Chapter 31: Reality Changes, The Dou Clan's Monopoly on Power

【Gu Kang has passed away.】

【He is the first person in your family whose reputation among the common people has surpassed that of the imperial court; his achievements shine with a dazzling light in the history books, and the people of the world will never forget his contributions.】

【Achievements unlocked: Sole Imperial Favor, Enlightened Monarch and Virtuous Minister, Peace Throughout the Realm, Virtue Spreading to the Four Corners, Eternal Veneration.】

Sole Imperial Favor (Common Achievement): Being the sole recipient of the Emperor's favor.

Enlightened Monarch and Virtuous Minister (Advanced Achievement): Can be recorded in history books alongside the monarch of the era, praised by the world.

Peace Throughout the Realm (Rare Achievement): Managed water control to save the common people, worthy of sharing the merit of Yu the Great.

Virtue Spreading to the Four Corners (Rare Achievement): The merits established are revered by all the people under heaven, becoming a figure universally admired in the hearts of the world.

Eternal Veneration (Rare Achievement): The people of the world will spontaneously offer incense and worship.

【Congratulations, you have obtained 215,000 Achievement Points.】

Exclusive effect of the Eternal Veneration achievement: As long as the incense for Gu Kang remains unextinguished, an additional 1,000 Achievement Points will be provided annually.

The game's notifications flashed across Gu Yi's eyes one after another, which eased his somewhat heavy thoughts a little.

Too many!

Although Gu Yi had long guessed that the achievements unlocked by Gu Kang would definitely be more than those of Gu Cheng.

But he had not expected there to be so many!

Two hundred and fifteen thousand Achievement Points!

From common achievements to rare achievements, everything was there.

And most crucially, there was actually an achievement with an exclusive effect.

As long as Gu Kang's incense remains unextinguished, he can continuously obtain Achievement Points.

For Gu Yi, this was undoubtedly great news.

The Gu family aims to pass down its legacy for thousands upon thousands of years!

As long as the Gu family's influence can be maintained, it is highly probable that Gu Kang's incense will not be cut off, and the number of Achievement Points that can be brought in is simply unimaginable.

Moreover, Gu Yi also discovered a way to obtain Achievement Points!

This game has common achievements.

Which means it is not just elites like Gu Kang and Gu Cheng who can obtain Achievement Points!

As long as there are enough family members, even if their talent is insufficient, there is still a chance to unlock common achievements.

Even if the Achievement Points given by common achievements are not many.

As long as the quantity goes up.

No matter how little, it is still meat!

Gu Yi took a deep breath, then clicked into the family information interface, intending to test whether he could integrate into the character now.

【Do you wish to integrate into the character?】

【Cost: 300,000 Achievement Points】

Three hundred thousand Achievement Points!

Gu Yi hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to cancel the integration.

Although he had this special achievement, which could greatly alleviate the pressure brought by Achievement Points.

It would also take time.

For the current Gu Yi, Achievement Points were still very scarce.

The Gu family's reputation was currently at its peak.

And the entire Eastern Han would have a period of prosperity ahead; integrating into a character at such a time was clearly not a wise choice.

Don't forget, once integrated into a character, you cannot obtain Achievement Points!

Gu Yi must always reserve at least one opportunity to integrate into a character.

To deal with sudden crises, or the chaos when the world falls into disorder!

Controlling things now is merely adding flowers to the brocade for the Gu family.

What Gu Yi wants is for the Gu family to be passed down, not just a moment of prosperity.

With a thought, he closed the interface, observed for a while longer, and then exited the game directly.

He intended to first see what changes had occurred in reality.

The influence caused by Gu Kang was simply too great.

He did not think it would be like Gu Xiao back then, leaving nothing behind.

He walked into the living room.

The chill still rushed toward his face.

Old Gu did not like the warm air from the air conditioner; he just plugged in an electric heater, drinking tea leisurely while sitting on the sofa watching a military program.

This might be a trait integrated into the bloodline of Chinese men.

From childhood to adulthood, at any time, they could discuss the world situation from ancient times to the present.

The older they get, the more opinions they have.

It could be said that he displayed "the old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles" to the fullest.

Gu Yi first looked around, and after confirming there was indeed nothing unusual, he sat down beside Old Gu and said, "Dad, our ancestors..."

"What exactly are you trying to do!" Before Gu Yi could finish his sentence, Old Gu glared at him directly, "You've been asking about our ancestors since just now."

"Let me tell you, the things in the Kang Gong Shrine must never be touched!"

"If you touch them, you are a sinner of our family!"

Old Gu looked serious, his expression full of unquestionable authority.

Hearing this, Gu Yi was instantly stunned.

Kang Gong Shrine?

Had reality truly changed?

"As expected, Gu Kang is different from Gu Xiao and Gu Cheng; his reputation in the hearts of the people of the world is too high, so even the corrective force of history cannot completely erase him."

Gu Yi pondered to himself.

With no time to think, he hurriedly ran back to his room and picked up his phone to search carefully.

Soon, he found this location.

However, it was not in the Hebei region as Gu Yi had imagined.

Although there were some in Hebei, the most famous one was in Jiangnan Province.

This was a living shrine built for Gu Kang by later generations.

It was first built during the Eastern Han period and subsequently underwent many repairs, covering various dynasties.

The most precious items inside were the golden statue requested for Gu Kang by a great Jiangnan clan during the Ming Dynasty, and an ancient jade piece passed down by the Gu family, rumored to have been worn by Lord Kang.

This was sent by the Gu family to be displayed inside the Kang Gong Shrine.

Nominally, it still belonged to the Gu family.

Gu Yi searched for pictures of the ancient jade in detail.

It actually really was something left behind by Gu Kang!

In an instant, Gu Yi's heart could not help but jump wildly again.

"It actually succeeded in leaving something behind..."

"Although there is only this one item that is extremely easy to preserve, this is also a major breakthrough!"

"As long as there are more and more things, maybe my family could have a private museum in the future; wouldn't I become Curator Gu then?"

Gu Yi was ecstatic.

After taking a deep breath, he checked history carefully again.

Sure enough, history had not changed much.

Although the Gu family had undergone earth-shaking changes, with its current influence, it was not enough to ignore the corrective force of history and completely change the entire history.

Although the Gu family did have its own entry.

It contained detailed information on Gu Xiao, Gu Kang, Gu Cheng, and others.

But there was no content afterward.

The entire Gu family was like a meteor falling from the sky, brilliant in the early Eastern Han, then gradually weakening, and finally disappearing into history.

Clearly, this was due to the corrective force of history.

It still required Gu Yi's intervention to make a difference!

Gu Yi shook his head, not dwelling on it too much.

This was already a very good start.

The achievements of Gu Kang and Gu Cheng far exceeded his previous expectations.

As for the future.

As long as he could obtain Achievement Points.

Was he afraid the Gu family would not be able to withstand the correction of history and disappear into the sea of people?

He still had nearly two thousand years to change all of this!

Gu Yi tossed his phone aside, picked up the game console, stared at the screen for a few seconds, and then returned directly to the game.

Luoyang.

As soon as Gu Yi entered the game, the development of the Gu family over these years flooded into his mind.

Although Gu Yi had only left the game for a moment.

However, for the passage of time within the entire game, many years had still passed.

At this moment, it was unexpectedly already the autumn of the second year of Zhanghe.

Even the Emperor, Liu Da, had already passed away!

And with the decline of the Gu Shizi influence, the entire history was developing just as it originally had, no longer possessing the grand magnificence of the era of Liu Zhuang.

Liu Da died young.

The Crown Prince, Liu Zhao, ascended the throne.

Because he was young, the Empress Dowager Dou presided over the court and held the power of the world.

The current Gu Shizi did not exceed Gu Kang’s previous expectations; following his passing, their power declined rapidly.

Although Liu Da had promoted Gu Liang into the Secretariat early on.

With Gu Liang’s talent, it was difficult for him to be like Gu Kang in the past, rapidly seizing power and reaching the point of intimidating court officials.

Of course, the Gu Shizi had not yet declined to the point of retreating directly back to Jizhou.

Simply put, the Gu Shizi of the past was a single family dominating all others, while the current Gu Shizi was like other great clans of the world.

Even so, the Gu Shizi were still a bit stronger.

This was because Ban Chao, Yuan An, and others had risen to power one after another.

Since Gu Cheng repelled the Northern Xiongnu, the prestige of the entire Great Han in the Western Regions had reached its peak.

For these years, Ban Chao had been traversing within the Western Regions.

Aside from stabilizing the power of various nations, he was removing the forces left behind by the Northern Xiongnu.

Now, he had already been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Dingyuan.

As for Yuan An, ever since Gu Kang recommended him to the position of Prefect, he had risen to power rapidly.

Now, he was even the Grand Minister of the current dynasty.

This showed his extraordinary talent.

These people could be called the Gu Shizi’s staunch political allies, and they all owed the Gu Shizi a debt of immense gratitude.

The only thing the current Gu Shizi lacked was a figure capable of being a leader like Gu Kang.

This was also within Gu Yi’s expectations.

The Gu Shizi would certainly decline, but they would not decline to the extreme.

Of course, it was not without good news.

Perhaps because his talent was insufficient, Gu Liang could do far less than Gu Kang had, leaving him with a large amount of free time.

The number of his descendants now far exceeded the previous two generations.

He unexpectedly already had seven descendants.

Four sons and three daughters.

And other Gu Shizi clansmen also had quite a few children.

Among them, some were serving as officials in the provinces.

At the very least, in terms of family size, the Gu Shizi had undergone a earth-shaking change, showing the signs of a great clan.

Gu Yi first carefully examined the attributes of these people.

There was no one with power and schemes reaching the heavens like Gu Kang.

But there was one person who made Gu Yi pay special attention.

It was Gu Liang’s youngest son, Gu Xi.

[Internal Affairs: 75; Diplomacy: 70; Politics: 83; Command: 79; Martial Arts: 67]

Although looking at them individually, his various attributes could not be considered as peerlessly gifted as Gu Kang or Gu Cheng, he excelled in being well-rounded.

Every attribute could be called excellent.

He could govern and he could fight.

This truly made Gu Yi’s eyes light up.

Having many children really does have the benefits of having many children.

At the very least, the probability of talents appearing had greatly increased.

"Perhaps one day, our Gu Shizi will also have the grand spectacle of the Eight Dragons of the Xun family."

Gu Yi said softly, and then he turned his gaze toward the Champion Marquis Mansion.

At this time, the atmosphere in the Champion Marquis Mansion was somewhat heavy.

Gu Liang’s several descendants were standing before Gu Liang, their faces carrying obvious worry.

"Hmph!"

Gu Liang sat on his chair with a face full of fury and said angrily: "What is the Empress Dowager trying to do?"

"How long has it been since the late Emperor passed away?"

"She has unexpectedly promoted the Dou family descendants one after another, ignoring the opposition of the ministers in the court, and has tightly grasped the entire court in her own hands."

Since Liu Da passed away.

Empress Dowager Dou first promoted her older brother, Dou Xian, from Colonel of the Tiger Guards to Palace Attendant, managing court secrets and responsible for issuing edicts;

Subsequently, she had her younger brother, Dou Du, serve as Colonel of the Tiger Guards, commanding the Emperor’s personal guards;

Her younger brothers, Dou Jing and Dou Gui, both served as Regular Palace Attendants, responsible for conveying imperial edicts and managing documents.

It could be said that this had not even been a year.

The Dou family had already controlled the entire imperial palace.

With the example of Wang Mang from before, the ministers were naturally very sensitive to this matter; they first submitted memorials one after another, but Empress Dowager Dou directly suppressed the matter.

Subsequently, the ministers even found Gu Liang.

They wanted to use the influence of the Gu Shizi to submit a joint memorial to force Empress Dowager Dou to concede.

But Empress Dowager Dou clearly did not care about the thoughts of the ministers.

She still acted arbitrarily, directly suppressing the matter, and even said in public that Gu Liang was already old, why not imitate the Marquis of Zhongwu and return to Julu to enjoy a life of leisure.

How could Gu Liang not be angry?

The Gu Shizi could perhaps leave, but they absolutely could not leave in such a cowardly manner.

If not, the influence of two generations of the Gu family would likely suffer a heavy blow in an instant.

Letting everyone in the world see the decline of the Gu Shizi.

"Father."

"The current situation in the court is treacherous. The Empress Dowager clearly will not heavily employ our Gu Shizi descendants. Now that Father has already submitted a memorial, she will certainly look for every opportunity to target our Gu Shizi descendants."

"Why not take this opportunity to withdraw? To wait for future changes?"

The person who spoke was Gu Liang’s eldest son, Gu Qi.

His various attributes were very average, and his first thought at this time was to withdraw directly.

Hearing this, Gu Liang immediately frowned.

He first glanced at him, then looked at the other three descendants present and asked: "How do you all view this matter?"

This was perhaps the exclusive method of the current Gu Shizi for educating their descendants.

Inherited from Gu Yi to Gu Kang and Gu Cheng, and then inherited by them to Gu Liang.

"Absolutely must not withdraw!"

Before the two older brothers could speak, the youngest, Gu Xi, shook his head directly and said firmly, "If we withdraw now, no matter what happens in the future."

"It will be a massive blow to our Gu Shizi."

"Father..."

"It took the efforts of two generations of our Gu Shizi ancestors to build the natural favor our Gu Shizi currently has with the imperial family."

"His Majesty will grow up!"

"If our Gu Shizi truly withdraws at this time, not to mention the impact on our prestige in the world."

"If His Majesty regains power one day."

"Will he still be close to our Gu Shizi?"

"And with the Empress Dowager, even if our Gu Shizi withdraws now, will she be at ease?"

"The current strategy is only to meet the difficulty head-on."

"Even if we cannot stop the Empress Dowager, as long as we can hold on, if His Majesty can regain power one day, our Gu Shizi will return to the glory of Grandfather’s era!"

Gu Xi suddenly lowered his voice and said earnestly, "This son believes that even if the Empress Dowager holds power now, she will not be like the former Western Han."

"The prosperous age built by Grandfather and the Emperor Ming still remains."

"The hearts of the people in the world have not been shaken."

"This is the most important foundation for His Majesty to regain power in the future!"

Gu Liang looked at Gu Xi with surprise, his heavy expression gradually softening, and he nodded with satisfaction: "Well said."

"This is indeed the only path for our Gu Shizi!"

He did not offer obvious praise or criticism to his sons, and then he let them go find Yuan An and the others to discuss the next plans.

Gu Yi was very confused at this moment.

Logically speaking, looking at Gu Xi’s talent, it should not have caused the Gu Shizi to decline rapidly to the point of being unknown in history.

But why was there no existence of Gu Xi in the entries just searched?

This is somewhat contrary to reason!

With Gu Xi’s ability, plus the prestige of the Gu Shizi, logically speaking, he should never have been unknown.

An inexplicable sense of unease welled up once again.

Gu Yi guessed the reason in an instant.

——Premature death.

Sure enough, not long after, in the summer of the first year of Yongyuan, Gu Xi truly fell ill!

(Ps: There is still a scheduled update at the usual time tonight. At the beginning of the month, I am asking for monthly tickets~~ There will be extra updates!)

The transition chapter that follows is the most critical wave of the plot for the entire Eastern Han period, brothers, please do not be impatient.

Additionally, I am recommending a friend's new book; brothers who are interested can go take a look.



(End of this chapter)