Chapter 138: A Fine Head—Who Will Take It? (Requesting Monthly Votes)

——Move Mountains!

Gu Yu used this sacrifice to fully declare his determination.

He also set the future path for the Gu clan!

When Jiuzhou prospers, the Gu clan rises!

Gu Yi silently watched all of this, his heart also surging with intense emotion!

Hadn't he been waiting too?

He wanted to see Gu Yu's methods!

And to see, after centuries of glory and years of silence,

how much power the Gu clan could unleash!

Now, this day had finally come!

Gu Yu had clearly made thorough preparations.

He did not expose the entire clan openly—he emphasized this above all.

Gu Yu merely scattered the clan's branches far and wide!

The Huan Hou lineage;

the Lingnan branch;

and countless minor branches across the land.

By now, the Gu clan was no longer the small, sparse family it once was!

Although these branches' influence was inferior to the main lineage,

they still wielded extraordinary influence across the regions.

And Gu Yu remained at the main lineage, directing all directions from afar!

——Invisible rumors rose one after another across the entire realm.

"Yang Guang seized power illegitimately!"

"The Blood Incident at Ren Shou Palace."

"Patricide!"

Gu Yu's judgment of human nature was clearly extraordinary; once he began secretly spreading these rumors, they instantly swept across all of Jiuzhou!

Others were also helping to spread the rumors!

And the rumors grew more outrageous with each passing day!

But who cared?

The events of that day at Ren Shou Palace had left the people with ample room for doubt!

Once these rumors had names and forms, they could never be stopped again!

——The people's hearts plunged into utter chaos!

The Gu clan's influence revealed itself fully in this moment; though it could not deploy its full strength, though it could not lay everything bare,

the moment the Gu clan stood united, it still exerted immense influence over the entire realm!

A single spark can start a prairie fire!

That was exactly what was happening now.

Of course, Gu Yu's methods went far beyond this.

In addition, he also exploited omen and superstition.

In any era,

this was a devastating weapon—but unfortunately, Gu Yu could not yet leverage the Gu clan's prestige to steer this upheaval of public sentiment.

Otherwise, all of Jiuzhou would have been thrown into a cataclysmic upheaval.

Folk rhymes; stele inscriptions; celestial omens;

various rumors conforming to omen and superstition erupted across all directions.

Gu Yu's strike this time was swift and decisive—he launched attacks on every front against the Sui dynasty's foundations!

The Ren Shou Palace Incident—was Gu Yu's gift to the regional lords as a justification for rebellion!

Omen and superstition—was what convinced the common people that the Sui dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven!

From lords to commoners!

Gu Yu launched his first offensive with Lei Ting force!

But this was not over!

Beyond instilling confidence in others, Gu Yu also struck at the economy and the displaced masses!

The clan's centuries-old reserves were beyond others' imagination.

Not to mention that when Gu Yi had once controlled Gu Ye, he had already established the clan's tradition of preserving artisans.

Counterfeiting the imperial wuzhu coins was child's play for the Gu clan.

As for the displaced masses,

Gu Yu's method was even simpler: officially, it was famine relief.

And that's exactly what he claimed to be doing!

But—

while providing relief, he guided the people toward Luoyang, including all of Yang Guang's imperial palaces.

This was pure, deadly strategy!

The moment the displaced masses' rage ignited, the entire Sui realm would collapse in an instant.

The situation grew ever more chaotic.

Gu Yu's series of moves could truly be said to have pushed the Sui Dynasty to the edge of a cliff.

Even Yang Guang could no longer remain calm.

Originally, he had still been thinking of dealing with the Gu clan and launching a third campaign!

But—

The current situation had already completely exceeded his control.

The economy had collapsed;

refugees were everywhere;

the warlords in all directions grew ever stronger.

The rumors rising across the land had reached a point Yang Guang could no longer ignore, and at last thoroughly put him on guard.

Luoyang, Western Garden.

Looking at the crowd of palace maids frolicking before him, Yang Guang, his hair loose across his shoulders, no longer had any of his former enthusiasm.

Beside him.

Empress Xiao, her fragrant shoulders half-exposed, nestled in his embrace, her face full of coquettish charm. Seeing Yang Guang in low spirits, she could not help asking in a sweet, syrupy voice: "Your Majesty, what is the matter with you?"

"Is it that this batch of palace maids does not suit Your Majesty's refined tastes?"

Too many stories had truly taken place within this Western Garden.

This was still the first time Yang Guang had shown such an expression.

Hearing her words, Yang Guang gave a faint smile, took a sip of wine, and then burst into wild laughter.

Under Empress Xiao's startled gaze.

He suddenly spoke again, lightly stroking his long beard, and murmured: "Such a fine head—who could take it?"

Although he spoke these words in a very soft voice.

How could Empress Xiao, nestled in his embrace, possibly not hear? Her expression suddenly changed, and she hurriedly rose and was about to kneel.

"No need!"

But Yang Guang directly cut her off.

He beckoned her over, pulled her back into his embrace, and, under Empress Xiao's look of utter astonishment, said with a smile: "What do the great affairs of family and state have to do with you women?"

He took another sip of wine, then suddenly felt a surge of poetic inspiration. Gazing at the feasting and revelry before him, he laughed loudly: "Jade-branch shadows shatter the nine-tiered lamps; the dance breaks the Rainbow Skirt—this is the sound."

"Already I feel the dragon boat sinking in the night fog, yet still the brocade cables tie the spring wind."

"The poem done, cinnabar characters suddenly spatter—half become frost flowers, half become beacon fires."

Empress Xiao had been watching Yang Guang intently the whole time.

At this moment, it was instead Yang Guang who gradually recovered himself. He laughed out loud: "I am not one of those useless wretches of the Southern Dynasties of old!"

"My great Sui—"

"Is not a Jiangshan won by lying down!"

His Shan Xiongxin was rekindled once more!

But they were merely a few rebels—what could they do to him?

Beacon fires rose across the land!

With the Gu clan's move, the situation throughout the realm had already reached a point completely beyond control.

Yang Guang no longer had the mind to target the Gu clan.

He had to suppress the rebellion!

If he could not thoroughly crush this momentum, then the realm of his great Sui would likely never know peace again!

Yang Guang stood up once more.

And faintly, between the lines, the Yang Guang who once again led his troops on campaign had even regained something of the feeling he had in his days as the Prince of Jin.

But what good was that?

As the saying goes, pull one hair and the whole body moves. With beacon fires blazing across all nine provinces at present—

Yang Guang's desire to strike with Lei Ting force against one side was impossible.

Although the warlocks in all directions each harbored their own ambitions,

so long as Yang Guang had not yet fallen, Yang Guang was their common enemy!

They would spare no effort to utterly defeat Yang Guang!

The whole realm was awash in blood and storm.

Naturally, there were those who came to seek out the Gu clan!

In fact, for the warlords of the realm, watching the whole land reach such a state in such a short time, they had all already formed some guesses in their hearts.

One had only to ask across the realm—only the Gu clan was capable of striking so ruthlessly at the court from every direction!

But this was merely speculation.

They went to seek out the Gu clan because they wanted to obtain the Gu clan's support!

The current situation was exactly this: whenever great chaos swept the realm, the Gu clan's influence would rise!

If one could obtain the Gu clan's support,

then for every one of them, it would be a tremendous boost!

But Gu Yu had never made any choice at all.

Regarding the lords of all directions,

he had always maintained the same attitude.

As the head of the Gu clan, every choice he made concerned the rise and fall of the entire family—he could not afford to be anything but cautious.

The situation grew ever more turbulent.

Although Yang Guang had already turned his attention inward.

The current internal situation still made the entire Sui court's position increasingly difficult.

The most critical issue was the unstable morale of the army!

Yang Guang's temperament had already been thoroughly shaped.

Once a person grew accustomed to lavish spending, it was impossible to return to a life of frugality.

Yang Guang was precisely such a case now.

He had grown used to the feeling of controlling everything, and could no longer return to the state of those years when, as Prince of Jin vying for the position of Crown Prince, he had to endure everything.

Whenever circumstances went even slightly against his wishes, he would execute generals to vent his anger.

This caused officers and men throughout the entire Sui army to live in fear day and night, utterly unable to devote their full strength to suppressing the rebellions.

The entire Great Sui's state crumbled day by day in the span of mere months.

The fall of the realm—

These two characters, familiar yet strangely unfamiliar, had imperceptibly risen in every person's heart.

In the span of just a few short years.

The entire Great Sui had reached a point from which there was no retreat.

Taiyuan.

Li Yuan had lived an extremely difficult life over these years.

Since Yang Guang ascended the throne, his days could be said to have never known a moment's peace.

Yang Guang did not trust him.

Had it not been for a series of self-degrading acts, along with circumstances, Li Yuan might very well have been unable to hold power even to this day.

But even so, Yang Guang had always had people sent to keep watch over Li Yuan.

This made Li Yuan extremely uneasy.

Especially the situation in recent years had filled his heart with even greater anxiety.

He was, after all, a clansman of Yang Guang.

Given the current situation, regardless of whether Yang Guang could succeed in suppressing the rebellions, he could not see any way out for himself.

There seemed to be only one path of survival for him.

That was to fight for it himself, and many people had long since tried to persuade him to do so.

But Li Yuan had never been able to take that step.

Nevertheless, Li Yuan was also making a series of preparations: he had his eldest son Li Jiancheng befriend outstanding talents, while at the same time he himself, under the pretext of suppressing the rebellions, continuously recruited soldiers and bought horses, accepting the surrender of rebel forces.

This gave many people room to speculate.

But Li Yuan truly still needed one more push!

Either being truly driven into a desperate corner, or else gaining absolute confidence!

Only then.

Could Li Yuan perhaps truly take that step!

At this moment, Jinyang.

Li Shimin, clad in a suit of armor, strode quickly into the government office. Pei Ji, Deputy Supervisor of Jinyang Palace, first cupped his hands in salute, then asked: "Lord Pei, my father—"

"Sigh."

Pei Ji let out a deep sigh, and before Li Shimin could finish speaking, he directly shook his head.

He naturally knew what Li Shimin wanted to ask.

Just a few days prior, Li Shimin had already sought him out, and what the two discussed was naturally how to help Li Yuan formally take that step.

As one of Li Yuan's absolute confidants.

Pei Ji still held considerable influence over Li Yuan.

But unfortunately—

Perhaps precisely because this matter was truly too critical, even when Pei Ji tried to persuade him, Li Yuan had not said much more.

Seeing this, a flash of helplessness also crossed Li Shimin's face.

Although he was still young in age, a mere sixteen years old, the sharpness about his entire person was in no way lacking.

Over these years.

Li Shimin had already established some meritorious deeds.

He was no longer the infant in swaddling clothes, and had gradually become an extremely sharp-edged treasured sword.

And unlike the original history, as Li Shimin grew older, Gu Yi had also paid close attention to him.

Li Shimin revered Gu Chen immensely.

And was deeply influenced by him.

The current age of great chaos was, for Li Shimin, a stroke of fortune, giving him the chance to emulate how Gu Chen had once pierced straight through the entire realm!

His desire to push Li Yuan into rising in revolt likewise stemmed from seeing through the state of the realm as it stood.

The Sui dynasty was destined to perish.

This was Li Shimin's firm judgment.

Yang Guang had already thoroughly roused the wrath of the entire realm, and coupled with those rumors from all sides, he could no longer continue to sit on that throne.

Even now, continuing to suppress the rebellions would only be a final, desperate struggle.

As a clansman of Yang Guang.

If they did not rise in revolt, when the Jiangshan changed hands in the future, the fate of the Li clan was destined to end in tragedy.

He believed Li Yuan could also see all of this.

Yet for reasons unknown, Li Yuan had always been unwilling to take that final step.

The candlelight flickered, casting the two figures inside the tent in shifting light and shadow.

Pei Ji gave a slight flicker in his gaze, as if a sudden inspiration had struck, and broke the silence: "Young Master, I do have one more stratagem."

Hearing this, Li Shimin's eyes lit up at once. He folded his hands together, bowed deeply to Pei Ji in a solemn long salute, and spoke with earnest words: "Minister Pei's mind holds mountains and valleys — I beg you not to stint in sharing your counsel!"

But Pei Ji did not rush to speak; he paced slowly to Li Shimin's side.

He lowered his frame and whispered a few sentences in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Before the words had finished falling, Li Shimin's face instantly turned cold and stern as frost. After a long while he slowly shook his head: "This matter truly requires careful deliberation."

"This—" Pei Ji's expression gave a slight start, his eyes full of puzzlement. "What does the Young Master mean?"

Li Shimin stared at the leaping candle flame on the desk, his Adam's apple moving slightly as if weighing every word: "If we could obtain the Gu clan's aid, does Minister Pei think my father would make up his mind to raise the banner of righteous revolt?"

"The Gu clan?!" Pei Ji's countenance changed abruptly.

He lowered his gaze to his own clasped hands, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the lines of his palm: "What the Young Master does not know is that the Gu clan has been living in seclusion for many years. And back then, the matter of Gu Zhe—"

Before the words were finished, the implication was already self-evident.

Li Yuan, as Yang Guang's cousin by marriage, bore both old grievances with the Gu clan and lacked any bargaining chip weighty enough to move them — how could such a thing be easily discussed?

And compared to the other warlords under heaven, what advantage did Li Yuan currently possess that would make the Gu clan deem him worth helping?

Li Shimin drew a deep breath, his sleeve brushing across the desk and setting the bamboo slips atop it trembling lightly: "Minister Pei, as the saying goes, one who accomplishes great things does not stand on minor proprieties."

"If it can make my father take that all-important step, then even a thousand hardships and ten thousand dangers would be nothing to fear!"

Hearing this, Pei Ji's heart jolted violently, and at last he read the resolve in the youth's eyes—

He meant to set up a scheme under the Gu clan's name to push Li Yuan into rising in revolt!

This matter could absolutely work.

Under the present circumstances, obtaining the Gu clan's support would be absolutely like a stabilizing needle that calms the sea.

But doing so would certainly come with a price.

In the world today, why did no overlord dare to borrow the Gu clan's name?

Because once this thing was done, there would surely be a price. The slightest misstep would push the Gu clan further and further away, and the chain reaction this move would cause was beyond imagination.

Pei Ji's expression was extremely grave as he carefully weighed the gains and losses within.

But Li Shimin seemed to have long since made his decision. He looked at Pei Ji earnestly and said: "If my Li clan can offer the world a flourishing age of peaceful seas and clear rivers, why would a clan like the Gu bear ill will toward my Li clan?"

Li Shimin's tone rang with exceptional force, his resolute face brimming with soaring ambition.

In truth, regarding the Gu clan, he had always harbored the desire to befriend them.

Whether it was for the things Gu Chen had left behind, or for the sake of the entire world.

Within Li Shimin's heart lay boundless ambition.

He had long set a goal for himself — he would recreate the great feat Gu Chen had accomplished in years past.

He would make the Ten Directions Conquest Envoys appear once more in the world.

He would fight until this troubled age was pacified anew; fight until no one under heaven dared again to proclaim himself supreme!

PS: (On my knees begging for monthly tickets — we're already close to seven thousand monthly tickets, just three thousand more to meet the badge requirement. Brothers, please throw in your support! There's still one more chapter coming up later! I swear I won't go back on my word!!)

(End of this chapter)