Chapter 49: Mount Tai Imperial Sacrifices, Sovereign and Minister Reflecting Each Other

Gu Xi was right; the pace of the Great Han would not stop because of anyone’s departure.

But ever since he left the imperial court.

The entire court still felt as if it had lost its soul, and the atmosphere was always inexplicably heavy.

Liu Bao had truly grown up.

Although he was very sad, as an Emperor, he still took on the responsibilities of an Emperor.

Just a few days after Gu Xi left Luoyang.

He announced a change of the era name to "Yangjia."

Indicating to the world—

A new era for the Great Han had thoroughly arrived.

Julu.

On Gu Xi’s return journey, whenever he arrived at a city, the commoners and officials would spontaneously come to see him off.

But if one were to ask where the commoners were the happiest.

It was naturally Jizhou.

The prestige of the Gu Shizi throughout Jizhou far exceeded what others imagined.

During those years of continuous natural disasters.

The entire Jizhou was the region that suffered the most severely, and the efforts the Gu Shizi exerted during that time saved countless lives.

Especially the commoners of Julu.

This was also related to the consistent policies of the Gu Shizi.

When the fields produced nothing, the Gu Shizi would often provide relief to the commoners, purchase their land, or even lend grain seeds to them.

And over these years.

The Gu Shizi had never stopped bestowing grace upon the people in the land of Julu.

This kind of influence was unimaginable.

When the commoners of Julu heard that Gu Xi had returned to Julu, they came one after another to welcome him.

Gu Xi’s expression at this moment was also exceptionally complex.

He had read through the classics that Gu Kang had left behind, which naturally included the family history.

Suddenly, he remembered the words Gu Kang had spoken before he passed away.

Julu is a place where the heart finds peace.

If it were in the past, Gu Xi would absolutely not have had the state of mind to grasp the deep meaning of this sentence.

But now, he truly understood the meaning within it.

From the moment he stepped into Julu.

The restlessness in his heart instantly calmed down.

Court struggles;

The state of the imperial court;

The situation of the world.

All these problems that had accompanied him for decades actually faded away in his heart, and he felt completely relaxed.

This was destined to be a major event that would shake all of Jizhou.

Officials from various places, as well as powerful clans.

Almost all of them came to pay their respects to Gu Xi.

Gu Xi did not put on any airs and received them personally.

He seemed to have changed completely.

He no longer possessed the sharp, overbearing edge he had in the imperial court.

Yet, every gesture he made could still bring great pressure to everyone.

This was Gu Xi’s status in the entire world.

Even though he had now left the imperial court, no one dared to underestimate Gu Xi at all.

This grand social scene lasted for several days.

And subsequently, Gu Xi did not exceed Gu Yi’s expectations.

He truly calmed his mind.

And began to ponder the policies proposed by Zuo Xiong.

This was destined to be a slow process.

Gu Xi’s level was not as high as Gu Kang’s; he could only think about it bit by bit.

Based on his experience in governing the world over these years.

He carefully considered the various problems within them.

—The first year of Yangjia, spring.

Liu Bao, just as in the original history, instated Liang Na as Empress.

But the difference was that he implemented a system like the one during the time of Liu Zhuang, with no intention of rewarding the relatives of the Empress at all.

He only occasionally discussed state affairs with Liang Na.

And it was precisely after this matter.

The new system was launched once again.

Gu Xi’s departure from the court indeed caused Liu Bao to undergo a great transformation.

His reliance was gone.

Liu Bao had to face all problems personally.

But perhaps so as not to disappoint Gu Xi, Liu Bao’s performance exceeded everyone’s expectations.

He was too diligent.

He was truly just like the Emperor Xiaoming and Emperor Xiaohe when they were alive.

And it was precisely because of this.

The new policies of the entire Great Han dynasty spread to all four corners like a tide.

Any reform at any time is destined to cause a comprehensive earthquake.

But Liu Bao had clearly made full preparations long ago.

He issued edicts to the world.

Anyone who dared to disobey the laws would be severely punished.

However, this matter was destined to have trouble.

Even when Liu Xiu was conducting land surveys back then, there were all sorts of troubles, let alone Liu Bao?

This kind of thing is destined to see blood!

And the most critical point was that as Gu Xi had been away from Luoyang for longer and longer.

This sharp blade that had always hung over the heads of the officials gradually dissipated.

The minds of the officials naturally became active again.

Immediately, some people submitted a joint petition, speaking of the evils of the new policies and the restlessness of the people, wanting to ask Liu Bao to withdraw the edict.

But Liu Bao’s method of handling it truly shocked everyone.

This was actually just a test by the officials.

But Liu Bao seemed to know that this precedent must never be set, and he either dismissed or demoted all the officials who opposed the matter.

Once this happened, the world was shaken!

The Emperor’s thunderous methods exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Only until this moment did the officials in various places fully react.

Liu Bao had been learning how to govern the world by Gu Xi’s side since he was a child!

They might not understand others.

But could they not be clear about what kind of person Gu Xi was?

From then on, the ministers trembled.

The new policies no longer faced any obstruction.

—The second year of Yangjia.

Liu Bao once again initiated a series of personnel transfers.

He first dismissed all the officials who were dishonest in the selection process, and subsequently promoted other officials.

And he sent his wet nurse, Song E, out of the imperial palace.

Once again showing the ministers his determination to suppress the relatives of the Empress.

Furthermore, he once again reorganized the eunuchs within the palace.

The imperial court was solemn!

And Liu Bao announced the expansion of the Imperial Academy!

He truly seemed to have inherited all of Gu Xi’s strengths, taking the lead in steering the entire Great Han toward prosperity.

—The second year of Yangjia, an earthquake occurred in Longxi, and there were also minor disasters in various parts of the world.

People’s hearts were slightly agitated.

Nowadays, there are still many commoners in the world who survived the continuous natural disasters of the past.

People were naturally very sensitive regarding the matter of natural disasters.

Upon learning of this, Liu Bao immediately led the hundred officials in person to the banks of the Luo River to emulate the sacrifices of Gu Xi, and announced a general amnesty across the realm, granting noble ranks to the common people.

He also bestowed upon every citizen over the age of eighty one hu of rice, twenty jin of meat, and five dou of wine.

For those over ninety, he added a gift of two bolts of silk and three jin of cotton wadding.

This caused the virtue of respecting the elderly to flourish once again throughout the realm.

The hearts of the people were instantly calmed.

There was not a single person in the realm who did not feel deep gratitude.

Furthermore, Liu Bao emulated the actions of Liu Zhuang from years past by cutting palace expenditures and cancelling all useless tributes sent from various regions.

Only a small portion was retained.

And these items were sent directly to Julu as gifts for Gu Xi.

Indeed, Liu Bao’s letters and gifts had never ceased over these years.

They were almost all local specialties and treasures offered up from various regions.

These things might not be worth mentioning in the modern era.

But in this current age, this was an immense favor!

Moreover, Liu Bao increased the number of Imperial Physicians and sent them to Julu to look after Gu Xi’s health, his attitude being extremely resolute.

This change was obvious.

Gu Xi’s governance of the world could indeed create a golden age.

But the feeling of a world governed by a regent minister versus one governed by the Emperor himself was completely different.

This was the distinct nature of the feudal era!

The actions of the Emperor.

Were capable of influencing the thoughts of many people!

Auspicious omens appeared continuously in various regions.

It seemed as if the peak of the Great Han from years past had truly returned, and some ministers had even proposed that Liu Bao go to Taishan to perform the Fengshan sacrifice.

But Liu Bao suppressed this matter.

— The third year of Yangjia.

A portion of the Northern Xiongnu who had migrated back attacked the Kingdom of Jushi; Gu Han, who was stationed in Yiwu, joined forces with the Administrator of Dunhuang, Pei Cen, to lead an army in relief, crushing the enemy.

Furthermore, the natural disasters ceased once again.

Under these circumstances, the assembled ministers once again submitted a petition to Liu Bao to perform the Fengshan sacrifice at Taishan.

And this time.

Someone even brought up a reason that Liu Bao could not refuse.

"In the past, the Guangwu Emperor was unable to go to Taishan for the Fengshan sacrifice together with the Loyal Martial Marquis Gu Xiao; this was one regret."

"The Xiaoming Emperor was unable to go to Taishan for the Fengshan sacrifice together with the Wencheng Marquis; this was the second regret."

"Now that the realm shows signs of a golden age, with auspicious omens appearing everywhere, and given that the Grand Tutor is advanced in years, with the Grand Tutor’s contributions to the Great Han, would it not be a third regret if this Fengshan sacrifice did not take place?"

This time, Liu Bao agreed.

Gu Yi had been paying close attention to the development of the entire Great Han.

The Great Han of today was already vastly different from the original history, and was stronger by more than just a little.

The appearance of Gu Xi had resolved some of the problems in Liu Bao’s character.

This had brought about the current situation.

But to say this was truly a restoration was still falling far too short.

Because they had both failed to resolve the most critical problem.

— Land annexation.

In truth, this could not be blamed on Liu Bao and Gu Xi.

That initial series of continuous natural disasters, combined with the core system of the Eastern Han, destined the current situation to form.

If Gu Kang were still alive.

He might have been able to see the hidden dangers within this.

After all, his attributes in the politics of governance had truly reached the extreme.

But Gu Xi was different.

He was indeed a well-rounded warrior, and in every aspect, he could be considered a dragon among men.

But in terms of individual specialization, he naturally could not compare to someone like Gu Kang.

Even the Gu family already possessed so much land, which was enough to sense the reason behind this.

This was a product of the era.

And most crucially.

Under Gu Xi’s years of governance, the problem of land annexation in the Great Han had not triggered conflicts as sharp as those in the original history.

This core problem was masked beneath the facade of this golden age.

Gu Yi did not know if this would trigger greater conflicts in the future.

But clearly, this problem was like a bomb that could detonate at any time; if that day truly arrived, the resulting upheaval might far exceed that of the original history.

The news was quickly sent to Julu.

Gu Xi had also not expected that such a thing would happen.

In fact, if it were any other matter, Gu Xi would absolutely not have had any hesitation and would certainly have refused.

Since he had already decided to leave the imperial court.

Then he would not participate in it; otherwise, it would have been better not to retire at all.

But a matter like the Fengshan sacrifice was different.

This was Gu Kang’s greatest regret back in the day.

Liu Zhuang had personally said he would go to Taishan for the Fengshan sacrifice with him, but unfortunately, he passed away that very year.

Although Liu Da later went to Taishan for the Fengshan sacrifice.

And even intended to take Gu Liang along.

But Gu Liang knew his own merits were insufficient, so he refused the matter.

This was one of the regrets of the Gu family!

Gu Xi did not put on airs and immediately agreed to the matter.

After several years had passed.

The two, ruler and subject, met once again.

Liu Bao personally led the assembled officials to welcome Gu Xi outside Luoyangcheng.

This was an immense honor.

Gu Xi still had hair as white as snow, but his entire state showed no sign of aging, and he remained as awe-inspiring as ever.

This was the terrifying effect of the Longevity Card.

Gu Xi was only fifty-four years old now and was nowhere near the point of dying of old age.

And Liu Bao was now at an age full of vigor.

Furthermore, due to his governance over these past few years, he had become increasingly majestic.

Stepping down from the carriage.

Gu Xi immediately prepared to pay his respects to Liu Bao.

But Liu Bao disregarded protocol, stepped forward quickly, and directly stopped Gu Xi, saying sternly: "To me, the Grand Tutor is like a teacher and a father; how could you pay respects to me?"

As he spoke, he did not care what Gu Xi thought.

He immediately bowed toward Gu Xi.

And at this moment, the hundred officials before the city gate also bowed to Gu Xi one after another.

This was destined to be a grand event.

Liu Bao was truly happy; when facing Gu Xi, he had none of the sharpness from his days of governing, his face full of smiles, just like in the past.

Although he had returned to Luoyang.

This time, Gu Xi still had no intention of touching upon political affairs, signaling his stance to the people of the world.

Having retired, he would not return.

— The fourth year of Yangjia, spring.

Liu Bao led the assembled officials to Taishan in person.

This was destined to be a grand occasion that would capture the attention of the world.

Since the Fengshan sacrifice of Liu Da in the past, how many years had it been since the Son of Heaven had performed the Fengshan sacrifice?

Continuous natural disasters, troubles on the borders.

Everything that had happened over these years had slowly pulled the Great Han, which had been at its peak, down from its pedestal.

And now, the Great Han had returned!

At the foot of Taishan.

Liu Bao set up an altar to perform sacrifices and conducted various rituals; most importantly, he had Gu Xi’s name engraved on the jade tablet recording meritorious deeds, and announced a change of the era name to "Yonghe".

Hoping that the Great Han would be forever peaceful and harmonious.

Afterward, he personally led Gu Xi to ascend the altar.

He ordered the painter to create the portrait.

He seemed to know the tradition of the Gu Shizi, so he stamped the painting with the imperial seal and finally bestowed it upon Gu Xi.

This made Gu Yi quite happy.

These are all foundations!

As long as there is enough foundation, any single piece that can be passed down is a treasure sufficient to shock the world!

This grand ceremony came to an end.

Gu Xi did not choose to return to Luoyang, but instead intended to go directly back to Hebei.

At the time of parting.

Liu Bao still seemed to have the intention of having Gu Xi return to Luoyang.

But as of today, he had also gradually come to understand the difficulty of Gu Xi's situation.

The height of his prestige far exceeded that of a normal subject.

As long as he remained in the imperial court, he would inevitably affect the authority of the Emperor.

This was a problem with absolutely no solution.

Whether for him as the Emperor or for the Gu Shizi, Gu Xi's retirement was the best choice.

Moreover, for him, looking at Gu Xi's head full of white hair.

How could he bear to be selfish and keep Gu Xi?

The two, monarch and subject, parted ways once again.

Although the scene this time was not as grand as it had been back then, the impact it brought to the world was just as significant.

Ascending the altar during the Fengshan sacrifice.

And leaving a name on the jade tablets.

Can this still be viewed as a subject?

It can be said that this behavior of Liu Bao completely shared the credit for the current prosperous age with Gu Xi.

But who could say anything against it?

In such a prosperous age today, who could say it is completely unrelated to Gu Xi?

This is the honor that the Gu Shizi deserves.

—————————

"In the first month of spring in the fourth year of Yangjia, the Emperor toured Taishan and performed the Fengshan rites.

"At this time, the world was peaceful and content, the yin and yang were in harmony, and reports of auspicious omens from the provinces and commanderies arrived daily: a white qilin appeared in Henei, sweet dew emerged in Donglai, and the plants on the sunny side of Taishan all bloomed with brilliant colors.

The Grand Historian reported: 'This is because the virtuous rule of the Holy Lord covers the four seas, and Heaven has sent down signs of prosperity.'

On the day of Xinmao in the third month, the Emperor ascended the Taishan altar, burned wood and buried jade to report the success to Heaven, then sealed the jade tablets with golden cords and silver locks, carving the merits and achievements upon them, specifically recording the name of Gu Xi.

When the rites were completed, the Emperor held Gu Xi's hand and they ascended the altar steps together, then he ordered a painter to depict the scene of the monarch and subject sharing the rites; the brushwork was exquisite and the ink marvelous, with the spirit and appearance looking as if alive.

He then took the Imperial Heirloom Seal and personally stamped it on the side, bestowing it upon Gu Xi, saying: 'I and you together bear the mandate of Heaven; this trace shall be passed down for a hundred generations.'

None of the assembled officials were without tears of emotion.

On that day, the mountains were solemn and the clouds formed patterns of silk; all who watched sighed: 'The greatness of this harmony between monarch and subject, even the governance of Zhou and Zhao, cannot surpass it!'"

—— "Book of the Later Han, Annals of Emperor Shun"

(End of this chapter)