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

Chapter 267 As Times Change, the Gu Family's Name Spreads Worldwide (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

A brilliant era is coming to an end.

Gu Jin's passing was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for the entire Song Dynasty.

Even though he had made numerous arrangements and taken into account all the important matters that the Song Dynasty needed to face at the moment, it was ultimately no match for his strategic planning during his lifetime.

However, nothing in this world is ever perfect. Even with a thousand strategies, what can be done?
Gu Jin was like this, as were the brothers Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi.

Their ideals, their ambitions, and the life's work they poured into them could not withstand the passage of time and were destined to gradually fade away in the long river of history.

The Liao Dynasty, Kaijing.

The news of Gu Jin's death reached this place immediately.

For the Liao Kingdom, this was undoubtedly unprecedented good news, and the whole country celebrated it.

Only Wang Yingchen had a faint trace of melancholy in his eyes.

His greatest rival in life is no longer here.

This is certainly a good thing.

But for someone as proud and arrogant as him, it became an irreparable regret.

It is worth mentioning that even after the disastrous defeat at Juyong Pass, Wang Yingchen's position in the Liao court remained unshaken. Yelü Xian placed his full trust in him, hoping that one day he could avenge the defeat—but now it seems that day of redemption will never come.

For the Liao Kingdom, this was perhaps a fortunate thing;

But for him, it was nothing to celebrate.

What's more important is——

He doesn't have much time left either.

He was already a few years older than Gu Jin, and no longer a young man. Even if he had expended far less effort than Gu Jin, how many years did he have left?
The land remains the same, and the nation continues as before.

Unfortunately, their era is quietly slipping away.

In the heart of the royal palace in Xingqing Prefecture, Western Xia Dynasty.

The smell of medicine filled the palace. The once shrewd Emperor Li Deming of Western Xia was now frail and dying on his dragon bed.

Crown Prince Li Yuanhao knelt before the bed, tightly holding his father's withered hand, his young and resolute face filled with anxiety and resentment.

"Father," Li Yuanhao's voice was filled with suppressed excitement, "Gu Jin is dead! This is a golden opportunity! Our Great Bai Gao Kingdom should prepare its troops and make its grand plans!"

Li Deming shook his head with difficulty, but a last glimmer of clarity and sharpness flickered in his cloudy eyes. He squeezed his son's hand tightly, his voice weak but unusually clear:
"Yuanhao, my son, please don't act impulsively."

He had to catch his breath after saying just a few words.

"Although Lord Gu has passed away, the foundation of the Song Dynasty remains unshaken. Although Zhao Dezhao is not a great ruler, the team left behind by Gu Jin is still intact, and the Yan-Yun defense line is complete. At this time, to contend with him is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock."

"Then the Liao Kingdom?" Li Yuanhao asked anxiously.

"Wang Yingchen is old, but his influence still lingers. The Liao Kingdom, though a weakened camel, is still bigger than a horse," Li Deming said haltingly. "Our Western Xia has recently acquired the Xijing Circuit, seemingly expanding its territory significantly, but in reality, its internal affairs are unstable. The various ethnic groups need time to digest this. Any rash action now will inevitably result in a pincer attack from the Song and Liao."

He took a deep breath, mustered all his strength, and stared intently at Li Yuanhao: "Remember, my son, be patient! Develop national strength, consolidate the foundation, unite the tribes of Hexi and Longyou, and stockpile grain and fodder."

"Both the Song and Liao dynasties were enormous, and could not be conquered overnight."

"When internal changes occur, or when the new ruler proves incompetent, that will be the time for us to rise up!"

"Do not follow the example of Gongsun Shu, who acted hastily and brought about his own destruction."

Li Deming's eyes gradually lost focus, but he still gripped Li Yuanhao's hand tightly, leaving behind his final admonition: "Submitting as a vassal and paying tribute is merely a temporary expedient. As long as you can survive and grow stronger, the humiliation of the moment is nothing."

"When the time is right, you may decide for yourself."

As his voice faded, Li Deming's hand finally fell limply to the ground. This hero, who had carved out a place for Western Xia in the cracks between the Song and Liao dynasties, passed away suddenly, just like Gu Jin, unable to withstand the passage of time.

Li Yuanhao knelt before the bed, tears streaming down his face, but he remained silent for a long time, his hands clenched into fists.

What followed was national mourning and the ascension of a new emperor.

The glorious era has indeed passed.

But each newcomer will rise to prominence.

Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

With the passing of one powerful figure after another, the entire Kyushu region once again ushered in a rare period of peace.

No, it can't be said that it's because of the deaths of these powerful figures.

Rather, all nations need time to recuperate.

The Song Dynasty needed to absorb Yan and Yun, the Liao Dynasty needed to lick its wounds, and the Western Xia Dynasty needed to absorb Xijing Road.

Each country has its own objectives.

This also means that a major war will not break out again.

It is worth mentioning that Wang Yingchen also passed away.

In the winter of the seventeenth year of the Tongyuan era, the prime minister who had revived the Liao Dynasty also closed his eyes, unable to withstand the test, and finally opened the capital.

Actually, this ending is quite rare for someone like him.

Wang Yingchen offended far too many people.

Fortunately, Yelü Xian was still alive, and he was a very benevolent emperor. Otherwise, his fate would not have been much better than that of the Legalists in history.

It is worth mentioning that--

He suppressed the Liao soldiers' plan to launch a counterattack against the Song Dynasty while Gu Jin was dead. According to him at the time, the Liao Dynasty had not yet recovered, and Gu Jin would definitely have left a contingency plan.

Actually, his guess wasn't wrong.

Gu Jin had indeed taken thorough precautions against all of this.

But all of this was ultimately a regret for Wang Yingchen.

Throughout his life, he was busy with the restoration of the Liao Dynasty, but he never openly led his soldiers to fight out of the Liao Dynasty. He was always on the defensive.

This person is indeed extraordinary.

Unfortunately, he ran into Gu Jin.

No, it should be said that we encountered the Gu family.

If relying solely on his own abilities without the "Luoshu Harmonizing Instrument" enhancement, Gu Jin's attributes would absolutely be inferior to this person's, not to mention that Gu Jin also has the natural advantages of the Gu family.

But there's no need to say more about this.

Wang Yingchen is not a historical figure. His rise to prominence was due to the appearance of the Gu family, which also sealed his fate.

It can only be said that this person's rise and fall were both due to the Gu family.

The Great Song Dynasty.

The development of the Song Dynasty continues to this day.

Under Gu Jin's various arrangements, the entire Gu family has fully inherited the Censorate, leading the entire Song Dynasty in the right direction.

Although Gu Jin has passed away, the strategies he set for Yanyun remain unchanged.

Under the leadership of the Gu family, the Censorate strictly followed the "Order to Pacify the People of Yan and Yun" and other established policies, and continued to promote the recovery of the Yan and Yun region.

The benefits of tax exemptions and reductions continue to attract people from Hebei, Hedong, and even the Central Plains.

The barren field ridges were plowed back up, and smoke rose from the abandoned village once again.

Corn exhibited remarkable adaptability in this region, its golden ears not only filling the granaries of the newly relocated residents but also becoming a symbol of the agricultural revival in Yanyun. As the canal system extended northward, furs, timber, and mountain products from Yanyun could be transported south more conveniently, while textiles, salt, iron, and porcelain from the south were continuously imported, and the vitality of trade gradually permeated every corner of Yanyun.

The scale of "workshop areas" in Youzhou, Shunzhou and other places is expanding day by day.

What was once a primary processing industry relying on resources has gradually given rise to more distinctive industries.

The felt carpets produced by the wool spinning workshops in Youzhou were favored by the northern border troops and grassland tribes because of their thick and durable texture; the timber processing in Tanzhou, due to its proximity to the border, gradually developed into a unique category that specialized in repairing equipment and manufacturing defensive tools for the army.

In just a few years, the registered population of the various prefectures in Yanyun has doubled since the beginning of their recovery.

Although it has not yet reached its peak, the fertile fields are no longer the desolate mess they once were.

It is worth mentioning that Gu Yi did not interfere with any of this.

He wanted to keep the Gu family quiet for a while, hoping to help the talents of the family members recover as soon as possible.

However, this approach is clearly no longer effective.

Gu's Academy continues to develop.

The trend of a hundred schools of thought contending has reached its peak again with the arrival of today's peaceful era.

Especially after the struggles of the Three Kingdoms period.

This further intensified the struggle among the various schools of thought.

The Gu family never interfered with the development of the Gu Family Academy, even though a member like Wang Yingchen, who was an enemy of the Song Dynasty, emerged from among its members. The Gu family still interfered with the development of the academy.

This was naturally Gu Yi's idea.

Struggle is the foundation of progress.

Just like the collapse of the concept of destiny, if Gu's Academy wants to always stay at the forefront, it must ensure academic fairness.

This very fact already foreshadowed the difficulty the Gu family would face in their quest for recovery.

History is destined to never be fully restored to its original state. Gu Yi even felt that the Gu family would eventually face a unique catastrophe, although there were no signs of it yet.

It is worth mentioning that, as time goes by...

Over the years, many people have come forward to explore the core subjects of Gu's Academy.

That's right, it's the people who have explored basic science.

Some of these people were already famous in the original history, such as Chu Yan and others, while there were also many who were unknown in the original history, such as Wang Yingchen.

But these people can absolutely be called unparalleled talents.

These abilities even surpassed his abilities in court affairs and military strategy.

Several people, including those from the Gu family, also appeared at different times.

Of course, these people were ultimately pioneers, and it was impossible for them to explore everything smoothly and completely pave this unprecedented path.

But—this is not without results.

Don’t say anything else.

Through mutual exploration and collaboration among these individuals, along with many craftsmen from the Gu family, they even developed glass and other objects, including telescopes.

Can this not also be called a groundbreaking achievement?
Not to mention the function of glass.

Take this telescope for example.

Whether for military purposes or for navigation, including canal transport, this item can be described as extremely helpful.

And this is just the most basic level.

The fact that they were able to create such a thing shows that these people have gradually explored the field of optics, even if it is only some basic knowledge. But it is also laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs.

This is just the beginning.

This alone is enough to doom the Gu family to never return to its original state.

It is worth mentioning that the Gu family's practice of sending people to sea is still ongoing.

With Gu Yi's help over the years, Gu Che has continued to expand the sea in an orderly manner, and he would occasionally send people back by ship with some news, which greatly helped the Gu family's sea expansion business.

Moreover, this time, Gu Yi also influenced Gu Che through the "Spirit Jade".

His trip was no longer just about Takumi.

They are also promoting the Gu family.

The forces led by Gu Che and Takumi are not weak, and this move is the most appropriate way to expand the influence of the Gu family.

Today, the Gu family has already made a name for itself among various religious sects.

Kyushu's strength is indeed too great.

With the Gu family's blessing, this became even more exaggerated. With just Gu Che's men, it was enough to spread the word throughout the land and the extraordinary nature of the Gu family.

He even went on to establish several Gu's Academy.

Although these colleges are now difficult to connect with the Gu family, it shows that the Gu family's influence is spreading.

Gu Che was like a missionary.

By leveraging the Gu family's strong foundation, we can gradually expand the Gu family's influence throughout the world.

Of course, this move may seem to have some religious significance.

But in this day and age.

The only way to spread the Gu family's reputation is through this method.

In fact, Gu Yi's attitude towards the Gu family's deep involvement in religion was always quite complicated.

As a Kyushu native.

In fact, Gu Yi has always held the same attitude as many others towards these religions, and only through eggs can he gain followers in Kyushu.

But he now has to admit that as the legends surrounding the Gu family grow, the Gu family itself has actually taken on a religious connotation.

However, there's something he can't interfere with.

As for areas outside of Kyushu...

Then he would have even less to worry about.

This is indeed a significant change. In this day and age, anything that is imbued with religious significance spreads much faster.

Although it has only been a few short years, the Gu family has already gained a considerable number of followers overseas.

Gu Chen was the first to be affected.

For the various dynasties overseas, someone like Gu Chen was truly a rare find!
Gu Yi was also paying attention to this matter.

—Expand overseas.

In fact, this has always been one of the most important things for the Gu family, and it has always been so.

This is not only one of the Gu family's fallback plans, but also a preparation for future generations.

Gu Yi could clearly sense it.

As times continue to move forward, everything the Gu family has done will eventually bear fruit, which will inevitably solidify the Gu family's absolute position in the world.

(P.S.: Happy National Day everyone! I'm begging for monthly votes at the beginning of the month, which is also a double-vote period, so I'm begging for your support, brothers. I would be extremely grateful.)
(End of this chapter)