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

Chapter 293 Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it (Seeking monthly votes)
Gu Yi had been silently observing all of this.

Looking at the machine that was gradually taking shape, even he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

This is a momentous event!
If we can truly enter the steam age, then the Gu family will be able to do much more than what they are doing now!

Increased productivity and faster information exchange.
It can be said--

Once this step is successfully taken, all the current restrictions on the Gu family will be easily resolved!

How could he not be looking forward to it?
Even Gu Yi couldn't help but think of another question.

Given the current situation, if the "steam age" were to arrive so many years earlier, what would the changes in modern times be like?
This will absolutely cause tremendous changes.

From the perspective of original history, since the steam age.

The changes in the world have been earth-shattering.

Now that the Gu family has brought the steam age to the world so many years ahead of schedule, how can we even imagine the changes that have taken place?

Of course, he also had some concerns.

—This is a limitation that needs to be corrected!

The Gu family may seem to have a smooth path ahead, but in reality, the pressure they are under is increasing.

Whether it's the leap forward of the entire Kyushu or the breakthrough that is about to be made, all of this development is closely related to the Gu family.

He had to consider all of this.

After all, the "rules" of the game were set in stone, and he didn't believe that the Gu family would continue to have such a smooth run.

The good news is that he currently possesses a god-level item.

As far as Gu Yi is concerned.

He could accept all the failures the Gu family had made, but as long as an opportunity was left, given the Gu family's current resources and reputation, there was definitely hope for a comeback!
Similarly, he also has quite a few achievements to his name.

This is also one of Gu Yi's greatest sources of confidence!

Time flies by.

Ying Tianfu.

As the core of the entire world today, relying on the wealth of Jiangnan and the benefits of the Grand Canal, its power is growing stronger day by day.

The city walls were expanded, streets and alleys crisscrossed, shops lined up one after another, and merchants from all directions gathered.

The official ships, cargo ships, and merchant ships sailed on the canal day and night, bringing in rice and silk from the southeast and rare treasures from overseas. In front of the Maritime Trade Office, Korean ginseng, Japanese silver, and Southeast Asian incense were piled up like mountains, from which they were then distributed throughout the nine provinces.

This is the political center of Kyushu today.

It is also the political center of the entire Kyushu region.

He served as the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty.

Gu Lin was always dealing with all sorts of problems in Yingtian Prefecture.

He was indeed very good at governing the world.

Especially in the current global situation, Gu Lin handles all kinds of government affairs in an orderly manner, and with the help of a group of talented people, problems rarely arise.

But things don't always go smoothly.

As Gu Lin grew older, various internal conflicts within the Song court gradually arose.

No, perhaps it shouldn't be said that it's because Gu Lin is getting older.

But because of interests.

At this moment, at the Marquis of Champion's residence.

The atmosphere in the study was several times more somber than usual.

Under the candlelight, not only officials from Jiangnan, but also several people from prominent northern families, as well as several powerful officials from the court, gathered here in a rare manner.

And their goal in coming here again today is only one thing—the benefits of maritime transport!
“Grand Tutor,” a Vice Minister of Revenue from Jiangnan spoke first, his tone respectful yet laced with sarcasm, “Now that maritime trade is booming, a single thousand-ton ship traveling to and from the South Seas can generate profits equivalent to a thousand acres of fertile land.”

"However, the 'special permit' system of the Maritime Trade Office has resulted in an excessive concentration of power and benefits. People along the southeast coast, as well as merchants from all over the country who are willing to serve the court, are all eagerly anticipating this opportunity and wish to do their part to help the court expand its maritime territory and increase tax revenue."

No sooner had he finished speaking than an official from a prominent family in Sichuan, known for its high-ranking officials, immediately chimed in, "What the Vice Minister says is absolutely right."

"Grand Tutor, maritime trade is truly beneficial to the whole world."

"Shu brocade, Jingdezhen porcelain, and even medicinal herbs and furs from the north can all be exported overseas via sea routes."

"Nowadays, there are very few special permits, and many products are hard to find a way out. Private capital is idle. The only way to get them to the sea is by canal. The losses along the way are countless. If this continues, it will not be good for the country."

"This humble official humbly requests that the Grand Tutor consider this matter carefully!"

Another official in charge of some canal transport affairs also pondered, "The pressure on canal transport is increasing day by day, and the losses are enormous."

"If some of the goods could be diverted to sea transport, it would really reduce the burden on the imperial court."

"However, without enough ships and merchant fleets familiar with the routes, this strategy is just empty talk."

"Grand Tutor, I suggest that we appropriately relax restrictions on private shipbuilding and long-distance voyages, which would be beneficial to both the country and its people."

A series of resounding sounds echoed throughout the hall.

These people have been proposing this for several days.

To put it bluntly, they want Gu Lin to completely lift all restrictions on maritime trade.

For example, it had to go through the canal transport and the inspection by the Maritime Trade Office, and so on.

The reason is quite simple.

It's all for profit.

In fact, the maritime trade system of the Song Dynasty was already very mature. Merchants from various regions used the Grand Canal to transport goods to the people, and finally, under the control of the imperial court, they all entered the sea together.

The effects of this system will naturally feed countless people.

Not just transporting goods, but also all sorts of things along the canal route
All these seemingly trivial matters can actually provide a way of life for countless people.

Similarly, under reasonable supervision.

The imperial court was also better at controlling all of this.

Gu Lin cannot completely relinquish control over shipping, and Gu Yi will not allow him to do so either.

The world today is not like it was during the Tang Dynasty.

After hundreds of years of development, the maritime transport system has gradually matured. While not everyone can travel long distances, everyone can participate in coastal trade.

If maritime transport were completely liberalized, given the current speed of information management...

That will only lead to one result.

That is, the excessive wealth of the people led to the rapid rise of local powerful families, causing Kyushu to return to its old ways.

This was definitely not a good thing for a feudal dynasty.

The reason these people wanted Gu Lin to have the restrictions lifted was also quite simple.

It's simply a matter of avoiding some of the costs associated with canal transport.

In addition, a large-scale expansion will be carried out.

It is worth mentioning that--

Because of the presence of the Censorate and the Ryukyu Navy, the Gu family now has very strict supervision over maritime transport.

Otherwise, these people wouldn't need to keep begging Gu Lin.

In other words.

In their view, Gu Lin had also cut off all their sources of income.

Looking at the crowd in front of him, Gu Lin's expression remained calm.

He knew, of course, that these people were just representatives.

The profits in maritime transport are so enormous that they could tempt anyone, and these people are merely representatives. But no matter who stands behind them, Gu Lin will never agree to this.

He didn't even say another word.

He simply waved his hand.

Immediately, someone rushed in and gestured to the group of officials, "Gentlemen, please return."

Upon seeing this, the faces of the officials immediately turned grim.

But seeing Gu Lin pick up the memorial again, these people hesitated for a moment, but in the end they dared not say any more nonsense, and one after another they turned and left.

That very night, in an inconspicuous residence in Yingtian Prefecture, the officials who had been turned away at the Marquis of Champion's mansion during the day gathered again.

"Lord Gu's move has truly cut off the source of wealth for everyone in the world!" Chen Mingyuan, the Vice Minister of Revenue from Jiangnan, broke the silence first, his tone full of indignation. "Southeast maritime merchants, Chengdu merchants from Sichuan, and even furs from the north and porcelain kilns from Jiangxi, who wouldn't want to ship their goods directly overseas, avoiding the layers of losses in the canal transport and the strict review by the Maritime Trade Office?"

"The interest rate differential here is more than double!"

"How much benefit have those local tyrants robbed us of?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Pu, the deputy transport commissioner, was clearly angered. He slammed down his teacup and said in a low voice, "He is the mountain that stands between us!"

"We can't move it, we can't get around it!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Shouren, the slightly older Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices from a prominent family in Huainan, turned pale with fright and hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Be careful what you say! Be careful what you say!"

"Brother Wang, how could you utter such nonsense!"

"The Gu family ruled for five generations and assisted the Song Dynasty for over a hundred years. Their reputation and prestige have long been deeply rooted throughout the land, and the people regard them as gods. How can we possibly shake them?"

"You must not even entertain such a thought!"

"Beware of the henchmen of the Censorate!!!"

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent.

A sense of helplessness and frustration appeared on everyone's faces.

That's absolutely right.

Faced with the Gu family's deep-rooted foundation, they simply had no idea how to shake it.

Wang Pu realized he had spoken out of turn and sat down dejectedly.

The room remained silent for a long time, but in the midst of this silence, Zhao Wenyuan, the Assistant Director of the Personnel Department, suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Lord Gu is, after all, getting on in years."

The atmosphere among the crowd changed instantly upon hearing this.

Everyone understood the meaning behind his words.

They may not be able to move the Gu family mountain, but they can wait!
Let time naturally take away this mountain!

"As long as he's in power, he'll block our way every day!" Zhou Shi'an, the judge from Chengdu, Sichuan, couldn't help but complain. "If the silk from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the tea from Fujian, the porcelain from Jingdezhen, and even my Sichuan brocade could be directly exported overseas, the profits would more than double!"

"Nowadays, we can only pick up scraps from the profits of maritime trade."

"If this continues, how will the family maintain itself? How will its descendants strive for progress?"

A moment of silence fell over everyone again.

That's how interests are. Even though the current situation in the Song Dynasty court is still relatively good, it's impossible for everyone to be tied to one side.

From the moment the external enemy falls, internal contradictions will be amplified infinitely.

They were either vying for profit or for power.

It's always unavoidable.

"Gentlemen," Chen Mingyuan looked around at everyone, lowering his voice even further, with a hint of probing, "Do you think that after Lord Gu passes away, the Gu family will follow the example of their ancestors and return power to the emperor?"

"After all, when Emperor Taizu entrusted the affairs of state to the Gu family, his original intention was simply to hope that the Gu family could help the Song Dynasty unify the world."

"The world is now at peace."

"From both a moral and logical standpoint, the Gu family should no longer be allowed to maintain control!"

These words immediately made the eyes of everyone present light up slightly.

The Gu family has a long-standing tradition of returning power to the emperor!

Moreover, Chen Mingyuan's words are not wrong. Now that the world is unified, the Gu family should not continue to hold power, both for public and private reasons.

Otherwise, does this world truly belong to the Zhao family or the Gu family?

And that's not all.

Almost instantly, everyone naturally thought of one person.

—The Emperor!
In fact, apart from Zhao Kuangyin, the emperors of the Song Dynasty were definitely the least memorable emperors in all dynasties.

But still the same sentence.

Human nature is inherently fickle.

Having a powerful enemy outside is one thing, but not having one is another.

Could it be that the Zhao family's emperor truly wants to live in the shadow of the Gu family forever?
No one would bring up this question proactively.

It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that I don't need to.

They knew the answer without needing to say anything more.

And this answer is equally unimportant to them.

Even if the emperor doesn't have this idea yet, it doesn't matter; they can create problems!
This method, though not sophisticated, is extremely effective.

The Gu family's enduring reputation is indeed unshakeable!
But in many cases, isn't this fame also a kind of burden?

"Water can carry a boat, and it can also overturn it."

A glint flashed in Zhao Wenyuan's eyes as he stroked his beard and pondered, "It is certainly reasonable for Lord Gu to now hold such power and restrict maritime transport."

"Yet the world is bustling with activity, all for the sake of profit."

"Those from all directions who hope to benefit from maritime trade number in the tens of thousands."

Why don't we let these myriad voices converge into a wave?

—A simple sentence, without saying anything, yet it directly pointed out the key point, and those present understood his thoughts almost instantly.

After a brief silence, Chen Mingyuan spoke again, his tone still carrying a final trace of hesitation: "If the censorate's henchmen discover this, I'm afraid..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Shi'an interrupted him coldly: "What? Is Minister Chen still so timid at this point?"

He snorted coldly, his gaze sharp as a knife, "The Gu family is blocking more than just our path to wealth?"

"After this incident, given Gu Gong's temperament, does Vice Minister Chen think we will still have the opportunity to realize our ambitions in the court in this lifetime?"

"Humph!"

"And what can the Gu family do?"

"We are all from all corners of the country, and none of us are without extraordinary status. As long as we are of one mind, why can't we move mountains?"

These words were like a final, heavy blow, completely shattering any remaining concerns in everyone's hearts.

Indeed, they didn't really have much to hesitate about.

Not to mention they're unwilling to give up those enormous profits.

For those of them who have entered officialdom, who hasn't dreamed of dominating the political arena?
There was no choice in this matter!

It was only a brief silence.

The next moment——

A series of responses immediately rang out.

"it is good!"

"If that's the case, then let's take a gamble; it's nothing more than death!!!"
(End of this chapter)