Chapter 133

The world had suffered under chaos for too long; faced with the Sui army advancing with overwhelming momentum, all quarters submitted in fear.

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

As the Sui envoys, including Wei Guang, traveled to Lingnan to pacify the various tribes, they filled the final gap in the realm.

The realm, long torn by chaos.

At last, it was once again unified.

Yang Jian fulfilled his promise.

Immediately after the realm was fully stabilized, he personally departed from Daxing City, leading his sons and ministers to Ju Lu to offer sacrifices to the ancestors of the Gu family.

This was indeed a very wise move.

Sacrificing to the Gu family.

Would surely raise the people's hopes for this new dynasty.

This was the influence the Gu family could bring.

Unconsciously, the "Age of Prosperity" had become deeply linked to the Gu family.

This assistance to the new dynasty was unimaginable.

After the sacrifice.

Yang Jian also invited the Gu family to enter court as officials, even declaring he had reserved for them a "Champion Marquis Mansion" within Daxing City.

This time, the Gu family did not refuse.

Regardless—

The Gu family could not remain a passive observer forever; this was something they must confront.

The new dynasty had already taken root.

The Gu family could not remain confined within Ju Lu forever.

Of course, the Gu family could never return to its former state.

To enter court immediately and control everything.

Now, the Gu family could exert little influence within court or among the people; their best option was merely to serve as officials in the four regions.

Officially fallen from a transcendent lineage.

Yet the younger generations of the Gu family were extremely excited.

For many years, the Gu family had remained secluded; too many ideals had been buried within Ju Lu, upon this land.

And now they must shoulder the expectations of their ancestors and the weight of their family, and move forward once more.

Main lineage;

Branch families;

The Gu family now faced many problems: years of national chaos, and the diminishing influence of the Gu family—both equally deadly to them.

With the realm now unified, the Gu family must advance once more.

Yet Gu Yu still held to his judgment.

In Ju Lu, within the Gu mansion.

"My son, are you truly unwilling to enter court?" Gu Can looked at his most outstanding offspring, his expression deeply complex.

"Father, my resolve is firm," Gu Yu replied, his expression resolute, nodding seriously.

Seeing this, Gu Can could not help but sigh.

He was no longer young.

Though he was the current head of the Gu family, he could only entrust all his hopes to the next generation.

For the Gu family,

This path was destined to be extremely difficult—more difficult than ever before.

Like Gu Kang of old.

They must once again expand the Gu family's influence and gain the people's recognition, only then could the Gu family return to its peak.

"You are the most outstanding youth of the Gu family today. Do not waste your life."

He could not help but remind him.

Gu Yu bowed deeply to Gu Can: "Father, rest assured—I understand the weight of our family."

"Yet for me—"

"Without a wise sovereign, even entering the world would do me no good."

Wise sovereign—

This was an unavoidable factor in the feudal age.

As a Gu family scion,

Gu Yu too harbored the ambition of a qilin.

But if he failed to find a wise sovereign, it would harm him, not benefit him.

This was the fundamental reason he refused to enter the world.

Though Yang Jian appeared to greatly revere the Gu family, in his eyes this was merely Yang Jian's tactic to soothe the people's hearts.

He had his own inner circle, and was also somewhat autocratic.

Such a ruler was unsuitable for him.

Of course, that was secondary.

The key issue lay in his judgment of the current Crown Prince Yang Yong and Prince Jin Yang Guang.

He concluded that the Sui imperial house was destined for a fierce internal struggle.

And regardless of who won or lost—

Neither Yang Yong nor Yang Guang could be considered wise rulers; if the realm had not recovered by then, chaos would likely arise once more.

This was his judgment of the current situation.

Looking at the resolute expression on Gu Yu's face, Gu Can fell silent for a moment and ultimately said nothing more.

His own son had indeed already surpassed him.

Though still young, he had already surpassed his own father—what more could he say?

Gu Yu was a deeply self-confident person.

This confidence was different from "arrogance."

It was the confidence bestowed upon him by his Gu Shizi lineage and his own talent.

He was absolutely certain of his own judgment.

Of course, Gu Yu had not remained within Julu the entire time either.

As for his words—

He wanted to go out and see the realm, to see the common people of the realm.

Over the years, he had long since finished learning everything his ancestors had left behind, and beyond that, he had also been engaging with everything within Julu.

But for the children of the Gu clan, the people of Gu Shizi could never represent the entire realm.

He needed to go see the realm for himself.

Gu Yi had been silently watching all of this, and his anticipation for Gu Yu's future performance was growing ever stronger.

This was an era brimming with variables.

A figure who would shine dazzlingly in history was about to emerge.

Gu Yi did not know whether Gu Yu would form any connection with him.

But judging from Gu Yu's current performance—

He would surely become one of the greatest variables in all of history to come, and for Gu Shizi as well.

Just as Gu Yu had anticipated, Yang Jian would never place the Gu clan in an important position.

He was a warlike overlord.

A warlike overlord who had carved his way out of a chaotic age.

Such a man generally possessed immense self-confidence; he could never treat the Gu clan the way Liu Bei once had, nor would he directly promote the children of the Gu clan.

What an emperor wanted was far more than mere "loyalty."

"Loyalty" was only the foundation an emperor desired; what he wanted even more was the unique, singular power that belonged to the Emperor alone.

This was what an emperor was!

Let alone the Gu clan—even toward his most core Guanlong Group, Yang Jian would show no mercy.

That's right—the Guanlong Group.

Although history had already undergone tremendous changes,

under the influence of years of chaos and the currents of the times, the Guanlong Group had still emerged inevitably.

Its influence was not diminished in the slightest.

During the era of the Northern and Southern Han, the Guanlong Group could already dictate imperial power.

Now that the realm had been unified,

Yang Jian naturally could no longer tolerate the existence of the Guanlong Group.

This too was where his extraordinary vision showed.

Before the realm was unified, he knew he was the Emperor chosen by the Guanlong Group, and was even willing to share power with them.

But now—things were different.

He would absolutely not tolerate the Guanlong Group's grip on the military and official posts.

The "entry of the Gu clan into court" and the appearance of southern scholars were, for him, the perfect opportunity.

A thunderous reform began for the Great Sui, this rising dynasty.

—Yet Yang Jian was indeed a warlike overlord.

His wisdom and methods were worthy of that title.

The first thing he had to thoroughly restore was, naturally, the imperial examination system.

The realm had been in chaos until now.

In the beginning, the various systems had not yet fallen into disorder; during the times of Liu Yu and Liu He, the imperial examination system was the most useful tool for both the Northern and Southern Han to win the hearts of the people.

But as time stretched on and on,

the imperial examination system had gradually reached a state where it existed in name only.

This too was the inevitable result of a chaotic age.

The great clans controlled the bulk of power; for a ruler to gain their support, he had to make certain compromises.

The fundamental reason Yang Jian was able to unify the realm so swiftly

was that the Northern and Southern Han had already rotted to their very core.

An imperial examination system that existed in name only;

the annexation by powerful clans;

chaotic official administration;

a chaotic age with no end in sight.

The consequences of prolonged chaos had destined these situations to appear.

What Yang Jian had to do now was to re-establish all of this, so that the common people of the realm could see the court's sincerity!

Of course, doing so was bound to stir up internal upheaval.

But when the great tide had already formed.

None of this could ultimately affect the great tide.

Yang Jian was an extremely decisive man; just as he had made up his mind to take that first step, he had already prepared thoroughly.

He first reformed the administration across the four quarters;

then, in the eleventh year of Kaihuang, he formally established the imperial examination system.

It was not merely a complete inheritance of the policies of the Yan Han.

Within this,

he also made a series of adjustments according to the situation, the most important of which was the reform of official evaluation.

This was the key.

To completely resolve the internal turmoil of the current Sui dynasty,

this was something he must do.

In addition, there was reform of the official system.

In fact, over these years,

as the situation across the land grew increasingly turbulent, the court structures of the Northern and Southern Han had diverged.

Yang Jian built upon this foundation to enact further reforms.

He decided to implement—the Five Departments and Six Bureaus system.

He redistributed all power, thereby strengthening central authority.

The Five Departments included the Secretariat, the Door-Down Department, the Department of State Affairs, the Secret Archives Department, and the Inner Service Department.

Among them—

the Secret Archives Department oversaw books and calendars; the Inner Service Department was the imperial eunuch agency; the Secretariat was the decision-making body, responsible for drafting edicts; the Door-Down Department reviewed edicts and held the power to reject them; the Department of State Affairs was the highest administrative body, responsible for enforcing decrees.

Below these, he established the Six Bureaus.

The Six Bureaus were the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works.

The Ministry of Personnel handled official selection and evaluation; the Ministry of Finance, later renamed the Ministry of Household, managed finances and household registration; the Ministry of Rites oversaw rituals, education, and foreign affairs; the Ministry of War managed military affairs; the Ministry of Justice, formerly the Ministry of Punishments, handled judicial and penal matters; the Ministry of Works oversaw construction and handicraft industries.

This move not only redefined power structures but also improved the overall efficiency of the court.

A clear bureaucratic system.

It also prevented any single individual from accumulating excessive power that might threaten imperial authority.

In addition—of course, there was military power.

The current situation beneath Heaven seemed to have returned to the chaos of the late Han era, where powerful clans held military authority.

What Yang Jian now needed to do was reclaim all power.

He also proposed reforms to the Fubing system.

He changed the Fubing system from "separation of soldier and farmer" to "unity of soldier and farmer," ordering that all soldiers' household registrations be incorporated into prefectures and counties, placed under the same state jurisdiction as commoners, and severing private ties between commanders and troops.

He established Twelve Guard Commands, appointing commanders directly himself and rotating them frequently to prevent military aristocrats from holding command for extended periods.

These sweeping reforms naturally caused chaos.

When these edicts were issued, rebellions erupted across the land.

But what of it?

The wisest aspect of Yang Jian's actions was that he was winning the hearts of the people!

Whether it was the return of the Gu clan,

or the restoration of the imperial examinations, or earlier reforms such as reminting currency, all of these had won him far too many hearts!

This was the killing move!

Once the common people, who longed for stable lives, felt the changes in the court,

public sentiment became unshakable.

Facing the chaos across the land, Yang Jian acted without the slightest hesitation.

He displayed the iron-blooded ruthlessness of an emperor to the fullest extent.

Regardless of past achievements or how deeply connected one was to the Guanlong clique,

anyone who rebelled—was doomed to death.

With the support of the people, the foundation of the Great Sui could not be shaken; rebellions across the land were successively suppressed, and all rival forces were eradicated.

Afterwards, Yang Jian began to reorganize the prefectures and commanderies.

Yang Jian issued an edict abolishing all commanderies.

He changed the former three-tier system of prefecture, commandery, and county into a two-tier system of prefecture and county.

This not only simplified local administration but also mandated that all local officials be appointed and removed by the central government, placing all appointments under the authority of the Ministry of Personnel, and prohibiting local officials from recruiting their own subordinates, thereby consolidating central authority.

This was undoubtedly a policy capable of reviving the realm.

Years of chaos had inflicted unimaginable damage upon the localities.

Leaving aside other matters,

this reform alone was a major advancement in administrative discipline!

The four seas boiled.

He promulgated the Kaihuang Code, recalculated household registrations, redistributed land across the realm, and reduced taxes.

Past golden ages had left Yang Jian too many examples to draw from.

He needed only to implement a series of reforms based on these examples to rapidly restore the entire realm.

The Kaihuang Governance—arrived as scheduled.

After years of chaos, Yang Jian's emergence was like a ray of dawn, piercing through the darkness of the Nine Provinces.

The foundation of the Nine Provinces is not poor—it far surpasses its original history.

Once all settles into peace, the resilience within the Huaxia people will once again write new legends.

This is also the choice of the age.

Yet amid all this brightness, chaos continues to spread.

Gu Yi did not pay much attention to the internal affairs of the Sui.

He occasionally checked on other Gu clan youths, but mostly he focused on Gu Yu.

Over these years.

Gu Yu had truly walked ten thousand li.

Though he observed all changes across the land, he remained steadfast in his own judgments.

He never grew anxious despite his advancing age, always holding firm to his path.

Even Gu Yi could not determine whether this was "confidence" or "obstinacy."

Yet it was not without gain.

From start to finish, he never changed his name or surname, doing small deeds within his means while learning from the common folk.

To him, this seemed also a unique trial.

Gu Yi could sense his progress.

Most crucially, because of this, though Gu Yu never attended court, he still left a modest reputation among all quarters.

Even Yang Jian had heard of Gu Yu's name.

But as for Gu Yu,

all the Gu clan youths in court spoke with one voice: Gu Yu had no interest in office.

Yang Jian, for his part, paid it no mind.

After all, the Gu clan was no longer what it once was—what need was there for him to care?

The arrival of the golden age made Yang Jian even more confident.

But the wheels of fate had already turned invisibly.

In the eighteenth year of Kaihuang, on the Wuwu day of the twelfth month;

Wu Gong.

A thin layer of ice formed on the tributary of the Wei River outside the city, reflecting the ochre-colored rammed-earth walls; frost-laden battlements hung like jade curtains, glinting coldly under the weak noon sun.

A carriage slowly entered the city.

The next moment, a dark-skinned youth stepped directly out of the carriage.

He exhaled first, then a faint smile appeared on his face.

This man was none other than Gu Yu.

He now bore no trace of his noble upbringing; his skin was dark as Gu Kang's once was, leaving only a faint air of aristocracy about him.

He stepped down and walked along the street.

Before long, he saw the bustling common folk rushing en masse in one direction, every face alight with excitement.

"Hmm?"

Gu Yu felt surprise, and without thinking, stepped forward to stop an elderly man and bowed: "Old sir, what is the crowd rushing toward?"

"Oh my!"

The old man had been walking slowly; now he grew flustered and cried out: "Why are you blocking me? The Prefect has just had a son—he's announced it! Today, every household may claim five dou of millet!"

Saying this, the old man sidestepped Gu Yu entirely and hurried after the crowd.

The Prefect had a son?

Gu Yu paused, then his face lit up with interest.

He immediately followed the crowd forward.

Before the county office, the open ground was packed with people, voices buzzing.

When the gold thread on Li Yuan's black brocade robe flashed in the morning light, the crowd suddenly fell silent.

"Thank you all for your prayers for my wife these past days," Li Yuan bowed with clasped hands, his jade belt buckle gleaming softly in the snowlight. "My son, born in Wu Gong, is a child of Guanzhong's soil and water."

"My fellow townsfolk, rest assured—I, Li Yuan, will not break my word!"

With that, he waved his hand, ordering his attendants to distribute the grain.

"Li Yuan?"

"The Duke of Tang?"

Gu Yu stood at the rear of the crowd, watching this scene with interest; instantly, corresponding information flashed through his mind.

Though he had never set foot in court,

he was well aware of major affairs across the land and basic court news.

In this chaotic age, the Gu clan had long maintained its own intelligence network.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face—he never expected someone of Li Yuan's stature to do such a thing.

At this moment,

Li Yuan also noticed Gu Yu.

Though Gu Yu's attire was plain and his skin dark, Li Yuan, born of a great clan, immediately sensed Gu Yu's extraordinary bearing.

"Hmm?"

Li Yuan unconsciously frowned, then pushed through the crowd toward Gu Yu and bowed: "I am Li Yuan, Inspector of Qizhou, styled Shude. May I ask, young master—"

"I salute Duke of Tang," Gu Yu quickly returned the bow. "I am Gu Yu, styled Yaozhi."

In an instant, Li Yuan's expression subtly changed.

"Gu Yao? A scion of the Gu clan?" He stared intently at Gu Yu, seemingly having heard of some of Gu Yu's reputation.

Seeing Gu Yu nod, delight immediately flashed across his face: "Excellent!"

"I had long heard that Young Master, on his journey, seemed to be passing through our Qizhou, and was wondering whether there might be a chance to meet."

"I never expected we would meet like this, and that it would coincide with the birth of my second son."

"Young Master, please come with me to the manor for a chat."

Li Yuan was extremely warm toward Gu Yu; this was also the benefit that the Gu clan's background brought to scions of the Gu clan.

"Then I thank the Duke of Tang." Gu Yu bowed.

He then followed Li Yuan straight into the manor.

The interior of the manor was not particularly lavish.

Li Yuan was very warm, chatting idly with Gu Yu as he led the way, speaking of his respect for the Gu clan, and even mentioning wanting to send his offspring to the Gu clan to study.

But with only one eldest son at present, he did not dare do so.

Regarding this, Gu Yu naturally did not say much more.

He could hear Li Yuan's intention to win him over, but this ultimately did not align with his own path.

At the very end.

He even wanted to let Gu Yu see his newly born second son.

Gu Yu had originally been quite casual about it; this was also something he would do from time to time.

The moral bottom line of Gu clan scions was extremely flexible; they were not foolish enough to forgo the advantages their status could bring, needlessly adding much trouble to themselves.

Gu Yu stepped on the accumulated snow beneath the corridor, following Li Yuan through the hanging-flower gate, and saw the newly born infant.

The child's bluish-black lanugo clung to fine beads of sweat, curled into a soft, downy crescent.

The moment Gu Yu's gaze touched the swaddling clothes, the infant's eyelashes suddenly trembled lightly, and dark pupils lit up like cold stars over the Wei River.

Its small body wriggled free of the brocade quilt, first staring at the canopy above, then settling on Gu Yu; meeting his gaze, it suddenly let out a string of giggles.

"This—" Gu Yu instinctively stepped forward half a pace, a flash of surprise passing through his eyes.

The first impression this child gave him was, unexpectedly, extraordinary!

At this moment, Li Yuan took the infant from the wet nurse's arms and walked toward Gu Yu with a smile.

The faint breeze stirred up by his steps swayed the candlelight.

As the flame flickered, it illuminated the faint bluish-green lines on the infant's palm; crisscrossing, they faintly formed the shape of the character "king," mirroring from afar the coiled-dragon hidden pattern on the jade belt buckle at Li Yuan's waist.

Although it was only a brief instant, it still caused Gu Yu's expression to change involuntarily.

Disciples of the Gu clan were never particularly superstitious people, let alone someone like Gu Yu, the most talented scion within the clan.

But the scene just now still made his long-quiet heart stir faintly.

"This child is extraordinary." Before the words had fallen, Li Yuan had already stepped forward briskly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Does Young Master truly think so?"

Gu Yu's Adam's apple moved slightly, his gaze still locked on the infant's tender pink palm; after a long while, he said in a low voice: "Judging by his bearing, he is indeed no ordinary being."

Li Yuan could hardly conceal his delight, the fragrant breeze stirred by his sleeves carrying expectation: "Then would Young Master be willing to stay at my manor and tutor my second son?"

Gu Yu lowered his eyes, suppressing the surging emotions in their depths, and finally shook his head, bowing with cupped hands toward Li Yuan: "The Duke praises me too highly; Gu is untalented and unlearned, truly unfit to bear such a heavy responsibility."

"But if the Duke is willing, you may send this child to Julu in due course."

This was not the path he intended to walk.

Moreover, he did not believe in any so-called theory of heavenly mandate; this was a principle passed down by generations of ancestors within the clan.

Li Yuan's expression immediately dimmed; compared to sending his offspring to Julu, having a scion of the Gu clan come to his manor was the true honor.

This was what he had wanted.

Just then, the infant in his arms suddenly let out another clear laugh; its small lotus-root-like hand grasped at the air, and it actually waved in Gu Yu's direction.

Gu Yu's heart trembled, a strange vibration spreading from his fingertips throughout his entire body.

This was the first time he had ever felt such a sensation.

It was not a matter of superstitious prophecy, simply a pure feeling that this child was different from an ordinary infant, and that it would be deeply connected to him.

"Has your son been given a name yet?" His voice unconsciously softened.

Li Yuan, watching the change in Gu Yu's expression, could not help but smile again, and said loudly: "To aid the world and bring peace to the people—hence the name Shimin!"

"My Li family's second son—Li Shimin!"

"Shimin." Gu Yu could not help repeating it once, looking at the infant gradually quieting down in his arms, his expression only slowly returning to calm.

PS (After midnight tonight the votes will be doubled, brothers don't forget to fire off those monthly tickets, it's the end of the month already, if you don't use them they'll go to waste!!)

(End of chapter)