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

Chapter 272 A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire: Gu Family and Jia Wenhe? (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
—The important matter was quickly settled.

The current Song Dynasty is like this. Given the Censorate's control over various regions, Gu Jun doesn't need to consult with the officials or inform the emperor.

If he wanted, he could quickly implement a decree throughout the entire Song Dynasty.

Of course, this move will inevitably be accompanied by various criticisms.

It also represents a red line.

Gu Yi was unwilling to let his family reach that point.

If, when he first entered this game, he still harbored a sliver of modern-day fantasies about the so-called emperor.

But now, after a thousand years, he no longer has such thoughts.

Wise rulers and foolish rulers
Strong country weak country
Over the course of a thousand years, he has seen countless things.

Unsurprisingly, they all disappeared over time.

But the Gu family still exists!

And its impact continues!
In fact, based on this alone, he has already surpassed that position.

Let's not even talk about others.

Take Liu Xiu and Li Shimin, for example. These emperors, who can be said to have made great achievements through their own efforts, how many people now mourn them?

Of course, some people do bring them up.

But it is different from the modern one.

Only a small number of people can mention them in this day and age.

Ordinary people, those who have never even been to school, are unaware of their situation.

But these people knew about the Gu family.

They knew Gu Kang, Gu Chen, and these sages who had passed down their knowledge from generation to generation.

Compared to these things, the throne naturally becomes unimportant.

—The situation suddenly changed.

As the Changping granaries were opened one after another with all their might, the overall situation changed once again.

The Censorate has far too much control over the local areas!
This included not only the censors in the official capacity, but also members of the Gu family from various regions.

Since Gu Yu in the past, the policies of the Gu family, from the bottom up, have never changed, and this has also helped the Censorate maintain the situation in all directions!
And this so-called chaos.

It gradually crumbled as supplies and the Gu family reappeared.

No one wants to risk their life to cause trouble.

For ordinary people in Kyushu, from ancient times to the present, their only wish has always been to see the sun rise tomorrow.

As long as they are given a way to survive, they will not choose to rebel.

Not to mention, the Song Dynasty is not even at the end of its reign!

Even if the Western Xia and Liao dynasties continued to spread rumors, what could they do?

How could their prestige compare to that of the Gu family?
Not to mention the common people of the Song Dynasty.

As for the ordinary people of Liao and Western Xia, they would definitely trust the Gu family more!
Because the Gu family once produced a sage!
Sizhou City.

This place is located at a crucial point in the Grand Canal, and is therefore particularly affected by the disruption of the canal transport.

And it is precisely because of this that this place has been the most affected, and a lot of trouble has occurred in recent days.

But at this moment, the atmosphere in the entire city of Sizhou had completely changed.

The solemnity of the past was gone, replaced by the feeling of a peaceful and prosperous era.

But it's clear that some people are naturally unwilling to accept this.

Several men dressed in Song Dynasty attire, yet with a touch of exoticism in their eyes and brows, mingled near a bustling teahouse in the south of the city, using the crowd as cover to spread rumors in hushed tones.

"Sigh, who knows how long this war will last?"

"I heard that the Liao cavalry in the north are fierce, and General Yang is having a hard time fighting them, with huge supplies being consumed."

"How long can our Ever-Normal Granary in Sizhou City hold out?"

"What if, by then, the imperial court is powerless to reverse the situation?"

Upon hearing this, someone nearby immediately chimed in, "What this gentleman says is absolutely right! I have a relative who works in the yamen (government office), I've heard..."

"Well, that's just hearsay. The rice in the granary is probably almost gone!"

"The imperial court is just putting on a brave face!"

"Even the most capable tutor, Gu, cannot cook without rice!"

On a normal day, such remarks might cause a stir.

However, at this moment, the faces of the onlookers were mostly indifferent, even showing some disdain.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, sneered: "Hey you, stop spouting nonsense here!"

"You think you can fabricate stories about a man from the Gu family?" His cloudy eyes swept over the two spies. "I've lived for seventy years, what storms haven't I weathered?"

"Not to mention the grandeur of Julu."

"Take Gu Jin, for example. He beat those Liao and Western Xia bastards so badly they didn't dare to raise their heads!"

"Now that Prime Minister Gu Jun is in charge of Bianjing, would he let us starve to death?"

"joke!"

It wasn't just one person.

The old man had barely finished speaking when a woman carrying a vegetable basket next to him spat out, "That's right! My husband is still on the river repairing the canal!"

"The government pays wages in full and provides plenty of food every day!"

"Is there not enough food in the granary?"

"I think it's you heartless people who are just hoping for a food shortage so you can profit from it!"

A young man who appeared to have only had a few years of schooling spoke even more sharply: "You petty people only know how to spread alarmist rumors!"

"Have you not heard that as long as the Gu family is alive, the state is at peace?"

"Since Grand Tutor Gu dared to open the granaries and buy grain at a fixed price, he must have a plan in mind!"

"Are you spies sent by the Western Xia and Northern Liao to sow discord among the people of our Great Song Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding people's gazes sharpened immediately, subtly surrounding the two spies.

"Yes! They're acting suspiciously; they don't seem like good people!"

"Arrest him and hand him over to the authorities!"

"Report to the authorities! Tell them there are spies disturbing the peace!"

Seeing the crowd's outrage, the two spies turned pale and sweat beaded on their foreheads. They dared not say another word, hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd, and slunk away into the alley, disappearing from sight.

The teahouse owner came out and cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd: "Fellow villagers, do not let petty people disturb your peace of mind!"

"Grand Tutor Gu has his own plans. We people of Sizhou trust the Gu family!"

"Everyone, disperse. Those who need to repair the river, go repair it; those who need to make a living, go make a living!"

Such scenes are constantly unfolding throughout various parts of the Song Dynasty today.

Although it cannot completely stop the unrest in various places.

But this turmoil in people's hearts gradually dissipated imperceptibly.

Of course, Gu Yi also understood that all of this was just the foundation!

Although everything seems to be gradually getting better now, it's all just a fleeting illusion.

If the matter of the canal transport cannot be resolved.

The food and supplies problem facing the Song Dynasty was still enough to overwhelm everything.

The losses incurred by land transportation are irreparable.

At least in this era.

This is something no one can break!

The good news is that, at least for now, everything seems to him to be moving in a positive direction.

With the formal confirmation of this policy.

The mortar system promoted by the Gu family was finally brought into the open.

After a trial use in canal transport confirmed its usability, the imperial court quickly monopolized all the "workshop districts" throughout the Song Dynasty to produce "Gu's Condensed Lime."

Everything is interconnected.

By now, the workshop districts in various parts of the Song Dynasty had become quite well-developed.

Whether it's the workers or not.

Or perhaps it's related to various places.

And these are natural factories of production, which the imperial court can requisition without any effort.

The Gu family was kind to the people.

However, they showed no mercy to the wealthy merchants and powerful families in various regions. And these were often the people who controlled the workshop districts!

And the most important thing is——

The "Gu's Concrete" is not a high-end product, and it doesn't even require much effort. The workers in the workshop area just need to process the raw materials step by step.

The issue of proportions was left to the individual craftsmen who emerged from the Gu family.

Years of development have finally come to fruition.

Even though all of this seems somewhat rudimentary to Gu Yi, a modern person, its output in the present day is quite astonishing.

With the continuous production of "Gu's Concrete Clay", the restoration work of the Grand Canal in various places has finally gotten rid of the previous muddy struggle of doing twice the work for half the result, and has begun to show an unprecedented, solid and steady progress.

In the devastated, collapsed section of the river in Sizhou, the Ministry of Works originally planned to conscript tens of thousands of laborers to first drive dense wooden piles as a foundation over several months, and then fill the gaps layer by layer with rammed earth and stones, while waiting for a suitable dry season.

This method is extremely costly and is very susceptible to being destroyed by continuous summer rains and upstream water flow.

But things are completely different now.

With the arrival of Gu's craftsmen and water conservancy experts, the overall strategy immediately changed.

Instead of blindly filling the eddy, they directed skilled river workers to dive into the rapids and precisely place specially made sacks mixed with "tuff" at the edges and key stress points of the collapsed area.

This "Gu's Condensed Lime" can begin to set within a day after being exposed to water, and becomes harder than ordinary mortar within three days.

Like playing Go, they gradually built an invisible base underwater, preventing the collapse from spreading further. Although this process will still take more than ten days, it is a world of difference compared to the previous predicament where they had nowhere to put their strength.

Once the underwater foundation was somewhat stable, the craftsmen no longer relied on the long array of wooden piles, but instead used the quick-hardening and high-strength properties of "Gu's mortar" to adopt the segmented cofferdam method.

Using bamboo cages and wooden fences as frames, huge stones were quickly filled in, and the gaps were filled with a large amount of "Gu's Concrete" mortar.

Each section of the cofferdam could be firmly formed within five or six days, like driving solid wedges into the raging river.

Subsequently, under the protection of the cofferdam, the laborers calmly dredged the silt and reinforced the interior.

This method breaks down a massive project into several smaller units that can be carried out in parallel, greatly improving efficiency and reducing the risk of the entire project collapsing.

For the construction of embankments that protrude above the water, "Gu's condensed mortar" shines even brighter.

The craftsmen directed the laborers to use this mortar to build up the neatly carved stones.

There is almost no waiting time; one layer is laid and another is laid. The mortar fills the spaces between the stones completely and densely. If you look at the joints after the night is over, they will be bluish-gray and extremely hard, making it difficult to cut through with an axe or chisel.

The newly built embankment is not only built quickly, but its integrity and erosion resistance far exceed those of any previous construction methods.

As the entire project was finalized, the shockingly large gap in the main channel of Sizhou was replaced by a slightly immature but exceptionally solid new gray bank.

Although the overall project is not yet fully completed and the upstream water still needs to be carefully guided, the all-consuming whirlpool has disappeared. The first batch of light boats used for testing, under the control of experienced boatmen, sailed safely across this section of the river, skimming the new embankment.

This--

Like a ray of dawn, it illuminated the entire Song Dynasty!
On the newly built embankment, countless laborers and craftsmen watched the light boat pass smoothly, their faces filled with tears of excitement, and some even knelt down to kowtow in worship.

In their eyes, this was nothing short of a miracle.

Undercurrents, whirlpools.
These places, once considered the dead end of the canal transport system, were originally unsolvable problems in everyone's mind.

If it weren't for this, the people of the world wouldn't be in such despair.

—The only solution they could think of in the face of this crisis in the canal transport was to reopen the shipping routes and avoid those dangerous waterways.

As for the current canal transport network of the Song Dynasty.

Reopening the shipping route will present challenges that are not easily overcome.

But now, all of this has been resolved by the Gu family!

"This...this is truly divine intervention!" an old river worker exclaimed in a trembling voice, bowing repeatedly towards Bianjing. "The Gu family...the Gu family is truly sent from heaven to save our people!!!"

"I told you long ago, the Gu family has produced a sage, and now a figure like Marquis Wencheng has reappeared in the world!" A young man who looked like a scholar next to him was so excited that his face was flushed. "Look at this mortar, it only takes one day to solidify and three days to become as hard as iron and stone. If it weren't for immortal magic, how could it have such divine power?"

"Indeed, indeed! Marquis Wencheng once governed the Yellow River and promoted agriculture and sericulture, and today, Prime Minister Gu Jun has saved the people of our Great Song Dynasty with mortar and mud—the Gu family is truly a blessed family!"

Exclamations of praise, cheers, and shouts of worship filled the air.

Gu Yi was also silently watching all of this.

He understood, of course, that this phenomenon was only applicable in certain areas and could not be applied to the entire canal network, at least not with the capabilities of the current era.

But what can be done about it?

That alone is enough!

Without him needing to intervene through the Spirit Jade, Gu Jun himself would take advantage of this opportunity to spread it rapidly throughout the world.

And when this news spread completely.

The restless hearts finally calmed down completely!

The canal network is not an inanimate object!
As sections of the main waterways gradually came to light, the impact of this event rapidly diminished.

And then, whether it was Gu Yi or Gu Jun, it all happened.

Their gazes naturally turned to the enemy!
Kaifeng, the Grand Tutor's Residence.

Gu Jun, who had just finished the meeting, stood solemnly in front of the geomantic map, his eyes deep and his mind in turmoil.

How exactly can we defeat these two formidable enemies simultaneously?

He knew his talents were limited, but he also harbored a burning ambition to unify the world.

Unfortunately, he and his generals were limited not only by their abilities but also by his own personality.

Recalling the various strategies proposed by his ministers, a thousand thoughts surged in his mind, yet he still couldn't make a decision—he always felt that he lacked a foolproof plan.

This is precisely his greatest weakness.

For a family head like Gu Jun, the identity of "Gu family head" is more like a heavy burden.

They lack the ability to manage the overall situation, yet they must shoulder pressure far exceeding their capabilities.

Just then, a clear voice came from outside the door:

"The son pays his respects to his father."

Gu Jun turned around and saw his eldest son, Gu Rui, standing outside the door, his head slightly lowered, his expression hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see clearly.

In an instant, Gu Jun's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He had always had mixed feelings about his eldest son.

In terms of talent, Gu Rui is indeed quite capable.

At least he is definitely not inferior to him.

But Gu Rui's temperament was completely unlike his own, and not at all like what a member of the Gu family should be like.

With the keen eyes of an eagle and the cunning gaze of a wolf, they are adept at using cunning schemes and often act in unexpected and unpredictable ways.

This made Gu Jun feel an instinctive aversion from the bottom of his heart.

Although the moral bottom line of the Gu family members is flexible.

But at least on the surface, he absolutely could not be too cunning. However, Gu Rui's personality was written all over his face. If Gu Yi hadn't also paid close attention to this young man, Gu Jun would probably have already stripped Gu Rui of his Gu family identity.

As for why Gu Yi paid attention to Gu Rui?
Of course, it's also because his attribute points are already quite good among the current Gu family members, with a total attribute point of no less than seventy.

As for his personality, he no longer has any reservations about that.

After all, he possessed the Spirit Jade.

It can influence the subconscious of the Gu family members in real time, and only requires spending some achievement points.

Moreover, he doesn't currently possess a divine item like the Limit-Breaking Pill.

What's the point of caring about personality?
"What's the matter?"

Gu Jun slightly raised his hand, gesturing for Gu Rui to come in and talk.

Gu Rui didn't beat around the bush and directly cupped his hands, saying, "I've heard that Father intends to defeat the two enemies. I may have a plan."

He paused, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"Perhaps, this could put both countries in a dangerous situation."

"Absolutely not—"

"Let these two countries come and go as they please!"

Seeing the smile on Gu Rui's face, Gu Jun instinctively frowned, but he still immediately asked, "What plan is it?"

These are the descendants of the Gu family.

When faced with important matters, there's no need to care about things like eagle-eyedness or wolf-like glints.

Gu Yi was also watching this scene with great interest.

He was also incredibly excited about it.

He genuinely intended to nurture Gu Rui, even though the disciple's usual behavior was very similar to Jia Xu's.

But given the current situation, he doesn't seem to care.

What could Jia Xu do?

Not to mention that although Jia Xu was known as a ruthless strategist, he never harmed Wen He!
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! Please support me, brothers! I'd be extremely grateful!!!)

(End of this chapter)