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

Chapter 247 Entrusting a Nation, An Unprecedented Change (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The atmosphere inside the tent froze instantly.

Even though Zhao Kuangyin was not in good health at the time, he still stood up involuntarily the moment he heard Gu Jin's words, his face full of horror.

Is the Prince of Jin rebelling?

King of Jin?

His own younger brother?
He shook his head almost involuntarily.

Zhao Kuangyin could not possibly believe this.

Gu Jin didn't waste any words. He brought over the censor from the Censorate and had him repeat everything Zhao Guangyi had done.

Zhao Guangyi is indeed not on the front lines now.

Actually, he did come with the army at the beginning.

However, after the Song army and the Liao army were locked in a prolonged stalemate, and Zhao Kuangyin was unable to return to the central government, he naturally sent his younger brother back.

This was originally intended to maintain the stability of the central nervous system.

There should have been no surprises.

But who could have imagined that Zhao Kuangyin's health would deteriorate at such a time?
Whether it was Gu Jin or Zhao Kuangyin himself.

None of them ever thought of hiding this from Zhao Guangyi.

And this seems to have ultimately brought about some impact.

Faced with that unique position, the so-called "brotherhood" seems somewhat insignificant at this moment.

In fact, Zhao Guangyi has not yet directly started any rebellion.

only--

He left behind many people.

These people were constantly urging him to wait until Zhao Kuangyin died before undertaking any major undertakings.

He kept these people with him, and that speaks volumes.

"Cheng Yu, the secretary of the Prince of Jin's residence, Liu Ao, the judge of Kaifeng Prefecture, Cui Han, the chief of the Palace Guard, and more than ten others held secret meetings at the Prince of Jin's residence for several days."

Cheng Yu once said, "The emperor is seriously ill and unlikely to recover; this is a golden opportunity." Liu Ao further suggested a strategy of first controlling the imperial guards and then closing the city gates.

"Most shockingly, Li Hanqiong, the commander of the Palace Guard, secretly deployed three thousand elite troops to garrison the south of Kaifeng, claiming it was for military training, but in reality..."

"In fact, Cheng Yu and others repeatedly advised the Prince of Jin that if he heard the bad news, he should seize the throne first."

"."

The censor's voice echoed throughout the main tent.

As they spoke, Gu Jin took out the detailed records of the Censorate and handed them to Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Kuangyin trembled as he took the items and examined them closely.

His whole body trembled slightly at that moment.

Perhaps it was because of the flickering candlelight, but Gu Jin noticed that Zhao Kuangyin's face had suddenly turned a little paler, and immediately said, "Your Majesty!"

"you"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Kuangyin raised his hand to stop him. His gaze was still sharp, but his voice betrayed a hint of weariness: "I am fine."

He dismissed the censors, then held the secret letters alone, remaining silent for a long time.

The only remaining sound in the tent was the crackling of the candlelight. After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Kuangyin finally put down the letter and slowly raised his eyes to look at Gu Jin: "Huaiyu, is this fate?"

His usually resolute eyes were now filled with a complex and unreadable expression as he sighed deeply, "Throughout my life, I have never believed in fate, yet here I am, facing this end."

A profound sense of desolation enveloped Zhao Kuangyin. He slumped into his seat, his voice low and somber: "My eldest son, Dexiu, died young; Delin also died young; and now even my younger brother..."

"Your Majesty!" Gu Jin's expression hardened, and he said loudly, "The world is not yet at peace, and the four seas are not yet secure. How can Your Majesty be bound by the idea of ​​destiny?"

He stepped forward, his gaze intense: "I have heard that King Wen of Zhou did not lose his will even after losing Boyi Kao, and Emperor Wu of Han did not dare to abandon the state even after losing his crown prince."

"Your Majesty is about to unify the Central Plains and end a century of chaos. This is the hope of all the people. How can you forget public justice because of personal pain?"

Seeing that Zhao Kuangyin remained silent, Gu Jin said slowly, "The will of Heaven is uncertain, but human affairs are clear."

"Since Your Majesty raised your army, you have pacified Jinghu and subdued Later Shu. Which of these achievements was not accomplished through your wisdom and courage?"

"If there truly is a divine mandate, it is due to Your Majesty's diligent governance and compliance with the will of the people."

He bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, I humbly request that you prioritize the well-being of the nation and the common people."

"If Your Majesty is consumed by grief, wouldn't that play right into the hands of those who plot against you?"

"May Your Majesty rouse your divine might and complete the great cause of unification, then the world will be blessed, and all the people will be blessed!"

Zhao Kuangyin ignored Gu Jin's advice.

He seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly fell silent.

It wasn't until much later that...

He then looked at Gu Jin again and slowly said, "Huaiyu, I am nearing my end."

"De Zhao is still young."

"And it would be better to..."

"Your Majesty, you must not do this!"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Jin had already knelt down, his voice resolute as iron: "Why does Your Majesty utter such ominous words?"

"How can we possibly repeat the old practice of succession from brother to brother?"

"This proposal is by no means a blessing for the Great Song Dynasty; in fact, it is the source of chaos!"

He raised his head, his gaze intense, his words earnest yet sharp: "Has Your Majesty not heard that since the end of the Tang Dynasty, once the succession to the throne is disordered, it is the beginning of fratricide and the collapse of the dynasty?"

"When brothers inherit the throne, the proper order of succession is difficult to determine, and trouble will surely arise from within their own ranks!"

“As far back as the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Xuan of Song passed the throne to his brother instead of his son, which led to decades of internal strife in Song that lasted for five generations, with bloodshed within the royal family and the decline of the state.”

"If Your Majesty were to implement such a policy in the present dynasty, how would you, the Crown Prince Dezhao and the Prince of Jin's faction, possibly conduct yourselves in the future?"

"Not only will it fail to protect the imperial clan, but it will also sow the seeds of internal strife!"

Zhao Dezhao is Zhao Kuangyin's eldest son and also the Crown Prince of the Song Dynasty.

He is only sixteen years old now.

Although sixteen years old is not considered young in this era, Zhao Dezhao is somewhat honest and lacks courage.

This is perhaps the main reason why Zhao Kuangyin had such thoughts.

In this age of great strife.

Zhao Kuangyin could hardly imagine what Zhao Dezhao would do.

He was completely different from his original self in history, and everything he said when he rebelled and ascended the throne was not simply for the sake of the throne.

Zhao Kuangyin truly wanted to conquer the world.

Now that I am about to die, it wouldn't be a bad thing if Zhao Guangyi could inherit my cause.

Seeing that Zhao Kuangyin remained silent, Gu Jin sighed again and continued, "Your Majesty, I know your intentions, but the Prince of Jin is by no means a wise ruler."

"Although the Prince of Jin has rendered meritorious service to the country and has some talent, he is still far inferior to Your Majesty's great talent and strategy."

"Moreover, he was arrogant and self-important, and had a deep and cunning mind."

“To do such a thing in this era of great strife is sure to be the source of chaos and turmoil.”

"Furthermore, Your Majesty is the founder of the nation and should establish moral principles and legal system for all generations!"

"The succession of a son to his father is a matter of course and is the cornerstone of preventing covetousness and consolidating the foundation of the nation."

"If Your Majesty truly intends to follow the practice of succession by brother after brother's death."

"Even if our Great Song Dynasty were to truly conquer the world in the future, how could the conflicts of later generations ever end?"

Zhao Kuangyin's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Gu Jin stared intently at him, bowing deeply with her hands clasped: "Besides, does Your Majesty not trust me?"

He said those words very softly.

But it brought Zhao Kuangyin back to his senses immediately, and a glint of light suddenly flashed in his slightly complicated eyes.

Compared to Zhao Guangyi and his own incompetent sons, wasn't the Gu family the best choice?

certainly--

The optimal choice is not to pass the throne to the Gu family.

He trusted the Gu family.

Even if he did that, the Gu family would absolutely not accept it.

This choice simply places that hope in the hands of the Gu family.

It was not only about achieving the hegemony of unifying the world, but also about the future destiny of the Song Dynasty.

In a flash, this thought surged into Zhao Kuangyin's mind and could no longer be suppressed.

He stared intently at Gu Jin, meeting her gaze, and nodded heavily: "I understand!"

After saying that, he took the brush and ink from the table and began to write in front of Gu Jin.

Gu Jin stared in astonishment at this scene, puzzled as to what Zhao Kuangyin intended to do.

Zhao Kuangyin remained silent until the final stroke was completed, then handed the still-wet edict to Gu Jin: "Huaiyu, if after I leave, my Great Song Dynasty will truly face changes—"

"You may carry out this edict to depose and install the emperor, so as to stabilize the state!"

"This edict is no ordinary one; it is an edict to be passed down through generations, to forever safeguard the foundation of the nation."

"From this day forward, the Gu family shall forever uphold the authority of the Song Dynasty. I demand your promise—as long as the Song Dynasty survives, the Gu family will not return to Julu!"

His gaze was intense, his tone resolute, and his imperial majesty revealed an unquestionable determination.

Gu Jin accepted the imperial edict with both hands, his expression changed drastically, and his heart trembled violently.

He never expected that Zhao Kuangyin would make such a choice.

Although Zhao Kuangyin had promised the Gu family beforehand that they would become the most powerful martial arts clan in the land.

But why would he care about such a thing?

The Gu family has experienced far too much over the past thousand years.

Dynasties changed.

The various events between a generation and a monarch are things that the Gu family has never forgotten.

Not to mention Gu Jin, the most outstanding member of the Gu family in this era.

Even others understood that this was only temporary, and that the Gu family's glory would eventually fade during this period of dynastic change.

But things are completely different now.

Zhao Kuangyin issued a clear edict!

This is a completely different concept, and entirely different from the imperial edicts previously received by the Gu family.

To grant the Gu family perpetual rights, even the power to depose and install emperors.

simply put--

Zhao Kuangyin was trying to prevent history from repeating itself.

His descendants disliked the Gu family and suppressed them back into Julu.

In short, this means handing over the entire country to the Gu family!
It was no different from giving the throne to the Gu family. As the founding emperor, the Gu family could use their family's prestige and this edict as their foundation to refute any emperor's edict when facing the emperors of the Song Dynasty.
Not to mention Gu Jin, even Gu Yi was somewhat bewildered at this moment.

He never expected this.

It's astonishing that Zhao Kuangyin would make such a choice in this era.

"Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Taizu of Song"

He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

In fact, Gu Yi has never underestimated any hero of any era.

In his view, these families were able to leave their mark on history, which meant they were the most dazzling figures of that era.

But even now, he has to admit that he ultimately underestimated these heroes who were worthy of being called era-defining figures.

The decline of the concept of the Mandate of Heaven.
The evolution of Confucianism.
All the causes and effects seemed to be fully revealed at this moment.

Perhaps when he chose to have the Gu family establish an academy and sow the seeds of new ideas, history could never return to its original state.

This may be the fundamental reason why the Gu family's descendants are restricted from leaving.

After being passed down for thousands of years.

The Gu family eventually and thoroughly influenced the entire Nine Provinces, becoming an insurmountable obstacle within the province.

All of this has now been fully proven.

In the original history.

Zhao Kuangyin is known for his "civil administration" and is referred to by the world as "Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Taizu of Song".

Although he was never able to unify the world.

However, with his extremely wise political strategies, he had an unprecedented impact on the development of the entire Kyushu, bringing Kyushu back from the dark times and making it famous once again.

And he is the same now.

Following the emergence of new ideas, the entire Kyushu began to develop along a different path.

Although Gu Yi currently has no way of knowing how significant the impact this will be.

But it also made it difficult for him to calm down.

Of course, this also includes greater pressure.

Everything unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

When new ideas blossom in this era of moral decay, and the land once again witnesses a flourishing of diverse schools of thought, the Gu family will finally face its greatest test to date.

Now this has been added.

He could hardly imagine what kind of suppression the Gu family would face next.

With the few achievement points he has, can he really hold on?
With a thought, Gu Yi silently opened the game's "backpack" and looked at the nearly two million achievement points. His mood became increasingly heavy.

At this point, it's no longer a question of whether he's in control or not.

History has changed so much.

Even with constant corrective power, Kyushu will never be able to return to its former state.

The Gu family has now been completely pushed to the front line.

What is needed is true talent.

Whether it's him or the descendants of the Gu family in later generations, they all need to unite as one to deal with all of this.

As he thought about it, Gu Yi's expression became increasingly complicated.

In the main account.

There was still a deathly silence.

Gu Jin was stunned, her expression extremely complicated as she looked at the imperial edict in her hand.

It wasn't until much time had passed that he realized what was happening. He immediately bowed deeply to Zhao Kuangyin, holding the imperial edict in both hands, and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, this edict concerns the very foundation of the nation, and no subject dares to accept it."

"Your subject—absolutely dares not accept the order!"

“Huaiyu, there’s no need for further words.” Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand calmly without any hesitation: “My mind is made up, and I will not change it.”

"I will soon issue this edict to the whole country and make it public to the court and the people."

"If posterity spreads rumors, they will be condemned for eternity—"

He smiled slightly, a smile that carried a hint of disdain, but also the unique arrogance and sense of responsibility of a great ruler: "I, the emperor who rose to power through rebellion, will bear this responsibility wholeheartedly!"

Having said that, he personally helped Gu Jin up, firmly placing the imperial edict back into the other's palm, then patted his shoulder, his voice deep and clear:
"go."

"By my decree, summon the Prince of Jin immediately."

"I wish to see him."

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