Chapter 60: The Situation Stagnates, Gu Xi Sends Out Troops

This sudden turmoil can be said to have completely shattered the concepts that the people of the world had grown accustomed to.

It made everyone realize one thing.

—The heavenly troops of the Great Han are not invincible in this world.

This caused a tremendous shock to the hearts of the people.

However, the imperial court's measures were still effective; lifting the restrictions on the partisans did indeed stabilize the emotions of many to a certain extent.

Next, it would depend on how the war progressed.

Huangfu Song was indeed a fierce general.

He was, after all, a descendant of a military family.

Most importantly, he had once followed Gu Xi to suppress rebellions and had learned quite a lot from that experience.

Facing the situation where the Yellow Turban Army was composed mostly of displaced refugees and commoners, he quickly formulated a detailed operational strategy.

—To stabilize the commoners by winning their hearts first.

In this feudal era, the thoughts of the commoners are actually the simplest; they just want to survive.

Unless they are driven to a desperate situation and feel no hope, no one will rebel.

Gu Xi understood this point very well, which is why, when providing disaster relief in the past, he tried his best to let the commoners feel hope for the future.

Huangfu Song was now using this as a foundation.

First, he tried his best to stabilize the commoners who had not yet rebelled, severely punished corrupt officials, provided relief to the restless refugees, and publicized these actions widely.

This did indeed have a certain impact on the morale of the Yellow Turban Army.

But the shortcoming was that the imperial court had not employed Gu Xi.

Human nature has always been this way.

The commoners' expectations for Gu Xi had lasted for too long—so long that it had spanned several generations.

This expectation did not dissipate with the passage of time.

On the contrary, it became increasingly intense.

Even in the current situation, the fact that the imperial court still had not employed Gu Xi had already left these people deeply disappointed.

This matter could by no means be easily resolved by relying solely on some minor, trivial measures.

These people were already completely disappointed in the imperial court.

—Only a truly great battle could completely turn the tide.

But the morale of the Yellow Turban Army had now reached an unprecedented height.

Successively capturing prefectures and commanderies gave them great confidence.

Looking at the Han Army, however, their morale was somewhat waning.

Although the Han Army's weapons and equipment were indeed superior, these could not compensate for the gap in morale.

And most importantly, the Yellow Turban Army consisted mostly of displaced refugees and commoners who had nowhere else to turn, and they harbored deep resentment toward the Great Han imperial court.

Under these various factors, the Great Han imperial court's first battle against the Yellow Turban Army, just as in original history, ended in defeat for the Han.

Although it was not a total collapse like a falling mountain.

It was still a massive blow to morale.

But Liu Hong's policy of abolishing the inspectorate and establishing regional governors did indeed block the path of the Yellow Turban Army, causing their pace to slow down completely.

Under these circumstances, both sides fell into an inexplicable tug-of-war, with each side winning and losing in various prefectures and commanderies.

But this situation, where the rebels could not be directly pacified, was destined to cause restlessness in the hearts of the people.

And as time dragged on, this situation would only become more severe.

This might be the change that occurred because of the Gu family.

Zhang Jiao's overall strength was indeed much stronger compared to original history.

Regarding the judgment of human hearts, including the command of troops.

His current abilities were far superior to those in original history.

Under these circumstances, seeing that the imperial court truly could not directly wipe out the Yellow Turbans.

The gloom within Luoyangcheng also grew thicker.

Finally, after nearly five months, Liu Hong finally lowered his noble head and personally sent someone to the Champion Marquis's Mansion to invite Gu Xi to leave the mansion.

Luoyang.

The atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Gu Xi slowly lifted the curtain of the carriage, his gaze like a deep, cold pool, quietly staring at the scene within the imperial palace.

The imperial palace before his eyes was no longer what it used to be; the changes were so great that even this old man, who had once been extremely familiar with this place, felt like a stranger.

This was the place where he had once poured out his heart and blood to assist the emperor.

Now, however, it witnessed the decay and decline of the dynasty.

At this time, inside the Beigong.

Liu Hong's mood was terrible.

If there had been any other way, he would not have wanted to summon Gu Xi under any circumstances.

Because Gu Xi's status was simply too special.

Let alone the eunuchs he had cultivated, even he, the Emperor, did not dare to do anything to Gu Xi.

Any action taken would likely cause the whole world to rebel.

For an emperor like him who wanted to exercise absolute power, this was an extremely unacceptable reality.

But now he had to bow his head.

Liu Hong was not a fool; he knew very well that if the current situation continued, the Great Han would truly be in danger of falling.

No matter what, he could not be the emperor who lost the country; this was Liu Hong's bottom line.

Beside him, a group of Regular Palace Attendants were all bowing their heads, their faces full of worry.

They did not even dare to face Gu Xi.

But Liu Hong insisted on having them stay there.

Liu Hong had already made up his mind: if Gu Xi were to get angry, he would use these eunuchs as scapegoats to preserve his own dignity as the Emperor.

On the opposite side of the eunuchs stood the current Grand General, He Jin.

Although he was forcing himself to maintain his expression, one could still see the tension in his eyes.

This was the Grand Tutor!

He Jin had always wanted to get the entire He family into the circle of the clans.

After all, the status of imperial in-laws was only temporary.

If he could enter the clan circle, the benefits to the entire He family would be immeasurable.

And the Gu family was the pinnacle among the clans; their influence and status made He Jin both awe-struck and yearning.

How could he not be nervous?

The atmosphere in the entire hall appeared exceptionally strange in this subtle state.

Before long, a steady and powerful sound of footsteps approached.

Everyone followed the sound, only to see the white-haired Gu Xi walking in slowly with firm steps.

"Grand Tutor!"

Liu Hong's reaction was extremely swift; before Gu Xi could speak, he instantly stood up from his seat.

His face was filled with smiles as he hurried forward, carefully supporting Gu Xi with both hands, and said with a tone of concern,

"It has been a long time since I last saw the Grand Tutor; seeing you in good health now,"

"My heart can finally be at ease."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Gu Xi's expression was calm, his tone as flat as water, as he allowed Liu Hong to help him to a chair that had been prepared on the side.

As for the others, they had long since lowered their heads, not daring to look at Gu Xi.

Especially those eunuchs, whose bodies had even started to tremble.

There was no help for it; Gu Xi's deterrent power was too strong.

They were afraid that Gu Xi would target them directly.

But Gu Xi did not even glance at them, as if he had ignored them entirely; as soon as he sat down, he looked at Liu Hong and asked, "Your Majesty has specially summoned this old subject today; I wonder for what matter?"

"I have heard..."

Liu Hong sat back on the dragon throne, his expression feigning seriousness, putting on a majestic front, and said with feigned gravity: "This leader of the rebels, Zhang Jiao, once studied medicine at the Gu family's private school?"

He still had some imperial airs.

He wanted to use this point to push the matter onto Gu Xi, making Gu Xi voluntarily offer to lead the expedition.

But Gu Xi was not flustered at all and directly nodded: "That is indeed true."

"However, that was an old matter from many years ago."

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of reminiscence appearing on his face, "Looking back to those years, Emperor Xiaoshun also studied under this old subject."

Gu Xi sighed, tilted his head slightly, and a hint of emotion appeared in his eyes, "Emperor Xiaoshun was a wise ruler, yet this Zhang Jiao has become a rebel."

"Thinking about it, in the end, it is still a matter of different hearts."

Liu Hong's little tricks were like child's play before Gu Xi, not worth mentioning.

Gu Xi's words were telling him: the grandfather you acknowledge also studied at the Gu family!

Stop talking this nonsense.

In fact, for Gu Xi, he was not someone who cared about face.

If it were Liu Hu or even Liu Bao from back then, he might have taken the initiative to grant the Emperor this favor.

But Liu Hong would not do.

Sure enough, after Liu Hong heard these words from Gu Xi, the expression on his face instantly stiffened.

Anger flashed through his eyes immediately.

This was why he was unwilling to use the Gu clan; the influence of the Gu clan was truly too great.

But he naturally would not lose his temper with Gu Xi.

He was not stupid to that extent.

He hurriedly suppressed the anger in his heart, sighed softly, and said, "The Grand Tutor's words are absolutely correct."

"I suppose that Zhang Jiao is a person born to rebel."

He quickly changed the subject and said solemnly, "Grand Tutor, our Great Han's heavenly troops are currently in a standoff with the rebel army across various provinces."

"Although there have been repeated victories."

"Yet we cannot wipe out the rebels in one stroke."

"The ministers have submitted memorials several times, stating that you should be sent to lead the troops."

"I originally considered that the Grand Tutor is advanced in years, but now that the rebel army is persistent, I must ask: can the Grand Tutor set out on an expedition?"

Liu Hong's expression grew increasingly serious as he stared fixedly at Gu Xi.

Upon hearing this, although there was no expression on Gu Xi's face, his heart was somewhat complicated.

Only when external forces reach this point.

Can they force the imperial court to bow its head.

If he were to carry out his inner strategy in the future, the resistance would likely far exceed what it is now.

He sighed lightly, slowly stood up, and said in a steady and firm voice, "This old subject once accepted the commission of the Emperor Xiaohe."

"Now that the country is in distress, I should naturally set out on an expedition."

From beginning to end, Gu Xi's expression was like a calm lake, without a single ripple.

But his words were like a heavy hammer, echoing within the palace hall.

This was the difference between others and Gu Xi!

At this moment, looking at Gu Xi's full head of white hair and the wrinkles on his face.

A complex emotion suddenly surged in his heart.

He finally understood somewhat why Gu Xi could reach this day and possess a reputation that had even surpassed the imperial family.

This was a person who dared to act at any moment, even to the point of being unhesitating even if he were to die.

"Good!" Liu Hong nodded heavily, the expression on his face also complex and difficult to discern.

He waved his hand and took the military tally from the hands of Jian Shuo, who was standing to the side.

Then, he personally stood up, walked to Gu Xi, handed the military tally to Gu Xi with both hands solemnly, and said in a low and powerful voice:

"The Grand Tutor may take full responsibility for this rebellion suppression."

"The fate of the Great Han can only be entrusted to the Grand Tutor; I hope the Grand Tutor..."

What he wanted to say was, "I hope the Grand Tutor will not fail the Great Han."

But looking at Gu Xi's full head of white hair, he suddenly remembered Gu Xi's experiences over these past few decades.

When had Gu Xi ever failed the Great Han?

For a moment, he was actually at a loss for words; his throat felt as if it were choked by something, and he could not get the sentence out.

Gu Xi's expression remained calm as water, without the slightest fluctuation.

As if he had not heard it at all.

He simply took the military tally, bowed to Liu Hong, and then turned and walked toward the outside of the hall.

Watching Gu Xi's departing back, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

The air was filled with an indescribable atmosphere—there was awe, worry, and also a trace of helplessness.

Gu Xi's attitude toward Liu Hong could certainly not be called warm.

Aside from the basic etiquette of a subject, he had not shown any other emotions from beginning to end.

If it were in the past, Liu Hong would definitely have been enraged.

He would have angrily rebuked these scholars for bullying him too much, and so on.

But at this very moment, he simply could not say anything.

Having served as regent for decades, he had never made a major mistake.

And having experienced these things within these two reigns, it was only natural to have resentment in his heart.

If there were no resentment at all, Liu Hong would probably be thinking even more.

But to say that this could make Liu Hong change his views and reuse Gu Xi from now on.

That was clearly still impossible.

For him, the situation he most hoped to see was for Gu Xi to successfully suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion this time, but at the same time, die on the battlefield.

In this way, it would resolve the current crisis.

And it would not affect his political balance—killing two birds with one stone.

The news that Gu Xi was once again taking command spread like a tidal wave throughout the entire Luoyangcheng.

In an instant, sounds of cheering erupted in all four corners of Luoyang.

This news was like a blinding beam of light, dispersing the gloom that had covered people's hearts for decades.

The residence of the Marquis of Feiting.

Cao Cao rushed out of the residence with hurried steps, heading straight for the Yuan residence.

Just as he walked into the residence, he saw Yuan Shao, who was just planning to go out.

"Meng De!"

Yuan Shao seemed to have intended to look for Cao Cao and the others; upon seeing Cao Cao, his face immediately revealed a high-spirited look, and he said with some pride, "How about it?"

"I knew that the imperial court would definitely use the Grand Tutor to wipe out the rebels!"

"My uncle has already permitted our Yuan clan's descendants to follow the Grand Tutor to wipe out the rebels; this time, we will definitely achieve merit!"

His face was brimming with an excited smile, and his eyes revealed an impatient longing.

Who could not see that the imperial court would use the Grand Tutor?

Cao Cao secretly grumbled in his heart, but his face still showed a look of admiration, and he said with a smile, "Brother Benchu truly has eyes like torches!"

"My father is also preparing to let me go and follow the Grand Tutor on the expedition."

"Why don't you and I, brothers, go together?"

Yuan Shao's eyes lit up upon hearing Cao Cao's words, and he laughed heartily, "Good! Good! Good!"

"This time, the Grand Tutor is personally leading the troops."

"You and I, brothers, will definitely achieve immortal merit!"

Both of them were currently in their teens, an age of high spirits and boiling blood.

Full of expectations for the future.

Just then, a cold snort sounded inopportunely.

"Meng De."

"With the Grand Tutor personally leading the troops, how could you think he would take you, the descendant of a eunuch, on the expedition?"

Cao Cao's expression instantly stiffened; he hurriedly looked toward the sound and saw Yuan Shu walking over slowly.

His face was full of arrogance.

"Brother Gonglu."

Cao Cao quickly suppressed the anger in his eyes, squeezed a smile onto his face, bowed, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Although my grandfather was a eunuch, he was not a person who brought chaos to the world."

"Even the Grand Tutor once praised my grandfather in the past."

"Brother Gonglu, could it be that you are doubting the Grand Tutor's judgment?"

Upon hearing this, anger flashed in Yuan Shu's eyes, but he did not respond, merely snorting coldly.

At the same time, this scene was happening simultaneously all over Luoyang.

Regarding the matter of Gu Xi taking command again.

All the major clans expressed the same attitude: they wanted to send their own descendants to achieve merit.

No one was worried about the war anymore.

Since the Jingping period, Gu Xi had already become the number one commander of the Great Han recognized by everyone.

He had never had a single defeat in any expedition.

With such a good opportunity, how could they not let their family descendants go along?

This was the suppression of a rebellion!

In such a large rebellion, as long as one could achieve merit, the growth in reputation would be unimaginable.

Perhaps it was truly because Gu Xi was too long-lived that, to this day, no one would think about whether Gu Xi might die on the battlefield.

Even Gu Xi himself intended to bring Gu clan descendants on this expedition.

The sixth generation of the Gu clan had already grown up one after another.

Actually, the one with the best martial prowess was naturally Gu Tao, who was in a league of his own.

However, besides Gu Tao, the Gu clan still had some people with decent martial prowess, with attributes reaching around 60 points.

For these martial-inclined descendants, the battlefield was the best way to improve.

Clearly, Gu Xi also intended to use this opportunity to let the Gu Shizi accumulate prestige!

The news continued to spread.

In an instant, the entire land of the Great Han was in an uproar.

Although Gu Xi had not yet left the capital.

The morale between the Han Army and the Yellow Turban Army suddenly shifted.

PS: Begging for monthly tickets~

(End of this chapter)