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

Chapter 189 The Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai: The Splendor of the Tang Dynasty (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai —

This would be an unparalleled honor for any emperor.

Li Zhi was naturally extremely concerned as well.

Even his health had improved somewhat, and he began to discuss the matter with his ministers in the imperial court.

He naturally wanted to go.

But he also had his own concerns.

Even Li Shimin didn't perform the Fengshan ceremony. Did he really have the qualifications?
The influence of the Zhenguan era was so great that even Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) clearly understood that the current prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was largely based on the foundation laid during the Zhenguan era.

Without Li Shimin setting the direction, and without the Goguryeo campaign in Li Shimin's later years...

Will the Tang Dynasty really develop so smoothly?
All of this is a problem.

This was also one of Li Zhi's unresolved issues.

But whether it was court officials or Empress Wu Zetian, they all tried to persuade him, yet Li Zhi still harbored resentment in his heart.

In the end, even Gu Jing tried to persuade him.

According to Gu Jing, performing the Fengshan ceremony at this time would also be a way to comfort Li Shimin.

That's right, the Gu family supported this Fengshan ceremony.

This was not only because the current national strength of the Tang Dynasty was already sufficient, but also because they wanted to take this opportunity to honor the ancestors of the Gu family.

This path was far too difficult for the Gu family.

Having traversed several dynasties and more than ten generations, it is only after walking this path that we should hold a grand ceremony to honor our ancestors.

However, after everyone's persuasion...

Finally, in the spring of the eleventh year of the Yonghui era, Li Zhi agreed to the matter.

This Fengshan ceremony was destined to be earth-shattering.

Because the current national strength of the Tang Dynasty far surpasses that of previous dynasties, the number of vassal merchants from all directions is far greater than that of previous dynasties.

When the emperor's decree for the eastern tour to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony was officially issued, the entire empire, like a machine, quickly began to operate around this event.

No one would do anything underhanded, because everyone is looking forward to this day.

This is not just a glory that belongs to one emperor alone.

The fact that they were able to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai already demonstrates the greatness of the nation's current strength, and this is related to all of them.

In the winter of the eleventh year of the Yonghui era.

The imperial procession set off from Luoyang, the eastern capital, and its magnificent ceremonial procession and long entourage were unprecedented in history.

The emperor and empress's jade carriage and golden chariot were at the center, followed by the magnificent carriages of the crown prince, Grand Tutor Gu Jing, princes, and princesses, and then civil and military officials, palace guards, and ceremonial processions.

This is only the central team.

In addition, the total number of guards, attendants, laborers, musicians, monks, Taoists, and envoys from various countries reached hundreds of thousands!
Several months in advance, the prefectures and counties along the route began to conscript laborers to repair the imperial road and bridges, and to set up temporary palaces and post stations.

To supply this unprecedented force, grain and supplies piled up like mountains, and carts, horses, cattle, and camels traveled back and forth.

In the original historical records, the description of this Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai was that "the imperial procession, including civil and military officials, stretched for hundreds of miles without end," let alone the now even more powerful Tang Dynasty.

This contrast was very stark in Gu Yi's eyes.

He has witnessed several imperial sacrifices!

It is precisely because of this that we can fully appreciate just how astonishing the scale of this Fengshan ceremony in the Tang Dynasty truly is.

Khans and chieftains of northern grassland tribes such as the Turks, Khitans, Xi, Shiwei, and Mohe, dressed in fur coats and carrying scimitars, followed behind the procession.

Many of them have gradually become assimilated, and this kind of attire is only worn again on such occasions.

In addition, princes and envoys from Silla, Baekje, Goguryeo, Wa, Lin-yi, Tibet, and other countries, dressed in brightly colored foreign costumes and carrying rare treasures, respectfully followed in the procession.

This scene even stirred Gu Yi's heart; it was a momentous event that would make the people of Kyushu proud!

At the foot of Mount Tai, people from all over the world gathered together.

People of different languages, clothing, and beliefs gathered here with reverence and a sense of pilgrimage, just to witness and participate in the sacred moment when the Tang emperor offered sacrifices to heaven and earth.

The scene was magnificent and awe-inspiring.

The text vividly portrays the majesty of the "Heavenly Khan" and the prosperous Tang Dynasty, where "the land is rich and prosperous, no one picks up lost items on the road, and travelers do not need to carry provisions."

Some of them may have been forced, while others may have volunteered.

But who cares about these things at this moment?

It is worth mentioning that--

Li Zhi was clearly aware of the Gu family's tradition of having many painters in the ranks, specifically to record this scene that was destined to be recorded in history.

Hundreds of painters created paintings, and Li Zhi selected the two most outstanding ones, then stamped the Imperial Seal of the State on both of them.

One painting was bestowed upon the Gu family.

He decided to hang the other painting in the Lingyan Pavilion to comfort Li Shimin.

—It has attracted worldwide attention.

In this era of rapid cultural development during the Tang Dynasty, the impact of this Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai will far exceed that of the past.

This reflects an increase in national self-confidence.

That feeling of pride that comes from the very core of one's being a citizen of Kyushu.

While all of this would have been impossible in the original history, it was entirely different in the Tang Dynasty at that time.

In the original history, even in the most prosperous times, ordinary people would still struggle to make ends meet due to the limited productivity.

But what about now?

The Tang Dynasty's inclusive system is developing steadily. For many people, being able to write and speak fluent Kyushu dialect is already enough to attract a lot of attention.

Not to mention the increasingly sophisticated education system we have today!

This is the Tang Dynasty as it is today!

Similarly, the people will not forget the Gu family.

Although the Gu family of today is no longer like it was during the Former Han Dynasty, when it could easily influence the entire world and be remembered by everyone.

But the Gu family's reputation speaks for itself.

This accumulation over hundreds of years has given the Gu family the confidence to expand downwards, although this influence may not seem significant today.

But if this order continues, what will happen when the Gu family is truly threatened in the future?

The energy it can unleash will far exceed that of the past!

Following this Fengshan ceremony, Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) officially announced the change of the era name to "Qianfeng".

The symbolic meaning is "Qian Feng Tai Shan" (乾封泰山).
Taxes will be reduced again, and a general amnesty will be granted!
A brand new era has fully arrived after this grand Fengshan ceremony!
Time flies by.

Li Zhi still did not interfere in court affairs. He seemed to have fully recognized the current position of the Tang Dynasty. There was no need for him to interfere. The entire Tang Dynasty would proceed along the established path of the Zhenguan era.

This was inevitable; the Censorate was established by Li Shimin in order to rectify the bureaucracy of the Tang Dynasty.

This is to ensure the lower limit of the entire Tang Dynasty.

Since the establishment of the Censorate, the entire Censorate has been under the control of the Gu family. How could the Tang Dynasty possibly experience any other turmoil?
In other words—

In fact, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty did not need to do anything more. They only needed to maintain the current balance, and the entire Tang Dynasty would definitely not encounter any problems in the short term.

As for the long term, employment is not something that can be considered as much.

Every feudal dynasty has its fatal flaws, and all of this will change; no one can know what the future holds. Wu Zetian, it seems, has completely given up the struggle.

Even Gu Yi was quite surprised by this.

In his mind, the historical Wu Zetian was definitely someone who would give up everything for power, and she would not hesitate to take action even if her own children stood in her way.

But now, she's truly honest!
There's nothing we can do if they're not honest!

Gu Jing's existence completely blocked all her paths. Unless she could sow discord between Li Zhi and Gu Jing, she had absolutely no chance of seizing power.

No courtier would choose to betray the current prosperous era and offend the Gu family by taking over her side.

Ultimately, the influence of the Wu clan was too weak.

Faced with the Gu family's centuries-old foundation, Wu Zetian's path forward was blocked, leaving her no room for dishonesty.

The second year of the Qianfeng era.

With the completion of ports in places like Mingzhou and Donglai, maritime trade once again flourished.

Under the current overall institutional support.

Countless merchants flocked to it.

It wasn't just the wealthy merchants with enormous fortunes; it also included many small vendors, even though their families' wealth wasn't enough to support them traveling overseas.

However, the guilds established by the various families working together were sufficient to raise the necessary funds.

Gu Jing was also keeping an eye on this matter.

—Both local chambers of commerce needed to be recognized by the imperial court, and he also strictly supervised the taxes levied on these maritime merchants.

The wonderful applications of mathematics are perfectly demonstrated in such situations.

Tax rates are clearly defined and strictly enforced.

Tax checkpoints were set up along the way, and all the rare treasures, spices, glass, fine horses, and even slaves carried by the caravans had to be taxed according to their value, with no evasion allowed.

Even if someone manages to embezzle and break the law, it ultimately cannot affect the overall situation.

In addition, there was the construction of canals connecting different regions, as well as water conservancy projects for agriculture.

The knowledge brought by foreign businesses came in handy in this situation.

This move also stimulated the economy of the entire Tang Dynasty.

The taxes generated by maritime and foreign merchants were used to mobilize the people and build canals. Under these circumstances, a simple economic effect would be achieved.

With the large-scale development of maritime trade.

This was also a great help to Li Chengqian and Gu Lei.

Whether it's the revenue generated by the port of Ryukyu or the influx of various resources, it all contributes to their great development.

It is worth mentioning that Li Zhi was genuinely somewhat wary of his older brother.

This is perhaps a common problem among those in power.

Even when he first ascended the throne, he did not take Li Chengqian seriously. But as he grew older and his health deteriorated, he inevitably began to have other thoughts.

He was not only wary of Li Chengqian, but also of Li Tai, who was now based in Liaodong.

That's right, Li Tai did not die as he did in the original history.

Although his health is gradually deteriorating, he is still alive.

It was Gu Jing who persuaded Li Zhi to stay.

He didn't say much to Li Tai, only indicating that Li Tai's health was deteriorating and he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

As for Li Chengqian...

He was absolutely certain that Li Chengqian would never set foot in Kyushu again.

To put it bluntly, Li Chengqian was too arrogant.

Under those circumstances, if he had simply humbled himself before Li Shimin, the throne might not have fallen into Li Zhi's hands.

He possessed the same self-confidence as Li Shimin.

Once you've completely left this path, there's no way you can return to Kyushu.

The so-called throne was a limitation for him.

What he is doing now is groundbreaking, and his achievements will be remembered by history, whether for the entire Tang Dynasty or the entire land of China.

Based on this alone, why would someone like Li Chengqian choose to come back again?

The Gu family did not want anything to go wrong in the Tang Dynasty. Although everything seemed to be developing rapidly, it was actually all based on the stability of the Tang Dynasty.

If an accident occurs, it is very likely that, just like during the Yan Han era, the path forward will be cut off once again.

Gu Jing would never take such a risk.

Li Zhi was indeed an extremely complex person, but he was different towards Gu Jing and ultimately did not do anything.

He seems to have reached a certain stage now.

As he watched the world get better and better, he, as the one in power, gradually began to care about all of this and did not want to break anything.

Time passed quietly under these circumstances, just as Gu Jing had predicted.

It happened in the winter of the second year of the Qianfeng era.

News then arrived from Liaodong that Li Tai had passed away.

Perhaps it was to show the world their attitude, or perhaps it was to leave a few words of benevolence in future history.

Li Zhi expressed extreme grief over this.

They even held a top-level funeral for Li Tai, giving him endless honors.

For someone like Li Tai, who failed to seize the throne, to end up like this is truly remarkable.

This move also earned Li Zhi a great deal of praise.

Everything seems to be getting better and better under these circumstances!
------

"In the eleventh year of Yonghui, in the tenth month of winter."

The emperor and empress's carriages departed from the eastern capital to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

The grandeur of the imperial procession and guards was unprecedented throughout history.

The Emperor and Empress rode in jade carriages with golden frames, residing within the imperial regalia. The Crown Prince, Grand Tutor, princes, and princesses followed in their respective carriages.

Civil and military officials, along with the imperial guards and ceremonial procession, followed behind, with banners in sight and carriages stretching as far as the eye could see.

The procession included hundreds of thousands of people, including guards, attendants, laborers, musicians, monks, Taoists, and envoys from foreign lands.

In the prefectures and counties they passed through, the roads and bridges were repaired and bridges were built several months in advance, and temporary palaces and post stations were set up.

The grain and fodder supplied amounted to hundreds of millions, piling up like mountains; oxen and horses were used for transport, and the roads were bustling with activity.

The Khans and chieftains of the Turks, Khitans, Xi, Shiwei, and Mohe tribes all wore fur coats, carried bows and swords, and followed the imperial court.

Princes and envoys from Silla, Baekje, Goryeo, Wa, Lin-yi, and Tibet, presenting gifts and dressed in various styles, gathered at the foot of Mount Tai.

People from all nations gathered, their attire and bearing the imposing presence of dignitaries. Though their languages ​​differed, they all held reverence in their hearts, together revering the Son of Heaven for the ceremony of reporting the completion of the ceremony to the Supreme God of Heaven.

This ceremony, its influence spreading far and wide, is revered throughout the world; truly a grand spectacle unparalleled in history.

—From the Annals of Emperor Gaozong in the Book of Tang

(End of this chapter)