Chapter 102: Meeting Zhuge Liang, Improving Disaster Relief (Requesting Monthly Votes)

The sunlight was especially blinding;

Perhaps because he hadn't operated it for too long.

Gu Yi spent a long while adapting before gradually growing accustomed to this first-person perspective.

He did not rush.

Instead, he watched Gu Ye finish breakfast and complete the morning cultivation, then mentally activated control over Gu Ye to head toward the Chancellor's Mansion.

The political center of Han today was precisely the Chancellor's Mansion.

All seventh-generation members of the Gu clan were currently abroad.

This naturally made the Marquis of Guanjun Mansion seem somewhat desolate.

Yet compared to the Gu clan's Marquis of Guanjun Mansion, the Chancellor's Mansion lay even farther from the imperial palace, enough to illustrate just how exalted the Gu clan's status was within Han.

Gu Yi intended to meet Zhuge Liang.

Although Gu Chen had repeatedly insisted before his death that no special favors be granted to Gu clan descendants.

But given Liu Shan's nature, he naturally felt a kinship toward Gu clan descendants.

Not only did he encourage Gu clan descendants to associate with Imperial Princes;

They also enjoyed special privileges when traveling throughout the realm.

Everyone was fully aware of this.

Along the way, Gu Yi continuously pondered the details.

Gu Ye was indeed the most outstanding among contemporary Gu clan descendants; though still too young to participate in state affairs, he understood the overall situation of Han very clearly.

Han currently faced not only natural disasters from all four directions;

But also rising rebellions among the people of Sizhou.

This was entirely the inevitability of the times.

No matter how hard the court tried to relieve the disasters, it could not possibly assist everyone—there would always be desperate refugees choosing to fight desperately, becoming marauding refugees who knew only plunder.

In addition, there were barbarians from all four directions gradually growing discontented with Han.

Gu Chen had been dead too long.

The deterrence he brought had long since faded with time.

If Han had remained perpetually strong, this crisis would not have arrived directly.

But now it was different.

In truth, the current barbarians from all four directions were pure parasites feeding off Han.

Their backward productivity could not sustain self-sufficiency; submitting to Han to obtain the aid they desired was their only path to survival.

But with internal unrest in Han,

This system was bound to be affected—how could they not grow discontent?

Gu Yi's thoughts raced as he considered how to swiftly resolve all of this.

Though he was merely an ordinary university student,

China's thousands of years of history had given him countless precedents to draw upon.

Including his modern person's absolute perspective.

This was an existence no one in this era could surpass.

Though Gu Yi also understood that in operational details and governance, he certainly could not match Zhuge Liang and others.

But if it were merely to formulate a more advanced disaster-relief strategy,

He truly could accomplish it.

No matter what, Gu Yi had to resolve the natural disasters as quickly as possible, freeing Han from this quagmire.

Before the barbarians from all four directions grew strong enough to reach their peak!

This was the most critical point!

Countless thoughts flashed through Gu Yi's mind.

In this way, Gu Ye arrived unconsciously at the Chancellor's Mansion.

As the most composed among eighth-generation Gu clan members, Gu Ye was no stranger to visiting the Chancellor's Mansion.

The Gu clan's lineage had indeed been interrupted.

The greatest difference lay in education.

Compared to the education of previous generations toward their descendants, the transmission between the seventh and eighth generations had been severed for many years.

Even if education still occurred,

It was no longer carried out constantly, as before, through verbal instruction and personal example.

Before the disasters became apparent, Gu Ye would often come to consult Zhuge Liang; though they had no formal master-disciple title, they had already developed a semblance of master-disciple reality.

Zhuge Liang was indeed far too busy now.

Whether in court or across the four directions.

His hands-on nature had already doomed him to an exhausting existence.

He now had almost no time for rest, even rivaling the burden Gu Xi once bore.

But Gu Xi had the benefit of longevity.

He did not.

Under years of accumulated fatigue, Zhuge Liang's health had visibly deteriorated.

But how could he stop?

Perhaps only by reaching this point—shouldering the weight of an entire nation—could one fully understand what Gu Xi and Gu Chen had done in their later years.

They had wanted to accomplish too much.

Only lament that time shows no mercy.

When he heard someone had come to visit, Zhuge Liang nearly instinctively assumed another disaster had struck.

Until the servant said Gu Ye had arrived.

Only then did his serious expression ease slightly; after a moment's hesitation, he nodded and ordered the servant to bring Gu Ye in.

"Your servant bows before the Chancellor."

Gu Ye was still very understanding.

He held great respect for Zhuge Liang.

This was the very difference between Gu Ye and the eighth-generation Gu clan sons; apart from him, the eighth-generation Gu sons could not escape the arrogance typical of aristocratic heirs.

"Young Master, rise."

Zhuge Liang nodded and asked Gu Ye, "What brings you here?"

Even as he spoke, he did not set down the memorial in his hand.

Seeing this, Gu Yi could not help but shake his head inwardly.

Only by witnessing this firsthand could one fully understand the difference between the ancients and most people today.

They had lives of ease and comfort, yet chose to strive for their ideals—even at the cost of their lives.

Gu Yi would not merely watch; he shifted his thought and immediately controlled Gu Ye to say: "Chancellor."

"Your servant has spent these days reflecting deeply, and wishes to discuss relief efforts with you."

Gu Ye's expression was utterly serious.

This was the nature of control: whenever Gu Yi had a thought, Gu Ye's mind would generate the corresponding idea.

This time, Gu Yi did not intend to hide or hold back as he had during his previous control.

The Gu clan had only just begun to rise.

But now, whether in power or reputation, the Gu clan had reached the pinnacle of the realm.

Gu Yi no longer needed to conceal his sharpness.

He needed only to act with full force, to end the current chaos as swiftly as possible.

At the same time, he must use this opportunity to lay the foundation for future rule.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang's expression changed instantly.

If any other family's heir had spoken these words to him, he might have dismissed them entirely.

But the Gu clan's son was ultimately different.

Moreover, Zhuge Liang knew Gu Ye's character well—he was not a braggart and would never joke about such matters.

Though he did not expect Gu Ye to utter any earth-shattering words.

Still, he set down the memorial and said softly, "Young Master, speak."

As he spoke, he gestured to a seat beside him, inviting Gu Ye to sit.

Gu Yi did not hesitate; he directly controlled Gu Ye to walk over confidently.

"Chancellor."

No sooner had he sat than he controlled Gu Ye to speak immediately, his expression utterly calm: "Chancellor, the current disasters across the realm."

"In your servant's view, they are no less severe than the natural calamities faced during the time of Empress Hexi."

Gu Yi was blunt.

In fact, this was also the view of many court ministers today—only none dared voice it outright.

Gu Yi intended to tear away this psychological comfort.

Force them to treat this disaster with the utmost seriousness.

"Your servant has carefully studied the systems your ancestor Gao Zu employed during past relief efforts, as well as the systems used by my grandfather when quelling the rebel masses."

"And devised some methods for improvement."

Through Gu Ye's mouth, Gu Yi directly laid out the strategies he had conceived over these past years.

These were strategies he had developed by observing Zhuge Liang's relief efforts.

Their scope was not so vast as to be unachievable.

They were nearly all the most practical overall measures for the present.

Zhuge Liang listened with great attention.

As Gu Yi spoke deeper and deeper, Zhuge Liang's eyes immediately flickered with astonishment—he seemed unable to believe these words came from Gu Ye.

His entire expression grew even more serious.

In truth, the strategies Gu Yi proposed were not brilliant schemes.

From a modern perspective, they resembled the basic operations of capitalist corporations—except Gu Yi had applied them to relief efforts.

—Such as the "labor-for-relief" system.

Currently, Han's labor-for-relief measures were not proceeding smoothly.

Because the disasters continued without end.

Though the refugees could always survive, prolonged labor bred deep resentment.

Under these combined factors;

Relief efforts were bound to falter.

What Gu Yi proposed was to introduce incentives within this system.

Whoever completed a certain amount of work

Could receive additional grain and coin on top of their daily rations.

In truth, human nature is far less complex than it seems.

Being able to guarantee survival while also earning food and money was an immense blessing for the refugees, and would surely unleash their full potential;

In addition—

【13】 There was also a policy impossible for the powerful clans.

There were also policies that were impossible for the powerful local gentry.

In fact, Zhuge Liang had already acted against the powerful clans, requisitioning their grain to aid the victims.

But such actions could not be pushed too far.

Given the current situation, Zhuge Liang did not wish to provoke another large-scale rebellion by the powerful clans.

Gu Yi's proposed improvement was to have them voluntarily surrender their grain.

Aside from the incentives offered to the common people, Gu Yi applied similar methods toward the powerful clans.

—He proposed two incentive measures to spur the powerful clans into active participation in relief efforts.

The one who mobilized relief efforts fastest would receive imperial commendation.

And be granted a special flag;

With this flag, after the disaster passed, it could be used to exempt them from a certain level of taxation for one year.

The one who donated the most grain would also be rewarded.

Not only would they receive the Emperor's commendation, but their family descendants would also gain direct eligibility for the final imperial examination in the next official selection.

Fundamentally transforming this relief effort into a competition for fame and profit among the powerful clans.

Binding all the powerful clans across the land to the Han court's chariot.

Although the Han court no longer valued prestige as much as before, for the powerful clans, this distinction remained fundamental.

And the privilege of direct access to the imperial examination—this would surely be a reward they deeply desired.

How numerous were the powerful clans across the realm today?

In every examination, far too many sons of the powerful clans failed even the most basic screening.

Gu Yi seized upon this psychological vulnerability—after all, whether one became an official ultimately depended on true talent and learning.

In addition—

There were also specific strategies targeting plague and locust plagues.

Regarding plague;

Gu Yi proposed more scientifically sound measures: establishing unified quarantine zones and classifying infected individuals by color-coded wooden plaques.

To implement differentiated governance accordingly.

Gu Yi did not understand medicine, nor could such data be found online in a short time.

He could only enhance disinfection details and reduce contact.

As for locust plagues, the approach was even more direct;

Gu Yi used knowledge he had learned online to suggest collecting and drying locusts into powder during extermination.

Under the guise of the Gu family's ancestral texts, he explained their value and benefits.

Edible by both humans and livestock.

The entire hall fell utterly silent.

Zhuge Liang stared intently at Gu Ye, his entire body frozen.

Though his body was far weaker than before, his mind remained sharp.

Upon hearing Gu Yi's strategies,

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

He was evaluating their feasibility!

Zhuge Liang knew every detail of relief efforts intimately—and precisely because of that, he was even more astonished by what Gu Ye had said.

This was Gu Yi's carefully considered answer—how could it be wrong?

But given Zhuge Liang's nature, he would not make a decision immediately.

He needed to think carefully.

He also needed to consult with the court officials.

Yet the very fact that he conceived this thought proved his approval of Gu Yi's adjustments.

He stared intently at Gu Ye, silent for a long while, then finally sighed: "Young Master is truly a genius."

"Your Excellency flatters me."

Gu Ye, composed by nature, bowed without Gu Yi's prompting and rose to leave.

Zhuge Liang did not stop him.

Gu Ye was still young; direct involvement in state affairs violated propriety.

Yet before Gu Ye departed, he solemnly added: "When a decision is reached, I will inform Young Master."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

Gu Ye quickly bowed and turned to leave.

Gu Yi did not interfere; he had no intention of revealing the threat from the barbarian tribes.

After all, it was merely his speculation.

Moreover, Zhuge Liang was a cautious man.

This was both his strength and his weakness.

Even if Zhuge Liang perceived the risk, given the Han court's current situation, he would never choose to mobilize troops.

Besides, Gu Yi was not in a hurry—Gu Ye was only twelve years old; there was still plenty of time.

Zhuge Liang stared intently at Gu Ye's retreating back, his expression growing increasingly complex.

Only when Gu Ye's figure vanished completely did he slowly shift his gaze.

First, he sent for the assembled ministers to come.

He himself walked into a room, looked at the three men enshrined within, and his gaze grew ever more complex.

They were the portraits of Liu Bei, Gu Chen, and Gu Ze.

Zhuge Liang came to pay his respects every day.

Now he had already reached the absolute peak, but only in this way could he fully understand why Gu Chen had pushed himself so desperately in his later years.

This had already become a lingering worry in Zhuge Liang's heart.

He feared he did not have enough time left to leave behind for the Great Han a person capable of shouldering the heavy burden.

But today—

That person seemed to have appeared.

"Late Emperor, Mr., Lord Gu… are you helping your servant?"

He spoke softly, and slowly knelt down directly before the three portraits.

Although he had not made a direct decision.

Without a doubt—Zhuge Liang had already, in his heart, approved the reform strategy Gu Yi had proposed.

PS: It's the start of the month, on my knees begging for monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)