Chapter 846 66: Gu Hui's Enlightenment, Crimson Tide Across the River

The wheel of history will always roll forward.

Julu remains peaceful.

No matter how much the Gu Clan's power wanes, it cannot change the fact that this place has already become a sacred destination in Kyushu.

Compared to before, Julu is now more rejuvenated.

Especially for believers arriving from overseas, the Gu Clan has arranged pilgrimages for these people, allowing everyone to quickly realize the vitality of Julu.

....

As time passes, events have developed as expected.

Beacon fires, after all, have been ignited.

Wanyan Digünai united the Jurchen tribes and raised an army among the White Mountains and Black Water, firing the first shot to resist the court.

He did not rashly rebel but followed the ancient rites of the Central Plains, issuing a passionate proclamation to the world, listing three major sins of the court:

"First, the sin of exploitation without restraint, destroying our livelihood!"

"Court officials collude with unscrupulous merchants, treating us Jurchens like cattle. The best sable furs, fine steeds, and wild ginseng are seized at worthless prices; salt, iron, fabric, and grain, needed for survival, are demanded at multiples of their value! The cruelty of exploitation exceeds that of wolves, causing our tribes to freeze and starve, cutting off our means of survival! This is not benevolent governance; it is brutal extortion!"

"Second, the sin of unjust laws, treating us as barbarians!"

"They speak of civilization but practice discrimination. When Han people commit crimes, they might receive leniency; but when our tribe slightly deviates, we face severe punishment and slaughter! We are all citizens of Great Song, why distinguish between us? The court's laws have become tools to oppress our border people! This is not justice; it is favoritism!"

"Third, the sin of blocking avenues of expression, ignoring life and death!"

"Our tribe repeatedly petitions, yet has no means to voice! Even if the loyal as Lord Gu in Julu relay our pleas, submissions to the capital sink like stones in the sea! Your Majesty resides deep within palace walls, hearing only flattery, ignoring cries of bloodshed at the borders! The court has become deaf and blind, letting corrupt officials run rampant, disregarding the suffering of millions in the Northern Border! This is not negligence; it is a loss of virtue!"

At the end of the proclamation, Wanyan Digünai's voice thundered across the Northern Border.

"Since the court has lost its way, it can no longer be the parent of the people!"

"We Jurchen sons, adhering to the will of the Eternal Heaven, must bear arms for survival and justice, not to claim territories but to purge the court of treachery, to fight for a path of life for the myriad souls of the Northern Border!"

This resounding call among the White Mountains and Black Water shattered the superficial prosperity of Great Song.

—Yes, prosperity indeed.

Even with ongoing oppression from all directions, officially tax revenue continues to rise, naturally giving the impression that Great Song still thrives.

Yet those at the very bottom have lives that are already much too severe.

—The situation suddenly changed!

It must be known that under Great Song's rule, there is not only one Northern Border!

The cries from Liaodong followed.

Similar to the plight of Jurchen tribes of the Northern Border, Liaodong suffers under layers of oppression, including the Tubo tribes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

These are the lowest class of citizens in Great Song today.

Their status is even less than that of the commoners in the Central Plains.

And crucially, their geography has destined them to rely on the current commercial system for survival, or else as in the past resort to plunder.

And now, when the flames of Northern Border rise, these people naturally can no longer bear it.

—The tendency of fires to spread like wildfire has begun!

The world, peaceful for nearly a hundred years, once again ignited with flames of war in a short time.

Even Gu Yi was somewhat shocked by the speed.

But upon careful consideration, he understood the changes within.

The Gu Clan indeed brought great changes to this land, with productivity, thought, including continual strengthening of development across regions, inevitably leading to accelerated conflict, naturally fostering the current situation.

In other words—

Kyushu has now reached the pinnacle under imperial rule.

Conflict and beacon fires will certainly continue to emerge!

This thought made him quite fearful.

Though he understood, as the era moves forward, when development reaches a certain point, the existence of imperial power naturally becomes a shackle.

But he hadn't expected it to happen so fast.

This is still Great Song after all!

Compared to the original history, this day has come several hundred years earlier, how could he not be surprised?

Of course, this acceleration is merely Gu Yi's judgment from a macro perspective and modern thought.

Without interference from the Gu Clan.

Truly to detach Kyushu from the era of imperial power would certainly require a very long evolution...

...

Time rushes by.

Since the flames were ignited throughout Great Song, it fell into a cycle of evil acts, like all dynasties and eras before it.

The good news is—

Great Song's strength is indeed formidable.

The foundation laid by five generations of the Gu Clan has established enough basis for all of Great Song, though turmoil arises in each bordering region, it cannot undermine Great Song's strong foundation.

But there's that saying.

When something escalates to the dynasty level, it cannot be judged solely in black and white.

The current situation is equally the same.

Though forces from all directions seem incapable of undermining Great Song's rule.

But don't forget, Great Song's commerce is unified.

And this is precisely the core of Great Song.

If chaos arises without timely repair, it will immediately attract greater disorder.