Chapter 127: The Liu Clan Abandons Gu, the Age of Chaos Begins

——Yan Han!

Just two simple characters, yet they explained far too much.

Indeed, compared to all the previous actions taken by the Gu clan.

This time, the Three Revivals of Yan Han and the subsequent ethnic integration could no longer be fully reversed.

The Nine Provinces had already changed.

It was not just the Gu clan.

In that instant, Gu Yi's mind once again brimmed with thoughts.

While changing his family, he could also benefit the Nine Provinces.

This was also one of Gu Yi's ideas.

Now it seemed that as long as the Gu clan grew strong enough, everything had a chance to come true!

He let out a deep breath.

He immediately stopped thinking, put away all thoughts, picked up the game console, and fixed his gaze on the screen.

The next moment—

The game's visuals gradually solidified before his eyes.

Chaotic memories poured down from the depths of his mind.

Compared to previous exits from the game, Gu Yi's latest exit had lasted much longer.

And the entire world had changed drastically since the game was first launched.

Gu Yi strained to absorb all these memories, silently organizing in his mind everything that had occurred over the years.

——Han had completely turned upside down.

After seizing power, Liu Jun immediately revealed his ambitions.

He wanted to further expand Han's territory.

But the problem was, Han had not yet fully absorbed its northern frontier or Lingnan; launching another campaign would disrupt internal balance.

The group left behind for him by Gu Ye would naturally have advised against it.

But human hearts are fickle.

Liu Jun was actually somewhat capable.

For these ministerial advisors, he immediately launched a series of political maneuvers.

He promoted those who supported him and sidelined those who advised him.

A sovereign wielding real power could not be stopped by these ministers.

Faced with the Gu clan, now removed from the core court, and the emperor holding real authority.

For these court ministers, the choice was easy.

Even if there were upright ministers, they could not halt the overwhelming tide.

Han's internal balance shattered instantly under these conditions.

The first military campaign did not cause internal chaos.

The foundations left by Emperors Liu Shan and Liu Chan still endured, sufficient to let Liu Jun indulge in this campaign.

But after the first defeat, Liu Jun did not abandon his desire for conquest.

He continuously conscripted troops.

He even raised taxes on trade with the four frontiers and conscripted barbarians.

Eventually, the barbarians of the four frontiers gradually grew resentful; even tribes that did not rebel saw Han's control over them steadily weaken.

The most critical point was—

Liu Jun's disruptions extended beyond these.

He also tampered with Han's core system: the imperial examination.

Most crucially, as court sentiment shifted, flatterers gradually emerged.

And Liu Jun greatly favored these men.

The court's influence inevitably triggered changes across the land.

Under these circumstances, Han's golden age finally ended.

Fortunately, the foundations left by Emperors Liu Shan and Liu Chan were too strong, and their accumulated benevolence toward the people prevented greater chaos.

But Han had nonetheless fallen into serious trouble.

Fortunately, Liu Jun's son, Liu Cheng, proved to be a restorer of the dynasty.

After inheriting Liu Jun's mess, he vigorously reformed the court, restored national strength, and quelled the rising unrest among the barbarians.

He employed the very methods Gu Ye had once used.

He combined benevolence with intimidation, revived previous dynastic policies, and reorganized court discipline and administration.

Through various means, he stabilized Han's declining situation—worthy of being called a restorer of the dynasty.

Had he lived as long as Liu Shan, perhaps Han would have risen to greatness again.

But the problem lay in—

Liu Cheng died prematurely!

Having ruled for less than ten years, Liu Cheng fell ill and died in Luoyang at only thirty-six.

As if fate itself had intervened.

Han's glorious path had already ended completely with Liu Chan's death.

And precisely because Liu Cheng died prematurely, the heir to the throne was still a child.

He had not failed to consider entrusting the young emperor to the Gu clan.

Liu Cheng was entirely different from Liu Jun; he was not an emperor obsessed with clinging to power, and after ascending the throne, he had done this more than once.

At such a critical moment, the Gu clan's younger generation naturally could not stand idly by as the young emperor reigned amid national uncertainty.

But the problem was that this generation of Gu clan youths were no longer figures like Gu Kang, Gu Xi, or Gu Chen, who could make decisions unilaterally.

With the passage of time, the Gu clan's influence at court had long since faded from its former glory.

Yet the Gu clan's influence among the common people still remained.

This gave the Gu clan's youths a natural protective talisman, but in such a situation, one person's insufficient ability was destined to fail to resolve all lurking threats.

Looking across the entire annals of history—

How many ministers have ever managed to fully control a power transition and ensured subsequent court stability?

This generation of Gu clan youths could no longer control everything as their ancestors once had.

Although the political situation at court was still stable during his tenure.

But after his death—

The collapse of Han was like an arrow released from a bowstring, irreversibly set in motion.

Powerful ministers ruled the court; the Son of Heaven was mediocre.

Han eventually reached, with the passage of time, the critical period every dynasty must face.

If a genius capable of reversing heaven and earth were to emerge, this situation might yet be turned around.

But Han's successors would never again possess the talent of emperors like Liu Bei or Liu Chen.

And now—

With successive natural disasters appearing across the land, everything had already become irreversible.

Even though these disasters could not be compared to the ancient ones that once spread across all Nine Provinces.

But for Han today—

This disaster was equally deadly.

The deterioration of institutions caused barbarian tribes, never fully integrated into Han, to gradually slip from court control; human ambition festered under this situation.

After more than two hundred years, great chaos was about to once again sweep across this land.

Yet—

This time's chaos was fundamentally different from previous ones.

Gu Yi carefully absorbed these memories; his expression showed no sign of disturbance.

What dynasty in the world could last forever?

Han was destined to decline sooner or later.

And the wheel of history would inevitably advance forward through these recurring waves of chaos.

He exhaled softly, his gaze gradually lowering; with a thought, Gu Yi's sight pierced through layers of clouds and settled upon Julu.

The Gu clan had now reached its thirteenth generation of descendants.

Gu Yi examined the attributes of these individuals.

They were still quite ordinary.

Even the highest attribute of the most outstanding among them was merely seventy points.

In fact, Gu Yi had a feeling that some form of correction was constantly at work.

As the Gu clan did more and more—

Everything today was no longer as it had been in the beginning.

The original trajectory of history was steadily suppressing the Gu clan, trying to force history back onto its original path.

If Gu Yi did not interfere—

History would inevitably proceed along its predetermined course; the Gu clan would continue to decline over time until it reached its final state.

Though not terrible, it was clearly insufficient for Gu Yi.

Yet even after recognizing all this, Gu Yi did not rush to act immediately.

He still had many achievement points remaining; whether he acted personally or chose alternatives, he needed to observe the personalities of this generation of Gu clan youths first.

Within Julu Commandery, nothing had changed.

As the current sacred land of the Nine Provinces, though the hearts of the people across the realm were in turmoil, it had not yet reached a point capable of affecting Julu.

Yet Gu Yi detected subtle differences through details.

The smiles of Julu's commoners had diminished.

This was naturally tied to Han's overall policies; the Gu clan could protect Julu's stability, but could not improve everyone's livelihood.

That such changes had taken root among Julu's populace—

Clearly—

Han had reached its end.

Due to the mediocrity of its clan members, since Gu Jin, entrusted with the late Emperor Liu Cheng's final wishes, the Gu clan had completely withdrawn from the court's core, with only a few descendants serving as officials in distant provinces.

But as Han's situation grew increasingly dire, the Gu clan was finally affected.

Whether from the people's expectations;

Or from the dwindling number of ministers in court who still cared for the state, all hoped the Gu clan would step forward at this moment.

But the current head of the Gu clan, Gu Xuan, remained remarkably calm.

He did not send any clan members to court.

The reason was equally simple: not only because the clan's youths lacked talent,

But also because the current Han Emperor, Liu Chang, was an autocratic ruler with an intense desire to control power.

Even though the Gu clan had withdrawn from court for so many years.

He was equally wary of the Gu clan's attitude.

Gu Xuan had seen this point clearly, which was why from beginning to end he never left Julu, and in the face of the world's expectations merely submitted a memorial—but how could such a gesture accomplish anything?

Liu Chang still ruled with absolute authority, utterly heedless of the people's sentiment.

This time, upon hearing that Lingnan had fallen into turmoil, he immediately conceived the idea of personally leading a campaign against Lingnan.

Lingnan had always been a tempting piece of fat.

Ever since the trade routes originally laid down by Gu Ye had been thoroughly opened up.

The wealth Lingnan could bring had set everyone's heart aflutter. Although later, as the Great Han declined, Lingnan gradually slipped its leash, this trade route had never been interrupted.

Whether for the common folk of Lingnan, or for the Great Han itself;

this trade route was crucial.

But precisely because of this, as local powers grew ever stronger, this enormous profit still sparked disputes.

Coupled with continuously rising taxes.

This immediately caused the Yue people, who had not yet fully integrated into the Great Han, to finally rekindle their hearts of rebellion.

It was precisely for this reason that Liu Chang conceived the idea of a southern campaign.

But the problem lay in the fact that he currently had no heir, and the Great Han's national conditions could not support such a costly expedition.

The court ministers debated this endlessly.

Yet Liu Chang still ruled with absolute authority and set the matter down, conscripting soldiers throughout the realm.

This matter was like a fuse, causing the Great Han, already on the verge of utter ruin, to show further signs of wavering.

Within the Gu residence.

A group of Gu clan juniors were likewise discussing this matter.

They knew the Great Han's current situation all too well—if this war truly broke out, a victory might still be acceptable, but a defeat would surely accelerate the Great Han's collapse.

This time was different from the past.

Both publicly and privately, the Gu clan had to do something to meet the expectations the common folk of the realm held for the Gu clan.

This was something the Gu clan had to bear; it simply could not be avoided.

"Elder brother, our ancestors stated repeatedly that no dynasty in this world lasts forever; our Gu clan should keep the Nine Provinces in our hearts."

"The realm today is in turmoil."

"If His Majesty insists on launching the campaign, it will surely cause upheaval. Even a great victory would do the Great Han no good, but a great defeat would throw the realm into chaos."

"Our Gu clan has not touched the court in Luoyang for over a hundred years."

"Why not, elder brother, submit a memorial as usual? Why must you go to Luoyang in person?"

Looking at Gu Xuan in the seat of honor, the faces of the Gu clan juniors all showed confusion.

As the Gu clan had for many years been absent from the core of the court.

The ties between the Gu clan juniors and the Liu imperial clan had grown ever shallower—this too was related to the Emperor's growing indifference toward the Gu clan.

The notion of acting for the clan and for the Nine Provinces had long since taken root in the heart of every Gu clan junior.

No longer was a single dynasty the focus.

Hearing this, the juniors all nodded in turn; although their talents were quite ordinary, they could see these things as well.

"How could I forget the sacred words of our ancestors?"

Gu Xuan sighed deeply, shook his head, and said: "But precisely because of this, our Gu clan must make one last attempt."

"The common folk of the realm have hoped for our Gu clan's return to court for many years."

"If we let this happen and do nothing, it will always sully the brilliance of our forebears."

"No matter what, I must go once."

"Whether it succeeds or fails then, it will no longer concern our Gu clan. Even if the Great Han finally reaches the day of its collapse, our Gu clan will at last have been true to the Liu clan, and it can be considered one final struggle for the common folk of the realm."

Gu Xuan's expression grew ever more solemn.

Hearing this, the Gu clan juniors likewise understood his thoughts, and their expressions all grew complicated.

Reputation had indeed brought the Gu clan great protection.

But it had likewise placed the Gu clan in shackles.

In all matters under heaven, every cause has its effect; having enjoyed the benefits reputation brought, the Gu clan must bear the price required to obtain that reputation.

"After I leave, clan affairs must not fall into disorder."

"Recently I have already sent people with letters, notifying clan members in all directions—no matter what, the family must be fully prepared to deal with the upheaval that may erupt at any moment."

"Although we lack the talents of the clan's forebears, we must still protect the entire family."

"Before I depart."

"I will lead the common folk in offering sacrifices to our ancestors, seeking their blessing—prepare yourselves."

Gu Xuan carefully instructed everything, then waved his hand and dismissed the crowd.

The crowd departed with complicated expressions.

Watching their retreating backs, Gu Xuan could not help but sigh helplessly, a trace of sorrow flashing through his eyes.

Living in such an era where great chaos could erupt at any moment.

For those of ability, it was absolutely a blessing—the turbulent realm offered far, far too many chances to build a career.

But for people like them, of ordinary talent, it was a painful thing.

As the current head of the Gu clan, Gu Xuan had to remain vigilant at all times, lest any problem befall the Gu clan.

Gu Yi had been watching all of this, and a slight ripple stirred in his heart as well.

Perhaps it really was because the Gu clan had gradually fallen into silence.

Although the talents of this generation's clan juniors were quite ordinary, every one of them seemed to have a decent temperament at least, and were not impetuous.

Even though he clearly knew his talent was insufficient.

He was still doing everything in his power to deal with everything that might happen.

For a clan's long-term development, this was absolutely a good thing.

In truth, he could understand the choice Gu Xuan had made.

This was indeed something the Gu Clan had to face.

As for the fact that the line of the Han Emperor would gradually drift away from the Gu Clan, he likewise found it unsurprising.

Not everyone was a normal person; among the emperors in the original history there were already far, far too many examples.

The power bestowed from birth could influence far too many things.

Having never known chaos; having never examined the people's suffering.

With the Gu Clan's influence steadily waning, this was simply far too normal.

Gu Yi did not choose to act directly.

Although he could also sense that the current Han already had the feel of the final years of a feudal dynasty.

But before a true transformation could come, it would probably still need some time.

Although by then the Gu Clan's thirteenth-generation children might well be in their prime.

To truly influence history, one would probably still have to wait until the fourteenth generation.

At least for now, he had no need to rush.

Moreover, for him, history moving forward was not a bad thing; Gu Yi could not keep extending the Han's life forever.

That would place an unimaginable burden on the Gu Clan — one could tell just from the attributes of these few generations of children.

The Gu Clan of today was hardly short on population, yet the attributes of so many descendants were all so ordinary.

One could see just how great a burden the Gu Clan had been bearing.

What's more, for the Nine Provinces, prolonging the Han once more would not be a good thing either.

If so, the resilience and indomitability of the Huaxia people would surely be completely erased.

Words like "Are kings, marquises, and generals born of noble blood?" would probably gradually become legend.

For the Gu Clan, now was not the best moment for him to act.

Time slipped swiftly by.

As Gu Xuan announced at the sacrificial rites his decision to go to Luoyang to remonstrate, the entire Julu was almost instantly set ablaze.

—After an interval of more than a hundred years.

The current head of the Gu Clan was at last to go to Luoyang once more to meet the Son of Heaven.

How could such a thing fail to excite the common folk?

Even though so much time had already passed, under the influence of generation after generation, the notion that "when a child of the Gu Clan goes forth, a prosperous age will come" had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

The people of the realm had long awaited Gu, all waiting for this very moment.

Upon hearing of this matter, they could not help but weep openly.

And faced with that surging tide of people.

Gu Xuan's expression was in fact perfectly calm; he merely gazed at the statues of the Gu Clan's ancestors, worshipping earnestly while silently praying in his heart that they would protect the Gu Clan.

The news kept spreading.

Compared with the relatively calm Julu, the reaction of the common folk elsewhere to this matter was only greater.

Liu Chang's desire for a southern campaign was no secret.

Gu Xuan's choosing at this moment to go to Luoyang let countless common folk glimpse a sliver of hope.

All along the road, in every direction, there were common folk kneeling toward Gu Xuan's carriage.

Gu Xuan was hastening to Luoyang at this time.

For far, far too many common folk, he was like a savior.

Everyone was praying that he could curb the Emperor's heart for conquest and bring a prosperous age back upon this land.

But how could that possibly be?

Those pleas, each carrying the sound of weeping, only made Gu Xuan fall ever more silent.

The rise and fall of the realm — the common folk always suffer.

For the common folk.

In an era like this, being able to go without fear of hunger and fill their bellies was already a hard-won prosperous age.

Luoyang.

—For the entire Han.

Gu Xuan, as head of the Gu Clan, returning to Luoyang after more than a hundred years was likewise a major event.

In the current Han, the Gu Clan was ultimately different from other clans.

The "Champion Marquis's Hou Fu" still stood; the post of "Grand Tutor" still hung vacant.

Even though the emperors of recent generations had gradually cooled toward the Gu Clan.

Yet Liu Bei's words of years past — "On the tripod of the Liu clan, the name of the Gu clan shall be inscribed" — alone guaranteed the Gu Clan's floor.

This was an indisputable fact.

But for Liu Chang, upon hearing of this matter, he still could not contain his fury.

"The Gu Clan approaches the court and the common folk rush to worship them?"

"What do they take me for?"

"Do they think I am a foolish ruler like Emperor Jingping or Huan and Ling?"

Liu Chang was beside himself with rage, his eyes full of killing intent, venting his fury before his trusted confidants.

He was truly somewhat angered now.

Not only because of his dissatisfaction with the Gu clan, but also because he felt this was the world looking down on him, the Emperor.

The war hadn't even started yet—

Were these people's reactions not saying that he was sure to lose?

To Liu Chang, this was absolutely an insult!

Seeing this, a group of ministers immediately knelt down as well.

Their expressions were equally very unsightly.

If the Gu clan truly returned to court, their positions would surely be affected—this was an indisputable fact.

Seeing Liu Chang's fury.

Immediately someone spoke up.

"Your Majesty, what you do not know is that among the court ministers there are also quite a few who wish to have the Gu clan attend court, hoping to use the Gu clan to make you disband troops and cease hostilities, adopting their strategy of pacifying the rebellion through profit."

"Precisely so! If not for their informing, how could the Gu clan have arrived in Luoyang so quickly?"

"."

Court struggle has always been the unchanging feature of every feudal dynasty; this group naturally had to seize every opportunity.

There were even those who, following Liu Chang's thoughts, redirected the spearhead toward the Gu clan.

"Your Majesty, since the founding of our dynasty by Emperor Zhaowu of the middle generation of the ancestors, the Gu clan's status within our Great Han has always been honored."

"In later years, Marquis Zhaolie, Marquis Jingxiang, and the rest all carried merits upon their persons."

"This minister has nothing to say."

"But now the Gu clan has faded from court for many years—what Merit does it have within our Great Han?"

"The ancestors' Merit can indeed allow the Gu clan to continue in nobility."

"But how can it become a reason for the Gu clan to check Your Majesty? Your Majesty is a sage ruler—how could such treatment be permitted?"

These forceful words instantly froze the atmosphere within the hall.

Precisely because of the Gu clan's continued decline.

—After many years, someone had finally brought the flames onto the Gu clan within the court.

They absolutely could not allow the Gu clan to return to court.

Given the temperament of the Gu clan's people, once they returned to court it would surely be the Day of Death for those of them who supported Liu Chang's southern campaign!

Sure enough, the anger on Liu Chang's face grew increasingly thick.

He wished he could simply abolish the Gu clan outright.

Using this to destroy the world's expectations of the Gu clan, making them all submit beneath the feet of himself, this sovereign.

But Liu Bei's ancestral teachings still allowed him to calm down somewhat.

Yet with Liu Chang's temperament, how could he let it go?

He was silent for a moment, and a thought immediately arose uncontrollably in his heart—blocking Gu Xuan outside Luoyang.

And it grew increasingly hard to suppress.

With Liu Bei's ancestral teachings in place, Liu Chang truly had no way to target Gu Xuan.

No matter how proud Liu Chang was, he did not dare bear the reputation of disrespecting the ancestral teachings—this was the influence accumulated over several hundred years of the Great Han.

But he could have people block Gu Xuan.

As long as he didn't meet Gu Xuan, no matter how the winds blew and the court churned, he could completely suppress this matter!

Liu Chang didn't deliberate for long at all, immediately decided on this matter, and then immediately spoke out this idea.

Hearing these words, the eyes of everyone present immediately brightened involuntarily.

Block the Gu clan outside the city?

As long as they had Liu Chang's support, this was not a difficult matter for them.

The setting sun was like blood, spilling over the owl-tail ornaments atop Luoyang's city wall.

Looking at this magnificent great city, Gu Xuan's entire expression was extremely complex.

For many scions of the Gu clan.

—Luoyang.

Had always been a place to pursue ideals; who knew how many had once fantasized about being able to represent the entire family in returning to Luoyang.

Gu Xuan included was the same.

Although he had now come, regrettably it was different from those original fantasies.

As the carriage drew ever closer to Luoyang, the welcoming personnel who had long been arranged to wait here also immediately came forward.

"Paying respects to Gu Gong. His Majesty learned of Gu Gong's return to court and was overjoyed, having long since arranged the welcoming ceremony for Gu Gong."

The smile covered the face of this Palace Attendant, but behind him there were only a few guards.

Gu Xuan cupped his hands in a salute.

After only a brief glance he did not pay much attention.

The Gu clan did not care about such things as welcoming ceremonies.

He had also never imagined that coming to Luoyang this time, he would receive a welcome like that of the past.

After casually exchanging a few words, Gu Xuan immediately prepared to enter the city.

But just at this moment—

The Palace Attendant responsible for the welcome immediately blocked Gu Xuan, smiling as he said: "Gu Gong, do not rush. Currently the Pingcheng Gate is under repair; please Gu Gong to take a step and follow me to the Xia Gate to enter the city."

"His Majesty long ago had people waiting there. The common folk within Luoyang are also waiting for Gu Gong."

A smile had always been on his face.

But at that very instant, Gu Xuan's expression stiffened.

—Xia Gate!

This was the city gate used for imperial funerals; it would not be put to use lightly.

Yet now it was being used to welcome him!

The common folk might not see the implication, but how could he fail to notice that this was a deliberate insult?

He was on the verge of flying into a rage.

For Gu Xuan.

He himself did not much care.

But in coming here this time, he represented the Gu clan.

There could be no courtesy, no preferential treatment.

But as the current head of the Gu clan, he absolutely could not tolerate the Gu clan being subjected to such an insult.

This was Gu Xuan's bottom line!

He did not move.

But this very act played right into those people's hands.

Against the Gu clan they would of course not use force; they could only use overt and covert means to make Gu Xuan retreat in the face of difficulty.

This was only the beginning; afterward they still had many more tricks, all meant to cast the Gu clan in a disparaging light.

Had he not heard the pleas of the common folk along the way, Gu Xuan would have turned and left on the spot, without any lingering attachment.

The name of the Gu clan was the honor and pride of every child of the Gu clan!

It must never suffer any insult!

But for the sake of the people, he was willing to try once more.

He made clear his attitude that he required no reception, that entering through the city gate directly would suffice.

But the Palace Attendant still insisted, even bringing out the expectations of the people of Luoyang.

Hearing this, Gu Xuan said no more and returned straight to his carriage.

He did not leave directly.

For the sake of all the people under heaven, he was willing to make one final attempt.

But Liu Chang also acted decisively.

He sealed off every city gate except Xia Gate, and suppressed all the dissent at court and the rumors among the people.

A full seven days.

—Gu Xuan waited a full seven days.

This was the first time since the Gu clan had risen to power that the Gu clan had been treated in such a manner; not to mention seeing the Emperor, he could not even pass through the gates of Luoyang.

In the end, he merely left behind the memorial he had long since written.

Then he returned along the road by which he had come.

With Gu Xuan's departure, the last sliver of hope for the Great Han seemed to have been snuffed out.

Especially as word of this gradually spread.

The unrest in the hearts of the people across the land reached its peak at this very moment.

Rumors such as "The Liu clan abandons the Gu; Heaven grows weary" gradually spread to all quarters.

Only one final spark was needed before the world plunged into utter chaos.

But Liu Chang still paid it no heed.

Once Gu Xuan had left, he immediately purged the court of the ministers who did not support his southern campaign, and launched the southern expedition regardless of what the people of the realm thought.

He could not hear the wails of the common folk, nor see the exhaustion of the Great Han.

As for this war.

He was supremely confident, firmly believing it was the starting point of his own glorious hegemony.

His name would shine across past and present.

In later ages he could be compared to Emperor Zhaowu, the Progenitor.

But the southern campaign was destined to be immensely difficult.

Although compared with the time when Gu Ye had marched south, traveling to Lingnan now was far easier.

Still, an army on campaign was a different matter.

And most crucially, the conscripted soldiers likewise had no will to fight; what did it matter that the one leading them was the Emperor himself?

As the days grew harder and harder, the grace and virtue of the Great Han court had long since been utterly spent.

Not to mention the unrest in men's hearts brought by the rumors from all quarters.

In the sixth year of Qianwu, Liu Chang personally led a hundred thousand troops to campaign against Lingnan, and was defeated at Long Bien.

The Emperor fell;

His posthumous name was "Li."

——————

"In the sixth year, in the third month of spring, the Emperor personally campaigned against Lingnan.

At first, the Jiaozhi barbarians rebelled; the Emperor, refusing counsel and remonstrance, barred the Gu clan from Luoyang, and led a hundred thousand men south to chastise them.

The army halted at Long Bien; in the height of summer pestilential miasmas arose, and the soldiers fell ill with plague. The barbarian chieftain held the heights and set an ambush, loosing elephant formations to charge the camp. The royal army collapsed in chaos, and arrows reached the imperial tent. The imperial guards fought hard but could not hold; the Emperor's mount, the Red Hare, took fright and stumbled, plunging him into the mire, where he suffered seven wounds and perished, in the twenty-ninth year of his age.

When the ill tidings reached Luoyang, court and country alike were thunderstruck.

The Emperor left no heir; the various princes coveted the sacred vessel, and the governors and commanderies of the provinces each harbored their own designs.

The Prince of Yuzhang occupied the lands east of the Yangtze and claimed imperial authority; the Prince of Bohai usurped the title at Youji, and the realm thus fell apart into ruin."

The Court of Imperial Rites deliberated on the posthumous name, citing the *Rites of Posthumous Names*: "One who does not repent of former faults is called Li; one who is violent and cruel and without kin is called Li." In strict accordance with the *Rites of Posthumous Names*, they accordingly bestowed the posthumous name Emperor Li.

— *Book of Yan Han*, "Basic Annals of Emperor Li"

(End of this chapter)