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

Chapter 302 The Gu Family's Seclusion, A Thorny Path (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Julu, the ancestral home of the Gu family.

Inside the hall, a group of elders of the clan stood solemnly, their expressions grave, and the air was filled with an almost frozen solemnity.

Gu Xiuyuan stood at the head of the crowd, his figure as upright as a pine tree.

His gaze swept calmly over the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall, then he took the lead in burning incense and performing the ritual. The clansmen followed suit, kneeling in unison, their movements solemn and synchronized, completing a silent sacrifice amidst the swirling incense smoke.

After the ceremony, everyone stood up, but the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

All eyes turned to Gu Hui, who stood in the center. He was slender but stood ramrod straight, accepting the scrutiny of the crowd with composure.

An elder broke the silence, his hand gripping a manuscript tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, his voice trembling with disbelief: "Gu Hui... this, this is really your work?"

"Do you know how shocking and outrageous what is said here?!"

"Today, before our ancestors—"

"You must explain this matter clearly!"

The silence was immediately broken.

This is the root cause of today's events. The only people who have come here are some of the elders of the Gu family, and among the younger generation, only Gu Hui is here.

As Gu Yi had predicted, this matter was indeed far too significant.

It hadn't even been spread yet.

This has already caused a great reaction among the Gu family.

—This is like flipping the table!

For all the scholars in the world today, this is exactly what Gu Hui needs to do!

This is to tell everyone in the world today, all scholars!

Everything you have ever learned is wrong!
There is no dynastic rule;
There is no emperor who is infallible.

There are no eternal saints!

How could such a thing not cause a huge reaction?
Just by looking at the current situation, you can see just how important this matter is!
"Explain yourself?" Gu Hui met the gazes that were filled with shock, anger, and confusion, his voice clear and calm. "What my uncles and elders want to know is why I wrote these 'heretical' words, isn't that right?"

An elder with white hair and beard looked at Gu Hui and quickly said, "Hui'er, we have all read the principles on this."

“They speak profoundly and see far ahead; it’s not like we old bones don’t understand.”

Another elder beside him chimed in, his voice low: "It's precisely because we understand that we're even more afraid."

“You’re not just moving a few bricks and tiles; you’re shaking the very foundations that everyone has taken for granted for thousands of years.”

"Outside, there will be towering waves. Can the Gu family truly emerge unscathed from these waves?"

What we fear is that we won't be able to protect you, let alone this family.

These words immediately made the atmosphere in the hall even more somber.

Almost all the elders wore expressions of worry, including Gu Xiuyuan.

How could they not understand?

As members of the Gu family, even if their talents are lacking, it is only relative. Those who have reached this position in the Gu family are people whose identity, loyalty, and ability have all been carefully considered.

But it is precisely because they understand that they are even more afraid!
The matters of etiquette and law have existed since ancient times.

These rules of etiquette are no longer merely simple norms of manners, but rather an order that has endured for millennia and is deeply rooted in the land of Kyushu.

It defined the roles of ruler and subject, father and son, established the hierarchy of superiors and inferiors, and constructed a set of behavioral norms and value standards that encompassed everything from the imperial court to the countryside.

It can be said that if Gu Hui were to do this, his opponents would not only be the people of today, but would also be the sages of ancient times!

Gu Hui's gaze swept across the worried faces of each elder, clearly discerning their unspoken words and the deep-seated fears hidden in their hearts. He did not directly refute the warnings about the sages, but instead steered the conversation to a deeper level, his tone calm and earnest:
“I deeply understand the concerns of all the elders.”

"The importance of etiquette and law lies in the foundation of order; how could Hui dare to abandon them lightly?"

“However, my thoughts and ideas are not about severing the roots of my Nine Provinces civilization. On the contrary, it is about finding the true spirit of the birth of the rites and laws for my people and for the world. It is about ‘following the trend and adapting to the times, and putting people first.’”

He paused slightly, letting his words echo in the silent ancestral hall.

“The ancient sages, such as the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, established rites and music, all for the purpose of pacifying the chaotic world and bringing peace to the people.”

"Their greatness lies in finding the most suitable order for the world at that time."

"However, a thousand years later, the world's territory, population, technology, and even people's thoughts are all incomparable to those of ancient times."

"If we, the descendants, only know how to abide by the rules and dare not think about change, wouldn't we be truly failing the sages' true meaning of 'adapting to circumstances'?"

His voice gradually hardened, carrying an undeniable logical force:

"The reason why our ancestors were able to save the world in one chaotic era after another is because they understood the essence of 'change'."

"What they are protecting is not the empire of a particular family or a set of unchanging laws, but the 'power' that allows all the people of the world to live and work in peace and contentment."

"Now, the old framework can no longer bear the new global trends, and the accumulated problems are getting deeper and deeper, and chaos has already emerged."

"If we sit idly by and watch the building crumble simply because we fear the stigma of 'betraying tradition,' how much can the Gu family, with its lofty ambitions, save when the flood comes?"

Gu Hui's expression remained calm throughout, showing no sign of wavering.

Even though these elders had already linked this matter to the survival of the Gu family.

"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening!"
He has now truly grasped the meaning of those words.

Of course, this does not mean that Gu Hui was indifferent to the survival of the Gu family.

But as a member of the Gu family.

When he decided to take that step, his choice was already made!

He never intended to drag the Gu family into danger.

Even though doing so might introduce many more uncertainties into his trip, he remained unwavering!
Before anyone else could speak...

The moment Gu Hui finished speaking, he slowly knelt down before Gu Xiuyuan and uttered a deep sentence: "Hui is willing to follow the example of our ancestor, Lord Quan."

"Death without regrets!"

—Old Stories of Quan Gong!
Gu Quan disfigured himself to help Li Shimin, thus protecting his family while also following his own conscience.

This is no secret in today's world.

Through various clues and the information that has gradually spread within the Gu family over the years, at least in the minds of scholars across the land, this matter is quite clear.

For this reason, this matter has now been thoroughly passed down as a kind of "spirit"!
Gu Hui is saying this now to show his resolve!
In an instant, the entire hall fell silent.

Almost all the elders looked at Gu Hui with complicated expressions, especially Gu Xiuyuan.

He had high expectations for Gu Hui.

But I never expected things to develop to this point.

Gu Yi was also silently watching all of this, and he wasn't surprised at all by Gu Hui's choice.

Although he felt that this move might be somewhat unnecessary.

After all, times have changed.

The Gu family is now far too large to be easily destroyed, but there's nothing he can do about it.

Whether it was Gu Hui or Gu Xiuyuan and other elders, it didn't matter.

Gu Yi couldn't say that what they did was wrong.

The two sides simply had different ideas, but their feelings for the world and their families were genuine.

He could certainly intervene through the Spirit Jade, although doing so would definitely consume a lot of achievement points, but it would also allow Gu Hui to provide more assistance.

But Gu Yi cannot do that.

It's not that I'm looking back or being reluctant to give up my achievements.

However, everything Gu Hui is doing now is far too difficult, so difficult that even the Gu family, in its current state, cannot provide him with much help.

He has to rely on himself to walk this path.

Furthermore, it also requires the right timing, location, and people!
Every single one of them is indispensable!

He watched all this silently, ultimately not intervening, and watched as Gu Hui bowed to the elders before slowly walking out of the ancestral hall.

—The whole world is in constant turmoil.

All the external influences never reached Julu.

The entire Julu region seems to have remained unchanged ever since the Gu family settled there. It has always been a sacred place for the entire Kyushu and even the entire world.

But this time, Julu rose without wind.

Following their conversation at the ancestral hall that day, Gu Xiuyuan and other elders of the Gu family spoke with Gu Hui many more times, but nothing changed.

Neither side will easily convince the other.

In the end, there is only one possible outcome for this matter.

That was Gu Hui leaving Julu.

Gu Xiuyuan, the current head of the Gu family, demonstrated to the world the Gu family's intention to live in seclusion.

This matter is undoubtedly a bombshell for Kyushu at present.

Over the years, the Gu family's seclusion has created a concept throughout the Nine Provinces: as long as the Gu family completely disappears from the world, the entire world will once again usher in a long period of chaos.

It wasn't just the nobles and gentry who knew this.

Even ordinary people have some understanding of this.

As the news continued to spread.

The uproar across the land intensified dramatically at this moment, with all sorts of rumors rising from various places, leading to a further escalation of chaos.

The Song Dynasty imperial family also paid close attention to this matter.

While they didn't want to see the Gu family regain power, they also didn't want to see them choose to withdraw from the world as they had done so now, even if it didn't affect their lives much.

But the political implications of this are simply too great.

In an instant, angels from Yingtianfu surged toward Julu like a tide, but Gu Xiuyuan's answer was always the same.

He's sick!
The descendants of the Gu family are also unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility.

The Gu family will continue to cultivate the Julu region as before.

The Song Dynasty royal family was furious at Gu Xiuyuan's answer.

This is actually why these people dislike the Gu family.

Fundamentally, they simply couldn't do anything about the Gu family.

For a family like the Gu family, which possesses prestige, classical learning, ancestral laws, and meritorious service, the interests of the imperial family are bound to be affected if they easily intervene.

How could they not be disgusted?
Unfortunately, no matter how angry they are, they cannot take action against the Gu family under the current circumstances!

Gu Yi didn't pay too much attention to these things; his attention was now almost entirely focused on Gu Hui.

He wanted to see what Gu Hui would do next, given his abilities.

Northern Xinjiang.

This place is now the site of the most intense warfare in the entire world.

Not only were there counterattacks from the Jurchen tribes, but there were also constant battles on the Liaodong Peninsula today.

Wanyan Digunai's vision was indeed outstanding. Almost immediately, he had already formed a certain degree of alliance with various tribes in Liaodong to jointly deal with the Song army.

This certainly earned him many opportunities.

Not only did it halt the Song army's offensive, but it also expanded his ruling base, effectively creating a decisive confrontation with the Song army.

In fact, the Song army had several opportunities to directly quell the rebellion.

After all, the strength of the Song Dynasty was undeniable.

Especially at the very beginning of the war, the Jurchen tribes' army was no match for the Song army at all. Unfortunately, the internal strife within the Song Dynasty was simply too intense.

People from all sides wasted countless opportunities in their scramble for credit.

This is what led to the current situation in the entire northern border region.

It is worth mentioning that--

Yue Fei is now a general in the Song army in the northern frontier!

That's right, he's a general!
Compared to the Yue Fei of the original history, the current Yue Fei has made significant improvements in almost every aspect, which will naturally make him stand out quickly in the entire Song army.

Especially considering he was a student from Julu Academy.

This identity gave him the opportunity to climb the ranks quickly, and once he demonstrated his abilities, he naturally reached this position.

Yue Fei did not object to this.

Because of Gu Xue's influence, he was very clear that only by constantly improving his status could he accomplish great things, and he would naturally tacitly agree to these things!

However, it wouldn't be entirely true to say that his situation in the northern frontier was particularly good.

Internal strife constantly affected him.

As for this struggle...

No matter who it is, once they reach a certain point, they are destined to be involved, no matter how unwilling they are.

Take Yue Fei as an example!

Song army camp.

Inside the central command tent, the charcoal fire crackled. Zhang Pu, the Grand Commander of the Northern Frontier Army and Deputy Privy Councilor, leaned against a tiger-skin cushion, not wearing armor, and leisurely stirred the tea foam with a cup lid, without even lifting his eyelids.

Before him stood Yue Fei, covered in dust from his journey, solemnly reporting on military affairs.

"Reporting to the Commander, after days of reconnaissance, I have discovered that the main force of the enemy chieftain Wanyan Digunai is resting in the Heishuiyu area due to insufficient food supplies. His troops are exhausted and their vigilance is less than usual."

"This is a golden opportunity! I request permission to lead my 5,000 elite Beiwei troops on a night raid. We are confident that we can defeat their main force in one fell swoop and capture and kill this scoundrel!"

His words were forceful and resolute.

However, Zhang Pu seemed not to have heard this important military intelligence concerning the battle situation. He still took a sip of hot tea at a leisurely pace, and after a while, he gently placed the teacup on the table, making a soft "tap" sound.

He raised his head, his gaze not falling on the military map, but instead casting a cold, gloomy scrutiny at Yue Fei.

"Yue Fei," his voice was not loud, but it carried the unique pressure of a superior, "let's not talk about sending troops for now."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp as knives, and his tone suddenly turned cold: "I ask you, three days ago, you severely punished Zhang Jun, the captain of the cavalry battalion, for the crime of 'cowardice in battle and harassment of the local area,' whipping him twenty times, dismissing him from his post, and sending him back to his hometown. Is this true?"

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became quiet.

Zhang Jun was the nephew of one of Zhang Pu's favorite concubines. He usually used Zhang Pu's power to gain seniority in the army and was always arrogant. This time, he was severely punished by Yue Fei according to military law. When the news came back, Zhang Pu lost face and was already furious.

Yue Fei frowned slightly, but his expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "That is indeed the case."

“Zhang Jun’s troops encountered a small group of enemy cavalry and collapsed before the battle even began, resulting in the plundering of villages and towns on their flanks. According to military law, he should be executed.”

"Considering it was his first offense and there was indeed enemy activity, I have already given him a lenient sentence."

"A lenient sentence?" Zhang Pu scoffed, slamming his hand on the table, making the teacups rattle. "A lenient sentence indeed!"

"Do you know who he is? Do you know whose face you've slapped?!"

He stood up, walked around Yue Fei, and said in a tone full of sarcasm and oppression: "General Yue, you come from Julu Academy and are well-versed in the classics. You should know the principle that 'the law does not apply to high officials, and etiquette does not apply to commoners.'"

"Some things require flexibility!"

"A balance between tension and relaxation is the way of both civil and military affairs."

"You act so cruelly and without any sense of human compassion. How can your soldiers be convinced of your loyalty? How can your colleagues work with you?"

He sat back down, his tone seemingly gentle, yet carrying an undeniable rejection: "The situation at Blackwater Valley is unclear; how can we act rashly?"

"If we fall into the enemy's trap and suffer heavy losses, can you bear the responsibility?"

"Don't mention this matter again. Go back and properly discipline your unit!"

"Stop overstepping your bounds!"

As he finished speaking, a mocking smile crept onto Zhang Pu's face.

Yue Fei clenched his fists suddenly.

Looking at Zhang Pu in front of him, his eyes suddenly struggled, as if he was hesitating about something, but in the end he had to calm down and then walked out without saying a word.

He's encountered this far too many times!
Right here in the northern frontier, far too many good opportunities have been wasted!
This is not just true for Zhang Puhui.

The intricacies within the Song army in the northern frontier are far more complex than they appear on the surface; almost everyone is bound by Yue Fei's constraints.

Back at their own camp, the somber and disciplined atmosphere was a stark contrast to the languid atmosphere of the central command tent.

The deputy general Niu Gao, who had been waiting outside the tent, immediately came forward. He was straightforward and impatient. Seeing Yue Fei's solemn expression, he had a premonition that something was wrong, but still held onto the last glimmer of hope and asked in a low voice, "General, has the Grand Commander approved our request to send troops?"

Yue Fei did not stop walking; he simply shook his head and went straight into the commander's tent.

Niu Gao stood frozen in place, then a surge of anger rushed to his head. He stormed into the tent, unable to contain his rage any longer, and roared, "It's like this again! It's like this again!"

"The opportunity to fight is fleeting. Wanyan Digu's power is growing stronger and stronger. Do they care about anything other than power and self-interest?!"

"How can you face the soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the front lines?!"

"These parasites are simply... utterly despicable!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, ripped off his helmet and slammed it to the ground with a loud thud, his chest heaving violently.

Yue Fei silently walked to the table, pressed his hand on the cold edge of the map, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

He did not stop Niu Gao from venting, because the resentment and helplessness were also surging within him.

How could he not be heartbroken? How could he not be indignant?

But he knew even more deeply that anger would not solve anything here.

He can indeed mobilize troops on his own.

Yue Fei had great faith in his strategic vision; he believed that as long as he took action, he would surely win.

But he also knew that even if he won, he would still be punished.

Although Yue Fei was not afraid of these things.

But he has concerns, fearing that he might be transferred out of the Northern Frontier, at which point there would be no hope left for this land!
This is something he cannot tolerate!

Countless thoughts kept rising in his mind, and even someone as strong-willed as Yue Fei felt extremely tired at this moment.

The war and political affairs left him exhausted.

But at that moment, the tent flap was gently lifted, and a personal guard strode in, presenting a seemingly ordinary but tightly sealed visiting card with both hands. His voice carried a hint of unease: "General, someone outside the camp delivered this card, saying that an old friend has come to visit."

Yue Fei frowned slightly. At this time and place, were there any old friends there?

He accepted the visiting card; it was made of a special, thick paper.

The moment I touched this piece of paper.

Yue Fei's expression changed involuntarily, clearly indicating that he had already guessed what was going on.

He was very familiar with this paper.

It is the Julu paper commonly used by the Gu family members, and its texture is quite different from other papers.

The names above were also exactly as he had expected.

Almost instantly, Yue Fei was struck as if by lightning and stood up abruptly!
"quick!"

"Take me there!!!"
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes! Please support me, brothers! I'd be extremely grateful.)
(End of this chapter)