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

Chapter 96 The Great Disaster Strikes, Control Takes Effect Once Again (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
As things unfolded, it did not exceed Gu Yi's expectations;

The political landscape may change, but the unseen calamities of nature are already predetermined.
The sixteenth year of Yanxing;
A sudden drought brought the development of the Han Dynasty to an abrupt halt.

—Jizhou, Yanzhou, and the Three Auxiliary Regions;
The drought in many places seemed to have pressed the pause button, suddenly halting the Han people's indomitable momentum.

Of course, this level of drought could affect the Han Dynasty.

But it wasn't fatal enough.

The court had a group of people, including Zhuge Liang, Zhang Hua, and Yang Hu.

In addition, the Han Dynasty currently possesses a strong foundation and a clean and efficient administration.

The disaster relief work is progressing very smoothly.

The disaster had no impact on the Han Dynasty. Simply mobilizing the granaries in various regions was enough to quell the unrest, and the four directions remained completely calm.

But things will naturally not be that simple.

In the original history.

The excitement and chaos of that turbulent era obscured the fact that natural disasters occurred at the time.

However, natural disasters were still one of the unavoidable main reasons for the large-scale population decline at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

It was in the seventeenth year of Yanxing;
—The disaster continued and even spread to more states and counties.

The drought in Yanzhou and the Sanfu region had not yet ended; continuous rain in the Jiangdong region finally caused the Yangtze River to breach its banks, resulting in a massive flood.

This natural disaster finally posed a threat to the Han Dynasty.

No matter how powerful a feudal dynasty was.

However, given the limitations of productivity, such continuous and widespread disasters can still be deadly.

The key is--

The massive population growth in the Han Dynasty over the years has resulted in an even greater number of refugees during this natural disaster.

But the abilities of these people in the Han court today are not just empty words.

The example of Gu Xi's disaster relief efforts in the past provided them with an excellent model.

Although times have changed and the current situation is completely different from what it was back then.

But for these talented people...

They could formulate a more suitable strategy for the present by drawing on everything that Gu Xixi used for disaster relief in the past.

Opening warehouses to stabilize grain prices;
We must leverage the accumulated strength of the Han Dynasty over the years to stabilize the overall situation.

They even adopted the work-for-relief program from the time of Emperor Wu of Han, providing relief to disaster victims while simultaneously carrying out disaster relief work.

Zhuge Liang did not choose to change the system.

Although under such circumstances, revising those systems that benefit the people would greatly reduce the pressure on the imperial court.

However, once a system has been fully implemented, suddenly canceling it will lead to a loss of public support.

Maintaining public morale is one of the most critical factors in disaster relief.

As long as people's hearts don't break apart.

The impact of that disaster would not be enough to completely affect the core of the state.

This year has been far more difficult than the year before.

Zhuge Liang was just like Gu Xi back then, worrying about disaster relief day and night.

The seventh generation of the Gu family rushed to various places, keeping a close eye on the specific details of the disaster relief while using the Gu family's influence to stabilize public sentiment.

To ensure that the Han dynasty would not descend into chaos.

Fortunately, the Han Dynasty is now rising to prominence.

If it were during the reign of Emperor Huan or Emperor Ling;

The backlash from this disaster would instantly shatter everything the Great Han had.

Zhuge Liang ordered all officials to practice frugality.

Even Liu Shan, an emperor who usually did not concern himself with state affairs, was influenced and began to emulate the benevolent emperors of the Han Dynasty, setting an example for others.

This year was extremely difficult.

However, thanks to the strength of the Han Dynasty, the situation in all directions did not descend into chaos.

However, everyone is very cautious about whether this natural disaster will continue.

Some suggested that Liu Shan should follow Gu Xi's example and hold a sacrificial ceremony on the banks of the Luo River;

They even want to change the era name.

However, Zhuge Liang rejected the suggestion.

After all, this is a way to appease people's hearts.

If natural disasters continue after the ritual and the change of era, then the hearts of the people who have never been swayed will surely waver.

This is the situation that Zhuge Liang is most worried about right now.

Regarding Zhuge Liang.

Liu Shan is now completely obedient and has no objections.

And things did not turn out as Zhuge Liang had predicted;

—The eighteenth year of Yanxing.

Natural disasters continue.

Although the scale of the natural disasters this year was not much different from that of seventeen years ago, after two years of depletion, the impact of disasters of the same scale was fundamentally different.

Dramatic changes occurred in both the government and the public.

An unimaginable gloom gradually descended upon the burly man.

The three-year-long natural disaster awakened memories deep within everyone's hearts;
That was a memory passed down from our ancestors—the natural disasters experienced during the reign of Empress He Xi, Deng Sui!
Even the most stable public sentiment will be affected under such circumstances.

This influence even spread to the imperial court.

The Han Dynasty court was once thriving, and everyone longed to create an even more glorious achievement.

But now—everyone is thinking about how to safely weather this natural disaster.

The natural disasters during the Dengsui period were known not only to the common people.

These scholars were even more fully aware of the impact of that great calamity.

Although no one wanted to believe that such a disaster would strike Kyushu again.

But their mindset will also be affected.

The situation is becoming increasingly dire.

Zhuge Liang had to adjust the overall strategy of the Han Dynasty, abolishing the policy of encouraging childbirth and reducing the expenses of the border troops.

—Restart the policy of military settlements.

The policy of military settlements is a double-edged sword.

This strategy was abolished by Gu Chen after the country was stabilized.

Since the four generals who guard the four directions already wield considerable power, entrusting the matter of provisions to others is an even greater test of their loyalty.

Fortunately, the current generals are all elites trained by Gu Chen.

To the Great Han; to Gu Chen;
These people are loyal enough to be trusted.

With the borders stable, the morale of the military remains high.

That would guarantee the basic foundation of the entire Han Dynasty.

No one would care about that.

What the people really care about is the abolition of policies that encourage childbirth.

In fact, this was a choice Zhuge Liang had no other option but to make.

This measure would not have much impact in a normal year.

But in such a year of great disaster.

Eventually, some people will choose to have more children to reduce taxes in order to survive, including people in areas not affected by disasters.

The taxes levied on the Han Dynasty were already extremely low.

Zhuge Liang had to prevent this behavior from becoming the norm.

As the news spread, it drew criticism from all over the world.

The hearts of the people of the Han Dynasty were instantly stirred.

For the common people, this move by the imperial court was enough to show that the court was already running a deficit.

There was no other way—

While Zhuge Liang was busy with disaster relief, he had no choice but to submit a memorial to Liu Shan requesting that he change the era name.

Changing the era name is indeed a good idea.

This move can greatly increase people's confidence in the face of natural disasters, before they completely lose hope.

July of the eighteenth year of Yanxing;

Liu Shan announced the change of reign title to "Yankang" in Luoyang.

The meaning is that the Han Dynasty will continue to prosper.

In fact, the common people naturally hoped that Liu Shan would perform a sacrificial ceremony at the Luo River.

Prophecy and superstition have always been the most effective way to appease people's hearts.

But this was the imperial court's last line of defense.

Given Zhuge Liang's character, he would never gamble with the people's hearts.

If natural disasters continue after the sacrifice, the people will only feel that the Han Dynasty has lost its destiny, which is an unbearable burden for the Han Dynasty.

He would never take unnecessary risks. Disaster relief efforts continued uninterrupted.

No matter how deep the foundation of the Han Dynasty is, the current situation is becoming increasingly precarious due to the continuous deficit.

Zhuge Liang could only make more careful plans.

This stabilized the increasingly turbulent hearts of people in all directions.

But no matter how hard he tried, he was ultimately unable to change the dire situation facing the Han Dynasty.

But at this critical moment, Deng Ai once again stepped forward.

His skill in cultivating land once again astonished everyone.

The support from Shu greatly reduced the pressure on the Han court.

But how could a natural disaster end so simply?

No matter how hard the imperial court tried, such natural disasters could not prevent people from dying.

Although the Han Dynasty now has detailed strategies for dealing with plagues, there are still some people living in the surrounding areas who are unaware of this.

The plague spread silently throughout the Han Dynasty.

Fortunately, the seventh generation of the Gu family were away.

They immediately recognized the crisis and implemented large-scale quarantine measures, which prevented the plague from spreading on a large scale.

The way the Gu family is handling the plague can absolutely be called the best in the world.

Whether it's Gu Xiyi or Gu Chen.

This left the Gu family members with a great deal of tools to use.

However, for the Han Dynasty at present, the truly fatal problem is when the natural disasters will end.

Even though the imperial court continued to provide disaster relief.

But as long as natural disasters continue, the hearts of the people will eventually break down, and the imperial court will eventually be completely dragged down.

The first year of Yankang;

The disasters continue.

The chain reaction caused by years of natural disasters reappeared this year, and locust plagues once again spread to the Jiangdong region.

Zhuge Liang ultimately had no choice but to resort to all available means.

In June, he personally accompanied Liu Shan to perform a sacrificial ceremony at the Luo River to reassure the people.

At the same time, he also used the same methods that Gu Xixi had used in the past.

First, they released news of various miracles.

Subsequently, granaries were built in various places to demonstrate to countless refugees that the imperial court still had the ability to provide disaster relief.

Zhuge Liang's domestic policy skills were fully demonstrated under these circumstances.

He reformed the post station system.

The amount of grain and fodder consumed during the period of reduced transport volume.

The casting of wooden oxen and flowing horses made it more convenient to transport goods from Shu (Sichuan).

Then, based on the severity of the disaster in each state, a more detailed disaster relief strategy will be formulated, and every effort will be made to control everything.

Everything he did was in no way inferior to what Gu Xi had done in the past.

--Do not!

With Gu Xi's experience, Zhuge Liang has now even surpassed Gu Xi.

Under such a large-scale natural disaster.

His ability to stabilize the overall situation is enough to demonstrate his extraordinary talent.

Given the experience of continuous natural disasters in the past, this time it will only be easier for people's hearts to be scattered.

It is already quite remarkable that they were able to accomplish all of this.

Gu Yi had been silently observing all of this, and the tension in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

--really!
Things didn't turn out that simply!
Gu Yi couldn't be sure if this was another intervention by the historical revisionists, since a large-scale natural disaster had already occurred at this time in the original history.

But what he was certain of was that the impact of this natural disaster would be enormous.

He had no choice but to take action.

The reason why he hadn't taken action before was simple: with figures like Zhuge Liang who would be remembered throughout history, there was no need for Gu Chen to handle the disaster relief.

If even this configuration can't solve natural disasters...

Even if he were to take action, it would be in vain unless he could truly trigger an industrial revolution.

But how easy is it to cross eras?
But things are different now—

Although everyone's attention is now focused on the internal affairs of the Han Dynasty.

But what Gu Yi was really concerned about was the external threat.

Time waits for no one; the generals Gu Chen left behind are no longer young.

Although everything has changed now, Gu Yi cannot determine how much longer they have left to live.

But he also has to make preparations.

Natural disasters in the Han Dynasty are destined to weaken its overall strength and diminish its influence.

And the barbarians from all sides will definitely become stronger during this period;

—Or even reunification!
If the Han Dynasty were to weaken at that time, history would turn back time and return to its original course.

This is unacceptable to Gu Yi!
Judging from Gu Chen's actions towards those barbarians.

If history were to return to its fundamental form, the Gu family would certainly face a fatal threat.

When the rites and music completely collapse, no one will care about the Gu family's reputation among the people.

If things really do revert to the old ways...

The Gu family's reputation can no longer be considered a protective charm, but rather a death warrant.

This also includes the internal crisis within the Gu family.

Regardless, Gu Yi must resolve everything this time.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Yi directly summoned the four words "family information" in his mind.

After a brief hesitation, he still did not choose the more outstanding seventh-generation descendant.

Instead, she chose Gu Ye.

The seventh generation is already quite old, while the eighth generation is just beginning to rise.

This is the root cause.

The game's prompts flashed before Gu Yi's eyes instantly.

Are you sure you want to take control of the character immediately?

[Achievement Points Consumed: 300000]

Seeing the prompt in front of him, Gu Yi immediately chose to confirm this time.

He had no choice.

Although judging from Gu Yi's current achievements...

He could easily max out the system's luck value through a lottery, at least obtaining a Heaven-level item, which might completely resolve this natural disaster.

However, there are also uncertainties involved.

And the most important thing is——

For Gu Yi, he needs to revitalize the Gu family and fundamentally resolve the impact of the chaos in the world.

The prompt before my eyes shattered instantly, like a dream bubble.

In an instant, the scene around Gu Yi suddenly blurred.

He felt his perspective rapidly descend, and the "God's-eye view" that allowed him to overlook everything in the third person instantly switched back to the first-person perspective.

At the same time, memories surged like a tidal wave, and Gu Yi absorbed and digested all of Gu Ye's memories from the day he was born until now, including every little detail.

Everything was pitch black, as if I were in an endless abyss.

He didn't know how long he had endured, but just when Gu Yi felt time had stopped, the sun slowly rose, and the first ray of dawn pierced through the window and quietly entered the room.

As Gu Ye slowly woke up on the bed, he gradually opened his eyes.

The scene before Gu Yi's eyes quickly solidified and became clear at that moment.

Finally, dawn broke...

In the summer of the sixteenth year of Yanxing, in the fourth month, the Yellow River and the Ji River in Yanzhou dried up, and the Three Auxiliary Regions received no rain from spring to autumn, leaving the land barren for thousands of miles.

The Prefect of Jingzhao reported: "In Fufeng and Fengyi, the wheat and rice have withered, and the people are digging up rats and catching sparrows to eat. The roads are littered with dead bodies."

On the day of Dingwei in the seventh month, Venus passed through the sky, and the Grand Historian reported: "The element of fire has lost its order, and the fault lies with excessive yang."

In the first month of spring in the seventeenth year, the Three Auxiliary Regions suffered another drought, and Kunming Pool dried up.

On the day of Gengzi in the third month, there was fifty days of continuous rain in Jiangdong. In Jiangdu County, a dragon fought in Qu'a, and fields and houses in Danyang and Wujun were submerged.

On the day of Renyin in May, the Yangtze River breached the Guangling Dam, and the floodwaters entered the city. The governor of Kuaiji threw official documents into the flood.

On that day, a great earthquake struck Jiankang, and the sound of the bells on Zhongshan Mountain lasted for three days before ceasing.

In the seventh month of autumn, a two-mile-long hole appeared in the ground at Yanmen in Bingzhou, and black water gushed out, its stench unbearable to behold.

On the day of Bingchen in the eighth month, Mount Linqiu in Wuwei County, Liangzhou collapsed, burying three hundred houses.

The plague began in Huaibei, and within ten days, more than two thousand people died in Beihai County, Qingzhou. Every household hung mourning clothes, and the sound of weeping echoed across the fields.

—From the "Treatise on the Five Elements" in the Book of Yan Han

(End of this chapter)