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

Chapter 279 The name of the Gu family is important, but it is not as important as the unification of the Nine Provinces (Seeking monthly votes)
The news spread rapidly, causing a huge uproar throughout the Song Dynasty court. Naturally, the officials did not object to Gu Rui's decision.

On the contrary, they were all happy to see the Western Xia now inviting the Song Dynasty to share the Liao Dynasty.

This is a very simple reason.

Who wouldn't want something given away for free?

Moreover, this was a feat of territorial expansion, and no one had any reason to refuse. Some even took the initiative to propose cooperating with the Western Xia in sending troops, hoping to quickly divide up the Liao Kingdom.

They gave the Liao Kingdom no chance.

Kaifeng, Chuigong Hall.

Before the voices in favor of uniting with Western Xia to partition the Liao Dynasty had even subsided, another, more radical argument quickly emerged.

A young official in a scarlet robe stepped out of the room excitedly, his voice tinged with urgency: "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor!"

"The request from Western Xia is certainly welcome, but speed is of the essence in war!"

"Even a sick tiger like the Liao Kingdom has the power to fight back."

"If the Xia and Liao states are allowed to fight endlessly for a long time, unforeseen changes may occur!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you immediately issue an edict to dispatch elite troops and station them on the border. Once war breaks out between Western Xia and Liao, our royal army can swiftly march north!"

"Only in this way can we strike with overwhelming force, giving the Liao Kingdom no chance to breathe!"

This proposal immediately drew support from many young officials and generals eager for military achievements.

"Excellent! This is a golden opportunity! We must seize it with overwhelming force and decide the fate of the world in one fell swoop!"

"If we rely solely on Western Xia and fail to conquer them after a prolonged siege, or if they secretly make peace with the Liao Dynasty, wouldn't our dynasty be at a disadvantage? We must have swift and decisive measures!"

"I second that proposal! We should swiftly dispatch troops, ostensibly for defense, but in reality to seize the territory!"

The atmosphere inside the hall became even more heated, with the pro-war faction rubbing their hands together, as if they were already fully armed and ready to launch a northern expedition.

These people have very simple ideas.

Clearly, they wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to gain another military merit.

This is human nature.

Even though the Song Dynasty's court has always maintained a good standard, these people naturally stepped forward in this situation where their own interests were involved but it would not affect the overall situation.

Each of them had a very serious expression, and there was no fear in them.

This is a serious matter, and they will not be entirely driven by personal interests.

There's nothing to be afraid of, of course.

But just then, a clear and sharp shout rang out, silencing the clamor of the crowd.

"absurd!"

Wang Anshi frowned, stepped forward again, and without even glancing at the pro-war faction, went straight to the throne and Gu Rui: "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor! You must not listen to such rash words!"

"Since the Western Xia is willing to be the vanguard, let them fight the Liao Dynasty to the death."

Why should our Great Song Dynasty waste a single soldier, a single grain of rice, or a single pay?

"Wait until they are both severely weakened, then I will reap the benefits. This is the best strategy!"

"Sending troops now would not only waste our national strength, but could also provoke the Liao Kingdom's wrath towards our dynasty. A wise man would not do such a thing!"

Zeng Bu immediately chimed in: "The prince is a wise and experienced strategist who plans for the country!"

"The Western Xia's initiative this time is nothing more than an attempt to use the power of our Great Song Dynasty to restrain the Liao Dynasty."

"Our government should remain calm and observe the situation; this is the prudent approach."

"Sending troops rashly will not only be of no benefit, but may also lead to a quagmire. I hope the Grand Tutor will think twice!"

Wenbo nodded slowly: "If we are to use troops, the cost of money and food will be enormous. The best strategy is to take the land without fighting."

For a time, the Chuigong Hall was divided into two distinct factions.

One side advocates for immediate troop deployment to seize the opportunity;

One side advocates sitting back and watching the two sides fight, preserving their strength.

Both sides stuck to their own arguments, arguing heatedly until their faces were red, neither able to convince the other. As time went by, their gazes involuntarily turned to the one who remained silent and determined the final direction—Gu Rui.

Gu Rui, whose expression remained unchanged, did not remain silent. Instead, he slowly waved his hand. With just this simple gesture, the entire Chuigong Hall fell silent instantly. All the arguments came to an abrupt end, and everyone's eyes were focused on him.

He spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "What you all say makes sense."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the pro-war faction, which immediately brought a surge of joy to their hearts.

However, Gu Rui's next words instantly froze their smiles on their faces and plunged the entire Chuigong Hall into a deathly silence of astonishment.

"It is time to send troops."

His tone remained calm, as if he were stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

“However, it’s not against Liao.” Gu Rui’s gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife, and he spoke each word with conviction: “It is against Western Xia.”

—To the Western Xia!

When Gu Rui uttered those three words, even the atmosphere in the entire Chuigong Hall seemed to freeze.

Whether they advocate for immediate military intervention or for sitting back and watching the two sides fight it out.

Both sides were stunned almost instantly!
Against the Western Xia?
Did you hear me wrong?

All the ministers stared wide-eyed, their expressions instantly revealing disbelief.

"Grand Tutor!"

Wang Anshi spoke almost immediately, but before he could say anything, Gu Rui stopped him again.

"Do you all believe that the Western Xia's offering of Nanjing and Tokyo is a genuine submission, a willingness to serve as the vanguard of our Great Song?" Gu Rui looked at the crowd and spoke slowly, his voice still steady, carrying a cold insight into the world. "Or perhaps, you have been blinded by the empty fame of territorial expansion?"

These words caused another moment of silence in the room.

Ignoring everyone's expressions, Gu Rui sighed softly and continued, "The Western Xia are ambitious and treacherous; how could they willingly submit to others?"

"You have only heard that he wants to take Zhongjing Road, but have you ever thought about what would happen if he took Xijing Road and then Zhongjing of Liao?"

He paused slightly before continuing, "From the Western Regions in the west to the capital in the east, a vast expanse of thousands of miles will be connected into one continuous line!"

"At that time, the Western Xia will completely control the southern part of the Gobi Desert, hold the key points of the Silk Road, and possess the source of the iron cavalry of the grasslands!"

"By then—"

"Do you think our Great Song Dynasty can rest easy when a unified, powerful Western Xia, whose territory is no less than that of the Liao Dynasty and is even more aggressive, is entrenched in the northwest of our Great Song Dynasty?"

The hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The ministers, who had been arguing endlessly just moments before, were now sweating profusely.

They only saw the fat meat in front of them, but never thought about the terrible consequences that would come from feeding the hungry wolves around them.

Gu Rui looked around at everyone, taking in their shock and lingering fear. His tone softened slightly, but became even more profound: "The Liao Kingdom is indeed in its twilight years. Even after this calamity, it will be difficult to regain its former glory."

"However, the Western Xia is currently at the peak of its fierce rise. This earthquake and flood, though seemingly a devastating blow, may actually be an opportunity for it to unite its people and rebuild from the ashes!"

"If we allow them to annex the Liao capital and integrate southern Mongolia, their power will surely surpass that of the Liao state today!"

He paused, then said decisively, "Therefore, rather than raising a tiger to cause trouble and watching Western Xia grow stronger, it is better to take advantage of its entanglement with Liao and its vulnerable domestic situation to strike straight at its heart!"

"If the elite troops of Western Xia march north to attack Liao, their country will inevitably be left vulnerable."

"Our Great Song Dynasty will march westward, recapture Lingzhou, seize Xingqing, and cut off its very foundation!"

"At that time, the Western Xia will be unable to defend itself from both ends and will surely suffer annihilation!"

"And if the Liao Kingdom, this sick tiger, were to fight the Western Xia again, it would surely be severely weakened and would no longer have the strength to march south."

Gu Rui's gaze finally fell back towards the throne, his voice carrying an absolute confidence of complete control: "This is a golden opportunity, to weaken two nations in one fell swoop!"

"If we destroy this breakfast, there will be no more powerful enemies to hinder us in the north."

"At that time, our Great Song Dynasty will integrate its national strength and unify the world, which will be a natural outcome!"

Gu Rui's expression remained calm throughout.

He had already thought everything through. If it were the old him, he would have definitely agreed to Xixia's request, because back then he was arrogant and proud, and no matter how much Xixia developed, it would never have caught his eye.

But now it's completely different.

The three kingdoms were locked in a stalemate, and even with all its might, the Song Dynasty could not destroy one of them.

Although partitioning the Liao Kingdom seemed like a golden opportunity.

But that's not actually the case at all.

If the Western Xia were truly allowed to develop, given its geographical location in the Western Regions, the troubles it would bring in the future would definitely exceed those of the Liao Dynasty.

On the contrary, if the Western Xia can be weakened this time, it would be the most worry-free thing for the Song Dynasty.

Even if he doesn't live to see the unification of the world.

He can also pass this important task on to future generations.

Every generation has its own tasks, and Gu Rui had long ago decided on his life's goal: to undermine and weaken the relationship between the two countries as much as possible!
And now, he is finally about to succeed!

The entire hall was silent.

Upon hearing Gu Rui's words, the assembled officials fell into deep thought.

Gu Rui was not in a hurry and simply sat quietly in place.

Until a long time later.

Then everyone bowed to the Emperor and Gu Rui.

And so the matter was decided directly.

Time flies by.

The Western Xia dynasty paid no attention to the Song dynasty's various movements, because Gu Rui had already signed an alliance with them.

They still trusted Gu Rui's contracts, which were made in the name of the Gu family head.

On the other hand, the Liao Kingdom was immediately filled with unease and fear.

The Liao envoy arrived in the Song Dynasty almost immediately to pay his respects to Gu Rui, pleading with him not to act rashly and even bringing up the matter of the "brotherly states" relationship between the Song and Liao.

We must persuade the Song Dynasty not to indulge the Western Xia.

No one knows what happened during Gu Rui's meeting with the Liao envoy; all that is known is that the Liao envoy was eventually expelled from the Grand Tutor's residence.

This immediately sparked a flurry of speculation.

Everyone thought that the Liao envoy had offended Gu Rui, and that the Song Dynasty would certainly not send troops, and so on.

Suddenly, the whole world was in a state of panic.

And in the eleventh year of Longhe, in October.

The cold wind swept across the southern grasslands, the withered grass lay flat on the ground, a scene of desolation, and the long-accumulated power finally erupted at this moment.

Following the orders of the Liao emperor, the Western Xia Privy Council issued a proclamation condemning the Liao emperor as "incompetent and immoral, and Heaven is weary of his rule." Immediately afterward, the Western Xia army, which had already assembled on the border, split into two routes, east and west, like two unsheathed scimitars, and thrust straight into the Liao territory.

The eastern route, led by Prince Weiming Anhui of Jin, was the main force, and its troops were aimed directly at Dading Prefecture, the capital of the Liao Kingdom.

This army was the elite force of the entire Western Xia dynasty.

Its main force came from Yunnei Prefecture, an important town in the eastern part of Xijing Road controlled by the Western Xia. This place controlled the Yellow River crossing and was rich in water and grass. It was originally the location of the Liao Dynasty's southwest expeditionary command, but now it has become the forward base for the Western Xia's eastward invasion.

The army marched out of Yunnei, not heading straight for Zhongjing in the northeast, but first heading north, passing through the Baidao Pass of the Yinshan Mountains, and entering the Chulechuan Plain.

This move was intended to avoid the Yellow River and the mountains, utilize the flat terrain of the grasslands, and give full play to the mobility advantage of the Western Xia cavalry.

Once they entered the vast southern grasslands, tens of thousands of cavalrymen surged eastward like a torrent, their advance aimed at Songshan Prefecture, the southwestern gateway to the Liao Dynasty's Zhongjing Road.

Once Songshan is breached, we can advance along the Tuhe River valley and directly threaten the capital of the Liao Dynasty, Dading Prefecture!

Along this route, banners blotted out the sun, and the sound of horses' hooves shook the heavens and the earth, displaying an attitude of being determined to destroy the heart of the Liao Kingdom in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, the western detachment, led by Wei Minglu, the commander of the Xiangqing Army, set off from the former territory of the Yan Army Commandery in Heishui Town, which was controlled by the Western Xia, and swept eastward across the desert, with its target being Zhenzhou, where the Liao Dynasty's Northwest Route Pacification Commission was located.

Although the troop strength was slightly inferior along this route, it had a greater strategic containment effect.

The Northwest Route Pacification Commission of the Liao Dynasty governed numerous tribes, including the Wugu and Dilie, and was an important force for the Liao Dynasty in controlling the northern desert and protecting the central capital.

The Western Xia's western route army's offensive was intended to firmly tie down the Liao army in the northwest, preventing them from heading south to rescue Zhongjing, while also testing the stability of the Liao's rule in the northern desert. If they could take the opportunity to nibble away at some grasslands and tribes, that would be an even greater bonus.

The two routes, one main and one auxiliary, one orthodox and one unorthodox, are respectively: east and west.

This is a very comprehensive strategy.

This alone is enough to show that the talents of the Western Xia Dynasty are also quite extraordinary.

Even this attack on the Liao Kingdom can be described as a brilliant plan.

Because they need to divert attention from internal conflicts.

In addition, there is a need for expansion.

The attack on the Liao Dynasty was good news for the Western Xia no matter how you looked at it.

—War broke out suddenly!
Battle reports flew to the Liao capitals of Shangjing and Zhongjing like snowflakes, and the smoke of war instantly spread throughout the southwestern and northwestern borders of the Liao Kingdom.

Although the Liao emperor and his ministers had been prepared, they did not expect the Western Xia offensive to be so swift and the attack route to be so cunning, making full use of the Western Capital Road, which they had already controlled, as a springboard.

In a short time, the southwestern defense line of the Liao Dynasty's Zhongjing Road was in dire need of help, and requests for assistance from the northwest route also arrived one after another.

The eyes of the entire world were focused on the dust raised by the iron cavalry of Western Xia, awaiting the reaction of Liao, and even more so, the ambiguous stance of the Song Dynasty, which was lurking in the south, and where it would ultimately make its move.

Kaifeng, the Grand Tutor's Residence.

Gu Hong looked at Gu Rui with a complicated expression. After a long silence, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother, do we really want to attack Western Xia?"

His tone was very heavy.

As a member of the Gu family, Gu Hong was different from Gu Rui; he was more devoted to the family.

Gu Rui has already signed an alliance with Western Xia in the name of the Gu family head.

This matter was widely publicized by the Western Xia and became known to everyone.

If such a blatant breach of alliance is made, how much damage will it do to the reputation of the entire Gu family?
Upon hearing this, Gu Rui spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but carrying a weight that seemed to penetrate the dust of time: "The name of my Gu family is important, but it is not as important as the unification of the nine provinces."

"Our Gu family has enjoyed glory for a thousand years."

"Why?"

He turned to look at Gu Hong, "It is because my ancestors have never placed the private interests of one family or clan above the interests of all the people of this land!"

"It is because whenever the world is in turmoil and China is on the verge of collapse, there are always sons of the Gu family who are willing to sacrifice their lives and shed their blood to rebuild this land and establish a new destiny for the people!"

Gu Rui's gaze suddenly sharpened: "Do you still remember what's recorded in our clan history?"

"Those chaotic times, those generations of ancestors."

"Every time there is chaos."

"Why?"

He didn't need Gu Hong's reply; his voice grew even more impassioned, carrying the sound of metal and stone: "What our ancestors carried in their hearts was not just the ancestral hall and memorial tablets of the Gu family, but also the thought of being the ruler of this vast land and the common people of the nine provinces!"

"The foundation of the Gu family name has never been a piece of paper or a momentary false reputation, but lies in having our hearts set on the whole country and acting in accordance with the Great Way!"

"Breaking the treaty with Western Xia today may seem to damage the reputation of the Gu family for the time being," Gu Rui said in a resolute tone, with an undeniable force, "but this action is to prevent a major future threat, to seek true peace for the world, and to carry on the will of my ancestors!"

"This is a matter of righteousness. Even if millions of people slander me, I, Gu Rui, will bear the consequences!"

"My Gu family should be the same!"

He gazed intently at Gu Hong, his eyes burning: "Only by keeping the whole nation in mind can the name of the Gu family shine as eternally as the sun and moon."

"If one merely stays within the confines of one's home, preoccupied with temporary gains and losses, even with a hollow reputation, one is nothing more than a rootless duckweed, destined to be crushed by the torrent of history."

"Brother Hong, don't forget."

"In the ancestral hall of my Gu family, we enshrine not those who seek only to live in peace, but the heroic souls who sacrificed themselves for this land!"

Under the dark night.

Looking at the graying hairs gradually appearing on Gu Rui's head, Gu Hong was stunned for a long time before finally nodding slightly.
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! Please support me, brothers! I'd be extremely grateful.)
(End of this chapter)