Chapter 100: The Rule of Yanxing, The Arrival of a Prosperous Age (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

Only those who have truly lived through chaos know how precious a life of stability truly is;

—the current Great Han is precisely such a case.

There are simply too many legends about Gu Chen.

Passed down by word of mouth, his death has dealt the Great Han a devastating blow.

Zhuge Liang perceived this point.

After careful deliberation, Zhuge Liang memorialized Liu Shan, requesting that Liu Shan change the era name.

In the present era.

Changing the era name signifies a renewal of all things.

No matter what, he had to dispel the sorrow among the Great Han's common folk.

The Great Han is now on the rise; it absolutely cannot afford any upheaval.

Upon hearing the gravity of the matter.

Even though Liu Shan was unwilling to completely erase the Zhangwu Prosperous Age forged by Liu Bei and Gu Chen, he had no choice but to change the era name for the sake of the realm.

Small Small Yugu Yi's view, the current Liu Shan has actually changed somewhat compared to the original history.

Perhaps because the situation had shifted, Liu Shan no longer had to face so many crises, and as a whole he seemed more sentimental.

Zhangwu sixteen-three, July;

Liu Shan performed sacrifices in Luoyang to the Great Han's late emperors and to Gu Xi and Gu Chen.

He then formally proclaimed the change of era name to "Yanxing."

The meaning—

The Great Han shall rise!

And granted a general amnesty throughout the realm.

This act did indeed disperse some of the sorrow brought by Gu Chen's death.

After all, no matter how unwilling the common folk were to accept Gu Chen's death.

The man was gone;

—all that remained for them was to keep moving forward.

Gu Yi did not choose to rush in and take control.

For him, speaking on behalf of the realm, now would indeed be the most opportune moment to take control.

He need not bother with anything else.

Using a modern person's perspective to raise the Great Han's productivity and overall standard—this, Gu Yi could still accomplish.

—But for the Gu clan.

Taking control at this moment was not a good opportunity.

After all, the Gu clan was already at its peak; surveying the entire realm, no one could threaten the Gu clan, and the Great Han was thriving day by day.

Taking control at such a time would only add flourish to the Gu clan's already flourishing state.

But its true significance would not be great.

Moreover, with Zhuge Liang, Zhang Hua, and others still alive.

Even if he took control personally, could he truly surpass them?

A cost of three hundred thousand achievement points would be extremely painful for Gu Yi.

He needed to find the most opportune moment. 【

And Gu Yi kept observing the situation across the entire realm.

The impact of the Great Han's third revival was too great, and with Gu Chen—the one who could resist historical correction—now dead, Gu Yi did not believe the realm would remain so peaceful.

Time hurried on.

Gu Chen's arrangements within the Great Han court had been far too thorough.

And there was still Zhuge Liang, that pillar supporting the heavens.

No upheaval appeared within the Great Han; everything was advancing in the right direction.

Zhuge Liang's ability in internal affairs needed no further words.

Especially after receiving the Gu clan's education, today's Zhuge Liang was even more capable than before.

At least in water conservancy;

Zhuge Liang could be said to have fully inherited Gu Kang's former talents;

As the Great Han's national strength gradually recovered, Zhuge Liang launched his second large-scale water conservancy reform.

He set a plan spanning several years.

—spreading little by little from the capital region to every corner of the realm.

This line of thinking was already extremely advanced.

The emergence of the Gu clan ultimately accelerated the liberation of people and thought, and for the development of the entire Nine Provinces, its impact was immense.

—What truly astonished the people of the realm was Deng Ai.

Ever since Gu Chen once traveled through Shu and handed the water conservancy maps for governing Shu to Deng Ai.

Deng Ai had immediately begun all manner of rectifications in Shu.

He was a man who greatly longed to earn merit;

Although the current situation no longer allowed him to fight on the battlefield, he was also suited to managing water conservancy and holding a region.

Gu Chen had long seen through the issues in Deng Ai's character.

He left Deng Ai with many restrictions.

This also prevented Deng Ai from causing other incidents, and made him all the more devoted to water conservancy.

And now—

The arrangements in Shu have reached the time of blossoming and fruiting.

This seems like a signal.

It signifies that the prosperity of Han has fully arrived.

Though the lands of Sichuan are treacherous to traverse, they have since ancient times been called the Land of Heavenly Abundance.

With rebellion quelled, the aristocratic clans subdued, and water conservancy projects repaired, Shu's development accelerated rapidly.

This brought unimaginable aid to the entire Han.

The current court configuration of Han can truly be called its peak.

Zhuge Liang, Zhang Hua, Yang Hu, Zhong Hui, and many others who left their names in history, including the seventh-generation descendant of the Gu clan.

These men will push Han's national strength to its zenith.

They will sustain the overall growth of Han's power without disturbing the stability of the grand order.

—Until the third year of Yanxing;

"Chuxue" had already spread fully across Guanzhong, including Jizhou;

This may be your best era.

Emperor Liu Shan, with his temperament, paired with this group of exceptionally capable ministers.

With the correct direction already established.

A dynasty will develop swiftly.

Zhuge Liang and the Gu clan descendants were tightly holding onto administrative discipline, though their deterrent power paled greatly compared to the early Gu Chen.

But with these men in place,

Han's administrative discipline would not face major problems.

Moreover, Gu Chen's final campaigns against the barbarians granted Han ample time for development.

In just a few short years, the entire Han had been utterly transformed.

The reduction of head taxes greatly boosted population growth.

And population growth in this era meant progress in productivity.

Land reclamation; water conservancy; stable trade routes;

Under all these favorable developmental policies,

In just a few short years, the entire Han felt utterly transformed.

Until the fifth year of Yanxing;

—The entire Han's population had approached forty million, nearing the peak of the Later Han.

Compared to the population of the Nine Provinces in its original history, after the great chaos, it was more than double.

Of course, many factors contributed to this.

Not only because Gu Chen had eradicated the chaos early, preventing continuous casualties.

Also because the aristocratic clans could no longer conceal large numbers of people.

Yet even if all else were discarded,

It still proves how astonishingly rapid Han's development had become.

Gu Yi had been quietly observing all this, his heart neither surprised nor stirred—only calm.

In truth, this was the normal phenomenon.

With Han's current court configuration, even he felt it was overly formidable.

With these men striving to shine brightly,

How could Han not flourish?

And Gu Yi could be certain this was not Han's peak.

When Han's national strength truly reached its zenith,

The gradually slipping-away Western Regions;

Including the currently undeveloped south, would enter these men's field of vision.

This is the inevitable competition inherent in human nature;

—No one can escape it.

This is destined to be a grand era of explosive development;

Emperor Liu Shan's temperament would inevitably drive his ministers to reach an unprecedented peak in boldness and action.

As national strength continued to grow;

In the seventh year of Yanxing, under the deliberation of these capable men, the policy to encourage childbirth was proposed.

Those who bore children would be exempt from half that year's taxes.

Had this been proposed in the past, it would have been utterly impossible.

After all, Han's national strength could not support such expenditure.

Nor could the head tax have been so heavy.

But now it was different.

Years without war, full focus on national development, including the reduction of head taxes—these policies had already enabled Han to implement this system.

As soon as this decree was issued, the entire realm was stunned!

Bearing children exempts you from taxes?

To the common people, this was an unimaginably good thing, never before dreamed of.

At the same time, the seventh-generation Gu clan descendants also moved against the administrative laws and regulations.

Building upon the laws of the Later Han, reforms were made according to the current situation and developmental context of Great Han.

Introduced laws such as "Labor Redemption" and "Righteous Deed Redemption."

Convert labor into sentence reduction;

Reduce punishment for those who report wealthy landowners who violate laws and seize military farmland;

The most central target was undoubtedly the aristocratic clans.

——In simple terms, it placed a chain upon the aristocratic clans.

It did not explicitly forbid aristocratic clans from annexing land, since the court could not block normal civilian transactions.

But this law meticulously defined specific tax rates.

For land under one hundred mu, the tax remained one in thirty;

Yet above one hundred mu, taxes increased progressively.

It also regulated commercial taxes.

It even contained detailed provisions for officials across regions, including demotion and dismissal and other specifics.

It further proposed building a great wall in Luoyang, calling it the "Wall of Weeping."

Beneath the wall, set up a "Drum of Complaints"; those who beat the drum to voice grievances would have their stories recorded by designated officials, and the hundred most compelling cases would be compiled into the "Record of Heaven's Hearing" and presented directly to the Emperor.

Although from today's perspective, this new legal code still had numerous shortcomings.

But undeniably—

It was a tremendous advancement for Great Han at the time.

This matter was destined to shake heaven and earth.

Law was unquestionably the foundation of any dynasty.

Given Zhuge Liang's nature, he would not directly decree this, yet he understood how vital it was.

He summoned ministers to Luoyang for days of discussion.

The current Great Han.

Ministers now routinely debated state affairs through the night.

Liu Zhuang's late-night conversations with Gu Kang had ultimately influenced many things.

At this critical juncture, the value of these men became fully evident.

Regarding this new legal code to be implemented across Great Han, each person offered unique insights and personal recommendations.

The debate lasted for months.

Only in the eighth year of Yanxing was it finally settled.

Afterwards, Zhuge Liang ordered regional officials to disseminate Great Han's laws, and to store copies in an increasing number of "Libraries," mandating that every student memorize them.

Upon hearing of this.

The aristocratic clans, who had gradually forgotten Gu Chen, found it impossible to accept these provisions.

A dynasty was never destined to have only light.

Even when Gu Chen was alive, he could not fully eradicate all darkness, let alone now that he had been dead for many years.

Immediately, someone submitted a memorial to Liu Shan, accusing Zhuge Liang and the ministers involved of violating filial rites by altering the laws of the Former Han.

These men were still quite clever.

Knowing Liu Shan's feelings for Gu Chen, they deliberately avoided targeting Gu clan descendants.

But what they did not anticipate—

The usually gentle Liu Shan flew into a rage over this!

His target was not, as they imagined, Zhuge Liang and the ministers.

It was them!

Liu Shan nearly executed everyone involved, finally showing the demeanor of an Emperor.

This outcome took everyone by surprise.

No one could have imagined an Emperor like Liu Shan could be so bloody.

And was Liu Shan unfilial?

Under the banner of filial piety, why such brutal retribution?

But soon these men learned the reason.

The officials they accused were all listed in the "Roll" left by Gu Chen for Liu Shan.

Upon hearing this.

All those across the land who had been dissatisfied fell silent.

Even though Gu Chen had died many years ago;

——yet even now, he still suppressed all who dared harbor dissent.

Under these circumstances, Great Han's "New Code" rapidly spread throughout the realm.

This was also a gradual process.

In the tenth year of Yanxing;

The fourth official assessment of Great Han was reopened.

Although Great Han had flourished these past years, the official assessment remained the matter most gripping the hearts of the realm.

The widespread establishment of "Beginner Schools" and "Libraries."

Also ensured the workload would grow ever larger.

Yet Zhuge Liang and others, including the seventh-generation Gu clan descendants, still personally reviewed each case, showing extreme attention to the matter.

Not merely to honor Gu Chen;

Similarly, they wanted to probe the overall level of the common people under these various systems.

Time is an invisible blade; they were no longer as young as they had been in the beginning.

Compared to the beginning.

This time's examination results were far better.

Selecting talent from across the entire realm yielded far more than selecting only from aristocratic clans.

In fact, by the third official examination, the number of commoners had already increased significantly.

As the scale expanded.

This time, over a hundred commoner sons had made the cut.

Although they still lagged somewhat behind the aristocratic youths, this gap was destined to narrow with time.

When the examination results were announced.

Liu Shan, as before, carried the results and the candidates' answer sheets to sacrifice before Liu Bei and Gu Chen, then proclaimed the matter to the realm.

——The news spread, and the four corners stirred!

Through these repeated official examinations, this practice had sunk deep into the hearts of the common people.

And as this idea took firm root and sprouted.

History was destined to move only forward.

If anyone sought to fully restore the era when all official posts were monopolized by great aristocratic clans, the people's fury would be enough to destroy it all.

Year 13 of Yanxing;

The population of Han officially surpassed fifty million, reaching the peak of the Later Han.

And events did not depart from Gu Yi's expectations;

Once Han's national strength fully recovered, some turned their gaze once more to the Western Regions.

In truth, some states in the Western Regions still maintained trade routes open with Han.

But they had completely broken free from Han's control.

The Gu clan had wanted to act but lacked the power; under those earlier conditions, the Huan Hou line could not hold the entire Western Regions.

Now that Han's national strength had recovered.

The capable men in court naturally turned their eyes toward the Western Regions.

First catch up to the Later Han; then surpass it.

This had become one of their noblest ideals.

Zhuge Liang was extremely cautious about this.

Although he knew Han currently had the strength to reclaim the Western Regions, he could not afford to be careless.

This was Zhuge Liang's nature.

After several days of deliberation, Zhuge Liang first sent envoys to the Western Regions, aiming to persuade the states to surrender.

But the outcome was as expected.

Some small Western Region states were willing to submit.

But the powers that had become dominant in the Western Regions—Shule, Yanqi, and others—would not accept Han's overtures.

Who would willingly become a vassal when they could rule autonomously as kings?

Of course, they were not foolish enough to become Han's open enemies.

The prestige Gu Chen had won for Han was enough to make them wary.

They too dispatched envoys to Han.

Declaring: "Willing to trade with Han, absolutely not to harass Han merchants, but unwilling to become Han's tributary."

Liu Shan paid it no mind.

But whether it was Zhuge Liang and others, or the Gu clan's descendants,

Their stance was resolute.

Though Zhuge Liang was cautious by nature, when faced with a goal, he was not a man who hesitated.

Under these circumstances.

——After many years, Han raised its blade once more.

For this Han military campaign, Zhuge Liang was especially attentive.

This battle held immense significance for Han.

Not only did it concern whether the Western Regions could be reclaimed;

It was also an opportunity to show the barbarians stirring in the four corners, over time, just how terrifying Han's power truly was!

Zhuge Liang did not mobilize the generals stationed in the four directions.

Instead, he appointed Gu Wei as commander, with Wei Yan and the current Huan Hou Gu Yu among other generals, leading fifty thousand troops straight into the Western Regions.

The outcome of this battle was naturally already decided.

Although the Western Region states had developed over the years, they still paled in comparison to Han today.

And most crucially—

Before his death, Gu Chen's actions to weaken the barbarians had completely altered the Western Regions from their original historical path.

In the original history,

Powerful Western Region states like Yanqi and Shule had intermarried with the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and others.

This naturally increased the difficulty of reclaiming them.

But now it was different.

The internal conflicts among the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Wuhuan, and other barbarians had gradually unfolded over time; they could not possibly send troops to aid the Western Regions.

And today's Han is not the Western Jin of history.

Even with their help, the outcome was destined to remain unchanged.

The fifteenth year of Yanxing;

The western frontier wars came to a complete end.

Gu Wei crushed the anti-Han forces in Yanqi and Shule, reinstalled pro-Han rulers as kings, and gradually reclaimed the states of the Western Regions.

He summoned the hostage princes from the Western Region states back to the capital.

From this year onward, the Han finally surpassed the Later Han entirely.

In both national strength and population and territory, it surpassed the peak of the Later Han.

Gu Yi had been watching all of this, and he was somewhat astonished.

Although he had long anticipated that with these capable men working in unison, Han's national strength would develop rapidly.

But he had not expected it.

Everything had turned out so smoothly.

Yet the smoother it became, the more uneasy Gu Yi felt inside.

Historical correction was constant and unceasing.

The emergence of the Gu clan and the founding of Yan Han had completely exceeded the original history.

In every aspect—from dynastic succession to the emergence of institutions—a great transformation had already occurred.

Could the correction simply have vanished?

And most crucially—

Gu Yi remembered clearly: in the original history, during the Three Kingdoms period and the early Western Jin, disasters across the Nine Provinces were far from rare.

This was one of the main reasons for the massive population decline back then.

Although Gu Chen had ended the chaos early.

But dynasties may change—how could celestial patterns and weather possibly remain unchanged?

Although Han had endured some disasters in recent years, they were still far fewer than those recorded in the original history.

Gu Yi did not believe celestial patterns could suddenly shift without any cause.

Although the Gu clan's influence was now immense, to claim it could alter celestial patterns—

How could that be possible?

Something must have changed.

Although Gu Yi did not believe that, given Han's current foundation, natural disasters could harm it.

Yet he still felt a deep unease.

For this reason, Gu Yi paid even closer attention to the eighth-generation members of the Gu clan who were emerging.

Peace across the land certainly stimulated population growth.

Even the Gu clan itself was affected.

Compared to the earlier population struggles of the Gu clan, the number of eighth-generation members greatly exceeded Gu Yi's expectations.

But those with outstanding talent were few.

The only one worth Gu Yi's attention was a young boy named Gu Ye.

It was not because his attributes were particularly excellent.

Compared to the attributes of the seventh-generation members, his were merely average.

What truly drew Gu Yi's attention to him—was his personality.

Perhaps due to the great changes in the world, the Gu clan's traditional teachings of example and instruction had weakened, and the eighth-generation members were far more rebellious.

The ancestral precepts once strictly followed by all clan members had lost significance for these descendants.

This was certainly a risk to the Gu clan's ten-thousand-year plan.

No matter what, Gu Yi had to act.

Even if it meant improving the internal environment of the Gu clan, he must reestablish the clan's faith in this generation!

————

"The Reign of Yanxing, as the turning point from chaos to order across the realm, inaugurated the first comprehensive golden age of China's medieval period.

After ending the warlordism and turmoil of the late Eastern Han,

the Yan Han court implemented a governance strategy of 'people-first,' achieving economic recovery through policies such as light corvée and taxes, and encouraging farming and sericulture; cultivated land expanded more than threefold compared to the chaotic era, and population grew steadily at an annual rate of twelve per thousand.

Politically, it established the system of recommendation and evaluation, pioneering a selection mechanism centered on the people of the realm, laying the foundation for the imperial examination system of later generations;

the 'Yanxing New Code' enacted during this period established the legislative principle of 'virtue as primary, punishment as auxiliary'; its provisions such as 'kin concealment' and 'reduced punishment for the elderly and young' influenced legal codes for over a thousand years.

The governance system of 'Confucianism externally, Legalism internally' formed during this period established the fundamental characteristics of later legal systems; its governance experience of 'lenient laws and simplified administration' and 'emphasizing agriculture and promoting education' became a model for successive golden ages."

——People's Education Press History Textbook (Grade 7, Volume 1)

(End of Chapter)