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

Chapter 237 The Abilities and Imperial Heart of Emperor Song Zu (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Zhao Kuangyin was indeed different from all the other warlords in the land.

Just as he said.

He had seen the essence of everything and wanted to make changes under his rule before taking any action.

This is what makes him different from the original historical figure.

Although Zhao Kuangyin was a military general, he did not come from a top-tier wealthy family.

on the contrary--

His family was a product of a chaotic era.

His background as a family of mid-level military officers allowed him to experience things that many people never have in their lives. He witnessed far too much tragedy and heard about the prosperous Tang and even the Han dynasties.

This includes different educational approaches within the framework of "Gu Xue" (顾学).

He was involved in all of them.

All of these factors contributed to his well-rounded personality.

For example, he is now capable of directly rebelling.

This includes his views on Gu.

Unlike all emperors who treated the Gu family, he did not consider them subjects, even if he had the opportunity to bring them under his command in the future.

Rather, they are collaborators.

The reputation and character of the Gu family.

All of this connects it to the entire Kyushu region.

The entire Kyushu region forms the foundation of a dynasty.

This is his view of the Gu family.

For example, right now, he needs to improve the situation under his rule before he can represent the entire Kyushu region in an alliance with the Gu family.

This is also the core of his decision.

To be honest, even Gu Yi was somewhat surprised by Zhao Kuangyin's view.

History has indeed changed dramatically.

Even with constant revisions, it was impossible to make everything exactly the same as the original history, especially after the Gu family became involved in education, the clash of ideas further accelerated this process.

These things may not have much impact on ordinary people.

But for true heroes, it's a different story.

Emperors Tang and Song—

Zhao Kuangyin's abilities are beyond question; he clearly developed a completely new worldview under these various factors.

Imperial power still exists, but it is much, much weaker.

"Could it be that the Gu family is still subject to restrictions?"

At this moment, Gu Yi opened the family's attribute panel again. Looking at the talents of each family member, his feelings became increasingly complicated.

If that's really the case.
Will the Gu family produce another top genius in the future?

Time flies by.

Zhao Kuangyin did indeed achieve the fundamental qualities of a great leader: the unity of knowledge and action.

After suppressing the rebellion, he did not immediately choose to launch a military campaign.

Instead, it implemented a series of policies throughout the entire Song territory.

The first priority was to restore the system of rites and etiquette.

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was an era of moral decay and social disorder, as recorded in the original history. However, the current situation is even more exaggerated, as the chaos we are experiencing today far surpasses that in the original history.

If it weren't for the lingering influence of the Gu Clan Academy, this period could definitely be called the Dark Ages of Kyushu.

The core of Zhao Kuangyin's "new ritual system" lay in pragmatism and order.

It stripped away the "interaction between Heaven and man" and "divine right of kings" elements attached to the Confucian system since Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty, and instead emphasized social functions, ethical norms, and practical effectiveness.

That's right, it's the essence of Gu Xue's teachings.

It incorporates current events and expands upon the foundation laid by Gu Kang in the past.

— Regulations on cultural relics and the functions of officials.

And abolished a series of useless official positions.

They prioritized practical work.

This can absolutely be called a reform that transcends eras.

All the initiatives promoted by the Gu Family Academy finally bore fruit in this extraordinary young man.

If this were in peacetime...

This reform is something that no one can push forward.

To put it bluntly, this is actually a challenge to traditional Confucianism, and it is not a good thing for the emperor himself either, since the concept of "Mandate of Heaven" is inherently beneficial to the emperor.

But things are different now.

The intellectual wave brought about by the Gu Family Academy, including the collapse of social order and morality during the chaotic times, provided an absolute foundation for this reform.

Of course, no matter what, this matter will inevitably cause some controversy.

But Zhao Kuangyin was not afraid.

If there is a rebellion, it will be quelled.

He also launched several small-scale wars at the same time, which instantly made this emperor, who already had military achievements, even more famous.

These measures quickly silenced all dissent.

He is not afraid of not having the support of officials.

The theories of the new era coincided with his actions, not to mention the countless officials throughout the world whom he could use, not to mention the Gu family academy.

Under these measures, the entire Song Dynasty was undergoing rapid changes.

First and foremost, it possesses tremendous vitality!
These things may seem to have no impact on a dynasty, but that is not the case.

Especially in these chaotic times.

A dynasty with such vibrant energy would have an unimaginable level of morale.

And this is just the basics.

This includes the changes brought about by the restructuring.

He was not a fool. For officials within the Song Dynasty, he reinstated the system of decentralization introduced by the Gu family during the Tang Dynasty.

But he became even clearer about his authority.

This greatly improved the speed of governance in the Song Dynasty, giving the entire country a fresh new look.

The same applies to the military system.

Zhao Kuangyin was originally a military general, so he was more familiar with all of this.

While the other nations were focusing their attention on the Gu family, he was about to launch an unprecedented reform throughout the entire Song territory.

And as things unfolded, it did not exceed his expectations.

Julu.

Although Gu Yan remained courteous to the envoys sent by various countries, his attitude towards these nations was the same as that of the younger members of his family.

—I don't think much of it.

These people ultimately underestimated the Gu family.

The conditions proposed by these countries are all things that the Gu family would never bother with.

Some promised to establish Gu Xue as the national school of thought, some offered hereditary positions as Grand Tutor, and some even boasted that they would share half of the country with the Gu family when the world was unified.

These things would be irresistible temptations for other aristocratic families.

But the Gu family was ultimately different.

In Gu Jin's words, how many times in the past few hundred years has the Gu family been able to sit on the throne? They have never even coveted the imperial throne, so why would they covet "half of the world" given to them by others?
Everything went exactly as Zhao Kuangyin had predicted—

These people neither understand the Gu family nor the increasingly intense new trends of thought that are no longer the world they could have comprehended in the past.

Inside the study of the Gu family mansion, the lamplight flickered.

Gu Jin stood before her father, a mocking smile playing on her lips:
“Father, Meng Chang even sent several beauties here, trying to lure the Gu family to him—how ridiculous.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Yan could only shake his head and chuckle.

Although none of the members of the Gu family are saints or gentlemen, this level is far too low. What kind of woman could a member of the Gu family not marry?
Over the years, countless emperors have considered forming marriage alliances with the Gu family to gain their support.

He looked up at his eldest son and asked in a calm tone, "The envoys from all the countries have arrived. What do you think?"

"Song!"

When the topic turned to business, Gu Jin's expression immediately became solemn, and he said decisively, "I have heard that Zhao Kuangyin is currently vigorously promoting reforms in the Song territory. His new policies are quite in line with the essence of my Gu Xue New Confucianism."

He paused briefly, his voice becoming increasingly steady:

"I believe that if Zhao Kuangyin can hold fast to this ambition and live a long life, he will undoubtedly be the one to pacify the world in the future!"

Gu Yan nodded in agreement. He was fully aware of Zhao Kuangyin's reforms within the country.

Although the news came back a bit slowly, and there has been no news of any changes within Song territory, Gu Jin's abilities are not bad, and he can naturally deduce something from the strong comparison.

Of course, although the Gu family highly approved of Zhao Kuangyin's reforms.

However, they would not directly choose to support Zhao Kuangyin.

In the midst of chaos—

A family like the Gu family would only be admired if it were hung high in the sky.

Especially now that the Gu family has brought Julu's strength into the open.

Everyone's attitude towards the Gu family.

This is also a factor that they all need to consider.

Of course, Gu Jin's methods were not limited to this; he was a typical member of the Gu family.

This is based on the premise that the Gu family will not directly enter the chaotic struggle for power.

They made full use of all the resources and prestige of the Gu family, whether it was the Gu Family Academy, the Yunshao Pavilion, the sea routes that the Gu family now controlled, or even the Ryukyu Islands.

He used all of this to exert an invisible influence, accelerating the unification process.

The third year of the Jianlong era.

After more than two years of reforms, the entire Song territory was finally ready to be fully prepared.

Zhao Kuangyin was clearly a very methodical person.

He did not seek deeper reforms, nor did he consistently pursue greater national strength.

Once everything was ready...

He immediately declared the Qiande era and began his process of unifying the world.

In his words, "How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?"

His first target was Later Shu.

It is worth mentioning that even though the Gu family never made a clear statement, the expectations of the various countries in the world for the Gu family never ceased, and one monarch after another sent people to Julu.

Gu Jin would occasionally cause some commotion, proclaiming the extraordinary nature of the Gu family.

Furthermore, they have consistently manipulated public opinion through the Gu Family Academy and Yunshao Pavilion.

This is precisely why many people have unrealistic ideas.

In fact, to put it bluntly.

Gu Jin's series of methods are like sifting through sand; the capable will not be affected at all, while the incompetent will focus their efforts here and do some useless work.

This may seem insignificant, but it is extremely useful.

Putting aside everything else, the disparity in national strength among the various countries in the world is becoming increasingly apparent.

Zhao Kuangyin was also pleased with this outcome.

Although he did not go to Julu, he still felt a deep connection with the Gu family despite being thousands of miles apart.

This may be an unusual tacit understanding among capable people.

July of the first year of the Qiande era.

Zhao Kuangyin officially launched his military campaign.

Led by Wang Quanbin, the military governor of Zhongwu Army, an army marched south along the Jialing River from Fengzhou, aiming to attack a major town in the northern part of Later Shu.

Liu Guangyi, the commander of the Imperial Guards Infantry, led an army from Guizhou, advancing westward along the Yangtze River to attack Shu from both sides.

He, on the other hand, was stationed in the central command.

The Song Dynasty is indeed much stronger now.

Not to mention anything else.

Compared to the original historical account, Zhao Kuangyin's attack on Later Shu occurred almost two years earlier.

This alone is enough to illustrate the disparity in national strength among the various countries in the world.

The result of this battle was equally astonishing.

In less than a year, the Song army broke through the Jianmen Pass, defeated the main force of the Shu army in Lizhou, and captured Wang Zhaoyuan, the general of Later Shu.

At the same time, another army also captured Kuizhou, completely opening the gateway to Shu.

The two Song armies then advanced by both land and water, approaching Chengdu.

The Later Shu army suffered repeated defeats and offered almost no resistance.

November of the second year of the Qiande era.

Meng Chang, the last ruler of Later Shu, surrendered, and Later Shu was defeated and destroyed.

Zhao Kuangyin remained completely unfazed by this, as if he had already anticipated all of this, just as he had said before, that he would surely conquer Later Shu within three years.

But as the news spread...

——Jiuzhou was shocked!
In less than two years, a country was wiped out!
Moreover, it was the Shu Kingdom, with its most treacherous terrain.

Any one of these points is enough to shock all the feudal lords in the world!
An invisible wind blew across Kyushu, and the entire land of Kyushu suddenly felt heavier from that day on!

Almost all the feudal lords had the same question on their minds.

Just how strong is Song?
Now that he has annexed the Shu region, what will he do next?
In fact, news of the Song Dynasty's reforms over the years has not been a secret either; such a major event involving the system of a nation could not possibly be kept from everyone.

But the problem is——

Just like when Shang Yang entered Qin to reform the laws, although the other states knew about it, most of them did not take it seriously.

In particular, the eyes of all the feudal lords in the world are now firmly fixed on the Gu family of Julu.

Seeing that the State of Song had not sent an envoy to pay a visit...
The feudal lords, on the contrary, treated Song with disdain.

To put it simply, it boils down to two words:
Contempt!

It was the right timing, the right place, and the right people that propelled all of this forward, and now they are about to face the consequences of it all.

Chengdu.

"Ha ha ha ha--"

Zhao Guangyi stood before his generals, unable to contain his laughter, full of pride and high spirits: "Brother, now that Shu is conquered, the Southern Han and Southern Tang kingdoms are as easy as pie in my pocket!"

"The day when we will unify the world is just around the corner!"

His laughter was unrestrained, and the generals in the tent were all filled with heroic spirit and their faces were flushed.

The same was true for the generals and soldiers behind him.

No one is unhappy.

This period of chaos greatly intensified the military generals' desire for military merit.

With such a great victory of conquering a country and expanding territory, which soldier would not be thrilled?
Amid the clamor of the crowd, Zhao Kuangyin sat quietly on the dragon throne where Meng Chang had once sat, holding the jade disc treasured by the other man, his eyes filled with only indifferent disdain.

He casually placed it aside, as if it were just an ordinary rock, then looked up at the generals and said in a steady voice, "Order the three armies to strictly abide by the laws and regulations and not to disturb the people of Shu."

Although his tone was calm, it carried an undeniable air of authority.

As he spoke, he slowly rose, looked solemnly at the soldiers, and said in a deep voice, "Make other preparations—I will personally go to Julu soon."

Upon hearing this, all the soldiers present were stunned.

This includes Zhao Guangyi.

According to their thinking, now is the time to launch another attack. They should take advantage of the enemy's lack of preparation time to quickly attack and destroy the country. They never expected that Zhao Kuangyin would make such a choice.

"Brother Emperor—" Zhao Guangyi subconsciously tried to dissuade him.

Before he could finish speaking, he was stopped by Zhao Kuangyin's solemn gaze.

Zhao Kuangyin was well aware of the soldiers' excitement after their triumphant return.
But that is precisely why he had to go to Julu in person.

His strategic acumen and achievements are already sufficient.

The Gu family must have already seen through his strength.

But that's not the only reason.

The deeper key point is that he must not allow the morale of the army to waver and restlessness to grow, and he must stabilize the hearts of the people in the newly annexed Shu region.

This is Zhao Kuangyin's art of ruling.

— Destroying a country and seizing a territory are merely moves in his game of chess.

His gaze was always fixed on the entire land of Kyushu.

We must not only conquer the world, but also govern it.

The court officials need to be governed.

These generals who followed him also needed to be governed.

Of course, he wouldn't let these people see through his scheme; going to Julu was the most suitable reason at the moment.

Who in the world doesn't know this?

If we want to bring peace to the land, we can't do without the Gu family.
This reason is enough to convince everyone.
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes at the end of the month, please support me, brothers.)
(End of this chapter)