Chapter 80: Gu Chen Enters Luoyang, Unyielding in His Noble Aspiration

The situation changed completely.

The news of Yuan Shao's defeat and death in Bohai spread like a tidal wave across the four corners of the land.

In an instant, the entire realm was in uproar.

Henan.

Although the warfare in Jizhou had been fierce, the battlefield that now concerned everyone in the world was still Henan.

——This was the very foundation of Han!

And among them was Gu Chen, the most brilliant among all current Gu clan descendants.

Gu Chen had now successively captured several cities.

But compared to previous campaigns, this offensive had not been particularly smooth.

This was not because Gu Chen's strength had weakened.

It was simply because the great families of the capital region had reached their brink and were forced to expend all their power.

So many top clans joining forces.

Added to that, Yuan Shu had also committed all his strength—naturally, this affected Gu Chen's offensive.

But as the news from Jizhou arrived,

the stalemate finally shifted.

——First, the Grand Tutor Yuan Kui, upon hearing the news in court, spat blood and died in his mansion that very night.

And with his sudden death,

Yuan clan control over the capital region instantly weakened.

Even Yuan Shu's troops stationed in the capital could not prevent the turmoil in men's hearts.

Compared to Yuan Shao,

Yuan Shu, though also a regional lord with considerable strength,

was destined by his nature to inspire no absolute trust from the great families.

Human hearts are fickle—

these profit-seeking clans had already begun to develop rifts due to self-interest; under these circumstances, their thoughts inevitably stirred again.

Of course, they would never bow to Gu Chen.

Even if Gu Chen promised not to trouble them, they would not fully trust him.

And under these circumstances,

someone finally turned their gaze toward Cao Cao.

Cao Cao was no longer the lord everyone had ignored.

Although he had jointly campaigned against Yuan Shao with Liu Bei, perhaps because the main battle had taken place in Yanzhou,

his title as Governor of Yanzhou carried even greater weight.

Most crucially, Cao Cao had personally destroyed Yuan Shao.

And compared to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, Cao Cao's current strength was unquestionably the greatest among all regional lords—this truly gave these clans a sense of security.

Immediately, many went to meet Cao Cao.

As for the methods used, it was naturally the old tricks of the great families.

——Bribery!

But compared to before,

this time, perhaps due to the severity of the situation, they offered even greater sacrifices.

Among them, the Xun clan of Yingchuan even mentioned two names:

Liu Bian and Liu Xie.

This was an immense temptation.

Clearly, they intended to completely abandon Liu Dai, this so-called Son of Heaven.

Gu Chen cared nothing for the intrigues within Luoyang.

He would not miss this opportunity of shifting loyalties—he launched a full-scale assault on Henan.

These clans guessed correctly.

He was destined not to let them go.

Gu Chen was a man who dared poison Empress Dowager He; those so-called unwritten rules, those so-called conventions, meant nothing to him.

——The eighth year of Han's Revival, fourth month.

Gu Chen led his troops to successively capture Yewang and Zhixian.

His army advanced directly toward Huaixian and Mengjin Pass.

Luoyang hung by a thread.

At the same time, Cao Cao had fully stabilized the entire provinces of Jizhou and Youzhou.

His mastery of people's hearts was far superior to Yuan Shao's.

First, he executed all loyalists of Yuan Shao, demonstrating his power.

Then, after sacrificing to the Gu clan,

Cao Cao opened the granaries to distribute grain and implemented the tuntian system on a large scale across Jizhou, showcasing his benevolence.

Even toward those former clans who had aided Yuan Shao, he showed leniency.

Those who had once been loyal to Yuan Shao,

as long as they had talent, he appointed them to important posts.

Through these measures, Jizhou experienced absolutely no unrest.

As for Youzhou, Cao Cao was the same.

The difference was that he had sent men to garrison the border, and his stance toward the Wuhuan and Xianbei was utterly resolute.

Regarding the fighting in Henei, Cao Cao had never, from beginning to end, shown any particular stance.

He had even suppressed the desire of the soldiers under his command to request battle in Yuzhou.

With single-minded focus, he was stabilizing the hearts of the people in the three provinces of Ji, You, and Yan.

This was where Cao Cao's wisdom lay.

His ambitions had long since ceased to be what they once were — that of being a mere General Who Conquers the West of the Han.

And it was precisely under such circumstances.

The envoys sent by the noble clans arrived one after another in Jizhou and met with Cao Cao.

Within Yecheng.

Hearing the conditions the envoy laid out, Cao Cao froze for a moment, and the look in his eyes instantly grew complicated.

Liu Bian and Liu Xie?

He of course understood exactly what those two represented.

The rumors that Liu Dai did not possess the Mandate of Heaven had never ceased, whereas Liu Bian and Liu Xie were the sons of Emperor Ling.

So long as he could obtain these two.

In an instant, he could re-establish a court of the Han.

And given his current strength, once the court was re-established, he would be more than enough to become a figure like Gu Xi of old.

One man holding the power of the realm!

This was absolutely a tempting condition — any lord under heaven would likely agree to it on the spot.

But Cao Cao did not agree to it outright.

This was not because he feared Gu Chen.

He was simply waiting;

He needed to make all these great clans bleed.

To ensure that he could control every one of them.

At the same time, he also wanted to use this opportunity to wear down the strength of both Gu Chen and Yuan Shu.

This was a pure open scheme.

Using the tide of the times to make every choice advantageous to oneself.

Of course, Cao Cao was also very clear.

Doing so was bound to create enmity with Gu Chen.

But what of it?

Once a man's inner ambition has gradually swelled, to try and rein it in again would be nothing but a fool's dream.

Having come this far.

He had clearly already become the foremost lord under heaven.

To say that Cao Cao still only wished to be a mere General Who Conquers the West — how could that possibly be?

A capable minister in an age of order, a bold hero in an age of chaos.

— That was spoken of none other than him, Cao Cao!

Of course, as far as Cao Cao was concerned, if Gu Chen could support him.

He too could help Gu Chen slaughter these noble clans.

But before that, no matter what, he had to ensure Gu Chen's strength was somewhat weakened!

The great battle in Henei raged on.

Even under normal circumstances, these noble clans and Yuan Shu could only barely hold back Gu Chen's advance — let alone now, when the people's hearts were in disarray.

— The eighth year of Hanxing, the sixth month.

Gu Chen utterly broke through Henei's central army at Huaixian, slaying several of Yuan Shu's great generals — Zhang Xun, Le Jiu, and others.

Cities such as Xiuwu and Wuzhi surrendered one after another at the mere whisper of his approach.

The entire Henei commandery was completely lost.

Sun Ce fled toward Jiangdong, and all of Yuan Shu's forces retreated back into Yuzhou.

And afterward, after a brief period of rest and reorganization, Gu Chen led his troops to Mengjin, a mere stone's throw from Luoyang.

Everyone was utterly in despair.

Under such circumstances, those great clans had no choice but to bow their heads once more.

Willing to give up all the privileges Liu Dai had granted them.

Even willing to follow Cao Cao's word and migrate with their entire clans to Yanzhou.

This was absolutely a tremendous concession.

The greatest strength of these clans lay in their many years of accumulated roots.

Migrating to Yanzhou.

Was bound to cause a drastic decline in their strength.

But what else could they do?

Once Gu Chen broke into Luoyang, the only thing awaiting them was a dead end.

Rely on Yuan Shu?

Even Yuan Shao had been defeated by Cao Cao — how much longer could Yuan Shu hold out?

Would Gu Chen spare the Yuan clan?

Or does Cao Cao intend to sit idly while Yuan Shu continues to tyrannize the Yu-Yang region, constantly threatening his Yanzhou?

As for other warlords,

Not to mention distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

Aside from Cao Cao, the only other figure currently worthy of their attention is Liu Bei.

But Liu Bei's own situation is far from good.

Lu Bu launched a surprise attack on Qingzhou, capturing several cities in succession.

Had Liu Bei not acted decisively,

the entire Qingzhou might already have fallen into Lu Bu's hands.

For these aristocratic clans, the only one who can now save their lives is Cao Cao!

And Cao Cao too felt the moment had arrived.

He specially sent messengers to invite Gu Chen to meet him.

But Gu Chen outright refused.

As for the reason, it was equally simple.

That was because Cao Cao was excessively suspicious.

Gu Chen was not unfamiliar with Cao Cao; back in Luoyang, both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, as well as Cao Cao, had all interacted with the Gu clan's younger generation.

Gu Wei had always possessed some talent for judging character, and Cao Cao's nature had long since been revealed to him.

He would never allow Gu Chen to retain his current strength.

To ally with Cao Cao now,

not to mention what the Gu clan's future would be under such a suspicious man?

Most crucially, this act would mean entrusting everything entirely to Cao Cao.

The realm might be swiftly pacified.

But what of Gu Xi's unfinished legacy?

If everything were handed over, and Cao Cao then swept the realm, his prestige towering beyond measure,

would the Gu clan still have any chance to choose for itself?

Many things had already, long ago, been fated in invisible ways.

No one could change them.

Watching all this, Gu Yi's emotions were also complex.

Gu Chen had refused Cao Cao!

Though the two had not yet openly broken ties, this act already signaled their stance.

Gu Yi had long suspected this would happen.

After all, Gu Xi's later years stood as clear evidence.

A warlord like Cao Cao, with his suspicious nature, could never be admired by any Gu clan descendant.

Yet when it actually happened, Gu Yi still felt unsettled.

This was defying Heaven itself!

The difficulty of everything he intended to accomplish far surpassed Gu Xi's original challenges.

For he must succeed by completely altering a preexisting history!

The difficulty of this was unimaginable.

After hesitating, Gu Yi ultimately abandoned settling Gu Xi's achievements and directly took control of Gu Chen's decision.

Following the current might spare the Gu clan many crises.

But forget not: in this game spanning thousands of years, how could the Gu clan ever avoid crisis?

The Gu clan has already reached this point—why insist on merely following the current?

In the history where the Gu clan never arose, there was "the Five Barbarians' Chaos, Shenzhou's Collapse"; now that the Gu clan has risen, if Shenzhou still collapses,

wouldn't the Gu clan's rise be in vain?

This may be something embedded in every Huaxia person's blood.

Now that there is a chance to change all this, how could Gu Yi choose to interfere forcibly and let the Gu clan merely follow the current?

Generations of Gu clan heroes all served their family and the realm.

How could this descendant now disgrace the Gu clan's name?

Moreover, for the Gu clan,

if they truly could alter all this, the benefits would be unimaginable.

When Cao Cao learned of Gu Chen's decision, his expression too became deeply complex.

Both regretful and relieved that a great matter had been settled.

Gu Chen had guessed correctly.

For a man like Cao Cao, since his heart and status had changed, Gu Chen had always been a thorn in his side.

He had long hesitated over how to treat Gu Chen.

Now he no longer needed to hesitate.

Of course, he would not launch war against Gu Chen at this moment—only agreed to the aristocrats' request.

—The situation in Luoyang has changed drastically.

When Liu Dai learned that the court's aristocrats were fleeing en masse to Yanzhou,

he was utterly despairing.

"Grand Master, my ministers—why do you abandon me and flee?"

Liu Dai wept bitterly in the court, staring intently at everyone present: "What exactly have I done wrong?"

"When have I ever wronged you, my beloved ministers?"

"Why must all of you, my beloved ministers, abandon me!"

His face was full of sorrow, and his entire tone was utterly panicked.

Though he wore the dragon robe.

Where on his person was even the slightest trace of an Emperor?

"Hmph!"

The moment his words fell, someone immediately let out a disdainful cold laugh: "Does Your Majesty blame us for this?"

"Was it we who made Your Majesty lose the Imperial Jade Seal?"

Hearing this, Liu Dai's expression instantly stiffened, but he still spoke unwillingly: "My beloved ministers, though I lack the Mandate of Heaven, I have ultimately never wronged any of you."

"Even if you must leave, take me with you!"

As he spoke, he even ran straight down from the hall, dashed right up to Grand Commandant Yang Biao, and knelt down: "Grand Commandant, save me, save me!"

His face was full of entreaty.

Seeing this, Yang Biao's face immediately showed a look of disgust.

These past days, these noble clans of theirs had already been living in unease, their moods sullen.

Until this very moment, seeing this scene.

The disdain for Liu Dai in their hearts finally all burst forth.

He felt not a shred of pity, and with one kick sent Liu Dai flying.

"A man like you is fit to be a ruler!"

Yang Biao cursed him once, then swept his sleeves and left.

"If Your Majesty truly does not wish to lose face, he should take his own life and atone for the nation."

And the rest of those present also wore faces full of contempt, shaking their heads as they filed out one after another.

Seeing this scene, Liu Dai collapsed entirely to the ground.

He stared blankly at everyone's retreating backs.

In his eyes was both endless regret and utter despair.

One after another, people left Luoyang in succession.

Unlike the panicked noble clans.

The common folk throughout the entire city of Luoyang showed not the slightest fear; on the contrary, they were quite excited.

—After nearly ten years, the Gu Clan was returning once more!

This made hope rise in all of their hearts.

Even within the city of Luoyang, the lives of these common folk were still not easy.

To this very day.

Only the name of the Gu Clan could once again awaken their hope for the future.

Liu Dai had thoroughly become a man utterly alone.

From the great noble clans above down to the common folk below.

All of them had completely forgotten this Emperor of theirs.

And he did not have Yuan Shao's boldness, nor even the courage to take his own life and stain the ground five paces around with blood.

Even after all the noble clans had withdrawn from Luoyang, a侥幸 thought arose in his heart.

If he took the initiative to open the city and welcome Gu Chen into the capital.

Seeing him so obedient, would Gu Chen spare his life?

To Liu Dai, this notion was like a ray of light in the dark of night.

People have always been this way.

Even though he too felt this matter was likely a fool's daydream, he still could not help trying every which way to convince himself.

Under such circumstances

All eight passes of Luoyang, including Luoyang itself, stood with their city gates flung wide open.

Liu Dai, clad in the dragon robe, personally led countless common folk to wait before the city of Luoyang for Gu Chen, raising every courtesy to the highest.

This scene was just like that of Liu Bao welcoming Gu Xi back to the capital in days gone by.

But everything had ultimately changed.

Listening to the strains of music and song, Gu Chen's expression never changed in the slightest.

He first looked at the city of Luoyang, both familiar and strange, then at the countless common folk, and only at last let his gaze rest on the fawning Liu Dai.

"The General Who Conquers the West has returned to the capital; I am at ease."

The smile on Liu Dai's face grew ever more fawning as he stared intently at Gu Chen: "The Gu Clan is the pillar that holds up the heavens for our great Han; today the General Who Conquers the West returns to the capital."

"I must personally lead the general's horse."

He went on talking to himself.

Having spoken, he did not even wait for Gu Chen's reaction, and immediately rushed forward to lead Gu Chen's horse into the city.

—But the instant he reached Gu Chen's presence.

Gu Chen did not hesitate in the slightest, and immediately raised his spear to point at Liu Dai's neck.

In an instant, Liu Dai felt a chill run through him.

"General!"

His expression changed abruptly, his body trembling uncontrollably: "General Who Conquers the West, what is the meaning of this? I—I only wished to lead the general's horse."

"Liu Dai has usurped the throne!"

Gu Chen did not look at Liu Dai, but shouted at the stunned masses: "Causing chaos across the land, leaving the people in misery."

"Today, I return to the capital not to face the emperor, but to eliminate the traitor."

"Liu Dai rejects Heaven's Mandate and usurps the throne."

"He has betrayed his ancestors, betrayed the state, betrayed the myriad people of the realm—today, I shall surely slay him!"

With that, he waved his hand.

Immediately, several men rushed forward and tore the dragon robe from Liu Dai's body.

Liu Dai was utterly stunned.

All his illusions shattered in this moment.

He knelt on the ground, looking up at the figure who still sat mounted, and cried out in desperate plea.

"General, I erred. No—your servant erred."

"I was deceived by those men; it was they who led me astray."

"Please, General, out of respect for my status as a member of the imperial clan, spare my life!!!"

He wept uncontrollably, too broken to even rise.

At this moment, Gu Chen and Liu Dai stood in stark contrast.

After a brief moment of shock,

the crowds from all directions gradually came to their senses; as one man cried out first, cries soon rose in waves.

"Eliminate the traitor!!!"

"Eliminate the traitor!!!"

"Eliminate the traitor!!!"

How can one who rejects Heaven's Mandate be emperor?

In this moment, everyone transferred all their years of resentment onto Liu Dai.

Gu Chen finally turned his gaze upon Liu Dai; in Liu Dai's despairing eyes, he hurled his silver spear—immediately piercing Liu Dai's throat.

A "puff!" sound!

Blood gushed wildly.

Gu Chen's expression did not change; he seized a long sword from a nearby soldier and spoke again:

"In days past, Wang Mang usurped the throne and plunged the realm into chaos; after his death, his head was hung on display in the streets."

"The same shall be done today!"

With that, he dismounted, drew his sword, and severed Liu Dai's head!

In the ninth year of Han's Revival, fourth month;

Gu Chen returned to Luoyang and proclaimed the false emperor's crimes before the people.

He beheaded the false emperor Liu Dai before the people of Luoyang.

——————

"In the spring of the eighth year of Han's Revival, Gu Chen launched his campaign under the banner of suppressing rebellion, capturing several cities.

In June, he clashed with Yuan Shu's main force at Huaixian.

In this battle, Yuan's vanguard commanders Zhang Xun and Yue Jiu, relying on their bravery, advanced recklessly; Gu Chen ambushed elite cavalry in the wild, striking as they crossed halfway, slaying Zhang and Yue on horseback, causing Yuan's army to collapse.

Gu Chen pressed forward in victory, his spearpoint aimed straight at Luoyang; at the time, the false emperor Liu Dai held the palace, yet many court ministers secretly communicated with Cao Cao, the Governor of Yan Province, secretly supplying grain and withdrawing defenses.

On the Bingyin day of the fourth month of the ninth year, Gu Chen led his troops into Luoyang, where the people met him on the road with baskets of food and drink.

Before the Zhu Que Gate, Gu Chen halted his horse, leveled his spear, and pointed at Liu Dai, shouting: 'You are but a distant branch of the imperial clan—instead of upholding your duty, you have committed the treachery of Wang Mang!

You have destroyed the foundation laid by Gao Zu, severed the lineage of Emperor Guangwu, plunged the four seas into turmoil, and left bones blanketing the fields.

Today, I act under Heaven's Mandate to punish the traitor—I shall use your blood to consecrate the Han cauldron!'

His voice rang like Lei Ting; the people gathered in a circle, their cries surging like a tide: 'Execute the false emperor!'—the roar shook the city walls.

Before Liu Dai could speak, Gu Chen spurred his horse forward, spearing him through the chest, then drew his sword and severed his head, hanging it above the city gate; blood splashed upon the blue stone, darkening the sunlight."

——《Records of Heroes of the Late Han, Chapter of Gu Chen》

(End of Chapter)