Chapter 131: Han

The news spread like a tidal wave in all directions.

Although people had long anticipated this.

Yet when the news reached them, it still had an unimaginable impact on the entire realm.

——Sui!

Since the time Wang Mang usurped the Han and brought it to an end.

For the first time on this land, a state name other than "Han" appeared.

And as this matter was firmly settled.

It was as if telling the whole world that the Mandate of the Liu clan had ended utterly.

The first year of Kaihuang, eighth month.

Yang Jian held a sacrifice on the Luo River, honoring the ancestors of the Gu clan.

He completely resolved the internal disunity within the Northern Court.

Though the Gu clan had remained secluded for many years, their influence among the common people had not yet fully faded.

Yang Jian did this to win over the hearts of the people entirely.

His attitude toward the Gu clan was crystal clear.

Precisely because of their years of silence, Yang Jian felt no estrangement toward the Gu clan.

On the contrary—

As he rose higher, his thoughts had turned to the entire realm.

He grew ever more awed by a family like the Gu clan.

For a newly rising dynasty,

If it could gain the support of a family like the Gu clan, the benefit to the entire dynasty would be unimaginable.

This was the reputation the Gu clan had earned generation after generation over centuries.

He bestowed many honors upon the Gu clan.

He even released word that once he had pacified the realm, he would personally visit the Gu clan.

This was a declaration.

Of course, whether there was deeper meaning behind it, no one else could know.

The Gu clan's influence could not remain at its peak.

As the Great Han neared its final end, the peak the Gu clan had reached within the Han dynasty would inevitably fade.

Yet the one difference was—Gu Yi's interference.

History had changed once again.

As the next generation of heirs grew, the Gu clan would eventually reemerge, and would not continue to decline so utterly.

The realm plunged into chaos.

As Yang Jian firmly established his footing, it was as if a dam had broken, plunging the entire realm into turmoil.

Warlords rose everywhere!

One after another, non-imperial warlords rose to power.

They needed no attack from Yang Jian—the internal struggles within the Southern Court had already shattered it into fragments.

Perhaps because they had lain dormant for too long.

Faced with the supreme throne, the warlords lost all reason.

Division;

Chaos.

This outbreak of conflict far surpassed any previous one.

Faced with these warlords, ravenous as wolves, the Liu clan's fragility became utterly apparent.

Everything unfolded exactly as Yang Jian had judged them.

Throughout north and south, not a single hero!

Under these circumstances, Yang Jian led the Northern Army in an offensive against the Southern Court.

Chaos raged across the realm.

But compared to Yang Jian, who had moved first, the other warlords were too slow, far behind him.

Under Yang Jian's personal command, the entire Northern Army's morale soared.

The second year of Kaihuang.

Yang Jian first destroyed the three major warlords, his power expanding continuously.

And even so,

The Southern Court's internal struggles showed no sign of ending.

The Liu clan had been utterly abandoned, just as the Zhou dynasty had been in ages past.

Warlords from all directions waged war.

The Liu clan's Son of Heaven had become a mere figurehead, naturally granting Yang Jian many opportunities.

His reputation grew ever louder.

So too did his son, Prince Jin Yang Guang.

Rumors about him spread across the realm; his fame far surpassed that of Crown Prince Yang Yong, truly renowned throughout the land.

Whether his appearance, his benevolence toward soldiers, or his heroism on the battlefield,

There were tales of all kinds.

The name "Sui" grew ever louder.

A string of consecutive victories made everyone across the land gradually sense what was coming.

——The unification of the realm!

Even without Yang Jian personally leading campaigns, the increasingly dominant Sui army was enough to crush all resistance.

As the situation grew ever clearer,

in the seventh year of Kaihuang;

Yang Jian, under the pretext that Chang'an had decayed, resolved to rebuild a new capital on Longshou Mountain southeast of the city, naming it "Daxing."

Its meaning was self-evident.

This was the capital of the Great Sui, not an inheritance of Han's Chang'an or Luoyang.

This would be an entirely new capital!

In addition—

Yang Jian also demonstrated his administrative prowess to the fullest, and the first thing he set about reforming was currency.

Though the realm was not yet fully unified,

to him, it was already as if the entire world were his own land!

The entire Sui court thrived with vigor.

For this dynasty showing clear signs of unifying the realm, the court ministers' hearts were united in purpose.

No one did not wish to unify the realm.

Precisely because the Han legacy had endured so long, it had unconsciously intensified this desire.

For all of them, this was an unimaginable opportunity.

The Gu clan currently held no position at court.

Why could they not become the Sui's own Gu clan?

Under these circumstances, the prestige of the Great Sui grew ever stronger.

And in complete contrast,

chaos within the Southern Court never ceased, causing the people's exhaustion.

The situation across the realm grew ever clearer.

In the eighth year of Kaihuang, on the Jiazi day of the tenth month;

Yang Jian ordered Prince Jin Yang Guang, Qin Wang Yang Jun, and Duke of Qinghe Yang Su to lead armies into battle.

They launched the final offensive against the Southern Han.

Each of the three marched along different routes, their purpose naturally being to exploit the Southern Court's current chaos to the utmost.

Yang Guang's original route was to advance from Liu He.

But he insisted on passing through Jizhou—he was determined to reach Julu!

Julu.

For years, the Gu clan had adhered strictly to ancestral teachings.

But as time passed, the influence of the main line diminished, and this situation gradually changed with time.

This was inevitable.

As Gu clan descendants, watching their clan's influence dwindle was a torment.

For everyone, this was a torment.

Yet this feeling began to shift as Gu Yi once again took action.

Among the gradually growing eighteenth-generation descendants, the current leaders of the Gu clan sensed their extraordinary potential.

Over these past few years,

they had placed nearly all their hopes on the eighteenth-generation descendants.

Especially Gu Yu.

Though barely ten years old, he had already fully revealed his exceptional talent; his composure and judgment on matters of great principle far surpassed others.

Even Gu Yi was somewhat astonished.

Of course, such talent naturally stemmed from the Luoshu Xie Lv Device.

Through years of observation, Gu Yi had roughly determined the limits of this Luoshu Xie Lv Device.

Its limit was the ability to allocate ten attribute points.

Gu Yu's base attributes were already strong.

With the Luoshu Xie Lv Device, he could directly rise to a level comparable to Gu Kang's in his prime.

Such attributes even surpassed those of Gu Xi.

And most crucially—

He was of the same type as Gu Xi and others: someone who showed astonishing ability from childhood.

Yet his temperament was exceptionally composed.

Facing the rise of Yang Jian and others, he consistently delivered remarkably accurate judgments; his conduct even deeply astonished Gu Yi.

At this moment, within the Gu residence,

upon hearing that Prince Jin Yang Guang was coming to Julu, the current clan head, Gu Can, sighed deeply.

"Father, why do you sigh?"

Gu Yu, beside him, immediately turned his head and asked in a clear, bright voice.

"The Great Sui now shows clear signs of unifying the realm."

"Prince Jin Yang Guang's prestige far exceeds that of Crown Prince Yang Yong. His arrival here at the Gu clan worries me—we may be drawn into the struggle over the succession."

Though Gu Yu was still young, Gu Can spoke to him seriously, without concealment.

The Gu family is no longer what it once was.

If it is forced into the struggle over the imperial succession.

Should any mistake occur, even if the Gu family does not perish outright, it will be immensely difficult to rise again afterward.

Gu Can has great expectations for the next generation of family members.

He has placed nearly all the ambition and lofty aspirations gathered by the Gu family's youths over these years upon them.

He does not wish for the Gu family to encounter problems at this time.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yu could not help but smile, saying dismissively: "Father need not worry."

"Hmm?" Gu Can frowned, looking at Gu Yu, "What is your thought, my son?"

"Father."

Gu Yu rose slowly, his young face serious as he said: "I believe the struggle over the imperial succession has nothing to do with our Gu family."

"Over these years, our Gu family has always remained within Julu, never forbidding the regional lords from coming to pay homage."

"Merely this alone already reveals our family's stance."

"Even if the Prince of Jin comes here with hidden intent, what of it?"

"If the Crown Prince truly has ability, why would he not come?"

"Father need not overthink."

"Simply treat it as we did when the Liu family's regional lords came to offer sacrifices—no change needed."

Gu Can fell silent for a moment, then nodded: "You are right, my son."

"It was my overcaution."

He looked at the young Gu Yu before him and sighed helplessly: "It is a pity our Gu family has lain dormant so long—if not for that, with your talent…"

Before he could finish,

Gu Yu directly bowed deeply and respectfully to Gu Can: "Father need not concern himself."

"I, for my part, believe our Gu family's dormancy thus far is not a bad thing."

"Our Gu family was too deeply bound to the Han dynasty."

"Now the Han's mandate is nearing its end."

"Had our Gu family not remained dormant all this time, I fear our fate would be no better than the Liu family's."

"Though now it seems our Gu family grows ever weaker,"

"the hearts of the Nine Provinces still remain with us."

"This is our Gu family's greatest reliance."

As he spoke, a hint of reverence appeared in his eyes: "Lately, I have read our ancestors' legacy, and I grow ever more admiring of our Gu family's forebears."

"There is no immortal dynasty in this world."

"Our Gu family rose in the early Han, and after Emperor Zhaowu, became irrevocably bound to the Han imperial house—that was the trial we must endure."

"As the saying goes: no destruction, no renewal."

"If the realm truly unifies under the Ka Huang era, I would very much like to meet this Prince of Jin."

Gu Can looked intently at his offspring.

His expression was extremely complex.

Is this what a genius is like?

He could not help but recall again the records of past ancestors in our ancestral home, then shook his head.

Previously, they had wondered what kind of extraordinary talent could emerge.

After all, everyone, at some point, is youthful, reckless, and arrogant.

About the records of our forebears,

even among Gu family members, doubts had gradually arisen.

After all, the Gu family had produced mediocrity for generations, utterly unable to compare.

But now it seems,

those records were indeed true.

This is the gap between a genius and an ordinary person.

Time passed swiftly.

Yang Guang arrived sooner than Gu Can had imagined; his journey was filled with sincere intent.

Since leaving Daxing, he had observed fasting.

Before approaching Julu,

he even abandoned his horse, choosing to walk here to demonstrate his sincerity.

He brought scarcely any troops.

He displayed his sincerity fully and clearly.

Most crucially, these actions gradually became known.

The common people of all regions praised the Prince of Jin's benevolence for his sincere homage to the Gu family.

Moreover, upon arriving in Julu, Yang Guang showed not the slightest impropriety.

The Gu family currently holds no official titles.

Yet Yang Guang is the most powerful prince of the Sui dynasty.

Still, Yang Guang remained exceedingly courteous.

Under the gaze of Julu's people, as soon as he met Gu Can and the others, before Gu Can could speak, he bowed deeply to them first: "I pay my respects to Gu Gong."

"Prince of Jin, you must not."

Gu Can's expression changed slightly, and he hurried to stop Yang Guang: "How could a commoner accept the bow of Prince Jin?"

"Ah~" Yang Guang's expression remained unchanged as he insisted on bowing: "Master Gu is an elder, and the Gu clan has bestowed great merit upon the Nine Provinces."

"Even my own ancestors once received grace from the Gu clan."

"Why would Master Gu refuse this bow?"

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Gu Can.

Seeing this, Gu Can could only return the bow with all the Gu clan youths.

Behind them all.

Gu Yu had been watching Yang Guang closely, his bright eyes filled with thoughts he did not reveal.

Afterwards, Yang Guang followed Gu Can to the Gu clan ancestral hall.

Along the way, he showed great humility, chatting and laughing with Gu Can and the others.

He claimed he had admired Marquis Zhaolie Gu Chen since childhood.

This was a grand sacrifice.

The Gu clan ancestral hall differed completely from other families', for the people of Julu frequently worshipped the Gu ancestors, so incense smoke never ceased within it.

Yang Guang showed not the slightest air of a prince.

For this sacrifice,

his every gesture radiated sincerity, even surpassing the earnestness of the Liu clan lords who had come before.

Especially when worshipping Gu Chen's statue, Yang Guang's expression was utterly solemn.

Before the statue, he openly expressed his reverence for Gu Chen.

To achieve great merit like Gu Chen.

This act undoubtedly earned him even louder acclaim.

Who in all the world today holds the Gu clan in highest esteem?

Undoubtedly, these people of Julu.

Yang Guang's actions gave the people of Julu the feeling that his attitude toward the Gu clan mirrored that of Emperor Zhaowu, the Han dynasty's founding ancestor.

Even Gu Can and others were affected.

Since the Gu clan's influence had waned and they had clearly declared they would not join any struggle,

the Gu clan had forgotten how long it had been since any lord had offered such earnest worship.

Yang Guang's actions now

even caused members of the Gu clan to gradually develop favor toward him.

Gu Yu had followed the Gu clan youths throughout, observing Yang Guang's every move without uttering a word.

This sacrifice lasted for several full days.

Yang Guang would not linger long in Julu; after a single day of rest following the sacrifice, he immediately decided to depart.

"Master Gu."

At the moment of departure, facing Gu Can and those who had come to see him off, he still did not neglect propriety, bowing to Gu Can: "The chaos of today will soon end; the realm will surely unify."

"Now is the time to rebuild all that has fallen into ruin."

"I have often heard my father, the Emperor, speak of the governing talents of Marquis Wenxiang and others."

"I know the Gu clan's ancestral teachings and dare not compel you to act."

"But if the Gu clan truly produces a great talent,

I am willing to petition my father on your behalf—please, let the Gu clan come to Daxing."

Saying this,

he knelt before everyone's eyes, directly before Gu Can.

This kneel was earth-shattering.

Yang Guang's expression was utterly serious, as if he truly thought for the sake of the entire realm.

"Your Highness!"

Gu Can was utterly stunned; he quickly pulled Yang Guang up and replied earnestly: "Your Highness, you must not do this—if the Gu clan truly produces a great talent, we will emerge."

"Good!"

Yang Guang immediately smiled, nodding seriously: "Then I take my leave."

From beginning to end,

Yang Guang had never referred to himself as "Prince."

His every action left no room for criticism.

Seeing this, the people from all directions bowed to Yang Guang, all marveling at his benevolence.

Yang Guang's smile deepened.

He mounted his horse and rode slowly away, gazing at Julu's landscape, then suddenly laughed aloud: "All say Julu is the holy land of the Nine Provinces—now I see this is no lie!"

"Julu truly is a land of outstanding people and fertile earth!"

He declared with vigor, then bowed to the gathered people: "Fellow villagers, farewell!"

Yang Guang cracked his whip.

Under everyone's gaze, he rode away without delay.

"Prince Jin is extraordinary."

Watching Yang Guang's retreating figure, Gu Can's expression was deeply complex, and he could not help but sigh: "It seems the unification of the Sui is now unstoppable."

"Indeed."

His brothers behind him all nodded in agreement.

Yang Guang's conduct over these past days thoroughly made them feel his extraordinariness.

He had always been impeccably courteous;

not a single drop of alcohol touched his lips.

He showed not the slightest trace of a prince's arrogance, embodying frugality to its utmost extreme.

In their eyes, Yang Guang already possessed the qualities of a wise sovereign.

But just then—

Gu Yu's youthful voice rang out.

"Prince Jin is a tyrant."

Everyone immediately turned to look. Had this been another clan, they would have rebuked their young heir for speaking nonsense.

But Gu Clan was different.

These elders all knew Gu Yu's talent and held great expectations for him.

"What do you mean by that, my son?"

Gu Can stepped forward directly to ask.

"This man's scheming runs as deep as an abyss; all his actions these past days reveal his ambition to seize the succession." Gu Yu made his judgment outright.

Hearing this, everyone frowned slightly, yet did not find it alarming.

Gu Clan's moral boundaries had always been flexible.

If one were a great hero, having ambition to seize the succession was only natural.

But then Gu Yu's voice rang out again: "This man's ambition far surpasses ordinary men."

"He has made everything appear flawless."

"Yet upon close observation of his words and deeds, I always sense his words do not match his heart."

"Father, uncles and elder cousins."

"I believe that if one truly harbors such ambition, there is no need to perform all this so perfectly. Prince Jin's actions strike me as overly contrived."

As he spoke, Gu Yu's brow was slightly furrowed.

Hearing this, the expressions of those present grew complex.

Gu Yu was right.

Yang Guang's conduct had been too perfect.

Compared to past wise sovereigns, he had not a single flaw—Gu Yu's judgment was correct.

Gu Yi had been watching silently, listening to Gu Yu's judgment, and was equally startled.

Gu Yu's insight into people was extraordinary.

Originally, Gu Yi had planned to use the Spirit-Link Jade to influence Gu Yu regarding Yang Guang.

There was no choice—

Yang Guang's conduct before ascending the throne had been too convincingly that of a wise sovereign.

He did not want Gu Clan's youth to be deceived; Yang Guang's hidden nature and character were unsuited to them.

But now it seemed unnecessary!

The others did not continue discussing Gu Yu's judgment.

At least for now, Gu Clan had no need to concern itself with these matters.

Julu fell quiet once more.

As time passed, the three armies dispatched by Yang Jian set out on their campaigns.

Perhaps due to the overwhelming influence of "Sui," or perhaps because the realm had long been in chaos, the people gradually came to desire unification.

The advance of these three armies was swift.

In the ninth year of Kaihuang, on the Bingzi day of the first month;

the walls of Jiankang were shrouded in leaden morning mist.

The black banners of the Sui army spread across the sky and earth from the Zhu Que Ferry, the clashing of armor shattering the silence of winter.

When the vermilion paint of Zhu Que Gate cracked under the battering ram, the outcome was already sealed.

Waves of Sui troops surged into the city.

The puppet Emperor Liu Yong of Southern Han was captured alive by Yang Guang.

In despair, the final silhouette of this dynasty emerged.

The Yangtze River still surged eastward, yet could no longer reflect the splendor of "The finest land of Jiangnan, the imperial state of Jinling."

The "Great Han," which had endured for over eight hundred years;

with the locking of Jiankang's palace gates, was forever frozen on the yellowed pages of the annals of Jiuzhou.

Han has ended.

(End of Chapter)