Chapter 28: From the Dragon: Gu Xi and Liu Zhao

Gu Yi didn't know whether this counted as historical correction targeting him.

But given the medical technology of this era.

At only ten years old, Gu Xi was vulnerable to any illness that could threaten his life.

And considering the current situation of the Gu clan.

If Gu Yi did not interfere, and Gu Xi died young, then Gu Liang would later die.

The Gu clan would rapidly decline.

Unless another genius of cosmic caliber emerged, it would surely fade into obscurity, vanishing completely from history as it once had.

Gu Yi sighed deeply—he would never stand idly by as this happened.

Although he didn't know whether this would even help.

Still, he stirred his thoughts and summoned the lottery interface.

Instantly, another prompt appeared.

Still no lottery UI—simple and straightforward, just asking how many times Gu Yi wanted to draw.

Gu Yi considered briefly, then selected five draws.

Each draw consumed ten thousand achievement points.

As time passed in the game, the common people's endless incense offerings to Gu Kang, coupled with the deaths of second-generation Gu clan members unlocking minor achievements, had granted Gu Yi some achievement points.

He now had over three hundred thirty thousand achievement points.

Gu Yi obviously couldn't go all-in.

Not to mention whether he could even draw an item capable of saving Gu Xi.

Even if he saved him, he still had to consider how great an achievement Gu Xi could accomplish and how many achievement points he'd generate.

Gu Yi had to retain a certain reserve of achievement points to handle the coming chaos—one that would earn legendary fame throughout all of history!

Nearly three hundred thousand.

That was Gu Yi's current bottom line.

【Lottery successful.】

【Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Common Item—Cure-All Talisman.】

【(Common) Cure-All Talisman: After use, may designate one family member to cure all their illnesses.】

【Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Common Item—Strength Talisman.】

【(Common) Strength Talisman: After use, may designate one family member to increase their physical strength, duration: one day; after effect ends, user enters brief weakness.】

【Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Profound Item—Lucky Card.】

【(Profound) Lucky Card: After use, may designate one family member to increase their luck, duration: one day.】

【Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Profound Item—Longevity Card.】

【(Profound) Longevity Card: After use, may designate one family member to live a full natural lifespan until death in old age.】

【Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Profound Item—Breakthrough Card.】

【(Profound) Breakthrough Card: After use, may designate one newborn family member to remove all attribute lower and upper limits; attributes will grow based on various factors.】

【Current Luck Value: 5%】

（When Luck Value reaches 100%, Divine or Heavenly-tier items are guaranteed. ）

A series of prompts flashed instantly.

Perhaps because he had once received a Heavenly-tier item for free on his first draw.

Even though he had obtained exactly what he wanted, Gu Yi felt no excitement at all.

What kind of things are these?

Not only can each be used on only one person, some even have side effects?

They're nowhere near as powerful as Heavenly-tier items!

And what's this Luck Value business?

Hundred draws guarantee SSR?

Gu Yi sighed softly, then immediately opened his inventory and stared at the items within, lost in thought.

"Do the Cure-All Talisman and Longevity Card overlap too much?"

Live a full natural lifespan until death in old age.

Cure one illness.

After thinking it over, Gu Yi directly used the Longevity Card on Gu Xi.

Gu Xi's potential was undeniable.

The coming period would be the critical era of the entire Eastern Han.

Having such a person as a safety net did give Gu Yi some peace of mind.

Night was as dark as ink, within the Champion Hou Fu.

The candlelight inside flickered.

Looking at Gu Liang's grim expression, then at Gu Xi's pale face on the bed, Liu Qing sighed: "Champion Marquis, please take care of your health."

"Do not grieve excessively."

"Your Majesty told me—he is still young, and the Han still relies on the Champion Marquis."

Liu Qing's voice was childish, yet his expression was profoundly steady.

"Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your concern."

Gu Liang responded, but his face remained heavy.

His heart was truly in turmoil.

Even until now, how could he not know the abilities of the Gu clan's disciples?

Among all these people,

only Gu Xi could catch his eye.

But now that Gu Xi has fallen ill, how could he not be alarmed?

Gu Liang knew his own talents were insufficient.

He had shuffled forward, trembling, for years, fearing the Gu clan would sink into obscurity under his hands—only to see a glimmer of hope appear, yet who could have foreseen this turn of events?

Seeing Gu Liang's expression, Liu Qing sighed again, unable to hold back: "Prince Guanjun."

"Your Majesty says he carries the grand ambitions of Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xiaowu, and possesses the lofty aspirations of Emperor Xiaoming."

"You must be careful with your health."

His gaze was fixed tightly on Gu Liang.

But Gu Liang seemed truly disoriented, completely missing the meaning behind his words.

At that moment, a young but resolute voice suddenly rang out:

"Please, Your Highness, convey this to Your Majesty."

"My father will surely preserve his health and await Your Majesty's edict, as my grandfather did with Emperor Ming, together forging a glorious age!"

This sudden voice startled the two men in the room; they instinctively turned toward the sound.

There, Gu Xi had somehow opened his eyes and sat up on the bed.

His face was no longer pale and lifeless; his eyes sparkled with bright light, as if renewed with vitality.

These words had come from him.

"Xi'er!"

Gu Liang leapt to his feet in excitement, his face instantly lit with a joyful smile: "You—you're—"

"Father, I am fully recovered!"

"I have caused you worry."

Saying this, Gu Xi swiftly leapt from the bed and bowed respectfully to Gu Liang.

At this moment, his steps were light, his body brimming with strength—utterly unlike the frail, sickly figure he had been days ago.

"Good! Good!"

Gu Liang was overjoyed; he pulled Gu Xi close and laughed heartily: "Xi'er has recovered! The Gu clan finally has hope again!!"

Liu Qing stared in shock at this dramatic turn, his heart filled with astonishment.

He never imagined Gu Liang would speak such heartfelt words because of Gu Xi's recovery.

Could this young son of the Gu clan truly possess extraordinary talent, inspiring such profound hope from Gu Liang?

As he pondered,

Gu Xi straightened his robes, turned to face Liu Qing, and bowed respectfully:

"Your humble servant greets Your Highness."

"Please convey my words just now to Your Majesty."

"The Gu clan will eagerly await Your Majesty's edict and spare no effort to strengthen the Han."

Gu Xi's expression was calm and confident, a faint smile on his face, his every gesture radiating a poise and dignity far beyond his years.

Liu Qing's astonishment deepened.

In an instant, he confirmed his suspicion.

He then smiled and turned to Gu Liang: "Good! Prince Guanjun, your son's recovery from grave illness is Heaven's blessing upon our Great Han."

"Please take care of your health."

"I shall go inform Your Majesty of this."

With that, he bowed to Gu Liang and turned to leave without delay.

Gu Liang's entire focus was on Gu Xi—he had no thought to see Liu Qing off.

He was about to ask Gu Xi the reason for his recovery when Gu Xi spoke first:

"Father, didn't you hear what Prince Qinghe meant?"

"Hm?" Gu Liang frowned, looking at Gu Xi in confusion.

Gu Xi's face showed a touch of longing as he explained: "He told you that Your Majesty carries the heart of Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xiaowu."

"That means he is telling you Your Majesty intends to emulate Emperor Wen's execution of his uncle Bo Zhao and Emperor Wu's execution of his uncle Dou Ying."

"He said Your Majesty possesses the ambition of Emperor Ming."

"He is asking whether our Gu clan's stance will remain as your grandfather's was during Emperor Ming's reign."

"How can you hesitate now, Father?"

Gu Liang's frown deepened.

His political acumen was not poor—he had simply been too disoriented earlier to grasp it.

Now, Gu Xi had laid it all bare.

How could he fail to understand these truths?

In an instant, his face twisted with relief: "Thank Heaven for Xi'er."

"Otherwise, the Gu clan would have been destroyed by my own hands."

"Xi'er is truly our Gu clan's qilin child."

The more he looked at Gu Xi, the more satisfied he became; seeing Gu Xi lost in thought, he asked again: "Xi'er, what are your plans?"

"Father, I believe Prince Qinghe cannot visit our Prince Guanjun's mansion often—we must establish direct contact with Your Majesty."

"I wish to enter the palace."

Gu Xi looked at Gu Liang with a serious expression.

"Enter the palace?"

Gu Liang did not hesitate; he shook his head directly: "This is inappropriate—should anything go wrong, you will be…"

"Father!"

Before Gu Liang could finish, Gu Xi seized his hand: "Our Gu clan must seize this opportunity!"

"If we can truly achieve Great Merit from this matter."

"Father, do you know what this is called?"

Gu Xi stared intently at Gu Liang, lowering his voice slightly: "Supporting the Dragon!"

In an instant, Gu Liang's hand trembled slightly.

"I remember, during the time of Emperor Ming, Grandfather was told that Gu clan sons could enter the palace to study."

"I am now at the age to study."

Gu Liang's expression grew even more serious, his eyes filled with hesitation.

Is this gamble too big?

If anything truly goes wrong, the Gu clan could be utterly destroyed!

Gu Xi saw his emotions, tightened his grip on his hand, and solemnly called out again:

"Father!"

"Our Gu clan—advance or perish!"

"There may never be another such opportunity again!"

Gu Liang's expression grew even more conflicted, but he knew Gu Xi was right.

After long hesitation, he finally gave a slight nod: "Fine."

Gu Yi had been silently watching all of this.

He found it quite regrettable that Gu Liang had become so indecisive at this point.

His attributes were actually not bad at all.

But the Gu clan's first two generations had stood too high, placing him in a position he could not bear.

Years of suppression, retreat, and facing matters beyond his capacity had completely changed Gu Liang's character—he would likely never become decisive again in this life.

As for Gu Xi, he was as spirited and bold as Gu Kang had once been.

No, at the same age, he performed even better than Gu Kang.

Although in terms of attribute limits, Gu Xi was inferior to Gu Kang.

But fundamentally, the two were entirely different.

Gu Kang was the type who grew stronger gradually.

Gu Xi, however, was one whose talent was fully maximized—like many top students who, though not particularly hardworking, consistently achieved excellent results from the start.

As for Gu Xi, he was the type whose talent was maxed out — like many top students, he clearly wasn't all that hardworking, yet his grades were always excellent.

Even if his eventual peak could not surpass Gu Kang's, for the current Gu clan, it was more than enough.

Even if his future peak couldn't compare to Gu Kang's, for the current Gu clan it was more than enough.

This matter—this was Supporting the Dragon!

Zhangde Hall.

Liu Qing rushed in hurriedly, found Liu Zhao, and exclaimed with a joyful expression: "Your Majesty!"

"How?" Liu Zhao asked eagerly, "Has the Wu Hou given his reply?"

"Well?" Liu Zhao looked at him eagerly. "Has the Champion Marquis given an answer?"

Liu Qing shook his head directly and sighed: "I observe the current Wu Hou—he lacks the wisdom and decisiveness of the former Zhongwu Hou and Wencheng Hou, and even falls short of Huan Hou."

"But his son gave me a most extraordinary impression."

"He bears the style of the former Wencheng Hou."

"Oh?" Liu Zhao immediately frowned in surprise: "What do you mean?"

Liu Qing revealed nothing, directly recounting everything that had just transpired at the Wu Hou's residence.

Liu Zhao listened carefully throughout.

By the end, a smile appeared on his face.

"Fascinating! Fascinating!"

"No wonder he is a Gu clan son—at my age, he already possesses such courage and insight."

Liu Zhao was rarely this delighted.

Perhaps due to the influence of Emperor Guangwu and Emperor Ming.

Having a remarkably talented Gu clan son as an aide was something Liu Zhao could take pride in.

Especially under the current circumstances.

Though young, he was fully aware of his own situation.

The Dou clan had oppressed him too much!

Though he was Emperor, he held no real power and was even monitored daily.

Now, gaining the Gu clan's aid was a great blessing for him!

"Brother, do you truly believe this boy possesses the ability of the Wencheng Hou?" Liu Zhao asked again.

Liu Qing fell silent for a moment. "The Wencheng Hou was a genius of heaven-spanning and earth-shaping talent. As for this boy's true potential, I cannot yet say."

"But I believe he has fully understood the deeper meaning behind Your Majesty's words."

But I believe this youth has surely understood the deeper meaning behind Your Majesty's words.

"And they will certainly take action!"

Hearing this, Liu Zhao also nodded slightly. "I hope so."

"Now that all ministers gather around the Marquis of Guanjun, it has spared me much trouble."

He slowly stood up, his gaze growing colder at that moment: "Hmph!"

"The Dou family has shown me far too much disrespect; otherwise, I would never have entertained this thought."

"I only lament that the Marquis Wencheng died too early, and the late Emperor was too benevolent."

"Had the Marquis Wencheng still been alive, back then, merely the matter of Guo Ju's illicit affair with the imperial harem would have been enough to utterly destroy the Dou family."

"If so, how could today's troubles have arisen?"

Liu Zhao clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "When I finally hold power, I will never be so merciful!"

"Your Majesty."

Liu Qing immediately bowed his head and urged: "The situation is still uncertain—do not speak such words again!"

"I know."

Liu Zhao's expression quickly returned to calmness, a self-mocking smile on his face: "Throughout history, what emperor has ever been like me?"

"Not even able to speak freely within the palace."

"They truly take advantage of my youth."

Liu Qing bowed his head and sighed deeply.

The next day, news arrived that Gu Xi had entered the palace to study.

Liu Zhao and Liu Qing were overjoyed; though both knew the truth, neither acted rashly.

The Gu family is the current banner opposing Empress Dowager Dou.

It has already drawn great attention.

Within the palace, the Dou family had also placed many watchers over Liu Zhao.

Gu Xi's sudden entry into the palace would surely attract much attention—how could they possibly meet under such circumstances?

But whether it was Gu Xi or Liu Zhao,

neither was in a hurry.

They had never met, yet as if by mutual agreement, they revealed not the slightest flaw.

Meanwhile, disputes continued throughout court and realm.

Empress Dowager Dou's autocracy had enraged everyone; no one was willing to surrender their own interests to the Dou family's new nobles.

This was bound to cause intense friction.

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Zhi Shou, submitted a memorial denouncing Dou Xian's arrogance and extravagance, even citing the example of Wang Mang.

This incident shook the entire court and realm.

In today's Han, to be branded with the name Wang Mang would mean eternal infamy.

Dou Xian, a man with a vengeful nature, immediately retaliated by accusing Zhi Shou of buying public land and slandering the court.

The crime merited execution.

Gu Liang and Yuan Bao secured his pardon, commuting the sentence to exile.

Yet Zhi Shou, consumed by rage and despair, took his own life in his residence before departure.

This incident changed the entire atmosphere of the court.

Ministers trembled at the Dou family's power.

But since the Gu family still stood, many still used the Gu family's influence to continue their struggles in court and realm.

They submitted joint memorials for days on end.

Under such circumstances, Empress Dowager Dou actually made concessions.

She even sent Dou Xian out to command troops.

The moment this happened, the court and realm were thrown into uproar.

The Dou family had already been exalted for so long—now Dou Xian was to be granted military command again?

A shadow of gloom settled over the entire court.

And amid this endless covert and open struggle, over three months of quiet infiltration passed.

The number of men sent to watch Gu Xi gradually dwindled.

There was no choice—Gu Xi's age was simply too young.

To have watched him for over three months was already generous consideration for the Gu family.

One day, a eunuch named Zheng Zhong suddenly approached Gu Xi.

When Gu Xi heard that this eunuch claimed to be sent by the Emperor, he was greatly surprised.

But after thinking it over, he realized this might indeed be the way to break the deadlock.

He could not meet the Emperor directly.

That was certain.

Liu Qing was clearly cautious—anyone seeking to contact an outside minister would find an eunuch unnoticed by the Dou family the most suitable.

"What does Your Majesty intend?" Gu Xi asked directly.

Zheng Zhong bowed respectfully to Gu Xi, showing no trace of contempt, and said solemnly:

"The Emperor wishes to ask the Marquis of Guanjun: now that Dou Xian commands troops outside, is there a way to eliminate him?"

Hearing this, Gu Xi fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"It may be worth a try."

(End of Chapter)