I Can Control My Ancestors-Chapter 266 - 3: Sweeping Away the Barbarians, the Blue Wolf Devours the Sun

Chapter 266: Chapter 3: Sweeping Away the Barbarians, the Blue Wolf Devours the Sun

Gu Chen didn’t even let him return to Wuhuan to give any further instructions.

He simply had someone send back Kebineng’s head to Luoyang along with him.

Then—

Gu Chen, under the name of the Great Han’s "Ten Directions Expedition Envoy," conferred titles upon the chiefs of various tribes in Yan Mountain.

Among the Xianbei, the three chiefs he selected were all mutually antagonistic individuals.

Moreover, Gu Chen took advantage of his current strength to define the spheres of influence for the three tribes.

But the most crucial part of the grassland;

He deliberately left undivided.

The intention behind this action was all too clear.

Yet under current circumstances, even if everyone could see through it, it was essentially useless.

As for the Wuhuan;

Gu Chen handled them similarly.

He intended to amplify the "competition" inherent in human nature, causing internal strife within these tribes first.

Gu Yi wasn’t sure how much impact Gu Chen’s current actions would have.

But he could also be certain.

In the short term, these foreign races had completely lost the strength to attack the Central Plains.

Zhangwu, eleventh year, April;

Gu Chen divided the lands, leading to the successive fragmentation of the Xianbei and the Wuhuan.

Thus, the Northern Border was secured.

....

The news spread continuously.

The people of Youzhou were the most excited about all this.

Only those who have lived in darkness for long can truly feel how terrifying the harassment of the Barbarian tribes was.

As for the people within the core lands of the Great Han, the impact of this matter was not significant. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Some even thought that all of this was as it should be.

Opposing Gu Chen.

Aren’t these barbarians courting death?

To the people from all sides, they were more concerned about when Gu Chen would return to Luoyang, avoiding battlefield risks, and living a bit longer.

Liu Shan, the Emperor, shared the same sentiment.

He was not at all concerned that Gu Chen had conferred titles on foreign tribes without reporting it.

He even sent letters, expressing concern about Gu Chen’s health, and expressing longing, suggesting implicitly and explicitly for Gu Chen to return to Luoyang soon.

But someone like Gu Chen was destined not to stop.

His targets were not just the Xianbei and the Wuhuan;

The Southern Barbarians, the Qiang, the Xiongnu, and even the Southwestern Barbarians.

These forces, which strengthened themselves during the chaotic times of Kyushu, were all under Gu Chen’s watch.

He didn’t know how much time he had left.

But as long as he was alive.

He would attempt to eliminate all threats thoroughly.

Even if some of these foreign races had never invaded the Great Han, Gu Chen was determined to eradicate even such potential threats at their root!

—Kyushu needs time to recover!

Decades of war have deprived Kyushu of its overwhelming strength.

This was a reality Gu Chen had to consider.

After leaving Guan Qiujian and Jiang Wei to guard Youzhou;

Gu Chen, in Zhangwu’s eleventh year, June;

mobilized the army again.

And by September, he arrived in Bingzhou State.

This time, there was no need to deploy forces; the Khan of the Southern Xiongnu, active along the Bingzhou border, fully accepted all of Gu Chen’s arrangements.

Gu Chen divided the Southern Xiongnu into five tribes.

And restricted their territories.

To prevent their unchecked development.

While ensuring their benefits, he also cut off the continuous increase in their strength.

The same September;

Gu Chen brought troops to Liangzhou State, summoning the chiefs of various Qiang tribes.

Because of Ma Chao.

The Qiang had the deepest ties with the Great Han at the time.

Even within the current Han Army, there were many Qiang cavalry, all of extraordinary strength.

But it was precisely because of this.

Gu Chen had to resort to deterrence.

—The human heart is fickle!

Today’s ally might turn into a mortal enemy tomorrow due to interests.

Gu Chen couldn’t control future events.

Nor was he aiming to ensure Great Han’s eternal prosperity, as that was destined to be impossible.

But until Kyushu regained its strength and Gu Xi’s ideals became deeply rooted in people’s hearts.

He had to eliminate all risks.

Regarding the Qiang tribes, Gu Chen’s methods were much gentler; he merely took this opportunity to conduct a thorough population survey, recording each tribe’s population.

He did not implement widespread institutional changes.

He merely sent the offspring of various tribal leaders to Luoyang for study under the guise of promotion.

Then—

Gu Chen once again headed for Jizhou State.

And during his journey, as before, he investigated the governance of the local officials.

He resembled a tireless machine, patching every possible flaw that could affect the nascent dynasty.

Even though he no longer charged like before.

But during these journeys that spanned thousands of miles, Gu Chen’s condition worsened.

The white hair on his head grew denser.

Though his overall prowess remained formidable, it was evident that Gu Chen had little time left.

This kind of news was impossible to conceal.

Upon hearing it.

Liu Shan wept bitterly, so much so that even his favorite pastime of playing with crickets failed to capture his interest.

He sent letters repeatedly hoping for Gu Chen’s return.

But Gu Chen always politely declined through formal reports.

Only when Liu Shan was about to send the third letter did Zhuge Liang intervene and stop him.

Liu Shan was initially puzzled.

He suspected Zhuge Liang was reluctant to relinquish his chancellorship power, not wanting Gu Chen to return to the capital.

But then Zhao Yun spoke up.

He could arguably be the one who understood Gu Chen the most at the time.

If not for his responsibility to maintain internal order, Zhao Yun would have eagerly followed Gu Chen.

He simply told Liu Shan.

Until everything was resolved, Gu Chen faced two possibilities.

One was dying on the road;

The other was succeeding in his missions.