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Chapter 347 Zhao Yun, Where Are You Running To?

royal palace.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

After reviewing the memorials, Zhou Chen slowly walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Over the past year, Zhou Chenqing has quelled powerful ministers, suppressed internal rebellions, eliminated aristocratic families, defended against foreign enemies, reformed the tax and imperial examination systems, and eliminated various internal abuses...

Under Zhou Chen's bold and decisive reforms, the Great Zhou Dynasty has embarked on a path of prosperity.

However, Zhou Chen knew in his heart that this was not enough.

How could the chronic disease of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which has lasted for so many years, be cured in less than a year?

The most obvious example is the governance of officials.

Inside the imperial court, thanks to Zhou Chen's cleanup, the officials were all clear-headed and dared not act recklessly in the slightest.

But what about the officials in various localities outside the imperial court?

At the beginning of the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Previous generations of officials may have upheld the idea of ​​benefiting the local people and were honest and upright in their official duties.

But hundreds of years have passed.

Nowadays, local officials, after such a long period of corruption in officialdom, have long forgotten the fundamentals of being an official.

Although the Ministry of Personnel was in charge of all officials in the country.

However, the control over this is very weak.

If local officials have something they want to hide from the imperial court, it is very difficult for the court to find out the reason.

The Eastern Depot claimed to oversee the entire realm, covering all regions of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In reality, even the Eastern Depot could hardly be comprehensive or handle every detail.

Previously, when Zhou Chen was cleaning up the powerful families, he also took the opportunity to clean up the local officials, but he only cleaned up a very small portion of them.

There is still a large part of the bureaucracy in the Great Zhou Dynasty that has not been rectified.

This time, Zhou Chen intends to take advantage of the attack on the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness to thoroughly rectify the local administration.

This is much less turbulent than if the imperial court issued a single decree to rectify official corruption.

"I wonder how Jia Xu's plan is going?"

Zhou Chen stood on the steps outside the hall, gazing at the scenery inside the palace, lost in thought.

At this moment, a palace eunuch came over and reported, "Your Majesty, the Left Chancellor Xiao He requests an audience."

Zhou Chen withdrew his gaze and turned back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Send him in."

"According to the order."

Zhou Chen returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and had just sat on the dragon throne when Xiao He walked in.

"Your subject Xiao He greets Your Majesty."

Xiao He bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

"No gift."

Zhou Chen looked up at Xiao He; "What brings you to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, my dear minister?"

"Your Majesty, I have come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to report on the attack by the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness on the cities of my Great Zhou."

"Currently, thirteen prefectures of our Great Zhou have been controlled by experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness. A large number of officials have joined the bandits, and many powerful families are secretly stirring up trouble. If we do not take control of this situation, our Great Zhou will probably fall into chaos."

Xiao He bowed and spoke with a solemn expression.

From the very beginning, Xiao He, the Left Chancellor, disapproved of this approach.

Xiao He was worried that it would cause great chaos.

But now, the situation is developing in the direction that Xiao He was worried about. People's hearts are beginning to waver throughout the Great Zhou, which forces Xiao He to go to the palace again to meet the emperor.

A hint of helplessness flashed across Zhou Chen's face upon hearing Xiao He's words.

In recent days, Xiao He has submitted a memorial on this matter no less than three times.

Zhou Chen understood Xiao He's concerns, but he also understood that sacrifices were inevitable in order to deal with the experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness.

Xiao He was the Left Chancellor, a subject, and his concerns were stability and the people's livelihood.

But Zhou Chen is the emperor, the ruler of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Zhou Chen is considering imperial power, which is his ultimate goal.

As long as the ultimate goal of annihilating the masters of the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness can be achieved, no matter how many sacrifices are made, it is worthwhile.

This is the difference between an emperor and his subjects.

Different positions lead to different perceptions and decisions.

It is said that emperors are cold-blooded and ruthless, and that they can sacrifice everything to consolidate their power.

Actually, this statement is entirely true and has some merit.

Even Zhou Chen, an emperor who had lived two lives, was not immune to this.

Zhou Chen was willing to eliminate the privileges of aristocratic families and treat all people kindly for the sake of the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

But Zhou Chen would never give up the opportunity to deal with the experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness just for the sake of some sacrifices.

This is the emperor.

Kind, but not compassionate.

Cold-blooded, but not tyrannical.

"I understand."

Zhou Chen said calmly.

With information from the Eastern Depot, Zhou Chen received more timely and comprehensive news than Xiao He.

The news that Xiao He said the thirteen prefectures had fallen into the hands of experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness was previously reported to the imperial court.

There is still no news from the imperial court regarding the five prefectures.

In other words, the Great Zhou Dynasty now has eighteen prefectures under the control of experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, and has fallen into their hands, not the thirteen prefectures.

But Zhou Chen couldn't tell Xiao He.

Otherwise, it's uncertain how Xiao He, the Left Chancellor, would have reacted!

"His Majesty……"

Just as Xiao He opened his mouth to say something, Cao Zhengchun walked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your Majesty, news has just come back that some of the troops from the various cities of the Great Wilderness have abandoned their occupation of the cities of our Great Zhou and left directly."

"Judging from their appearance, they are eager to leave my Great Zhou and return to the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and presented the message to Zhou Chen.

"Oh!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen's eyes flashed.

Zhou Chen immediately took the message from Cao Zhengchun and glanced at it.

"It seems that Jia Xu and his team's plan is going smoothly."

After reading the message, Zhou Chen said with a glint in his eyes.

To deal with the crisis of the attack from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, Zhou Chen adopted the strategies of Fang Xuanling and Jia Xu, using a two-pronged approach.

The first step was to incite the bandits of the Great Wilderness to launch a surprise attack on the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, causing chaos in the Hundred Cities and restraining the city lords of the Hundred Cities who had not yet come to the Great Zhou.

Secondly, by taking advantage of the chaos in the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, the city lords of the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness who came to the Great Zhou would have to return to their home bases and leave the Great Zhou, thus relieving the pressure on the Great Zhou.

Third, use the cities of the Great Zhou as bait to disperse the experts from the hundreds of cities in the Great Wilderness, so that they can be defeated one by one.

Just like the City of Ten Thousand Beasts, they occupied quite a few cities. The experts from various forces in the City of Ten Thousand Beasts naturally dispersed to control the cities, making it much easier to deal with them one by one.

Moreover, the main purpose of this scheme was to throw the hundred cities of the Great Wilderness into chaos.

Once the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness are thrown into chaos, they will no longer be able to pose any threat to the Great Zhou in the short term.

Now, seeing the experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness who had occupied the cities of the Great Zhou Dynasty leave, Zhou Chen knew that their plan had succeeded and the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness were in chaos.

Upon hearing Cao Zhengchun's report, Xiao He, who was standing nearby, had a flash of insight. He immediately bowed to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne and said, "Your Majesty, since the plan is going smoothly and some of the troops from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness have left, we should immediately take action to eliminate the remaining people from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness and stabilize the situation as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen nodded; "It's time to wrap things up." Now that the eighteen prefectures of the Great Zhou have fallen into the hands of the bandit leader, the morale of the people is already quite unsettled.

If this isn't dealt with soon, it could really cause a huge mess.

"Cao Zhengchun".

Zhou Chen looked at Cao Zhengchun; "Pass on my decree, proceed according to plan, wrap things up as soon as possible, and don't worry about those people who left the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness. They may run away, but they can't hide."

"All the troops who have not left the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness shall be wiped out by Yuwen Chengdu and his men, leaving no one alive."

"Issue orders to all the Eastern Depot's overt and covert guards in various regions to arrest all the powerful families, local officials, and other individuals who have previously acted suspiciously."

"The local secret police, in coordination with the cabinet and the six ministries, will investigate and rectify officials in their respective regions..."

Zhou Chen issued several imperial edicts in succession.

This was all planned in advance.

Jia Xu had also long ago figured out the situation of officials in various regions.

Which local officials can be used, and which local officials cannot?

It has long been recorded which local officials are incompetent and which are fools who only know how to exploit the people and don't know how to govern their localities.

"Old slave obeys the order."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and accepted the imperial decree.

……

As Zhou Chen's decree was issued.

Groups of officials, along with their entourage, rode away from Luoyang.

At the same time, four figures rose into the air from the Six Ministries, each step taking them in a different direction, and instantly disappeared into the distance.

These four figures were none other than Fang Xuanling, Minister of Personnel; Du Ruhui, Minister of Rites; Xun Yu, Minister of Revenue; and Liu Ye, Minister of Works.

Fang Xuanling and his three companions were the imperial envoys in charge of this investigation and rectification of local officials.

Fang Xuanling and his three companions each took charge of one side.

In order to investigate and rectify the officialdom in various places, Zhou Chen directly dispatched Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and two others.

Zhou Chen wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to conduct a swift and decisive investigation and rectification before local officials could react, thus minimizing the unrest.

……

Just as Zhou Chen issued an edict to wrap things up, exterminate the remaining forces in the hundred cities of the Great Wilderness, and investigate and rectify local officialdom.

A crisis suddenly arrived from the east.

The Eastern Capital.

Fighting all day long.

Corpses lay strewn across the city walls, limbs and severed bodies were scattered everywhere, and bright red blood stained the walls.

An official, his robes stained crimson with blood and his face pale, stood atop the city wall, brandishing his long sword and roaring, "General Zhao, quickly lead the White Horse Cavalry to break through the siege! Don't worry about me!"

"I come from a humble background, but I have gained His Majesty's favor and have been appointed as the Lord of the Eastern Capital."

"It is a pity that I have failed His Majesty's expectations and failed to govern this region and defend the Eastern Capital. All 30,000 soldiers who were guarding the city have died in battle. I have no face to live on."

"Today, I will live and die with this Eastern Capital."

"Kill the traitors..."

A cold light flashed.

A head flew off.

The lord's raised long sword froze in place, with no chance to swing it down again.

Below the city wall, Zhao Yun stared at the falling heads, his eyes bloodshot; "Lord..."

At this moment, Zhao Yun's hair was disheveled, his body was covered in blood and wounds, and he had long lost the elegant demeanor of his white armor and silver spear.

Seeing the lord's life or death, Zhao Yun did not hesitate. He turned around, led his White Horse Cavalry, and charged out.

"Where righteousness leads, life and death shall follow."

"Heaven is my witness, and the white horse is my proof."

Led by Zhao Yun, the three thousand White Horse Cavalry surged forward like a torrent, charging through tens of thousands of enemy troops.

"Zhao Yun, where do you think you're going?"

Four armored generals attacked from all sides.

"Whoever stops me will die."

Zhao Yun's face was fierce, and his spear moved like a serpent, striking four times in succession, each strike fatal.

The four generals who surrounded him were stabbed in the throat by Zhao Yun in a single exchange, and died under Zhao Yun's spear.

"How dare you kill a general of my Great Yan! You shall die!"

A palm strike came from behind Zhao Yun, who turned and swung his spear.

The gun was touched.

The opponent was driven back by Zhao Yun, and Zhao Yun also spat out a mouthful of blood.

Zhao Yun did not stop, but continued to wield his spear, leading the White Horse Cavalry in a charge outwards.

It only takes a moment.

Zhao Yun led the White Horse Cavalry to break through the encirclement of tens of thousands of troops.

After Zhao Yun led his White Horse Cavalry out of the army's encirclement, Zhao Yun looked back at the city wall.

The Great Zhou flag that had been flying on the city wall had been replaced with another flag, which bore a large character "Yan".

"The Great Yan Dynasty".

Zhao Yun's eyes flashed with an unprecedented killing intent, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

He felt like he was about to collapse.

As the garrison commander of the Eastern Capital, Zhao Yun failed to defend the city and was forced to flee in disarray, a humiliation he had never experienced before.

But Zhao Yun knew that he could not die in battle in the Eastern Capital.

He immediately rushed back to Dongyan Pass to inform the Marquis of Donghuang and arrange defenses to resist the army of the Great Yan.

At the same time, the message must be immediately relayed back to the imperial court.

As for why the Great Yan suddenly sent troops to attack the Eastern Capital, that was no longer within Zhao Yun's consideration.

After glancing at the Great Yan banner atop the city wall, Zhao Yun didn't hesitate for a moment, spurring his horse and fleeing towards Dongyan Pass.

……

Not far from the city gate.

A valiant general in black armor looked at Zhao Yun, who had broken through the encirclement, and exclaimed, "What a fine White Horse Cavalry! What a valiant Zhao Yun!"

"I never expected that the Great Zhou would have such an elite force as the White Horse Cavalry, and that they would have such a strong military spirit. It's quite surprising."

"Especially Zhao Zilong, he is a rare and brave general. I'm afraid there are few who can compare to him even in our Great Yan army."

The valiant general exclaimed in admiration.

The valiant general was also somewhat amazed by the fighting prowess displayed by Zhao Yun and the White Horse Cavalry.

It's quite surprising that an army of 30,000 couldn't hold back Zhao Yun and his 3,000 White Horse Cavalry.

"However, escaping from my grasp won't be so easy."

Watching Zhao Yun break through the encirclement and gallop away on horseback, the valiant general let out a cold laugh.

"Issue my order: leave one detachment to support the commander-in-chief, and the rest of you follow me to pursue the remaining enemy."

"This general, as the vanguard, must capture Dongyan Pass of the Great Zhou before the commander arrives, clearing the way for the army to attack the Great Zhou."

After the valiant general finished speaking, he led his 20,000 troops and the 30,000 troops that had just surrounded the Eastern Capital, a total of 50,000 vanguard troops, to chase after Zhao Yun and the White Horse Cavalry as they fled.

As for the Eastern Capital, this valiant general did not pay much attention to it.

The city's garrison has been wiped out, and the prefect has been killed. All that's needed is to leave a small force to take over.

(End of this chapter)