Chapter 37: Sacrifice at the Luo River to Pacify the Hearts of the People

Luoyang.

Beneath a dim sky.

Whether in the temples of the Great Han or among the common people, it was as if a layer of haze had been cast over everything, one that would not disperse for a long time.

The Emperor has passed away!

When this news spread from within the palace, the world was shaken to its core.

Even though he was but a child.

Never mind bestowing grace upon the world like the emperors of old, he did not even have the chance to speak with his ministers.

Yet he was still an Emperor.

Although the core of Gu Kang’s school of thought was to "respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance."

The "divine right of kings" was also a guiding principle within it.

Furthermore, with the Great Han suffering constant natural disasters, the passing of Liu Long at this very moment seemed to confirm those rumors.

—The hearts of the people are scattered!

But what Gu Xi had to face at present was not merely this.

A nation cannot go a single day without a ruler.

Although Liu Long was young, he was still an Emperor and required the construction of an imperial mausoleum.

Not one of these matters could be resolved without him, the Regent.

Under these circumstances, criticism at court and in the public sphere was naturally constant.

Memorials poured in one after another.

They pointed directly at Empress Dowager Deng Sui.

Moreover, the attitudes of the ministers and Deng Sui regarding who should be established as the new ruler were diametrically opposed.

The ministers believed that Liu Sheng’s illness was not severe; they proposed establishing Liu Sheng as the ruler and wanted Empress Dowager Deng to return power directly to the Emperor.

Empress Dowager Deng, however, wished to establish Liu Hu, the son of Prince of Qinghe Liu Qing, as Emperor.

Liu Hu had been favored by Liu Zhao since he was a child.

It would be perfectly acceptable to adopt him directly to Liu Zhao and let him inherit the throne.

In truth, in terms of bloodline, Liu Sheng, as the eldest son of Liu Zhao, naturally held the advantage.

But the problem lay in his illness.

As for Gu Xi.

What he had to consider was different from the others.

Compared to other ministers, the Gu Shizi were now transcendent; whoever was established as Emperor would not affect the interests of the Gu Shizi.

As long as Gu Xi remained, the Gu Shizi would not be affected.

What he truly had to consider was the world.

Although Liu Sheng’s illness appeared minor, what if there were further complications?

If the Great Han were to lose another emperor under these circumstances.

What then?

Would that not force the people of the world to conclude that the imperial court had lost the favor of Heaven?

After careful deliberation, Gu Xi agreed with Deng Sui’s idea to establish Liu Hu as Emperor.

Regarding this decision, the ministers had no choice but to accept it.

Under these circumstances.

Liu Hu’s enthronement ceremony was held as scheduled.

Although it seemed somewhat hasty, it was much better than the one for Liu Long.

After all, Liu Hu was already thirteen years old and could do many things himself.

But precisely because of this, someone immediately proposed that Deng Sui return power to Liu Hu.

Suggesting that Gu Xi alone should remain as Regent to govern the state.

Many ministers even came to find Gu Xi.

Hoping that Gu Xi would take the lead, as he had done before, and assist the ministers in stripping the power from Deng Sui’s hands.

But how could Gu Xi possibly do such a thing now?

The Empress Dowager Dou of the past was different from Deng Sui.

Although Deng Sui had promoted several members of the Deng clan, the talents of Deng Zhi and the others were quite excellent, and they did not engage in the power-grabbing behavior of Dou Xian.

Moreover, Deng Sui had never targeted the Gu Shizi.

This was the most important thing for the current Great Han.

Successive natural disasters had caused the hearts of the people to become unstable.

This was not something that could be resolved simply by enduring it.

The foundation of the world left behind by four generations of wise emperors was indeed solid.

But if internal strife were to be stirred up at court now, it would very likely shake the foundations of the state.

If the Great Han were to truly suffer a catastrophe.

Not to mention what reputation Gu Xi, as Regent, would leave in the history books, the good names left by the ancestors of the Gu Shizi for generations could also be affected.

How could he tolerate such a thing happening?

The imperial court must absolutely not fall into chaos.

This was Gu Xi’s bottom line.

Only in this way could he better stabilize the situation of the world.

Gu Xi warned the ministers sternly, and then immediately arranged for Liu Long’s funeral.

With emperors passing away in succession, the pressure of corvée labor on the common people was immense.

It would have been fine if there were no natural disasters.

But now, everything had to be kept as simple as possible.

At Gu Xi’s request, Liu Long was buried within the area of Liu Zhao’s Shen Mausoleum.

The ministers naturally did not object to this.

Liu Long’s presence as an emperor was truly too faint; being buried with the status of an emperor was sufficient.

Subsequently, Gu Xi began to set about stabilizing the hearts of the people.

The impact of the Emperor’s passing was too great.

Even Gu Xi himself was affected.

Under these circumstances, it was impossible to say that the hearts of the people could be stabilized immediately.

Gu Xi could only increase aid to the disaster-stricken areas, attempting to settle the people.

In this state of affairs, Liu Hu ascended the throne and announced the change of the era name to "Yongchu."

Hoping for a renewal of all things, that the Great Han could safely pass through these continuous natural disasters.

The state affairs were still controlled by Deng Sui and Gu Xi.

Although the ministers had strong opinions about this, with Gu Xi’s warning, these people did not harbor any ulterior motives.

At the very least, they suppressed their emotions.

Everyone was hoping that the new Emperor’s ascension would cause these natural disasters to pass.

—But in the first month of the first year of Yongchu.

The ground collapsed in Yingchuan Commandery;

There were countless casualties.

In the third month.

First there were celestial anomalies, then a great wind in the capital of Luoyang, blowing away the roof tiles.

In the sixth month.

The ground collapsed in Hedong, and black water surged from underground;

In the tenth month.

In Xincheng, Yuzhou, mountain waters erupted violently, suddenly destroying the people’s fields, and spring water emerged from the damaged areas, three zhang deep.

Earthquakes and constant heavy rains triggered flash floods and wind disasters.

Disasters occurred continuously in various places, affecting all parts of the Great Han, and the hearts of the people were in turmoil.

Diviners gathered everywhere, rumors spread incessantly, and even the theories of the former Modern Text school were mentioned one by one again.

This was actually inevitable.

Superstitions regarding omens had already been popular in the world for many years, while Gu Kang’s theories had only been proposed for a short time.

Under the current circumstances.

Even Gu Xi, the Grand Tutor and Regent, gradually became the subject of criticism.

Having no other choice, Empress Dowager Deng finally issued an edict of self-reproach.

Stating that "the governance has lost its center, causing disasters to descend repeatedly," and granted a general amnesty to the world.

This was indeed a good tactic.

The imperial court certainly had many ways to maintain the hearts of the people so they would not collapse.

After all, the current Great Han had just experienced four generations of wise emperors.

But to completely settle the hearts of the people under these circumstances, how could these things alone be enough?

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest fear is the unknown.

Only by using the same unknown means can one truly settle the hearts of the people.

Changle Palace.

When Empress Dowager Deng Sui heard Gu Xi say he would personally go to the Luo River to lead the disaster victims in offering sacrifices to Gu Kang, she was stunned.

Immediately after, she shook her head repeatedly without hesitation, her gaze fixed tightly on Gu Xi as she said urgently:

"Absolutely not!"

"The great plague is currently raging."

"How can the Grand Tutor personally go to the Luo River to offer sacrifices with the disaster victims?"

"If the Grand Tutor were to be affected, not to mention that I would have no face to see Emperor Xiaohe, the very foundation of our Great Han would surely be shaken!"

Deng Sui's attitude was extremely firm.

She was a very intelligent woman by nature, and naturally, she knew how important Gu Xi was to the Great Han today.

If an accident were to truly befall Gu Xi, the Great Han would surely fall into complete chaos.

Even if it were not enough to threaten the state.

It would still be destined to cause the hearts of the people to scatter.

Gu Xi was not surprised by Deng Sui's reaction.

He did not say any superfluous words; he merely cupped his hands toward Deng Sui and said, "Empress Dowager."

"I have already settled everything regarding the disaster relief."

"The granaries in all regions have been arranged properly, but the disaster relief officials still require the Empress Dowager's supervision."

"I have perused the classics left behind by my grandfather and realized that the land in the south of the Yangtze is fertile but remains uncultivated; we can relocate the disaster victims to the south of the Yangtze to help them settle down."

"If this matter can be accomplished."

"The pressure on each province will be reduced by quite a lot."

"There is also the matter of granting land to the people and exempting the disaster-stricken areas from taxes."

"The foundation left behind by the successive emperors of our Great Han still remains; although we have suffered consecutive natural disasters, it is not enough to completely shake the foundation of our Great Han."

"I have already prepared everything."

"It is only the unsettled hearts of the people that truly make me uneasy."

"Since I am the Regent Grand Tutor."

"No matter what, I must go there personally."

Gu Xi's expression was exceptionally serious.

Deng Sui was silent for a moment.

She naturally understood the significance of Gu Xi's last two sentences.

If Gu Xi did this, the effect would certainly be far better than if she, a woman, were to do it.

Because Gu Xi's surname is Gu!

In the world today, Gu Kang has already become a saint in the hearts of the people.

Who does not know that the good days they had were brought by Gu Kang?

Nowadays, people everywhere offer sacrifices to the heavens, and that includes Gu Kang.

And Gu Xi is Gu Kang's grandson.

Going there at this time would definitely have an effect far exceeding hers.

Thinking of this, Deng Sui felt a sense of helplessness and sighed softly, saying: "Since the Grand Tutor's mind is made up, I will not stop you."

"But no matter what."

"Please take care of your health, Grand Tutor."

Gu Xi nodded, then immediately cupped his hands toward Deng Sui: "In that case, I will say no more."

"The Empress Dowager need not worry."

"I absolutely cannot watch the prosperous age of our Great Han be ruined in my hands."

"If not."

"After I die, I would have no face to see Emperor Xiaohe, nor would I have any face to see the ancestors of our Gu family."

"Please take good care of the imperial court, and the Emperor!"

There are always things that are higher than life.

For Gu Xi, the reputation of his family's ancestors and the world of the Great Han were just that.

Having said this, Gu Xi no longer hesitated, turned around, and walked straight out.

When the news that Gu Xi was to personally go to the Luo River to offer sacrifices spread through the court and the public, the entire nation was shaken!

The Luo River was already known as the Divine River.

There were countless legends about it among the common people.

Under the current circumstances of constant natural disasters, there were countless people offering sacrifices by the Luo River almost every day.

How many of them were plague victims, no one could know.

Hearing that Gu Xi was actually going to the Luo River in person, many people immediately came to dissuade him.

But Gu Xi's attitude remained as firm as ever.

After realizing that dissuasion was useless, some ministers were willing to go with Gu Xi, and even suggested that the Emperor should lead all the officials to go together to show sincerity.

But Gu Xi refused them all without exception.

Does a crowd show sincerity?

Are the blood and tears of the people not enough?

Gu Xi was deeply influenced by Gu Kang's principle of "respecting ghosts and gods but keeping them at a distance."

After the experiences of the past two years, he was even more disdainful of so-called prophecy and superstition.

He was not doing this to pray for the heavens to stop sending disasters.

Gu Xi only wanted to act as a glimmer of light that breaks through the haze.

To let the hearts of the people of the world settle down!

After arranging everything, Gu Xi left Luoyang directly.

Sure enough, when the people heard that Gu Xi, the current Grand Tutor and grandson of Gu Kang, was going to personally lead the people in offering sacrifices at the Luo River, the masses were in a fervor!

Gu Xi set up an altar by the side of the Luo River.

He led the disaster victims in holding an exceptionally grand sacrificial ceremony.

Countless refugees followed.

The sounds of wailing echoed through the heavens and earth.

Countless people vented the emotions in their hearts during this grand ceremony.

Gu Yi had been silently watching all of this, and his mood was somewhat heavy.

The natural disasters of the Great Han were the same as in the original history; nothing had changed.

No, the casualties were even greater.

This was perhaps the law of cause and effect.

The appearance of Gu Kang allowed the national strength of the Great Han to reach a peak that was difficult to achieve in the original history.

In terms of population, it far exceeded the original history.

With the growth of the population, this sudden natural disaster would naturally cause greater casualties.

Gu Yi could not change all of this either.

If he could draw another god-level item like the Celestial Phenomenon Card that could affect the entire world, perhaps he could change all of this.

But to say that Gu Yi would go all-in with all his achievement points during this period, how could that be possible?

Never mind whether he could draw such an item.

Looking at it from the perspective of the original history.

The beginning of the natural disasters in the Eastern Han period was a clear dividing line for the entire Eastern Han.

The day of great chaos was not far off.

He had to make full preparations to help the entire family survive the future day of great chaos.

Things did not exceed Gu Xi's expectations.

As the news of the sacrifice gradually spread to all directions, the unsettled hearts of the people actually began to improve.

The fear of the unknown needs to be solved with the same unknown.

The power of faith can sometimes play an unimaginable role.

And that was the case now.

The imperial court had never given up on disaster relief.

The anxiety in the hearts of the people of the world all stemmed from the fear of the unknown.

As long as the people's emotions in this regard could be resolved, it would be enough to soothe the hearts of the masses.

This matter even affected the imperial court.

When it was confirmed that Gu Xi was truly not ill, even the haze over the imperial court seemed to have dissipated a little.

The disaster had clearly not ended, but it no longer felt as oppressive as before.

Gu Xi returned to the imperial court, coordinating the situation from all sides and handling the disaster relief efforts.

The foundation of the Great Han was indeed solid enough.

Even when facing such a natural disaster, as long as it is coordinated properly, it is fundamentally insufficient to affect the foundation of the state.

Especially now that the hearts of the people are at ease.

Gu Xi can devote greater energy to it.

For a time, the haze covering the Great Han seemed to have dissipated somewhat.

But as if it were truly a targeting by the heavens, the tribulations of the Great Han were far from over.

———In the third year of Yongchu, a great famine occurred in Bingzhou and Liangzhou, and people resorted to cannibalism;

The water in the salt lake of Hedong turned red.

Once this matter emerged, the granaries across the Great Han finally felt the pressure.

Gu Xi had no choice but to make adjustments and plan the disaster relief in greater detail.

But this was not yet the end.

The Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Wanshi Shizhudi believed that the Han people had all died due to the natural disaster and decided to take the opportunity to send troops to attack the Han.

The Wuhuan led by the tribal king Wuhe, the Xianbei leader Qiulun, and others joined forces with the Southern Xiongnu Gudu Marquis to mobilize troops.

The Han troops in Wuyuan Commandery were soundly defeated, and the Administrator died in battle.

The internal troubles of the Great Han were not yet settled, and external threats arose once again.

(PS: Requesting next month's monthly tickets; I hope you brothers will support me a lot~ I will definitely have a massive update when it goes live.)

(End of this chapter)