Chapter 767 - 37: The People Are the Foundation of the Nation—Wencheng’s Achievements Revisited

On this day, the entire Great Song came to life in an instant.

With the assistance of many talented individuals, the matter of the entire transport reforms was quickly settled.

——This is the current Great Song.

The help brought by the Gu Academy was extremely significant to those who already had great fame in the original history. It wasn’t just the ideological changes sparked by the Hundred Schools, but also the improved way of handling affairs introduced by the Gu Academy.

All this, to them, was a tremendous enhancement!

And this, fundamentally.

Could provide extraordinary help to the Gu Clan!

....

The couriers traveled like a shooting star, with everyone’s efforts opening the rivers.

Edicts flew out of Bianjing like snowflakes.

On the official road leading to Huainan, a messenger, with three plumes stuck in his back, urged his horse on, moving like the wind.

They did not carry ordinary documents, but forcible conscription orders, stamped urgently by the Secretariat and the Imperial Censorate, and co-signed by Gu Jun.

Along their route, local officials who received the orders dared not show any negligence.

The local militias immediately assembled, and the civilian laborers were recruited according to the Baojia system, with food grains from the local Changping Granaries quickly allocated for their rations and engineering needs, benefiting from the grassroots governance reforms that the Gu Clan had promoted for many years, this large-scale mobilization showed astonishing efficiency.

Within days, the first batch of water management craftsmen and engineering teams, personally led by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, arrived at the collapsed river section in Si Province under the escort of the Forbidden Army.

The scene before them was shocking; the turbid river waters, carrying broken ice and wood fragments, formed a huge whirlpool at the collapse site. Hundreds of transport ships were stranded upstream and downstream, stretching endlessly, with boatmen and soldiers looking worried and uneasy.

But don’t forget——

The Gu Clan’s research on water management had never ceased.

And in such matters, it was never just the descendants of the Gu Clan involved; including the people of Julu and even capable individuals from all over Hebei and ultimately all of Kyushu, who were constantly being drawn into the fold by the Gu Clan as the times changed.

In fact, this was also the talent introduction strategy set by Gu Yi years ago; the talent of one family could never compare to the entire world.

This was a problem that Gu Yi had anticipated from the start.

This is also one of the fundamental reasons he established Gu’s Academy and turned Julu into a holy land.

To gather the talents of the world, strengthen Kyushu, and thereby strengthen the Gu Clan!

The Great Song’s current well-developed transport network is closely related to this matter, after all.

And in the current situation, their advantages could be fully showcased.

This time, the Gu Clan didn’t need to travel personally to every section for assessments like Gu Kang did during his time managing water.

They just needed to let one family talent after another swarm out.

Each going to a certain place.

Then drawing maps and sketches, and summarizing ideas from various related talents, before proceeding with practical operations.

All of this, in coordination with the Imperial Censorate.

Became extremely swift.

At the same time, the border armies in all directions also began to move.

In fact, if one were to consider the root of this matter, it might not need that much haste, as the Great Song still had some foundation after all these years; even if the transport was cut off, the granaries in various places could sustain them for a year or two.

But since it concerns the foundation of the nation, naturally, this one or two-year period cannot be taken lightly!

The four directions moved one after another.

Even Gu Jun himself began to take action in Bianjing, leveraging the title of Grand Tutor and Patriarch of the Gu Clan, to stabilize the people’s hearts!

....

Meanwhile, in Western Xia.

In Xingqing Prefecture.

Within the grand hall of the Imperial Palace, compared to the era of Li Yuanhao, the atmosphere was less ambitious and expansionist, yet filled with a cautious restlessness beneath its guarding demeanor.

Li Liangzuo ascended the throne at a young age, and although he had begun governing personally, national affairs largely depended on the assistance of his maternal clan, the Meisang Clan, and his powerful uncle Meisang E Pang.

At this moment, Meisang E Pang, who held the position of Prime Minister, stood beneath the imperial steps, reporting to the eager-to-prove-himself young Li Liangzuo.

"Your Majesty," Meisang E Pang’s voice was steady, filled with the calculation of an experienced politician, "it is confirmed without a doubt that the Song’s Bian River transport has been interrupted. Although the border grain transport has not ceased entirely, the land route’s efficiency is low, and signs of tightening food supplies are already apparent in the border forts."

"This indeed is a heaven-sent opportunity for our Great Xia."

Upon hearing this, Ren Duo Baozhong and others quickly nodded, loudly agreeing, "What the Prime Minister says is absolutely correct!"

"The Song people now face internal and external troubles, and that old man Gu Jun is far away in Bianjing, unable to reach!"

"Your Majesty, I request the command to lead the Iron Eagles and the Infantry Outriders out of Heng Mountain, to first raid their border forts and seize their grain convoys. We will surely achieve a great victory and boost the nation’s prestige!"

The young officers in the hall echoed these sentiments, eager to achieve great deeds akin to those during the era of the former emperor, Li Yuanhao.

Now, the attitude of everyone in Western Xia towards the Gu Clan has completely changed.

Of course, this is partly thanks to Li Yuanhao’s efforts.

Unlike Li Deming, although his earlier experiences had also left a shadow concerning the Gu Clan, he understood even more that it must be thoroughly erased; otherwise, Western Xia would never rise again.

Consequently.

Since ascending to the throne, Li Yuanhao had deliberately sought to gradually erase the influence of the Gu Clan in the hearts of the Western Xia people.

Along with his subsequent successful expansions.

Naturally bolstering the success of this plan.

This has led to the current Western Xia generals no longer harboring the sense of awe towards the Gu Clan that existed during the period of Li Deming.

——The barbarians fear power but do not respect virtue, so it is!

The Gu Clan has indeed not drawn their swords for a long time.

The cries of the young officers to fight filled the hall, making the young Li Liangzuo’s blood surge, envisioning himself expanding territories like his father, imposing awe over Song and Xia.