You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 349 Your Majesty, the Eastern Wilderness is in Crisis

Big week.

early morning.

Civil and military officials followed the imperial road and entered the Golden Palace in order of their rank.

After the civil and military officials entered the Golden Palace, Zhou Chen walked along the imperial road and arrived at the court.

"Long live your majesty."

Civil and military officials knelt and shouted in obeisance to Zhou Chen, the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Zhou Chen sat upright on the dragon throne, looking down at the civil and military officials, and waved his hand: "All of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

All the civil and military officials bowed their heads and stood up.

Cao Zhengchun stepped forward and said loudly, "If you have something to say, speak up; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

Just as Cao Zhengchun finished speaking, the Left Chancellor Xiao He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, recently prices in Luoyang have skyrocketed. Some merchants are engaging in price gouging, and some powerful landowners are involved behind the scenes..."

"Arrest them all. Anyone involved in price gouging, no matter who they are, throw them into the Eastern Depot prison."

Zhou Chen didn't even bother to listen to what was to come.

These people believed that the Great Zhou was facing a sudden attack by experts from hundreds of cities in the Great Wilderness, and that more than a dozen prefectures had been captured. They thought that the Great Zhou was in a bad situation and wanted to take advantage of this time to make a fortune from the national crisis.

Really desperate.

Zhou Chen can revitalize commerce, elevate the status of merchants, or plunge them back into hell.

It's true that merchants prioritize profit.

Zhou Chen understood this, and he could tolerate businessmen pursuing profit.

However, this is on the premise that it is within a certain range.

If, when the Great Zhou Dynasty is facing a crisis, these merchants disregard the greater good and still try to inflate prices and profit from the national crisis, then Zhou Chen will not tolerate it.

In the imperial court, all the civil and military officials lowered their heads upon hearing the emperor's words, not daring to utter a single word.

They were well aware of the emperor's methods.

At a time when the Great Zhou Dynasty is facing a crisis of powerful figures from hundreds of cities in the Great Wilderness, these merchants still dare to inflate prices; they are simply courting disaster.

In the eyes of the officials, it was easy to get into the Eastern Depot's prison, but difficult to get out.

The emperor ordered those who were profiteering to be imprisoned in the Eastern Depot's jail, probably with no intention of letting them live...

"If anyone dares to resist, there's no need to report it; just kill them on the spot and confiscate their property."

Zhou Chen spoke calmly, but his words sent shivers down the spines of all the officials.

"According to the order."

Left Chancellor Xiao He bowed and said.

After the Left Chancellor Xiao He stepped down, another minister stepped forward to present his report.

And so, the morning court session proceeded slowly...

The ministers submitted their reports on matters of state that they could not decide, and Zhou Chen resolved them one by one.

Just as the morning court session was halfway through, Dian Wei, the commander of the Imperial Guards, hurriedly entered the Golden Palace. "Your Majesty, an urgent message has arrived from the Eastern Depot. The messenger is waiting outside the palace."

"Oh!"

Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow, and all the civil and military officials were taken aback.

What kind of urgent news could possibly warrant a direct audience at the Golden Palace during the morning court session?

It should be noted that during the morning court session, unless it is a matter of great national importance, it cannot be interrupted.

Zhou Chen glanced at Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside him.

Cao Zhengchun understood immediately and went out.

After practicing for only a short while, Cao Zhengchun returned in a hurry.

"Your Majesty, news has arrived from the Eastern Wilderness."

"The Great Yan army launched an attack on the eastern border of our Great Zhou. In just one day, the vanguard of the Yan army, numbering 50,000, captured the Eastern Capital and broke through the Dongyan Pass."

"The Lord of Dongdu City and Marquis Song Li of Donghuang have died in battle, General Zhao Yun is seriously wounded, the Donghuang army has suffered heavy casualties, and Donghuang is in dire need of help."

As soon as Cao Zhengchun finished speaking, the expressions of everyone in the hall changed drastically.

The Great Yan army launched an attack on the eastern border of the Great Zhou.

In a single day, the vanguard of the Yan army captured the eastern capital and breached the Dongyan Pass.
Lord of the Eastern Capital and Marquis of the Eastern Wilderness, Song Li, were killed in battle, and Zhao Yun was seriously wounded.

These messages shocked the entire court, leaving them momentarily speechless.

For a moment, the entire Golden Palace was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The entire court was filled with shock.

The Great Yan was a dynasty to the east of the Great Zhou. All the civil and military officials had read the history of the barbaric lands and knew that the Great Zhou was currently located on the edge of the Great Wilderness.

To the west and north of the Great Zhou lies the vast wilderness and its hundreds of cities, while to the east and south it borders the dynasties of the Central Plains.

The entire court never expected that the Great Yan would suddenly send troops to attack the border of their Great Zhou.

Moreover, the 50,000 vanguard troops of the Great Yan captured the Eastern Capital and broke through Dongyan Pass in a single day.

It should be noted that the Eastern Wilderness is home to 500,000 troops from the Great Zhou Dynasty, as well as unparalleled warriors like Zhao Yun.

Such a defensive force failed to stop the 50,000 vanguard troops of the Great Yan, which greatly shocked the officials.

If Dongyan Pass falls, the troops of the Great Yan can advance unimpeded and trample into the heart of the Great Zhou.

The crisis in the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness has not yet been resolved, and now the Great Yan has arrived, making the situation of the Great Zhou even more precarious.

All the officials were deeply concerned, their faces filled with solemnity.

Zhou Chen, sitting on the dragon throne, also had a drastic change in expression.

As Cao Zhengchun spoke, he presented the message to Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen immediately took the message from Cao Zhengchun's hand, opened it, and glanced at it.

In an instant, Zhou Chen's face darkened, and his brows seemed to be suppressing a fit of rage.

Zhou Chen looked at the news in his hand, reading faster and faster, and finally slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne and stood up.

"Retreat."

Without saying a word, Zhou Chen took the message and left, without continuing the morning court session.

……

After Zhou Chen left, all the civil and military officials began to whisper among themselves.

"Dongyan Pass has actually fallen. This is a real problem."

"Yes! Dongyan Pass is the eastern barrier of our Great Zhou. If Dongyan Pass is lost, our Great Zhou will have no barrier in the east. The Yan army can then drive straight into the heart of our Great Zhou, and our heartland will be completely exposed to the enemy's iron cavalry."

"The crisis of attacks on the western and northern borders by experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness has not yet been resolved, and now the Yan army has breached Dongyan Pass. This situation is not good for our Great Zhou."

The civil and military officials who could stand in the imperial court were not simple people.

Anyone with a modicum of insight could see that once Dongyan Pass fell, the Great Zhou would have no more barriers to stop the Yan army on the east side.

If the Yan army were allowed to advance unimpeded, it would be a catastrophe for the entire Great Zhou. Most importantly, the Yan army's fighting strength was such that even 500,000 Eastern Wilderness soldiers plus the peerless general Zhao Yun could not stop the Yan army's 50,000 vanguard, who captured the Eastern Capital and broke through Dongyan Pass in a single day.

Compared to the experts in the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, the Yan army poses a far greater danger to the Great Zhou.

"Prime Minister, our Great Zhou is in grave danger! The Yan army has breached Dongyan Pass, the Marquis of Donghuang has been killed in battle, and even General Zhao Yun has been seriously wounded. Our Great Zhou is now beset by wolves in the west and tigers in the east!"

The Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, along with the Minister of War and the Minister of Justice, approached Xiao He with solemn expressions.

Now, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the other three ministers have been ordered to rectify the administration of officials in various regions and are no longer in Luoyang. Apart from Xiao He, the Left Chancellor, the only other important officials in the court are Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, and the Minister of War and the Minister of Justice.

Xiao He's expression was also extremely solemn.

They meticulously planned to deal with the hungry wolf, the Great Wilderness Hundred Cities, but they never anticipated that a tiger would appear later.

Xiao He glanced at the three people, including the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, and said, "Let's go! Let's go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation together."

The three of them, including the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, nodded.

With such a major incident occurring, they, as important officials of the court, naturally could not simply leave and had to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to discuss the matter.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

After the court session, Zhou Chen returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, slammed his palm on the dragon desk, and looked extremely furious.

Just now in the Golden Palace, facing the entire court of civil and military officials, Zhou Chen, as the emperor, had to be mindful of his dignity.

But now that he was back in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhou Chen could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.

"Damn the Great Yan! They actually sent troops to attack my Great Zhou, causing heavy casualties to my Eastern Wilderness Army. The Marquis of Eastern Wilderness was killed in battle, and Zhao Yun was seriously wounded. They deserve to die."

Zhou Chen was furious and paced back and forth.

To be honest, Zhou Chen really didn't expect that the Great Yan would suddenly send troops to attack Dongyan Pass against his Great Zhou.

This caught Zhou Chen completely off guard.

Zhou Chen was initially pleased with the plans to finish dealing with the experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, but the sudden attack by the Yan army poured cold water on his hopes.

The fall of Dongyan Pass, the death of the Marquis of Donghuang, and the serious injury of Zhao Yun—these news sent Zhou Chen plummeting from the heights of success to the depths of despair.

What alarmed Zhou Chen the most was the strength of the Yan army. With only 50,000 vanguard troops, they captured the Eastern Capital and broke through Dongyan Pass in a single day. Even Zhao Yun could not withstand them and was seriously injured.

When the main force of the Yan army arrives, how will the Great Zhou resist?

Zhou Chen knew that the dynasties in the Central Plains were very powerful, and that the Great Zhou was much weaker overall than them.

But Zhou Chen never expected that the gap in strength between the Great Zhou and these dynasties in the Central Plains would be so great.

A vanguard force of 50,000 men from the Great Yan Dynasty breached the heavily fortified Dongyan Pass of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and even Zhao Yun was seriously injured.

It should be noted that Zhao Yun's strength was among the top in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Apart from a very few individuals such as Lü Bu and Yuwen Chengdu, no one could compare to Zhao Yun.

Just as Zhou Chen was pacing back and forth, burning with anger.

A palace attendant entered and reported: "Your Majesty, the Left Chancellor Xiao He, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, and the Minister of War and the Minister of Justice are requesting an audience outside the palace."

The eunuchs and guards kept their heads down, proceeding cautiously.

The emperor's angry expression was clear to everyone.

At this time, no one dared to touch the emperor.

After pacing back and forth a few times to calm his rage, Zhou Chen sat on the dragon throne and said to the eunuchs and guards, "Summon them in."

"According to the order."

The eunuchs and guards dared not hesitate and hurriedly bowed and retreated.

moment.

Xiao He, Zhou Xian (the Eighth Prince), and the other two entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your Majesty, we have come to pay our respects."

Upon entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Xiao He, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, and the other three bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

Zhou Chen didn't say much, and directly picked up the news and handed it to Cao Zhengchun; "Take a look at the news about the Eastern Wilderness first!"

Zhou Chen could guess why Xiao He and the other three wanted to see him.

Therefore, Zhou Chen stopped wasting words and directly had Cao Zhengchun deliver the news from the Eastern Wilderness to Xiao He and the other three ministers.

Cao Zhengchun presented the message from the Eastern Wilderness to Xiao He and the other three.

Xiao He and the other three took the news about the Eastern Wilderness from Cao Zhengchun and read it in turn.

After reading the news from the Eastern Wilderness, Xiao He and the other three all wore extremely solemn expressions.

Zhou Chen took a deep breath, glanced at Xiao He and the other three, and asked, "You've all seen the news from the Eastern Wilderness. What do you think our Great Zhou should do?"

Zhou Chen's thoughts were in complete disarray.

The attack by the Great Yan was truly unexpected.

Currently, the top combat forces of the Great Zhou Dynasty are all dealing with the experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, so Zhou Chen has no more experts to call upon.

Sending ordinary people to the Eastern Wilderness would be completely useless. Even Zhao Yun suffered a severe injury. Sending ordinary people to the Eastern Wilderness to resist the Yan army would be like sending them to their deaths.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, Dongyan Pass has fallen, the Marquis of Donghuang has died in battle, and General Zhao Yun is seriously wounded. The Donghuang army can no longer stop the advance of the Yan army.”

"I believe that Your Majesty should immediately dispatch Commander Yuwen, General Huo, and General Lü to the Eastern Wilderness to resist the Great Yan army."

"The threat from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness is merely a superficial itch, not enough to shake the Great Zhou Dynasty, but the Great Yan is different; it is a scourge of corruption."

“If the army of Great Yan is allowed to advance unimpeded, then my Great Zhou will face annihilation.”

Minister of War Li Yuan also stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I agree with the Eighth Prince's opinion. The Yan army is powerful and even General Zhao Yun could not withstand them and was seriously injured. If we do not immediately mobilize troops to resist them, the situation of our Great Zhou will be very pessimistic."

"Furthermore, the Yan army has many experts. If only one or two generals are sent to the Eastern Wilderness, it is not certain that they can stop the Yan army's strongmen."

"Therefore, I believe that we should immediately order Commander Yuwen and General Lü, along with all their generals, to go to the Eastern Wilderness to resist the Yan army. At the same time, we should also send the Twelve Divine Martial Guards to the Eastern Wilderness. Perhaps only then can we stop the Yan army."

"inappropriate."

No sooner had Minister of War Li Yuan finished speaking than Xiao He immediately stood up to object, saying, "Your Majesty, the plan to deal with the experts of the Hundred Dynasties of the Great Wilderness has begun to come to an end. We must not give up now that we have reached the final step."

"I think it would be better to first order General Huo and Commander Yuwen to go to the Eastern Wilderness to resist the Yan army. Commander Yuwen is a peak Yin-Yang expert, and General Huo is a master strategist. Even if they cannot defeat the Yan army, they can at least hold them off."

"As long as we can hold off the Yan army for a while, and wait for General Lü and his men to wipe out the experts in the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, it won't be too late to go to the Eastern Wilderness to deal with the Yan army."

Minister of Justice Wang Yangming nodded; “Your Majesty, I think the Left Prime Minister is right. The plan to deal with the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness has reached its final stage, and there is no reason to give up.”

"With Commander Yuwen and General Huo, plus General Zhao Yun, it shouldn't be difficult to hold off the Yan army for a while."

"Once we deal with the experts in the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, we can concentrate our forces and turn back to deal with the Great Yan army."

Zhou Chen, sitting on the dragon throne, listened to the four people's words with a flickering gaze.

After a moment's hesitation.

Zhou Chen glanced at Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside him; "Cao Zhengchun, immediately issue an edict to Yuwen Chengdu and Huo Qubing, ordering them to return to the capital without delay."

As the plan to deal with the experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness came to its final stages, Zhou Chen could not afford to give up at this point.

Then the only option is to bring Huo Qubing and Yuwen Chengdu back first.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and said.

(End of this chapter)