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

Chapter 201 Adding Fuel to the Fire, At the Moment of Change (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Grand Tutor, you've gone too far!"

Upon receiving the news, Li Longji was furious and swept all the fruits on the dragon table to the ground.

"Could it be that he is the only loyal minister among all the civil and military officials? Is he the only loyal minister?"

"If he is truly a loyal minister..."

"How could I have fallen to such a state!"

He was really angry.

The influence of the Gu family throughout the land is self-evident. If this matter were to spread, people would likely say that he was like Emperor Li of Han.

This was something Li Longji absolutely could not accept.

In his heart, he was the one who created the current golden age of the Tang Dynasty, so how could he be willing to bear such infamy?

Everyone in the entire palace knelt down.

Even Yang Guifei, who was standing to the side, was frowning slightly and didn't say anything.

After a long silence, Li Longji's voice finally rang out again.

After a long silence in the hall, Li Longji's voice rang out again, carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness and decisiveness.

"Issue the imperial edict."

"Dispatch the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy to the Marquis of Champion's residence immediately to treat the Grand Tutor."

"Tell the Grand Tutor..."

He paused, carefully choosing his words:
“I am concerned about his illness and cannot bear to see him continue to worry about state affairs.”

"Let the Censorate be temporarily handed over to someone else. Let the Crown Prince summon him and have him visit the Grand Tutor on my behalf."

He certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to kill the Gu family.

That would be neither wise nor realistic.

If that were truly the case, then his title of "wise ruler" would become a colossal joke.

Besides... there was still a trace of reluctance in my heart.

Even though he disliked the current generation of the Gu family, he always held deep respect for the achievements of Gu Jing and the ancestors of the Gu family throughout history.

This is human nature.

Although he was the emperor in the past, he was not yet able to completely control everything, and he was able to humbly accept advice without leaving any bad impression.

But after he had been firmly on the throne for so many years...

His mindset has also changed a lot, and his feelings for the current generation of Gu family members have long been buried by the passage of time.

Even with this current action, Li Longji felt that he was being merciful.

If it were another family...

Even if they aren't completely wiped out, he'll at least skin them alive.

He was also very clear about what Gu Hao wanted to advise him on.

But in Li Longji's view...

This matter was merely a discord between the general and the minister, which was by no means a bad thing for an emperor, and he didn't care about it at all.

An Lushan rebelled?

How can this be?

Thinking of An Lushan's obedient behavior in front of him over the years, Li Longji had no such thoughts at all.

On the contrary, Gu Hao naturally began to compare An Lushan's obedience with Gu Hao's in his mind.

For a moment, I felt even more annoyed.

But wasn't this action also an insult to the Gu family?
No one came from the other side.

On the one hand, they did this for the sake of their reputation, and even abolished the Gu family's power in the Censorate. Even if everyone understands that this is the emperor's warning, what can they do?

Gu Yi understood this perfectly.

The gates of the Censorate will now be opened.

The power struggles in the court have reached this point, with the Gu family's influence constantly weakening and the Censorate being stripped of its power, yet no one has dared to challenge the Gu family's dominant position.

The reason for this is simply due to convention.

Since its inception, the Censorate has been controlled by the Gu family and has been appointed by successive emperors.

But now, that breach has been torn open!
Gu Yi was too lazy to say anything, just like what Gu Yu had said to Li Shimin years ago: the most precious thing for an emperor is to maintain his original intention.

Li Longji is like that now.

Gu Hao is sick.

His body was already riddled with wounds, and after this ordeal, it was put even more strain on him.

Especially the imperial edict that Li Longji sent at the end.

Those words of "concern" felt like swords slashing directly at Gu Hao.

The burden borne by the head of the Gu family is unimaginable to others.

Family matters, national affairs, and world affairs.

Having come this far, he had to give it his all.

Li Longji's decree now seems to indicate that the Gu family will once again decline in his generation. How could this not be a heavy blow?

Gu Hao fainted again.

Whether it was the physicians of the Gu family or the imperial physicians, they all said that Gu Hao didn't have much time left.

In an instant, an invisible shadow quickly descended upon the Gu family.

Gu Yi had no choice but to speed up.

Li Longji's attitude toward the Gu family far exceeded his expectations, which would certainly exacerbate the changes in the political situation.

The very next day.

He then manipulated Gu Xuan to find Yang Guozhong.

As Yang Guifei's cousin, Yang Guozhong is now highly favored by the emperor in the court. He wants to make preparations to allow Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing to leave the capital ahead of time, instead of being restricted as in the original history.

Then there's no way to avoid Yang Guozhong.

In fact, the Gu family and people like Yang Guozhong have never gotten along well. The reason is quite simple: Yang Guozhong is a treacherous minister.

His personality is arrogant, domineering, greedy, autocratic, and vindictive.

He had targeted the Gu family on several occasions.

But putting all that aside, Yang Guozhong and the Gu family now share the same enemy: An Lushan.

This is the opportunity.

Of course, Gu Yi would also not engage in any excessive transactions with someone like Yang Guozhong.

Gao Xianzhi was also very greedy.

But he is truly capable.

But what about Yang Guozhong?
In the original history, whether from the records of official history or the rumors of unofficial history, this person's life was mainly characterized by "ruining the country".

His political career was filled with acts of authoritarianism, embezzlement, and exacerbating conflicts, with almost no recognized substantive achievements.

How could Gu Yi possibly be interested in someone like that?

Now it's just a matter of using him; Gu Yi doesn't even need to personally control Gu Xuan to take action. He just needs to release some information.

Based on the relationship between Yang Guozhong and An Lushan.

He would certainly push for all of this to prevent An Lushan from growing ever stronger.

This is also human nature.

The role of the Censorate was fully demonstrated at this time, even though Li Longji issued an edict to strip Gu Hao of the last remaining power in his hands.

However, the Gu family still controls the Censorate.

Without a major reshuffle of personnel in the Censorate, it's not too difficult to do some minor things.

There's no need to make a big fuss; just keeping Yang Guozhong on his guard is enough.

If you go too far, you might end up making things worse.

That would force An Lushan to rebel prematurely, which would be disastrous.

This is also one of the main reasons why Gu Yi did not directly target An Lushan.

An Lushan was no fool.

On the contrary, whether it is the original history or the current development.

An Lushan is a man who has worked his way up from the bottom to where he is today. Such people are shrewd and calculating. Targeting him directly would likely force him to take action.

If the Gu family is not fully prepared, the consequences could be truly uncontrollable.

And then——

Gu Yi then turned his attention to some well-known generals currently serving outside the capital, including Crown Prince Li Heng.

He didn't reveal much about the foreign generals.

They haven't even made any contact with each other yet.

They simply made advance arrangements so that they would have the opportunity to obstruct An Lushan from various angles in the future.

As for Crown Prince Li Heng, Gu Yi's thoughts were even simpler.

—Completely abandon Li Longji!

If it weren't for Li Shimin's will and Li Longji's current actions, Gu Yi might not have chosen to let the Gu family take this step.

But things are different now.

Li Shimin's status in the entire Tang Dynasty was unparalleled.

This gave the Gu family the most legitimate reason.

As for Li Longji, although there is not much criticism of him now, things will be completely different if the world really falls into chaos!
Time flies by.

As Gu Yi had predicted, rumors about An Lushan resurfaced in Luoyang.

Yang Guozhong was the most vigilant.

He immediately advised Li Longji to report An Lushan's plot to rebel, as was the case usual.

But Li Longji still didn't take it seriously.

Yang Guozhong then naturally thought of settling for second best and turned his attention to Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing, who had taken the initiative to show their faces.

This was undoubtedly at Gu Yi's behest.

Yang Guozhong was well aware of the abilities of these two men, and immediately advised Li Longji, while Yang Guifei whispered in Li Longji's ear.

Under these circumstances, at the end of February of the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era, Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing finally left Luoyang.

History changed once again on this day.
Inside Yunshao Pavilion in Julu.

As the most prestigious elegant pavilion in the world today, Yunshao Pavilion is bustling with people at this moment, yet it exudes a refined and elegant atmosphere.

The interior furnishings were extremely elegant.

Various calligraphy and paintings by famous artists are hung on the white walls, and rare antiques are placed on the display shelves, all of which demonstrate the owner's taste and the guests' status.

Students from all over the country gathered here, singing and reciting newly acquired verses, sometimes clapping and laughing, sometimes frowning and pondering.

Accompanied by melodious piano music, the vibrant colors of this "prosperous age" were vividly displayed.

However, in this quiet corner by the waterside window, two elderly men sat alone, seemingly detached from the lively atmosphere around them.

Both of them had gray hair at their temples.

A man with a flushed face sat leaning against the railing, his blue robe slightly open, revealing a somewhat unrestrained and carefree air; he was already completely drunk.

The other man, though slightly less drunk and with a flushed face, still had a lingering melancholy in his eyes, and his figure appeared even more slender under his wide robe.

Although the two were in the midst of noise, they had their own little world.

It was completely different from the atmosphere around it.

A series of bewildered glances occasionally drifted towards this spot, and the onlookers all wore expressions of astonishment, whispering amongst themselves:
"Gentlemen, look, who is drinking with Lord Li?"

"To be able to drink with Master Li, he must be an extraordinary person."

"I wonder what the poetic inspiration is like today? Has any new work been published?"

"."

Exclamations of surprise rang out frequently, and many people were extremely curious about it.

Feeling the gazes around him, Du Fu felt somewhat uncomfortable and couldn't help but think of telling Li Bai to leave.

Although this was the first time he had met Li Bai.

But he had already read countless poems by this "banished immortal" and had long admired him. Now, with the help of the Gu family, he had left Chang'an and arrived at this literary sanctuary.

I naturally want to have another good chat.

Li Bai didn't care at all. He nodded, picked up the wine pot on the table, walked to the front, and led Du Fu out of the pavilion.

"Master Li, do you have any elegant works to write today?"

Bold intellectuals around him occasionally raised questions.

Li Bai didn't care at all.

He writes poems spontaneously, and he has already composed several poems for Yunshao Pavilion, so he will not be affected in any way.

But Du Fu's mind was clearly not on this.

They followed Li Bai directly to the residence provided by the Gu family.

Du Fu kept looking around as he went.

Feeling the tranquility of Julu, his gaze became increasingly complex, and he couldn't help but sigh.

Along his journey, he has witnessed far too many heartbreaking social conflicts.

All of this stands in stark contrast to Julu.

This made it impossible for him to control his feelings of concern for the country and its people.

Li Bai had been in Julu for some time and was already quite used to it, even occasionally smiling and greeting the children who passed by.

The two then left Yunshao Pavilion and headed towards the Gu residence.

As they approached the gate of the mansion, they suddenly saw a group of heavily armored soldiers standing solemnly outside the mansion, their swords and spears gleaming coldly in the twilight.

"This is……?"

Du Fu stopped abruptly, his face showing undisguised astonishment, his voice filled with disbelief: "Who dares to display soldiers and weapons in front of the Gu residence?"

Li Bai frowned, his gaze sweeping over the armored soldiers, and he snorted coldly:
"Hmph, it must be that An Lushan who has come to 'pay homage' to the ancestors of the Gu family again."

His tone was clearly sarcastic: "This barbarian's actions are nothing more than 'building up his reputation'!"

"They wanted to borrow the reputation of the Gu family to embellish their own family's image."

Immediately, his expression softened, and he added with a hint of understanding and disdain, "Master Gu had already made it clear: let them come and go as they please, there's no need to pay them any attention. It's just empty formality, not worth mentioning."

Upon hearing this, Du Fu's expression softened slightly.

Looking at the crowd of people around him, which was significantly larger than in other places, he instantly felt a strange sense of impending doom.

Even though he had only just learned of this, he was certain of it.

As long as An Lushan dares to make any rash moves.

Those people around would definitely rush up immediately, even if they only had farming tools in their hands!
The two walked back to their residence in this way.

But Du Fu's mind was always on the situation outside.

It wasn't until evening that An Lushan was seen leading his men outside.

His expression grew increasingly complicated.

Clearly, they already knew quite a bit of information.

at the same time.

Outside Julu City, An Lushan rode his horse, with Shi Siming following closely behind, surrounded by dozens of his entourage.

The amiable smile that had been on An Lushan's face vanished the moment he stepped out of the city gate, replaced by a chilling ruthlessness in his eyes.

"These unruly people from Hebei really don't know what's good for them!"

His voice was low and deep, filled with barely suppressed resentment. As he spoke, he unconsciously reined in his horse and looked back, his gaze like a knife.

"I went to great lengths at the Gu family's grave, yet I couldn't even get a kind word in return!"

"Lord An, please calm down." Shi Siming, who was standing to the side, also looked solemn and advised in a low voice, "Think back to the time at the end of the Han Dynasty."

“Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, used this opportunity to cultivate his reputation and establish himself in Hebei.”

"It is clear that the people of Hebei are already on guard, so Lord An no longer needs to go to such lengths."

"It is not something that can be done in a day if you want to emulate it."

"Lord An, perhaps it's unnecessary to waste your energy here."

An Lushan frowned, his gaze fixed on Shi Siming's face: "Are you really going to abandon Hebei?"

He lowered his voice even further, almost squeezing the words out between his teeth, "That scoundrel Yang Guozhong has been slandering me every day in Chang'an, falsely accusing me of treason!"

"Even the Gu family has become suspicious. Although His Majesty still trusts me to some extent, can this continue?"

The meaning was clear even before the words were fully spoken.

His rebellious intentions had long been hidden.

The same was true in the original history.

However, he initially planned to rebel after Li Longji's death, but the situation forced him to do so earlier.

The situation he now faces is even more dire.

The resistance from Hebei is too great!

The sense of crisis that An Lushan felt was far greater than that of the historical figure he was in.

He had already made plans in his mind; how could he not leave himself a way out?

“Lord An!” Shi Siming did not answer directly, but instead stared intently at him, “How much more time can we afford to delay?”

An Lushan's breathing became heavier, his silence as firm as iron, making the surrounding air seem to freeze.

After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a heavy sigh from between his teeth.

Another moment of suffocating silence.

Finally, he abruptly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and his voice was resolute: "Tomorrow, return to Fanyang!"

"Immediately dispatch a fast horse, with an urgent delivery of 800 li, to send this envoy's secret letter to Tibet!"
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! Please support me, brothers. I haven't had many votes this month, so please give me a hand. I would be extremely grateful!!!)
(End of this chapter)