Chapter 865 - 73: Turmoil Rises, This Era Is Sick

——Chaos finally erupted.

No one could have foreseen how this simple decree would push Yue Fei to what extent?

Nobody realized what kind of crisis the Great Song was facing.

The wheels of destiny have begun to turn.

Even Gu Yi was a bit nervous, eager to see how Gu Hui would implement reforms in the current era.

The resistance is enormous.

So much so that neither he nor the current Gu Clan can clearly provide much help to Gu Hui.

Everything depends on him alone!

....

Time passed swiftly.

The winds and snow at the Northern Border persisted, but the undercurrents turned into raging waves, surging unnoticed under shadows.

After the battle at the Holy Mountain’s royal court, the Song Army did not return as the court wished. Instead, under the pretext of Yue Fei’s "purging remnants and reorganizing military affairs," they solidified control over a vast area centered around the royal court.

And that decree was completely submerged under this tide.

Of course, this was Gu Hui’s intent.

He certainly couldn’t let Yue Fei return to the Central Plains, after all, this is the most crucial part of his reform.

By this point, even Gu Yi gradually understood Gu Hui’s next move, which was to eliminate various evils in the world with personal ability.

To achieve this, martial force is essential.

This is one reason why Gu Hui needed to wait for Yue Fei.

Why did he not want to go directly to the court?

Actually, given his abilities, if he went to Yingtian, even amidst the intense struggles within the Great Song, with the Gu Clan’s foundation, he could resolve everything quickly and reach the pinnacle.

That is certain.

But Gu Hui clearly wants to distance himself from the existing system of the Great Song.

In essence, not using royal power!

This is the basis of his actions.

Since he aims to limit royal power, he certainly cannot use it to rise.

This is his foundation this time.

Gu Hui didn’t even utilize the name of the Gu Clan’s disciples, let alone leave such a fatal weakness!

Given this, how could he let Yue Fei return to the Central Plains?

The purpose of staying at the Northern Border is simple!

It’s not to make the Northern Border the starting point; given the current situation, the Northern Border cannot interfere with any issues in Kyushu.

He is still waiting for an opportunity!

Indeed, waiting for an opportunity!

Waiting for chaos in the Central Plains!

No, maybe that’s not the right way to put it.

Gu Hui never deliberately pushed for anything from the start; he simply saw through the various people in the court and predicted the upcoming developments in the situation.

Destruction before establishment!

When the imperial examinations emerged years ago, the world went through chaos.

For Gu Hui now, it’s the same.

If establishment is desired, destruction is necessary!

...

——Sudden change in the situation!

Yue Fei’s actions indeed surprised everyone, and simultaneously intensified Zhao Gou’s feelings of insecurity, even transferring this insecurity into suspicion about Yue Fei.

What exactly does he want to do?

Defy the decree?

How is this different from rebellion?

The various issues in the current Great Song have gradually erupted completely as time passed.

Especially after Wanyan Digünai led these Jurchen Alliance Army into the Central Plains.

This made everyone see the decline of the Great Song even clearer.

The most crucial aspect—commercial monopoly!

When anything goes beyond control, it becomes inevitable.

Moreover, the current commerce has such large profits!

Within this, military supplies have become a major area of corruption.

Armor filled with paper instead of leather, arrows with rot wood shafts, horses too weak to gallop.

Every level of official involved in the process peels off a layer, and the supplies reaching the front lines are less than half, mostly of poor quality. The massive military funding allocated by the court flows like streams into the desert, disappearing without sighting the enemy due to the layers of pilfering.

Chaos breeds, smoke arises.

The Central Plains, it’s not just the Jurchen Alliance Army causing trouble.

Farmers driven to desperation by harsh policies and exploitation band together in the wilderness, attacking cities and capturing counties;

Displaced military households merging with bandits, forming aggressive flares;

Local powerful families with rebellious intentions begin secretly recruiting soldiers, dividing territories, seeing the Central Hub’s authority swept away.

Including Tubo and the Western Regions.

When the vulnerability of the Great Song was fully exposed by Wanyan Digünai, these people naturally harbored intentions of conquest once more.

This was their only choice.

The officials in the Central Plains did not treat them as humans.

How could they allow themselves to be slaughtered by others?

In the era dominated by Kyushu culture, one hero after another shouted loud slogans in this impending chaotic era.

"Are kings and generals born of noble lineage?"

"Can the weight of the nine cauldrons be questioned?"

"..."

These slogans may not apply to the present era, but to those foreign races newly introduced to Kyushu culture, they fully express their thoughts.

Moreover, this sounded the alarm bell for turbulent times!

Chaos erupted instantly!

...

Liaodong Port.

The salty sea breeze blew over the port, recently ravaged by war and seized by coalition forces.

Wanyan Digünai stood atop a hastily remodeled watchtower, gazing at the distant sea horizon in the south, his brows furrowed.

He clutched the latest intelligence, which clearly stated that Yue Fei not only did not follow the decree to return, but further entrenched himself in the Northern Border.