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

Chapter 182 Just as things were beginning to unfold, a palace coup occurred (Seeking monthly votes)
The momentum of change is in full swing.

With the support of absolute national strength, the entire Tang Dynasty underwent rapid and dramatic changes.

Everything has clearly changed compared to the Zhenguan era.

But it also seems like nothing has changed.

Everything is developing in accordance with the direction officially set in the past, allowing the Tang Dynasty to continue to develop in all aspects.

October of the fourth year of the Yonghui era.

The dual-registration system was officially launched in the Western Regions, including a thorough investigation within the Gu family.

For these brothers who are related by blood—

Gu Jing had made thorough preparations. No matter who crossed the Gu family's bottom line, she would not allow them to continue to tarnish the Gu family's reputation.

This is destined to be a big event.

Even the slightest mistake could plunge the newly pacified Western Regions into chaos once more.

Fortunately, the entire Tang Dynasty had already made preparations for this.

Gu Jing has left the capital!
Although they did not go directly to the Western Regions, it was still enough to affect the nerves of many people.

His reputation is now too great.

Even Gu Chen in the past did not cause as many casualties as he did when dealing with foreign tribes, so how could these people not be afraid of him?

—Of course, it's for deterrence.

Gu Jing was unwilling to allow any turmoil to occur in the Tang Dynasty, because he understood this very well.

No matter what system is implemented, the most difficult stage is always the beginning.

Any chaos that occurs.

For this system to be fully implemented, it is bound to require a huge amount of human and material resources, and he must ensure that this matter can proceed smoothly.

This is the most crucial point.

Of course, apart from that, Gu Jing was still performing the duties of the Censorate.

It's not just about improving the administration.

Instead, it's about regulating some of the problems that may arise after commercial development.

—For example, commercial conglomerates, and ordinary people abandoning agriculture to engage in commerce.

In fact, this series of problems had already occurred in the original history. The stability of the Western Regions led to a commercial boom, although this did not cause too much of a problem at the time.

But now, this problem is only getting bigger.

Because the Tang Dynasty was more powerful than the original historical account, the benefits that trade could bring were unimaginable.

Gu Jing understands people's hearts and is very clear about how these interests will turn people into what they are.

In any case, he must be fully prepared.

Changsun Wuji and the others understood this, but they could not bring it up, because it would also bring benefits to their families.

But we will not interfere.

By now, the Tang Dynasty court was completely stable.

Although no one brought it up, Gu Jing had inexplicably and indirectly overseen the transfer of prosecutorial power.

All of this can only be left to Gu Jing himself.

The matter was the subject of much discussion within the Gu family, with the various members holding differing opinions.

Even Gu Yi is paying attention to this matter.

There was no way around it; this matter involved an extremely large number of social classes, far exceeding anything seen before.

From ordinary people to military generals and nobles, everyone was included.

Of course, in such an era, all the Gu family could do was to supervise.

To Gu Yi's surprise—

Gu Zi had already thought of this matter, and even left behind his strategy, which he had pondered for many years, within the Gu family.

He does indeed have a high level of expertise in finance.

While none of this is entirely applicable to the present, the descendants of the Gu family can still modify the foundation he left behind and use it in the present.

The first one is the "Law on the Non-Cooperation of Land and Commerce".

It was intended for large landowners and nobles, including commoners who intended to abandon farming and go into business.

The most prominent of these was naturally the land restriction order for merchants.

Several policies were introduced, including prohibiting commercial use of farmland and imposing taxes on those who abandon farming for business.

Limiting land ownership for merchants becomes simple.

That is to restrict merchants' land ownership and prohibit capital from annexing farmland.

The prohibition of commercial use on farmland was intended to protect the common people and prevent nobles and capitalists from using usury to devour small farmers.

The tax on abandoning agriculture for commerce also served to limit the costs incurred in switching to commerce.

Don't dismiss these policies as mere wishful thinking; in the current era, they are all extremely common phenomena.

Even with the Tang Dynasty's national strength at this level, it was impossible to completely eliminate the existence of various usurious loans.

Although this decree cannot completely eliminate all of this.

But it will still have some effect.

As for the tax on abandoning farming for commerce, although it seems to restrict ordinary people, isn't it also a form of protection?
Of course, there are no restrictions on postures such as setting up a stall on a regular basis.

This will inevitably leave many loopholes for people to exploit.

Gu Jing understood this perfectly.

Now that the Tang Dynasty's officialdom is clean and efficient, and the Gu family has always kept a close eye on official conduct, perhaps the chaos within the system can be reduced.

However, if any unrest occurs in the future, countless people will take advantage of this opportunity to amass wealth.

But what can he do? There is no such thing as a perfect system in this world; every system needs to be improved and perfected little by little.

The current situation is the same.

In addition, Gu Jing reformed the remittance department once again.

The first measure was to prohibit the outflow of gold and silver, and to prohibit the circulation of foreign currency.

This is a necessary preparation for developing a business.

Although the court had been doing this before, there were no specific decrees; it simply relied on the strength of the Tang Dynasty to let the people and merchants make their own decisions.

When the scale is still small, perhaps such formality is unnecessary.

But the situation is very different now.

When the commerce of the Tang Dynasty had developed to a certain scale, there would always be people who would try things that others had not done.

And as long as enough benefits can be generated from this, it is destined to continue to grow.

Currency turmoil, including large-scale outflows of gold and silver, inevitably leads to the rapid collapse of the entire country.

Gu Jing must make thorough preparations.

On the surface, the Tang Dynasty appeared calm, but underneath, a storm was brewing.

Everything is being prepared quietly.

We await the moment when all the cages are completely opened.
December of the fourth year of the Yonghui era.

At Gu Lei's urging, Li Chengqian finally sent people back to Kyushu to meet the monsoon.

They brought back some news from overseas.

Li Chengqian has already begun his voyage again, handing the Tuohai over to the Gu family members for another long voyage, while he himself and Gu Lei and others continue to educate Ryukyu.

This news is definitely a great thing for the Tang Dynasty at present.

Although there have been no results yet.

But at the very least, this gave everyone hope.

Gu Lei sent back everything they had done in Ryukyu, including the situations they encountered during their voyage and the situation within Ryukyu.

Even the officials have taken notice of this matter, constantly inquiring about the health of the returning Li Chengqian.

Whether there were other motives involved, outsiders dared not speculate too much.

However, from this day forward—

The Tang Dynasty also accelerated the pace of shipbuilding, not only for large ships like the Tuohai, but also for smaller ships suitable for commerce.

Everyone has already seen the potential profits involved.

They were all very willing to do so. The solid foundation laid during the Zhenguan era had already unleashed tremendous energy in just a few years, although all of this seemed to have done nothing to change the Tang Dynasty.

But everyone understands perfectly well—

Once all of this is officially implemented, the changes in the entire Tang Dynasty will be earth-shattering!

Under these circumstances, the ministers became even more dedicated to their duties.

Many of them have already missed the prosperous Zhenguan era, so why would they want to miss the current prosperous era as well?

Don't forget, leaving a lasting mark on history has always been the highest pursuit of scholars.

In the fifth year of the Yonghui era, in the third month of spring.

In Chang'an, at the Lizheng Hall.

Inside the hall, the curtains hung low and the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. The sound of babies crying arose, and the palace maids and eunuchs standing outside the hall held their breath and lowered their heads, their brows revealing a look of relief.

The next moment, the palace door was gently pushed open, and the midwife came out carrying the swaddled baby, reporting to the female official in charge outside the palace: "Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, may Your Highness be well."

Upon hearing this, the female official nodded solemnly and then looked at the person behind her.

Immediately, palace servants headed out of the palace.

This joyous news was relayed to the officials in charge of the imperial palace.

As the news continued to spread.

The atmosphere inside the Lizheng Hall completely calmed down.

The emperor favored Consort Wu. If anything went wrong, they would probably all die. How could everyone not be nervous?
Even so, these people still dared not utter a single sound.

No one came to visit them directly.

Under the influence of the Gu family, the medical level in Kyushu today far surpasses that of its original history.

There are already many records of this event in the original history.

Although the ancients could not understand the underlying principles.

However, there are also relevant regulations, such as prohibiting non-essential personnel from entering the delivery room at will, and various instructions.

Even Li Zhi would not rashly come to visit under such circumstances.

Inside the hall at this moment.

The lingering scent of herbs and the stench of blood had not yet dissipated when, in an eerie silence, Wu Zetian slowly opened her eyes.

Without needing to ask any further questions, the midwife approached and whispered, "It's a joyous occasion of having a daughter."

Her face remained expressionless, showing neither the joy of becoming a mother for the first time nor the slightest disappointment with her gender.

She already has a son, and she doesn't care at all about having another son or daughter.

What good are having many children if you can't become empress?
Isn't it all just a ploy to benefit others?
Wu Zetian was a very clear-headed person; she understood perfectly what she truly needed at that moment.

In the next instant, she had already put the matter out of her mind.

Then I thought of my current situation.

Li Zhi did indeed favor her, but he always hesitated about making her empress.

She could feel that she was only one step away from the place she wanted, but she didn't know how to take that step.

Wu Zetian did consider going to Gu Jing.

In her judgment—

Empress Wang, who had no children and was not favored by the emperor, might not necessarily gain the support of the Gu family.

As long as she can gain the support of the Gu family, then everything will no longer be a problem.

However, Wu Zetian was not as impulsive as Empress Wang and Consort Xiao.

She is a very intelligent woman.

They were fully aware of just how difficult it was to gain the support of the Gu family.

Given her status, it's already quite generous of the Gu family not to stop her, let alone support her.
Thinking of this, Wu Zetian frowned again and fell into a deep sleep once more.

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, January has passed.

Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) indeed favored Empress Wu Zetian greatly and always remembered this matter.

Earlier, he had sent a palace attendant to convey his decree, stating that he would come to visit today.

The Lizheng Hall had been thoroughly cleaned and prepared, and Wu Zetian was already waiting for the emperor outside the hall, dressed in proper palace attire and with a dignified demeanor.

The imperial carriage did not arrive until noon.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you." As soon as the imperial carriage came to a stop, Wu Zetian stepped forward, her voice gentle and graceful.

Only after Li Zhi stepped down from the carriage with a smile did she slightly raise her head, revealing a perfectly radiant smile on her face.

"Meiniang, there's no need for such formality. Please get up."

With just one glance, Li Zhi couldn't help but smile broadly, and with a laugh, he took Wu Zetian's hand and led her into the palace.

Li Zhi was clearly looking forward to meeting his daughter.

As soon as he stepped into the inner hall, his gaze was eagerly drawn to the warm bed, where he immediately saw the tiny figure in the swaddling clothes.

"My little princess," he said, a fatherly smile spreading across his face once more, all traces of imperial majesty vanishing in that instant.

As he spoke, he quickly released Wu Zetian's hand, strode to the bedside, and bent down.

He reached out his hand very gently and touched the baby's chubby cheek.

The toddler appeared to be sleeping and showed no reaction.

But that touch also stirred up an indescribable strange feeling in Li Zhi's heart, and the smile on his face grew even stronger.

His hand gently stroked the baby's cheek.

But in the next moment.

His hand stopped between the baby's nose and breath, and then his movements suddenly stopped!
"Hmm?" A very soft question, filled with confusion and disbelief, escaped from his throat. Li Zhi's smile froze instantly, and his brows furrowed sharply.

In the next instant, he disregarded everything else and simply picked up the baby.

The baby still showed no reaction whatsoever.

Li Zhi's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Meiniang." He suddenly spoke, his voice trembling uncontrollably, and once again he brought his fingers, and even his entire palm, trembling as he touched the child's mouth and nose.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The entire inner hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The palace maids and eunuchs held their breath, watching the emperor's unusual behavior in horror. Wu Zetian's expression also changed drastically.

The baby in her arms remained silent and unresponsive.

next moment--

Li Zhi seemed to have confirmed the answer, and his whole body swayed violently.

"what--!!!"

A startled cry suddenly rang out.

Li Zhi's expression suddenly contorted, his face turned deathly pale, and he whirled around, roaring, "Imperial Physician!!! Imperial Physician!!!"

A flurry of hurried footsteps immediately echoed outside the hall.

When the imperial physician's trembling fingers finally slipped from the infant's wrist, his face ashen, he knelt deeply on the ground, unable to utter a single complete word—

The air in the entire Risjeongden Hall seemed to have been sucked out instantly!

A suffocating, bone-chilling cold suddenly spread out from Li Zhi.

Dead!

Complete silence!
All sound vanished at that moment, and the atmosphere in the entire Risei-den Hall plummeted to freezing point!

------

"In the fifth year of Yonghui, when Consort Zhao gave birth to a daughter, the Empress took pity on her and played with her. After the Empress left, Consort Zhao secretly strangled the baby and covered it with a blanket."

When the emperor arrived, Consort Yang laughed and opened the quilt to look inside. She found the woman was dead and immediately wept in shock.

He asked those around him, and they all replied, "The Empress has just arrived."

The emperor was furious and exclaimed, "You killed my daughter!"

—From *Zizhi Tongjian*, Tang Dynasty Annals, Volume 15

(End of this chapter)