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

Chapter 217 Hidden Storms Stir Up Turbulent Times (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
This incident caused a huge uproar in the entire court. No one could have predicted that Gu Xuan would stir up a reform movement so soon after returning to the capital.

But upon closer examination, it actually makes sense.

Even with the intervention of the Gu family, the impact of this upheaval on the Tang Dynasty was still significant.

Now is the best time to implement new policies.

But even if the court officials could understand this problem, what good would it do?

Not everyone is a gambler.

With vested interests at stake, no one will be willing to gamble on an uncertain future.

As for the upright officials in the court, there is no need to say more.

That's how things are in the imperial court.

When the emperor sits on the throne with a heart set on the light, the atmosphere in the court will be the same. But as the atmosphere in the court changes, these people become rebellious.

At least for now, this group is ultimately not enough to turn the tide.

Gu Yi didn't do anything more.

As a modern person who has witnessed the changes in the political landscape over the past few centuries, his understanding of human nature is far more profound than it was back then.

Just as that saying goes—

"A bad person's cunning schemes are no match for a fool's quick thinking."

Neither Li Heng nor the incompetent officials in the court can stop him.

He just needs to wait for the right opportunity.

In the following days, the entire court was in constant turmoil.

Gu Xuan never even left the Marquis of Champion's residence, yet he still stirred up the entire court in an unseen way.

One after another, ministers submitted memorials urging Li Heng to stop Gu Xuan from implementing the new policies.

These people seemed to have realized Gu Xuan's unstoppable power. Even if they had all sorts of ideas, they weren't foolish enough to try to defeat him.

They simply started by targeting Emperor Li Heng.

This is also the only person they see who can stop Gu Xuan at the moment.

They even found Li Fuguo.

The goal was to persuade Li Heng to delay the matter no matter what.

This undoubtedly suited Li Fuguo's wishes perfectly. As a rootless eunuch, all he pursued in his life was power and wealth.

The reforms will obviously affect him as well.

Under these circumstances, Li Fuguo also became involved.

Don't forget, Li Fuguo is Li Heng's confidant.

He had followed Li Heng for many years and knew Li Heng's character very well. He was well aware of Li Heng's current mindset and the methods he used were different from those of others who would threaten the country at the drop of a hat.

He only said one sentence to Li Heng.

"Is the empire of our Great Tang truly His Majesty's, or the empire of the Gu family?"

This is a very old question.

During the Former Han Dynasty, Emperors Huan and Ling mentioned this. During the reign of Emperor Yan, Emperor Li also frequently mentioned it. These events are now all recorded and can serve as precedents.

Even if it's not universally known, it's certainly known to all scholars in the world.

For some emperors who could be called wise rulers.

This is a bloody example.

Even for some incompetent emperors with little ambition, the answer to this question was obvious.

But it's completely different for someone like Li Heng.

But don't forget what kind of emperor he was.

In the original history.

His unauthorized ascension to the throne in alliance with eunuchs can be said to have stabilized the Tang Dynasty, but his suspicion of court officials, his reliance on eunuchs, and his favoritism towards the harem ultimately made him a puppet of powerful eunuchs, and he died in fear during a palace coup.

His actions alone are enough to demonstrate his true character.

—Greedy for power but incompetent.

Li Fuguo's question at this moment almost instantly pierced Li Heng's heart, causing the thorn that had just been suppressed in his heart to surge up again.

Moreover, Li Fuguo's methods were not limited to these.

Just as in the original history, he once again joined forces with Empress Zhang, and began to tell Li Heng about various situations as her bedmate and confidante.

There is no concept of family, country, or world; there is no concept of the safety of the people.

The only core issue is whether the world belongs to the Li family or the Gu family.

In addition, there were the ministers who kept submitting memorials.

Under such circumstances, even if Li Heng was as wise as he was, he would inevitably be affected, not to mention that he was not a wise emperor to begin with.

Lee Hyung finally made a decision and began to deliberately avoid answering questions about the reforms.

Gu Xuan did not leave the Marquis of Champion's residence.

He showed absolutely no intention of summoning him.

To put it bluntly, they just want to let this matter fade away.

In fact, Li Heng couldn't quite explain his current state of mind. He wasn't really opposed to reforming the system; what he really wanted to do was suppress Gu Xuan's momentum and solidify his own authority.

This was a thought he couldn't control at all.

He would do it even if it brought him no benefit whatsoever.

Under these circumstances, the so-called reform was indeed halted, even though there were quite a few people who supported it.

However, without Gu Xuan's personal involvement, the matter is unlikely to make any progress.

The Marquis of Champion's Residence.

Gu Xuan stood on the steps, his expression calm, and nodded slightly to the officials who filed out.

"I am very pleased with your kind intentions."

"What we are discussing today concerns the national system and is of utmost importance."

"Gentlemen, there is no need to be impatient."

"."

Gu Xuan did not get up, and saw off the group of ministers, his expression remaining calm.

Gu Yi had long anticipated the various situations that were unfolding in the court.

Although he cannot fully anticipate it yet.

But it's quite easy to guess the general idea based on your understanding of these people.

Moreover, from ancient times to the present—

Which reformer can have a smooth journey?
In the original history, what about Zhang Juzheng, who colluded with eunuchs to control the country?

Didn't it face countless obstacles?
That was under the condition that Emperor Wanli was young, let alone now that Emperor Li Heng is doing it intentionally.

This is a situation that reforms will inevitably face, and Gu Yi had anticipated it long ago.

Of course, given this, how could he not have made preparations?

Just over a month later.

News from generals from all directions arrived in Luoyang one after another, and the details were quite simple.

—It was to explain to Li Heng the current situation in various parts of the world.

The people yearned for reform.

It wasn't that Gu Yi intentionally or deliberately made these people do this; he was simply taking advantage of the Gu family's popularity once again.

He had already made his intentions clear regarding the various aspects of the reform.

Whether it was the generals or the people Gu Xuan had visited over the past few months, they all knew about this matter.

This is the unstoppable trend.

Compared to the current Tang Dynasty court, the people trusted the Gu family more.

Gu Yi didn't need to do anything at all.

Now that the Tang Dynasty has just stabilized, the people from all directions who have experienced turmoil yearn for a period of peace and order, and this surging public opinion is enough to form a powerful trend.

The message came from the generals who were "leading troops to quell the rebellion."

In other times, these circumstances might not have reached the central government; officials with connections among the local gentry would have been able to suppress the situation. But this is the only time.

Because those generals who followed Gu Xuan were holding knives.

To say it's clever
This plan is not very clever.

However, the requirements for its implementation were extremely high, taking into account the thoughts of all the generals and the people.

Of course, the most crucial factor was still the Gu family's reputation.

The Gu family doesn't need to unite with any kings, nobles, or generals; uniting with the expectations of the people is enough.

These common people don't understand politics or court intrigue.

They simply trusted the Gu family.

That's enough!

Luoyang Palace.

The mountain of memorials piled up on his desk made Li Heng's face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

"This is a coup d'état!"

He slammed his hand on the dragon table, his face twitching slightly with extreme anger: "What exactly does the Gu family intend to do? And what do these rebellious scoundrels want to do?"

"what is this?"

"Does this mean that if I do not agree to the reforms, they will overthrow my Tang Dynasty?"

An angry roar echoed through the hall.

In his eyes, those memorials that seemed to state the facts had become nothing more than naked threats and intimidation.

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Li Fuguo, who was standing to the side, also looked extremely grim.

The current situation was far beyond his expectations.

He knew that the Gu family's influence was not to be underestimated, but he also had to admit that he had underestimated them in the end—not their deep-rooted power in the court, but the almost unconditional trust that was deeply rooted in the people.

This trust is so rare, and so awe-inspiring.

"I will kill these rebellious scoundrels!" Li Heng roared again, his eyes bloodshot.

Upon hearing this, Li Fuguo hurriedly knelt down, his back instantly breaking out in a cold sweat: "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

He chose his words carefully, trying his best to keep his tone steady: "Let alone the fact that these generals are all heroes who made great contributions to this suppression of the rebellion."

He paused, his gaze lowered, his voice even softer, yet each word struck Li Heng's heart like a hammer blow: "Speaking solely of the Grand Tutor..."

"Your Majesty, if the Grand Tutor is dismissed today, I fear that tomorrow, this newly pacified land will be plunged into chaos once more!"

Li Fuguo remained relatively rational in this situation.

He was indeed much smarter than Li Heng; the fact that he was able to turn the tables in the original history is enough to demonstrate his ability.

He was very certain of his judgment.

Compared to the Gu family—

Emperor Li Heng's prestige was far inferior; it was simply incomparable.

"Is he unable to deal with these rebellious scoundrels?" Li Heng's fierce gaze pierced Li Fuguo like a knife, his anger almost burning away his reason. "Then what's the point of me being emperor?!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!" Li Fuguo kowtowed deeply and earnestly advised, "The world is in chaos and has just been pacified, and everything needs to be rebuilt."

"The Grand Tutor personally led a large army to quell the rebellion, and his achievements were outstanding. His reputation was at its zenith."

"And His Majesty has just ascended the throne."

He hesitated for a moment, then finally revealed the key point: "The people of the world have not yet been blessed by Your Majesty's grace."

"To act rashly now would be a bad opportunity."

"Your Majesty is wise. Why not bear with it for now and deal with it another day?"

This was the only way he could comfort Li Heng.

It's impossible to make someone like Li Heng slack off on power. He can only advise Li Heng to wait for the right opportunity and make plans when he has all the power in his hands.

Upon hearing this, Li Heng's expression remained furious, but he ultimately refrained from further outbursts.

He remained silent, his clenched fists bulging with veins, his knuckles white from gripping them so tightly.

The entire hall was deathly silent, with only the sound of suppressed breathing.

After a long silence, Li Heng finally managed to squeeze out a voice through clenched teeth: "Then... what should we do now?"

"Does this mean we have no choice but to give in to the Grand Tutor's wishes?"

"For now, we have no choice but to follow their suggestion." Li Fuguo immediately bowed and agreed, then changed the subject, adding a touch of deliberate flattery, "However, Your Majesty, upon careful consideration, this reform... might actually be a blessing in disguise?"

"Oh?" Li Heng frowned, his gaze piercing Li Fuguo. "To my advantage?"

"Exactly!" Li Fuguo's smile deepened, and he lowered his voice, revealing a cunning that seemed to know everything. "Has Your Majesty forgotten?"

"Aren't those who most vehemently oppose the reform of the Grand Tutor system precisely the thorns in Your Majesty's side that you have always wanted to get rid of as soon as possible?"

Li Fuguo succinctly revealed the secret—to use the Gu family as a sharp knife to remove those unsightly tumors.

In this way, the current turmoil can be quelled, and obstacles can be cleared away.

How could this not be considered a blessing for Li Heng?

Li Hengke is the emperor.

Once these people fall from power, it's easy to place trusted confidants among them.

Even his most trusted confidant would benefit.

How could this not be a blessing for Li Heng?

Upon hearing this, Li Heng instantly understood Li Fuguo's meaning, and his eyes lit up immediately.

These people were indeed thorns in his side.

Moreover, they are extremely difficult to deal with.

Although his position as emperor seemed secure, he actually had nothing.

If we can really get rid of these people, that would naturally be a good thing.

All the frustration in his chest vanished in that instant, and a smile even appeared on Li Heng's face.

"Issue the Grand Tutor—"

He almost blurted out those words, but then stopped abruptly.

"Your Majesty?" Li Fuguo looked at Li Heng in surprise, somewhat bewildered as to what Li Heng was about to do.

But Li Heng offered no explanation whatsoever; he simply stood up and headed towards the inner palace.

Li Heng didn't close his eyes all night.

Until dawn the next day.

He summoned Gu Xuan with extremely dark circles under his eyes and a somewhat pale face.

"Grand Tutor, I have been studying your proposed new policies for days and have finally made a decision."

His face beamed with the same exaggerated enthusiasm he had shown outside the city gate that day. Before Gu Xuan could even finish his greeting, he hurried down the jade steps, grabbed Gu Xuan's hand, and became excessively attentive.
"The matter of reform is a matter of life and death for our Great Tang Dynasty!"

"Such an important task cannot be entrusted to me without the Grand Tutor's approval. How could I possibly feel at ease?"

"Grand Tutor, please feel free to act!"

"I will do everything in my power to support you!"

He spoke extremely quickly, giving Gu Xuan no chance to interrupt, and held the other's hand tightly, his eyes burning with determination.

If it were someone else, they might actually be moved by the emperor's "heart-to-heart" attitude.

But Gu Yi knew perfectly well that this was just Li Heng's dramatic flair acting up again.

There is no basis for this.

There are no spies of the Gu family in the current harem of the Tang Dynasty.

It was only because of his understanding of Li Heng's character and some experience that he could tell at a glance that this situation was due to excessive indulgence. If he had been reading memorials all night, how could there be so few blood vessels in his eyes?
Don't forget, punctuation marks and such haven't been implemented yet. Although there are punctuation marks in memorials, they are still extremely difficult to read.

The truth is obvious.

But if you see through it all, why bother to explain it?

Gu Yi's mind stirred slightly, and Gu Xuan immediately bowed, cupping his hands in response, his voice steady and respectful:
"Your Majesty's kindness moves me to tears!"

"Your Majesty, I will follow the example of all the ancestors of the Gu family, devoting my utmost loyalty and wisdom to live up to the great trust placed in me today!"

(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! Please support me, brothers! I'd be extremely grateful.)
(End of this chapter)