Chapter 180

To be fair, the Southern Aristocratic Regime was not without elite figures.

For instance, this time they planned and invited the Quanrong Tribe to pincer-attack the sick tiger Chen Shilong of the New Policies.

Moreover, among the Five Surnames and Seven Clans of the South — the Lu Commandery Xie Clan, the Jiangnan Li Clan, the Qinghe Cui Clan, and so on — every single family possessed talents comparable to Xun Yu of ancient China, ministers capable of assisting a king.

Take the sick tiger Chen Shilong for example.

This man originated from the second-rate aristocratic Chen Clan, yet was renowned as the Sima Clan's strategist, assisting the Sima Clan in planning behind the scenes, nearly succeeding in usurping the throne.

Had he not encountered Gu Xuan, a peerless sovereign without precedent in past or future, the Sima Clan would have succeeded in their usurpation!

And this time, after he fled to the South, his planning and invitation of the Quanrong Tribe to pincer-attack the North likewise brought no small trouble to the New Policies.

It can be said, objectively speaking, that no matter which era they were placed in, men like the sick tiger Chen Shilong were all top-tier strategists under heaven.

However.

The tragedy of these men lies precisely here: no matter how strong their schemes, they cannot contend against the general trend of the world!

And they also did not expect that the previous two-front pincer attack with the Quanrong Tribe, which they thought was only the beginning, turned out to already be the peak!

Because within a year after the ceasefire, the changes brought by the Northern New Policies were like an earth-shaking great transformation!

After Gu Xuan completely won over the two great legions of the Western Border Army, he did not act rashly.

He did not launch an attack southward, nor did he launch a retaliatory attack against the invading Quanrong Tribe, but instead devoted all his energy wholeheartedly to the New Policies.

First.

After the various aristocratic clans — that is, the major landlords — were toppled, the numerous black and evil forces of grain transport, mines, usury, monopolized industries, and so on were all swept clean.

In the past, these people relied on the various aristocratic clans, committed countless evils, and knew not how many crimes they had perpetrated.

In the era of aristocratic rule, these people were the most capable henchmen of the high-ranking officials' sons.

However, after the New Policies mobilized the suffering masses, these people became like rats crossing the street, publicly tried and executed according to law, receiving their due punishment.

Second.

Based on the ideals of the "Open Passage Society," the elites selected through the imperial examinations replaced the numerous corrupt officials monopolized by the aristocratic clans.

This not only uprooted the foundation of the aristocratic clans' monopoly, but also opened upward channels for more talented scholars.

Third.

Under Gu Xuan's vigorous promotion, the "Open Passage Society" had long since broken out of the scope of the Forbidden Army System, extending into every aspect of the entire nation.

From the doddering elderly down to the toddling children, all roughly knew the program of the "Open Passage Society."

Namely, to resist the manifold injustices, oppression, and even bullying under aristocratic rule, until establishing a fair and just Great Unity world!

And with the implementation of the national policy "Overthrow the Aristocratic Clans and Distribute the Land," land annexation was greatly alleviated in a violent manner.

The suffering masses who for the first time in their lives were allotted land belonging to themselves were excited beyond measure!

It was not that they had never resisted, but they were suppressed countless times and cruelly slaughtered.

In the end they thought this world was simply like this, that their descendants could only serve as oxen and horses for the high-ranking officials' sons, to be bullied at will.

Yet they never expected that in this generation, under the leadership of His Majesty the Zhou King and the "Open Passage Society," there would actually come a day when they could turn their fate around!

As the saying goes: "Those whose desires are unified from top to bottom win!"

Besides Gu Xuan, no one expected that after one year of the New Policies, the Great Zhou Dynasty could actually erupt with such strong cohesion and centripetal force!

Of course.

For Gu Xuan, this still could not be called an advanced society by any stretch, but it was already far superior to the previous aristocratic rule!

And under his vigorous promotion, two further events of far-reaching influence occurred.

The first was the reform of the Great Zhou military system, including establishing "Open Passage Society" committees at all levels of the military administration, the national army obeying the "Open Passage Society" General Committee headed by Gu Xuan, and basic equality between officers and soldiers.

The second was combining the actual conditions of this land to research fertilizer to the greatest extent possible.

The significance of these two matters is undoubtedly profound, and they were also Gu Xuan doing his homework by following the answer key.

Naturally, however, compared to that template he referenced, the Great Zhou Dynasty obviously still lagged very far behind.

But.

Compared to the Southern Aristocratic Regime and the Quanrong Tribe outside the Western Frontier, this could absolutely be called a dimensionality reduction strike.

……

Moreover, the development of things is often dynamically influenced.

While the Great Zhou Dynasty was developing with each passing day under the promotion of the New Policies.

The Southern Aristocratic Regime naturally obtained no small amount of intelligence, and also began certain reforms.

Regardless of whether it was because they felt a certain pressure.

Led by the Lu Commandery Xie Clan, the Jiangnan Li Clan, the Langqiao Wang Clan, and the other Five Surnames and Seven Clans, the heads of the Southern regime, whether passively or actively, began to promote the so-called "Rectification."

This included cracking down on black and evil forces, partially adopting imperial examination selection, partially distributing land, and so on.

All of this, for the numerous great aristocratic clans and great clans, was tantamount to cutting their own flesh, and they were very unwilling, yet they still carried it out.

What a pity.

The so-called "Rectification" was ultimately merely a clumsy imitation of the Northern New Policies.

And due to their own interests, their own limitations, and so on, their "Rectification" became impossible to push further once it reached a certain degree.

Such a situation naturally pained the patriarchs of the several great clans and policy leaders like the sick tiger Chen Shilong greatly, yet they were helpless!

Unless they were willing to carve flesh and strip bone from themselves, achieving a thorough rebirth.

But if they did that, would they still be the original great aristocratic clans and great clans?!

Therefore, this is a chronic ill in their very bones, difficult to reverse!

And simultaneously.

Far away in the Quanrong Tribe beyond the Western Frontier, that new king also ultimately gradually stabilized his own royal authority.

He began a bloody purge of the previous opposition forces, including his own mother empress's faction, and also including the Southern Rong King who had previously invaded the Great Zhou.

Moreover, it was not only this; the new Qu Rong King had also heard the various legendary stories about that newly enthroned Zhou King within the Eastern Great Zhou Dynasty.

He had also learned, through various channels, roughly of the various new policy measures within the Great Zhou Dynasty; although some policies seemed incomprehensible to him, he did not reject his judgment on them.

There is no doubt that those Jin Ren in the East are growing increasingly powerful, and may even pose a threat to the Quanrong Tribe in the future!

This is the conclusion reached by the new Qu Rong King and his capable civil and military ministers!

After reaching such a conclusion.

The new Qu Rong King and his trusted subordinates further accelerated the integration of internal power and the enhancement of military strength.

Their goal is very simple.

That is, just like those successive Qu Rong Kings of formidable prestige over thousands of years, to forcefully subjugate this Jin Ren nation, the Great Zhou Dynasty!

Even this time, the new Qu Rong King's aim goes a step further: to completely sever the Jin Ren's path of revival!

If possible, he would behead that newly enthroned Zhou King rumored to possess the valor of the Great Zhou High Ancestor, enslave all Jin Ren as slaves of the Quanrong Tribe, and turn their fields into pastures for the Quanrong Tribe.

……

The movements of the Southern Aristocratic Regime and the Quanrong Tribe were both detected by the dark agents of the Great Zhou Dynasty's Protectorate Guard.

This intelligence was fed back to the desk of His Majesty the Zhou King, Gu Xuan, via military carrier pigeons.

And now, within the Great Zhou's highest authority organ — the "Open Passage Society" Central Committee headed by Gu Xuan — the other committee members also saw this intelligence.

"Time waits for no one; we must divide and govern as soon as possible!"

This is the first instinct of all decision-makers, including Gu Xuan.

If we do not seize the initiative and first eliminate either the Southern Aristocratic Regime or one side of the Quanrong Tribe, we will likely once again fall into the passive situation of being attacked from both sides.

Although the current Great Zhou Dynasty is already vastly different from the past, whether in internal cohesion or military strength, both have reached a brand-new height.

However, if a two-front war truly breaks out, it will obviously still be relatively passive.

Therefore.

On this day.

Under Gu Xuan's chairmanship, the "Open Passage Society" Central Committee finally passed the pre-established "South First, West Later" grand strategy decision, and finalized numerous matters concerning the southern campaign.

With the resolution of the highest decision-making organ issued, this terrifying war machine of the Great Zhou Dynasty was ultimately set in motion!

First, the Northern Border Army Group headed by Jiang Bu Shi holds the north, guarding against the numerous minor tribes beyond the Northern Border, to prevent unforeseen complications.

Second, Yu Chi Rui's legion and another Western Army legion stand ready in strict defense, preventing harassment by the Quanrong Tribe, and stabilizing the Western Border.

Third, Gu Xuan personally commands the expanded fifty thousand "Great Unity Army" to campaign against the Southern Aristocratic Regime, aiming to end the North-South division in one stroke and unify all Great Zhou territory.

The so-called "Great Unity Army" is actually the grand army group formed after the previous thirty thousand Forbidden Army underwent selection of the best and expansion.

And from this battle onward, the original Northern Border Army and Western Border Army will also change their designations, renamed as "Great Unity Army Northern Army", "Great Unity Army Western Army", and so on.

And from the perspective of military deployment.

These fifty thousand "Great Unity Army" are also divided into two routes, to pincer-attack the Southern Aristocratic Regime.

Among this, Gu Xuan directly leads thirty thousand, advancing via the eastern route.

The former Bu Shi Lang, Yue Jing — that is, a famed Imperial General who has newly risen — commands the remaining twenty thousand, thrusting via the western route.

As for the remaining "Open Passage Society" Central Committee members, including the former Palace Attendant Censor Luo Zheng and other confidants of Gu Xuan, they remain in the Imperial Capital to oversee all logistical operations, the continued implementation of new policies, and so on.

And in fact.

With Gu Xuan's peerless martial power sufficient to contend against a thousand men, and Yue Jing's military strategy akin to Han Bai, the military advance is not a source of worry.

Relatively speaking, Gu Xuan deeply knows that what is truly more worthy of attention is the matter of logistical support.

"All supplies needed by the three armies, baggage and sundry affairs all prepared, must be properly and fully arranged before troops can be raised. Provisions, fodder, and funds must suffice for two months to two and a half months. Especially must be careful in mobilizing the people's strength, relying on the people as the foundation, working together with one heart to sustain war and defense."

This is the highest military order he issued in the name of the "Open Passage Society" Central Committee.

Generally speaking, it means broadly mobilizing the masses, relying on the masses, and going all out to support the front lines.

And with the North having already basically completed "overthrow the aristocratic clans and distribute the land", imperial examination selection of talent, and striking down numerous evil forces, the overwhelming majority of Cold Gate disciples and suffering commoners all erupted with extremely high enthusiasm of support.

This situation of unity of purpose between upper and lower ranks has never before appeared on this land!

For the Southern Aristocratic Regime, this is undoubtedly a dimension-reducing strike force that destroys withered wood and pulls rotten stumps!

This is a torrent of the era, and also an inevitable trend.

In merely about one month's time, the two southern campaign armies of Gu Xuan and Yue Jing, like splitting bamboo, captured the capital of the Southern Aristocratic Regime, also announcing its basic annihilation.

Whether the top-tier aristocratic clans headed by the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, or the hundreds of secondary clans large and small, as well as the so-called Sick Tiger Chen Shilong and the like, all were swept clean in one go.

As the saying goes, "When fortune comes, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune departs, heroes are not free," and they do not even count as heroes.

This force has dominated this land for thousands of years, and never has any power been able to truly shake them.

Yet now, under the new policy force led by Gu Xuan, they melt like ice and snow, dissolving into nothingness, like vampires encountering sunlight.

Naturally.

During this process, there was naturally also the assistance of the "Open Passage Society" secretly mobilizing the bottom-level commoners in the South, for people also know which side represents true fairness and progress.

This southern campaign, from start to finish, took less than two months, surprising even Gu Xuan and the others slightly.

And the Quanrong Tribe also completely failed to react in time; otherwise they might possibly have launched harassment as a containment.

After pacifying the Aristocratic Regime, the new policies were naturally rolled out on a large scale in the South as well.

With the ready-made template in the North, and numerous talents with ample experience, the dark aristocratic forces that had plagued the Great Zhou Dynasty for thousands of years ultimately met their complete end.

The "Open Passage Society" program was thus implemented throughout the entire Jin Ren nation, and the Great Zhou Dynasty seemed to welcome a rebirth!

……

And simultaneously.

Perhaps sensing some crisis in the dark, the Quanrong Tribe side also rapidly accelerated the process of annihilating opposition forces and integrating the whole tribe's military strength.

And this generation's Qu Rong King is exceptionally cold-blooded, ruthless, and cruel.

Toward his political enemies, even his mother consort and brothers, he shows not the slightest mercy — either imprisoning them or killing them directly; not a single one of his other followers escaped.

By this time, he had ultimately completely stabilized his royal authority, integrating all internal military forces.

Without exaggeration, a generation of Quanrong military strongmen had been born!

Commanding three hundred thousand archers, this was also rare among the Quanrong regimes of past dynasties!

If encountering an ordinary Zhou King, or the aristocratic dynasty after the Sima Clan's usurpation succeeded, the Jin Ren would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat!

Even the complete fall of the entire Great Zhou northwest border, and the tragic fate of many Jin Ren facing burning, killing, looting, and plundering, was also foreseeable.

For thousands of years, the Quanrong Tribe had continuously harassed this Great Zhou, killing and plundering an unknown number of Jin Ren.

However, this generation of the Quanrong encountered the Great Zhou Jin Ren led by Gu Xuan and the "Open Passage Society"!

And the so-called "three hundred thousand archers," as well as the Quanrong cavalry's guerrilla advantage of "fight if you can win, run if you can't," in Gu Xuan's view, were also not something that couldn't be cracked.

After three years of unifying the whole territory and implementing New Policies, the Great Zhou Dynasty's National Power, Military Strength, and cohesion also reached a Peak unprecedented in history.

Simultaneously, under Gu Xuan's special promotion, intelligence infiltration against the Quanrong, domestic military technology development, and so on, also rose to a new level.

Finally.

In the fourth year of Gu Xuan's arrival, he, Yue Jing, and Yu Chi Rui each led tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry legions out of the frontier, engaging in a thorough settlement with the Quanrong Tribe.

With intelligence support covering sky and earth from the Protector Guards, other minor clans, etc.

The Great Zhou's three-route legions, like precise positioning, successively located and swept away several hundred thousand of the Quanrong's vital forces, the Quanrong Tribe was almost annihilated!

Towards this ferocious Alien Race that had harassed and slaughtered the Jin Ren for thousands of years, the Great Zhou officers and soldiers showed not a shred of mercy, in the end even erecting Nine Jingguan to deter the many Alien Races with ulterior motives!

And after this, Gu Xuan's Red Dust tempering on this land also ultimately reached a node.

(Chapter End)