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

Chapter 229 The End of a Dynasty, When Heaven Collapses (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The gifts of fate have already been marked with their own intangible significance.

That's how the Tang Dynasty is now.

Although his experiences differed slightly from those in the original history, given the increasingly dire state of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao ultimately embarked on a path of no return, just as in the original historical account.

In fact, Gu Yi had been keeping an eye on Huang Chao all along.

From the moment Huang Chao stepped into Gu's Academy, Gu Yi had already noticed him.

However, I didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

The reason is also quite simple: Huang Chao's experience was completely different from that in the original history.

In the original history.

Huang Chao's family had been salt smugglers for generations.

In the Tang Dynasty today, at least when the political situation was still stable, Huang Chao's family had not yet embarked on this path. It was only during his father's generation that they took this path due to changes in the political situation.

This is also the most basic.

The real key point is that Huang Chao's current desire for learning makes Gu Yi feel that it is no different from the original historical records.

It was only after seeing him write this poem that I truly realized the latter's identity.

Countless thoughts flashed through my mind in that instant.

Watching everything unfolding within the Gu Clan Academy from the shadows, Gu Yi remained silent for a long time before ultimately refraining from interfering.

Whether it was for Huang Chao or for the entire Gu family.

The Gu family still needs time to recover.

Gu Yi was not afraid at all that Huang Chao would turn his sword on the Gu family.

Time flies by.

Huang Chao finally left Gu's Academy, and even when faced with the pleas of a group of Gu's disciples to stay, his attitude remained firm.

He was clearly utterly disappointed with the current Tang Dynasty.

They even brought up Gu Xi and Gu Chen from back then.

What these two did is self-evident.

Gu Xi faced all the powerful families alone, while Gu Chen took over the heavy burden from him.

In fact, Huang Chao had always held these two men in high esteem, and now he was simply making it public.

Gu Yi understood his thoughts.

However, no one in his time would understand Huang Chao from this perspective.

After all, Gu Xi and Gu Chen represent far more than just personal achievements; they are also a symbol—

—To recreate the universe.

Gu Xi single-handedly shoulders the fate of the nation, facing the pressure of the entire world; while Gu Chen wields his sword across the four seas, pacifies the chaotic world, and truly sweeps away all obstacles.

To outsiders, these feats were nothing more than Huang Chao's ordinary lament in the face of a collapsing political situation—no different from those of millions of other scholars, and no one could discern the true thoughts hidden in his words.

For this reason, none of his words and actions attracted any extra attention.

The world continues to crumble.

The entire Tang Dynasty, amidst endless strife, has completely gone in the wrong direction, with no chance of reversing its course.

As time goes by.

The struggle between the four sides has even escalated to the point of affecting the throne.

Eunuchs, powerful officials, and members of the imperial family.

In this vortex of power, various figures take the stage and employ their own methods.

Under these circumstances, the entire Tang Dynasty had become a wild horse that had broken free of its reins, losing all its former glory and leaving only endless strife.

All these struggles ultimately manifested as heavy suffering on the shoulders of the people:

ever-increasing taxes;
Exploitation by layers of officials;
A series of natural disasters.

The desperate situation that every feudal dynasty had to face in its later years was being repeated time and time again on the land of the Tang Dynasty.

The sound of wailing echoed throughout the entire land.

Gu Yi could see very clearly that none of this was a deliberate suppression of any corrective force.

It's simply because of the changing times.

Putting aside other things, just looking at the increasingly impactful natural disasters today, if these disasters were on the scale of the Tang Dynasty, they wouldn't have caused any turmoil at all.

This is simply a chain reaction caused by the changing times.

certainly--

The imperial court was not entirely indifferent to this.

Even amidst internal strife, no one was willing to stand by and watch the great ship of "Tang Dynasty," which carried the fate of everyone, completely capsize.

But all these so-called disaster relief efforts are ultimately just superficial.

Compared to the Tang Dynasty at its peak.

Leaving aside the question of how well their disaster relief efforts were supervised, even the speed of their relief efforts was noticeably lacking.

Refugees were everywhere, their cries of despair never ceasing.

But these desperate cries could never reach the depths of the Luoyang Palace; even if they occasionally did, they could no longer evoke a shred of pity within the grand palace.

For them—

As long as the people have not completely raised their flags in rebellion, all the current tragic situation can still be ignored.

This is the arrogance of those in power.

Under these circumstances, the entire Tang Dynasty was brought to the brink of destruction, just a hair's breadth away from being annihilated, yet no one cared at all.

Everyone was only thinking about seizing the highest level of power within this stable balance.

Of course, this doesn't mean everyone is a fool.

Someone will naturally be able to see the key point.

But what can we do about it?
For the emperor sitting at the top, only by controlling all power could he reshape the world.

He could only contend with the ministers.

As for the ministers, they were even less concerned about such matters.

Even if the Tang Dynasty were to truly perish, so what?

Their identities are there, their families are there, and the strength of their families is also their strength.

Even if a new dynasty is established.

They can still achieve glory again by relying on the strength of the entire family.

Human nature in its fullest form was on full display in the Tang Dynasty.

And this also completely sealed the fate of the entire Tang Dynasty.

It is worth mentioning that--

Amidst this increasingly difficult life, the sacrificial rites concerning the Luo River were once again brought up.

Under these circumstances, countless people placed all their hopes on the Gu family.

They longed for the Gu family to be reborn and save the world.

Some people also chose to go to Julu, placing their last hope in the benevolence of the Gu family.

But still the same sentence.

The Gu family members are not saints.

Although Julu is vast, it may be able to save a thousand or even ten thousand people, but ultimately it is not enough to save all the people in the world.

Let alone Gu Yi not opening that door.

He didn't even need to interfere; the Gu family members would make the most appropriate choice on their own and would not easily allow any outsiders to set foot in Julu.

Of course, this does not mean that Julu has become an autonomous territory.

As a Chinese, Gu Yi's attitude toward the unity of all Chinese people is unshakable.

Julu has always been part of the land of China. Whether it was the Han Dynasty of the past or the Tang Dynasty of today, even in times of chaos, Julu has never changed.

The reason why the Gu family was able to avoid various causes and effects over the past few centuries is simply because of the foundation of the Gu family.

In the second year of the Qianfu era, a severe drought struck Guandong, leaving the land barren for thousands of miles.

This natural disaster was arguably the most devastating blow to the Tang Dynasty's gradual decline.

Throughout the entire Kanto region, rivers dried up, wells dried up, crops failed to survive, and granaries were already empty. People had no choice but to dig up grass roots and peel tree bark to fill their stomachs, and some even resorted to eating soil to stave off hunger. Countless people died from abdominal distension.

The practice of exchanging children to eat is no longer a horrifying rumor here.

Looking out, the land of Northeast China seems to have been transformed into a living hell.

And all this——

This also became the fuse that ignited the turmoil throughout the entire Tang Empire.

Puzhou, Puyang.

The area beneath the city walls was densely packed with refugees who had fled the famine; they were all emaciated and had withered eyes.

The faint cries of children could be heard from time to time in the crowd, only to be swallowed up by a deathly silence.

A man covered in dust suddenly fell to his knees, digging his hands deep into the cracked yellow earth, and let out a blood-curdling wail: "There's no way out. There's really no way out!"

That sound seemed to tear open some kind of wound, and more sobs and cries burst forth.

Some people cried for themselves, some for their relatives, and there were also cries of pulling and pleading during the snatching of children.

Wang Xianzhi stood at the front of the crowd. He was a seasoned salt smuggler who had traveled all over the country over the years and had seen all sorts of terrible things.

The scene before him still made him purse his lips, his cheek muscles twitch uncontrollably, and his expression was complex and indescribable.

The brothers who had been selling salt with him were already green with envy. One of them, a man who had just escaped from Songzhou, suddenly pounded the ground, his voice hoarse: "Brother!"

"It's not just in Puyang! People in Songyang and Bianyang have been eating each other for ages!"

"The government posted a notice saying they were distributing porridge, but the porridge was so thin you could see your reflection in it!"

Another salt merchant, his face weathered and worn, suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing a hideous knife scar on his chest, and shouted sternly, "I come from Huazhou, where the tax collectors are more ruthless than locusts!"

"If you sell a stone of salt, you'll be skinned alive. If you can't pay, you'll be beaten to death and thrown in jail!"

"Those sons of bitches."

"Isn't it just because they think we're selling smuggled salt?"

"In this world, honest business practices only lead to ruin!"

Before he could finish speaking, someone coldly interjected, "Huainan is no place for humans either!"

"The government soldiers would rob any salt they saw, and after they finished, they would accuse us of violating the salt laws! Several of our brothers were beaten to death, and their skins were peeled off and hung on the city wall!"

The crowd grew angrier and angrier, their resentment reaching its peak.

"The imperial salt tax is getting heavier every year, and ordinary people can't afford the official salt. We sell smuggled salt to help the poor survive, but we are considered to be guilty of heinous crimes?"

"The rice in the government granaries is all moldy and rotten, yet they refuse to give a single grain to those who are starving to death!"

"."

Wang Xianzhi's expression grew increasingly grim.

He had experienced all of these things himself.

If there's any decent place left in the world these days, it's probably Julu. Even without natural disasters, the people elsewhere still can't survive.

Countless images flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but recall the words he had heard when he set foot on Julu.

"Human determination can conquer nature!"

Scholars often uttered these words, but at this moment, a different thought was churning in Wang Xianzhi's mind:
If Heaven is so, why can't it overthrow the Tang Dynasty?

Since the government is not giving people a way to survive, why not fight to the death?
It should be noted that those who dare to engage in the illegal salt trade are people with great courage.

Especially in the current chaotic world.

These people were also quite skilled in martial arts.

Hearing the rebukes from his brothers and the cries of the people around him, Wang Xianzhi was unaware that his hand had somehow landed on the hilt of his knife.

The brothers around seemed to sense something as well, and all looked at Wang Xianzhi.

Wang Xianzhi slowly raised her head and looked at everyone.

Under everyone's gaze, his chest heaved violently, and the long-suppressed anger, mixed with the surrounding resentment, finally overwhelmed his last hesitation.

He suddenly drew the sword from his waist, the one he used to cut through thorns and fight off the officials. The gleaming blade reflected a blinding cold light under the blazing sun, pointing straight at the sky.

"Heaven has left us no way out!" His voice boomed, drowning out all the sobs. "The officials won't let us live!"

"Then let's rebel!"

"I, Wang Xianzhi, will lead you to find a way to survive in this cannibalistic world!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned.

A brief moment of dead silence.

Then, someone nodded emphatically, and one after another, the bloodlust and ruthlessness in everyone's eyes were completely ignited!

Without hesitation, they drew their long swords from their waists with several clangs.

The next moment, a deafening roar exploded:

"good--!!!"

Without uttering a single wasted word, Wang Xianzhi swept his gaze over the crowd and said, "Distribute all the remaining grain we have to our fellow villagers."

His tone deepened, yet every word struck a chord: "Go ask them if they're willing to fight alongside me, Wang Xianzhi, to save their lives."

"If you're willing—"

"I, Wang Xianzhi, hereby swear: We will share food and land! All our gains will be divided equally!"

He's a rough man, incapable of eloquent words, and doesn't understand any profound principles.

But this simplest and most direct sentence crashed into the dark mass of refugees like a raging storm.

Almost instantly—

The will to survive, pent-up resentment, and endless grievances were all suddenly ignited. Those who were usually trampled on, despised, and treated like dirt finally erupted with a thunderous response at this moment!

Under Wang Xianzhi's leadership.

These people, who were completely unprepared and didn't even have weapons, followed him directly into Puyang Prefecture.

When the news spread, the entire country was in turmoil.

—The last fig leaf of the Tang Dynasty was finally torn away, and the balance maintained for many years was broken. This acted as a fuse, quickly triggering a series of chain reactions.

Caozhou, a place of injustice.

After leaving Gu's Academy, Huang Chao returned home and took over his father's responsibilities, making friends with heroes from all over the world while selling smuggled salt.

—That's right, he was preparing to rebel.

Huang Chao's goal has always been the same.

But unlike Wang Xianzhi, Huang Chao simply wanted to show those wealthy and powerful people what kind of hero this man, whom they had repeatedly abandoned, truly was.

At that moment, news from Puyang arrived.

Huang Chao stood up almost instantly, a smile appearing on his usually tense face.

"it is good!!!"

He looked at the people in the room.

These were his nephews and nieces, and also his absolute confidants.

"Quickly, prepare the men immediately, we're rebelling too!" Huang Chao gave the order without any further words.

What does it mean to have been in preparation for a long time?

These men were not surprised at all by Huang Chao's decision, and they charged out directly.

Huang Chao then slowly walked into the study.

He picked up the book "Gu Xue" from the table again, a book he had read countless times before, his gaze growing increasingly resolute.
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! I'm begging for your support, brothers! I'd be extremely grateful.)
(End of this chapter)