Chapter 139: The Realm in Total Chaos, Adding Fuel to the Flames (Double Update — Monthly Tickets Wanted)

Li Shimin had indeed changed.

He was completely different from the him of the original history, as if he had evolved — with clearer goals, more decisive judgment, and greater courage.

This too was the difference brought by the appearance of the Gu clan.

Not only Li Shimin, but the other lords of the realm were the same.

Gu Kang;

Gu Chen.

The impact these two had on the realm as a whole was beyond what others could imagine!

In truth, this was also a decision Li Shimin made only after thinking for a very long time.

If he could, he would even be willing to rush to Julu himself.

Li Yuan had told him more than once about his childhood, including Gu Yu's appraisal of him.

Perhaps this too was a turning point of fate.

It was precisely because of hearing this that Li Shimin began, bit by bit, to understand the Gu clan, and only thus reached where he stood today.

He had always wanted to go to Julu and see for himself.

It was only a pity that, in those years, he was still far too young.

Later, as he gradually grew older, Yang Guang began monitoring Li Yuan, and his son was affected as well.

As for now —

The realm had fallen into complete chaos, and he could no longer spare the time to go to Julu.

Yet he had never minded.

He had always firmly believed that the current state of the realm was creating an opportunity for him, Li Shimin.

And all of this would ultimately be resolved by him!

Li Shimin had clearly long since made his decision.

Although Pei Ji still had some hesitation about it, he could not interfere with Li Shimin's choice.

And the outcome of the matter did not exceed Li Shimin's expectations either.

Upon hearing that the Gu clan was willing to lend its support, Li Yuan was finally stirred, finally ready to take that crucial step.

"The Gu clan is willing to lend its support?"

Looking at Li Shimin before him, Li Yuan's face was full of agitation. "This is no joking matter, Erlang — can this truly be done?"

He found it somewhat hard to believe.

Why had Li Yuan been unable to make a decision all this time?

It was not only because he could not get past that barrier in his heart; in truth, his greatest concern was the Tujue and the Gu clan.

The Tujue needed no further explanation.

Over these years he had been steadily clearing out the Tujue south of Taiyuan.

He feared that if he suddenly raised his banner, the Tujue would raid him, leading to the annihilation of the entire Li clan.

As for the Gu clan —

It was exactly as Pei Ji had said.

He was Yang Guang's cousin.

Although Yang Guang had completely suppressed the matter of Gu Zhe, that was only outwardly; within the court, Gu Zhe's death was no secret.

He worried that if he suddenly raised his banner, it might cause the Gu clan to back someone else.

The impact that would have on them was likewise unimaginable.

In truth, like Gu Yu, he could not help but consider the survival of the entire clan.

After all, some things —

Once done, could never be taken back.

But now it was different.

If he could obtain the Gu clan's support, it would bring unimaginable help to his reputation.

The risk of raising his banner would be greatly reduced.

Yet Li Yuan still found it somewhat hard to believe — after all, the Gu clan had not emerged for years, so why would they help the Li clan?

"Overturn the verdict!"

Li Shimin did not hesitate in the slightest. Looking at Li Yuan, he said at once: "Your son pledges to overturn the verdict for Gu Zhe and those seventeen sons of the Gu clan!"

Since he had already made this decision —

How could he not have thought everything through?

Although Li Shimin was still young, his thoughts were exceedingly clear.

"Overturn the verdict?"

Li Yuan was momentarily stunned, then fell into brief contemplation, and finally nodded slightly: "It is indeed a brilliant stratagem!"

As Yang Guang's cousin —

If one day he could vindicate Gu Zhe and the others, he did indeed possess an innate advantage.

And based on Li Yuan's understanding of the Gu clan —

This move could indeed earn the Gu clan's goodwill.

With the name of his "Li clan," combined with Gu Yu's old appraisal of Li Shimin, it was not absolutely impossible for the Gu clan to aid the Li clan.

People naturally tend to think in favorable terms.

Li Yuan was no exception.

How could he not harbor the heart to raise his banner?

Only, for him, this kind of absolute was very hard to settle.

Some things—

The truly hard step to take is the very first one, all the more so when Li Yuan had not yet reached a dead end!

"Good! Good!"

In just that fleeting instant, his face immediately showed a trace of a smile, and looking at Li Shimin before him, he praised: "Er-lang, this matter was handled well!"

As he spoke, his tone paused slightly.

He slowly walked up to Li Shimin, reached out and patted his shoulder, and said solemnly: "If in the days to come, my Li clan truly can rule the world—"

"Er-lang, you—"

"—shall be my Li clan's Ten Directions Conquest Commissioner!"

He naturally knew Li Shimin's ideals, and his tone was utterly solemn!

Hearing these words, Li Shimin likewise grew excited, and solemnly bowed down toward Li Yuan.

Li Shimin's methods were far more than just these.

Although he had never received the Gu family's education, from his learning over these years he had likewise picked up many things.

Then—

He forged an imperial edict in Yang Guang's name, claiming he would conscript the common folk of Taiyuan to go put down the rebellion, once again inflaming the people's resentment.

Just as the commoners' grievances were at a boiling point—

As Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, the two brothers, successively hurried back to Jinyang—

Li Yuan, in the eleventh year of the Daye era, in the fourth month;

Formally raised troops at Jinyang.

Bearing the name of "Yang Guang's accession being illegitimate," to carry out the work of saving the realm!

—The four seas boiled over!

The great upheaval set off this time would even far surpass the former North-South Han period.

In truth, this was also inevitable.

During the North-South Han period, under the influence of the Golden Blade prophecy, even though the regional lords harbored ambitions, none of them dared to take that crucial first step.

Let alone that the Gu family's restraints were still in place.

But the present was entirely different.

Yang Jian's success had already thoroughly told everyone under heaven that this world had always belonged to the capable!

And Yang Guang had even more thoroughly roused the people's wrath!

The lords' ambitions and the fury in the commoners' hearts had already destined this troubled era to be extraordinary.

But who could be blamed for this?

The moment Yang Guang did all those things that did not treat the common people of the world as people, his ending had already been sealed.

Only, the present was now utterly different from history.

Perhaps precisely because there had been no third expedition against Goguryeo, Yang Guang still possessed a measure of strength now, and compared with the lords who had risen in the four directions, his power was still the greatest.

But the problem lay here—

The current Sui army, from top to bottom, was of divided loyalties.

Yang Guang's capriciousness, his obstinate self-reliance, his cruelty, and other character flaws had already caused everyone to lose faith in him.

An army like this could never bring forth its full strength.

Even if Yang Guang could keep holding on, it would only be a slow death.

He had indeed tried employing a series of measures.

In truth, although Yang Guang as a person could not be compared with those top talents, the fact that he could go from a second son to where he stood today already showed that he did possess some ability.

When he gradually realized he could no longer suppress the rebel forces in the four directions, he had already tried every kind of measure.

Permitting local forces to put down the rebellion, offering amnesty and pardon to the rebel kings, even employing all manner of stratagems to sow discord among the rebel kings in each region and make them destroy one another.

In truth, as far as the current situation went—

Some of Yang Guang's measures could still have an effect!

But—

The problem was that there were far too many rumors about him, and the commoners' fury had already been thoroughly ignited!

If not for these rumors—

Yang Guang's current predicament absolutely would not have fallen to such a state!

Because whether it was his recruitment efforts or the discord he sowed—

No one dared to believe him.

Who would be willing to go serve under Yang Guang?

Even the generals currently under his command were gradually growing disloyal.

As for sowing discord, it was even more so.

The fury of the people under heaven had already been thoroughly roused; the present Nine Provinces were not a Nine Provinces where morality had utterly broken down.

Although it could not compare with the Former Han period now—

"Patricide" was still one of the unforgivable sins, let alone that Yang Guang had committed so many wrongs besides.

Before removing Yang Guang, how would these rebel kings dare to fight among themselves?

As for the truth or falsehood of all these rumors, no one would care at all.

This was the terrifying aspect of rumors.

Yang Guang's image of cruelty had long since sunk deep into the hearts of the common people under heaven; no one would bother to consider these things.

Of course, Yang Guang had not failed to ban the spread of rumors and the propagation of chenwei superstitions.

For this matter he had even executed quite a few people.

But unfortunately—

Once such things spread, they could not be stopped!

The twelfth year of Daye.

Yuwen Shu—this general whom Yang Guang currently relied on most heavily—died of illness on the way to suppress the rebellion.

This seemed to announce the complete end of an era.

Yuwen Shu's influence within the Sui army was extremely high.

His death dealt another fatal blow to the entire Sui army.

And looking at the various rebel kings in contrast—

Under such circumstances, their offensive grew ever fiercer.

The same year.

Sui general Zhang Xutuo died in battle at Dahai Temple in Xingyang, ambushed because of his reckless advance born of underestimating the enemy.

Countless Sui soldiers under his command were killed or wounded.

His subordinate generals, Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin and others, even surrendered to the Wagang Army.

The situation across the realm grew ever more turbulent.

Under this series of blows, Yang Guang seemed to have already caught the scent of death.

His moods became ever more capricious.

He had clearly ordered the banning of the spread of chenwei superstitions, and warned his ministers never to believe such things, yet he himself was deeply influenced by them.

Simply because of the rumor "the Mandate of Heaven rests with the Li," he successively executed nobles such as Li Hun and Li Min; because of "double pupils in the eyes," he executed the Right Houwei General Yu Juluo.

A series of measures—

Caused the hearts of the ministers under him to drift ever further apart.

Besides this, Yang Guang refused to look at the battle reports of defeats from various regions, and even stopped caring about news of rebels appearing here, there, and everywhere.

Every system of the court collapsed one after another.

The Guanlong noble houses defected one after another; local officials either set up on their own or surrendered to the rebel kings.

With the successive deaths of several key generals—

The entire Sui dynasty's realm was collapsing at a startling speed.

No one could reverse it!

At this point, no one could any longer halt the collapse of the Sui dynasty's Jiangshan.

No—

Perhaps there was one chance.

If only Yang Guang could obtain the Gu family's support, then pass the throne to his heir and commit suicide to atone, winning back the people's hearts, the Sui dynasty's realm might still have a sliver of a chance.

But would Yang Guang do it?

If he could, Yang Guang would even want to go slaughter the Gu family right now.

He could no longer care about so much.

But the pity was—

Rebels kept rising across the realm, and at present he simply did not have the slightest chance.

He himself had already given up.

Under such circumstances, Yang Guang made a decision that shocked everyone.

—Flee to Jiangdu!

He planned to completely abandon the entire Central Plains and the North.

What fame and fortune;

What "the only one through the ages";

By now, Yang Guang no longer thought about those things one way or another—he only wanted to stay alive.

No one at all obstructed Yang Guang in this idea.

The current court had already rotted to the bone.

Besides, they too wanted to stay alive.

Yang Guang entrusted the two important towns of Luoyang and Daxing to his two grandsons, Yang You and Yang Tong, both not yet fifteen, to hold them, while he himself led the vast majority of the court's senior officials and elite troops south to Jiangdu.

The Great Sui—

From this day forth, drew its curtain completely!

Setting aside the future, just looking at the present impact—

Yang Guang had already, in effect, tacitly admitted that the Great Sui had become a divided regime like the Southern and Northern Han of old.

But what could he do?

He had already lost every pillar of rule; retreating to Jiangdu was likewise a way to fight for a path of survival for himself.

This move undoubtedly further intensified the chaos in the Central Plains.

The great tide was about to change completely!

Julu.

Compared with the turmoil across the realm, Julu had already completely become a holy land.

Whether the various rebel kings—

Or bandits, for that matter.

Almost everyone tacitly set aside the matter of Julu.

Although in recent years the Gu clan's reputation had fallen to its lowest, Julu's existence had long been etched into the very bones of every citizen of Huaxia.

Whose ancestors had not once received the Gu clan's kindness?

The most crucial point was—

Through countless cycles of chaos, Julu had never been touched.

No one was willing to set such a precedent in the current situation—the blow to one's reputation would be unimaginable.

And on the surface, the Gu clan had never made any move at all; everything carried on as in days past.

But behind the scenes, the Gu clan was unquestionably one of the greatest driving forces of the entire age of chaos.

Gu Yu had made arrangements with all four of the rebel kings.

He understood this perfectly well.

No matter what, the Gu clan would have to emerge from seclusion next; these arrangements were for the sake of the entire family, and they had even given these rebel kings considerable covert assistance.

Even the battle in which Zhang Xutuo met his end had been stoked along by Gu Yu's hand.

Sending men to offer schemes; sending men to supply weapons in secret.

The Gu clan's deep reserves gave Gu Yu far too many tools to employ.

It could be said that it was Gu Yu who was pushing the great tide forward at an accelerated pace.

Of course, all of this was done in the shadows.

The Gu clan was not short of hands to carry out its plans!

Every single citizen of Julu was a death warrior Gu Yu could employ; their loyalty to the Gu clan was beyond question.

But on the surface, Gu Yu had never once made a choice.

At this moment, inside the Gu residence.

Gu Yu was personally instructing the next generation of Gu clan disciples, telling them of his views on the realm and expounding the Gu clan's foundations.

"An age of chaos is the Gu clan's greatest protection."

"But our Gu clan—"

"If we wish to remain glorious for long, we can only do so in an age of peace."

"."

His expression was perfectly calm; such composure was astonishing—despite having been secretly manipulating the great currents of the realm all along, he could maintain absolute reason and tranquility.

The gathered heirs all listened with great attentiveness.

Gu Yi silently watched all of this, his own heart equally undisturbed.

As history once again advanced along its proper course, this generation of heirs was likewise outstanding in their attributes, all of them seeds worthy of cultivation.

They would surely make their mark in the great currents to come.

This was something he could be certain of.

Just then, a shout suddenly rang out.

"Xue San requests an audience with the Family Head!"

Hearing this, Gu Yu set down the book in his hand, walked out unhurriedly, and at once saw Xue San, who had already strapped on his traveling pack.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Without even asking, Gu Yu already knew Xue San's thoughts.

"I have."

Without the slightest hesitation, Xue San immediately knelt down, his face solemn: "I must avenge Young Master Zhe!"

"Go to Taiyuan."

Gu Yu offered no superfluous words and made no attempt to dissuade him, merely giving Xue San a destination: "Yang Guang has retreated to Jiangdu; for the Li clan, this is a heaven-sent opportunity."

"I expect the Li clan will surely rise to greatness next."

"Go and see for yourself."

Xue San harbored no doubts whatsoever, and once again bowed deeply to Gu Yu.

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(PS: Begging on bended knee for monthly votes—this month's updates absolutely will not be pigeonholed, please brothers lend me a hand. We're less than two thousand short of ten thousand monthly votes; with the double effect, a thousand votes will hit the target and earn that badge. Fish cannot but consider that this may truly be the only chance of his life, so he can only kneel and beg brothers for support!)

(End of this chapter)