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

Chapter 190 The Era Ends, Li Zhi Dies (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

Gu Yi had been silently observing the changes throughout the entire Nine Provinces, including those of Li Chengqian and others.

Actually, for Gu Yi...

Although he understood that Gu Jing's achievements would be extraordinary, the person he was truly looking forward to the most was still Gu Lei.

There's no way around it; Gu Lei's achievements are indeed too great.

Although what he did might not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things in Kyushu, it was still significant.

However, in the context of present-day Ryukyu and some of the original islands in the Malay Archipelago, what he did was truly extraordinary.

Simply put—this is the beginning of a new era!
Everything he did was groundbreaking, although it doesn't seem to be of much help to the Gu family now.

But Gu Yi understood perfectly.

Gu Lei's actions have contributed to the Gu family in no way less than those of the most illustrious ancestors of the past generations.

He is truly leading the Gu family to the world stage.

Leveraging the inclusiveness of Kyushu culture and its current leading position, the Gu family has taken the lead in the world.

Isn't this achievement groundbreaking?
Time flies by.

Li Zhi's control over the court became increasingly lax; he had almost completely become a hands-off ruler, handing over the entire court to Gu Jing.

As for Wu Zetian, she had completely given up on any idea of ​​interfering.

And so she dutifully became an empress in the inner palace.

The Wu family will naturally go to find her.

Whether it was to become an official and gain power, or for other reasons, Wu Shi, who had suddenly seized the opportunity, was unwilling to give it up.

To Gu Yi's surprise, Wu Zetian had actually severed ties with the Wu clan.

She was indeed too ruthless.

Whether it's for one's own offspring or for one's own family members.

She would abandon her children if they could allow her to rise to power.

If her family members might get her into trouble, she would voluntarily sever ties with the entire family; this was Wu Zetian.

It was precisely because of this that the entire Tang Dynasty remained completely undisturbed.

Tibet was completely engulfed in internal strife.

Although there was infighting within the court, people always maintained a bottom line.

Although the entire Kyushu region still inevitably suffers from some natural disasters during this continuous development, none of this can ultimately affect the overall trend.

With everything developing in a timely manner, even the slightest disturbance is not enough to cause any ripples in the current Tang Dynasty.

But regardless of the dynasty.

The inevitable decline that follows the peak of prosperity has always been a factor.

The same applies to the Tang Dynasty at present.

It wasn't just Li Zhi who was getting older; Gu Jing was getting older as well, as were the ministers in the court who were now gradually stabilizing.

The key is--

As Gu Yi had predicted, when history underwent another large-scale change, the talents of the Gu family members were also somewhat affected.

The people of Kyushu are doing alright.

Although it is indeed much worse than the previous generations, it is still acceptable.

The ones that really got worse were the Ryukyu ones.

The Gu family's principles for educating their children have never changed. Although they were separated by the sea, as trade routes between the two sides gradually stabilized, these children were also sent back to Kyushu.

Furthermore, the Gu family would not force them to go to Ryukyu again, but would allow the family members to make their own choices.

These people face even greater restrictions.

The attributes are clearly worse.

This alone is enough to explain a lot.

However, Gu Yi didn't care much about this. He had plenty of achievement points at hand and could control them directly.

Although history has changed considerably.

Putting everything else aside, Gu Yi remains confident that he can ensure the entire Gu family continues to move in the right direction.

Moreover, now that Gu's Group has changed its development path, the demand for top talents has decreased significantly.

In particular, Gu Yi also possesses the divine artifact Luo Shu Xie Lu Qi. Although the talents of the family's disciples are somewhat lacking, they will not be too far behind after using it.

Gu Yi wasn't worried about any of these things at all.

But without a doubt, this was a declaration that a glorious era was slowly fading away.

The fourth year of the Qianfeng reign, in the seventh month.

Li Chengqian died in Ryukyu, entrusting his son to Gu Lei and passing on the heavy responsibility of Ryukyu to his eldest son, Li Xiang.

This Tang Dynasty crown prince, burdened with immense pressure from a young age and struck by a foot ailment at a crucial moment, struggled throughout his life. Ultimately, he could not withstand the power of time and, like Li Shimin, fell on his own path.

And this was not contrary to Gu Jing's judgment.

Not to mention returning to Kyushu during his lifetime, even for his burial after death, Li Chengqian ordered that he be buried in Ryukyu instead of being transported back to Kyushu.

He had no attachment to the Li imperial family, but Ryukyu was the foundation he built for himself.

It's like a switch.

This completely heralded the official start of the end of this glorious era.

Just as the year was drawing to a close.

Gu Lei's body could no longer bear the strain, and he too collapsed on the land of Ryukyu.

These two events had a tremendous impact on the entire Ryukyu Kingdom.

Although under Gu Lei's tutelage.

The Ryukyuans today still feel a sense of belonging to Kyushu and the Tang Dynasty, but their understanding of imperial power remains the same as it was back then.

Whether it's Li Chengqian or Gu Lei.

These two people are saints in the hearts of everyone.

Especially Gu Lei!
The impact of educational activities has fundamentally exceeded the limitations of power.

Now that Gu Lei has passed away, the impact on the entire Ryukyu Islands is naturally enormous.

The entire Ryukyu Island is extremely awe-inspiring.

Although not comparable to the Nine Provinces, these people still gave their all for this grand funeral.

Gu Lei also chose to bury himself in Ryukyu.

Unlike other members of the Gu family, he did not think about returning to Julu after his death.

Of course, this is not because Gu Lei has any grudges against his family.

He made this choice simply because he was clear about his mission and because of his feelings for Li Chengqian.

By the time this news reached Kyushu, several months had already passed.

for this news.

Both Li Zhi and Gu Jing were affected to some extent.

Li Zhi was alright. Although he did still have some feelings for Li Chengqian, these feelings ultimately couldn't compare to the bigger picture.

For him now, Li Chengqian's death is indeed excellent news.

For Gu Jing, it was simply the passing of a loved one.

He had a cenotaph erected for Gu Lei in Julu.

This is the only thing Gu Jing can do right now. Everyone will pass away, and he can neither interfere nor stop it. He can only accept it all with equanimity.

It's worth mentioning that Gu Jing is also no longer young.

Although his health had always been good, gray hairs were beginning to appear on his head. —A wise man worries often!
For someone like Gu Jing, gray hair is unavoidable.

With the current political situation gradually stabilizing, he also fulfilled the responsibilities of the Gu family head generation and began to focus on education.

This included not only members of the family, but also Crown Prince Li Hong.

Gu Jing seemed to have realized the shortcomings of his family's younger members, and for this reason, he became much more serious about educating Crown Prince Li Hong.

There must be some selfish motives involved.

It's not just about education in all aspects, but also about the Crown Prince's feelings for the Gu family's children.

In the past, the heads of the Gu family would have disdained to do this.

But for someone like Gu Jing, he doesn't care about his so-called morality; he only wants to avoid potential trouble in the future.

—The Censorate must be controlled by the Gu family.

This is the bottom line of the Tang Dynasty.

As the talents of the family's younger generation gradually fall behind, he must make preparations for this!

This relationship was driven by personal motives, but it was also for the sake of the Tang Dynasty.

Crown Prince Li Hong was an extremely intelligent man.

Not only was he intelligent and studious, but unlike his parents Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, Li Hong was a truly benevolent and filial crown prince.

This can be seen from every aspect of him.

Whether it was secretly delivering food to disaster victims during the relief efforts, or his attitude and actions towards the soldiers involved in the relief work, Li Hong's benevolent character was evident.

He even showed leniency towards Consort Xiao and Empress Wang, his former mortal enemies, and advised Li Zhi to forgive their families.

These facts alone are enough to demonstrate Li Hong's benevolence.

In addition, Li Hong's abilities are also quite remarkable.

As he grew older, he began to participate in government affairs.

Although it has not yet affected the overall situation of the Tang Dynasty, the ministers have already sensed the extraordinary nature of this crown prince.

Even Gu Jing gave him a fair assessment: his style of governing the country was "similar to that of Emperor Taizong"!
This is absolutely the highest praise in the current Tang Dynasty!
His governance was like that of Emperor Taizong!
Who in the world doesn't know that Emperor Taizong was kind and benevolent to his ministers?
If there's anything wrong with him, it's that Li Hong's health is rather poor.

This seems to be an innate problem.

Although no life-threatening symptoms have yet appeared, this is still a highly unstable factor for the courtiers.

Unfortunately, neither of the first two crown princes of the Tang Dynasty met a good end.

The impact of this on a dynasty could never be completely erased.

Especially now, there is the example of Li Chengqian.

Not to mention the officials in the court, even Li Hong's younger brothers Li Xian and Li Dan had strange thoughts in their hearts.

But unfortunately—

Gu Jing was trying his best to avoid all of this, and his high-profile evaluation of Li Hong was for the same reason.

Li Zhi also loved this son very much.

This gradually suppressed the momentum, preventing another disaster from happening to the Tang Dynasty, and Li Hong's position as crown prince became increasingly secure under these circumstances.

But even amidst this steady progress, Li Zhi's health problems began to surface over time.
Changan.

Inside Luoyang Palace.

Muffled groans of pain echoed intermittently. Gu Jing stood silently outside the hall, listening to the sounds from inside, his expression complex.

Li Zhi's illness was getting worse.

Even though he had completely relinquished all political affairs and focused solely on recuperating, the effects of his illness became increasingly difficult to control as he aged.

It's not just headaches, but also various problems such as vision loss.

It was constantly tormenting Li Zhi.

A gentle breeze blew by as Gu Jing waited silently outside the palace. After a long while, the imperial physician slowly emerged from inside the palace.

"Master."

Before Gu Jing could step forward, the imperial physician had already stopped and bowed to him.

Gu Jing didn't say much, but looked at him and asked directly, "How is Your Majesty's health?"

"Alas," the imperial physician said, head bowed, his meaning clear even before he finished speaking, "If this illness persists, His Majesty's health... I fear..."

A gust of wind can only be controlled; if it cannot be controlled, the outcome is self-evident.

Gu Jing's eyes dimmed slightly.

He first waved his hand to signal the imperial physician to leave, and then pondered silently for a moment before walking into the hall.

Upon seeing Gu Jing enter, the palace maids and eunuchs who were taking care of Li Zhi immediately bowed and took their leave.

Gu Jing walked straight to the dragon bed, looked at Li Zhi who was covered in sweat, and softly called out, "Your Majesty."

"Grand Tutor, I'm afraid I'm not going to make it." Li Zhi opened his bloodshot eyes. Although he could only make out a blurry outline, he immediately recognized Gu Jing and murmured weakly.

Nowadays, apart from Gu Jing, no one can walk directly to this dragon bed.

There is no doubt about this.

Gu Jing sighed deeply, offering no words of comfort, and simply stood silently beside him.

What else is there to say?

Having maintained a relationship with the ruler for so long, offering words of comfort now would only seem estranged.

Li Zhi didn't care at all. He slowly reached out his hand, trying in vain to grab the blurry figure in front of him. He tried several times but failed each time. Finally, Gu Jing stepped forward again and offered his hand.

"With the Grand Tutor here, I have no worries." Li Zhi gripped Gu Jing's hand tightly, his tone unusually earnest. "If I truly mean it..."

He paused slightly, took a deep breath, and then said again, "Grand Tutor, I entrust the entire country, the nation, and my young children to you."

Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Compared to Li Shimin.

In fact, Li Zhi still had some fear of death, but he kept telling himself that there was no need to be afraid.

It wasn't for any other reason than that I felt I needed to live up to my status.

The credit for the Tang Dynasty's golden age will now fall on him.

But as an emperor—

Li Zhi was well aware that he hadn't done much; he was simply moving in the direction set by the Zhenguan era, and even handed over all power to Gu Jing.

All of this seems to have little to do with him.

In this final stage of his life, at least when facing death, he did not want to disgrace Li Shimin.

Gu Jing stared at Li Zhi in silence for a long time before finally sighing softly and nodding earnestly, replying, "Your Majesty, rest assured!"

Those four simple words instantly put Li Zhian at ease.

He slowly released Gu Jing's hand, lay back down, and gently closed his eyes without saying anything more.

Time flies by.

Although Gu Jing was worried about Li Zhi's health, he also had to shoulder the heavy responsibility within the court and handle everything properly.

As for Li Zhi, although he had talked so much with Gu Jing, he was still doing his best to treat his body.

Unfortunately, his body had indeed reached its limit.

After the imperial physicians tried various methods to control Li Zhi's symptoms of his illness, Li Zhi finally met his end.

The fourteenth year of the Qianfeng reign, on the Ding-Si day of the twelfth month.

Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) died in Luoyang.

His posthumous title was Emperor Xiao, his temple name was Gaozong, and he was buried in Qianling Mausoleum.

Crown Prince Li Hong ascended the throne.

(P.S.: Please vote for me! Brothers, I would be extremely grateful for your support.)
(End of this chapter)