You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 138: Border Defense Urges Payment?

The Palace of the King of Shu.

In the study.

Zhou Zhi sat behind his desk, looking at a small piece of paper in his hand, his brows furrowed in silence.

The Prince's steward stood respectfully before the desk.

The steward of the Prince's mansion was a close eunuch who had been by Zhou Zhi's side since he was a prince, and could be said to be the person Zhou Zhi trusted the most.

If Ji Wusheng was Zhou Zhi's trusted advisor, then this steward of the Prince's mansion was a confidant whom Zhou Zhi could entrust with everything.

“Your Highness, Ji Wusheng secretly met with Yuan Ziming late at night. I’m afraid Ji Wusheng is someone the Yuan family placed by Your Highness’s side. Perhaps we should just…”

As the butler spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.

The meaning is clear to everyone.

Zhou Zhi relaxed his slightly furrowed brows and looked at the butler with a faint smile; "San De, sometimes killing is the worst way to solve problems. Don't always think about using such methods to solve problems."

Whether Ji Wusheng was actually placed by the Yuan family to serve me is still open to debate.

“We have also investigated Ji Wusheng’s background and know that he is a disciple of the Yuan family.”

"As a disciple of the Yuan family, it is normal for him to go and see the eldest son of the Yuan family."

Zhou Zhi put down the note in his hand.

The note read, "Ji Wusheng meets with Yuan Ziming late at night."

Perhaps Yuan Ziming and the other two didn't realize that although they had left the Shu King's Mansion, they had always been under its surveillance.

Therefore, Ji Wusheng's secret meeting with Yuan Ziming late at night did not escape Zhou Zhi's notice.

“But Your Highness, Ji Wusheng never told you that he was a disciple of the Yuan family.”

"Furthermore, Ji Wusheng secretly went to meet Yuan Ziming late at night behind the prince's back, this..."

Before the butler could finish speaking, Zhou Zhi interrupted him.

"San De, I understand what you mean."

“Keji Wusheng is a person of great talent. If you want to use such a person of great talent, you cannot look at him with a ‘black and white’ perspective.”

"So what if Ji Wusheng was planted by the Yuan family to serve me?"

"As long as Ji Wusheng can serve me and is useful to me, then I dare to use him."

"Besides, everyone has their own secrets!"

Zhou Zhi wasn't too surprised that Ji Wusheng was a disciple of the Yuan family and secretly went to see Yuan Ziming late at night.

As the King of Shu, how could Zhou Zhi not investigate the backgrounds of those around him?
Therefore, Zhou Zhi already knew that Ji Wusheng was a disciple of the Yuan family.

Ji Wusheng didn't say anything, and Zhou Zhi pretended not to know either.

In Zhou Zhi's view, whether Ji Wusheng was a disciple of the Yuan family or someone the Yuan family had placed by his side was irrelevant.

None of this matters.

The important thing is that Ji Wusheng is useful to him and can help him solve many problems, and that's enough.

Upon hearing Zhou Zhi's words, the steward stopped talking about Ji Wusheng and instead looked at Zhou Zhi with a serious expression, saying, "Your Highness, these three great families clearly have ill intentions and want to drag you down with them."

"Why does Your Highness still...?"

The butler didn't continue speaking, but looked at Zhou Zhi with a puzzled expression.

The butler didn't believe Zhou Zhi couldn't see through Yuan Ziming and the other two's motives, but Zhou Zhi still didn't directly refuse.

This puzzled the butler greatly.

"Why didn't you refuse the three of them?"

Zhou Zhi smiled helplessly.

"I, like them, have no other choice."

"Our alliance with them is mutually beneficial; our separation will lead to mutual destruction."

"My elder brother, the king, even found out about the fourth prince's affairs in the palace. Nobody knows what else he found out."

"Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back."

"Everyone underestimated him."

Zhou Zhi sighed softly.

Rather than saying that Yuan Ziming and the other two used the position of Emperor Wu to keep Zhou Zhi in check, it would be more accurate to say that Zhou Zhi himself took advantage of the situation to keep Yuan Ziming and his powerful family in check.

If Yuan Ziming and the other two knew that it wasn't they who had schemed against Zhou Zhi, but rather that Zhou Zhi had taken the opportunity to reach an agreement with them.

I wonder what Yuan Ziming and the others think.

"Your Highness, even if His Majesty has discovered something, with the Empress Dowager present, His Majesty should not be willing to kill you."

“But once Your Highness takes that step with the aristocratic families, there will truly be no turning back.”

The butler spoke to Zhou Zhi with a solemn expression.

As Zhou Zhi's close attendant and confidant, the steward was well aware of everything Zhou Zhi was doing.

In the past, with the Empress Dowager present, even if the person in the palace was unworthy of respect, they would have to consider the Buddha's feelings and wouldn't go so far as to kill.

But if we take this step, it's hard to say what will happen.

After hearing the steward's words, Zhou Zhi looked at him with a smile and said, "San Dezi, now only you can speak a few words from the heart to me."

“You have been serving me since I was a very young age.”

"I know you care about me, but the imperial family is the most ruthless."

“You also came from the palace, you should understand these things.”

"Besides, I am not resigned to this. He is the most mediocre of us princes, and he is also sickly."

"But in the end, he ended up sitting in that position."

"I am very unwilling."

"That position should have belonged to me."

In the end, Zhou Zhi exuded a strong aura of hostility, and his face was full of resentment.

Seeing Zhou Zhi's state, the butler opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end could only sigh silently.

I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse.

……

Luoyang.

royal palace.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen squinted slightly for half an hour.

Being an emperor is not an easy task.

Especially now, with so many major events happening recently.

Zhou Chen not only had to deal with mountains of memorials every day.

They also had to deal with the cunning and shrewd civil and military officials in the imperial court.

If Zhou Chen hadn't cultivated the Emperor's Conferring God Technique, which rapidly increased his strength and made his body stronger, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it long ago.

Even so, Zhou Chen still felt somewhat tired every day.

This was even with Du Ruhui helping him share some of the administrative duties.

If it weren't for the outstanding person Du Ruhui sharing the burden with him, Zhou Chen probably wouldn't have had a single spare moment.

Zhou Chen finally understood how those incompetent rulers in history came to be.

It's not that they wanted to be tyrannical rulers, to be criticized behind their backs, and to be infamous for eternity.

Rather, it's that they are incapable of being wise rulers.

To wield power while awake and to rest one's head on the lap of a beautiful woman while drunk—these are the things that can most corrupt the heart.

Faced with the overwhelming workload of government affairs, how many people can escape the emperor's decadent and intoxicating lifestyle?

After waking up, Zhou Chen prepared to continue handling government affairs.

At this moment, Cao Zhengchun strode in.

"Your Majesty, General Lü and Cao Shaoqin have wiped out the Jianghu forces of the Divine Fist Sect that were involved in the death of the Grand Tutor."

"This is a message sent back by the Imperial Guard."

"Your Majesty, please take a look."

Cao Zhengchun delivered two letters of message to Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen took the two letters from Cao Zhengchun, opened them one by one, and glanced at them. Zhou Chen wasn't particularly interested in eradicating these martial arts forces.

In Zhou Chen's view, no matter how much the martial arts world stirs up trouble, it can't escape the grasp of the imperial court.

Throughout history, what kind of trouble could the martial arts world cause in the hands of the imperial court?
If these people in the martial arts world hadn't dared to provoke the Great Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Chen wouldn't have taken action against them at this time.

Because Zhou Chen hadn't even finished dealing with the internal affairs of the imperial court, he simply didn't have the extra time to concern himself with the forces of the martial arts world.

After reading the two reports on the annihilation of the Divine Fist Sect and other martial arts forces, Zhou Chen fell into deep thought.

Zhou Chen was considering whether to take this opportunity to thoroughly clean up the martial arts world.

Let the forces of the martial arts world understand that wherever the imperial decree goes, even the martial arts world must obey.

There are no exceptions.

at this time.

A palace eunuch walked in.

"Your Majesty, Minister Li, the Minister of War, requests an audience."

After the eunuchs and guards entered, they bowed and reported.

"Oh!"

"Let him in."

Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow and put away his thoughts.

He wondered if the Minister of War had come to his Hall of Mental Cultivation because of something important.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The eunuch and guard bowed and withdrew.

A moment later, the Minister of War entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"This old minister greets Your Majesty." After entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Minister of War performed the courtly salute to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

"No need for such formalities, Li Aiqing."

Zhou Chen put down the two letters in his hand and looked up at the Minister of War; "Minister Li, have you come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to see me? Is there something important?"

Since the Minister of War had come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation on his own initiative with the responses of the two marquises from the border, he had not come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to pay his respects again.

Today, the Minister of War once again took the initiative to come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for an audience.

Zhou Chen guessed that the Minister of War must have something important to discuss with the emperor.

"His Majesty."

"Previously, due to the empty national treasury, the military pay for the border troops had not been paid this year."

"The memorials from the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang urging payment have just been delivered to this old minister."

"Your Majesty, please review this."

As he spoke, the Minister of War took out two memorials from his sleeve and handed them over.

Memorials from the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang urging payment.

Zhou Chen's eyes flickered, and he took the two memorials handed over by the Minister of War from Cao Zhengchun's hand.

I opened it and glanced at it.

"hehe."

"Payment request?"

After glancing at the contents of the two memorials, Zhou Chen casually tossed them onto the dragon desk with a cold laugh.

Previously, Emperor Zhou Chen issued an edict to the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang, ordering them to mobilize troops to the south to quell the rebellion in the four northern prefectures.

As a result, the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang used the excuse of prioritizing border defense and foreign invasions to evade Emperor Zhou Chen's decree.

They're actually thinking of pressuring the imperial court for funds now?
Zhou Chen tapped his fingers on the dragon-shaped table, his gaze deep and silent.

The Minister of War below was apprehensive when he saw Zhou Chen sneer and throw aside the memorials from the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang urging for payment.

In the past, the Minister of War wouldn't have made a special trip to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to receive such a memorial urging payment.

However, ever since the incident where the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang evaded the imperial edict, the Minister of War knew that the man on the dragon throne probably had designs on those two marquises.

Therefore, the Minister of War had no choice but to immediately go to the palace and consult the Yangxin Hall after receiving the memorials from the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang urging for payment.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Chen looked up at the Minister of War; "Let's hold off on the memorials urging payment from this border for a few days, and deal with them later."

Now, the Ministry of Revenue's treasury is full, and Zhou Chen's personal treasury is also overflowing.

The property of so many officials was confiscated and their families wiped out, including officials in the imperial court in Luoyang, powerful families in the four northern states, and the Cui family of Boling, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou.

A considerable amount of money was seized during the investigation.

It's fair to say that Emperor Zhou Chen is currently flush with cash.

Even if Zhou Chen were rich, he wouldn't use his money to support a group of border generals who only obeyed orders and not commands.

Zhou Chen needed to consider how to deal with the two Marquis of Zhenbei and Marquis of Xiliang at the border, who were obedient to orders but not to commands.

The rebellion in the four northern prefectures has now been quelled, and the Cui family of Boling has been wiped out.

Zhou Chen originally planned to clean up the court first before taking action on the border.

But now that the memorials from the border demanding payment have arrived, Zhou Chen doesn't want to feed these ungrateful wretches for no reason.

After hearing Zhou Chen's words, the Minister of War hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, military pay has always been a major issue that cannot be ignored in any dynasty."

"Without military pay, the army on the border will face serious problems."

"If the army falls into chaos, that will be troublesome."

The Minister of War feared that Emperor Zhou Chen was young and impetuous, because the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang had previously disobeyed imperial orders and might cut off the military pay for the border regions.

Therefore, the Minister of War had to carefully remind Zhou Chen.

If the military supplies to the border are cut off, the army at the border will fall into chaos.

Foreign tribes from beyond the Great Wall will definitely seize the opportunity to invade.

If that's the case, it's not just a simple matter of chaos at the border; there's also the possibility of foreign tribes taking advantage of the situation to invade.

When that time comes, there will be a real problem.

Zhou Chen naturally understood the Minister of War's meaning. He calmly glanced at the Minister of War and said, "I understand what Minister Li means."

"I know it well."

"The border region has been short of pay for so long, but nothing has gone wrong. A few more days won't make a difference."

Zhou Chen looked at the Minister of War and said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the Minister of War immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty has been overthinking things. Since Your Majesty has already made up your mind, I will not say anything more."

"I will take my leave now."

All that needed to be reported has been reported, and all that needed to be reminded has been reminded.

Since His Majesty Zhou Chen had made his decision, the Minister of War said no more.

In any case, the power to make this decision no longer lies in the hands of him, the Minister of War, but in the hands of His Majesty on the dragon throne.

Zhou Chen waved his hand.

Then, the Minister of War withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After the Minister of War left, Zhou Chen pondered for a moment, glanced at the two letters reporting the annihilation of the Divine Fist Sect's martial arts forces, and then shook his head.

Zhou Chen had just been considering whether to take advantage of the situation and take action to clean up the martial arts world.

But now it seems impossible.

Restoring order to the martial arts world is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two; it will take even longer than suppressing the rebellion in the four northern states.

Zhou Chen doesn't spend much time in the martial arts world these days.

Compared to matters of the martial world, matters of the border and matters of the imperial court are the most important.

However, the fact that there is no time to regulate the martial arts world for the time being does not mean that the imperial court cannot voice its opinions to the martial arts world.

Thinking of this, Zhou Chen glanced at Cao Zhengchun beside him and said, "Cao Zhengchun, although the Jianghu forces related to the death of the Grand Tutor in the Divine Fist Sect have been wiped out."

"But other martial arts factions should also be made aware that the imperial court's authority is not to be trifled with."

"In the Great Zhou Dynasty, no one can be above the decrees of the imperial court."

"You don't need me to teach you how to do it, do you?"

Zhou Chen looked at Cao Zhengchun.

Cao Zhengchun immediately understood and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old servant understands."

"This old servant will go and deliver a message to Cao Shaoqin and the others."

……

(End of this chapter)