The tenth year of Zhangwu, June.
Gu Chen left Luoyang once again.
Liu Shan personally led the civil and military officials to send him off from Luoyang, and at the mont of departure, he held Gu Chen’s hand tightly, tears flowing endlessly.
"Shangfu."
"You must return soon."
"I cannot do without you."
Even with hundreds of officials and countless citizens beside him, Liu Shan did not mind losing his emperor’s dignity in the slightest.
In front of Gu Chen, he truly seed like a child.
Under his influence,
countless tears were shed outside the Luoyang city gates.
How could the citizens of Luoyang want Gu Chen to leave?
Sounds of sorrowful cries kept arising, mingled with the drumming for the troops, creating a strangely solemn atmosphere.
Zhao Yun’s eyes were full of envy.
In truth, he wished he could go to battle with Gu Chen.
However, as one of Liu Bei’s trusted confidants left behind,
Gu Chen kept Zhao Yun behind to prevent any internal chaos within the Great Han.
Looking at Liu Shan before him, Gu Chen’s face flashed a smile. He did not care for protocol and gently patted Liu Shan’s head as a father might, softly saying, "Your Majesty need not worry about this old minister."
"This battle, I fight for the Great Han and for the people of the world."
"I will not lose."
"All matters of the court, I have settled."
"Kongming is a asured person, I have made him Chancellor, your Majesty should heed his words in case of any issues."
"Just rember the words of the late Emperor."
"Do not indulge in minor evils. Do not ignore minor goods."
"With this, our Great Han will surely prosper indefinitely."
Liu Shan nodded while crying.
Behind him, Zhuge Liang also led the assembly of ministers to bow deeply to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen did not linger. He looked once more at Luoyang, which seed unchanged yet entirely new, just as he had years ago.
Today, leaving once more,
will I be able to return?
He let out a free-spirited laugh, first saluting Liu Shan, then returning the salute to the distinguished court officials:
"Gentlen, I leave the Great Han in your hands!"
With that, he turned and mounted his horse.
His expression once again turned serious, the aura cultivated over years on the battlefield emanating from him.
Drums roared like thunder.
The army’s armor clanged as they moved with Gu Chen towards Youzhou State.
Watching this scene, Gu Yi couldn’t help but sigh.
In fact, for the Gu Clan,
the best course for Gu Chen now would be to remain in Luoyang.
Given his current stature and reputation, each additional day he lived would be greatly beneficial for the Great Han, the Gu Clan, and what he hoped to achieve in the future.
But as the saying goes,
—he could not interfere with the decisions of every family mber at all tis.
Gu Chen’s character fated him to walk this path.
As far as he was concerned, death was not frightening.
He would charge forward on the path he believed correct until his life was completely extinguished.
The deaths of Gu Ze, Gu Wei, and other sixth-generation mbers of the Gu Clan brought Gu Yi nearly a hundred thousand achievent points.
Gu Yi had considered whether to draw more prizes,
even if it was just a guaranteed Mortal Level item.
But perhaps it could also help Gu Chen.
However, after a mont’s thought, he abandoned that idea.
Life and death are dictated by the Celestial Mandate.
Gu Chen had already achieved the average lifespan of ancient tis, especially since he was always on the front lines of the battlefield.
Without the support of a Longevity Card,
even if other items could be drawn, they would not significantly aid him.
Gu Chen had already done more than enough.
Rather than using an ineffectual item to cling to his life, it was better to let him end amidst his glory.
Life and death are in the hands of fate...
.....
Those soldiers who once followed Gu Chen had long since perished.
Ti is rciless, sparing no one.
Although after the restoration of the Great Han, Gu Chen ensured every one of them received generous treatnt,
the wounds and ailnts from years on the warpath ultimately claid too many lives.
This made Gu Chen feel increasingly lonely;
he was not in a hurry to march, but as he passed each city, he would inquire about any corrupt officials.
Gu Chen cared about political governance as much as Gu Xi had.
This indeed allowed Gu Chen to uncover so minor corrupt officials.
Human nature is inherently greedy;
even with the Great Han in its current state, it was impossible to achieve complete political cleanliness.
Gu Chen would not let these people go.
Using these small fry as examples, he continued to deter officials across the four states.
And along the way,
Gu Chen engaged in frequent conversations with the soldiers, thereby strengthening the army’s unity while gaining insights into each individual’s talents.
Initially, these soldiers were quite reserved.
But as ti went on, they grew bolder.
They would inquire about the battles Gu Chen had experienced years ago.
And Gu Chen, having no airs, would recount those days down to the smallest detail, making the soldiers admire him even more.
Listening to the elderly tell stories
was one of the few entertainnts of this era, let alone having soone like Gu Chen personally recount past events.
This was sothing the soldiers couldn’t have imagined before.
The distance closed unknowingly;
though not everyone could hear Gu Chen’s stories firsthand, they quickly spread through the camp by word of mouth.
During this journey,
Gu Chen used his thods to forge a bond and cohesion among them.
Coupled with their admiration for Gu Chen,
should a battle arise, the power this army could unleash would exceed everyone’s expectations.
....
Youzhou State.
In fact, Gu Chen’s decision to mobilize troops again was not solely based on his prediction for the future.
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