Chapter 145: What Defines a Prosperous Age, Setting Ambitions in Julu (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Li Shimin’s idea exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Changancheng is not exactly close to Julu.

Furthermore, Dou Jiande now occupies more than half of Hebei; although he has not attacked Julu and even performed a sacrifice there to cultivate his reputation.

This does not mean that Li Shimin’s journey to Julu is safe.

He is no longer an unknown minor general.

Although his reputation has not yet reached the point of shaking the world, he can be considered to have initially made a name for himself.

If Dou Jiande were to learn of this, Li Shimin would definitely fall into a crisis.

Because it is impossible for him to bring many troops on this trip.

Even Gu Yi was extremely surprised by this, not expecting Li Shimin to make such a decision at this time.

Not only did Li Yuan not agree, but Xue San was also trying to dissuade Li Shimin.

But Li Shimin had his own reasons.

Changancheng.

"Father, no matter what, I must go."

Li Shimin looked at Li Yuan with a solemn expression and said earnestly, "The world is in chaos, and Mr. Gu has sent people to investigate the various lords of the world. What does this signify?"

"—The Gu family already has the intention to enter the world!"

In an instant, Li Yuan’s expression could not help but change slightly.

"Although the Gu family’s reputation has gradually declined over the years, in the current situation, as long as the Gu family enters the world, it will definitely affect the situation of the lords in all directions."

"Although my Li family now occupies Guanzhong and our foundation appears solid."

"However—"

"Has Father thought about what title to use to address the people of the world?"

Li Shimin could not help but ask again.

This was also one of the changes.

It was precisely because Li Yuan believed the Gu family supported him that he did not use the banner of supporting the Great Sui to restore the imperial order, as in the original history.

He also had his own ambitions.

If the Gu family could support him, why could he not seize the world himself?

But the situation is different now.

Li Shimin was lying to him.

Moreover, the news of Yang Guang’s death had not yet arrived, so Li Yuan was naturally stunned for a moment.

But after only a brief consideration, he slowly said: "We can establish the Prince of Dai, Yang You, as the ruler."

He could not proclaim himself Emperor.

Proclaiming himself Emperor in the current situation would surely make him a target for everyone; Li Yuan is no fool.

Hearing this, a trace of disappointment inevitably appeared in the eyes of those present.

They had all hoped that Li Yuan could proclaim himself Emperor.

This would bring them unimaginable benefits.

Only Li Shimin’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Li Yuan and said earnestly: "But what if the Gu family assists us?"

A simple sentence, yet the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.

Even Li Yuan was stunned.

If he could obtain the assistance of the Gu family, there would be no need to say what he wanted to do!

"Father."

Li Shimin looked at Li Yuan and said earnestly: "Since the Tyrant Emperor of the Former Han, the world has been in chaos; although the people of the Nine Provinces have enjoyed a few years of peace, it has been of no avail."

"The hearts of the people in the world are weary."

"If my Li family truly wishes to rule the world and recreate a prosperous age, the Gu family can be our left and right arms!"

He earnestly explained his analysis.

Li Shimin’s goal was too firm.

He wanted to be the second Gu Chen, whether in military achievements or civil governance.

He wanted to set the entire Nine Provinces right.

To create a true prosperous age.

And now is the turning point; since the Gu family has expressed the intention to enter the world, winning their support would far exceed the value of continuing to capture cities and land.

He is building the foundation for a prosperous age.

This is Li Shimin’s precise judgment of the situation!

As for the danger involved, he naturally knew it.

But Li Shimin’s courage is incomparable to others; once he has truly made a decision, he will have no more hesitation.

In fact, it would be most effective for Li Yuan to go himself.

At the very least, it should be his eldest son, Li Jiancheng.

It is a pity that Li Yuan, as the master of the three armies, cannot go, and Li Jiancheng is in the rear.

And the danger that this move requires facing.

Only someone like Li Shimin, who dares to lead the charge every time, would dare to go.

The entire hall was incomparably silent.

In fact, for people like Pei Ji, having the Gu family enter the court again is a huge blow to them.

But things always have two sides.

With the world not yet settled and the path ahead unknown, the Gu family can bring them too many benefits.

It is precisely because of this that the expressions of these people were so complex.

Li Yuan was the same; he looked at his son earnestly and remained silent for a long time before asking: "Er-lang, have you truly thought this through?"

"My heart is set!"

Li Shimin did not have any hesitation.

Seeing this, Li Yuan sighed again and then waved his hand: "Since that is the case, then go."

"If you can accomplish this..."

"One day, you will surely be the Ten Directions Envoy of my Li family!"

Obtaining the Gu family’s assistance is beneficial to the overall situation.

As the master of the three armies, Li Yuan could not say much more.

The matter was thus decided.

Li Yuan was still very worried about Li Shimin and wanted to let him take as many elite troops as possible.

But Li Shimin refused.

He did not even take extra troops, only his few trusted aides.

—Li Jing; Qutu Tong; and Xue San and others.

Why would he need to bring troops?

The purpose of this trip is to be fast, accurate, and ruthless.

For Li Shimin.

Thousands of troops are useless; having these few people is already enough!

A journey of constant travel.

Li Shimin truly had great longing for Julu; since he was a child, he had lost count of how many times he had longed for this "holy land" of Julu.

Although they were facing danger at every moment.

But from beginning to end, Li Shimin’s mood remained relaxed and cheerful.

Xue San had originally thought that Li Shimin would gradually distance himself after learning his identity.

After all, no one likes it when their subordinates are sent by others to watch them.

But Li Shimin did not care at all.

He even became increasingly close to Xue San.

Along the way, he kept asking Xue San about the situation inside Julu.

And except for some key issues, Xue San did not hide anything, telling Li Shimin about the lives of the people in Julu.

Whenever he spoke of these things, he always had a look of nostalgia.

Simple and ordinary.

But incomparably content.

Li Shimin listened very earnestly; compared to those exaggerated rumors, what Xue San said was much more normal and lacked exaggeration.

But Li Shimin was not disappointed at all.

On the contrary, he yearned for Julu even more.

A state that can enjoy hundreds of years of peace—is this not a holy land?

Why would there need to be so many bizarre rumors?

And most importantly, what Xue San said also gave Li Shimin a deeper understanding of the prosperous age he wanted to create.

He did not ask about any secret things, such as how many people like Xue San the Gu family had, and so on.

Li Shimin did not care about these things.

By comparison, he was even more eager to know the evaluation of Gu Chen by the common people of Julu.

Upon hearing this question, an undisguised look of adoration instantly appeared on Xue San's face, and he remained silent for a long time before answering.

"Our family's ancestors have been receiving the grace of the Gu family since the time of the Emperor Guangwu."

"Generation after generation, and it remains the same even today."

"In years of great disaster, the Gu family would give us grain; in times of great chaos, the Gu family would protect our safety."

"Even in ordinary years,"

"The Gu family would also teach us to read and provide us with medical care."

He did not speak of Gu Chen alone.

Because in the heart of every commoner in Julu, every generation of the Gu family is the same, and they have always been indebted to them.

It would not be appropriate to single out Gu Chen, Gu Xi, and others!

"It is the Gu family that allows every household of ours to have surplus grain; it is the Gu family that allows us to survive in such times."

Li Shimin listened very attentively, as did the others with him.

This was their first time understanding Julu from a different perspective.

Unconsciously, Li Shimin became increasingly silent.

The scene described by Xue San had a clear sense of disconnect from the reality they saw before them.

War; refugees; bandits; thieves;

Everything in reality seemed to make Li Shimin think of something.

How could Gu Chen's path possibly be an easy one to walk?

To reverse a chaotic world and create a prosperous age.

Favorable timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony are all indispensable.

But would Li Shimin retreat?

Obviously not!

Gu Yi was also silently watching all of this, and in his heart, anticipation gradually grew.

This was the spark struck between the Gu family and Li Shimin.

Although he did not know what changes would occur in the future history, this still made him extremely expectant!

It took nearly a month for Li Shimin to arrive at Julu.

Naturally, they encountered many dangers along the way.

However, they were merely bandits and thieves, completely unable to do anything to them.

From the moment Li Shimin officially stepped into Julu Commandery, he could clearly feel the difference.

The refugees were gone;

The bandits were gone;

The chaos and the troubled times also seemed to be gone;

In fact, even Gu Yi had not thought of this point; under the efforts of generations, Julu had completely become the holy land of the entire Divine Land, and could even influence the modern era.

This was something he had never envisioned at the beginning.

Even he himself would sometimes feel shocked when seeing everything within Julu, let alone Li Shimin.

He did not remember the so-called prosperous age at all.

Although people in the world all said that the Kaihuang reign was a true prosperous age, it was still far inferior compared to Julu.

This time, Li Shimin was completely silent.

Those sounds of laughter from the common people, the students heading to the Gu family school to study diligently, and the waterwheels in the fields along with those busy farmers.

All of this brought too great a shock to Li Shimin.

Could it be that this is a prosperous age?

His mood became increasingly complex, and he grew more and more silent, just following Xue San straight toward the Gu Fu.

He could not make a grand display, nor could he reveal his identity.

In fact, Li Yuan had let Li Shimin bring some gifts, all of which were rare treasures.

But when Li Shimin saw all of this with his own eyes.

He suddenly felt that these gifts were truly unworthy of the Gu family.

The influence of such a family.

Had completely surpassed any external objects.

Does the Gu family need money?

Does it need those so-called rare treasures?

How could these things be worthy of the Gu family?

Perhaps even Li Shimin himself had not realized that his understanding of a prosperous age had invisibly taken on a slight outline.

Gu Fu.

When Gu Yu saw Li Shimin, he was also extremely surprised.

To prevent news from leaking.

Li Shimin had not sent a visiting card in advance, and Xue San had not sent any news either.

This was not because Xue San had ulterior motives.

It was because there was no need to do so.

In the land of Julu, how many commoners came every day?

Li Shimin was not here to attack Julu; he only brought a few people with him, and it was impossible for him to pose any danger to Julu.

Why bother saying more?

However, Gu Yu recognized him the moment he saw Li Shimin.

Although Li Shimin looked a bit disheveled after the long journey, the resemblance between his brows and Li Yuan's was easy to distinguish.

"Li Shimin of the Li family pays his respects to Mr. Gu!"

Li Shimin was clearly well-prepared, and the moment he saw Gu Yu, he immediately bowed to him earnestly.

"Greetings, Young Master."

Gu Yu returned the bow properly, then made a gesture of invitation and brought them inside.

Everything inside the Gu Fu was full of the traces of time.

Li Shimin had been casual all the way, but after stepping into the Gu Fu, he suddenly felt a bit nervous.

Gu Yu did not show any special attitude.

He performed the proper courtesies just as he would for any other feudal lord, and even though he had guessed Li Shimin's purpose in his heart, he never said anything from beginning to end.

He was indeed a bit surprised and had not expected Li Shimin to be so bold as to come to Julu.

But that was not enough to make a decision.

However, what surprised him was that Li Shimin seemed to have forgotten the purpose of his trip, as he had not mentioned it at all during the first two days of his arrival.

He observed the Gu Fu; he observed everything within Julu.

From the administration of officials;

To the daily lives of the common people;

He became increasingly silent.

Just like that, after three days had passed, he finally found Gu Yu again, bowed earnestly, and said: "I ask Mr. Gu to clear up my confusion."

"I will say everything I know without reservation." Gu Yu seemed to have been prepared for this long ago and even brought Li Shimin into the study.

Gu Yi could feel it.

Gu Yu also seemed to have developed an interest in Li Shimin.

Li Shimin's actions over these three days had indeed completely exceeded his expectations.

The study was exceptionally quiet.

Gu Yu looked at Li Shimin and asked very calmly: "What questions does the Young Master have?"

Li Shimin frowned slightly and remained silent for a long time as if organizing his words, then he asked: "What method should be used to build a prosperous age?"

Julu had completely exceeded his understanding.

It had given rise to many questions in him.

"What kind of world does the Young Master think can be called a prosperous age?" Gu Yu asked instead of answering.

This time, Li Shimin did not hesitate but spoke directly: "One that is like Julu."

This came entirely from his sincerity.

Everything in Julu was something he had never seen before.

But this time, Gu Yu shook his head: "The Young Master is wrong. Julu attained today's appearance only after hundreds of years of stability. Is it only the prosperity of a single commandery that the Young Master wants to ask about?"

"The world!" Li Shimin immediately shook his head.

Gu Yu smiled: "Then I can tell the Young Master that if one day you can make the majority of the world's people have enough to eat, that can be called a prosperous age."

His tone was very casual.

Looking throughout history, perhaps no one understood the so-called prosperous age better than Gu Yu.

Even the Kaihuang reign could not achieve this.

But that could still be considered a prosperous age!

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin fell silent once again, his brows tightly locked.

He is still too young right now.

From the lands of great chaos to a sacred place like Julu, and then to Gu Yu’s assessment of a prosperous age.

This contrast between the two made his thoughts increasingly chaotic.

Gu Yu did not continue to say anything, letting Li Shimin digest it for a long while before speaking softly again: "Having walked this path, what is your view of this world, Young Master?"

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

Li Shimin fell silent for a moment, then said with a solemn expression.

This time, Gu Yu could not help but nod, praising: "Young Master is wise; you are truly worthy of your extraordinary appearance."

As the words fell, the entire study once again fell into silence.

Li Shimin’s expression was extremely complex.

In truth, he had many things he wanted to say, yet he did not know where to begin.

All of this—

seemed truly too early for him.

Gu Yu had indeed taken an interest in Li Shimin; seeing Li Shimin’s state, he was unexpectedly willing to let Li Shimin view the classics left behind by generations of Gu ancestors.

Ever since the Filial Emperor of years past.

This was the first time a feudal lord had enjoyed such treatment.

Li Shimin naturally felt incomparably honored and very much wanted to thank Gu Yu, but he did not know what he could offer.

As for those so-called rare treasures.

He had already handed them over to Xue San and felt embarrassed to use such things as a gift.

But Gu Yu told him to read them with peace of mind.

This period of time was not particularly long; Li Shimin’s talent was not poor to begin with, and furthermore, he was so diligent that he forgot to eat and sleep.

Gu Yi had also been paying attention to all of this, wanting to see with his own eyes what changes would occur.

In truth, this was not anything particularly important.

Especially after the Gu family’s talent had been cut off for so many years, those classics could no longer keep up with the changes in the world.

Among them were mostly exhortations from ancestors.

To put it plainly, it was to keep the family descendants clear-headed.

But this was often the most difficult thing, especially for those in power.

Only by maintaining constant clarity.

Could one avoid making too many wrong decisions.

Li Shimin read very earnestly; watching the efforts and sacrifices made by generation after generation for the continuation of the Gu family, he seemed to gradually comprehend some of the principles within.

A prosperous age;

Compromise and sacrifice.

It was only through the efforts of generations that today’s everything was created.

Li Shimin’s gaze became increasingly firm.

Just half a month later, he seemed to have come back to life, returning to the high-spirited state he had possessed in the past.

Even his gaze was firmer than it had been before!

Gu Yu asked Li Shimin what he had thought of.

Li Shimin did not say much, only wishing to ask Gu Yu to take him to the Gu family ancestral hall to pay his respects.

If it were in the past—

Li Shimin would have at most only bowed to those few stone statues, and at most only to Gu Chen.

But now, it was different.

Li Shimin earnestly performed a sacrifice concerning the Gu family as a whole, and only at the very end did he reach the stone statue of Gu Chen, kneeling directly before it and saying with a resonant tone:

"Only today do I know that a prosperous age is not bestowed by Heaven, but is achieved by human effort!"

"In this life, I, Shimin, am willing to uphold this heart; I shall wield a three-foot sword to open up an era of peace for ten thousand generations!"

He was declaring his ambition!

——————

"In the fourteenth year of the Great Enterprise of the late Sui, the world was in chaos. Li Shimin traveled east from Changancheng, wishing to pay respects to the Gu family. On the way, he saw:

Starving corpses blocked the roads north of the Wei River, and old women split bones to use as firewood; in Hedong, people sold their children to stave off hunger, and withered bones were exposed in the wilderness.

Upon reaching the borders of Julu, he suddenly saw:

The fields were in perfect order, and the sounds of plows could be heard; young children recited the 'Deer Cry' in school, and old men distributed porridge at the crossroads.

There were no backlogged cases in the courts; the markets had fair scales.

Later, he paid respects to the Gu family and discussed the world, observed the administration for three days, read the Gu family classics for half a month, and stood before the statue of Gu Chen to declare his ambition:

'Now observing Julu, I finally understand that "when the root is firm, the state is peaceful" is the result of hard work in farming and digging.'

'I am willing to uphold this heart, so that the people of the Nine Provinces may all stand under a benevolent government!'"

——《Chinese Dictionary · Declaring Ambition in Julu》

(End of this chapter)