Chapter 33: The Change of Power Seizure, the Emperor Bestows a Character

On this day, after Gu Xi left the imperial palace, he returned directly to the manor to find Gu Liang.

In the current Gu family, although Gu Liang bore the pressure from all sides on the surface, he presented the image of a leader of the anti-Dou faction.

Yet in private, whenever he encountered important matters, he would consult with Gu Xi.

He had truly discovered the extraordinary talent of Gu Xi.

Whether it was political vision or judgment of the situation.

Although Gu Xi was young.

He already had a feeling that Gu Xi had surpassed him.

"Eliminate Dou Xian?"

When Gu Liang heard this news, he was completely stunned.

How could he be eliminated?

During these days, the ministers in the court had been discussing this matter in private.

But there was simply no way to do it.

The Dou family’s power had long since reached the heavens.

As long as the Empress Dowager Dou held power, if she did not wish it, no one could touch the Dou family.

Even if one were to bring up examples like Wang Mang.

It would still have no effect at all.

The Great Han governed through filial piety; since the Son of Heaven was young, the Empress Dowager’s decree was the imperial edict.

How could one eliminate Dou Xian?

"Father, I believe we can send someone quickly to the Western Regions to notify the Marquis of Dingyuan."

Gu Xi’s expression was serious, and he spoke with earnest words, "In the past, my great-uncle traversed the Western Regions, and his prestige in the hearts of the world's generals was like a mountain."

"These soldiers are all still alive today."

"And the Marquis of Dingyuan is my great-uncle’s sworn brother; having traversed the Western Regions for these years, his reputation is also widespread."

"If the Marquis of Dingyuan can take action."

"Then, the current Dou Xian cannot compare at all."

"We can also notify my uncle and have him come in his capacity as the Marquis of Pinglu."

"My great-uncle trained the Central Army in the past, and his prestige among the Northern and Southern Armies is overwhelming."

"As long as my uncle holds the Son of Heaven’s handwritten letter, he will surely be able to stabilize the soldiers; when the Son of Heaven takes action and publicly pronounces the crimes of the Dou family, this matter can be settled!"

Gu Liang’s expression changed slightly, and a trace of worry and hesitation flashed in his eyes.

"This... if this turns into a coup."

"If the Empress Dowager then harbors the intention to depose the Emperor, would my Gu family not be left without a place to be buried?"

His character was already completely fixed, and it was difficult for him to make such a decision that might concern the survival of the family.

"Father..."

Seeing this, Gu Xi hurriedly gripped Gu Liang’s hand tightly, his expression firm, and he said in a deep voice, "My Gu family has no choice but to forge ahead now."

"For us, there is simply no way back in this matter."

"Father, please do not harbor the thought that even if we fail, we can retreat to Hebei and play both sides."

"This is a life-or-death struggle!"

"My Gu family must meet the difficulty head-on."

"Even if we truly fail in the end, it will not be a loss of my Gu family’s integrity, and we will be worthy of my Gu family’s ancestors."

Although Gu Xi’s voice carried the immaturity of a youth, it was full of strength and determination, and every word was striking and deafening.

Gu Liang weighed it repeatedly in his heart, and finally nodded slightly, making up his mind:

"Good!"

Gu Yi had been watching all of this, and at this moment, there was no ripple in his heart.

In his view, there was no possibility of failure in this matter.

One must know that in the original history, without the existence of the Gu family, Liu Zhao eventually succeeded in seizing power, let alone now with the Gu family.

The existence of the Gu family had already weakened the Dou family much more than it originally was.

The ministers in the court who opposed the Dou family would consciously stand by the Gu family, saving Liu Zhao the step of having to secretly contact the ministers bit by bit.

And Gu Cheng had traversed the Western Regions and completely crushed the Northern Xiongnu.

This resulted in Dou Xian being unable to establish the same meritorious deeds as in the original history.

The Liu Zhao in the original history had endured for a long time because he was worried about Dou Xian, and only took thunderous action when he tricked Dou Xian back to Luoyang.

But now with the Gu family.

He clearly did not need to do that.

The Gu family itself, plus various allies, would be enough to help him eliminate the entire Dou family!

Ban Chao was currently the Protector General of the Western Regions, so going to the Western Regions to notify him was naturally a long process.

Liu Zhao was not worried about whether Ban Chao would help him, a powerless Emperor, and the Gu family.

Who did not know the relationship between Ban Chao and the Gu family?

Since the death of Gu Cheng, it had been the Gu family that kept helping Ban Chao block the storms in the court.

In the world today, this kind of relationship was a bond that others could hardly imagine.

What Liu Zhao was truly worried about was alerting the Dou family.

And Gu Xi also suggested that Liu Zhao use this opportunity to properly screen the ministers in the court.

After all, this kind of time was the best time to distinguish people’s hearts.

Liu Zhao naturally would not refuse this.

And it was precisely because of this that from this day on, Liu Zhao became increasingly obedient to Empress Dowager Dou.

Whatever Empress Dowager Dou intended.

He granted it all.

Regardless of size, whether it was the officials she recommended or the promotion of the Dou family’s children, he nodded and agreed to everything.

Empress Dowager Dou appointed all those close to the Dou family to official positions and enfeoffed them as marquises.

The most extreme among them was naturally Dou Xian.

He was truly farming for reputation, leading an army to the grasslands, first destroying the rebellious tribes among the Southern Xiongnu.

Afterward, he slaughtered all the remaining marauders left on the grasslands and fought all the way to Mount Yanran.

He performed the act of carving stone on the mountain to emphasize his own merits.

Taking this opportunity, Empress Dowager Dou directly elevated him to the position of Grand General.

Once this matter came out, the court and the public were shaken.

The authority of the Dou family reached its peak at this moment.

From the court above to the various commanderies below, no one dared to offend the Dou family.

And during this period, Gu Liang also played the role of leading the charge, constantly opposing the autocratic power of Empress Dowager Dou.

Actually, this was truly a very dangerous action.

If it were not for the fact that the prestige of two generations of the Gu family in the Great Han was truly too terrifying.

If any other family had done this, it would have been very easy for their family to be destroyed.

But this was the Gu family!

Although the power of the Gu family had declined a lot compared to the time of the Ming Emperor.

Its prestige among the people of the world had not yet dissipated.

The people of the world all remembered the merits of the Gu family.

And the generals from all directions had almost all received kindness from Gu Cheng.

This was the Gu family’s greatest source of confidence.

And it was precisely because of this that the entire court was gradually divided into two factions.

One faction consisted of those promoted by Empress Dowager Dou and those who wanted to attach themselves to the Dou family.

The other faction consisted of those under the Gu family’s banner who had the heart to remove the relatives of the Empress.

And the Dou family was naturally not idle.

When they realized that the Gu family was destined not to be won over by them, and that they were the greatest obstacle to their complete control of power, they began a series of actions.

Successively appointing Dou family children into the Central Army and having Dou Xian promoted to Grand General was for this very reason.

It was to take the opportunity to get rid of all those generals associated with the Gu family.

Slowly weakening the Gu family’s influence in the military.

When the time came to strike, they could directly eliminate the entire Gu family.

But they were destined not to have this time.

When Gu Xi told Liu Zhao the news that the Marquis of Dingyuan, Ban Chao, was already on his way back to the capital, Liu Zhao did not hesitate at all and decided to strike immediately!

——The second year of Yongyuan, March.

Liu Zhao summoned the Dou family’s partisans into the palace under the pretext of discussing matters.

In reality, it was to isolate the inside from the outside.

At the same time, Gu Cheng’s son, the current Marquis of Pinglu, Gu Nian, went to the Southern Army camp, publicly announced the crimes of Dou Xian, and took command of the Southern Army.

Gu Cheng’s prestige in the Central Army was indeed too great.

Within the current Southern Army, many Captains and even Commandants were men who had originally served under Gu Cheng.

In truth, this was also a helpless move.

To possess prestige within the army,

aside from winning battles, there is only the accumulation of years of management.

And the time the Dou clan has held power is clearly still insufficient!

Who is Gu Cheng?

Not to mention his merits.

He served as a Military Commandant within the Central Army for many years, and the soldiers of every battalion in the Central Army had almost all undergone his training.

This kind of prestige is unimaginable.

Although Gu Nian is not Gu Cheng,

his status as the Marquis of Pacifying the Rong already occupies a massive advantage, not to mention that he now holds a personal letter from Liu Zhao!

The entire Southern Army underwent a rapid transformation.

Gu Nian swiftly purged the partisans the Dou clan had arranged within the army.

Immediately thereafter, he headed to the Northern Army and the Tiger's Might Battalion, until he had thoroughly seized control of the entire Central Army and secured the gates of Luoyangcheng.

When he led the Imperial Guards into the palace,

Liu Zhao immediately produced the edict he had already written, publicly announced the crimes of the group, had them all imprisoned and executed, and had his trusted aides secure the Changlegong to prevent Empress Dowager Dou from causing trouble.

Naturally, he would not kill Empress Dowager Dou.

The Great Han governs the nation through filial piety.

Even if he had countless reasons, he could not kill Empress Dowager Dou directly, otherwise, he would certainly be subject to gossip.

Liu Zhao was not that stupid.

Subsequently, he immediately summoned the assembled officials.

When the officials learned of this news, they were all stunned.

Even Yuan An was no exception.

There was no help for it; the most important thing in such matters is secrecy.

How could he have leaked such a thing?

But when they saw that Gu Nian and the Imperial Guards were following behind Liu Zhao, they guessed what had happened.

In an instant, the expressions of those who had attached themselves to the Dou clan changed wildly.

This was the first time since his ascension that Liu Zhao had experienced what it felt like to be an Emperor.

He did not waste any words.

He had everyone who had been promoted by the Dou clan or had attached themselves to the Dou clan during these days thrown into prison.

Watching as those officials were taken away one by one by armored soldiers,

the entire hall was filled with terrified officials.

Although Liu Zhao was young,

the thunderous imperial might exclusive to the Son of Heaven still made everyone feel fear.

Even if they were people who opposed the Dou clan.

The entire hall was deathly quiet.

Liu Zhao sat upon the Dragon Throne, scanned the crowd, and said in a clear voice: "Since my ascension, this is the first time I have truly understood what it means to be the Son of Heaven."

"My lords, there is no need to be nervous."

"You are all the pillars of our Great Han, all loyal ministers."

"I will not vent my anger on any one of you."

"After this matter, there will also be rewards."

Liu Zhao displayed astonishing talent in politics.

These words of his were both a promise and a reassurance.

The relationships between the ministers in the imperial court were intricate and complex, and they all had some degree of kinship.

Naturally, he could not carry out mass executions, which would cause the officials to lose heart.

Sure enough, after hearing these words, the expressions of many officials gradually eased.

Liu Zhao did not waste any words and looked directly at Gu Liang, saying:

"Minister Gu, where is your son?"

Hearing this, the officials' eyes widened almost instantly, not understanding what the Emperor meant by this move.

Your son?

What does this mean?

"Your Majesty, Xi'er has long been waiting outside the hall!"

Gu Liang ignored the surprised looks of the officials and immediately bowed and said.

"Good! Summon him! Quickly, let him enter!"

Liu Zhao did not hide his anticipation for Gu Xi in the slightest; even the sharpness in his eyes faded by a few degrees.

Before long, Gu Xi walked steadily into the great hall.

When the officials saw Gu Xi's youthful appearance, they were all stunned.

How old is he?

Because he was truly too young, Gu Xi's reputation was indeed not prominent throughout the world.

The current Great Han was still far from the time when people began to praise each other to build reputations from childhood.

Regarding the Emperor summoning such a young Gu Xi, the officials were naturally extremely astonished, and one by one, they stared intently at Gu Xi.

But Gu Xi showed no signs of stage fright.

He walked to the center of the hall with a natural expression, bowed to Liu Zhao, and spoke in a clear, resonant voice:

"Your subject, Xi, pays respects to the Son of Heaven!"

"Rise quickly." Liu Zhao hurriedly waved his hand, his gaze fixed tightly on Gu Xi the entire time.

Although it was the first time the two had met, there was not the slightest sense of strangeness.

This made it seem even stranger to the others.

The same age;

similar height;

both had a somewhat youthful but exceptionally bright gaze;

although it was only for a fleeting moment, it gave people the feeling that these two were born partners.

"Minister Xi, Dou Xian is currently leading troops in Liangzhou and will sooner or later learn of the change in Luoyang. For our Great Han, this is a disaster. Do you have any thoughts?"

Liu Zhao asked, looking straight at Gu Xi.

The entire hall was silent.

The officials stared blankly at this scene, their faces full of shock and confusion.

There were many ministers in the great hall, yet the Emperor directly questioned a child?

Today's events were truly too bizarre.

They were all staring tightly at Gu Xi, wanting to see what he could possibly say.

"In reply to Your Majesty!"

Gu Xi ignored the gazes of those around him and said with calm composure, "I do indeed have a strategy."

"I request that Your Majesty list Dou Xian's crimes, such as 'plotting treason,' 'violating ritual protocols,' and 'forming cliques to persecute others,' and proclaim them to the world."

"Our Great Han's national fortune is currently flourishing."

"I can be certain that once the soldiers of our Great Han learn of this, they will certainly no longer follow Dou Xian."

"Furthermore, the Marquis of Dingyuan is already on his way back to the imperial court."

"As long as the soldiers hear of this, they are destined to be terrified."

"Regardless of the outcome, this Dou Xian is on a path to death."

As the youthful voice fell, time seemed to freeze in that moment.

The officials widened their eyes, finding it hard to believe that such a mature strategy could come from the mouth of a child.

Someone immediately looked at Gu Liang, instinctively feeling that this was taught by Gu Liang.

Others also felt that this was a double act between the Gu clan and the Emperor.

All sorts of thoughts flooded their minds.

For a time, the entire hall became inexplicably quiet.

However, this silence did not last long.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Liu Zhao nodded with satisfaction, looked at the Gu Xi before him, and laughed twice:

"Good! Good!"

"Worthy of being the Qilin child of the Gu clan."

He suddenly turned his head to look at Gu Liang: "Minister Gu, may I bestow a courtesy name upon your son?"

A courtesy name?

The officials were shocked again, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

According to the *Book of Rites: Qu Li*, if there are no exceptions, a man can only be capped and given a courtesy name at twenty, which signifies that he can participate in various affairs.

The Emperor personally bestowed a courtesy name?

What does this represent?

Could it be that after the two Marquises of Zhongwu and Wencheng, the Gu Shizi is about to produce another minister who enjoys the sole favor of the Saint?

"Your subject, I kowtow in gratitude to Your Majesty!"

How could Gu Liang possibly refuse such a supreme honor? He hurriedly performed a grand kowtow to express his thanks.

"'Xi' carries the meanings of 'brightness,' 'prosperity,' and 'harmony and joy.'"

Liu Zhao said this while looking at Gu Xi again, murmuring, "The character 'Ming' also has the meaning of 'bright,' and the character 'Yuan' is chosen to signify high and distant aspirations."

"Let us use 'Mingyuan' as the courtesy name."

"Mingyuan, from this day forward, you shall serve as an Attendant Gentleman within the palace, stay by My side, and devise strategies for Me!"

An eleven-year-old Attendant Gentleman?

The expressions of the assembled officials changed abruptly.

Throughout history, has there ever been such a figure?

Immediately, someone spoke up to dissuade him.

Struggles in the imperial court have always been like this.

When the Dou clan held absolute power, the officials naturally struggled under the protection of the Gu Shizi.

But now that the Dou clan shows signs of collapse, and conversely the Gu Shizi has regained its former stature, the officials naturally do not wish to see this.

But Liu Zhao’s attitude was firm; he scanned the assembled officials and spoke directly: "Mingyuan assisted Me in eliminating the traitors; this is the primary merit!"

"."

He directly recounted everything Gu Xi had done during these past days.

The expressions of the assembled officials grew increasingly worse.

Only at this moment did they realize what this was all about.

—This is the merit of following the dragon!

What more could be said?

No merit is greater than following the dragon.

Gu Xi’s merit is beyond doubt.

But... to be so favored at such an age, to what extent will he reach in the future?

The most critical point is that this child’s talent also appears quite extraordinary!

For a moment, some even began to wonder if eliminating the Dou clan was truly a good thing.

The entire morning court session ended in an atmosphere of deep, complex, and unfathomable thoughts among the officials.

Liu Zhao naturally would not relinquish control over Luoyang.

At the same time, following the advice provided by Gu Xi, he immediately proclaimed the crimes of Dou Xian to the world.

In truth, this was not considered a particularly brilliant tactic.

The officials in the imperial court could also have thought of it.

The Great Han had just experienced the reigns of three governing monarchs—Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Zhang—and the national fortune was flourishing.

Utilizing this momentum was sufficient to resolve many problems.

As for whether those charges were actually true, who would care?

If the Emperor says they are true, then they are true!

Furthermore, there was the assistance of the Gu Shizi?

The prestige of the Gu Shizi throughout the world is something other great clans cannot hope to reach!

When this news spread, the arrogance and tyranny of the Dou clan over these years finally met with a fatal counterattack.

Liangzhou.

When Dou Xian heard this news, he was completely stunned.

He found it somewhat hard to believe.

That such a heaven-shaking change could occur in Luoyang.

He was naturally a bold man, and immediately he had thoughts of open rebellion, claiming that the Emperor was young and had been bewitched by treacherous villains.

He wanted to send out troops to eliminate the treacherous villains!

But such a thing was destined to be futile.

Although Dou Xian had also been cultivating his own confidants within the army over these years.

Yet, facing the Emperor who carried the momentum of the entire world, it was still not enough.

The most critical factor was that news of Ban Chao’s return to the capital had also arrived.

The Marquis of Dingyuan.

That was the sworn brother of the Marquis of Huan.

The two had traversed the Western Regions and driven the Northern Xiongnu into western exile.

For many people, such a figure belonged only to those who lived in stories.

How could there be the courage to resist?

The already unstable morale of the army shattered at this moment, and a mutiny broke out.

Dou Xian committed suicide in despair.

His younger brothers and dozens of confidants were taken into custody and brought back to the capital, where Liu Zhao later ordered their execution.

Liu Zhao formally took personal control of the government.

—————————

"The second year of Yongyuan... the third month.

The Emperor and the Gu Shizi secretly finalized a grand plan.

On the day of Bingshen, an edict summoned the partisans of the Dou clan to the Nangong, sealing off the interior and exterior.

The Marquis of Pinglu received the Emperor’s secret edict, led the Feathered Forest Cavalry to gallop into the Northern and Southern Armies, and pacified Luoyang; the interior and exterior were awestruck.

The Emperor personally arrived at the Front Hall, issued an edict to arrest thirty-seven people including Guo Ju of the Dou faction, and had them all executed in the marketplace.

Consequently, the crimes of Dou Xian’s secret plotting of regicide and rebellion against the moral order were proclaimed to the four seas.

At the time, Dou Xian was in Liangzhou; upon hearing of the change, he wished to raise border troops to resist, but his subordinates were disloyal, and the soldiers were in an uproar.

Knowing the situation was impossible, Dou Xian wept and said, 'I have failed the Han house; I should die to apologize to the world!' He then cut his own throat in the army camp.

His younger brothers Du, Jing, and Gui, along with confidants such as Deng Die, were brought back to the capital in prisoner carts, investigated by the Commandant of Justice, and all were executed."

——"Book of the Later Han: Annals of Emperor Xiaohe and Emperor Xiaoshang"

A new week, another day for the new book rankings to refresh, and also the last few days for this book on the new book rankings.

I hope my brothers will give their support.

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(End of chapter)