A set phrase meaning 'as is typical' or 'as one would expect', often used to introduce a predictable outcome or behavior.
As usual, he was late.
As always, the meeting ran long.
Standard modern spelling using hiragana for the auxiliary.
Kanji spelling using 如く; more formal or literary, but still seen.
A fixed phrase composed of 例 (rei, 'example' or 'usual case'), the genitive particle の, and the classical adverbial form ごとく (from 如し, 'like' or 'as').