Chapter 494: Chapter 37: Fame Like Smoke, Wealth Like Dust

The entire world has changed.

This change might be imperceptible to ordinary people, but Gu Yi, who can oversee everything, can still feel it.

——This belongs to the cultural confidence that is continuously increasing!

The influence of the Emperor Li Shimin.

Additionally, people from all directions are continuously coming to the Central Plains to learn the culture of Kyushu, and all of this invisibly affects the entire world.

This is an inevitable phenomenon.

The strength of Great Tang, coupled with the obviously improved days, is enough to make the tribes from all sides, previously unwilling to integrate into Kyushu, make changes.

And as this phenomenon continues to occur, these tribes will quickly integrate into the whole of Kyushu over time.

Their lands naturally become a part of Kyushu.

....

This year was particularly extraordinary for the entire Great Tang.

Great Tang finally began to break free from the constraints of national power and productivity, and started to continuously develop the culture of Kyushu.

In fact, this is the true flourishing age.

It echoes the saying, "Only when people have their fill will they start to pursue other things."

This is precisely the case now.

When a feudal dynasty begins to develop culture, it actually demonstrates the strength of that dynasty.

In the past during the Yan Han, there was indeed an opportunity to achieve this. The emergence of Gu Chen, Zhuge Liang, Gu Ye, and others laid a sufficient foundation for the entire Yan Han.

But unfortunately, after the fall of Gu Ye, the emperor who gained power was Liu Jun.

And now, it is Li Shimin.

Both being emperors make for a world of difference.

This disparity results in two completely different developments for the dynasties.

Yan Han declined;

While Great Tang is still thriving.

The water level warning device can indeed be called epoch-making, and its advent has played a huge role in the agricultural development of Great Tang.

Natural disasters — always a fatal blow to feudal dynasties.

The limitation of productivity.

It predestines that when a natural disaster occurs, refugees will affect the foundation of the entire dynasty.

This is something an agricultural society cannot completely solve.

Do not be deceived by the current strength of Great Tang that leaves the Barbarians from all sides in despair, but as long as two large-scale disasters occur, everything will return to square one.

Yet the arrival of the water level warning device, even if it cannot solve all problems, can still prevent part of the disasters in advance, the loss reduction of which is unimaginable.

As long as the natural disaster is not huge.

Then for the current Great Tang, it does not pose a significant challenge.

Even Gu Yi laments the current wealth of Great Tang.

The continuous development of commerce;

Plus, the influence of Great Tang is continuously climbing.

Especially since Li Shimin’s birthday celebration, Great Tang’s influence has reached its peak.

These two aspects alone are already regarded as the pinnacle, not to mention the issue of trading differences brought by the aggregation department since the issue of Zhenguan Tongbao has begun.

All these let Great Tang earn in abundance.

This is the advantage brought about by leading in productivity.

Even the most common things in Great Tang are incredibly precious to the Barbarians from all sides.

Although all this has just begun, it has already produced effects.

Of course, for a feudal dynasty, no matter how strong it is, the road it experiences is destined not to be smooth.

Great Tang currently still has problems.

——And that is the Western Regions.

....

Although Gu Quan has occupied the Western Regions for several years, now the Western Regions remain a powder keg.

——This is a completely unavoidable phenomenon.

The vast territories of the Western Regions.

Coupled with the complex interests between countries and the conflicts of various religious followers.

All these are potential contradictions.

Completely unsolvable in a short time.

According to Gu Yi’s perspective, the current Western Regions are actually experiencing progress towards ideological unification, and there is still a long way to go to completely integrate into Kyushu.

And precisely because of this——

Neither Gu Quan nor Gu Yan.

They cannot leave the Western Regions at all.

Even though the "Gu Clan" is renowned to this day, the Western Regions often experience rebellions, and they cannot imagine what would happen to the Western Regions were the Gu Clan to leave.

Perhaps the various countries in the Western Regions will fear the current peak of Great Tang.

But the system Li Shimin established for the Western Regions is probably difficult to implement any longer.

This is certain.

With the personalities of Gu Quan and Gu Yan, it is impossible for them to give up everything in the Western Regions and return to enjoy life at a time like this.

But everything eventually has unexpected turns.

——Gu Quan fell ill.

No, perhaps it should not even be called falling ill.

But all the damages brought by the exhaustion over these years have gradually erupted with his increasing age, his bodily functions rapidly declining.

Even though he is only forty-five.

But in the current era, that is considered old.

And most crucially——

Gu Quan has been so intensely dedicated since leaving the Gu Clan, everything he did was incredibly arduous and tiring.

He bore all the hardships for the Gu Clan.

Even the "Cure-All Talisman" in Gu Yi’s hand cannot solve Gu Quan’s problem.

Gu Yi is also quite helpless about this. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The "Cure-All Talisman" is, after all, a Mortal Level tool.

In Gu Yi’s judgment, to repair this loss of bodily function, probably at least a Profound Level tool is required.

He did try his luck in a draw, but unfortunately, was unable to obtain something to reverse destiny.

For the long-term development of the entire family, he must preserve, unable to risk everything.

As the wheels of history continue to roll forward.

A glorious era is slowly passing away with the passage of time.