I Can Control My Ancestors-Chapter 251 - 25: Liu Bei Proclaims Himself Emperor, Ten Directions Expedition Envoy
This funeral was destined to be of immense importance.
Liu Bei bestowed upon them seals, jade boxes, and other items, reburial conducted with the rites of a prince.
In the end, Gu Xi’s posthumous title was determined as "Wenxiang."
Meaning: "The world is structured by culture and armor contributes to its success."
As for Gu Xi.
The title most fitting for him, naturally, would have been "Zhongwu" (Loyal and Martial).
But Gu Xiao already has the title "Zhongwu," and for Gu Xi, as the descendant of Gu Xiao, it wouldn’t be appropriate to share the same title as his ancestor.
However, such an honor well surpasses that of other ministers.
It could no longer be called a ministerial rank.
Subsequently, what caught everyone’s attention was the conferment of titles among the ministers, but what truly concerned the world was Gu Chen.
Whether considering his military achievements or prestige, Liu Bei, the so-called Emperor, pales in comparison to Gu Chen.
And the most crucial point is—
Virtually everyone knew Gu Chen still held the Heirloom Seal of the Realm.
Without it, no matter how powerful Liu Bei became, he could never claim the Celestial Mandate.
Liu Bei seemed prepared for this.
In front of the ministers, Liu Bei presented Gu Chen with an unprecedented official title.
——Ten Directions Expedition Envoy!
His position surpassed all officials and nobles, even exceeding the Chancellor in power.
He could traverse both civil and military matters.
He could even mobilize all troops and engage in military actions without the Emperor’s approval.
Ministers were to avoid mentioning his name and show him courtesy.
This role had completely surpassed the scope of a mere minister.
In essence, apart from the name of a minister, Gu Chen was akin to another Emperor of Great Han.
If Gu Chen had any dissenting intentions.
He could contest for the empire against Liu Bei anytime.
In the past, such a scenario would absolutely incite opposition among ministers, irrespective of any dynasty.
But for the current Great Han, it was altogether different.
Whether considering his military success or prestige.
Gu Chen had already reached the pinnacle of the world.
If he desired to become Emperor.
Who today could possibly stop him?
With a figure of such stature achieving this position, what reason could there be for opposition?
And crucially... Gu Chen’s prestige was overwhelmingly powerful.
To the ministers, the pressure when facing Gu Chen was even greater than when facing Emperor Liu Bei.
Who would dare to voice dissent?
Liu Bei indeed fulfilled all the promises he had made in the past.
"The Liu dynasty cauldron engraved with the Gu clan name."
The news spread continuously.
To the people of the current realm, this was significantly inspiring.
Liu Bei’s reputation among the populace had always been commendable.
Moreover, now it was the much-desired alliance of the Liu dynasty Emperor with a Gu clan descendant by the people.
The whole realm seemed to change from this day.
Though, clearly, nothing had changed yet.
Yet the perceived transformation gave a fresh sense of Great Han to the people.
The commoners from all regions finally harbored hope for the realm’s future again.
...
Youzhou State.
Gu Chen was the first to receive the news.
Regarding Liu Bei’s arrangement, he seemed to anticipate it long ago, and was not surprised at all.
Gu Chen didn’t particularly care about his official title.
At his current stature, those titles were entirely unnecessary.
What truly moved him was Liu Bei’s arrangement concerning Gu Xi.
Reaching this stage.
Truly impacting Gu Chen’s thoughts was rare, besides anything related to Gu Xi.
Upon the land of Youzhou State.
Gu Chen conducted a remote ritual for Gu Xi.
Following that, he ordered his trusted men to return the Heirloom Seal of the Realm.
This clearly showed Gu Chen’s attitude.
However, he did not return immediately but stayed in Youzhou State to continue battling.
Unlike Jizhou State.
Being a borderland of Great Han, the lives of Youzhou State’s people had always been difficult.
Especially in these turbulent years.
The suffering of Youzhou State’s people was considerably greater than other states.
Despite the chaos, the people of Youzhou State still faced raids from barbarians.
The Wuhuan, Xianbei, and others took advantage of the chaos within Kyushu, continually plundering the border people.
With Gu Chen’s character, how could he tolerate them?
While the people of Kyushu feared Gu Chen like a tiger, the barbarians had only heard of Gu Chen’s name but didn’t consider it significant.
The internal chaos in Kyushu over the years.
Provided them an excellent opportunity for development.
Through prolonged plundering, their strength now far exceeded what it once was.
This gave the barbarian tribes immense confidence.
Compared to the strategies of warfare within the feudal lords, fighting these barbarians was considerably simpler for Gu Chen.
These barbarians attempted to learn Kyushu culture.
But they only grasped its superficial aspects.
Gu Chen merely utilized the terrain strategically, sequentially destroying the enemy forces.
Yet despite this success, these people refused to submit.
They clamored for a direct battle with Gu Chen daily, even fearless enough to reference Gu Xi, attempting to provoke Gu Chen into a frontal conflict.
In fact, they succeeded.
However, Gu Chen was not angry to the point of losing reason; he just wished to swiftly defeat them.
Both sides engaged in fierce battles over the land of Youzhou State.
Despite their light words, facing Gu Chen still made them feel immense pressure.
Gu Xi’s legendary tales persisted through the years.
To surrounding barbarian tribes, facing the "Gu Clan" always incurred a mysterious sense of pressure.
And the outcome was as expected.
In cavalry charges, Gu Chen’s troops feared no one.
Especially under Gu Chen’s personal command, their morale was beyond imagination.
