Chapter 57

This was destined to be an event that would affect the entire Han Dynasty.

Gu Xi's prestige had far surpassed that of Emperor Liu Hong.

Liu Hong was bound to be outmatched by Liu Zhi.

Under Gu Xi's influence, Liu Zhi, in the early years of his ascension, repeatedly extended benevolence to the people.

But Liu Hong was different.

The people's first impression of Liu Hong was that he did not rely on Gu Xi.

And the subsequent Han Dynasty continued to deteriorate further, how could such an emperor possibly compare to Gu Xi?

Everyone was awaiting Gu Xi's mobilization, hoping their own clans' youths could gain prestige from it.

And Gu Xi did not refuse this matter.

But contrary to everyone's expectations, just before mobilizing, Gu Xi suddenly submitted a memorial on a certain issue.

He intended to use the pretext of "crushing rebels" to overhaul the Han Dynasty's core institutions!

——Land and the Recommendation System!

Gu Xi planned to establish, under the banner of "crushing rebels," a special examination allowing humble families to qualify for recommendation as Filial and Incorrupt by either "participating in suppressing rebels" or "donating a thousand shi of grain."

He also intended to requisition nearly thirty percent of the lands owned by powerful clans as "Public Lands for Pacification."

These lands would be reintegrated into public ownership to support military garrisons through military farming, for the purpose of suppressing rebellion.

Under normal circumstances, this move would clearly be impossible to succeed.

Because both measures struck at the very foundation of the powerful clans.

Gu Xi clearly understood this.

So he labeled all these arrangements as "wartime measures," intending to retreat in order to advance.

This was undoubtedly a monumental change.

Gu Xi had fully perceived the core issue of the Han Dynasty's current situation.

Clan consolidation of land and the myriad problems in resource allocation had created the hidden currents of today's crisis.

Factional strife began, leading to corrupt governance, bringing the issue fully to the surface and precipitating the present situation.

For Gu Xi,

even if he quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, what then?

With the empire's situation at this point, if the core issue was not utterly resolved,

another great upheaval would inevitably follow the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

He intended to seize this opportunity to resolve the Han Dynasty's fundamental problems and swiftly stabilize the situation after quelling the rebellion.

This instantly stirred a colossal uproar in the imperial court!

No one had anticipated Gu Xi would act this way—even his own clan's allies began to hesitate.

But Gu Xi's brilliance lay in seizing an exceptionally timely key point.

That was the current overwhelming strength of the Yellow Turbans!

The people's resentment had already doomed them to plundering as they stormed through prefectures and commanderies.

The great clans remained silent on this matter.

Yet even so, the matter had not yet been settled.

This veneer merely plunged the issue into debate, preventing it from being outright suppressed, while figures from all sides voiced their opinions.

The matter had thus become deadlocked under these conditions.

Yet Gu Xi was not in a hurry; he seemed resolute, determined to see this through.

The atmosphere in Luoyang had once again grown strangely tense under these circumstances.

But the situation across the provinces would not pause because of it.

News of Gu Xi commanding troops had spread like wildfire throughout the realm.

His prestige was too high!

Even before setting out, it was enough to profoundly impact overall morale.

Yellow Turban forces across the land were immediately greatly affected.

Of course, Zhang Jue would not remain indifferent to this situation.

He seemed to have anticipated this, and had already prepared his response.

Zhang Jue had indeed grown far stronger.

Now, on the Jizhou battlefield, he had not suffered the steady retreats he had in the original history—he held the advantage.

Of course, this was not because Lu Zhi had grown weaker.

It was because Zhang Jue had grown stronger.

He perfectly leveraged the Yellow Turbans' roots in Jizhou, mobilizing the populace to gather intelligence for him.

Simultaneously, he exploited his intimate knowledge of Jizhou's terrain to launch ambushes.

He also constantly dispatched small units for harassment.

Under these combined measures, he had tormented Lu Zhi beyond endurance.

Keeping the entire Han army perpetually exhausted.

The impact on combat effectiveness was immense.

He had clearly been waiting for this day; upon hearing battle reports from across the realm, he immediately held a grander sacrificial ceremony in Ye City.

Night.

Dark clouds obscured the heavens; starlight vanished entirely.

Thousands of torches were piled within Ye City.

The towering flames seemed ready to pierce the darkness and illuminate the entire sky.

Countless believers wearing yellow headbands gathered here, their eyes filled with fanaticism, and toward the altar at the center of the fire, every gaze burned with the same fervor.

"The hour has come~" — a shrill cry shattered the night.

Instantly, the crowd parted to form a passage.

Zhang Jiao, clad in a yellow Daoist robe, held the nine-jointed staff and stepped forward with steady strides, emerging slowly from within.

His expression was solemn, as if fused with heaven and earth; beneath the glow of the flames, he radiated awe-inspiring authority.

Before the gaze of all, Zhang Jiao ascended the altar.

In an instant, the world seemed to freeze; everyone held their breath, watching him in silence.

The atmosphere grew even more frenzied; the believers' bodies began to tremble slightly, revealing just how deeply they anticipated what was to come.

Zhang Jiao paid no heed to the crowd; he focused entirely on performing the ritual.

He took out a bundle of talismans and, under the eyes of all, burned them to ash, then placed the ashes into clear water.

"The holy water is prepared!" His voice was low and powerful, as if charged with magic. "The Yellow Heaven shall protect us — invulnerable to blades and spears!"

As his words fell, a deafening roar of cheers erupted instantly.

Standing atop the altar, Zhang Jiao scanned the crowd, opened his arms slightly, and proclaimed loudly: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

"Today we crush the bandits, and build our Yellow Heaven!!"

Shouts of defiance rose in unison!

The very next day, Zhang Jiao launched a sudden attack on Lu Zhi.

The entire Yellow Turban army surged like a beast poised to strike, unstoppable.

The frenzied assault caught Lu Zhi utterly off guard.

—The situation shifted instantly!

On the battlefield, the clamor of combat shook the heavens and earth.

The clashing of swords and spears mingled with the cries of the wounded, deafening in their intensity.

Dressed in battle armor, Lu Zhi stood at the front of the formation, watching the horrific scene before him, his expression turning Serious.

"They've gone mad — all of them!" he muttered to himself. "Are they trying to wear down my army?"

He simply could not understand.

The news that Gu Xi was in command should have filled the Yellow Turbans with fear — why then were they now so frenzied?

But the current situation left him no time for further thought.

Lu Zhi swiftly made his decision; he knew he could no longer hold ground, so he ordered a retreat, awaiting reinforcements from Gu Xi.

Yet Zhang Jiao, having long prepared for this, would never let Lu Zhi withdraw so easily.

He personally led the pursuit.

He drove Lu Zhi to the brink of annihilation multiple times.

Fortunately, the Yellow Turbans' overall combat strength was weak, and their discipline was inherently poor — this allowed Lu Zhi to seize an opening and escape.

But it came at a terrible cost.

Most critically — Handan had fallen!

The loss of Ye City and Handan had utterly severed the imperial court's control over the entire Jizhou.

Most critically, if Zhang Jiao had merely been bolder, and employed the Dragon-Slaying Strategy.

He could have marched directly into Heyang.

And thereby threatened Luoyang itself!

The situation shifted again!

The previous crisis was no longer sufficient to describe the current state.

This sudden turn now directly threatened Luoyang — the Han Dynasty stood on the brink of collapse!

Zhang Jiao's battle had utterly ignited the Yellow Turbans' madness; everyone seemed to see the moment when they would storm into Luoyang.

Under these conditions, it seemed every soul sensed the fatal danger.

Finally, it was decided!

Gu Yi had been quietly observing all of this.

The current trajectory of events had far surpassed the original history.

Zhang Jiao was too strong.

Though he had never followed Gu Xi, he had learned far too much from the Gu family's private academy and the many rumors surrounding Gu Xi.

He was far more skilled at mythologizing himself to boost morale.

And in commanding the overall battlefield, he far exceeded his historical counterpart.

This was indeed a major variable!

Yet Gu Yi still believed the Yellow Turban Rebellion could not destroy the Han.

The key factor Zhang Jiao could not resolve was this:

The Yellow Turbans lacked elite talent.

Whether due to the religious nature of the Way of Peace or their core demands, they stood in fundamental conflict with the aristocratic clans who controlled elite talent in this era.

This was an unsolvable problem.

As long as this problem remained, the Yellow Turban uprising was doomed to its inevitable outcome.

What truly concerned Gu Yi was Gu Xi's actions.

Clearly, his gaze extended far beyond merely quelling the rebellion — he sought to use this opportunity to completely reallocate all of the Han's power, and restore the dynasty to vitality.

What great changes this would trigger, Gu Yi did not yet know.

But clearly

The coming history would undergo a completely different transformation!

——The second month of Jianning Sixth Year.

Gu Xi left Luoyang again.

On the day of departure, the entire city erupted.

Whether due to the extreme tension of the empire's situation or because their own descendants were among the troops,

the great clans Highly Valued this matter and had long spread word of it, employing every means to stir up momentum.

And Liu Hong seemed at last to remember his duty as Emperor.

He personally saw off Gu Xi beyond the city gates, before all of Luoyang, presenting the image of a wise monarch and virtuous minister.

He once again entrusted the entire Han's burden upon Gu Xi's shoulders.

This scene indeed deceived many.

Compared to the common folk across the four quarters, the people of Luoyang, due to Gu Xi's presence in the capital, suffered the least harm.

For the people of Luoyang,

the conflict between eunuchs and scholars did not directly affect their lives.

This was the imperial capital, and Gu Xi was still in Jingcheng.

How would any official dare commit violence within Luoyang?

People have always been this way.

Until they truly feel despair, they are easily deceived by appearances.

At least, Liu Hong's actions now had deceived many, reigniting in their hearts the feeling that the Han would surely turn from peril to safety.

Gu Xi showed no change in expression.

He merely performed the customary rites of subject to sovereign, then immediately led his men away without a trace of hesitation.

The current situation: the Yellow Turbans spread across every province.

Gu Xi would not personally rush to every region—his sole target was clear.

—That was Zhang Jiao in Hebei.

Yet he would not allow other provincial generals to act independently; he dispatched members of the Zidi Sect to every region, using his name to rally Han army morale.

And in his capacity as Grand Tutor, he issued the "Memorial Against the Yellow Turbans" throughout the empire!

He had long analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the Yellow Turbans.

Morale was an extremely critical factor for the Yellow Turban forces.

He allowed the great clans to insert their descendants into their ranks precisely for this reason.

The united propaganda of the great clans had an effect far exceeding that of any single man—this was Gu Xi's first strike against the Yellow Turbans on the level of public sentiment.

As for the second strike, it was naturally to restrain the killing instincts of the generals tasked with suppressing the rebels.

—He ordered: no killing of surrendering troops.

He proclaimed throughout the empire: all who surrendered would be pardoned.

And those who contributed would be granted land and exempted from taxes for two years.

As for those who resisted stubbornly, they would be killed, and their families would be punished by collective liability and sent to the frontier to reclaim farmland.

This was the killing blow.

Morale, after all, rises with the first drumbeat, declines with the second, and is exhausted by the third.

Zhang Jiao's great victory had indeed raised the morale of Yellow Turban forces across the land, but how could he possibly rival Gu Xi's prestige?

This was prestige cultivated over generations by the Gu clan's descendants, finally concentrated upon Gu Xi alone!

Such prestige could reverse the tide of battle!

Now he had fully opened this breach, striking at the very root to shatter the Yellow Turbans' fighting spirit.

Indeed, when this news spread,

Yellow Turban forces across the provinces were shaken.

In provinces where the tide favored the Han, the damage to morale was minor and insufficient to alter the battlefield.

But in every province already declining, it was as if a crack had been torn open.

—The situation shifted instantly!

Though Gu Xi had not yet reached the battlefield, these strategies targeting public sentiment had already struck the Yellow Turbans.

He had clearly planned everything in advance.

He then dispatched envoys to all directions.

In Yuzhou, he abandoned efforts to rescue the beleaguered Huangfu Song.

Adopting the strategy of "Besieging Wei to Rescue Zhao," he ordered Gu Tao and Cao Cao to lead light cavalry straight toward Yangdi, the Yellow Turbans' critical supply hub, forcing Bo Cai to contract his defenses.

Thus relieving Huangfu Song's peril.

Along the way, he spread rumors that imperial troops had captured the Yellow Turban stronghold of Wancheng.

Stirring further unrest in public sentiment.

Simultaneously, arrangements were made across every province.

He had already planned everything: sending forces to strike the Yellow Turbans' weakest points, severing all links between them.

Leveraging his overwhelming prestige,

he continuously compressed the Yellow Turbans' space for survival, on both battlefield and public sentiment.

Though he had not personally set foot on any provincial battlefield, he already possessed the power to command from the tent and decide victory a thousand li away.

This series of measures swiftly stabilized the crumbling situation and secured the trembling Han dynasty.

And he himself headed straight for Henei to replace Lu Zhi and face Zhang Jue directly.

Henei Commandery.

When Gu Xi arrived here, it was like a beam of light, finally giving the demoralized Han army a slight boost.

"This guilty minister bows before the Grand Tutor," Lu Zhi said, his condition clearly poor.

Zhang Jue's arrangements in Jizhou had left him suffering a crushing defeat.

Such a disastrous loss—if the Yellow Turbans truly carried out their dragon-slaying act—he would truly become a traitor to Han.

This was hard for Lu Zhi to accept.

"Zigan, no need for such formality," Gu Xi waved his hand, his expression calm. "Zhang Jue holds great prestige in Jizhou; you truly could not match him. This is not your fault."

Lu Zhi still bowed his head, unwilling to rise.

At that moment, a boy behind him with an unusual appearance quickly stood and helped him up.

The boy had thick earlobes and long arms.

In this era, possessing traits unlike ordinary people was often seen as a sign of distinction.

"Who are you?" Gu Xi regarded the boy with interest and asked.

The boy, surprised by Gu Xi's sudden question, paused, then quickly bowed and replied: "Grand Tutor, this humble one is Liu Bei, styled Xuande."

"Descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan."

"Disciple of Master Lu."

Lu Zhi quickly added, pointing to several men in the tent: "Grand Tutor, these are all my students."

"They all harbor loyalty to the state, and came to assist me."

Gu Xi nodded slightly, glanced at the boys in the tent, then fixed his gaze again on the composed and calm Liu Bei, murmuring: "Indeed, there is something extraordinary about him."

These words instantly froze the atmosphere in the tent.

No one had expected Gu Xi to comment on Lu Zhi's disciples.

With Gu Xi's status, a single remark from him could make a man famous across the land and greatly aid his future career.

Liu Bei was overwhelmed with joy, his face filled with disbelief, and he quickly bowed to thank him.

But Gu Xi simply waved his hand.

Gu Xi waved his hand—he had spoken casually. Though Liu Bei was indeed extraordinary, he was not yet worthy of Gu Xi's special attention.

Then he began arranging the next strategy.

Gu Xi seemed to have already planned everything, and now began detailing the next strategy.

Although Zhang Jue's tactics had indeed surprised him.

But for Gu Xi,

the Yellow Turbans were not a threat until they resolved their fundamental internal problems.

His mastery over human hearts far surpassed anyone else's.

Zhang Jue's methods, he had already used himself during the famine relief.

He swiftly made a series of arrangements.

First, he ordered word spread across Jizhou that he had arrived.

Zhang Jue's prestige in Jizhou was indeed unmatched by others!

But how could it compare to Gu Xi's?

Who was Gu Xi?

——A Gu Clan scion!

The Gu Clan had cultivated influence in northern lands for so many years—not in vain.

Especially during Gu Kang's generation.

If today's empire had any commandery where sacrifices to Gu Kang were most solemn, it was unquestionably Jizhou!

Gu Kang truly elevated Jizhou to another level.

Whether fertile fields or water control, all began in Jizhou.

Gu Xi had long been regarded as Gu Kang's earthly incarnation.

Such prestige could not be entirely surpassed by Zhang Jue's decade-plus of efforts.

This move instantly affected the Yellow Turbans' morale.

Even Zhang Jue could not fully counter it.

Then, Gu Xi performed a sacrifice, leading the three armies to honor the Han emperors past and Gu Kang, and publicly denouncing the Yellow Turbans' crimes!

This move utterly revitalized the Han army's spirit!

Simultaneously, Gu Xi also created artificial divine omens, once again striking at the Yellow Turbans' morale at its root.

Then, Gu Xi assembled the three armies.

——Return to Jizhou.

He intended to project an extremely proactive aura.

On the level of momentum, he would push back Zhang Jue's momentum!

Gu Xi's reputation was simply too prominent.

The Way of Great Peace, as a religious organization, had greatly enhanced its spread.

But it also made its followers believe even more deeply in omens and superstitions!

As for omens and superstitions, Zhang Jue had already raised himself high.

But how could he compare to the Gu Clan?

Since Gu Kang's time, legends had clung to the Gu Clan.

Moreover, Gu Xi later defeated natural disasters and never suffered a single defeat in his life.

His legends far surpassed those of Zhang Jue, greatly affecting the morale of the entire Yellow Turban Army.

Most crucially, Gu Xi had already opened a breach.

As long as those who surrendered were not only pardoned of their crimes,

they also had the chance to receive land.

But anyone who resisted to the end not only risked his own life, but also endangered his family to collective punishment.

Under all these factors, how could the Yellow Turban Army possibly maintain its morale?

Zhang Jue's advantage over Lu Zhi.

Now it had vanished completely.

And under these circumstances, the Yellow Turban Army, despite having greater numbers, truly began to decline.

First, soldiers from Linzhang County defected one after another.

Gu Xi seized the opportunity and sent troops to directly capture Linzhang, crossing the Zhanghe River on the twentieth day of the third month to take Chizhang County and Ye County.

He completely severed the connection between Ye City and Handan.

During this time, Zhang Jue would not stand idly by.

He successively dispatched troops.

But without his personal leadership, none of these Yellow Turban forces could stand against Gu Xi's personally commanded army—they invariably suffered internal unrest, which then disrupted the entire battlefield.

They simply could not hold back Gu Xi.

This was the downside of the reversal in reputation!

Facing others,

Zhang Jue's followers were fervently devoted to Zhang Jue.

But now, facing Gu Xi, they could no longer achieve absolute fervor.

——People are ultimately influenced by their environment.

When Zhang Jue's reputation could no longer overshadow Gu Xi's, this backlash became especially pronounced.

(End of Chapter)