I Can Control My Ancestors-Chapter 142 - 54: Stalemate in the Situation, Gu Xi Deploys Troops

Chapter 142: Chapter 54: Stalemate in the Situation, Gu Xi Deploys Troops

This sudden turmoil can be said to have completely shattered the common conceptions entrenched in people’s minds.

It made everyone realize one thing.

——The Han Army is not invincible in the world.

This caused a great impact on public sentiment.

Nevertheless, the court’s measures were effective; lifting restrictions on the partisans indeed stabilized many people’s emotions to some extent.

The next thing to observe is how the war unfolds.

Huangfu Song indeed was a valiant general.

He was originally a descendant of a family of generals.

The most crucial part is that he once followed Gu Xi in quelling rebellions, learning quite a bit from it.

Faced with the situation that the Yellow Turban Army mainly consisted of displaced civilians, he quickly formulated detailed military strategies.

——First steady the hearts of the common people.

In this feudal era, people’s thoughts are quite simple; they only wish to survive.

Unless pushed to desperation, feeling hopeless, they will not rebel.

Gu Xi understood this very well, so during disaster relief operations, he strove to let the people feel a hope for the future.

Huangfu Song now bases his actions on this.

He first strove to stabilize the people who had not rebelled, rigorously dealt with corrupt officials, provided relief to the restless displaced people, and extensively publicized these actions.

This indeed had a certain impact on the morale of the Yellow Turban Army.

But the failure lay in the court not employing Gu Xi.

Human nature has always been like this.

The people’s anticipation of Gu Xi has been too long, connected to several generations.

This anticipation had not faded over time.

On the contrary, it grew stronger.

Even in the current situation, the absence of Gu Xi led to deep disappointment among these families.

This matter cannot be easily resolved by small-scale measures alone.

The people are thoroughly disappointed with the court.

——Only a true major battle can completely turn the tide.

But now the morale of the Yellow Turban Army has reached an unprecedented height.

Continuously capturing states and counties has given them great confidence.

In contrast, the morale of the Han Army seems somewhat diminished.

Although the Han Army’s weapons and equipment indeed hold advantages, these cannot make up for the gap in morale.

And the crucial point is that the Yellow Turban Army largely consists of displaced civilians who have a strong resentment towards the Han Dynasty court.

Due to these factors, the first battle faced by the Han court against the Yellow Turban Army, just like in history, resulted in defeats at the hands of the Yellow Turban Army.

Though it wasn’t an utter defeat.

But the blow to morale was still considerable.

However, Liu Hong’s policy of "abolishing historical officials and appointing shepherds" indeed hindered the Yellow Turban Army’s advance, slowing their pace considerably.

In this scenario, both sides engaged in a bewildering tug-of-war, with victories and defeats in various states and counties.

But this inability to directly suppress the rebels inevitably incited unrest among the people.

Moreover, as time dragged on, this situation became even more severe.

This might be an alteration occurring due to the Gu Clan.

Zhang Jiao’s overall strength indeed surpassed its historical precedent significantly.

Through judgment about the people’s state of mind, including commanding an army.

His current capabilities far exceed those in the original history.

In this situation, seeing that the court truly could not subdue the Yellow Turbans directly.

The gloom in Luoyang City thickened further.

Finally, after nearly five months, Liu Hong finally bowed his noble head and personally sent someone to the Champion Marquis Mansion to request Gu Xi to come forth.

...

Luoyang.

The atmosphere was extraordinarily tense.

Gu Xi slowly lifted the curtain of the carriage, his gaze as deep as a cold pond, quietly observing the scene within the Imperial Palace.

The palace before him was no longer what it used to be, the changes were so great that even this elder who knew it intimately felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

This was once a place where he poured out his effort, assisting the Emperor.

Now it witnessed the decay and decline of the dynasty.

At this moment, within the North Palace.

Liu Hong’s mood was utterly terrible.

If there was any option left, he would by no means summon Gu Xi.

Because Gu Xi’s identity was exceptionally special.

Not only the eunuchs under him dared not act against Gu Xi, even Liu Hong himself, as the Emperor, dared not act against him.

Any action might indeed cause universal rebellion.

For an Emperor intending to have sole power, this was a nearly unacceptable reality.

Yet now he had to bow his head.

Liu Hong was not a fool, he was well aware that if the current situation continued unchecked, the Great Han was in real danger of perishing.

Under no condition could he be the King of a Defeated Country, this was Liu Hong’s bottom line.

Beside him, a group of attendants kept their heads down, faces filled with worry.

They didn’t even dare to face Gu Xi.

Yet Liu Hong insisted they remain there.

Liu Hong had long made up his mind; if Gu Xi got angry, he would use these eunuchs as scapegoats, preserving the face of the Emperor.

Opposite the eunuchs stood He Jin, the current Grand General.

Though he strained to maintain his expression, his eyes revealed undeniable tension.

After all, this was the Grand Tutor!

He Jin always wanted the He Clan to enter the circle of the influential clans.

After all, being related to the imperial family was only temporary.

If they could enter the circle of influential clans, the benefits for the He Clan would be immense.

The Gu Clan stood at the pinnacle among influential clans, its influence and status evoked both reverence and yearning in He Jin.

How could he not be anxious?

The entire atmosphere inside the hall was extraordinarily peculiar amid this subtle state.