Chapter 9: Bowing to the Marquis of Champion, the World is United

Lueyang.

The sky looked as if soaked in ink, heavy gloom pressing down upon the earth.

Corpses littered the ground, shattered weapons and broken banners mingled with the thick stench of blood, while occasional moans of agony echoed around.

The ferocity of this battle far exceeded any previous one.

Unlike previous opponents, Wei Xiao held great prestige within his army.

In the original history, even when caught between pincers, he still managed to flee to Xicheng.

And he stubbornly held off Feng Yi's army, rendering them unable to advance an inch.

He even fought the Han forces to a standstill, capturing numerous cities.

Had he not died of illness in the end, only Liu Xiu could have utterly defeated him.

But this time, he truly had no escape.

Lai Xi was indeed a famed general—he had held Lueyang for four months in the original history, let alone now with Gu Xiao's reinforcement.

Of course, the most crucial factor was that the troops Gu Xiao brought were extraordinarily exceptional.

These men had exceptionally high obedience.

Ordinary soldiers could never have trapped Wei Xiao.

But even so, casualties in this battle were still heavy.

When Gu Xiao met Liu Xiu again, even this hardened warrior felt as if time had slipped away—he could not help but feel his eyes grow hot.

But before he could bow.

Liu Xiu hurried forward, seized his arm, and stared intently at Gu Xiao, his hands frantically checking for injuries.

Only after confirming he was unharmed did he exhale in relief.

"Good that Zhanhong is unharmed."

Everyone watched this scene, their emotions complex.

A warrior receiving such favor from the Emperor.

How could one not envy him?

Yet envy aside, they could not summon any other emotion.

There was no choice—Gu Xiao's merit was too great.

Gu Xiao's past record had already been beyond reach—each achievement was a headcount, and this time he held Lueyang for four full months, directly determining the victory of this war.

With such merit, what could they say about such treatment?

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty's concern!"

Under Gu Yi's influence, Gu Xiao never abused favor—he immediately bowed and said: "This victory is not my alone; all brothers contributed."

He stopped there.

Gu Yi would never claim credit, nor would he usurp the Emperor's right to reward soldiers before all eyes.

He merely ensured Gu Xiao fulfilled the duty of a commander.

Indeed, upon hearing this, Liu Xiu's smile deepened—he did not hesitate, gripping Gu Xiao's arm and declaring loudly:

"Reward them! Reward them all!"

He loved Gu Xiao's character: never greedy for credit, never overstepping boundaries.

A high-ranking general.

Sense of propriety was most vital.

Merely from his conduct these past months, could Liu Xiu not see Gu Xiao's desire to withdraw from power?

Indeed, had Liu Xiu not demanded it, Gu Xiao might not have come to this battle at all.

And precisely because of this, Liu Xiu loved Gu Xiao even more.

He was a man of great wisdom.

The current state of the realm was now unmistakably clear.

Liu Xiu stood just one step away from becoming the universal sovereign.

He had considered more than once how to handle the ministers who had stood by him to this day.

With the lessons of his ancestor Liu Bang before him, Liu Xiu had no wish to be remembered in history as one who slaughtered the hares and killed the foxes, who cast aside the bow once the birds were gone.

If he did so again,

who among the heroes of the realm would ever wish to follow the Liu family?

Precisely because of this, Liu Xiu cherished Gu Xiao's lack of ambition for power all the more.

A grand victory banquet was held again.

Though only Gongsun Shu remained unconquered, the Longyou campaign had dragged on too long to act immediately.

This time, Liu Xiu even seated Gu Xiao beside himself, starkly contrasting him with all others.

And Liu Xiu did not withhold rewards.

All officers and soldiers who contributed to the Longyou campaign were rewarded.

Of course, the most striking were the men who followed Gu Xiao to Lueyang.

Clearly because their merit was so immense, rewards and compensation for Gu Xiao's followers were substantially greater.

Naturally, no one objected to this arrangement!

Two thousand men against tens of thousands!

Such a record was terrifying to even imagine.

Then came Lai Xi—Gu Xiao made no effort to conceal Lai Xi's merit; he even called him the First Merit of this battle.

It was the truth.

After all, Gu Xiao's attributes are what they are—how could he possibly match up to Lai Xi?

But in Liu Xiu's eyes, this situation was different.

Isn't this refusing to claim merit?

He did not stint on rewards, directly enfeoffing Lai Xi as a marquis—something Lai Xi only received after his death in the original history.

One can imagine how elated Liu Xiu was at this moment.

Finally, it came to Gu Xiao.

When Liu Xiu uttered "Zhan Hong," the entire victory banquet fell silent instantly, all eyes turning toward him.

Gu Xiao was now the Grand Marshal of the court.

Though still holding the title of Marquis of Shecheng, his fiefdom ranked among the highest in the Han.

With Gu Xiao having achieved such great merit this time, everyone wondered how Liu Xiu would reward him.

Liu Xiu's expression remained unchanged, as if he had long planned everything, and he declared loudly:

"I have heard that in ancient times, when our great Emperor Xiaowu enfeoffed General Huo as Marquis of Guanjun, he said: 'This is merit surpassing all armies.'"

As Liu Xiu spoke,

the expressions of those watching Gu Xiao changed drastically.

Shock gave way to pure envy.

"In ancient times, General Huo Qubing swept clean Mobei, sealed the wolf's altar at Langju, his merit surpassing all armies."

"Now, our Grand Marshal Gu Xiao has followed me, accumulating merit without a single defeat, and truly possesses merit surpassing all armies."

"Gu Xiao, attend the decree!"

"I enfeoff you as Marquis of Guanjun, with a fief of ten thousand households, in the Hebei region."

His resounding words fell like thunder, exploding in the ears of all present.

Dead silence.

Utter dead silence.

Everyone stared fixedly at the scene before them, their eyes brimming with envy they could not hide.

The Han's first marquis with ten thousand households!

Marquis of Guanjun!

Either title alone was enough to fill them with envy.

Time seemed to halt at this moment, yet instantly resumed.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty! Congratulations to Marquis of Guanjun!"

Someone was the first to cry out loudly, and next, a roar of acclaim erupted throughout the hall.

Gu Yi only now fully realized it.

Marquis of Guanjun?

Has my ancestor become Marquis of Guanjun?

It wasn't that Gu Yi was overly excited—had it been another Gu Yi, he might not have reacted so strongly.

Because a fief of ten thousand households was already within his expectations.

But Marquis of Guanjun was different.

In modern times, for past history, everyone carries a deep sense of unresolved longing.

Each person's longing may differ.

Yet among these unresolved longings, the name Marquis of Guanjun Huo Qubing must surely appear.

That is the true value of Marquis of Guanjun!

Now my own ancestor had become the second Marquis of Guanjun—how could Gu Yi not be stirred?

This beginning could be called perfect!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Taking a deep breath, Gu Yi immediately controlled Gu Xiao to bow in thanks to Liu Xiu.

And the atmosphere of the victory banquet reached its peak at this moment.

Liu Xiu did not discuss state affairs with the crowd, but joyfully celebrated this victory with them.

Until the banquet ended and the guests gradually departed.

Only then did he look at Gu Xiao and speak seriously: "Zhan Hong."

"Now, most of the realm lies in our Han's hands; only the Shu region under Gong Sun Shu still refuses to submit."

"As the saying goes: heaven has no two suns, a state has no two lords."

"I plan to fully reorganize the army and immediately launch a campaign against Shu—do you have any strategy?"

Gu Yi had already anticipated Liu Xiu would ask this, and answered without hesitation: "Your Majesty, Shu is easy to defend but hard to attack."

"Its mountainous and riverine defenses far exceed those of Longshan."

"And given the precedent of Wei Xiao, I believe we must not attempt another surprise strike."

"Now Your Majesty's power is unstoppable; the people of Shu surely yearn to return to Han."

"If Your Majesty can win several decisive victories, Shu may surrender without battle."

Hearing this, Liu Xiu nodded slightly: "If I appoint you as commander—"

Before Liu Xiu could finish,

Gu Xiao instantly knelt down, urgently saying: "Your Majesty, do not—"

"Your subject's abilities fall far short of Your Majesty's."

"To have achieved such merit is already due to Your Majesty's wisdom—how could I command the army?"

Gu Yi would not let Gu Xiao lead the army again.

Never mind whether Shu is easy to conquer.

From the moment Gu Xiao became a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, his military career had already reached its end.

Whether or not Liu Xiu's words were sincere, Gu Yi could no longer allow this to continue.

The Gu family now needs to develop.

If Gu Xiao were to meet with some misfortune, his merits might still allow the Gu family to thrive, but it would never match the strength of having Gu Xiao alive.

Gu Yi also understood the principle that when the moon is full, it begins to wane; when water is full, it overflows.

Gu Xiao is now Grand Commandant and Marquis of Ten Thousand Households.

If he were to achieve further merit, how could he be rewarded?

Seeing this, Liu Xiu froze for an instant, then frowned: "Grand Commandant, what are you saying? Have you become Champion Marquis and no longer wish to serve me?"

"Your Majesty!"

Gu Xiao bowed again to Liu Xiu. "Your servant has no such intention; every word I spoke came from the heart."

"Your servant may be skilled in stratagem."

"But the key to the Shu campaign lies not in stratagem."

"Your servant is not skilled at commanding three armies."

As he spoke, Gu Xiao suddenly flashed an unusually earnest smile. "Besides, I've spent my whole life fighting. It's time I enjoyed myself."

Seeing the earnest Gu Xiao before him, Liu Xiu, who had been utterly serious, was instantly stunned.

Then he too let out a helpless smile and shook his head. "Enough, enough. Why am I even speaking to you of this?"

"You look like you want to enjoy yourself—enjoy yourself then."

"Get up."

Liu Xiu even reached out and pulled Gu Xiao's arm directly; his expression was deeply complex.

It seemed Gu Xiao's earnest smile had caught him off guard.

A hint of inexplicable regret appeared in his eyes.

Gu Yi saw all of this clearly.

He could easily understand what Liu Xiu was trying to do—it was merely another test of Gu Xiao.

After all, Gu Xiao was now the First Merit minister.

The shift in status inevitably altered a man's character.

Liu Xiu had been Emperor for so long, balancing the interests of so many in court. The unification of the realm was now unstoppable.

His feelings toward these meritorious ministers were understandable.

Testing the First Merit minister was the most fitting move for a sovereign's art of rule.

But Gu Xiao's political acumen was only 43 points—in plain terms, he couldn't perceive the court's scheming tests.

Had it not been for Gu Yi's influence, Gu Xiao's nature would have kept pursuing ever greater merit until he reached a point where no further reward was possible.

But with Gu Yi's influence,

he would respond to Liu Xiu directly, just as he did now.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Gu Xiao's smile widened, and he rose at once.

Liu Xiu watched Gu Xiao in silence, lost in thought, until after a moment he spoke again: "Though you cannot serve as commander, as Grand Commandant, you must still make recommendations."

"Feng Yi is unwell, and Deng Yu is still suppressing the remnants of the Red Eyebrows."

"Who do you believe is most suitable to lead the invasion of Shu?"

Gu Yi did not hesitate—he named every general from memory who had originally led the Shu campaign.

Cen Peng, Wu Han, Lai Xi, Gai Yan.

One by one, the names left Gu Xiao's lips.

Liu Xiu listened with great attention; though he already had his own candidates, he still valued Gu Xiao's analysis.

When Gu Xiao finished, Liu Xiu nodded slightly.

"Good. Those are the very people I had in mind."

Liu Xiu was a decisively decisive man. Once he settled on his choices, after the troops had rested, he immediately announced the plan to invade Shu.

This invasion of Shu would employ a dual strategy of land and water forces from north and south.

He ordered Wu Han to lead sixty thousand troops from Jingzhou and five thousand horses to meet Cen Peng at Jingmen, then advance westward along the Yangtze River into Shu;

Simultaneously, he dispatched Lai Xi and Gai Yan to lead the armies southward from Longxi and attack Hechi to enter Shu.

Liu Xiu's command ability was displayed in full detail—he made an extremely thorough plan.

Instantly, the Han war machine roared back to life.

As Grand Commandant of the court,

all the generals came to pay their respects to Gu Xiao before departure.

Precisely because he did not seek glory, Gu Xiao had always maintained good relations with these generals.

Especially now that Gu Xiao had refused to serve as commander of the Shu campaign and yielded this glory to others—these generals now truly respected him.

Seizing this opportunity, Gu Yi also gave them many instructions.

"Junran, remember this: based on my understanding of Gongsun Shu, though he is a frog at the bottom of a well, if pushed to the brink, he will use every possible means—perhaps even assassinating our generals. Junran, never let your guard down."

"Ziyan, the realm is weary. The tide of unification is now unstoppable. If you capture Shu, you must strictly control your troops and absolutely avoid harming the Shu people."

"Junshu, with your talent, had you joined the Emperor sooner, you would have already been renowned across the land. But it is not too late now. This Shu campaign is your best chance. Remember: guard against Gongsun Shu's desperate measures—strike at his heart above all!"

"."

Gu Yi never intended to change anyone's fate.

Yet today's Han Dynasty has advanced far beyond its historical pace of unification.

Thus, this final battle must be spared unnecessary turmoil.

The world must now be unified!

With Gu Xiao's current status, no one would dare disregard his instructions.

The generals all agreed and departed.

The great war resumed.

The sixth month of the eighth year of Jianwu;

——General Lai Xi of the northern route decisively defeated Wang Yuan and Huan An's forces, captured Xiabian and Hechi, and pushed into Shu.

Gong Sun Shu sent assassins to kill Lai Xi, but failed.

October;

——Gongsun Shu sent assassins to kill Cen Peng, but failed; Cen Peng defeated the Shu army at Yufu Ferry and laid siege to Wuyang.

He annihilated over five thousand Shu reinforcements, advanced westward, broke through Guangdu, and drew near Chengdu.

November;

——Zang Gong captured Fan County and Pi County and joined forces with Cen Peng.

Meanwhile, Wu Han led his army from Yiling; the three armies encircled Chengdu.

Gong Sun Shu was mortally wounded on the battlefield.

Yan Cen, seeing the tide had turned, surrendered Chengdu's garrison.

The world was finally unified!

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(End of Chapter)