Chapter 807 - 51: The Aftermath of Five Generations’ Valor, Kyushu Unites (Part 2)

Finally——

He recalled those kings of defeated countries also recorded by history.

He thought of King Zhou of Shang, who amassed grains and treasures at the Lu Platform, yet ultimately could only don a jewel-encrusted robe and throw himself into the flames, turning to ashes along with his dynasty.

In his view.

Self-immolation, seemingly magnificent.

In reality, it was an act of utter despair and escape.

He also thought of Chen Shubao, Emperor of the Later Chen, who, when the nation fell, hid in a well with his consort, and was eventually pulled out by a rope, becoming the laughingstock of the world, what disgrace and wretchedness that was.

These figures flashed through his mind one by one, some heroic, some humiliating, some laughable.

They were all kings of defeated countries, each putting an end to their own dynasty in their own way.

But——

Those were not the endings he desired.

An inexplicable force, mixed with the unique defiance of youth and the last pride of the Wei Ming bloodline, surged from the depths of his heart.

He refused to perish silently in flames like King Zhou of Shang, that was too lonely; nor would he live in servile submission under the mercy of enemies like Chen Shubao, that was more unbearable than death!

He was a descendant of Li Yuanhao!

In his veins flowed the blood of eagles and wolves of the Dangxiang People!

Li Qianshun suddenly stood upright, the confusion and despair that once clouded his brow replaced by a near-burning resolve.

He seized the spear leaning against the battlement.

The shaft was full of marks of sword cuts and axe strikes, heavy, yet it gave him an unprecedented sense of reassurance.

This was the weapon inherited through the Wei Ming family line.

Not that a single spear was passed through generations, but that almost every generation of the Wei Ming family descendants would practice spear techniques, and this too was because of the Gu Clan, simply put, because of Gu Chen.

Since Gu Chen.

The spear as a weapon had gained a different significance throughout Kyushu.

The descendants of the Gu Clan also used spears.

And many who either followed Gu Chen, or were conquered by him, also chose to use the spear to express their admiration.

Li Qianshun was no exception.

Whether out of youthful spirit or harboring great ambitions.

Li Qianshun’s admiration for Gu Chen also far exceeded that of ordinary people, and this too destined his ending.

Only by fighting to the death!

This was destined to be a road of no return.

Regardless of right or wrong.

Even at this stage, Li Qianshun had no resentment towards his ancestors of past generations.

In founding Western Xia—it was rebellion in the eyes of Great Song and Liao.

But for their Wei Ming family alone.

This was entrepreneurship.

The ancestors had painstakingly established the foundation, seeking a chance of survival between Song and Liao, and this was what created the later era of prosperity.

Although now it was about to be overturned.

But what of it?

As a descendant of the Wei Ming, Li Qianshun did not regret, nor would he disgrace his ancestors.

"Sons of the Wei Ming clan——!"

"Follow me——kill——!"

He did not choose to commit suicide in the palace or on the city tower to preserve the so-called dignity of a king.

Instead, like the most ordinary Dangxiang warrior, as his ancestors had done countless times before, he took up arms, resolutely facing death, facing the end of an era of emperors.

Even though he never held power.

Even though he never truly became an emperor.

Gu Yi also silently observed this scene, inexplicably feeling somewhat melancholic.

The fall of a hero inevitably stirs the emotions of others.

It was indeed so now.

Even he had to admit, this Li Qianshun had the demeanor of a wise ruler of an era.

Not just him.

Many within Western Xia, and many within Liao also felt the same.

Given time to recover, this troubled era might not so easily come to an end.

But the grand enterprise of the world, there is never a way back.

The torrents of history roll forward, never pausing for personal talent or lament.

What of Xiang Yu?

With the strength to lift mountains, unparalleled heroism, ultimately singing a sad song at Gaixia, and committing suicide at the Wu River.

What of Cao Cao?

A lifetime of cunning hero, looking down on the world, ultimately unable to see the unification of the world with his own eyes.

And in the original long river of history, or in this time and space altered by the Gu Clan, those heroes who once shocked the world and aspired for the summit during chaotic times.

Which of them did not have the ambition to engulf the world?

Which of them did not shine with their own brilliance in that era?

Yet, a single misstep, and all would be lost.

Opportunities, luck, internal integration, external environment... not one could be missing.

Personal courage and strategy sometimes appear so small in the face of the grand momentum of the era.

Even the Gu Clan was no exception.

They did not rely on the sudden emergence of a gifted genius, but chose the most foolish, yet also the most solid path—a painstaking endeavor over five generations, with unwavering will passed down through each generation.

From Gu Jin’s pioneering foundation, to Gu Jun’s patience and accumulation of strength, to Gu Rui’s daring reforms and even not hesitating to tarnish his reputation to clear obstacles.....

Every generation in their own era.

Sparing no effort to push forward that great ship named "Unification," even if only an inch.

Repairing the cracks in systems, accumulating vast wealth, innovating military technology, more importantly, the accumulation over a millennium, fully revealed in this turbulent era, including Tuo Hai, including the deep cultivation over these hundreds of years.

Such is the momentum, who can reverse it?

Of course——

In truth, if possible, Gu Yi would still be willing to give someone like Li Qianshun, considered a heroic figure, a chance.

As a modern person.