Chapter 496: Chapter 38: Fusing Kyushu’s Cultures, Li Chengqian’s Transformation

From this day on, the ministers could clearly feel that Li Shimin seemed to have changed.

Although he still governed diligently as always.

Yet the smile on his face had diminished significantly.

Many people actually came to visit Gu Quan; these people were Li Shimin’s true confidants, all wanting to help Gu Quan in some way, but for most people, this matter remained a secret.

In fact, long before the end of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, there were indeed many rumors.

But these rumors had long faded away with time.

No one could have imagined—

That a person could sacrifice so much for his family, for the feelings in his heart.

Even more impossible to know was the current situation.

And Li Shimin’s confidants ultimately would not reveal this matter.

This is a taboo; everyone understands this very well.

....

Li Shimin sought out many physicians for Gu Quan.

Initially, Gu Quan held no hope, for him, it was enough just to see Li Shimin once more.

There were no regrets in this life.

But astonishingly, his health indeed showed some improvement.

No, perhaps it can’t be called improvement.

But rather, the speed of his deterioration had slowed down.

This perhaps had something to do with him having put aside his duties and returned to the familiar climate of the Central Plains.

Li Shimin was naturally very happy about this.

Gu Quan originally wanted to help him do something more, but Li Shimin’s attitude was extremely firm, not allowing Gu Quan to worry about state affairs anymore.

In truth, there was no need to worry.

Even with the help of the Luoshu Harmonizing Device, compared to the current ministers in the court, Gu Quan’s administrative skills were still lacking too much.

The only place truly suitable for him was the Western Regions.

But neither Gu Yan nor Li Shimin would let him handle these matters again.

So Gu Quan settled into a leisurely life.

But for someone like him, it was impossible to come to a complete stop.

He took on the responsibility of educating the entire family, passing on his military experiences over the years to the next generation of the Gu Clan.

Especially—

In dealing with the Foreign Race.

Based on his experiences over the years, he summarized the strengths and weaknesses of the foreign armies throughout history, establishing military strategies for the family while teaching them.

Li Shimin had to see him every day.

He gave Gu Quan a privilege that others could only dream of—entering the Imperial Palace directly by sedan chair; although Gu Quan refused in every possible way, Li Shimin insisted on it.

He never discussed state affairs with Gu Quan, only talking about future grand plans.

"I want to build a grand port in Lingnan for my Great Tang, to make it the foundation of our expansion."

"The maritime enterprise proposed by the Marquis Jingxiang."

"I must achieve this!"

"Ziyuan, you must watch with me as the armies of my Great Tang march to all corners of the realm, this is my imperial decree!"

It was still much like in the past, but for the two of them now, the feelings were completely different.

Back then, they had just taken power.

The entire Kyushu was in an extremely weary state, so much so that even northern expeditions were unimaginable.

But now, the name of the Celestial Khan had spread across the world.

In fact, for the current Great Tang, it already had the qualifications to do these things, but to initiate all this was destined to require a great deal of input. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

To repair ports, build large ships...train naval soldiers.

The sea is ultimately different from a lake.

The manpower and resources required are unimaginable.

And now the Western Regions are not completely stable yet... the development of Kyushu is not advanced enough to ignore major natural disasters.

As an Emperor, Li Shimin could not take this step lightly.

He did this simply hoping for Gu Quan to rest well and walk with him to the end of the entire Zhenguan era.

Gu Quan certainly understood Li Shimin’s intentions, but who can control matters of life and death?

He had no fear of death.

This is a characteristic possessed by every descendant of the Gu Clan.

No matter what, he would not halt his steps; as for death—he would wait patiently. .....

...

Time passed swiftly.

Gu Quan’s departure indeed caused some issues in the Western Regions, Gu Yan’s capabilities were inadequate to handle the complexities of the Western Regions.

Despite his utmost efforts.

But his ability was limited, and there was nothing one could do.

To completely control the entire Western Regions, combining grace and power was just the foundation, and there were many other issues involved.

Li Shimin had to dispatch more officials to the Western Regions to assist Gu Yan in resolving everything.

This undoubtedly delayed Li Shimin’s grand ambitions once again.

He couldn’t advance any further.

The Great Tang had developed to such a degree within a matter of ten or so years, a miracle in the current era.

Simply put—it was taking too great a stride.

Although it indeed pushed the national strength of the Great Tang to its peak, to thoroughly resolve everything and truly stabilize all four directions would require more time.

Fortunately, the culture of Kyushu was growing increasingly prosperous, and talents were emerging in large numbers.

The imperial examination produced many candidates.

These people could be sent to all corners of the realm.

With the administration supervision by the Gu Clan, even if it couldn’t cover the entire Great Tang, it also ensured the governance baseline of the whole Great Tang, allowing it to continue forging ahead.

Worth mentioning—

Upon Gu Lei’s suggestion, the Gu Clan established an elegant establishment named "Yunshao Pavilion" in Julu.

The purpose was to gather scholars from all over, collecting poetry, lyrics, and essays from across the realm.

Indeed, it was poetry, lyrics, and essays.

With the continuous improvement in living standards throughout the Great Tang, coupled with the flourishing culture of Kyushu, the literary circle of the current Great Tang had embarked on another path entirely.