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

Chapter 299 History is both a lesson and a reminder of repeating the same mistakes (Seeking monthly votes)
Gu Lin has passed away.

An era filled with endless legends seemed to crumble at his sudden death.

The regency of the Five Dynasties eventually unified the country, placing him above all other officials and beside the emperor, yet he always adhered to the duties of a subject.

From any perspective, the more than one hundred years that the Gu family led can be described as an immortal epic.

However, every epic has its final chapter.

Even though Emperor Zhao Hanyin still cherished the old friendship and treated the Gu family with great courtesy;
Even though Gu's disciples and old friends are spread throughout the court and the country, his legacy remains.
But the era when the Gu family could decide the fate of the nation with a single word and influence the entire country with every move they made is truly gone forever.

As Gu Lin had planned on his deathbed, the Gu family began to gradually relinquish their heavy burden and slowly retreat.

Time flows like the Yangtze River, ceaselessly rushing on.

Just as Gu Lin had foreseen and arranged before his death, although his eldest son Gu Xiuyuan inherited the position of Grand Tutor, he no longer possessed the same authoritative and awe-inspiring power as his father.

His personality was inherently kind and conservative, more inclined to maintain the status quo than to make progress, which often left him feeling powerless in the treacherous power struggles of the court.

Although Emperor Zhao Hanyin still trusted the Gu family and frequently consulted them.

However, many important decisions have gradually bypassed Gu Xiuyuan and are now discussed directly with the newly established Privy Council and the heads of the three provinces.

This is not heartlessness.

It's simply because Gu Xiuyuan's abilities are no longer sufficient to undertake the tasks that belong to the Grand Tutor.

It's only natural that things have come to this.

But the real turning point also occurred after the new emperor ascended the throne.

The new emperor ascended the throne, young and vigorous, and ambitious.

His trusted confidants were mostly young nobles and promising talents who had grown up with him. While maintaining a facade of respect for the deeply entrenched Gu family power left over from the previous dynasty, the new emperor inevitably harbored some apprehension and alienation deep down.

"The Grand Tutor is of advanced age and high moral character, and should not be overworked. Such trivial administrative matters can be handled by the Privy Council."

"The new regulations for canal transport have been in place for years. The Gu family's money shop has made great contributions to the country. However, the key to business is balance. The court should also support other trustworthy businesses to prevent one from becoming too dominant."

The seemingly reasonable edicts and arrangements, like gentle but continuous dripping water, quietly eroded the Gu family's past power and influence.

In the imperial court, those forces that had been suppressed by Gu Lin or whose political views differed from Gu's began to shift their stances and tentatively voice different opinions.

At first, the arguments were about trivial matters, but gradually they began to involve the appointment and removal of officials and the direction of policies.

Gu Xiuyuan tried to maintain the situation, but often found himself isolated. The days when Gu Lin could command a large following were gone forever.

More importantly, the Gu family itself is also making adjustments.

He always kept in mind Gu Lin's dying words, "Know when to advance and retreat, and uphold the fundamentals." Faced with overt and covert exclusion and division, Gu Xiuyuan mostly chose to endure and yield.

As Gu Lin had hoped, the Gu family members indeed held mostly practical official positions in their careers, with very few rising to the core of power.

This is a necessary concession.

And this leads to only one possible situation.

As the towering Gu family, which had stood in the way of everyone, gradually receded, the long-suppressed political desires and factional strife in the imperial court suddenly surged forth.

Although the new emperor attempted to maintain a balance, the power struggle between his trusted noble clique and the civil service system, which had risen through the civil service examinations, intensified.

The implementation of government orders is no longer purely based on national policy considerations, but is increasingly influenced by factional interests and partisan politics.

However, a more profound and less noticeable change is taking place in Kyushu’s thriving business sector.

Why did Gu Lin use such drastic measures to regulate the canal transport system and strictly supervise business with strict laws and an independent oversight system?

Because he and Gu Yi, who was behind the scenes, both understood the same principle.

—The pursuit of profit is the essence of commerce. Without rigid rules and strong deterrence to restrain it, it will be like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins, becoming unscrupulous under the drive of profit.

In times of peace and when officialdom has not yet completely collapsed, this "ruthless means" often does not manifest as outright murder and robbery, but rather as a more systematic and harder-to-eradicate form of exploitation.

With the loss of the chilling, continuous high-pressure oversight from the Gu family and the Censorate, a new Deli Group began to quietly take shape.

They might be wealthy merchants with close ties to high-ranking officials in the imperial court, or powerful local clans that control a key trade route.

In the current situation, these people no longer need to risk large-scale smuggling as they did in the past, but have found new ways to make money.

That is exploitation!

Chambers of commerce that control the supply of goods can unite to drive down the price at which they purchase raw materials from lower-level producers;

Merchants who control transportation can create various pretexts to increase miscellaneous fees;
Meanwhile, small merchants, craftsmen, boatmen, and laborers who depended on large businesses for survival found their wages being deducted in a disguised way, while their labor service was increasing invisibly.

The exploitation, layer upon layer, ultimately places all the pressure on the producers and laborers at the very bottom.

And among the foreign tribes that are gradually integrating into the Central Plains!
Northern Xinjiang and Liaodong.
These areas were the last to be integrated into the land of Kyushu, and the culture of Kyushu is only just beginning to spread. It is impossible for a high-ranking official or nobleman to emerge from these areas in such a short time.

And because of the terrain.

These people are far more dependent on trade than other regions.

When business regulations begin to loosen, these people naturally become the first victims!
This is an inevitable phenomenon.

Of course, this does not mean that the Song Dynasty's court was completely rotten.

With the foundation laid by Gu Lin in the past, it is impossible for the Song Dynasty to collapse within a few decades. Moreover, although the current emperor is somewhat whimsical, he cannot be considered a completely incompetent ruler.

This is simply the result of a power struggle among interest groups.

Even the emperor cannot command the entire world with his own power; he must always consider the balance of interests among all parties.

Expecting a horse to run without feeding it is a pipe dream.

This is also the inevitable reason for this situation.

Why was the Gu family able to avoid it in the past?

The main reason is the Gu family's unparalleled popularity. With just one word from the Gu family, people from all over the country would obey their commands, including students from various places.

In fact, one of the wise things the Gu family has done so far is that they never engage in large-scale factionalism.

No, perhaps I shouldn't say that.

The Gu family also formed factions.

However, the party he formed was the largest in Kyushu at the time: the imperial power and countless students.

The Gu family was, of course, also subject to various issues related to the division of interests.

But this is the Gu family's biggest trump card.

The talent pool and the public support provided the Gu family with room to maneuver, and this alone was enough to smooth things over.

Of course, if the imperial power were willing, it could have done this, or even been stronger.

But achieving this is not so easy.

This requires a very strong grassroots foundation.

At least for the current emperor of the Song Dynasty, he cannot do anything without involving the Gu family.

—But this is related to people's hearts.

Perhaps it is because he did not experience that chaotic era, or perhaps he tasted the power, but at least the current emperor has no such thoughts.

Which emperor, after becoming emperor, was willing to share power with others?

"Governing the world with scholar-officials, not with the common people." This private remark by famous ministers of the past may have, to some extent, become an unspoken rule among some emperors.

They preferred to cultivate good relations with the bureaucratic class and maintain stability in the court, rather than risk shaking the foundations of their rule by challenging the increasingly entrenched power structure and forcibly standing up for distant frontier tribes or the silent common people.

This is due to human nature.

This is also the reason why the Song Dynasty was destined to gradually decline.

In other words, for many emperors, if the world is no longer under their control, what's the point of having it?
History is both a lesson and a recurring pattern of mistakes.

This has nothing to do with intelligence or stupidity; it's simply human nature.

Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

Various contradictions have suddenly increased under the ever-growing pressure.

Julu, the ancestral home of the Gu family.

The autumn wind is bleak, swirling up fallen leaves in the courtyard.

Gu Chengsi, the current head of the Gu family, sat in the hall with a furrowed brow as he looked at Wanyan Digunai, a nobleman from the north with an extraordinary bearing and a hint of arrogance between his brows.

"Master Gu, I have taken the liberty of visiting you today to say goodbye."

Wanyan Digun was dressed in a brocade robe that, though somewhat plain, could not conceal his noble air. He bowed slightly to Gu Chengsi, his voice low and resolute.

Upon hearing this, Gu Chengsi immediately understood, and a sense of powerlessness welled up within him. He still tried to persuade them to stay: "Digu is a brother. I have submitted several memorials regarding the matters of the Northern Frontier, earnestly requesting the court to investigate thoroughly."

"Lord Gu!" Digunai raised his hand to interrupt, his gaze sharp as a knife, a cold glint in his eyes, "Has the waiting time been too short?"

“Since last winter, my people’s tearful appeals have not yielded even a single fair word from the court.”

“Those unscrupulous merchants forcibly exchanged our tribe’s fine horses and bows for old rice and moldy cloth; those cruel officials treated our people like cattle and horses, increasing taxes and corvée labor at every level!”

"The spines of us Jurchen men can bend to survive, but they cannot be broken forever!"

He stepped forward, his tone becoming increasingly impassioned: "The Gu family has a long-standing reputation for integrity, which our tribe has always respected. Therefore, we have endured humiliation and hardship, hoping that Lord Gu can convey our message to the Emperor and seek the justice that is due under the rule of law!"

"But what's the result?"

"It vanished without a trace, leaving no word whatsoever!"

"His Majesty probably only cares about the prosperity of his Yingtian Prefecture, and has he ever cared about the lives of my people in the Northern Frontier?"

With that, Wanyan Digunai suddenly flicked his sleeve, his anger growing ever stronger: "Since the Emperor Zhao treats us like dirt, and the laws of the Great Song Dynasty cannot protect us, then under the Eternal Heaven, we can only use our own methods to reclaim what is rightfully ours!"

"Lord Gu, although I am taking my leave today, I will never forget the kindness the Gu family has shown to my clan."

"But I, Wanyan Digunai, cannot wait any longer, nor will my tens of thousands of people!"

After speaking, he gave Gu Chengsi a deep look, said no more, and solemnly performed a standard bow. Then he turned and strode away, his figure resolutely disappearing into the vast twilight outside the Julu residence.

Gu Chengsi stared in the direction where he had disappeared, standing there for a long time, before finally letting out a sigh filled with worry and helplessness.

The grievances in northern Xinjiang are not something that arose overnight.

With lax oversight in the imperial court and intensified factional infighting, the exploitation of Liaodong and northern Xinjiang became increasingly systematic and institutionalized.

The officials appointed by the imperial court colluded with local Han gentry and exploited the Jurchen and other tribes to the extreme.

High-quality furs, fine horses, and ginseng were forcibly purchased at low prices, while the prices of essential commodities such as salt, iron, cloth, and grain were inflated several times over.

Even the slightest criticism can result in fines and confiscation of property, or even imprisonment or death.

If it weren't for the Gu family's constant mediation during this period, the Jurchen tribe would probably have already started a riot.

This is because they are afraid of chaos recurring.

In recent days, Gu Chengsi has repeatedly submitted memorials, detailing the advantages and disadvantages, and earnestly requesting the court to rectify the border officials and quell the resentment.

However, his memorial was like throwing it into a quagmire, receiving absolutely no response.

The Gu family's current situation is indeed not very good.

Especially in the imperial court.

With Gu Xiuyuan's passing, the Gu family's influence has steadily declined, especially given their reluctance to involve court infighting in the Gu family academy.

Now, it's clear that the northern frontier will no longer remain peaceful.

Gu Yi was also watching this scene.

Looking at Wanyan Digunai's retreating figure, his eyes were unusually deep.

This Wanyan Digu was the grandson of Wanyan Aguda, and he was completely different from the original historical figure. He was young and sharp, ambitious, and deeply supported by his followers. He was completely free of the various shortcomings of the original historical figure.

The key is--

In addition, he retained many of his strengths, and even became stronger.

This is absolutely a harbinger of disaster!
Gu Yi even had the urge to use the Spirit Jade to indirectly influence Gu Chengsi to kill Wanyan Digunai, but he immediately suppressed it.

The reason is also quite simple.

—That's right. As history continues to change, even after the Gu family withdrew from the front lines, the gears of the Gu family began to turn again, and the talents of the family members were improving little by little at a visible speed.

Of course, this was just a selfish motive.

Besides, there is another crucial reason: Gu Yi must pay attention to the influence of the Gu family.

If they just killed Wanyan Aguda like that...

Everything the Gu family has done in the northern frontier over the years will vanish in an instant. Not only will the Gu family's reputation be affected, but the process of the Jurchen people integrating into the Nine Provinces will also be impacted.

How could Gu Yi act so impulsively?
As Gu Yi watched Wanyan Digunai's retreating figure, his thoughts raced.

He had no idea how things would unfold next.

However, given the current situation, no matter what unexpected events occur in the northern frontier, history will not completely return to its original course. After all, the overall framework of the Song Dynasty remains stable, and its strength over the years has provided it with a sufficient foundation.

But things are never that simple.
Lost in thought, Gu Yi's gaze involuntarily fell once again on the eloquent young man in Julu Academy.

"The foundation of my learning lies in the clear teachings of my ancestor, Wencheng Gong: 'Unity of knowledge and action, and practical application to the world!'"

"While sitting in silence to purify the mind is indeed a method of self-cultivation, if one only knows how to seek within without looking outward to understand the workings of the world and address the urgent needs of the world, how is that different from meditating facing a wall in solitude?"

"Can mere empty talk about the principles of heaven possibly solve the problem of exploitation by merchants in the northern frontier?"

"Could this resolve the pent-up grievances among the various tribes?"

"Could it make the canal transport more efficient? Or could it increase the yield of rice by an extra bushel?"

His series of questions, delivered with resounding force, perfectly showcased the youthful spirit of the young man. Even when facing the gazes of a group of Confucian scholars, the young man did not flinch in the slightest, his eyes always gleaming with a sharp light.

Just like the rising sun, it exudes a captivating vitality.

That's right.

This is the most outstanding member of the 30th generation of the Gu family.

His name is Gu Hui.

The attributes are also extremely balanced.

All attributes are above 70, which is already quite excellent for the Gu family at present. Among them, the most outstanding attribute, internal affairs, reaches 79 points.

He didn't even need to use attribute points; with the help of the "Luoshu Law-Carrying Artifact," his various attributes were already close to the top!
But the most crucial factor is his personality!

He possesses the flamboyance and sharpness unique to young people, daring to express his thoughts frankly in front of anyone without fear.

However, this arrogance is not due to conceit or ignorance, but rather stems from a deep confidence in his own knowledge and family values, and he is a very responsible person.

Even Gu Yi had to admit it.

He hadn't seen a young man with such a personality in a long time.

In his opinion, Gu Hui's personality was very similar to that of Gu Yu in the past.

Although Gu Yu's achievements may not be considered the most outstanding among the generations of Gu family members, his significance to the entire family is extremely important.

It's him—

This allowed the Gu family to rise again at the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, even triggering a transformation within the entire family!
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! Please support me, brothers! I'd be extremely grateful.)
(End of this chapter)