Chapter 32

Liu Zhao's sudden death seemed to press pause on the flourishing Han dynasty.

A hundred-day emperor;

The regent Empress Dowager and her ministers;

From this day forward, the entire Han seemed on the brink of collapse.

One misstep, and all would crumble instantly.

In this perilous political climate, the gap between Gu Xi and Gu Kang became fully apparent.

Gu Xi's political acumen was indeed commendable.

But he could not match Gu Kang's deep foresight.

He could not remain composed at all times or instantly adjust his state to face the coming affairs of state.

When the burden of regency fell upon him.

Gu Yi could clearly see that Gu Xi was lost.

This may also have to do with his young age.

Only after two days passed did he begin to recover, then went to see the Empress Dowager.

Changlegong.

When Deng Sui saw Gu Xi enter, her expression did not change; she merely said coolly: "I had feared the late Emperor entrusted his cause to the wrong man."

"That the Grand Tutor would be utterly undone."

Deng Sui's tone was grave, radiating particular authority.

"Your servant bows before the Empress Dowager."

Gu Xi first bowed with clasped hands, then sighed softly: "The late Emperor's passing has left me heartbroken; I have indeed been negligent."

"Today, I come before the Empress Dowager to discuss state affairs."

Gu Xi understood the current court situation perfectly well.

The ministers were restless.

This matter must be resolved swiftly; otherwise, with time passing, it would only grow more severe.

It could even threaten the Han's very foundation.

Deng Sui was indeed a remarkably intelligent woman; upon hearing Gu Xi's words, she immediately understood his intent.

After a moment's silence, she turned serious: "What does the Grand Tutor propose?"

"Your servant proposes that the Emperor be crowned immediately."

Gu Xi spoke at once, his voice steady: "The court ministers and the people of the realm must know that the Han's imperial throne is secure."

"Crowned immediately?"

Deng Sui frowned slightly.

The Han's rites were fully established, and it governed the realm through filial piety.

According to ritual:

When the Son of Heaven dies, a state mourning must first be observed; the new ruler must undergo mourning, ancestral sacrifices, and a series of rites before the coronation ceremony may proceed.

Gu Xi clearly intends to bypass all of this.

Though it appears contrary to ritual,

for the Han at this moment, it is the best solution.

One must admit, Deng Sui's wisdom was extraordinary.

After a brief thought, she nodded: "The Grand Tutor speaks wisely—the new ruler must be crowned immediately to stabilize the realm and the state."

As she spoke, her tone paused.

"Yet who shall represent the Son of Heaven at the coronation ceremony?"

The coronation was no trivial matter.

Its rituals were numerous.

Paying homage to Heaven and Earth, offering sacrifices to the ancestral temple.

This entire sequence of rites was clearly beyond the capacity of a hundred-day emperor.

Deng Sui's question was clearly an attempt to assert dominance within the regency.

In fact, this was the most critical reason for the current unrest in the Han court.

The Son of Heaven is young; the Empress Dowager, by ritual, acts as regent.

Yet Gu Xi is the late Emperor's final entrusted regent.

Between these two, if neither holds clear supremacy, turmoil is inevitable.

There was no way Liu Zhao could resolve this problem.

His childhood experiences made him wary of the external relatives, yet how could he fully trust a minister like Gu Xi?

His arrangement was meant to keep the two in mutual check.

This was the balance inherent in imperial statecraft.

Fortunately, whether Deng Sui or Gu Xi,

both clearly understood that the Han could not withstand internal strife—if it did, greater chaos would follow.

Deng Sui raised this point precisely to gauge Gu Xi's stance.

Gu Xi naturally heard the deeper meaning in her words.

Yet he did not hesitate, replying calmly: "For public and private reasons alike, it must be the Empress Dowager who acts in the Emperor's stead."

"Oh?" Deng Sui's expression shifted slightly, as if surprised by Gu Xi's response.

Given the current court situation, the ministers all needed to choose sides.

Gu Xi's action.

It leaves ample room for speculation.

This is already a surrender of power!

And yet he showed such calmness—Deng Sui was naturally taken aback.

But immediately afterward, Gu Xi's expression turned grim, his gaze fixed tightly on Deng Sui: "I will only safeguard this realm for the late Emperor."

"Until the Son of Heaven comes of age, to hand the entire realm back into Your Majesty's hands."

Gu Xi's tone was unusually solemn.

He can surrender power!

But the Deng clan must not imagine it can be like the Dou clan of old.

This is the bottom line.

Deng Sui silently watched Gu Xi, pausing for a moment, then smiled faintly: "With these words from the Grand Tutor, I am at peace."

"Please, Grand Tutor, rest assured."

"I am not Empress Dou—I, too, will safeguard this realm for the Son of Heaven, as you do."

"Grand Tutor, please return to your residence."

"Tomorrow, we may summon the hundred officials to announce the Son of Heaven's ascension."

Silent cooperation.

Gu Xi nodded slightly, then bowed to Deng Sui before turning and walking out of Changlegong.

The next day, the news spread, shaking court and realm!

It was not because the Son of Heaven ascended directly—after all, everyone understood this was forced by the political situation.

What truly stunned everyone was that Gu Xi had surrendered power!

The impact of this on the ministers was immense!

Since Liu Zhao's death, every minister had been pondering how to align themselves.

This had nearly become everyone's torment.

Faced with the power that ruled the realm, how could the two possibly avoid vying for control?

At their level, once Deng Sui and Gu Xi clashed, how could anyone avoid choosing a side?

To remain utterly neutral under such circumstances

Would surely alienate both sides and exact a heavy price.

Who among those who reached this position is not an old fox?

They understood this principle all too well.

Most crucially, there was the precedent of the Yin clan's complete dismissal from office.

For the ministers, this was a choice concerning life and fortune—they naturally were filled with dread.

But now—Gu Xi had surrendered power?

To the ministers, this was both shocking and somewhat joyful.

There would be no struggle between Deng Sui and Gu Xi.

For them, and for the realm as a whole, this was a tremendous blessing.

As for Liu Long's immediate ascension—

No one cared anymore.

Under these circumstances, Liu Long ascended the throne.

Deng Sui, as Empress Dowager, presided over the court in the name of the female sovereign, proclaiming the new era name Yanping.

Gu Yi had watched it all in silence, feeling no surprise at Gu Xi's choice.

The Han Empire had not yet reached an age of ritual collapse and music decay.

People valued character.

The Gu clan had long-standing family rules, and generations had received corresponding education.

Gu Xi's choice was thus entirely reasonable.

As time passed,

The ministers gradually moved from disbelief to acceptance that Gu Xi and Deng Sui would no longer contend.

The entire Han court seemed to return to its former state.

There was no help for it—since Liu Zhao fell ill, Gu Xi had always managed state affairs for him.

The ministers had long grown accustomed to this.

Even now, as regent, he appeared no different from before.

As for Deng Sui, she became what Liu Zhao had once been.

This was the unspoken understanding between the two.

Deng Sui was indeed a highly capable woman, with sharp judgment of the situation, and showed no intention to suppress Gu Xi.

Under these circumstances, the court's morale gradually stabilized.

And now Gu Xi held the power of regency.

Managing state affairs became vastly easier; the entire Han Empire seemed to return to the way it was when Liu Zhao was alive.

But on the day Renchen of the fourth month in the first year of Yanping;

——an earthquake struck Kuaiji Commandery.

The affected area was vast; countless civilians were injured.

In May;

The capital Luoyang and its surrounding regions have been hit by continuous heavy rains, causing the Luo River to flood, farmlands to be submerged, and refugees to be displaced.

A landslide occurred at Heng Mountain in Hedong, killing countless civilians.

June;

In the northern commanderies, a locust plague struck; swarms darkened the sky, devouring all crops, leaving countless refugees.

A succession of disasters followed one after another.

Gu Xi grew increasingly busy.

At first, he could still handle everything calmly.

After all, due to the Gu clan's presence, the Han dynasty's strength far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.

Facing the floods in Kuaiji Commandery and around Luoyang,

he dealt with them without great effort—simply opening the granaries to distribute grain.

The Han dynasty's reserves were not so fragile as to be crippled by this.

But as the locust plague struck the north,

Gu Xi had to confront a far larger wave of refugees, requiring meticulous planning for every expenditure.

Most crucially, this string of natural disasters affected the court.

No one knew exactly when it began,

but a notion gradually took root in the court.

That this succession of disasters was due to Deng Sui wielding power under the title of female sovereign.

Gu Xi was not targeted because he had governed for so long.

Since Yongyuan Thirteen, he had been gradually involved in state affairs—merely lacking the official title.

Naturally, no one would blame Gu Xi for these things.

Otherwise, it might endanger Liu Zhao.

But Deng Sui was different.

Had there been no natural disasters, with Gu Xi in charge, such rumors would never have arisen in court or among the people.

Even if ministers harbored such thoughts, they would suppress them.

But when disaster struck the realm, things were different.

This was no minor matter.

Once such rumors spread through court and people, they would inevitably radiate throughout the populace, inflicting unimaginable damage to the court's prestige.

Even though Gu Kang had already curbed the Han dynasty's obsession with chenwei superstitions,

the limitations of the age remained.

Even Gu Kang could not fully escape them, let alone his descendants.

Under these successive calamities, the Han dynasty's fragile peace of mind instantly became restless once more.

Night.

Dark clouds obscured the night, casting an oppressive gloom.

Gu Xi slowly entered the Changlegong, his face weary.

Deng Sui's expression was also grim.

But when she saw Gu Xi, she could not help but sigh: "Grand Tutor, you have worked hard."

Gu Xi said nothing.

Deng Sui paid it no mind, sighed deeply, and continued: "I am aware of the rumors circulating in court recently."

"Natural disasters persist."

"Perhaps it is truly my lack of virtue."

"Grand Tutor, what do you think of me issuing a Self-Censure Edict?"

Deng Sui fixed her gaze tightly on Gu Xi.

Gu Xi immediately shook his head, solemnly saying: "Empress Dowager, you must not entertain such thoughts!"

"Natural disasters continue, and both court and people are restless."

"If the Empress Dowager issues a Self-Censure Edict, what then if the disasters do not cease?"

"I have already drawn grain from the Imperial Granary and local Ever-Normal Granaries to aid the refugees, and exempted tax in disaster-stricken areas."

"I have also, based on some ideas left by my late grandfather, the Marquis Wencheng, ordered local officials to exterminate locusts."

"This disaster has indeed been severe."

"Yet it is still insufficient to shake the foundation built by generations of our enlightened emperors."

"Empress Dowager, do not stir up further turmoil!"

"Moreover, my grandfather once said, 'Revere the spirits, but keep them at a distance.' How can we let a few natural disasters make the people believe the court has lost virtue?"

Gu Xi's expression was grave.

Especially after overseeing court affairs these past days, though still young, Gu Xi now carried an air of solemn authority.

Among the people of the world, the Gu clan's descendants understood Gu Kang's teachings more deeply.

Gu Xi was the foremost among his generation.

He always maintained the belief that human will could overcome heaven.

"What the Grand Tutor says is reasonable."

Hearing this, Deng Sui nodded slightly, then immediately sensed something amiss, her expression shifting slightly: "Could it be, Grand Tutor, that you believe the Han will face more disasters?"

"I have studied the writings left by my grandfather."

Gu Xi did not conceal it, sighing softly: "My grandfather said that after floods and locust plagues, a great plague may follow."

"Though it may not be true, it must still be guarded against."

"In recent days, I have been summoning physicians from across the land, but I fear that if a great plague truly strikes, it will be like trying to extinguish a fire with a cup of water."

Deng Sui's expression changed once more.

This was the judgment of the Marquis of Wencheng.

In today's Han, from the court to the common people, Gu Xi has truly become a figure of divine status.

His judgment is unlikely to be wrong.

"If this is truly the case, what plan can the Grand Tutor propose?"

Deng Sui asked again, her expression growing even more serious.

"As long as the people's hearts remain stable, our Han will never fall into chaos."

Gu Xi sighed lightly, "Your Majesty need not worry further; as for the rumors spreading through court and countryside, I shall handle them."

With that, Gu Xi said no more.

He bowed to Deng Sui, then walked out directly.

He had no time to waste.

It could be said that as the turmoil in court and countryside grew, Gu Xi had truly become the pillar holding up the Han.

If not for Gu Yi's use of the Longevity Card on him,

Gu Yi would have worried whether his body could withstand such extreme exhaustion.

The Han's current foundation was simply too strong.

Under Gu Xi's carefully crafted relief plans, these natural disasters had truly failed to shake the Han's core.

But it was no surprise to Gu Xi.

The floods and locust plagues had not ceased.

——Then came the great plague.

July.

In the capital Luoyang, Xuzhou, Jizhou, and other regions, a great plague broke out.

The people fell ill in droves; corpses lay piled along the roads.

Even though Gu Xi had prepared in advance, he still felt powerless against a plague of this scale.

And this was not yet over.

September.

Parts of Jing and Yang provinces suffered severe drought; rivers dried up, farmland cracked open.

Yi Hai Day.

Four meteorites fell upon Chen Liu.

This seemed to shatter the last layer of defense in court and countryside; even though Gu Xi and Deng Sui had worked hard to control rumors and even punished several ministers,

once the news of the meteorites striking the earth arrived,

the court and even the common people instantly erupted in panic.

"Meteorites falling from the sky" had always been regarded by all under heaven as an ill omen, let alone now with this string of natural disasters.

The entire Han was thrown into terror.

Rumors spread everywhere—in court and among the people.

Luoyang.

Marquis of Guanchun's Mansion.

Flickering candlelight swayed, casting light upon Gu Xi's face.

He was fully absorbed in reviewing urgent disaster reports sent from all regions.

The candlelight danced, making his furrowed brow and profoundly serious expression even clearer.

Suddenly, a frantic voice came from afar, growing closer.

Gu Xi instantly raised his head, instinctively thinking it was another urgent report of worsening disaster.

But in an instant, he sensed something was wrong.

The voice was male, yet unusually high-pitched.

Eunuch?

Holding the memorial, Gu Xi frowned and strode quickly out of the mansion.

At the gate, he saw a group of eunuchs holding torches, each face etched with panic and urgency.

In an instant, a strong sense of dread surged into Gu Xi's heart.

He looked at the lead eunuch, frowned, and asked in a low voice: "What is it?"

"Grand Tutor!"

All the eunuchs knelt down at once; the leader spoke with a trembling, tearful voice,

"Your Majesty is ill—he has passed away."

"The Empress Dowager requests the Grand Tutor enter the palace immediately!"

With a soft *pā dā*, Gu Xi's body jolted violently; the memorial slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

The ninth day of the ninth month, first year of Yanping;

——Liu Long died within the palace.

The news spread, shaking the realm; the already fragile public sentiment began to show signs of collapse from this day forward.

—————————

First year of Yanping.

On the renchen day of the fourth month, an earthquake struck Kuaiji; mountains and hills split apart—an omen of yin overwhelming and encroaching upon yang.

In the fifth month, a torrential downpour hit the capital Luoyang; the Luo River overflowed its banks, submerging fields and houses.

A mountain collapsed in Yuan, Hedong, causing great casualties. The Grand Historian memorialized: "Water has lost its nature; this is the fault of yin pressing upon yang."

In the sixth month, locusts rose in the northern frontier and blotted out the sky; grain and millet were utterly destroyed, and the fields were strewn with the bodies of the starved.

The *Book of Songs* says: "Drive away the leaf-worms and the locusts, and the borers and the grubs." This is the response to oppressive levies and harsh cruelty.

In the seventh month, a great plague spread across the realm; Yanzhou and Jizhou suffered most severely, and white mourning cloth hung at every door and window.

The autumn qi was contrary to its norm, because metal and wood clashed and harmed one another.

In the ninth month, Jingzhou and Yangzhou saw a thousand li of barren red earth, and at night in Chen Liu a meteor as large as a battle-drum fell. People of the time whispered: "Firestar guards the Heart, and the Purple Palace is shaken."

On the gengchen day, the Emperor passed away in the inner palace—celestial signs and human affairs had stirred and clashed together.

——— *Book of the Later Han · Treatise on the Five Elements*

(End of this chapter)