Chapter 136: Blood and Tears Across the Nine Provinces, Moving Mountains

How could Gu Yu possibly not understand Xue San's thoughts?

For him.

From the very moment Gu Zhe perished, vengeance became the sole purpose of his life.

This was not true of Xue San alone.

Nearly every Julu youth chosen as a Gu clan guard harbored the same thought.

Letting the Gu clan's Young Master die while they still lived—if word of this got out, it would be their ancestors' faces that were lost.

This was the product of the purest loyalty and faith.

He had to avenge Gu Zhe.

If he could not, then he would die trying—nothing more.

This was the Gu clan's most essential strength; if one day the Gu clan truly faced the peril of extermination—

Setting aside all the people of Julu—

The great majority of the common folk would absolutely be willing to raise the weapons in their hands for the Gu clan.

This was the fortress Gu Yi had once meant to build!

Gu Yu did not choose to act directly; this was not a good moment.

Great chaos—

Only when the common folk were driven to the wall could a rising dynasty be shaken.

That's right—rising.

This was Gu Yu's judgment of the Great Sui, formed after traveling the realm and before Yang Guang's accession.

Though this so-called rising could not yet illuminate every shadow, on the whole the common folk had not yet fallen into utter despair.

Gu Yu had read every book in the clan.

He had a clear grasp of the treatise on dynasties left behind when Gu Yi had once manipulated Gu Ye.

The Great Sui of that time was indeed rising.

Even if the enthroned ruler were a powerless sovereign like Emperor Hui of Han, it would not be enough to throw the realm into chaos; even placing a monarch like Hu Hai, who knew only play, upon the throne—

So long as the court's policies trended toward stability, no upheaval could possibly arise.

Because Gu Yu could feel it.

The hearts of the realm longed for unification.

Though this generation had never lived through the glorious age of the Han of Fire, they all yearned for it nonetheless.

This was the Sui dynasty's greatest mainstay to this day.

Now the common folk of the realm seemed full of grievances, but in truth the fury in their hearts had not yet been fully drawn out.

Spreading word at such a time would only harm the Gu clan.

The common folk's fury was still insufficient to smash the foundations of the Sui!

He had to wait!

From that day forth, Gu Yu settled himself within Julu.

He gradually took up the heavy burden from Gu Can's hands and began handling the affairs of Julu.

The entire Gu clan seemed, as it were, to have found its backbone.

Though Gu Can could also command the loyalty of the clan.

He was, after all, growing old; and from the moment Gu Yu was born into the world, he had borne far, far too many expectations.

Now that he had returned, the whole clan seemed to have been infused with fresh blood.

The Gu clan truly needed a leader.

And Gu Yu was the very best candidate!

Yet beyond this, Gu Yu was also making a series of preparations; the great chaos of the realm needed only a single opportunity.

The Gu clan's current situation was exceedingly dire.

If it wished to continue in glory, he had to make full preparations for the clan.

Time slipped swiftly by.

Yang Guang's reckless pace did not halt there.

By now the entire court, high and low, had been purged by him; no voice opposed him any longer, and everything revolved around him.

He bestowed gifts upon the Tujue khan on several occasions.

The footsteps of history marched ever forward; the barbarian tribes had always been thus.

Just as the Central Plains fell into turmoil—

The Tujue, a small tribe that once drew no one's notice, likewise rose to become a hegemon.

As if to flaunt his own grandeur, Yang Guang's rewards to the Tujue khan were staggering.

The silk bestowed across several occasions reached as many as tens of millions of bolts.

And that was not all.

Gu Yi had in fact watched Yang Guang for some time as well, and was astonished to discover that Yang Guang was at his most well-behaved only when engaged in matters unfit for children.

Beyond that, he would have other ideas.

Perhaps in his eyes—

The Great Sui of that moment was truly in the height of its prosperity.

He could not see the common folk's blood and tears, could not hear their cries.

Those small-scale uprisings could not threaten the dynasty's foundations; the entire court, high and low, revolved around him.

He could control everything—what else could this be but a golden age?

Vast palaces blocked out everything, and as officials who cared for the realm and still possessed some conscience died one by one, Yang Guang could no longer hear of affairs beyond the palace walls.

The seventh year of Daye.

As the four-directional construction projects gradually drew to a close, Yang Guang seemed at last to have satisfied his ambitions in "domestic governance."

This time, he turned his gaze outward.

He decided to launch a campaign against Goguryeo.

Goguryeo's power today was not weak; it could even be called a regional overlord.

Gu Chen had once pacified the Wuhuan and Xianbei, but he was helpless against the fleeing Goguryeo.

As for Gu Ye's generation, it was the same.

Although some in Goguryeo had surrendered, even killing their own king.

But for these tribal people,

they would never lack a king.

As internal chaos in the Central Plains grew, control over the surrounding barbarians slipped away; Goguryeo had long since returned.

Not only had they reclaimed Liucheng, but they had also become the dominant power of this era.

Luoyang.

Yang Guang swept his gaze across the assembled ministers with a look of triumph and said enthusiastically, "My loyal ministers!"

"Conquering Goguryeo is the most crucial step in my eternal legacy."

"Recalling my childhood, I once heard how Marquis Zhaolie alone intimidated the four corners; at that moment, I vowed to become like Marquis Zhaolie, making Great Sui's glory shine across the world!"

"If I can subdue Goguryeo, I shall have fulfilled the grand vow I made upon ascending the throne."

"In both civil administration and martial achievement, I shall become the one and only Emperor in all of history!"

His face wore an air of arrogant pride, a smile never leaving his lips.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

No one dared to refuse, even though everyone knew that campaigning against Goguryeo would inflict grave harm on Great Sui at this time; they still chose not to advise against it.

This was the survival strategy the ministers had learned.

Advising Yang Guang meant choosing death!

Yet someone still raised another matter.

"Your Majesty, the people of the realm now sing praises of Your Majesty's benevolence; Your Majesty's prestige towers above all ages past and present."

"Why not seize this opportunity, before launching the expedition, to eradicate the Gu clan?"

It was Yuwen Huaji.

He had become one of Yang Guang's most favored ministers.

Though the Gu clan bore him no grudge and had even shown kindness to his ancestors,

Yuwen Huaji still deeply feared the Gu clan.

Especially after Gu Zhe's blood splattered upon the palace walls, this fear intensified.

The incident had become his personal torment.

As soon as he spoke, ministers immediately began to echo him; their attitude toward the Gu clan was strangely unified.

Perhaps that is how people are.

Gu Zhe's blood on the palace walls had offended them all.

Yang Guang's smile did not fade; this time he did not refuse, but nodded and agreed outright.

Yet he still set the date for after his triumphant return.

The Gu clan still held influence.

Only when he returned victorious could he completely overshadow them all.

Yes, he would not let the Gu clan go unpunished.

To him,

there could be only one sun in heaven, and only one family in the mortal world worthy of universal respect.

The matter was settled.

Yang Guang launched his conscription campaign across the entire realm.

The eighth year of Daye.

Yang Guang personally led over a million troops, dividing them into twenty-four columns to attack Goguryeo.

The main force moved from Zhuo Commandery.

Land and water forces advanced together.

The land army marched straight for Liaodong City; the naval force struck directly at Wangjian City.

Wherever the army passed, the horizon stretched endlessly.

May.

The land army besieged Liaodong City, but its momentum was disrupted by Goguryeo's feigned surrender.

Most critically, Yang Guang ordered his soldiers not to act independently, hoarding all authority in his own hands.

This utterly destabilized the morale of the Sui army.

Remote campaigns have always been like this.

Not even Gu Ye, let alone Gu Chen in his time, dared lead vast armies on distant expeditions.

It was not because Gu Chen lacked ability, but because the manpower and resources consumed by remote campaigns were unimaginable.

From the moment the Sui army halted, the battle was already lost.

The entire Central Plains lay strewn with starving corpses.

A million laborers transported grain, and among them, far too many collapsed.

But Yang Guang still failed to notice.

His arrogance made him firmly believe he could win this battle.

Under these circumstances, he even tacitly allowed Yuwenshu to grow careless and advance to the Sa River.

An entire army of three hundred thousand was annihilated.

Blood dyed the Sa River red, definitively marking Yang Guang's defeat.

August.

The Naval Protector was defeated again at Wangjian City, and the situation turned completely.

Yang Guang was forced to retreat.

A campaign that stirred the entire Nine Provinces ended in total failure.

Nearly half a million men remained stranded in barbarian lands, and the number of laborers who died along the way was incalculable.

A calamity upon living beings, blood and tears of the Nine Provinces.

The impact on the entire Sui court was unimaginable.

But how could Yang Guang so easily give up?

He even set aside matters concerning the Gu family and immediately began conscripting more troops to invade Gaojuli again.

No one dared to stop him!

Faced with Yang Guang's furious rage, which he saw as a humiliation, not a single court official dared to oppose him!

Yang Guang conscripted troops again and reopened the Liaodong front.

In the ninth year of Daye.

He once again led his army to attack Liaodong City.

This time, he personally supervised the battle and deployed every siege engine from the Central Plains.

But Liaodong City still could not be taken.

Most crucially, Duke Chu Yang Xuangan, fearing Yang Guang's suspicions toward him, finally took that step during this opportunity.

He rebelled!

This was hardly Yang Xuangan's fault; as the son of Yang Su, he could not help but consider the methods Yang Guang might use.

———The situation changed instantly!

But Yang Xuangan was not the only one uneasy; many nobles shared this same concern.

They joined forces, stationed troops at Liyang, and threatened to cross the Luo River eastward.

Yang Guang had no choice but to retreat.

And Gaojuli shifted to offense, routing the Sui army with relentless attacks, inflicting countless casualties!

Although Yuwenshu, later reinstated to his former post, eventually quelled Yang Xuangan and others.

Yet the entire Liaodong front suffered a crushing defeat!

———The Nine Provinces trembled!

Two consecutive major defeats in the campaigns had an unimaginable impact on the entire Nine Provinces.

It was not merely the drain on resources.

It was also the people's faith in the court.

Although this generation had never lived through the era created by Gu Chen and Gu Ye.

But they had heard stories from their ancestors!

Most crucially, when had the Nine Provinces ever suffered such a catastrophic defeat in war against barbarians?

The situation plunged into utter chaos!

Rebellions erupted across the land, rising from all directions!

Zhangqiu.

Du Fuyi and Fu Gongtuo rose in rebellion.

They led their forces to first disrupt Shangqiu, then turned to fight across the Huai and Yangtze regions.

Yuhang.

Liu Yuanjin rose in rebellion, gathering a hundred thousand followers, declaring his intent to overthrow the Sui and restore Han.

Zhu Can of Chengfu, Xu Yuanlang of Lu Commandery, Meng Haigong of Zhouqiao—all regional heroes emerged in succession.

Yet even at this point, Yang Guang had not forgotten Liaodong, the place where he had been humiliated.

He decided once again to conscript troops and continue his campaign against Gaojuli.

The pressure from the court loomed like a towering mountain, overshadowing the entire Nine Provinces.

Everyone felt despair.

And this time, prompted by Yuwen Huaji, Yang Guang remembered the Gu family again.

He even blamed the Gu family for the failures of both campaigns.

But for Gu Yu, what Yang Guang was thinking no longer mattered.

The moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

Neither Yang Guang, the Emperor, nor the entire Sui court could suppress the fury burning in the hearts of the people.

These two crushing defeats.

Had utterly shattered the court's authority!

Night.

Stars glittered brilliantly.

Julu, Gu Mansion.

This was the first time Gu Yu had gathered all family members on a large scale since taking up the family's burdens.

The number of clan members now present was not small.

And compared to before, their hearts had once again come together.

Everyone was waiting, waiting for Gu Yu to lead them in toppling the current order.

At this moment, their expressions were filled with excitement.

Clearly, Gu Yu's serious summons had led many to guess what was coming.

But Gu Yu had said nothing throughout, merely leading them in ancestral worship.

It was purely a Gu clan ancestral rite!

Gu Yu's expression was extremely solemn, and as the younger generation entered the Gu clan's most sacred ancestral hall, their expressions grew even more serious.

The rites began.

Candles flared one by one; the stone statues within suddenly opened their eyes in the flickering firelight—these were the most illustrious monuments of the Gu ancestral hall.

From the arched brows of Wu Hou Gu Xiao to the long beard of Marquis Wenxiang Gu Ye, all were gilded by the tongues of flame with razor-sharp brilliance.

The younger generation knelt instinctively.

These were the most glorious figures of the Gu clan.

From Gu Xiao to Gu Ye.

Gu Yu did not overlook anyone, yet it was not only these few—there were also the ancestors whose names were lost to time.

His movements were not swift, yet no one felt impatient.

Everyone understood.

What Gu Yu would do today might determine the entire family's survival.

Gu Yi was watching it all, his thoughts swirling.

The sense of time's passage reached its peak here; without realizing it, so many generations of the Gu clan had already passed away.

In truth, his heart was also stirred.

Gu Yu was finally going to act!

The timing was perfect!

In truth, for the Gu clan to truly risk everything, Gu Yu did not need to wait this long.

But he absolutely could not do so.

Otherwise, even if the Gu clan regained glory for a time, it would one day be slaughtered by the next Yang Guang of posterity.

This was what the clan head Gu Yu must consider!

Finally, all rituals were completed.

Under the gaze of all, Gu Yu slowly walked to the position before the group and knelt before the stone statues.

"From our ancestor Wu Hou Xiao Gong, the Gu clan rose."

He suddenly spoke, his voice resounding:

"Marquis Wencheng Kang Gong, tilled the fertile fields of Dahe and enriched the realm!"

"Huan Hou Sheng Gong, pacified the Western Regions and swept away the barbarians!"

"Marquis Wenxiang Xi Gong, quelled nine-province disasters, thrice aided the Dragon Throne, and stabilized the state!"

"Marquis Zhaolie Chen Gong, purged all rebels across the land, driving the barbarians of the four corners to dare not claim supremacy!"

"Marquis Wenxiang Ye Gong, opened border markets, translated barbarian scriptures, and made the Baiyue youth read the Analects!"

"."

He solemnly recounted his ancestors' deeds; all present were moved!

This was the Gu clan's pride!

And they were the objects of their deepest reverence.

The reason the Gu clan held together until now, only beginning to show signs of division, was because of their ancestors' glory!

But in the next instant, Gu Yu's tone shifted sharply.

"Unfilial descendant Yu, weeps before our ancestors:"

"Now the dragon boat blocks the Bian River; the white bones of conscripts piled high at Tong Pass!"

"The Son of Heaven hears not the wails of the people of the nine provinces!"

He described the present situation, then named Gu Zhe and each of the brothers who had left the mountains only to choose death!

Seventeen men!

Exactly seventeen men!

The atmosphere in the ancestral hall changed utterly; the faces of the Gu clan youths were filled with fury.

When had the Gu clan ever suffered such things?

"Today's ancestral rite is not to seek protection, nor to plead injustice!"

Gu Yu slowly raised his head, gazing at each stone statue, as if swearing an oath: "Marquis Zhaolie Chen Gong taught: 'Be the first to dare for the world—even in death, your heroic bones shall still scent the air!'"

"When the nine provinces thrive, the Gu clan shall rise!"

"Now the corrupt ruler presses down like Mount Tai; the people scurry like ants barely clinging to life."

His voice grew hoarse, like an old blade trembling before slipping into its sheath—then suddenly burst forth with the ring of Jin Shi:

"Gu Yu, unworthy, vows to lead the clan in action—for the world, for the Gu clan—"

"Move the mountain!"

———Boom!

In that instant, it was as if something had exploded in the hearts of the clan disciples all at once.

—————————

"In the eighth year of Daye, first month of spring, the Emperor issued an edict gathering the armies of the realm at Zhuo Commandery, totaling twenty-four armies, their sterns and prows stretching a thousand li, banners and pennants spanning the fields.

In the seventh month, the various armies besieged Liaodong City; Goguryeo feigned surrender several times, and the generals, following imperial orders, dared not seize the opportunity, so the city was long unclaimed.

Lai Huer led the Jianghuai tower ships across the sea toward Pyongyang, fell into an ambush, and was routed.

Yuwen Shu and nine armies of three hundred thousand crossed the Yalu River; Yizhi Wende feigned surrender to wear down the army, and by the time they reached the Sa River their provisions were exhausted; Goguryeo attacked from all four sides, and of the soldiers who fled back there were only a little over two thousand horsemen, with weapons and supplies abandoned in heaps like mountains.

In the ninth year, spring, the armies of the realm were again mustered at Liaodong, and the Emperor personally oversaw the battle at Baishi Fortress.

Flying towers and battering-ram carts were built, working day and night without rest, the battlements about to fall.

Then Yang Xuangan rebelled at Liyang, seized the grain transports, and pressed toward the Eastern Capital.

On the gengyin day of the sixth month, the Emperor secretly issued an edict at night to withdraw the army, abandoning the siege equipment in piles like hills. Goguryeo pursued from behind, and Wang Rengong, commanding the rearguard, lost several ten-thousands.

In autumn, news of the defeat in Liaodong galloped back to the Central Land, and bandits rose one after another across the realm; great chaos engulfed the world."

——"Book of Sui, Annals of Emperor Yang"

(End of this chapter)