Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 80 Liu Bei meets Gu Chen and vows to revive the Han Dynasty

——Nanyang.

Since Zhuge Xuan passed away, Zhuge Liang has been living in seclusion in Longzhong.

And he calls himself "Wolong".

This behavior naturally earned the disdain of most people.

Even though we know that Zhuge Liang was a disciple of the Gu family, this arrogant tone still makes people dissatisfied.

Only those who were familiar with Zhuge Liang believed in his talents.

And Liu Bei was one of them.

Liu Bei attached great importance to this meeting with Zhuge Liang.

As soon as he arrived in Longzhong, he changed his way of walking by leading his horse to show his sincerity.

This made Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun all somewhat reluctant.

Liu Bei's reputation is not low now.

Even though he is now dependent on Liu Biao, he is still a vassal state in the world and a powerful ruler.

The key is--

He also enjoys a high reputation among the people.

Everyone in the world has heard of Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence.

On the other hand, Zhuge Liang now has no official position or prestige at all.

Guan, Zhang and Zhao were all Liu Bei's confidants, so how could he be willing to accept this?
"Brother, Zhuge Liang is not as senior as you, and your presence in person is a testament to your sincerity."

"Why do we need to dismount and walk?"

Guan Yu frowned slightly and said to Liu Bei.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei also nodded, obviously agreeing with Guan Yu's words.

But Liu Bei shook his head and said solemnly, "When King Wen of Zhou met Jiang Ziya, he would rather pull the carriage himself."

"Even King Wen of Zhou treated great talents like this, let alone me, Liu Bei?"

Liu Bei's attitude was very firm.

Upon hearing this, Guan, Zhang and Zhao could only remain silent no matter how unwilling they were.

The four of them walked towards the forest.

Liu Bei had walked this road twice before and was very familiar with it.

When he saw the familiar thatched cottage again, his expression became more complicated.

clang!clang!clang!
He walked slowly forward and rang the door knocker.

Not long after, a boy slowly opened the door and walked out.

Before Liu Bei could say anything, the boy laughed and said, "Please come in, Lord Xuande. My master has been waiting for a long time."

"Ok?"

Liu Bei was stunned for a moment and couldn't help asking, "Mr. Zhuge, did you already know that I would be coming?"

"The gentleman said to his friend."

The boy did not hide anything, and his smile grew even wider. "If Lord Xuande truly wants to revive the Han Dynasty, he will definitely come."

"The master even made a bet with his friend that Lord Xuande would definitely come."

"Today is the last day."

"As expected, Lord Xuande is here after all."

Hearing this, the surprise on Liu Bei's face became even more intense.

Without any hesitation, he followed the boy into the thatched cottage.

Before I even entered the door, I heard clear laughter coming from the thatched cottage.

At this moment, a trace of nervousness flashed across Liu Bei's face. After tidying up his clothes, he slowly walked out.

At this time in the thatched cottage, Zhuge Liang was having a lively conversation with Xu Shu.

See Liu Bei walk in.

Zhuge Liang smiled calmly, looked at Xu Shu and said, "How is Yuanzhi?"

"Kong Ming is as wise as a god. I lost."

Xu Shu shook his head helplessly, but there was still a smile on his face.

In fact, he had long wanted to join Liu Bei.

Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence did attract many people.

But he was stopped by Zhuge Liang.

It is because of Gu Xi’s precedent that Zhuge Liang now has extremely high requirements for a wise leader.

For him.

If Liu Bei was truly a wise leader, he would have come to Longzhong no matter what.

He didn't believe it at first.

After all, not having met a person twice was already a loss of face for the princes, so how could there be any reason for him to visit for the third time?
Now it was clear that he had lost.

"Liu Bei greets the two gentlemen."

Liu Bei was not at all impolite, as if he didn't care about his status at all, and was the first to salute the two of them.

"Greetings, Lord Xuande."

The two of them bowed in return.

Zhuge Liang introduced Xu Shu's identity again, and said with a faint smile, "Don't be offended, Lord Xuande. Yuanzhi has long wanted to go and seek refuge with Lord Xuande, but I stopped him."

"A wise bird chooses its own tree to roost in. How can I blame you, sir?"

Liu Bei's expression did not change at all. He waited for the boy to bring a rush cushion before sitting down.

He wanted to ask directly for advice.

However, Zhuge Liang was the first to speak with a smile: "General, I haven't seen you for many years. Now that we meet again, we must drink and reminisce about the past."

Liu Bei immediately suppressed all the words in his heart and nodded slightly.

The three of them drank.

Zhuge Liang never talked about the current situation in the world from beginning to end.

Just talking about the past.

Liu Bei occasionally spoke in agreement.

After three rounds of drinking, Zhuge Liang finally looked at Liu Bei and said, "I see that Lord Xuande is quite quiet, but are you dissatisfied with the wine in my thatched cottage?"

"Don't blame me, sir." Liu Bei bowed and sighed, "I am just sad."

"Although you two gentlemen live in a thatched cottage, there is an air of peace within it."

"But now, our great Han Dynasty is in turmoil, with warlords fighting for power in all directions."

"While I am determined to support the Han Dynasty, I cannot help but feel sad."

Liu Bei paused as he spoke, looking at the two men with a complicated gaze. He suddenly stood up and bowed to them: "I have the will but not the ability, but you two gentlemen both have the talent to save the world."

"Please prepare for the two gentlemen's instruction."

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

Xu Shu stared at Liu Bei closely, with a gleam in his eyes.

Although it was our first meeting.

He had already completely felt Liu Bei's sincerity.

What Liu Bei did is definitely a rare quality in today's world.

However, he did not say anything so as not to represent the host as the guest.

"Lord Xuande, please get up quickly." Zhuge Liang quickly stood up and went to support Liu Bei.

But Liu Bei insisted on doing so and asked for advice again.

Seeing this, Zhuge Liang finally stopped talking. His expression gradually became serious. He looked at Liu Bei and said, "Lord Xuande, do you still remember what I said before?"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei repeated what Zhuge Liang had said.

Exactly!
He has been thinking about these words over the years.

It is precisely because of this that we increasingly feel that Zhuge Liang is extraordinary.

"Why hasn't Lord Xuande traveled west to consult with us yet?" Zhuge Liang asked again.

This simple sentence instantly silenced Liu Bei.

Perhaps it is because he received Gu’s education since childhood.

For many things.

Zhuge Liang saw it very clearly.

He didn't care about Gu Chen's act of murdering Empress Dowager He in the past.

To him, the crimes committed by Empress Dowager He and He Jin made them no longer worthy of being called the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty.

"Given the current state of affairs, does Lord Xuande truly believe he can single-handedly support the Han Dynasty?"

Seeing Liu Bei's silence, Zhuge Liang spoke again: "Cao Cao now occupies the four provinces of Ji, You, Yu and Yang."

"Although Xuzhou is nominally under Tao Qian's command, Cao Cao can take it at any time."

"For Cao Cao, he has already gained most of the world."

"Could it be that Lord Xuande believes that Jingzhou alone is enough to challenge most of the world?"

Zhuge Liang shook his head. "Jingzhou Liu Biao is already old and can no longer fully control the Jingzhou clans."

"Liu Zhang of Yizhou, having just succeeded Liu Yan, was greedy for pleasure."

"Could it be that Lord Xuande believes these clan members can truly rival Cao Cao?"

This series of questions was like a thorn that pierced Liu Bei's heart.

How could he not know this?

Ever since he joined forces with Cao Cao in Yanzhou to fight against Yuan Shao, he had already seen the characters of these clan members.

Otherwise I wouldn't be so sad.

It’s just that humans have always been good at deceiving themselves.

Liu Bei was also among them.

Zhuge Liang's words now point out all of this.

"Although the current situation seems stable, there are actually undercurrents."

"Sun Ce dominates Jiangdong."

"This man and the Young Master Gu have a patricide vengeance. Cao Cao will definitely choose to join forces with Sun Ce one day."

"Let Sun Ce attack Jing to hold back Lord Xuande's army."

"By then, Cao Cao will surely launch an attack on the capital and encircle Bingzhou."

"If Cao Cao wins."

"Lord Xuande, who do you think will rule the Han Dynasty?"

Liu Bei's expression became more complicated.

These words were indeed a huge blow to him.

Zhuge Liang naturally understood what Liu Bei was thinking and continued, "Ever since Emperor Guangwu revived the Han Dynasty, the Gu family has been the pillar of the Han Dynasty."

"First, the Marquis of Zhongwu helped Emperor Guangwu conquer the world and defend the region."

"Later, there were Wencheng and Huanhou, who brought order to the country and pacified the Western Regions."

"The late Lord Gu was entrusted with the care of the orphan by Emperor Xiaohe. He supported the emperor three times and brought peace to the world. He was like a foster father to several emperors of the Han Dynasty."

"Our Han dynasty ruled the world with filial piety, but Lord Gu was ultimately labeled a 'loyal and stern man.'"

"Could it be that now in Lord Xuande's mind?"

"The young master of the Gu family, who had never claimed the throne, has become a traitor like Cao Cao."

"And these relatives who are indifferent to the rise and fall of the Han Dynasty are still loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty?"

Zhuge Liang's tone was always so calm.

But whether it is Liu Bei or Xu Shu.

These few light words were like thunder, constantly exploding in the ears of the two.

The limitations of the times are here.

Only a very few people can escape from it a little.

This is clearly the case with Zhuge Liang now.

Under Gu's education, given his talent, he is now even more clear-headed than in the original history.

Liu Bei was completely silent.

Countless images will continue to emerge in his mind.

Is there anything wrong with what Zhuge Liang said?

not at all!
Liu Bei's attitude towards Liu clan members was indeed different from Gu Chen's.

Even though he knew that it would be difficult for the Liu family princes to rule the world, his first target at that time was still to find Liu Biao.

This has already explained his attitude invisibly.

If we want to compete with Cao Cao, which prince today can compare with Gu Chen?
He thought about Tao Qian and Liu Biao
But he never thought of Gu Chen from beginning to end.

Gu Chen's actions in Luoyang were always like a thorn in Liu Bei's side.

But if you think about it carefully.

What else did Gu Chen do?

From the beginning to the end, Gu Chen was trying to quell the rebellion and eliminate the bandits.

Even though he held the imperial seal, he never made any move to claim to be king or dominate the world.

And what he did was far beyond those so-called clan nobles.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei's expression only became more complicated.

Zhuge Liang didn't say much this time.

He was already pointing out the way for Liu Bei.

No matter how sincere Liu Bei is, if he cannot overcome the hurdle in his heart, he cannot be considered a wise leader.

Zhuge Liang had absolute confidence in his abilities.

He didn't want to repeat the same mistake.

What he is always waiting for is a true and wise leader.

Just like the Emperor Guangwu and Emperor Ming of the past.

Zhuge Liang returned to his seat and smiled at the stunned Xu Shu: "Yuanzhi, have a drink."

"Kong Ming!"

Xu Shu seemed to have a lot to say, but seeing Zhuge Liang shaking his head slightly, he had to endure it, picked up the wine cup, and drank with Zhuge Liang from a distance.

Liu Bei said nothing, his brows furrowed.

The friction between his firm belief and reality kept him thinking.

His expression kept changing.

After a long while, he bowed to Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu again and said, "Thank you very much for your guidance, sir."

"If you don't give up"

Before he could finish, Zhuge Liang interrupted him: "Lord Xuande, there is no need to say more. If you vow to revive the Han Dynasty, I will certainly visit you."

Liu Bei was silent again. He didn't say anything else, but bowed to the two of them again and walked out of the thatched cottage.

"Kong Ming, didn't you say that Lord Xuande was an illustrious ruler?"

"Why do you have to do this?"

Seeing Liu Bei walk out, Xu Shu could no longer bear it and asked.

"Yuan Nao."

Zhuge Liang smiled, his eyes still bright: "Liang's ambition is to stabilize the country and prosper the world."

"Lord Xuande is a wise ruler."

"But if he can't get over this hurdle in his heart, then Yu Liang will never be a good tree."

After saying that, he also shook his head helplessly.

Hearing this, Xu Shu couldn't help but fall silent.

"Brother, is Kong Ming willing to follow?"

On the other side, Liu Bei had just stepped out of the thatched cottage when Zhang Fei, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately came up to him and asked.

Liu Bei didn't say much.

He just looked at the three people seriously and said seriously: "Follow me to Luoyang!"

Gu Chen had never expected that Liu Bei would suddenly come to visit him.

He didn't even bring any soldiers with him.

This is definitely a very risky move.

If Gu Chen forced Liu Bei to stay, the troops under his command would be in chaos.

Even Gu Wei, Xun Yu and others were very surprised by this.

However, they quickly guessed the purpose of Liu Bei's trip, and at the same time they couldn't help but talk about another thing.

"Zi Yan, what do you think of Liu Bei?"

Gu Wei looked at Gu Chen and asked.

Hearing this, Xun Yu's eyes lit up and he immediately looked at Gu Chen.

"Among the Liu clan, he might be the best."

Gu Chen did not hide anything. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "But for us, he may not be a wise leader."

Through Liu Bei's various actions.

Gu Chen could naturally guess some of his thoughts.

"I'm afraid this time it will be different." Xun Yu suddenly smiled and then asked, "If Liu Bei had a wise leader, would you have made Liu Bei the heir?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present fell silent.

This question is actually not a secret.

Gu Chen would not choose to sacrifice his family for the country, otherwise the Julu Gu family would not be the only one among them.

This is also the reason why their generation was deeply influenced by Gu Xi.

According to Gu Yi's judgment.

If their generation cannot quell the chaos, under such circumstances, the next generation of Gu family members will definitely have this kind of thoughts.

In troubled times, too many people will eventually become ambitious.

After all, the Gu family's ancestral teachings cannot continue to have an impact forever.

This time, Gu Chen also fell silent.

In fact, during this period of time, they have already investigated some members of the Liu clan.

After all, Gu Chen's original idea was to establish a monarch after conquering the entire world.

Now I have the imperial seal in my hand.

For Gu Chen, establishing another emperor of the Liu family to seize the title of orthodoxy would definitely be of great help to the current situation.

But unfortunately, none of the people he examined were to Gu Chen's liking.

It's not that he hadn't thought about educating him since he was a teenager, just like Gu Xi did back then.

But in the end I gave up.

The situation is different.

This move might be feasible in prosperous times, but it seems unrealistic in the current chaotic times.

He was silent for a long time, then waved his hand and said, "It's too early to discuss this now. Let's meet Liu Xuande first and then discuss it."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
This matter is bound to have a huge impact.

Even Gu Yi was quite concerned about this.

Gu Chen did not make any corresponding arrangements because of Liu Bei's arrival.

But Liu Bei still felt the obvious difference.

On the way to Luoyang, although there were still many refugees, there was no chaos at all.

and--

Liu Bei finally saw some smiles on the faces of the people.

Even though they all have disheveled hair and look haggard.

But compared to the previous despair and numbness.

They finally have hope for the future again.

The contrast is huge.

It is precisely because of this that Liu Bei’s thoughts became increasingly complicated.

In fact, among all the provinces and counties in the world today, Jingzhou is considered to be slightly better.

But I have never seen so many smiles on the faces of the people.

This situation becomes more obvious the closer you get to Luoyang.

Even Guan, Zhang and Zhao were silent.

Finally, with mixed feelings, Liu Bei finally arrived in Luoyang.

Compared with the past.

It seems that nothing has changed in Luoyang, yet everything has changed.

Gu Chen met Liu Bei at the Marquis of Guanjun's mansion.

Today it has become the center of Luoyang.

As for the Imperial Palace—

Apart from the dedicated caretakers and guards, there was no one else in the palace.

This time, Liu Bei brought in Guan, Zhang and Zhao.

"Greetings, Master Ziyan."

As soon as Fang Fu entered the hall, Liu Bei was the first to salute Gu Chen, and then everyone present said: "Greetings, gentlemen."

Guan, Zhang and Zhao also saluted.

All three of them are passionate people.

Whether it was the Gu family or Gu Chen's behavior, they were enough to gain the respect of the three.

"Greetings, Lord Xuande."

Everyone immediately returned the greeting.

Gu Chen didn't say much, but Gu Wei spoke first, with a faint smile on his face: "I haven't seen Lord Xuande for many years. Seeing you today is better than ever."

"Same goes for you, young master."

Liu Bei naturally remembered Gu Wei and quickly saluted again.

But Gu Wei stopped him directly: "Hey, Lord Xuande, why do you have to do this?"

"Sir, there's no need to dissuade me."

Liu Bei's expression was very serious. "I once had a prejudice against you two gentlemen, but now I have been enlightened and have come to my senses. I come here to apologize for my sins."

"Only Mr. Yuan and you will forgive me."

No one expected Liu Bei to be so direct.

These words made the expressions of everyone present change slightly.

Even Gu Chen was stunned for a moment.

Liu Bei sighed softly, bowed earnestly to Gu Wei, and then looked at Gu Chen again.

He knelt directly in front of Gu Chen without any airs, sighed softly and said slowly: "I have been traveling all the way and observing the changes in the capital. I feel that it has already been reminiscent of the style of the time of Emperor Guangwu and Ming."

"This is truly a profound regret!"

"Since Emperor Guangwu restored the Han Dynasty, the Gu family has been loyal and righteous for generations, and has been the pillar of the Han Dynasty."

"Emperors Huan and Ling were foolish and ignorant, and they failed your family. The He family's misrule is truly a scourge to the country."

"Your actions in eliminating the traitors are truly a blessing that brings us back to the present day."

"What I did to Master Ziyan in the past was actually due to a personal grudge."

"Now I know that this is a woman's opinion. What a sin!"

As he said this, he bowed to Gu Chen seriously again.

The whole hall was silent.

Everyone looked at Liu Bei in shock. They had never expected Liu Bei to be so direct.

Liu Bei's expression did not change at all.

Once he makes up his mind about something, he won't waver easily.

That's the kind of person he is!

The changes in the capital region have completely woken him up and made him realize how to deal with the current situation in the world.

The Liu clan was not enough to revitalize the Han Dynasty;

Liu Bian and Liu Xie were not recognized by Gu Chen;
If he wanted to revive the Han Dynasty, why couldn't he follow the path of Emperor Guangwu?
Join forces with Gu Chen and rectify the world!

Just like Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu and Marquis Zhongwu Gu Xiao back then?

He also didn't know whether Gu Chen would approve of him.

But there are some things and some words that he must do after all.

"I have come to this point, firstly to apologize for my crime, and secondly to work with you on a grand plan."

"Although my talent and virtue are limited, I am willing to take the lead and go through fire and water to repay the Han Dynasty."

"If I can restore the imperial legacy in the future, I will personally lead my ministers and report this to Heaven and Earth, the ancestral temples, and the people of the world."

"The temple names of Huan and Ling were abolished, the honorific title of He was taken away, a monument was rebuilt for Gu Gong, and his posthumous title was changed."

After saying that, Liu Bei bowed to Gu Chen again.

Gu Yi has been watching all this closely, and his heart is extremely complicated at this moment.

He also couldn't expect that Liu Bei would be like this.

But after thinking about it carefully, I felt relieved.

After all, the emergence of the Gu family has invisibly changed too many things.

In fact, everything that is happening now is just like what happened back then.

Back then, he controlled Gu Xiao in Hebei and led his elite troops to surrender directly to Liu Xiu.

Now this scene seems to be happening again.

The only difference may be that the gap in strength between the two is even greater.

After all, Gu Xiao was not very strong at the time, while Liu Xiu, although his foundation was unstable, was apparently stronger than Gu Xiao.

But things are different now.

Gu Chen now has a firm foothold in three continents and has nearly 200,000 men under his command.

And these were all places he conquered with his own hands.

The foundation is extremely solid.

On the other hand, although Liu Bei had some reputation among the world and had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, he was far inferior to Gu Chen.

Gu Yi didn't know what choice Gu Chen would make.

But he couldn't help but think about it.

Suddenly I felt that Liu Bei seemed to be quite suitable.

However, the fundamental reason for this suitability does not lie with Liu Bei.

But it was his son Liu Chan.

Liu Chan doesn't say anything else
But in terms of obedience and longevity, it can definitely be of great help to the Gu family.

Gu Yi had already made up his mind that this time he would never let the Shenzhou land sink again.

If there were an emperor like Liu Chan.

He will definitely be much more relaxed by then.

This is definitely the emperor who is most suitable for the Gu family.

However, no matter what he thought, Gu Yi never thought of interfering with Gu Chen's choice.

——Gu Chen is the variable of this era.

Whether the achievement of "Pioneer" can be completed depends entirely on Gu Chen.

How could he interfere at a time like this?
And according to Gu Chen's idea, what's wrong with establishing another one after conquering the whole world?

There was dead silence in the hall.

Everyone was silent, only looking at each other to understand.

After a while, Gu Chen finally spoke slowly, "Lord Xuande, there's no need to be so modest."

"The right and wrong, the merits and demerits, will be judged by future generations."

"A certain empty reputation is not worth mentioning."

As he spoke, he slowly stood up and said, "As for the strategy of joining forces, I agree with you."

Gu Chen would never make a judgment easily.

He had indeed never thought of sacrificing his family for the country, but his ambition was to accomplish the great cause that Gu Xi had failed to accomplish.

Unless you really meet a wise leader.

Otherwise, Gu Chen would rather clear the world and then establish his own throne.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's eyes suddenly turned red.

Although Gu Chen had just spoken.

But the worry he had always had about the big man suddenly faded a lot.
------

In the third month of the spring of the fourth year of Jian'an, Liu Bei, the governor of Qingzhou, entered Luoyang from Jingzhou to inspect the capital and investigate the civil unrest. He said to his attendants, "Gu has the strategy to stabilize the country and is the pillar of the nation."

Later he entered Luoyang and met Chen at the mansion of Marquis Guanjun.

Before he could exchange pleasantries, he suddenly straightened his hat and collar, bowed deeply to the ground, and said, "In the past, I was foolish and ignorant. I did not understand that Ziyan's execution of the He family was the true meaning of cutting off his own arm to save the Han Dynasty. I judged public loyalty by my personal feelings. This was my fault."

Although the Han dynasty is now in decline, the Mandate of Heaven remains unchanged. Although I am of little virtue and ability, I wish to emulate Emperor Guangwu's ambition to revive the Han dynasty.

If the world can be cleared, the posthumous titles of Huan and Ling will be abolished to serve as a warning to future generations.

The He clan was expelled from the family register to rectify social order;

The posthumous title of Duke Gu will be revised to honor his contributions. May Heaven and Earth bear witness to my heart!"

——"Records of Heroes in the Late Han Dynasty, Gu Chen"

(End of this chapter)