Pyongyang.

Since King Jangsu of Goguryeo moved the capital from Gungnae to Pyongyang, Pyongyang has become the core of Goguryeo.

Yeon Gaesomun is currently still in power in Goguryeo.

Although he outwardly apologized to the Tang Dynasty, that's just how humans are; how could he possibly return the power he held?
He has nothing to fear.

Although the entire Goguryeo Kingdom was submitting to the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty was powerless to intervene.

Back then, Gu Chen's entry into the domestic city was already quite remarkable.

The city of Pyongyang was now much more distant from the Tang Dynasty, which gave Yeon Gaesomun absolute confidence.

In fact, Gu Yi had considered the possibility of occupying the entire Liaodong Peninsula and completely integrating this land into Kyushu.

After all, this land is just too suitable for farming.

But after careful consideration, he abandoned the plan.

Unless the maritime Silk Road he established can be fully operational, this is ultimately unrealistic.

This is why navigation is so important.

If Kyushu could have stable navigation technology, it would be able to land directly from the sea onto the plains of the Liaodong Peninsula, greatly reducing its burden.

Otherwise, even if we can occupy Liaodong in a short period of time.

However, the manpower, resources, and money spent on it are still unimaginable, enough to bring down any feudal dynasty.

Everything can only be done slowly.

At this moment, within the royal city.

Yeon Gaesomun and his confidants looked at the arrogant Tang envoy in the hall with very interesting expressions.

The others are fine.

But Yeon Gaesomun's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

He was a very volatile person; otherwise, he wouldn't have committed the act of murdering the King of Goguryeo.

Today, the influence of Kyushu culture far exceeds its original historical context, and even within Goguryeo itself, this matter remains highly controversial.

For the past two years, Yeon Gaesomun has been using blockade and suppression to limit the escalation of this matter.

But the results were still very poor.

The decision to attack Silla was also based on the idea of ​​using external conflict to alleviate internal conflict.

This method is a very useful tool for any person in power.

"Yeon Gaesomun, do you know your crime?"

After reading Li Shimin's imperial edict, Xiangli Xuanjiang looked at Yeon Gaesomun with an extremely serious tone.

Yeon Gaesomun's hand clenched almost instantly.

However, he remained rational and, after taking a deep breath, slowly rose and bowed to Xiangli Xuanjiang, saying, "By the angel above, this sinful subject has realized his mistake."

"Please, angel, return to the Tang Dynasty and report to the Heavenly Khan."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiangli Xuanjiang immediately frowned and interrupted him: "Now that you know you're wrong, why don't you immediately order a retreat?"

His attitude was very tough.

It wasn't arrogance, but rather the Tang Dynasty that gave him this confidence, which was also influenced by the political atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Yeon Gaesomun's eyes flashed with murderous intent once more.

Looking at Xiangli Xuanjiang before him, Yeon Gaesomun pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up, shook his head, and said, "Please inform the angel that Goguryeo cannot withdraw its troops!"

"Hmm?" Xiangli Xuanjiang immediately frowned.

Yeon Gaesomun didn't wait for him to speak before speaking again: "Liaodong was originally the fiefdom of Gija, and it belonged to Goguryeo."

"Although we are vassals of the Great Tang Dynasty."

"But how could the Tang Dynasty interfere with my reclaiming of lost territories?"

His expression was extremely firm, making no attempt to hide the murderous intent in his eyes.

In an instant, Xiangli Xuanjiang was stunned.

But he was not afraid.

On the contrary, Yeon Gaesomun's attitude directly provoked his anger.

He was about to speak.

But Yeon Gaesomun didn't give him that chance, and simply waved his hand to have him forcibly taken away.

The atmosphere inside the hall was extremely solemn.

Seeing this scene, even Yeon Gaesomun's confidants broke out in a cold sweat.

Is this an open rebellion against the Tang Dynasty?
The Tang Dynasty was too powerful!
With the Gu family's help as well, how could they not be nervous?
"Da Molizhi, what's wrong?"

Immediately, someone stood up, their voice trembling slightly: "Are we going to war with the Tang Dynasty?"

“Is it really impossible?” Yeon Gaesomun immediately looked at them and sneered, “Grand Tutor Gu Yan of the Tang Dynasty is dead. I don’t believe anyone else can keep the Western Regions under control.”

"As for that so-called Heavenly Khan—"

He paused slightly, his eyes filled with madness, "Just think about it, how old is he now?"

This is a question that doesn't need to be considered.

Even if you can't guess Li Shimin's exact age, you can probably tell that he was definitely not young anymore.

Even if all those rumors are true, so what?

"At his age... can his arms still draw a strong bow?"

In the end, Yeon Gaesomun gave a disdainful sneer and slowly shook his head.

The hall suddenly became silent.

The gazes of the generals below had completely changed.

Yeon Gaesomun's words pierced their last shred of doubt as precisely as a sharp needle—yes, Li Shimin must be old and frail, no longer as brave as he once was!
Self-interest has always been the most ferocious demon in the depths of the human heart.

The current situation in Goguryeo has been completely transformed since Yeon Gaesomun came to power.

He emulated the system of the Nine Provinces, proclaimed himself "Molizhi," and took control of both military and political affairs, reaching a position above even the king. The "Chiefs" he established governed the cities in all directions, and they only bowed down to him.

This iron-fisted system has forged the entire nation into a cold war machine built solely for conquest. Every gear turning yearns to crush new territories and seize endless wealth and power.

Everyone was thinking about continuing to conquer cities and gain huge profits from them.

Now that they hear Yeon Gaesomun say this, how could they not be tempted?
In a short moment, everyone had their answer.

At that moment, Yeon Gaesomun's contemptuous words were like lighting a fuse.

The immense temptation exploded in the hearts of every general, and greed instantly devoured all concerns.

The answer was etched into everyone's eyes in the blink of an eye.

next moment--

"Qiang——!"

"Clang—!"

The silence was shattered by the sharp, metallic scraping sounds. The gleaming blade, like a venomous snake drawn from its sheath, slashed through the palace with a chilling light, reflecting the flickering candlelight.

"Destroy Silla!!!"

"Destroy Silla!!!"

"Destroy Silla!!!"

"."

Shouts erupted instantly, the hall teeming with killing intent; the blades pointed with unwavering resolve—this battle was now over!
(P.S.: I'm begging for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets! The plot is getting intense, with both court intrigue and foreign wars underway. Please support me, brothers! Thank you so much!)
(End of this chapter)