Chapter 25: Gu Cheng

This great victory completely dispelled the gloom brought by Liu Zhuang's death.

For the entire Han Empire;

——the pacification of the Western Regions definitively marked the arrival of the present Han's golden age.

Whether viewed from the perspective of external threats or national strength.

The Han of today.

Can truly be called a golden age!

For many consecutive days, Luoyang was immersed in laughter and celebration.

No one had anticipated events could unfold to this extent.

Yet this war, conducted without large-scale mobilization and still achieving its objective, was wholly beneficial to all.

Precisely because of this, Gu Cheng's prestige soared directly to its peak.

Though not matching Gu Kang's stature in the people's hearts.

It still far surpassed all others.

Especially among soldiers across the realm, Gu Cheng's name had already taken on the aura of the young general from the Former Han.

They all wished to become like Gu Cheng.

At the very least, they wished to follow him.

After all, all who followed him received massive rewards.

Who would not envy this?

Indeed, after this campaign, Gu Cheng was immediately elevated to the position of General of Chariots and Cavalry.

Appointed Marquis of Pinglu, with a fief of two thousand households in Yangdi County, Yingchuan Commandery.

This was entirely unsurprising, given the sheer magnitude of his merit.

Ban Chao and others were directly promoted to the rank of miscellaneous generals.

The scale of these rewards was second only to the founding era of Liu Xiu.

Liu Zhuang had evidently already instructed Liu Da on these matters; Liu Da carried them out with ease.

Though the ministers were greatly shaken by this.

Yet they could say nothing.

Not to mention Gu Kang still remained in court, fully capable of suppressing them.

Even if Gu Kang were absent,

They could not possibly block this.

What could they say?

Gu Cheng's merit this time was real and undeniable.

During the reign of Emperor Guangwu, it was declared that the Western Regions must be secured.

After Emperor Guangwu's death, Emperor Ming continued his will, aiming to eradicate the Northern Xiongnu.

These were the final wishes of two enlightened emperors.

——Now fulfilled by Gu Cheng!

How could such merit be questioned?

But then events took a turn utterly beyond everyone's expectations.

Gu Cheng is critically ill and must return to Luoyang to recuperate.

He petitioned to resign as Protector of the Western Regions and return to Luoyang, recommending Ban Chao as his successor.

The moment this news reached Luoyang, it sparked a storm.

No one had expected that this general, who had just secured Such Great Merit for the entire Han and whose future shone brightly, would suddenly fall critically ill.

Liu Da was still young; he could follow the instructions Liu Zhuang had given him regarding rewards.

But now the Western Regions were newly pacified.

The choice of Protector of the Western Regions was critical.

Especially for such a position—who would not seek to compete?

Under these circumstances, Liu Da could only go to Empress Dowager Ma.

It must be said that Empress Dowager Ma's political acumen was indeed exceptional.

Although Liu Zhuang had long suppressed the external relatives, including her clan, he still treated her, as Empress, with great favor, frequently discussing state affairs with her.

Precisely because of this, Empress Dowager Ma possessed precise judgment on state matters.

Upon hearing this news,

She merely sent someone to summon Gu Kang.

The next day, Gu Kang reappeared in court.

Though his face showed no sign of sorrow, his presence still imposed immense pressure on the ministers.

Gu Kang did not waste words.

He did not use his power to intimidate.

He merely stated Ban Chao's merits and the fear and respect the peoples of the Western Regions held for him.

The ministers fell silent.

From then on, the matter was settled!

Gu Yi had been watching all of this, fully aware of Gu Cheng's true condition.

Gu Cheng had not suffered the accumulated hidden injuries like Gu Xiao had in the past.

He was simply exhausted from the strain of recent times.

The pressure he bore was beyond what others could reach.

Until now, he had held on only because he clung to a single breath of will within his heart.

But now, that breath within him had scattered.

Sudden physical and mental relaxation, combined with severe prior depletion.

If this were under modern medical standards, it might not be a fatal issue.

But for this era, Gu Cheng truly had reached his end.

"Ah…"

"Heaven does not fulfill human wishes—will the era of the Gu family's second generation also pass?"

At this moment, Gu Yi's emotions were especially complex.

He did not know how many achievement points the second generation could grant him, and even now he still did not know how many achievement points it would cost to control the character again.

But he could be certain that

Given the talents of the Gu family's third-generation descendants, they absolutely could not sustain the current Gu family.

The successive deaths of the Gu family's second-generation members.

Were destined to plunge the Gu family into a series of declines, leaving Gu Yi feeling deeply uneasy.

After all, according to the original history,

With Emperor Zhang's ascension, the prosperous era of the Eastern Han would soon enter its countdown.

Future disasters, chaos, and all other threats were clearly beyond the Gu family's ability to avoid.

But now, he could change nothing.

Yanqi Kingdom, Western Regions Protectorate.

The atmosphere was especially Heavy Outside.

The generals' attitude toward Gu Cheng now was one of sincere admiration.

It was a feeling others could not understand.

Simply put, for them now, as long as Gu Cheng gave an order—even if the enemy army numbered in the tens of thousands—they would hold an unshakable belief in victory.

This was Gu Cheng's current prestige within the army.

But heroes grow old—Gu Cheng had finally fallen.

His bodily functions had suffered irreversible damage.

Months ago, he still rode the battlefield, charging and slaying enemies with courage; now he was so weak he could barely rise.

Even returning to Luoyang would require slow transport by carriage.

Once a mighty tiger general, now reduced to this state—who could refrain from sorrowful sighs?

"Do not see me off any further."

Gu Cheng lifted the carriage curtain, his face as pale as paper, his body emaciated, thinner than when he had left Luoyang.

He smiled at the generals who refused to depart,

"The Western Regions are only just pacified; the kingdoms fear Great Han like tigers. Though they have all sent their sons as hostages and the people long for Han rule, the Northern Xiongnu have long cultivated their presence here."

"The various forces are intricately entangled."

"You absolutely must not leave the Western Regions now—you must seize this opportunity to completely purge all potential threats."

"Only then, should the Northern Xiongnu ever attempt to return to the Western Regions, will it be no easy feat."

"General!" The soldiers, hearing these words, eyes reddened, unable to hide their grief.

Though returning to the capital for proper care might offer a chance at survival, Gu Cheng's current condition made such a journey fraught with peril.

Clearly, all of them understood this.

"Why so sorrowful?" Gu Cheng smiled lightly. "When I left Luoyang years ago, I already resolved to return wrapped in horsehide."

"Now, to still live and return to the capital is already a miracle."

His gaze turned to the city behind the soldiers, a hint of loneliness flickering in his eyes. "Life and death are fated…"

"If in this life I have fulfilled my heart's ambition, it is enough."

"If I survive this journey back to the capital,"

"On the day you generals achieve your triumphs, I shall meet you at Yumen Pass."

No regrets?

How could there be no regrets?

If there were no regrets, why would Gu Cheng return to the capital?

With his current condition, returning to the capital is already a perilous journey.

Yet how could he fully accept it?

For Gu Cheng, though his great undertaking had been preliminarily completed, it could not quell his drive to expand further.

Great Han's strength is now at its peak—this is his chance to build glory.

The state of the Gu family's third generation was not known only to Gu Yi.

Gu Kang and Gu Cheng could both sense it.

Both had been most deeply shaped by Gu Yi's teachings and wished to lay bricks for the Gu family's eternal foundation—how could they simply accept this?

This was Gu Cheng's nature.

When facing the Northern Xiongnu's massive army, he refused to yield.

Now, facing death,

He still refused to yield!

Now, he would challenge this path of life and death!

Saying this, Gu Cheng lowered the carriage curtain directly.

Amid the respectful farewells of the generals, the carriage moved slowly forward, heading toward Han.

The thousand elite troops who had once followed him to the frontier were now escorting Gu Cheng back to the capital.

Though after numerous great battles, only four hundred remained.

Yet their loyalty to Gu Cheng was as unyielding as bedrock, beyond the reach of others.

"General, won't you wait for General Ban?"

Inside the carriage, the Captain Xie, who had once delivered a letter to Ban Chao, looked at Gu Cheng with sorrow, his voice trembling.

They all understood the bond between Ban Chao and Gu Cheng.

After all, both had served in the Elite Corps for so long.

Ban Chao was now clearing the remnants of the Northern Xiongnu in Kucha.

Thinking that the two brothers had still not met, a nameless grief filled his heart.

"Why add needless sorrow?"

Gu Cheng shook his head and closed his eyes.

At these words, the Captain's sorrow deepened.

The setting sun's glow spilled across the land.

The carriage continued onward toward Han, moving slowly in silence, the entire procession steeped in grief.

Though these men had given their all.

Yet when they reached Yumen Pass, Gu Cheng's life reached its end.

—— Jianchu Year One, Fifth Month.

General of Chariots and Cavalry, Marquis of the Western Pacification, Gu Cheng, died at Yumen Pass.

At the very moment Gu Cheng closed his eyes,

a system prompt flashed before Gu Yi's vision.

【Gu Cheng has passed away.】

【He is your family's first ancestor to attain a noble title without player control, having swept through the Western Regions and driven the Northern Xiongnu far away, carving Merit Carved in Stone.】

【The world will remember Gu Cheng's merit.】

【Achievement unlocked: Merit Carved in History, Supreme Warrior of the Realm.】

Merit Carved in History (Rare Achievement): The merit achieved is sufficient to be recorded in history, remembered by future generations.

Supreme Warrior of the Realm (Rare Achievement): Among all warriors of this age, his martial prowess stands supreme.

【Congratulations! You have gained 100,000 achievement points.】

One hundred thousand achievement points!

Gu Yi's heart leapt in surprise, but he calmed instantly.

One hundred thousand points were entirely reasonable.

Gu Cheng's merit was rare even in the long river of history; one hundred thousand might even be too little.

Had Gu Cheng lived to die a natural death, the achievement points he could have granted would have been many times this amount!

Gu Yi sighed softly, then opened his family information, intending to check how many achievement points were needed to control a character.

【Current achievement points insufficient.】

The familiar prompt flashed instantly.

"Not even enough with one hundred thousand?"

Gu Yi's heart sank.

Though he had long seen in the notes that "immersing in a role requires massive achievement points,"

he had never imagined the demand would be so high.

Now it seemed, it would take generations of effort—and guaranteed continuous achievement point gains—to accumulate enough for even one control opportunity.

Moreover, merely controlling a character clearly wouldn't be enough.

In the vast sweep of history, a single lifespan was far too short to change everything.

Artifacts would be necessary as well.

But controlling a character yielded no achievement points, and drawing rewards cost ten thousand points each time.

This left Gu Yi feeling overwhelming pressure.

His already low spirits after Gu Cheng's death grew heavier still.

Luoyang.

News of Gu Cheng's death at Yumen Pass spread rapidly, shaking court and realm alike.

Though Gu Cheng's current status seemed inferior to Gu Kang's,

everyone knew Gu Cheng had merely just begun to rise.

Gu Kang, by contrast, had clearly reached his end.

Had Gu Cheng continued to earn merit, he might well have become the future Generalissimo!

And yet this man had died like this?

The entire court fell instantly silent; even in private, no one dared speak of the Gu family anymore.

No one wished to offend Gu Kang now.

They feared being implicated.

Yet unexpectedly, Gu Kang did not grieve as they had imagined—overwhelmed, broken.

He remained as usual, showing no outward sign of change.

For the death of Gu Cheng, a minister who had rendered great merit to the realm, the court and the people naturally had to select an honorific posthumous title for him.

Liu Da's talent in scholarship was evidently quite considerable.

Among the discussions of the ministers, the character "Huan" was ultimately chosen.

It signifies expanding territory and subduing distant lands.

To honor Gu Cheng's merit in pacifying the Western Regions.

Gu Kang never voiced much opinion throughout.

As the time since Liu Zhuang's death grew longer, everyone could clearly sense Gu Kang's change.

He no longer seemed as sharp as before.

Some even suspected Gu Kang had developed a desire to retire, no longer capable of handling all state affairs as he once did.

Except on major matters, he rarely spoke.

This judgment was astonishing.

Given the Gu family's current influence, even if Gu Kang died, his son Gu Liang's status in court would surely remain prominent.

Why go to such lengths?

Only Gu Yi, through days of observation, had discerned the truth.

Gu Kang was truly preparing for the Gu family's future.

He had never ceased writing.

Gu Yi had carefully observed this.

The books Gu Kang wrote synthesized the strengths of various schools and added many of his own thoughts.

This was also the common practice among most people of this era.

Many of these ideas bore the imprint of Gu Yi's early teachings.

For present-day Han, their practicality was indeed extremely high.

Moreover, he had successively recommended several individuals.

These were capable men he had discovered over the years through governing the realm.

Some were known to Gu Yi; others were not.

Such as Yuan An.

Gu Kang highly valued him.

He directly promoted him from a minor county magistrate to the position of Governor.

Others would also recommend according to ability.

Yet for the Gu family's descendants, aside from a few young ones serving in Julu Commandery, he made no arrangements at all, as if he had no intention of letting them enter officialdom.

But no one found this surprising.

Because Gu Liang had an exceptionally close relationship with Emperor Liu Da.

They had studied together since childhood and shared compatible temperaments.

Everyone assumed this was Gu Kang's deliberate strategy.

After all, promotion by the Emperor himself carried a fundamentally different significance.

But only Gu Yi knew.

Gu Kang had never intended this.

A man like him would never confine his vision to fleeting struggles.

He fought for ten thousand generations!

If a family's descendants lack the talent to uphold the family, its decline is inevitable.

This is a problem every noble house must face, let alone the Gu family, which had held supremacy across two dynasties.

He was merely seeking a suitable retreat path for the family.

To prevent the family from suffering an irreparable mishap in the coming years.

But how could others possibly understand such things?

And under this relentless daily toil, Gu Kang's health gradually began to deteriorate.

Whether managing farmland or water systems and other issues.

Gu Kang had poured immense effort into them, and now that he was no longer young, how could he remain robust forever?

A glorious era;

——gradually fading with the passage of time

Late again—last night's severe insomnia left me in terrible shape today... barely managed to finish this

Brothers, please support me!

Don't abandon this novel! The next phase is critical for recommendations—give Fish a hand!!



(End of Chapter)