Chapter 118: The Gu Clan Bestows Surnames, Virtue Matches Heaven and Earth (Seeking Monthly Votes)

The war in the Northern Frontier has indeed played a significant role.

The Qiang people, including the Xiongnu.

Those who originally had no intention of clashing head-on with the Great Han immediately restrained themselves.

Gu Yi’s vision naturally would not stop at the Northern Frontier.

The forces he dispatched back then, whether it was Yang Hu or Du Yu, were the result of his careful deliberation.

The capabilities of these individuals could perfectly execute his plans.

—An unprecedented great reform began across the Nine Provinces.

This naturally could not avoid bloodshed, but what of it?

Integration is the choice of the era.

It is also a milestone for history to march forward once again.

No amount of wind and rain can change this fact.

In fact, compared to the original history, the plan implemented by Gu Yi this time has been much smoother.

Because the Great Han is far too powerful.

This strength far exceeds that in the original history; the emergence of the Gu Shizi has brought this strength to its peak.

Whether it is the legends of Gu Xi and Gu Chen;

Or the migration that Gu Chen had the heart to implement back then.

The efforts of these generations have long since prepared the perfect opportunity for everything happening today.

All Gu Yi had to do was to carry it all out.

Of course, this did not only involve threats.

Among any of the barbarians, there are tribes with hearts inclined toward the Great Han.

Compared to others, they have a much deeper understanding of the current culture of the Great Han.

Gu Yi was not the least bit stingy with his rewards.

He bestowed upon them Han surnames, distributed land to them, and raised their status within their tribes.

Although these lands were not fertile.

But for them, this was already enough.

—The world is bustling, all for the sake of profit!

This point is effective for anyone; the greatest problem with this alliance system will be thoroughly exposed under these circumstances.

More and more people will choose to accept and accommodate Great Han culture for the sake of profit.

Although they are only doing it for profit now.

But what of it?

Under this trend, their descendants will eventually undergo tremendous changes.

The entire integration plan is in full swing.

Gu Yi, without the slightest chaos, manipulated Gu Ye to take charge of everything, bestowing surnames based on their cultural beliefs.

For this, Gu Ye even made additions to Gu Yi’s ideas.

What made Gu Yi feel surprised was—

Gu Ye actually came up with a surname system similar to the "Nine-Rank System," dividing the barbarians' surnames into three grades: upper, middle, and lower.

Each of these three grades was further divided into three surnames.

They were assigned according to their degree of Sinicization.

Surnames under each grade had different treatment and status.

Those of the upper grade could even participate in the Great Han imperial examinations!

And besides this—

There were also those with unranked compound surnames.

This move greatly exceeded Gu Yi’s expectations, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt this method was absolutely feasible.

People are just like this.

As long as their lives are not threatened, they will have the desire to climb upward.

Using surnames to create differentiation.

Letting their internal status struggles gradually evolve into surname struggles will subtly make them accept Great Han culture!

Although Gu Yi did not know whether this move would have an impact on future generations.

But it cannot be denied that for the current situation, this policy can absolutely be implemented.

It was in the fifth year of Qianji, in the fourth month.

Gu Yi held a grand sacrifice outside the Domestic City.

This sacrifice was very special, completely different from previous ones.

Gu Yi also placed the gods worshipped by the various barbarian tribes onto the altar, though the positions of these deities were much lower.

The most critical core—

Remained the Great Han’s most orthodox Haotian and the Five Emperors.

Right at this sacrifice, Gu Yi manipulated Gu Ye to formally set the surnames for these barbarians!

The upper-grade surnames were: "Yan, Zhao, Xuan";

The middle-grade surnames were: "An, Gui, Zhong";

The lower-grade surnames were: "Tuo, Wu, Hui";

As for the unranked compound surnames, there were more of them, mostly obtained by tribes that had completely deviated from the Great Han.

The impact of this matter was unimaginable.

The entire Northern Frontier once again ushered in a wave of resistance.

Gu Yi’s act of sacrificing and bestowing surnames had completely cut off the unrealistic thoughts of some tribes.

The Great Han was destined not to forgive them easily this time.

With their faith under threat, even if they knew it was difficult to resist, they would eventually raise their hunting knives.

But what of it?

To this day—

There is no longer even a need for the Han Army to take action personally; those tribes that were bestowed single surnames and wanted to climb upward would help the Great Han eliminate them.

What Gu Yi gave them were tangible benefits.

Not to mention the upper-grade surnames;

Even the middle and lower grades could obtain land and even enjoy certain preferential treatment in the mutual markets.

Such direct benefits were enough to make far too many people go crazy.

For most people, rather than constantly pursuing a faith that disregarded their lives, it was better to seize the opportunity before them.

Human nature—has always been this way!

What Gu Yi did not expect was that even the fleeing King of Goguryeo was tied up and brought back by the Goguryeo people themselves.

Compared to the fear of an unknown migration, the various systems proposed by the current Great Han were naturally more attractive to ordinary Goguryeo commoners.

The momentum has been established!

Although the foundation of this momentum was built under the threat of the Han Army.

But for the present, it was sufficient.

When everyone clearly felt the distinction between high and low status, they would protect this policy for their own interests.

This is the weakness of human nature!

Some tribes had even begun to worship Gu Ye, as well as Gu Xi and Gu Chen.

The vested interest holders, in order to hold onto all these benefits.

Whatever so-called faith would eventually vanish into thin air at this moment.

Gu Yi did not interfere with any of their actions.

After settling everything, he immediately began preparations for the mutual markets.

He designated four locations on the Youzhou border as mutual markets and formulated detailed regulations for them, including opening hours.

The existence of the mutual markets was the top priority.

If there were no mutual markets, the foundation of all this was destined not to last long.

Gu Yi had to ensure the exchange of resources.

Such things were destined to be extremely difficult.

Because the attitude of the Youzhou commoners toward the barbarians had never changed over the years, but the good thing was that the Great Han’s current commerce was very prosperous.

Under the lure of huge profits—

There would always be merchants who chose to step onto this path.

And when all this gradually became the norm, that would be the moment when these systems were thoroughly ingrained in people’s hearts.

Domestic City.

Looking at the bitter expression on Wen Yang’s face, Gu Yi frowned: "A-Yang, why so depressed?"

"Grand General!"

Wen Yang looked indignant: "This subordinate heard that a tribe had rebelled and wanted to go suppress the bandits, but I didn't expect that before I could even arrive, those rebels had already been wiped out by the surrounding tribes!"

"This kind of thing has happened many times already!"

"What more is there for this general to do!"

Wen Yang only felt life was devoid of meaning, always having a sense of being unable to unleash his strength.

Hearing this, Gu Yi couldn't help but smile: "A-Yang, this is a good thing."

This was the result of Gu Yi's deliberate actions.

Regarding those tribes that participated in suppressing the rebellion, although Gu Yi had not established a clear reward and punishment mechanism.

He would still grant rewards.

How could such behavior not drive people mad?

"But Grand General, is it possible that this general must remain like this forever?" Wen Yang immediately looked at Gu Ye, still somewhat unwilling.

Gu Yi controlled Gu Ye to pat him on the shoulder and said calmly: "Sometimes, a sword that remains in its sheath is what makes people fear the most."

That’s right, that is how the Great Han is now.

That the Han Army is invincible has already become everyone's tacit assumption.

Under the current circumstances.

The fact that everything can be resolved without the Han Army even making a move will only make people fear the strength of the Great Han even more.

Although this move might not be a good thing for a fierce general like Wen Yang.

It is also a key step in advancing from a general to a commander.

Sometimes, not fighting yields higher returns than fighting.

Although Wen Yang was brave, he was not a fool. After thinking for a moment, he understood the meaning behind Gu Yi's words. Although still somewhat helpless, he immediately nodded.

Gu Yi would not stay in the Northern Frontier forever.

Since he had already stepped onto this path, he had to see it through to the end.

People like Yang Hu and Du Yu were indeed reassuring.

But no matter how extraordinary their talents were, without the high prestige of the Gu family, it was destined to be extremely difficult for them to accomplish these things.

Gu Yi had to go and see for himself.

Time passed in a hurry.

Before one knew it, the opportunity for the first border market arrived.

It did not exceed Gu Yi's expectations.

The commoners of Youzhou were very resistant to this border market, and only the prestige of the Gu family could make them quiet down.

But it was still not easy to get them to come and participate in the market directly.

However, there were merchants who came.

Including personnel from the imperial court.

The warhorses of the Xianbei were no ordinary things; their speed and endurance exceeded those of the horses in the Central Plains.

This was also a result caused by the environment.

And the ginseng medicine of Goguryeo as well as the furs of the Wuhuan were also rare items; one could exchange for these things using some millet.

These were profits that merchants could not ignore.

The border market ended smoothly under these circumstances, without any chaos occurring.

However, Gu Yi did not let his guard down.

He remained in the Northern Frontier, and only after several more months had passed did he consider returning.

During this period, something that greatly surprised Gu Yi did happen.

—Gu Han was actually still alive.

After completely merging into the role, Gu Yi lost the ability to check the four directions with a single thought.

Originally, he could only wait for letters from Gu Han.

But as Gu Han had been gone for longer and longer, these letters became increasingly difficult to come by.

Even Gu Yi did not know his current specific situation.

He could only investigate whether he was still alive through the status in the "Family Information."

According to Gu Yi's estimation.

If Gu Han had truly never stopped and his will was as firm as iron, he should have already reached the land of the Shanyue.

He was very expectant of this journey of Gu Han's.

As everyone knows—

Although the land of the Shanyue belonged to that kind of neglected and unloved territory during the feudal era, it was different when viewed from a modern perspective.

The Gu family would definitely acquire some places in advance as time developed.

This land of the Shanyue was undoubtedly one of them.

If Gu Han could truly walk this path and create a good opening for the Gu family, then the significance for the entire Gu family would be different.

But it was a pity that Gu Yi could not interfere with anything at present and could only wait for Gu Han's letters.

Seventh year of Qianji, June.

As various systems were gradually implemented, Gu Ye finally left the Northern Frontier.

On the day of parting—

Wen Yang cried like a child, incomparably reluctant.

The number of people who came to see him off was countless.

Nowadays, more and more people among the various tribes had begun to worship Gu Ye; at first, this was naturally to curry favor.

But as time passed, this fawning gradually underwent a transformation.

Being able to live a stable life.

Even if life was not particularly good, it was still a difficult thing for people of the current era.

This kind of change appeared completely in silence.

Even they themselves could not feel it; facing Gu Ye's departure, a trace of panic actually arose in their hearts.

—This already had the rudiments of faith.

Especially seeing Wen Yang, who was like a god of slaughter to them, crying so miserably.

Many people were also influenced and shed tears at this moment of parting.

But the parting could not be changed.

The footsteps of the Gu family could not always stop in one place.

From the initial Nine Provinces to the current barbarians, the Gu family must always move forward.

Gu Ye said a lot to Wen Yang, entrusting him with some major matters.

Gu Yi did not interfere; only after Gu Ye finished speaking did he once again control him to pat Wen Yang on the shoulder: "A-Yang, do not fail my expectations."

A light sentence, yet it contained countless expectations.

"Grand General, rest assured!"

Wen Yang's face was full of tears, and without the slightest hesitation, he knelt down directly: "This general will definitely protect the Northern Frontier."

"Whoever dares to disrupt the governance of the Northern Frontier, this general will definitely hack them into ten thousand pieces!"

This was his promise to Gu Ye.

And also a threat to those harboring evil intentions in all directions.

He had not held a spear for a long time, but there was still a lethal weapon on his entire person!

Gu Yi nodded with satisfaction.

Looking at Wen Yang before him and then at Du Yu, he immediately cupped his hands to the two of them to bid farewell: "Parting today, we shall gather again another day."

"In the past, when the Duke of Huan and the Marquis of Dingyuan parted."

"The Duke of Huan once said—"

"'When we meet again after being enfeoffed, we shall drink wine, sing long songs, and recount the years.'"

"The Duke of Huan and the Marquis of Dingyuan never met again."

"Then today, I shall say—"

"'Though we are scattered like stars today, each heading to the wilderness of Cangwu, the mountains and rivers have their promises, and the sun and moon do not change. When the mysterious birds return to the beams, we shall meet again in our hometown, drink from the sweet springs together, and recount our words of friendship.'"

Gu Ye earnestly cupped his hands toward the two.

After speaking, he turned and left.

Although his eye sockets were slightly red, there was not the slightest hesitation.

Liu Chen wanted Gu Ye to return to Luoyang, but Gu Ye did not agree.

This kind of matter requires a direct decision and implementation.

Why bother delaying time?

But Gu Yi still summoned the ninth-generation descendants of the Gu family who had emerged one after another, bringing them by his side to teach them by precept and example as he had done with the Gu family descendants of the past.

That's right, the ninth-generation descendants of the Gu family had all emerged one after another.

But their attributes were somewhat unsatisfactory.

Perhaps it was truly because the Gu family had been brilliant for too many generations that it finally ushered in a decline.

Among the ninth-generation descendants, let alone comparing them to Gu Xi and Gu Chen.

Not even one person who could be mentioned in the same breath as Gu Liang and Gu Ye had appeared.

Regarding this, Gu Yi was somewhat helpless.

Although he now had some achievement points, he could use them for lucky draws, perhaps he could draw items to improve attributes.

But after hesitating for a moment, Gu Yi suppressed this thought.

A family for ten thousand generations.

Is destined to face ups and downs.

Even if he currently still has achievement points, it is still wishful thinking to guarantee that talent will appear in every generation.

And since he is still here now, why be so anxious?

Passing down the beliefs of the entire family is the top priority at present.

Cloud-Opening Great Mountain.

As a high mountain in the north of Jiaozhou, it is also a mountain range where the Great Han meets the barbarians of the four directions.

Regarding the barbarians of the Shanyue lands—

Except for the Danyang barbarians settled by Gu Chen back then, the Great Han inherited the "loose-rein policy" established in the past for the remaining barbarians.

All parties of barbarians maintained a high degree of autonomy.

This is also related to the current environment; the climate and environment of the Shanyue lands are indeed an unimaginable torture for the Han people.

Compared to when he was in Luoyang, Gu Han no longer has the temperament of a young nobleman.

His skin is dark, and he looks much more resolute.

Of the nearly one thousand people who left Luoyang, only three hundred or so remain today.

The hardships of this journey are truly difficult to express in words; the entire process was a double torture for both will and body.

Fortunately, these people were specifically selected by Gu Yi.

They have absolute loyalty to the Gu family, which is why Gu Han has been able to walk steadily to this day.

Sitting on the ground.

Gu Han did not care about any decorum at all, gasping for air while tearing open his clothes due to the heat.

"Young Master."

"Further ahead is the Li tribe... If we go directly, I fear it will arouse their suspicion."

A soldier by his side held a map and spoke to Gu Han about the habits of the Li people.

Gu Han listened very carefully, but in the end, he shook his head: "Since we are ministers of the Han, what is there to fear within our Han lands?"

He absolutely cannot back down.

The purpose of this trip is to proclaim the might of the Han and lay the foundation for future expansion.

If he were to back down before even meeting them.

Would that not make people look down on the Great Han, and look down on the Gu family?

Hearing this, the expressions of the others immediately became solemn, and they nodded one after another.

They rested like this for a day.

Just the next day—

They continued to move forward along the mountain road again.

Ancient trees towered, their branches and leaves intertwined, blocking most of the sunlight, making the mountain road appear exceptionally deep and secluded.

The rough tree trunks were covered in moss, and the ground was covered with thick fallen leaves; stepping on them felt soft and slightly damp, emitting a faint "rustling" sound.

Everyone was incomparably vigilant.

Whether it be wild beasts or potential threats.

Any of them could very likely take all of their lives.

In this deep and secluded mountain road, it seemed as if even time had lost its concept.

It is unknown how much time had passed.

Suddenly.

A burst of dense footsteps came from all directions, approaching rapidly with extreme speed.

"Protect the Young Master!"

The group instantly surrounded Gu Han, drawing their weapons and staring tightly in all directions.

Accompanied by a sudden "whoosh" sound.

Arrows came piercing through the air.

Everyone hurriedly blocked them.

Fortunately, these arrows were less powerful than those of the Great Han, and did not cause too many casualties.

Gu Han’s expression was firm, without a shred of fear.

He hurriedly shouted using the various languages he had learned: "I am a minister of the Great Han!!!"

This is a trait that even Gu Yi had not discovered.

Gu Han actually had some talent for languages; throughout this journey, he had already learned quite a few.

The voice spread instantly.

The next moment, the arrows from all sides stopped abruptly.

One by one, people emerged from the dense forests on all sides, tightly surrounding the Han army.

"People of the Great Han?"

A man who looked to be of noble status walked out from among them, staring tightly at Gu Han in the crowd and asking: "Why have you come to this place?"

"Now is not the time for you to set foot on our Li people's Sacred Mountain."

His face still carried killing intent.

As if Gu Han would have his men shoot arrows immediately if he did not say the right thing next.

Completely different from other barbarians.

The rift between the barbarians of the Shanyue lands and the Nine Provinces would only be deeper.

"I represent the Great Han and wish to see your King." Gu Han took a deep breath and walked out from the crowd as he spoke.

This is the etiquette belonging to the Han people.

"See the King?" The man frowned, then sneered: "Our King has long said that except for specific times, you Han people must never set foot on our Sacred Mountain!"

"And now you dare say you want to see our King?"

Having said that, he did not hesitate at all, immediately waving his hand to have them shoot arrows again.

Killing intent permeated the air!

In the sweltering air, beads of cold sweat kept falling from Gu Han’s forehead.

Looking at the surrounding crowd and the bows and arrows being nocked again.

A bright idea struck him, and he suddenly shouted: "I am a descendant of the Gu family, and this trip represents the Gu family!"

—A sudden turn of events.

Upon hearing "Gu family," the man’s expression suddenly changed; just as those arrows were about to be released, he suddenly waved his hand.

"Gu family?"

He murmured a few words softly, then stared straight at Gu Han and asked: "Are you a descendant of the Great Ghost Lord Nuohu?"

Great Ghost Lord Nuohu—is one of Gu Chen’s titles.

In the culture of the Li people.

Nuo represents the War God of Exorcism; Hu represents the Mountain God; Great Ghost Lord is the highest Shaman Monarch in their faith.

"Indeed." Gu Han nodded, "I am a descendant of the Great Ghost Lord Nuohu."

The atmosphere changed abruptly.

A trace of surprise flashed across the man’s face for the first time; after a moment of silence, he finally waved his hand, letting the people behind him lower their bows and arrows.

"Let's go."

He did not say much, simply leading the group behind him to continue walking into the mountains.

The faces of the Han soldiers all revealed expressions of lingering fear.

Gu Han was the same.

Even if his will was like iron, it was impossible to be that calm when facing death.

He had not yet reached that realm.

But he would not hesitate; he took a deep breath and followed the people in front, slowly walking into the deep mountains.

This journey was very long.

The already stifling weather only intensified the tension in everyone’s hearts.

It is unknown how long they walked, but as some strange buildings appeared in their field of vision, the man walking in front stopped Gu Han again.

He walked in himself, seemingly to report.

Gu Han stood where he was, waiting.

He did not know what he would be facing next, and his heart could not help but beat faster and faster.

PS: Seeking monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, brothers please support me!

(End of chapter)