Chapter 50: The Wall-Breaking Card, Great Chaos Is Coming

——Yanxi Year 5.

As Liu Zhi grew older, Gu Xi gradually withdrew from court affairs.

He began letting Emperor Liu Zhi handle all state matters himself.

Just as Liu Bao had once done.

Once Liu Zhi's power had fully matured, he would remove all restraints.

The ministers naturally were not surprised by this, yet they still deeply admired Gu Xi.

The word "retreat."

For those in high positions, it has always been difficult to achieve.

But what of Gu Xi?

Since the time of Emperor Xiaohe, he had held regency, with countless opportunities to seize absolute power.

Even to become another Wang Mang in bygone days.

It was not impossible!

For all under heaven were grateful for Gu Xi's benevolence.

Yet this very man, faced again and again with opportunities handed to him, deliberately turned them away.

How could others not revere him?

Liu Zhi, too, felt profound melancholy over this.

Yet he understood that Gu Xi's age had finally grown great.

Gu Xi was now nearly seventy—in this era, living to such an age was already extraordinary.

Not to mention that Gu Xi had continually managed court affairs, pouring in immeasurable effort.

Liu Zhi bestowed many honors upon Gu Xi.

And to prevent any accident, he forbade Gu Xi from leaving the capital, insisting he reside within the Hou Fu.

The ministers all agreed.

In truth, Gu Xi had never expected to live this long.

Even the fifth generation of the Gu clan already had members who had passed away.

In the court, over these five years, Cao Teng, Li Gu, and others had also successively passed away.

Their ages were far younger than his.

Yet only he remained alive, with no illness afflicting his body.

This matter had long drawn the attention of many.

At court, it was still manageable.

But among the people, the rumors spread wildly.

When Gu Xi once distributed relief during famines, some had already called him a celestial immortal sent to save the realm.

Now, this rumor had become common knowledge.

Passed down through generations, it had become deeply believed by all commoners under heaven.

After all, it had been handed down since their fathers' and even grandfathers' generations.

And Gu Xi's lifespan truly surpassed all imagination.

This undeniably strengthened the rumor's credibility, causing a great uproar throughout the land.

Gu Xi, however, paid no heed to any of this.

After leaving court, he once again began educating his descendants.

Yes, Gu Xi had summoned the sixth generation of the Gu clan to Luoyang and begun personally instructing them.

He was precisely this kind of man.

Since entering court at age eleven, his entire life had been devoted to Han and his clan.

How could he possibly rest?

Of course, Gu Xi had his own intentions in doing this.

He had sensed that the sixth generation of the Gu clan possessed greater talent than the fifth.

Especially Gu Wei.

He held great expectations for Gu Wei.

He believed Gu Wei could bear the future of the Gu clan.

He sought to use his own prestige to secure his descendants' future.

In truth, his intuition was correct.

Compared to the fifth generation of the Gu clan, the sixth generation's overall talent was indeed higher.

Aside from Gu Wei.

Two other Gu clan youths had attributes exceeding 70.

One was named Gu Tao; his other attributes were average, but his martial attribute reached 73, just like Gu Xiao in his youth.

The other was named Gu Ze; his internal administration attribute reached 75.

With proper cultivation, he might one day become a provincial governor.

Yet the child who drew Gu Yi's greatest attention was named "Gu Chen."

He was the youngest son of Gu Xi's eldest son.

He had just been born.

Gu Yi paid attention to him not because his attributes were high, but precisely the opposite.

This child's attribute values were extremely low.

Almost every attribute was hovering around the teens or twenties.

In short, this was a low-intelligence child.

This sort of situation was quite common in the present era.

The reason Gu Yi was paying attention to him was naturally very simple — he had used a Wall-Breaking Card on this child.

The Wall-Breaking Card's attributes were quite the gamble.

Its requirements were extremely stringent.

First, the target had to be a newborn, and the factors affecting attribute changes were so broad that one could not deliberately cultivate for them.

If Gu Yi were to use it on someone with decent attributes,

he absolutely could not bear to part with it.

Any mishap that occurred could potentially cause that person's attributes to drop.

As for those with ordinary attributes,

then there was even less need.

This was a Profound-grade item on the same tier as the Longevity Card, and its effects clearly stated it could completely break through the upper and lower limits.

There was essentially no difference between an ordinary-attribute person and this kind of low-intelligence child.

For Gu Yi, the clan's talent was what mattered most.

Even an ordinary-attribute person could potentially bring him achievement points.

But Gu Chen was different.

His attribute points had already destined him to become a burden on the clan.

Using this item on him

could not only potentially solve his attribute problem, but also let Gu Yi observe the item's judgment criteria.

If he truly could observe it,

then in the future, if he drew this item again, there might really be a chance to forge a terrifyingly-attribute existence.

For Gu Yi, this truly was a rare opportunity.

Liu Zhi himself was an extremely intelligent man.

Although Gu Xi had been somewhat hasty over the years, as time went on, he too had learned many things.

Gu Xi's departure did not cause any upheaval in the court.

Liu Zhi could truly be said to have grown into full plumage.

He now harbored soaring ambitions, hoping to continue the prosperous era of Liu Bao's reign.

Gu Xi had just left the court,

and he promptly issued a series of policies.

First and foremost, naturally it was still the usual set of winning the people's hearts, and he also continued Liu Bao's era's supervision of officials.

These were indeed good measures.

The prosperous age of the Great Han encountered no upheavals.

But as time gradually passed, Liu Zhi began to detect a problem.

Why were the ministers under him talking so much?

— Yanxi sixth year.

North Palace.

Liu Zhi had just stepped through the palace gate when he furiously burst out cursing: "They're bullying this Emperor too far!"

"These people actually dare to talk back to this Emperor in court!"

"Who gave them the dog's courage?"

"Do they still take this Emperor for the little boy of days past?"

"Who do they think they are?"

"Are they Grand Tutors?"

Liu Zhi was panting in great gulps, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Today's grand court assembly.

He had intended in court to do some renovations to the imperial palace.

But precisely because of this matter, it drew opposition from the entire court of ministers, who even publicly lectured this Son of Heaven.

How could Liu Zhi possibly not be furious?

He was the Son of Heaven!

Did he not even have the authority to repair the palace?

The more Liu Zhi thought about it, the angrier he got; veins were even popping out all over his face.

Absolutely cannot let this stand!

He was now a true, real-power Emperor.

Gu Xi's existence had already let him completely bypass the period of being immediately controlled by Liang Na and Liang Ji.

Which Emperor could endure such an insult?

That's right, for Liu Zhi, this was an insult!

The realm was so peaceful.

What was wrong with him doing some repairs to the palace?

Did they insist he had to be as frugal as the successive forefathers of Great Han?

Liu Zhi angrily slammed the desk before him and roared loudly: "Issue the order at once!"

"I will repair the Imperial Palace."

"Anyone who submits a petition opposing this shall be immediately dismissed from office!"

"I will make it known to all under heaven that not just anyone can be Grand Tutor!"

He must assert his authority.

He must make it known to all that he is no longer a child, and no one may teach him as they please!

The matter spread instantly through the court.

Without any surprise, Liu Zhi's demand met with outright opposition from the ministers.

But this only further enraged Liu Zhi!

The ministers had clearly stopped treating him as Emperor.

If this were Gu Xi's doing, such opposition might never have arisen.

Immediately, Liu Zhi issued an edict dismissing thirteen officials.

Though these men were not high-ranking officials.

But it clearly signaled his stance.

He was the Emperor!

But what Liu Zhi did not anticipate was that this move did not instill fear in the ministers—it sparked even greater turmoil!

These thirteen officials were not only widely praised by the scholar-officials.

At the same time, students from the Imperial Academy openly criticized the court and him, the Emperor!

A powerful wave of public opinion surged directly toward him.

It seemed everyone was forcing him to bow his head!

This time, Liu Zhi was utterly furious!

The court ministers and scholar-officials had finally pushed him into rage—he promoted his eunuchs, ordered the arrest of nearly a hundred scholar-officials, and dismissed nearly twenty ministers from court.

In an instant, the entire court and realm were shaken!

Gu Yi also noticed all that had happened, and his heart sank sharply.

Indeed, his suspicions were correct!

A great conflict was inevitable between the court ministers and scholar-officials and an emperor like Liu Zhi.

In truth, this conflict was bound to happen.

In the original history, power during the middle to late Eastern Han was divided among the maternal relatives, the eunuchs, and the scholar-officials.

Emperors often relied on eunuchs to counter the maternal relatives and the scholar-officials.

In truth, the essence of the Party Purges was the Emperor using eunuchs to suppress the scholar-officials and strengthen autocratic rule.

Now, the presence of the Gu family had severely weakened the Han's maternal relatives and eunuchs.

This was indeed beneficial.

Far fewer corrupt eunuchs meddling in governance and harming the people had greatly surpassed the Han's strength in the original history.

But this also inevitably brought drawbacks: the rapid expansion of scholar-official power.

Struggle would never cease.

In the original history, the struggle was between scholar-officials and eunuchs.

Now it had evolved into direct conflict between scholar-officials and imperial authority.

Imperial authority was bound to require autocracy.

Gu Xi had already transcended the bounds of a minister—he had rendered Great Merit to the entire state and bore the label of never rebelling.

Only such a man could make an Emperor willingly share power.

But how could anyone else?

This was bound to cause immense conflict.

Gu Yi did not know whether Gu Xi's existence would balance the conflict between the two sides.

But such conflict was clearly not easily resolved—it was the inevitable result of the Han's institutional structure.

Suddenly, Gu Yi remembered the hidden undercurrents beneath the Han's golden age, and his pupils shrank sharply.

The question that had long puzzled him now seemed to have found its answer.

Guan Jun Hou Fu.

Such a major event naturally drew people to seek out Gu Xi.

At first, Gu Xi had not cared—Liu Zhi had only recently seized power; asserting his imperial dignity was natural.

Even Liu Bao had done such things in the past.

Using reform as a vehicle, he had fully displayed his imperial majesty.

But he had never anticipated that the matter would escalate to this extent in so short a time.

The entire court and realm were shaken!

This upheaval had even surpassed the uproar caused when Liang Ji murdered the Crown Prince!

Gu Xi was now seventy years old.

But the Longevity Card still kept his mind perfectly sharp.

He quickly saw the implications, and his expression darkened instantly.

Gu Xi's role came into play at this moment.

He first summoned the ministers.

He rebuked them: How dare they be so bold!

Before Gu Xi, the ministers had not a trace of defiance.

Some scholars and officials cautiously voiced their reasons, saying the Emperor could not indulge in such extravagance and the like.

These words sent Gu Xi into a thunderous rage.

Gu Xi did not know how long it had been since he had been so angry.

The ministers naturally dared not speak further, and afterward Gu Xi went to see Liu Zhi.

Beigong.

If Liu Zhi's life were divided into two phases, he was clearly still in his enlightened period.

Liu Zhi had originally been full of anger.

But upon hearing that Gu Xi had come, his expression softened slightly.

He even stood up immediately to stop Gu Xi from bowing.

"Your Majesty," Gu Xi sighed softly.

Liu Zhi's gaze sharpened slightly, and he sighed gently: "Grand Tutor, you've come to advise me, haven't you?"

Gu Xi nodded, earnestly saying: "Your Majesty, this matter must not be allowed to escalate further."

"I have just met with the ministers and counseled them; they will naturally come to apologize to Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhi fell silent.

He seemed to be considering.

Only after a long while did he slowly nod and say coolly: "Very well. Since the Grand Tutor has spoken, I shall let it drop."

"But—only this once."

His expression was utterly serious, his gaze even sharper.

Gu Xi immediately bowed deeply to Liu Zhi with solemn respect: "Your Majesty is wise!"

He did not mention Liu Zhi's promotion of eunuchs; the actions of the ministers and scholars were bound to bring about balance.

Liu Zhi was promoting eunuchs.

He clearly understood this as well.

Watching all this, Gu Yi could not help but shake his head.

Could Gu Xi balance everything?

Clearly not.

The Han Dynasty revered Confucianism; even Gu Kang's scholarship stemmed from it, and the Confucian ideal of "the world as public" stood in structural conflict with imperial power.

Even if Gu Xi could suppress it for a time, he could never suppress it forever.

Liu Zhi had already begun promoting eunuchs to balance power.

The wheels of fate had turned once more.

If this incident stirred up the hidden currents beneath the Han's apparent prosperity, the once-glorious Han would surely collapse in ruin.

"If this truly happens… this unrest may far exceed the original history."

Gu Yi murmured to himself, and even he could not help but feel tense.

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(End of Chapter)