Chapter 91

In the second year of Zhangwu, third month;

Gu Chen once again led his army forth, heading toward the various provinces of the realm, continuing to press forward toward his goal.

In truth, Liu Bei had not failed to urge Gu Chen to return with him to Luoyang.

After all, Gu Chen was no longer young.

And he had no heir.

Not only Liu Bei, but also several elder brothers—Gu Wei, Gu Ze—had all tried to persuade Gu Chen.

But a man like Gu Chen was destined never to stop.

No matter what.

Gu Chen must finish everything he needed to do within his lifetime;

In this campaign, Liu Bei's trusted generals—Guan, Zhang, Zhao—were all present;

During their time in Julu;

Guan, Zhang, Zhao each sought out Gu Chen for sparring matches.

The outcome, naturally, was no surprise.

All three lost to Gu Chen in these sparring bouts; though they were merely drills, not life-or-death duels, they still recognized Gu Chen's extraordinary prowess.

Not even Zhao Yun or Zhang Fei, let alone the supremely proud Guan Yu, could deny it—they were fully convinced.

They had never held any ill will toward Gu Chen to begin with.

After this battle, all of them wholeheartedly accepted him.

Everyone acknowledged it.

Among all the warlords and heroes of this chaotic age, Gu Chen stood utterly apart—even Liu Bei could not match him.

For this campaign, Gu Chen would be far more ruthless than before.

Not only in the provinces he had yet to deal with.

But also in the capital region, Bingzhou, and Jingzhou, which Liu Bei had previously seized.

Gu Chen intended to eradicate every wubao and produce a far more detailed map, preparing for what came next.

It was like a far stricter, more meticulous Du Tian.

Only now, with the chaos just ending,

could Gu Chen and Liu Bei, at the peak of their prestige, accomplish this.

Of course, this process was bound to be difficult.

Even if the great clans dared not openly resist Gu Chen's blade, they would inevitably find ways to conceal their strength.

Yet all such tactics were far too childish in Gu Chen's eyes.

——The era had changed utterly!

Gu Chen no longer needed to consider the consequences of any action.

He needed only to wield the most ferocious methods to crush every scheme the great clans could devise.

In just two months;

Gu Chen eradicated every wubao within Qingzhou;

Disbanded nearly fifty thousand private soldiers hidden by the clans, seized countless weapons and armor;

And forcibly reclaimed the land held by the clans for the imperial court.

To be distributed later.

October;

Gu Chen's army crossed into Xu Province, systematically destroying the wubao of its powerful clans;

Among them were families whose descendants had followed Liu Bei and Gu Chen, yet Gu Chen showed no mercy;

He merely spared them punishment;

But he still shattered the core foundation of the great clans;

He uncovered their private soldiers hidden in the forests and punished their clans;

He executed hundreds in succession.

The news spread—and the realm trembled!

At the same time, Liu Bei issued an edict from Luoyang, abolishing Lingdi's provincial governor system, reinstating the Gu Xue, and overhauling the recommendation examination system.

Beyond those recommended by the traditional recommendation system;

All talented individuals across the realm could now take a unified examination in their prefectures and commanderies;

Those who passed could proceed to the capital for a second exam, and receive official posts according to their scores.

Thus, the imperial examination system was fully unveiled across the land.

Yet this matter did not draw much attention from the clans or commoners.

The commoners did not grasp its significance;

And the clans were now far more terrified by Gu Chen's Lei Ting methods.

Subsequently, Liu Bei, using the maps Gu Chen had sent back, publicly denounced the Shi and other great clans for destabilizing the state, exiling these guilty clansmen to various regions to reclaim wasteland.

The four seas boiled!

Liu Bei and Gu Chen's Lei Ting methods surpassed those of every previous emperor.

Even Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, had never gone this far.

From ancient times to the present;

Only Liu Bei and Gu Chen had dared to do what they had done.

More and more clans fled to Jiangdong;

By now, perhaps because they truly sensed the crisis, the Jiangdong clans could no longer ignore their feuds and were forced to set aside all grievances, devising ways to resist this overwhelming tide.

Yet Gu Chen did not rush; he advanced steadily, step by step.

With Xun Yu, Gu Wei, Zhuge Liang, and others skilled in civil administration;

Gu Chen needed only to expand his territory.

They were more than enough to handle all the aftermath for him.

In the third year of Zhangwu;

Gu Chen re-entered Yuyang;

Within months, he completely eradicated every clan in Yuyang.

The clans exhausted every possible means.

Whether uniting in resistance or secretly plotting against Gu Chen, all efforts proved useless.

Had they been able to incite the common people to rebel, it would surely have hindered Gu Chen's advance.

But before Gu Chen,

how could they possibly incite the common people?

All that remained for them was annihilation;

Perhaps because they truly understood what true despair meant, some clans even chose to flee to the barbarians, hoping merely to preserve their families.

Yet Gu Chen remained unmoved, sending messengers to all the barbarian tribes.

Those who rebelled against Han, aiding the rebellious clans,

would surely face the Han army's blade;

By this day, even the four-directional barbarians could no longer ignore Gu Chen's words.

The Gu family's generations of legend now fully rested upon Gu Chen.

Some were still willing to take the risk;

After all, for these backward tribes, a single clan could bring them immense, immense aid.

But this remained an extremely rare case.

Moreover, to the world's clans, even the people of the Nine Provinces were beneath their contempt.

Let alone outright defecting to the barbarians.

This was, in the end, the rarest of the rare.

It could never alter the grand course.

In June;

Gu Chen completely cleared Yuyang and simultaneously entered Jingzhou; besides eliminating Jingzhou's clans, he turned his blade directly toward Jiangdong.

Now, only Jiangdong remained before the realm was fully settled.

How could he leave such a threat?

Gu Chen first cast bamboo tubes into the river, striking at their morale;

His reputation had become too great.

It had even surpassed that of Emperor Liu Bei.

Though these Jiangdong soldiers had long anticipated this day and prepared themselves mentally,

when it truly arrived, their morale was severely shaken.

No one fears death less;

Especially among the lowest-ranking soldiers.

They truly could not find any reason left to fight with their lives.

Deserters began appearing in every camp.

Worse still, some even defected outright, bringing Jiangdong's great warships with them;

And Gu Chen's second strike turned directly upon the clans;

The current clan environment in Jiangdong

could rightly be called the most chaotic in the realm.

There was an irreconcilable conflict between the native Jiangdong clans and the later-arrived Jingzhou clans.

Their unity against the outside world, now, existed only because of Gu Chen.

Gu Chen now intended to stir up this turmoil once more.

He sent envoys to meet the Jiangdong clans.

Offering them psychological pressure: if they complied with his laws, their families would be spared;

If they resisted stubbornly,

once he breached Jiangdong, none would be left alive.

This was pure open strategy.

The Jiangdong clans had never held deep grudges against Gu Chen; under these circumstances, preserving their families at the cost of only minor losses was unquestionably a profitable choice.

It was an easy decision.

Though they had once again united, no one believed such strength could possibly stop Gu Chen;

Jiangdong plunged into chaos once more.

And this time, the strife surpassed all previous conflicts.

Sun Quan could never surrender.

The murder of his father loomed before him; all that remained for Sun Quan was total, desperate warfare.

But no matter how hard he tried, it was all in vain.

Under such a colossal tide pouring down.

Throughout history, only Gu Xi, who had once reached the pinnacle, had any chance to make a desperate gamble.

Sun Quan indeed had remarkable qualities.

But how could he possibly rival the former Gu Xi?

The overall situation was already sealed.

In the fourth year of Zhangwu, third month;

The internal chaos in Jiangdong was completely out of control: first, the Jiangdong aristocratic clans turned disloyal, followed by continuous desertions;

Under all these circumstances.

Gu Chen finally seized the moment;

Using the large ships brought by deserters to cross the Yangtze River, he formally set foot on Jiangdong soil.

The people of Jiangdong lined the roads to welcome him; the Jiangdong aristocratic clans also joyfully received the royal army.

They handed over all their private troops to Gu Chen.

Gu Chen then used this momentum to successively capture cities.

Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and others had tried to stop him, but they could not reverse the tide of collapse; one after another, they fell to Gu Chen and committed suicide;

Guan Yu killed Lü Meng;

Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and others also successively broke the enemy forces.

Taishi Ci and many other Jiangdong generals surrendered one after another;

Sun Quan refused to die in disgrace.

He personally led his army to confront Gu Chen, but Gu Chen shattered his formation with elite troops; unwilling to be humiliated by his father's killer, Sun Quan committed suicide on the battlefield!

Jiangdong was fully pacified.

Subsequently, Gu Chen turned his blade against the Jingzhou aristocratic clans who had fled to Jiangdong;

Compared to other provinces and commanderies across the land,

The power of the aristocratic clans in Jiangdong was indeed significantly stronger.

Those Jingzhou aristocrats who had continued to resist could not fully submit; they still waged guerrilla warfare against Gu Chen in Jiangdong.

But all of it was ultimately futile.

Although these tactics forced Gu Chen to spend more time.

They could not alter the outcome.

October;

Gu Chen completely eradicated all resistance in Jiangdong, reintegrated the entire region into the Han realm, and produced detailed geographical maps, firmly stabilizing Jiangdong's situation.

The core of the old Jingzhou clans were all executed by Gu Chen;

The rest were spared death but were exiled to reclaim land;

Then Gu Chen continued beyond Jiangdong to other regions.

Bing, Yan, Liang, Yi,

Aristocratic clans across the four directions were successively purged, and Gu Chen did not return to Luoyang but dispatched senior generals to guard the borders.

He himself hurried to Youzhou.

This completely surprised everyone.

From Liu Bei at the top to the Gu siblings in the court, all wanted Gu Chen to return to Luoyang.

After all, Gu Chen had no heir.

But without any surprise, Gu Chen refused.

He was destined never to stop.

After ensuring that the Han was moving in the right direction, he turned his gaze to the external enemies he had once monitored.

Gu Chen firmly trusted his own judgment.

Yet he did not act rashly; instead, he slowly allowed the Han's rising talents to adapt to the enemy's tactics.

This naturally included some Gu clan members skilled in martial arts.

This was inheritance.

Until now—

Even the lowest urban commoners had sensed the transformation across the land.

The aristocratic youths who once oppressed them had vanished entirely; even the haughty officials no longer acted as they once had.

This change was unmistakable;

Although the realm had only just ended its great chaos.

Yet everyone could feel the difference: the population growth from abolishing aristocratic private armies, and the redistribution of reclaimed land to the people.

All these changes gave the impression that the Han had been utterly renewed.

And the changes went beyond these;

With political stability and clean governance, an intellectual explosion was inevitable.

Liu Bei paid considerable attention to the Imperial Academy;

Paeans and eulogies poured forth from the Imperial Academy, among which the most prominent were several odes composed by Cao Zhi, son of Cao Cao.

Indeed, Cao Zhi was the other seed Cao Cao had planted for the Cao clan.

The main reason was Cao Zhi's literary talent.

Cao Zhi's mastery in literature had indeed reached a level no one could match.

Even Gu Chen was deeply moved upon reading his works, and specifically collected Cao Zhi's original "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" into his family's archives, recommending it to the Imperial Academy.

Liu Bei naturally had no fondness for Cao Cao's descendants.

But he could not ignore Gu Chen's recommendation.

And now Cao Zhi had not disappointed Gu Chen's recommendation—he never meddled in politics, instead devoting himself entirely to wild, imaginative creative works.

His successive essays and fu compositions utterly won Liu Bei's heartfelt admiration.

He not only had his writings circulated throughout the land but was successively promoted to lecturer at the Imperial Academy.

Under the influence of these various essays and fu compositions,

the entire Han dynasty experienced tremendous intellectual progress.

And after the complete unification of the realm, upon the advice of Gu Wei, Zhuge Liang, and others, Liu Bei launched the first imperial examination system across the entire Han realm.

To make this system of official selection through examination deeply rooted in the people's minds would inevitably be a long process.

The current Han could not possibly implement this system fully.

But it was a new experiment.

Whether Liu Bei, Gu Chen, or even the most crucial ministers in court, all regarded this matter with great seriousness.

Even Zhuge Liang and Gu Wei—the two highest-ranking ministers of the court—decided to personally oversee the examinations.

This matter was destined to affect the entire realm.

Only by letting the common people see an ordinary man selected as an official

could they fully realize how different the current Han had become.

But given the current state of the Han, this task was bound to be difficult.

Those selected were almost entirely sons of aristocratic clans.

During the previous chaos, common people struggled merely to survive—how could anyone possibly devote themselves to scholarly study?

Yet there were exceptions;

in various prefectures and commanderies, a number of humble-origin youths emerged, their talents no weaker than those of aristocratic sons.

Unfortunately, not a single one was truly from the common people.

Though he was not in Luoyang, Gu Chen still had all their examination answers sent to him, and regardless of their status, he read each one carefully, again and again.

He gradually paid attention to several individuals;

—Zhong Hui of the Zhong clan of Yingchuan, Yang Hu of the Yang clan of Mount Taishan, Du Yu of the Du clan of Jingzhao, and others.

These aristocratic sons displayed their talents to the fullest.

Their answers, their suggestions on the state of the realm—all were exceedingly reasonable.

As for the humble-origin candidates, Gu Chen also noticed many.

Such as Zhang Hua, Deng Ai, and others.

Those sent to Gu Chen naturally possessed extraordinary abilities.

Gu Yi was also observing these individuals; as he saw each familiar name, he suddenly realized a problem he had previously overlooked.

—The chaotic age had ended;

what would the entire realm become if these men, once famed in history, worked together to govern one state?

As he thought this, Gu Yi suddenly felt a faint anticipation for the future.

These men's talents needed no elaboration.

Those who left their names in history naturally possessed extraordinary qualities.

This would surely elevate the entire Han to an unprecedented height.

But Gu Yi also understood.

As these men emerged one by one, a glorious era was finally drawing to a complete close.

Time, like a blade, would inevitably take away all things.

Indeed, Gu Yi's prediction proved correct.

In the sixth year of Zhangwu,

Ma Chao suddenly fell critically ill in Liangzhou.

He died before news could even reach Gu Chen, and on his deathbed submitted a memorial to Gu Chen, entrusting his entire clan to him.

Gu Chen was deeply grieved.

Though many generals had followed him along this path,

Ma Chao was unquestionably the greatest among them—a true confidant of Gu Chen.

Gu Chen immediately reported this to the court.

Liu Bei, remembering Ma Chao's merit, granted him a dignified funeral and posthumously honored him with the epithet "Wei."

—The entire nation mourned!

But this seemed like a signal that the era had ended.

In the same year, August;

—Guan Yu was Critically Ill.

Guan Yu was the foremost general of the Han, second only to Gu Chen.

Just this fact alone revealed how deeply Liu Bei cared for his brother.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei, normally diligent in state affairs, lost all desire to attend court.

He immediately entrusted state matters to Zhuge Liang and Gu Wei.

And he himself set out to visit Guan Yu.

Guan Yu was currently in Jiangdong, stationed there under Gu Chen's orders to prevent Jiangdong from falling into chaos again.

Though Liu Bei acted with great speed, alas, fate was like a blade.

These two brothers would ultimately never meet again.

Guan Yu could not hold on, and passed away in the lands of Jiangdong.

After hearing the news, Liu Bei instantly fainted.

Though it did not endanger his life.

But he seemed to have aged decades in an instant, losing all trace of his former vigor.

He returned to Luoyang and buried Guan Yu with the rites of a prince.

He was posthumously honored as Zhao Yi.

To praise Guan Yu's Merit.

Since the funeral, Liu Bei's air of mourning grew heavier by the day.

He gradually relinquished many state affairs.

His focus slowly shifted toward educating Crown Prince Liu Shan.

But unfortunately, Liu Shan's talent was far too lacking; even the Gu family's educational methods could not bridge this gap.

This made Liu Bei increasingly anxious about the future.

The current situation appeared as if the Han dynasty were flourishing.

But in truth, all stability rested solely on the fact that Gu Chen and he were still alive.

Now, old friends were passing away one by one.

How many days remain for him?

How many days remain for Gu Chen?

When they both pass away, can Liu Shan's talent truly bear the weight of the entire realm?

This was the most direct question before Liu Bei, and had become a deep-seated wound in his heart.

Liu Bei absolutely could not tolerate any further problems for the Han.

Under these circumstances,

Liu Bei even began to consider replacing the Crown Prince.

Fortunately, Gu Wei and Zhuge Liang dissuaded him; after speaking the Gu family's words of support, Liu Bei's heart gradually eased, though he could never fully find peace.

This may be humanity's universal flaw.

For Liu Bei, he valued the Han state far too deeply.

As his trusted old friends passed away one by one, his heart grew increasingly restless.

In the sixth year of Zhangwu, eleventh month;

Gu Wei fell ill;

The lifespan of the sixth-generation Gu Shizi was drawing to its end.

Liu Bei was utterly heartbroken.

"Wenyao."

Inside the Hou Fu, Liu Bei stood motionless by the bedside, staring fixedly at Gu Wei's paper-white face on the bed, his eyes red as blood, voice trembling:

"Are you too about to leave me?"

Zhuge Liang's eyes were also wet, tears welling in his eyes.

Though Gu Wei had only met them after the Han's resurgence, their bond had never diminished—it was sincere and profound.

"Time is a blade, unstoppable. Your Majesty, do not grieve too deeply," Gu Wei gazed at Liu Bei, a faint smile touching his lips, his expression serene as he spoke slowly, "I have reached this day."

"I have witnessed my grandfather's lifelong dream fulfilled across the Han realm; my heart is full, with no regrets."

"I am now going to join my grandfather."

There was not a trace of fear of death in Gu Wei's eyes—only a sense of release, as if freed.

How desperately he longed to see Gu Xi again!

As the Gu Shizi most cherished by Gu Xi, Gu Wei had long operated quietly behind Gu Chen's back, yet his importance was undeniable.

Only such a man, whom Gu Chen trusted without reservation, could remain at his rear, allowing Gu Chen to wage war unimpeded and achieve today's great deeds.

Now that all Han affairs were settled, he could hardly wait to tell Gu Xi, in the netherworld, of all he had accomplished.

Liu Bei's sorrow deepened, like an unyielding shadow.

He stared intently at Gu Wei, lips trembling as if he had countless words to say, yet could not begin—only tears fell uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Gu Wei's smile grew gentler as he looked at Liu Bei and whispered, "Your Majesty is a wise ruler."

"If I am fortunate enough to meet the former Han emperors in the netherworld, I shall tell them every virtue of Your Majesty."

"I pray the former emperors bless Your Majesty with long life and health, may the Han state stand firm as a rock, and may the people of the realm live in peace and prosperity."

At this moment, Gu Wei's breathing grew rapid, his chest heaving violently, his face turning as pale as frost.

He had truly reached his end.

Yet his face showed not the slightest fear of death.

With all his strength, he sat up, his gaze turning northward.

His eyes seemed to pierce through mountains and rivers, landing on Gu Chen far away in Youzhou.

His lips moved slightly, whispering a few words—but his voice was too faint for anyone to hear.

Moments later, he slowly closed his eyes.

His entire body collapsed onto the bed, utterly lifeless.

Seeing this, Liu Bei's expression changed drastically.

His body trembled, and he instantly fainted.

"Your Majesty!!"

The expressions of everyone present changed drastically, and shouts instantly rang out through this Champion Marquis's Hou Fu.

And Gu Yi at this moment likewise received a prompt from the system.

He turned his gaze over.

His heart too was laden with an inexplicable Weight of Name.

Not only because of Gu Wei's passing.

But also a sense of regret that an era was about to draw to a close.

PS: Begging for monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)