You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 263 Do you know who these people are?
Customs.

The Northern Capital.

Inside a restaurant, two young men dressed in fine clothes sat facing each other.

One of the young men glanced at the other, who was dressed in gray brocade, and said, "Well? Have you found out anything?"

Another young man in gray brocade nodded; "I've found out that the Northern Di were wiped out by the Great Zhou two months ago. The nobles of the Northern Di were all killed, and the other tribes of the Northern Di also became prisoners of the Great Zhou and were reduced to labor slaves."

"Not only the Northern Di, but also the Western Rong, Southern Man, and Eastern Yi were all wiped out by the Great Zhou..."

The young man in the gray brocade robe recounted all the information he had gathered.

These messages are not only about the destruction of the Northern Di, but also about the other three foreign tribes and the current situation of the Great Zhou.

Although these details were not very specific, the young man in the gray brocade robe had a general understanding of the situation.

"Oh!"

"So, in this secular world, the Great Zhou Dynasty is now unified?"

The young man who spoke first showed a hint of surprise in his eyes when he heard what the young man in gray brocade robes said.

"It's not just about unification; the Great Zhou Dynasty has now abolished some of the privileges of aristocratic families and taken back their private armies."

"Anyone who dares to resist or disobey the will of the Great Zhou Dynasty will be executed by the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even the four great clans in the secular world do not dare to resist and have to act in accordance with the will of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"Song Xingyu and his group should have reached the four major clans by now. I wonder how they will react after learning about this situation."

The young man in the gray brocade robe said with a hint of teasing.

The young man who had spoken first smiled slightly upon hearing this; "That's interesting!"

"In that case, the Zhou family should have the biggest advantage."

Originally, those few companies had the biggest advantage in this WTO accession.

But now, with the changes in the world, one company has become the dominant force.

The young man in gray brocade shook his head; "Not entirely. From what I've just learned, the emperor of the Great Zhou is quite domineering and probably wouldn't take the Zhou family's main family seriously."

At this point, the young man in gray brocade looked at the first young man who had spoken and said, "Now that the Northern Barbarians have been destroyed by the Great Zhou, shouldn't we go to the government office?"

"Otherwise, we'll have to find other forces in the secular world."

The young man who spoke first nodded noncommittally; "It's time to go to the government office in Beidu City."

"In any case, the Northern Barbarians have some connection with us, and we can't just stand by and watch them become slaves and laborers."

After saying that, the two stood up and left the restaurant.

……

At the same time, not only in the northern capital, but also in the other three capitals outside the pass, there were people who entered the world.

Within the Great Zhou Dynasty, besides the Song family, the other three major clans and some other aristocratic families also received visits from people who had entered the world.

In the past, those who entered the world for training rarely visited the major powers in the secular world, nor did they usually interfere in secular affairs.

But this time, these worldly people not only visited various secular forces, but also seemed to be inclined to interfere in secular affairs.

……

royal palace.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen sat upright on the dragon throne, dealing with the numerous memorials on the dragon desk.

At this moment, a palace eunuch entered and reported: "Your Majesty, Minister of Rites, Lord Du, requests an audience outside the palace."

"Announce him to come in."

Zhou Chen glanced at the eunuchs and guards and said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The eunuchs and guards bowed and withdrew.

moment.

Du Ruhui then entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your subject, Du Ruhui, greets Your Majesty."

After Du Ruhui entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

"My dear subject, you may dispense with the formalities!"

Zhou Chen put down the memorial in his hand and looked at Du Ruhui; "What brings you to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, my dear minister?"

Du Ruhui cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have already chosen the auspicious day that Your Majesty instructed me to select."

"The Celestial Masters' Bureau has already reviewed it; Your Majesty, please take a look."

Du Ruhui took out a memorial from his sleeve and held it in his hands.

Upon seeing this, the eunuchs and guards standing in the hall stepped forward, took the memorial from Du Ruhui's hand, and presented it to Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen opened it and glanced at it.

Then, Zhou Chen looked up at Du Ruhui and said, "Now that the auspicious day has been chosen, let's inform the Left Prime Minister on that day and announce the new reign title to the whole country!"

Zhou Chen closed the memorial without objection.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Du Ruhui bowed and said.

Zhou Chen returned the memorial to Du Ruhui and asked, "Does my esteemed minister have anything else to say?"

"Your Majesty, the Royal Academy has been completed, and I have also drafted some of the relevant rules and regulations."

"Your Majesty, please review this."

Du Ruhui then took out another memorial from his sleeve, held it in his hands, and said...

The eunuchs and guards standing nearby stepped forward again, took the memorial from Du Ruhui's hand, and presented it to Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen looked very carefully this time.

After Zhou Chen finished reading the memorial submitted by Du Ruhui, he looked up at Du Ruhui and said, "Keming, the rules and regulations you have drafted are very good."

"However, there's one thing you need to refine, Kemin."

"That is to say, the resources of the Royal Academy are not unlimited, nor do they come from thin air."

"To obtain more resources, one must demonstrate the corresponding qualifications, and it is best to adopt a points system."

"The resources of the Royal Academy cannot be divided equally among everyone; only through competition can the best be eliminated."

Zhou Chen looked at Du Ruhui and said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I understand."

"I will fill in these revised and improved versions."

Upon hearing this, Du Ruhui immediately bowed and said.

Zhou Chen returned the memorial to Du Ruhui and waved his hand; "Go!"

"My minister retire."

Du Ruhui put away the memorial, bowed, and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Not long after Du Ruhui left, Cao Zhengchun quickly entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your Majesty, news has come from below that some prominent families in various regions have recently been visited by strangers."

"Even the four major clans and the remaining three great families are no exception."

"Furthermore, these strangers are all inquiring about the current situation of the Great Zhou, as if they are unaware of the current situation of the Great Zhou."

After Cao Zhengchun entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he immediately reported to Zhou Chen, who was on the dragon throne.

Today, the Eastern Depot covers the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

No matter what happened in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, it could not be hidden from the Eastern Depot.

Strangers visiting prominent families and powerful figures in various regions naturally did not escape the notice of the Eastern Depot.

Normally, there's nothing surprising about this.

But what's strange is that in the past few days, various powerful figures from all over the Great Zhou have been receiving visits from strangers, which is problematic.

Therefore, as soon as Cao Zhengchun received the news, he immediately came to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to report it.

Oh!
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow.

Inquiring about the current situation of the Great Zhou, could these strangers all have come from the deep mountains?

Even if someone ran out from the deep mountains, it's impossible for them to be completely unaware of the current situation of the Great Zhou!

"Do you know who these strangers are?" Zhou Chen asked Cao Zhengchun.

Cao Zhengchun shook his head; "I don't know. These people seem to have appeared out of nowhere. We can't find any information about them."

"However, the imperial guards below reported that these strangers had said that the Great Zhou was a secular world."

"Therefore, this old servant dares to guess that these people are not from our Great Zhou, and their origins are unusual."

Cao Zhengchun spoke cautiously, revealing his suspicions.

Upon hearing Cao Zhengchun's words, a glint of light flashed in Zhou Chen's eyes.

In the secular world?
The Eastern Depot couldn't find a single clue.

In addition, they inquired about the current situation of the Great Zhou and visited various forces in different parts of the Great Zhou.

Obviously.

These people might indeed be, as Cao Zhengchun suspected, not people of the Great Zhou.

But if they weren't from the Great Zhou, then who were they? Where did they come from?
Why are they inquiring about the situation of the Great Zhou?
Zhou Chen pondered deeply.

To be honest, Zhou Chen never expected that there would be such a mysterious person within the Great Zhou Dynasty, whose origins were unknown to the Eastern Depot.

Are there many of these suddenly appearing strangers who cannot be found?

"Is it only appearing in some places, or has it appeared in all parts of the Great Zhou?"

Zhou Chen looked at Cao Zhengchun and asked again.

"Your Majesty, these details are not yet clear."

"The people below only noticed these strangers when they were monitoring the actions of the powerful families and these strangers inquiring about the situation in the Great Zhou."

"However, this old servant has already ordered the local guards to begin their investigations, and I believe that news will soon be coming back from all over the country."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and said.

When Cao Zhengchun received these messages and realized the problem, he immediately ordered the imperial guards in various places to investigate whether these mysterious strangers existed in any of them.

If so, how many of these mysterious strangers are there?
After hearing Cao Zhengchun's words, Zhou Chen immediately ordered, "Have the Eastern Depot keep a close eye on these mysterious strangers who have suddenly appeared, and see what they're up to."

"And those various forces that have been visited by these strangers, you must keep a close eye on them as well."

"Report immediately if there is any disturbance."

Zhou Chen's expression was somewhat serious.

Zhou Chen had a strange feeling that these mysterious strangers who suddenly appeared were probably not a good thing.

"Old slave obeys the order."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and said.

Zhou Chen pondered for a moment, then said to Cao Zhengchun, "Go to the Imperial Clan Court and see if the Eighth Prince knows the origins of these people."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and accepted the order.

Then, Cao Zhengchun left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

……

Zongren Mansion.

Prince Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, never expected that Cao Zhengchun would suddenly come to the Imperial Clan Court.

The Eighth Prince Zhou Xian personally welcomed Cao Zhengchun into the council hall.

Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, knew that although Cao Zhengchun was a eunuch, he was the emperor's most trusted confidant and held the position of head of the Eastern Depot, wielding considerable power.

Add to that Cao Zhengchun's near-celestial strength, and even compared to him, the Eighth Prince, he's probably still a bit lacking.

Therefore, Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, was both surprised and polite to Cao Zhengchun's sudden arrival.

"Please take a seat, Eunuch Cao."

"What wind blew Eunuch Cao to the Imperial Clan Court today?"

"This is quite unexpected for me!"

After the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian and Cao Zhengchun sat down according to their respective positions, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian said with a smile.

The servants below had already served tea, pouring a cup for each of the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian and Cao Zhengchun.

"Your Highness is too kind. I have come today to ask you something."

Cao Zhengchun also spoke very politely.

He knew that this Eighth Prince Zhou Xian was no ordinary prince.

Although he was the head of the Eastern Depot and wielded considerable power, his status was far inferior to that of the Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian.

Ultimately, his honor and disgrace were tied to the emperor alone, while the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian was born into the royal family.

The two cannot be compared.

"Oh!"

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhou Xian's face.

As the head of the Eastern Depot, Cao Zhengchun could find out anything, so why would he need to consult the Eighth Prince?
This puzzled Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince.

"As the head of the Eastern Depot, what can be hidden from Eunuch Cao? Asking for advice is going too far."

"Please feel free to ask me anything, Eunuch Cao. If it is something I know, I will tell you everything without reservation."

"The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, said calmly."

The matter that prompted Cao Zhengchun to seek advice from the Imperial Clan Court was probably no ordinary one.

Therefore, King Zhou Xian of the Eighth Prince left some room for maneuver in his words.

If he knows it, he will tell you everything.

But if Cao Zhengchun asked him a question and he couldn't answer it, he could only say that he didn't know.

Cao Zhengchun did not hesitate and said directly, "In recent days, some mysterious strangers have appeared in various parts of the Great Zhou. They visit various local forces to inquire about the current situation of the Great Zhou."

"Furthermore, the Eastern Depot could not find any information about these people, who said that the Great Zhou was a secular world."

"I wonder if Your Highness knows the origins of these people?"

Cao Zhengchun looked at Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince.

what?
Upon hearing Cao Zhengchun's words, Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, immediately changed his expression.

This scene caught Cao Zhengchun's eye, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Obviously.

Cao Zhengchun realized from the reaction of the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian that the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian might know the origins of these people.

"Eunuch Cao, are you telling the truth?"

"Are there really people who say that the Great Zhou Dynasty is a secular world, and the Eastern Depot can't find any information about them?"

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, looked at Cao Zhengchun with a serious expression and asked for confirmation.

Cao Zhengchun nodded noncommittally; "This is news from the Eastern Depot in various places. The Eastern Depot only noticed these people when it was monitoring the local forces and their inquiries into the current situation of the Great Zhou."

"Otherwise, the Eastern Depot wouldn't have discovered these people."

Cao Zhengchun said.

"how is this possible?"

"It will be at least a decade or more before those people enter the world. How could they possibly enter the world ahead of schedule?"

Upon hearing Cao Zhengchun's words, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian muttered to himself.

To be honest, Cao Zhengchun's news really caught Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, completely off guard.

King Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, never expected that those people would enter the world ahead of schedule.

Moreover, this was done more than a decade ahead of schedule.

This is definitely not good news for the Great Zhou.

The Great Zhou Dynasty is currently in a period of revival. Whether these people's early entry into the world will affect the revival of the Great Zhou Dynasty is something even the Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, cannot be certain of.

Upon hearing the mutterings of the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, Cao Zhengchun's eyes flashed, and he looked at the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, saying, "Judging from Your Highness's reaction, you must know the origins of these people."

"Then, Your Highness, please tell me, who are these people?"

Where do they all come from?

Upon hearing Cao Zhengchun's question, Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, calmed himself down and said in a deep voice, "If nothing unexpected happens, these people are all outsiders to the secular world, from 'Tianshan'."

(End of this chapter)