You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 241 Congratulations, Your Majesty, on your expansion of territory!

The next day.

The morning court begins.

Early in the morning, civil and military officials were already waiting outside the palace gates.

After the palace gates opened, civil and military officials entered the palace and arrived outside the Golden Palace.

According to their official rank, civil and military officials entered the Golden Palace in turn along both sides of the imperial road.

After all the civil and military officials had entered the Golden Palace, Zhou Chen walked out from the special imperial path beside it, stepped onto the dragon platform, and sat on the dragon throne.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

After Zhou Chen sat on the dragon throne, all the civil and military officials knelt down and shouted their respects.

Zhou Chen looked down at the civil and military officials below; "All of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

All the civil and military officials stood up.

Zhou Chen looked at the civil and military officials and said, "Yesterday, good news came from both the Southern Frontier and the Eastern Wilderness. I'm sure you all know about it."

"King Kao Shan defeated the Southern Barbarian army and sent troops to the Southern Barbarians, thus pacifying the Southern Barbarian tribes for our Great Zhou."

"The Marquis of Donghuang also defeated the Dongyi army outside Dongyan Pass, killed the Dongyi king, and wiped out all the Dongyi tribes."

"In addition to the Northern Di and Western Rong that were previously destroyed by General Lü and General Huo."

"It can be said that all the foreign tribes from all directions have now been exterminated by our Great Zhou."

"From this moment forward, our Great Zhou will never again suffer the torment of foreign races."

Zhou Chen's clear voice echoed throughout the Golden Palace.

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials below were greatly encouraged.

An unprecedented sense of pride welled up from the bottom of my heart.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty on expanding your territory and eliminating foreign tribes."

"May the Great Zhou Dynasty enjoy eternal peace and prosperity, and last for ten thousand generations."

All the civil and military officials spoke loudly in unison.

This is a victory for the Great Zhou.

Similarly, it was a victory for every official in the imperial court.

Zhou Chen glanced at the civil and military officials and shook his head. "This is not the achievement of me alone. Without the countless soldiers who sacrificed their lives one after another, and without all of you ministers who worked to bring peace and stability to our Great Zhou, the Great Zhou would not be where it is today."

"Therefore, my beloved ministers should not congratulate me, but those who have given every drop of blood and toil for the Great Zhou."

Zhou Chen said with a smile.

"I have read your plans for the post-war arrangements between the Western Rong and the Northern Di, and they are very good."

"The southern barbarians and the eastern barbarians are also arranged in this way."

“Each of the four foreign lands was established as a prefecture. Some refugees and landless people were first relocated out of the pass, and wasteland was cleared and animal husbandry was encouraged.”

"Strive to integrate the lands outside the pass into the territory of our Great Zhou as soon as possible."

Zhou Chen glanced at the assembled officials and spoke.

"Yes, Your Majesty"

All the civil and military officials bowed and said.

"Next, what suggestions do you, my esteemed ministers, have regarding post-war rewards and compensation?"

Zhou Chen then looked at the civil and military officials below.

"His Majesty."

"General Lü quelled the rebellion in the four northern prefectures in one battle and killed the traitors of the Yellow Heaven Sect."

"Now he has also annihilated the Northern Di barbarian tribes and killed two kings of the Northern Di and Southern Man tribes in battle. His achievements are outstanding and unmatched."

"I dare to offer my advice and request that General Lü be granted a generous reward."

Minister of War Li Yuan stepped forward and spoke.

"Your Majesty, General Huo Qubing launched a surprise attack on the capital of the Western Rong and annihilated the Western Rong. He should be richly rewarded."

"Your Majesty, General Zhao Yun has killed two kings, the Western Rong and the Eastern Yi, and then followed the Marquis of Donghuang to annihilate the Eastern Yi. He should be richly rewarded."

One by one, the ministers spoke up, offering their advice on the matter of bestowing rewards.

……

Southern barbarian.

In the royal city, inside the royal palace.

The Prince of Kao Shan sat in the main seat.

Below sat Zhou Yu, Taishi Ci, and Jin He.

After defeating the Nanman army and killing the Nanman king in the Flowing Sand Forest, King Zhou Zhan of Kaoshan and Zhou Yu divided their forces into four routes and launched an attack on the Nanman.

After more than ten days, King Kao Shan and Zhou Yu wiped out the entire Nanman tribe.

The entire southern barbarian lands were also brought under the control of King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan.

Zhou Zhan looked at the imperial decree that had just arrived in his hand, then looked up at Zhou Yu, Taishi Ci, and the other two. "The imperial decree says that the Northern Di have been annihilated by the Marquis of Donghuang, and the King of the Northern Di has been killed by General Zhao."

"The imperial court has decided to establish a prefecture in each of the four foreign-populated areas outside the Great Wall."

"The land of the Southern Barbarians was established as the Southern Capital Prefecture, and the capital of the Southern Barbarians was renamed the Southern Capital City, serving as the prefectural capital of the Southern Capital Prefecture."

"General Taishi was the garrison commander of Nandu Prefecture, stationed to guard the city of Nandu."

"Take a look!"

As Zhou Zhan spoke, he handed the imperial edict to Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci with a smile on his face.

Zhou Zhan never expected that he would be able to see the Great Zhou sweeping away all the alien races in his lifetime, which made him feel quite gratified.

In particular, the fact that King Zhou Zhan of Kaoshan was able to personally lead troops to destroy the Southern Barbarians fulfilled a long-cherished wish of his.

Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci took turns reading the imperial decree, both with smiles on their faces.

The Northern Di and Western Rong have already been destroyed by the Great Zhou, and now the Eastern Yi have also been captured by the Marquis of Donghuang with his army.

So, in that sense, all of the Great Zhou's enemies outside the Great Wall have been wiped out.

Zhou Yu put down the imperial decree in his hand and looked at Prince Zhou Zhan, who was in charge of the mountain. "Your Highness, the court will deal with the prisoners in batches. Those foreign tribes who have committed serious crimes against our Great Zhou and have high prestige in the Southern Barbarians must be executed."

"To avoid any unforeseen complications, I suggest we begin ordering the selection and disposal of prisoners now."

Zhou Yu suggested.

They sent troops to the southern barbarians, but captured many of them.

If these southern barbarian prisoners are not dealt with properly as soon as possible, every extra day they remain will bring more unforeseen complications.

Therefore, upon seeing the imperial decree, Zhou Yu suggested that the prisoners be dealt with immediately.

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhou Zhan nodded; "I will issue an order to deal with the prisoners shortly."

"I have once again petitioned His Majesty to grant him the title of Prince."

"His Majesty has agreed this time."

"Therefore, my time in the southern borderlands will not be long."

At this point, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, looked at Zhou Yu.

"Zhou Yu, from now on, I will entrust you with all the power of the Zhennan Army. You will be in charge of everything."

"I hope that when I leave the Southern Frontier, you can truly become the Governor of the Zhennan Army and take over everything in the Southern Frontier."

"do you understand?"

King Zhou Zhan looked at Zhou Yu.

Now that the Southern Barbarians have been destroyed and there is no longer any threat from foreign tribes in the Southern Frontier, there is no need for the Mountain King to remain.

King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan was already quite content to have personally annihilated the Southern Barbarians before abdicating and handing over the throne to a more worthy successor.

Therefore, King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan wanted to hand over power to Zhou Yu in advance, so that Zhou Yu could get used to it first.

In this way, even if any problems arise, he still has his backer, King Zhou Zhan.

"I thank Your Highness for your kindness."

"Your Highness, rest assured, leave everything in the Southern Frontier to Yu!"

"With Yu around, there won't be any problems in the southern border region."

Zhou Yu naturally understood what King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan meant, and nodded in agreement.

Even if the Southern Barbarians hadn't been destroyed, Zhou Yu's abilities would have been sufficient to take over the Southern Frontier without any problems.

"Well, I am quite aware of your abilities, Zhou Yu."

Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, nodded. Zhou Yu's abilities were beyond question; it was just that he hadn't been with the Zhennan Army for very long.

……

Dongyi.

In the palace.

Marquis Donghuang sat in the main seat.

Sitting below were Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, and some generals from the Eastern Wilderness Army.

Marquis Donghuang looked at everyone present and said, "The Eastern Barbarians have been destroyed by us, and the imperial decree has arrived."

"In the four foreign lands beyond the Great Wall, the imperial court ordered the establishment of prefectures in each region, with the land of the Eastern Barbarians being designated as the Eastern Capital Prefecture."

"The capital of the Eastern Yi was renamed Dongdu City, which became the capital of the Eastern Capital Prefecture. General Zhao was appointed as the garrison commander of the Governor's Office and the deputy commander of the Eastern Wilderness Army, stationed in the Eastern Capital Prefecture."

As the Marquis of Donghuang spoke, he looked at Zhao Yun.

"General Zhao, please take a look!"

"This is the imperial decree."

The Marquis of Donghuang handed a decree to Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun accepted the imperial decree, glanced at it, and immediately stood up, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "This humble general obeys."

From this moment forward, Zhao Yun will be the garrison commander of Dongdu Prefecture and the deputy commander of the Eastern Wilderness Army.

The Marquis of Donghuang was fully aware of the purpose behind the imperial court's appointment of Zhao Yun as the deputy general of the Donghuang Army.

In the past, it wouldn't have been so easy for the imperial court to install generals in the Eastern Wilderness Army to take power.

But things are different now. The imperial court's power has surpassed all others. The Marquis of Xiliang and the Marquis of Zhenbei have been eliminated, leaving only the Marquis of Donghuang, who is also struggling to hold his own.

Even if the imperial court arranges for a general to take command of the Eastern Wilderness Army, or even if the imperial court were to take away his military power as the Marquis of the Eastern Wilderness, the Marquis of the Eastern Wilderness would still be powerless to resist.

The Marquis of Donghuang could imagine that once Zhao Yun joined the Donghuang Army, it wouldn't be long before he, the Marquis of Donghuang, would become a Marquis of Donghuang in name only!
Marquis Donghuang then looked at Dian Wei; “Commander Dian, the Eastern Yi have been destroyed. The Ministry of War has issued an order for Commander Dian to lead the Divine Martial Guard back to Luoyang.”

"Commander Dian must have received His Majesty's decree by now!"

Dian Wei nodded; "This humble general has received His Majesty's decree and is preparing to bid farewell to the Marquis."

Although Dian Wei and Zhao Yun are much stronger than the Marquis of Donghuang, the Marquis of Donghuang's status is undeniable.

Even with the strength of Zhao Yun and Dian Wei, they had to address the Marquis of Donghuang with the title of "lowly general".

"Then I wish Commander Dian a safe journey."

The Marquis of Donghuang spoke politely to Dian Wei.

Previously, Dian Wei was as terrifying as a god or demon at Dongyan Pass, a memory that the Marquis of Donghuang still vividly remembers.

Afterwards, Dian Wei bid farewell to everyone and left with the Divine Martial Guards.

……

Northern Di.

Empire.

After killing the Nanman King, Lü Bu returned directly from the southern border to this place.

In the palace.

Lü Bu sat in the main seat.

Sitting below were Jia Xu, Gao Shun, Hao Meng, Cao Xing, and a few others.

Lu Bu glanced at everyone present and said, "News has come from the court that the Eastern Barbarians have also been destroyed by the Marquis of Donghuang."

"Now, all the foreign tribes outside the pass have been exterminated by our Great Zhou. The imperial court has issued an edict to change the four foreign tribe territories outside the pass into four prefectures."

"The land of the Northern Barbarians where we are located will be renamed Beidu Prefecture, and the royal city of the Northern Barbarians will be renamed Beidu City, which will become the capital city of Beidu Prefecture."

"Jia, the military advisor, will temporarily serve as the prefect of Beidu Prefecture, and Gao Shun will serve as the garrison commander of Beidu Prefecture."

"The other generals all received their own rewards."

Lu Bu looked at everyone and said.

"General."

“This Northern Barbarian land has been renamed the Northern Capital Prefecture, but there are no people here, nothing at all. What’s the point of establishing a prefecture here?”

Hao Meng spoke up.

The Northern Barbarians have been wiped out by them, and the Northern Barbarian tribes have all become their prisoners.

In this Beidu Prefecture, apart from the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army, there was practically no one else.

Isn't establishing a government office redundant?

Lu Bu glanced at Hao Meng; "The court has considered all of this. The court has already ordered the relocation of displaced people and landless people to Beidu Prefecture."

"It's not just Beidu Prefecture; the court will also relocate people to the other three prefectures outside the pass."

"Furthermore, the imperial court has already dispatched officials to take up their posts outside the pass."

Lü Bu explained the court's arrangements.

Hao Meng and the others then understood the imperial court's arrangements.

……

Western Rong.

Huo Qubing also received the imperial decree.

The Southern Barbarians and Eastern Barbarians have been destroyed, and prefectures have been established in the lands of the four different ethnic groups.

The area where the Western Rong lived was renamed Xidu Prefecture, and the Western Rong royal city was renamed Xidu City, serving as the prefectural city of Xidu Prefecture.

In the palace.

Huo Qubing sat in the main seat.

Sitting below were Zhang Liao, Song Xian, Cheng Lian, Hua Xiong, and some generals from the Xiliang army.

Huo Qubing glanced at everyone and said, "You all know the imperial decree. From now on, this land of the Western Rong will be Xidu Prefecture. Hua Xiong will be the garrison commander of Xidu Prefecture and will be stationed here."

Hua Xiong had originally led the Divine Martial Guard back to Luoyang.

However, Hua Xiong later received another appointment from the imperial court, left Luoyang, and came to Xidu Prefecture outside the pass.

"As for those prisoners of war from the Western Rong, the court has also made its decision. All those who held positions of power and prestige in the Western Rong and who had committed grave sins against our Great Zhou have been buried alive."

Huo Qubing said coldly.

Huo Qubing understood best the nature of foreign tribes to bully the weak and fear the strong, and their wolfish ambitions.

According to Huo Qubing's idea, these Western Rong prisoners should be buried alive or used to their advantage, draining their last bit of labor before sending them to the underworld.

However, since the imperial court had clearly defined the treatment of prisoners, Huo Qubing had no choice but to comply.

"Commander Huo, what should we do with the remaining prisoners?"

Song Xian asked.

It should be noted that the Western Rong had quite a few prisoners; even if a batch were massacred, there would still be many left.

If these prisoners are not handled properly, they could cause a lot of trouble.

"Of the remaining prisoners, some will be left to work in Beidu Prefecture, while the rest will be sent to the interior to dig canals and build roads for our Great Zhou."

"Those who perform well will be released from their status as hardworking prisoners and integrated into our Great Zhou. This is the arrangement and treatment of prisoners after discussion by the imperial court."

Huo Qubing explained the court's specific arrangements and treatment of the prisoners.

Upon hearing Huo Qubing's words, everyone present frowned.

They never expected the imperial court to handle the prisoners of foreign tribes in this way.

You must understand that these foreign traitors are wolves in sheep's clothing; since they are not of our kind, their hearts are bound to be different.

Is it possible to integrate foreign traitors into the Great Zhou?

If the foreign rebels appear to be benevolent on the surface, but are secretly filled with hatred for the Great Zhou, then they may be treacherous.

Such people, once freed from their slave or prisoner status, may harbor ill intentions towards the Great Zhou, which could lead to disastrous consequences.

However, since this was an arrangement made by the imperial court, those present could not say much.

"You are all aware of the imperial decree."

"Then let's do as the imperial court orders!"

"Let's begin escorting the Western Rong prisoners to the interior!"

Huo Qubing looked at everyone and said.

"Yes, Commander Huo."

Everyone clasped their hands in greeting and accepted the order.

(End of this chapter)