[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-controlling-my-ancestors-building-an-immortal-cl":3,"chapter-controlling-my-ancestors-building-an-immortal-cl-controlling-my-ancestors-building-an-immortal-cl-chapter-161":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Controlling My Ancestors: Building an Immortal Clan Starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2285830,4471,"Chapter 161: The Beginning of the Reign of Zhenguan (Seeking Monthly Votes)","controlling-my-ancestors-building-an-immortal-cl-chapter-161",161,"\u003Cp>Compared to the previous generations of family heads, the death of Gu Yu did not cause any major impact across the Nine Provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he had remained hidden behind the scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had merely chosen a way out for the Gu family and the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Gu Yi had not expected his ending to play out in such a manner; he had originally held great expectations for Gu Yu as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a pity that Gu Yu was born at the wrong time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his talent, he clearly could have done more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had abandoned the family to pursue power alone, the achievements he built, even if they could not compare to those of Gu Chen or Gu Xi, would at least have been as glorious as those of Gu Kang or Gu Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he himself said, the emotion most difficult for a person to control is desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Yet he himself had managed to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of the family, he remained in seclusion for many years;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of the world, he traveled ten thousand miles, observed the rise and fall of the world, and sought a way forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of the Nine Provinces, even when he had already occupied the advantage on the battlefield, he restrained himself, even though mobilizing his troops might not have pacified the entire Turkic people in one battle, it would have earned him no small amount of merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a truly selfless person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was for the Gu family or for the entire Nine Provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such a person was destined to remain hidden behind the scenes, and all that he sacrificed would be difficult for the people of the world to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gu Yu’s eyes slowly closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Luo Book Harmonic Instrument fused within his body instantly flashed out and appeared in Gu Yi’s inventory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, a series of game notifications also popped up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Gu Yu has passed away】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were not many achievement points; even the game did not recognize all that Gu Yu had silently sacrificed, as the merits he established were ultimately too far behind those required for high-achievement-point accomplishments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fortunately—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world did not know, and the game did not recognize, but the descendants of the Gu family knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the Gu family could continue to pass down its glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When that time comes, the people of the world will eventually know everything that these individuals who laid the foundation for the Gu family behind the scenes had sacrificed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changancheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the news of Gu Yu’s passing, even Li Shimin was uncharacteristically silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Yu was his guide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, although he had the heart to build an unprecedented golden age, his understanding of a golden age was ultimately far too lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the ambition forged during the journey to Julu; the many days of deep conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what allowed Li Shimin to successfully reach where he was today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this is not to say that Li Shimin was able to become Emperor because of Gu Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather, it was his current character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin had a very clear strategy for governing the entire Great Tang, which was the experience he had absorbed from Gu Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for all the current systems of the Great Tang, the reforms proposed by Gu Yu in the past could be considered the formal establishment of the first step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, it was Li Shimin who inherited everything and began to let the Great Tang flourish and grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter did indeed deal a blow to Li Shimin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Gu Yu had specifically instructed that no posthumous title should be set, Li Shimin still harbored such a thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others might not know of Gu Yu’s merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could he not know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his character, how could he let the name of Gu Yu vanish into the annals of history?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others would naturally not try to dissuade him from such a thing; only Gu Quan could do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does Your Majesty wish for my father to die with regrets?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Taiji Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only the monarch and his subject looking at each other, Gu Quan’s voice spread throughout the entire hall, \"The descendants of the Gu family pass down from generation to generation; just like me, once I chose to stand by Your Majesty’s side, I would never return to the Gu family in this life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And my father was the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were also red, and he was also filled with great sorrow, but as Gu Yu’s eldest son, he understood Gu Yu’s intentions and had to say these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Gu family has passed down since our ancestor, the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, and indeed several generations of ancestors have rendered service to the people of the Nine Provinces, thus earning posthumous titles for later generations to offer sacrifices.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But my father...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears rolled down continuously, yet Gu Quan still suppressed the sorrow in his heart and said through gritted teeth: \"Ultimately, he had no great merit to the state.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Your Majesty truly sets a posthumous title for my father, he will surely die with regrets.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Gu Quan before him, Li Shimin fell into complete silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the extraordinary nature of the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found it hard to even imagine how the Gu family had made it to this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be able to refuse the throne within reach time and time again, to be able to voluntarily give up fame after death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which of these is not something others spend their whole lives desiring?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the Gu family—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could voluntarily push all of this away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called infighting, including the scenes of brothers fighting in the past, would never occur within the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be possible for a short time, but the Gu family had lasted for several hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could Li Shimin know that all of this stemmed from the words and deeds taught from childhood by generation after generation, as well as the continuous glory of the Gu family, and as the prestige of the Gu family gradually declined, Gu Yi even used the Psychic Jade to restrict the Gu family descendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for this, the Gu family might have long since completely split apart during the chaos at the end of the Han dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was precisely because of this that Li Shimin’s emotions were so complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, he nodded slightly, effectively agreeing to the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subject thanks Your Majesty.\" Gu Quan did not hesitate and immediately knelt down, bowing earnestly to Li Shimin, and said with a clang, accompanied by falling tears: \"My father said that Your Majesty is a Sage Son of Heaven.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My brothers in the clan and I also believe in Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin understood Gu Quan’s intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Yan and the others had not returned to the court; according to them, they were going to guard the national borders for the Great Tang and let the entire Nine Provinces rest and recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all believed in Li Shimin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They believed that Li Shimin would one day lead them to step beyond the lands of the Nine Provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin took a deep breath and nodded earnestly: \"I understand!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he did not set a posthumous title for Gu Yu, Li Shimin ultimately gave Gu Yu an extremely solemn funeral and had him buried in Julu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And following the conclusion of the funeral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire Great Tang finally returned to peace, and the disaster relief efforts proceeded smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more smoothly than in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Li Shimin had drawn his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding those high-ranking officials heavily relied upon by Li Yuan in the past, after completely stabilizing the situation, Li Shimin finally stopped tolerating these people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted everyone to understand that he, Li Shimin, was indeed an Emperor willing to accept remonstrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was not a person who only knew how to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for these court officials, he dismissed them; those who were obedient could still save their lives, but anyone who harbored resentment or other intentions was exiled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire court of officials could be described as being in a state of extreme panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, the interior of the Great Tang court was not in the slightest bit chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin’s own base was the foundation of the Great Tang court, and do not forget there were also a group of Gu family descendants skilled in governing the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the attributes of these people did not look outstanding individually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their abilities were enough to allow them to keep pace with an Emperor like Li Shimin and open up a golden age across the Nine Provinces!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second year of Zhenguan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin, having absorbed the lessons from the famine in Guanzhong the previous year, proposed establishing local grain reserves to deal with disasters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides this, Li Shimin was even moved to repair water conservancy works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was naturally a major undertaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire court unfolded a very detailed discussion surrounding these matters, and the discussion was not like the arguments of the past, but rather a debate on whether doing so now was appropriate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, the common people under Heaven are exhausted, and with the corvée labor of Emperor Yang of Sui in the past, if the imperial court suddenly starts construction again, I fear the people may have grievances.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangsun Wuji said with a serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling also nodded: \"The great famine in Guanzhong has just ended; if we suddenly break ground and any accidents occur, the imperial court may not be able to bear it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their characters were both somewhat steady, so they naturally suggested that Li Shimin should wait a few years before breaking ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Water conservancy could indeed help the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one must also choose the right time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The two of you are mistaken.\" Before Li Shimin could speak, Du Ruhui, who was standing to the side, said directly: \"The Nine Provinces are currently stable, the four seas are at peace, and the Grand Tutor and others are guarding the borders, capable of holding back enemies from all directions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty may not know, but I heard some time ago that the Turkic troops would retreat immediately upon seeing the banners of our Great Tang and the Gu family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Breaking ground now is truly a heaven-sent opportunity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once these words were spoken, many people nodded as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no dispute between the two sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was merely that they had reached different judgments due to different governing philosophies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to everyone state their own views, Li Shimin frowned slightly, and after a long silence, he finally raised his hand to interrupt the debate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Emperor Yang of Sui was a tyrant; his actions were merely to satisfy his own desires. When did he ever consider the toil and well-being of the common people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze slowly swept over high officials like Zhangsun Wuji, his expression resolute. \"My heart leans toward the light. I am pushing this policy with only one purpose: for the sake of the people of the world. Even if this invites criticism, what is there to fear?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once this was said, it was like gold and stone hitting the ground, clearly demonstrating his resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know well the suffering the people have endured through war—\" His voice was heavy, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk, \"but this water management project is definitely of far greater benefit than harm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look here—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his eyes to the topographical map, his tone suddenly impassioned. \"Water conservancy in all directions has been neglected for too long; river channels are silted, and embankments have collapsed. If we delay any longer, we are sitting by and watching the people's livelihoods wither!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we use the strength of the entire nation to repair them this year, even if we have to tighten our belts and grit our teeth for the first year, in the days to come, irrigation for fertile fields will be convenient, and grain harvests will surely be several times greater than before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a deed that benefits the present and lasts for a thousand generations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My mind is made up—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were like heavy hammers falling on a drum, causing the candlelight in the hall to sway slightly. \"From this day forward, all civil and military officials shall practice strict frugality and share in the joys and sorrows of the people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It shall begin with me.\" He rubbed the edge of the dragon desk with his fingertips, then suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. \"I discussed this with the Empress recently; the palace has too many redundant maids. Tomorrow, have someone check the registry. Those who wish to return home will be granted silver and permitted to return to their villages to marry—raising more Great Tang citizens is far better than being trapped within these palace walls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall was silent, save for the faint ringing of the wind chimes on the eaves in the twilight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his voice fell, Zhangsun Wuji was the first to lift his robes and kneel, and the ministers bowed down with a roar like crashing waves, the sound causing the dust on the beams to tremble: \"Your Majesty is sagely!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is enough.\" Li Shimin waved his hand, his sleeves sweeping over the memorials on the desk. \"The world is not yet settled; how dare I claim to be a sage?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned forward, his burning gaze sweeping over Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and others. \"The prosperous ages of previous dynasties all have lessons to be learned, but what I want...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is not a prosperous age that follows the rules, but a prosperous age that will make future generations gasp in wonder upon opening the history books and say, 'unprecedented in history'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must remember—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The hardship of practicing frugality and managing water today is all for the sake of the people's future blessing of 'not picking up lost items on the road, and not closing doors at night'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If there are any who slacken...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly smiled, but there was no warmth in his smile: \"My *Zhenguan Code* is much more 'lenient' than the harsh laws of the Sui tyrant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The *Zhenguan Code*—it was precisely the law that Li Shimin was currently revising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not the same as the original history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from benevolence, Li Shimin's punishments for corrupt officials had become much heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Li Shimin's current decisiveness!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he had a clear goal, all obstacles ahead would not affect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers all agreed, and then they all took their leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grand and vigorous water management project rose once again throughout the entire Great Tang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The technology for repairing water conservancy in the Nine Provinces today was absolutely far superior to that of the original history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All technology progresses continuously over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, the appearance of Gu Kang had greatly elevated the progress of water conservancy, which naturally facilitated this development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this water management project was still quite difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Tang was too poor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the chaos in the world had just ended, and ever since Li Yuan declared himself Emperor, the taxes on the common people under his rule had never been high, plus the years of constant warfare and Li Yuan's penchant for using heavy profits to exchange for the support of others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This naturally resulted in the poverty of the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Li Shimin was dancing on the edge of a blade this time; repairing water conservancy was not that easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it truly fulfilled that saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of the world all had a scale in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might not be literate, they might not know any classics, and they might not understand any grand principles, but they could sense good and evil through the actions of the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the corvée labor carried out by Yang Guang in the past, this time the water conservancy repairs gained the support of the four corners of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just the common people in the four corners;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But also those local powerful clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a deed that benefited the people, especially after the prosperous age created by the water conservancy repairs of Gu Kang, Gu Xi, and others in the past; the people of the world would only support this move by Li Shimin even more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of the world had truly longed for a prosperous age for far, far too long!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted a stable environment and wanted their families to all be able to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suffering a little bit now was nothing to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was perhaps also one of the characteristics unique to the bones of the Huaxia people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Bitterness first, sweetness later!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The benefits of rectifying the administration of officials were fully reflected at this time. Although not much time had passed, as one official after another was taken down and beheaded, their fates had already stimulated too many people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, this move guaranteed the baseline for officials during the water management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin also had Gu Quan send out many envoys, unlike the previous Censorate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the envoys went into the grassroots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To observe the hardships of the people and to understand the local officials through the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move indeed exceeded everyone's expectations; the degree to which Li Shimin cared for the people far exceeded any emperor before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the current court, a hint of opposition arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Shimin's answer was very simple, declaring publicly to the ministers in the Taiji Hall: \"One cannot be a wise monarch without observing the hardships of the people, and one cannot achieve a prosperous age without bearing the weight of the state.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As an emperor, if I only care about my own comfort, avoid the difficult and choose the easy, and am timid and fearful, how can I break through the predicament and protect the lights of ten thousand homes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since I sit on this dragon chair, I must take the world as my own responsibility. Even if the road ahead is full of thorns, I will surely tread out a broad and smooth path!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing such a declaration of ambition, those people all felt ashamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move indeed worked, once again flushing out a batch of hidden corrupt officials for Li Shimin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what Li Shimin did was not just this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding the Guanzhong region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he heard that many people in the Guanzhong region who were severely affected by the disaster chose to sell their children to survive, he even picked out gold and jewelry from the palace to redeem the children for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And under his influence, the court ministers also had to make their own gestures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inspecting the damaged farmland in various provinces, providing relief, and comforting the poor;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Li Shimin had not left Changancheng, the envoys he sent out seemed to become his incarnations, telling the people of the world of the benevolence of the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were someone else, perhaps it would not be like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they also used Li Shimin's name, they would not forget to build a reputation for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the envoys this time were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were led by Gu Quan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those so-called envoys were themselves common people, the likes of Xue San and a group of ordinary people cultivated by the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Quan did not need to build a reputation, and they were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for building a reputation for the Gu family—they simply did not need to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the Gu family was still in the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of the world would naturally attribute this credit to the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wise monarch paired with the Gu family would usher in a prosperous age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was already an indelible mark on the entire Nine Provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the matter of water management would naturally not be smooth sailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Li Shimin had made full preparations, and under his influence and various means, the entire Great Tang court was of one heart and one mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But accidents would eventually arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third year of Zhenguan, a drought arrived again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, this drought was not the kind of massive disaster that spread across several provinces that Gu Xi had faced back then, but it still caused an impact on the entire disaster relief effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Li Shimin firmly believed that human effort could surely overcome heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in order to appease the people of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had to make concessions, holding a grand ceremony to worship heaven at the Luo River, and having Fang Xuanling and others perform rain-seeking rituals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides this—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin even confessed his own faults and implemented a general amnesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even sent out more envoys to comfort the people in the four corners, and even had people build temples everywhere, leaving behind the names of those who died for the sake of repairing water conservancy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, this drought was not too severe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Li Shimin's various means, it did not cause too much of an impact on the entire water conservancy repair project.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, this move by Li Shimin evoked the gratitude of the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clouds moved in all four directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of the Emperor's sagely virtue echoed one after another in various places.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years of hardship, this generation finally began to perceive what a great impact an enlightened ruler could bring to the entire world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were more sacrifices in the lands of the Luo River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it was completely different from before; in the past, the sacrifices were the common people begging for immortals like Gu Kang, Gu Xi, and Gu Chen to descend and save them by creating a prosperous age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it was out of gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The common people, who did not know a single written character, did not understand so many complexities, and in their hearts, they naturally felt that perhaps these were truly immortals who had descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they could not bring any precious items, what did that matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After many years had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu Shizi, which had been continuously declining since the Fierce Emperor of the Flame Han, had returned to the Nine Provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the influence generated this time was far beyond the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, the Gu Shizi who stepped out from the grassroots and truly walked among the people of the world, under the leadership of the monarch Li Shimin, re-established the benevolence of the Great Tang and the benevolence of the Gu Shizi in the hearts of the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to this were Gu Yan and the others who had been guarding the national gates for the entire Nine Provinces;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu Shizi finally stepped onto this path chosen by Gu Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Yi had been silently watching all of this, and his thoughts were likewise extremely complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he also understood—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This path was also destined to be incomparably difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Gu Shizi could not avoid this transformation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being tied to a single dynasty could indeed bring incomparable glory to the Gu Shizi, and even allow them to contend with imperial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as long as the Gu Shizi did not take that step, they would always be constrained by imperial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying the rise and fall of a dynasty on one's own shoulders—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu Xi of years past had already done it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Gu Shizi never transformed, they would eventually perish along with a dynasty destined to pass away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by binding themselves to the entire Nine Provinces could they avoid the karma within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this path was destined to be difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as long as the Gu Shizi wanted to remain glorious forever, they had to endure all of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Gu Yi finally chose to integrate the Luo Book Harmony Instrument into the body of Gu Quan, preparing for the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also began to observe the next generation of the Gu Shizi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only their attributes, but he also paid attention to their personalities; the burden on the Gu Shizi was becoming heavier, and besides the attributes representing talent, personality was also a key factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no need to be anxious about all this, at least for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mission of this generation had not yet ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was Gu Yan and the others, or the Gu Shizi in the imperial court, even Gu Quan was waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting for the Nine Provinces to recuperate;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting for the common people of the world to gradually become prosperous and recover from their exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, it was still their era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the spring of the second year of Zhenguan, the Taizong took agriculture as the foundation, issued an edict to repair the water conservancy of the world, and commanded all officials to value frugality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor practiced it himself as an example, first releasing over three thousand palace maids, saving the expenses of the inner court to supplement national use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the people heard the edict and rejoiced; prefectures and counties all launched labor projects, dredging rivers and canals, repairing weirs and sluices, and the fields that received irrigation were countless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the autumn, he again sent envoys to tour the four directions to observe the hardships of the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing places of famine where many sold their children to survive, the Emperor was moved with pity and ordered the officials to take from the inner treasury to redeem the children, and further bestowed grain and silk to settle them in their occupations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The common people wept with gratitude, all saying: 'Your Majesty has parted with private wealth to save our young children; your virtue covers the grass and trees, how could even Yao and Shun surpass this!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xuanling and others memorialized to record these events in history, saying: 'Since the chaos at the end of the Sui, fathers and sons have been separated for a long time. Now the holy ruler pities the young, and his reputation for benevolence reaches the four extremities; this is the transformation of Zhenguan.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All within the seas celebrated, and all praised his holy virtue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—— \"Book of Tang: Annals of Taizong\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of this chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4432,"2026-06-20T03:16:01.192Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","812d86a473572059a987f1bbd72e157b995889575d72764ed3eb2fb7316cab41","controlling-my-ancestors-building-an-immortal-cl-chapter-162","controlling-my-ancestors-building-an-immortal-cl-chapter-160",167,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcontrolling-my-ancestors-building-an-immortal-cl-cover.jpg"]