Chapter 844 - 65: History Is Both a Lesson and a Repeated Mistake

This is an inevitable phenomenon.

Of course, this does not mean that the court of the Great Song is completely rotten.

With the foundation left by Gu Lin in the past, it is impossible for the Great Song to collapse within just a few decades, and even though the new Emperor is somewhat fanciful, he cannot be considered a complete tyrant.

This is merely the result of the struggle between interest groups.

Even as the Emperor, he cannot rely on his own power to govern the entire world, and he always needs to consider the balance of interests among various parties.

Expecting the horse to run without feeding it is ultimately an impossible dream.

And this is also a necessary cause of this situation.

Why was the Gu Clan able to avoid it in the past?

It’s mainly because of the unparalleled public support the Gu Clan enjoys; with just a word from the Gu Clan, there would always be people from all over who would allow themselves to be led by them, including students from various regions.

Actually, a very clever move by the Gu Clan to this day is that they never formed large-scale factions.

No, perhaps it should not be put that way.

The Gu Clan did form alliances.

However, their alliance is with the largest faction in today’s Kyushu, which is the imperial authority and thousands of scholars.

Of course, the Gu Clan is not exempt from the various aspects of interest division.

But this is the greatest advantage of the Gu Clan.

The reserve of talent, and the foundational public support give the Gu Clan room to maneuver, and just this alone is enough to smooth out everything.

Of course, if the imperial authority were willing, they could achieve this too, if not more.

But achieving this is not so easy either.

This requires a very strong grassroots foundation.

At least as far as the current Emperor of the Great Song is concerned, achieving even a minor point cannot bypass the Gu Clan.

——But, this also relates to the human heart.

Perhaps it’s because they haven’t experienced such chaotic times, or they have tasted the flavor of power, at least the current new Emperor lacks this ambition.

And which true Emperor would willingly share power with others?

"To rule the world with scholars, not with commoners." The private words of a prominent minister of the previous era, may have become an unspoken rule tacitly understood by some of the Emperors to some extent.

They are more inclined to manage their relationship with the bureaucratic group well and maintain the stability of the court, rather than taking the risk of destabilizing the ruling foundation by challenging the increasingly solidified interest structure, for the sake of distant border tribes or the voiceless common people.

This is human nature.

It is also the reason why the Great Song is fated to gradually move downhill.

In other words——

For many an Emperor, if this world is not within his grasp, then why covet it?

History is both a lesson and a series of repeated mistakes.

This is unrelated to intelligence or foolishness, it’s merely a product of human nature.

....

Time flies, the years pass swiftly.

Various conflicts increase abruptly under the pressure that grows daily.

Julu, ancestral residence of the Gu Clan.

The autumn wind is bleak, sweeping up the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

The current Patriarch of the Gu Clan, Gu Chengsi, sits in the hall, his brows furrowed, looking at the distinguished northern noble Wanyan Digü, whose demeanor carries an implicit sense of defiance, with furrowed brows.

"Lord Gu, I have come today uninvited to bid farewell."

Wanyan Digü, dressed in a somewhat plain yet undoubtedly noble brocade robe, slightly bows to Gu Chengsi, his voice low and filled with undeniable resolve.

Upon hearing this, Gu Chengsi immediately understands in his heart, a surge of powerlessness welling up, yet he still tries to persuade: "Brother Digunai, regarding the matter of the Northern Border, I have petitioned the court numerous times, sincerely requesting that they investigate thoroughly..."

"Lord Gu!" Digunai interrupts, raising his hand, his gaze as sharp as a blade, with a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, "Hasn’t the waiting time been long enough?"

"Since last winter to this day, has a single fair word been exchanged from the court in response to the blood-stained pleadings of my tribesmen?"

"Those unscrupulous merchants, exchanging rotten rice and moldy cloth for our tribe’s strong horses and fine bows; those cruel officials, regarding my people as beasts, piling on more taxes and levies!"

"The backbone of my Jurchen warriors can bend to seek survival, but it cannot be broken forever!"

He takes a step forward, his tone growing ever more intense: "The Gu Clan’s multiple generations of good reputation have been respected by our entire tribe, thus we have borne humiliation and sought to rely on Lord Gu to convey our plea to reach the Emperors’ ears, to seek the justice that should exist under the rule of law!"

"But what has been the result?"

"Like a stone sinking to the bottom of the sea, with no answer!"

"In His Majesty’s eyes, he probably only sees the prosperity of his Yingtian Prefecture, but has he ever cared about the life and death of us at the Northern Border!"

Saying this, Wanyan Digü throws his sleeve forcefully, the anger on his face becoming increasingly intense: "Since the Zhao imperial family views us as mere weeds and the laws of the Great Song cannot protect us, then under the Eternal Heaven, we must take back what rightfully belongs to us in our own way!"

"Lord Gu, though I bid farewell today, I will never forget the favor of the Gu Clan to my tribe."

"But I, Wanyan Digü, cannot wait any longer, and neither can my tens of thousands of tribesmen!"

With that, he gives Gu Chengsi a long, deep look, says nothing more, performs a serious bow, and then turns and strides away, his silhouette decisively blending into the vast twilight outside Julu residence.

Gu Chengsi gazes in the direction he disappears into, standing still for a long time, ultimately turning into a sigh filled with worry and helplessness.

The long-standing resentment at the Northern Border is by no means the result of a single day of cold.

The court’s slack oversight and intensifying faction rivalry have led to increasingly systematic and institutionalized exploitation of territories like Liaodong and the Northern Border.

The officials appointed by the court collude with local Chinese elites, squeezing the utmost out of Jurchens and other tribes.

High-quality furs, fine horses, and mountain ginseng are forcibly bought at low prices, while essential salt, iron, cloth, and grain are sold at prices several times higher.