I Can Control My Ancestors-Chapter 157 - 59: The Reform’s Upheaval, Life and Death on the Edge

Chapter 157: Chapter 59: The Reform’s Upheaval, Life and Death on the Edge

Hedong.

Ever since Gu Xi’s great defeat of Zhang Jiao in Jizhou State, Dong Zhuo has been thriving in the chaos.

With the elite forces under his command, he has repeatedly triumphed against the morale-broken Yellow Turban Army, basking in limitless glory.

He originally intended to seize this opportunity.

To achieve more merits and, once the situation stabilizes, gain a higher position.

However, unexpectedly, he suddenly received a decree from He Jin.

"Wen You, take a look, what does the Grand General mean by this? Ordering me to station troops in Anyi?" Dong Zhuo frowned deeply, his face full of confusion.

As he spoke, he handed the decree to the resourceful scholar, Li Ru, by his side.

Li Ru received the decree and carefully studied it, his expression gradually becoming grave.

After pondering for a long time, he seemed to catch the hidden intrigue within.

Then, he gently shook his head, revealing a meaningful smile: "Lord Ming."

"Judging by the timing, this decree was clearly issued by He Jin before the Grand Tutor’s return to the capital."

"This move clearly intends to use you to check the Grand Tutor."

"Check the Grand Tutor?" Dong Zhuo was stunned upon hearing this, instinctively shaking his head in disbelief, "Is He Jin crazy?"

"How does he think I can check the Grand Tutor?"

"Merely taking advantage of the situation, Lord Ming need not mind," Li Ru chuckled softly, originally intending to assure Dong Zhuo not to worry about it.

But at that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, his eyes lit up sharply, and he changed his tone: "Lord Ming, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Opportunity?" Dong Zhuo was utterly bewildered, his frown deepening, looking at Li Ru with confusion, "Wen You, are you crazy as well?"

"Do you really want me to oppose the Grand Tutor?"

For him, someone from a local powerful family, this was simply a fantasy.

He merely wanted to accumulate more merits and improve his political status.

"I certainly don’t mean that." Li Ru quickly waved his hand, his excitement growing, "He Jin is the Grand General, with the authority to command the nation’s armies."

"Now that he has issued a decree, how can we disobey?"

He fixed his eyes on Dong Zhuo with a solemn expression, "Anyi is a critical town in Hedong, controlling the grain routes of the Fen River in the north, and the strategic passes of Xiaohan in the south."

"Lord Ming can completely take advantage of the order and station troops here."

Li Ru paused slightly, his face becoming more serious, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness, "Considering the current situation."

"I believe that should anything happen to the Grand Tutor, the Great Han faces the risk of collapse."

"If the situation truly changes drastically then."

"Lord Ming at Anyi would be able to advance and retreat freely, wouldn’t he?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo was momentarily stunned, never having considered the problem from this perspective.

This indeed seemed like a good opportunity.

But due to his fear of Gu Xi, he instinctively shook his head, "How could the Grand Tutor tolerate me stationing troops in Anyi?"

"Lord Ming only needs to advance slowly, using the excuse of suppressing bandits to buy time."

Li Ru smiled confidently, his voice firm, "And even if the Grand Tutor notices something amiss, what could he do?"

"By taking this action, Lord Ming would be obeying the decree. Even if the Grand Tutor holds someone accountable, it would fall on He Jin."

"And moreover, Lord Ming must not forget...."

At this point, Li Ru paused slightly, deliberately lowering his voice, "The Grand Tutor is now over ninety years old."

"Although people believe he wouldn’t pass away before the world is settled."

"But Lord Ming must know, who in this world does not die?"

"Even the likes of the past Guangwu Emperor and Marquis Wencheng eventually succumbed to time."

"So how could the Grand Tutor be an exception?"

"If anything happens to the Grand Tutor, Lord Ming could lead troops to the capital and become the next Grand Tutor, couldn’t he?"

Thump... thump... thump...

Dong Zhuo felt his heartbeat accelerating, almost leaping out of his throat.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

He fixed his gaze on Li Ru before him, remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded, forcing out a word from between his teeth:

"Good!"....

.....

Gu Xi had indeed changed.

Since returning to the capital this time, he seemed like a different person.

He acted decisively, with no trace of mercy.

Just after the Luoshui River ritual.

Gu Xi held a grand enthronement ceremony for Liu Bian, announcing the new era name "Zhao Ning."

Implying the Great Han’s stabilization.

Through his actions, he demonstrated his determination to the entire world.

——Gu Xi intended to rescue the Great Han in its time of peril!

Once everything was settled, Gu Xi set his sights on the rebellion in Liangzhou.

He naturally would not choose to leave Luoyang at such a time.

Just as before, he coordinated all directions from within Luoyang!

Gu Xi held great prestige in Liangzhou.

During the past natural disasters in Kyushu, Gu Xi was the first to rush to Liangzhou, personally overseeing local administration.

This earned him significant acclaim among the various tribes.

And most crucially, Gu Xi was well aware of why these people rebelled.

His action of killing the eunuchs was precisely because of this.

After stabilizing hearts in Luoyang, Gu Xi immediately sent envoys to Liangzhou to deliver messages to the tribes.

——Stating that he wouldn’t hold them accountable for raising troops this time, if they withdrew to Liangzhou, he would let bygones be bygones.

This was an open strategy.

For the current Gu Xi.

No rebellion in the form of any alliance was worth mentioning.

Because human nature is inherently unpredictable.

Facing someone like Gu Xi, who seemed like an immortal, fear would surely arise in people’s hearts.

And Gu Xi intended to offer them a way out.

Thus magnifying this fear.

The effect of this strategy was evident, especially after Huangfu Song headed to the tri-regional area, halting the rebel army’s advance.