You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Early morning of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Civil and military officials stood in front of the Golden Palace and entered in order of their rank.

When the civil and military officials saw Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the other three standing at the front, they were all stunned for a moment.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the other three were ordered to leave the capital and go to various places to take charge of reforming officialdom, a fact known to all civil and military officials.

The civil and military officials were surprised that Fang Xuanling and his three companions returned so quickly.

"It looks like a lot more people are going to die."

All the civil and military officials couldn't help but think to themselves.

"Your Majesty has arrived."

Just after all the civil and military officials had entered the Golden Palace, a sharp voice rang out.

Emperor Zhou Chen of the Great Zhou Dynasty strode confidently down the imperial road and ascended to the court.

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials immediately bowed their heads to the ground, kneeling and shouting to Zhou Chen, who was already standing in front of the dragon throne: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Zhou Chen turned and sat on the dragon throne, looking down at the civil and military officials, and slowly said, "All of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhou Chenxiong looked at the civil and military officials, his face expressionless, neither happy nor sad.

All the civil and military officials rose and stood respectfully in the Golden Palace.

Since Emperor Zhou Chen recovered his health, he abolished the dual regency, purged powerful ministers, quelled internal rebellions, suppressed aristocratic families, exterminated foreign tribes, reformed internal abuses, defended against powerful enemies abroad, reformed taxation, consolidated power, and unified imperial authority in his own hands. He also revoked a series of privileges held by aristocratic families and powerful clans throughout the land.

This elevated the imperial authority of the Great Zhou Dynasty to an unprecedented level.

Wherever the imperial decrees went, almost no one in the land dared to disobey them.

The Golden Palace was filled with the ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As the Great Zhou Dynasty grew stronger and stronger, how could the ministers not be overjoyed?

In the hearts of the civil and military officials, the reason why the Great Zhou Dynasty was able to reach this point was largely due to the man sitting on the dragon throne at this moment.

Without the emperor's decisive actions and countless killings, how could the Great Zhou Dynasty have achieved its current resurgence?

In the hearts of the civil and military officials, Zhou Chen was indeed the most bloodthirsty emperor in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

But without Zhou Chen's bloodthirstiness, the Great Zhou would probably still be trapped in the quagmire, declining and struggling, unable to extricate itself...

"When there is something going on, we will start, and when there is nothing going on, we will retreat."

Cao Zhengchun stepped forward and shouted loudly.

As soon as Cao Zhengchun finished speaking, Fang Xuanling, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I have been ordered to investigate local officials and clean up local governance. A total of 63 officials have been identified, including 35 of the seventh rank, 17 of the sixth rank, 8 of the fifth rank, and 2 of the fourth rank."

"These officials, during their tenure, deceived their superiors, accepted bribes, and harmed the local area; the evidence against them is irrefutable."

"Your Majesty, please decide how to deal with these officials."

Fang Xuanling spoke loudly.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the civil and military officials in the hall changed slightly.

Upon seeing Fang Xuanling and his entourage return, the civil and military officials knew that many more people were about to die.

Now, upon hearing Fang Xuanling's report, it is indeed so.

Sixty-three officials may not seem like a lot, but as the saying goes, those who can report to the emperor in the Golden Palace are all local officials or powerful officials.

Among them, there are countless officials who are not even worthy of being mentioned in this imperial palace...

"Since the evidence is conclusive, then we shall handle this according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Zhou Chen looked at Fang Xuanling and said in a tone that was neither angry nor authoritative.

"According to the order."

Fang Xuanling bowed and returned to his original position.

After Fang Xuanling returned to the ranks, Prince Zhou Zhan stepped forward and reported to Your Majesty: “The powerful families who secretly colluded with the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, as well as those families and officials who had pledged allegiance to the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, have all been apprehended by this old minister.”

"Your Majesty, please decide how to deal with these people."

"kill."

Without any hesitation, Zhou Chen uttered a single word.

Zhou Chen never shows mercy to such traitors; he kills as many as there are.

Zhou Chen's casual utterance of the word "kill" sent a chill down the spines of the civil and military officials in the hall.

Having received the emperor's decree, King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan withdrew from the ranks.

Thus, the morning court session lasted for more than an hour before it came to an end.

……

After leaving court.

Zhou Chen returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Zhou Chen sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression thoughtful.

Now, the Great Zhou has begun to rectify its officialdom, sowing the seeds. We just need to follow this path and gradually unravel the complexities. With the passage of time, the Great Zhou's officialdom will naturally become more and more transparent.

It can be said that, up to now, most of the problems that have corrupted the Great Zhou have been resolved under Zhou Chen's leadership.
As for the remaining drawbacks within the Great Zhou Dynasty, they are minor issues and will not have a significant impact on the development of the Great Zhou.

With the internal problems of the Great Zhou resolved, the next challenge is the threat from external enemies.

Zhou Chen pondered for a moment.

With Jia Xu's planning, the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness no longer pose any threat to the Great Zhou.

In particular, Yuwen Chengdu has already entered the realm of life and death, and with Pei Yuanqing who came out through the sign-in, with these two kings of life and death in the field, the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness are no longer a threat.

So now, only the Great Yan and Great Yue dynasties remain as threats to the Great Zhou.

To be honest, even now, Zhou Chen still hasn't figured out why the two great dynasties of Yan and Yue would suddenly and innocently send troops to attack his Great Zhou territory.

"The Yan army in the Eastern Wilderness has been defeated by Huo Qubing. I wonder what the situation is like in the Southern Frontier?" Zhou Chen suddenly thought to himself.

at this time.

Cao Zhengchun strode into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your Majesty, news has come from the southern border that Governor Zhou has repelled the Great Yue army and recaptured the South Gate Pass. The Great Yue army has withdrawn from outside the South Gate Pass."

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

"Oh!"

Zhou Chen's spirits lifted.

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

"it is good!"

"Zhou Yu and Yuwen Chengdu have indeed not disappointed me."

Upon seeing the message, Zhou Chen smiled.

At the same time, I felt relieved.

Having repelled the Yue army and recaptured the South Gate Pass, the safety of the Great Zhou Dynasty was temporarily stabilized. Cao Zhengchun, who was standing nearby, took out another memorial and presented it to Zhou Chen; "Your Majesty, Governor Zhou has also urgently sent a memorial requesting assistance. Please take a look."

"Ask for help?"

Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow, took the memorial from Cao Zhengchun's hand, and began to read it.

The memorial contained a lot of information, and Zhou Chen spent several minutes reading it.

After Zhou Chen finished reading the contents of the memorial, his brows furrowed immediately.

Zhou Yu's memorial was indeed a request for help.

After this major battle with the Vietnamese army, the Zhennan Army suffered heavy casualties.

Although Zhou Yu led his army to recapture Nanmen Pass and repel the Yue army, that was only due to the influence of Yuwen Chengdu and Lü Bu defeating the Yue army's commander and a powerful expert at the Life and Death Realm.

As for the Zhennan Army, out of 500,000 troops, facing 200,000 Vietnamese troops, after one battle, only less than 100,000 remained.

This can no longer be described as a massacre; the Zhennan Army has been crippled and severely damaged.

If the Vietnamese army attacks again, the remaining Zhennan Army will be insufficient to resist.

In addition to requesting aid from the imperial court, Zhou Yu also described the disparity between the two armies and provided several suggestions.

Zhou Chen pondered for a moment, put down the memorial, and glanced at Cao Zhengchun; "Cao Zhengchun, summon Xiao He and the six ministers to the Hall of Mental Cultivation immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After Cao Zhengchun left, Zhou Chen began to look through Zhou Yu's memorial again.

……

Half an hour later.

Xiao He and Fang Xuanling, along with the other six ministers, entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation under the leadership of Cao Zhengchun.

"I have met His Majesty."

After Xiao He and Fang Xuanling entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, they all bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

Zhou Chen looked up at Xiao He and the others and said directly, "The Yan army that invaded our Eastern Wilderness has been repelled by Huo Qubing and his army. You all know this news."

"News has just come from the southern border: Zhou Yu and Yuwen Chengdu have repelled the Vietnamese army and recaptured the South Gate Pass. The Vietnamese army has withdrawn from outside the South Gate Pass."

Upon hearing Zhou Chen's words, Xiao He and Fang Xuanling relaxed, and faint smiles appeared on their faces.

The Great Yan army was defeated by Huo Qubing and Pei Yuanqing, and retreated outside Dongyan Pass. Xiao He and his men had already received this news.

Now, the Da Yue army that was attacking the southern border was once again defeated by Zhou Yu, and the Da Yue army withdrew from beyond the pass.

So, the crisis in the southern border and eastern wilderness of the Great Zhou can be considered temporarily resolved.

This was good news for Xiao He and his group.

"However, although Zhou Yu and his men repelled the Yue army, the Zhennan Army suffered considerable losses. Of the 500,000 Zhennan Army, less than 100,000 remain. I estimate that Huo Qubing's Shenwu Guard also suffered heavy casualties, not to mention the Donghuang Army."

"Furthermore, the Yan and Yue armies only withdrew from outside the pass; they did not completely withdraw from the territory of our Great Zhou and retreat back to Great Yan and Great Yue."

Zhou Chen said in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, the smiles that had just appeared on Xiao He's and the others' faces vanished instantly.

Of the 500,000 Zhennan Army soldiers, only less than 100,000 remained after the battle with the Vietnamese army. What a tragic number of casualties this was.

Most importantly, although the Yue and Yan armies were defeated, they only withdrew from outside the pass, not from the territory of the Great Zhou.

In other words, despite the heavy casualties suffered by the Zhou army, they only managed to temporarily repel the armies of the Yan and Yue.

His Great Zhou's eastern wilderness and southern border were constantly threatened by the Yan and Yue armies.

Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and the others all became serious.

"This is a memorial from Zhou Yu requesting reinforcements. Please take a look."

Zhou Chen picked up the memorial from the dragon's desk and threw it to Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside him.

Cao Zhengchun immediately took the memorial and delivered it to Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and the others.

After Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and the others finished reading Zhou Yu's memorial requesting reinforcements, Zhou Chen looked at them and said, "You've all read this memorial. What do you have to say?"

As the Left Chancellor and head of the cabinet, Xiao He took the lead in bowing and said, "Your Majesty, the Zhennan Army has suffered such heavy losses that troops should be sent to support the southern border immediately."

"Otherwise, if the Vietnamese army attacks again, southern Xinjiang will be in danger."

As soon as Xiao He finished speaking, Li Yuan, the Minister of War, immediately said, "But our Great Zhou doesn't have many troops left to mobilize. Of the Twelve Divine Martial Guards, the six guards of the Northern Camp have already been sent to the Eastern Wilderness, leaving only the six guards of the Southern Camp."

"The Zhennan Army suffered such heavy casualties, and the Shenwu Guard sent to the Eastern Wilderness must have suffered the same fate. General Huo must also need support. We simply do not have enough troops to support both sides at the same time."

The words of Li Yuan, the Minister of War, immediately made the atmosphere in the hall heavy.

indeed.

As Minister of War Li Yuan said, the Great Zhou did not have enough troops to support both the Southern Frontier and the Eastern Wilderness at the same time.

Sending too few troops would be like sending them to their deaths, while sending too many would mean the Great Zhou Dynasty doesn't have that many elite troops.

The only large army that the Great Zhou can currently mobilize is the Divine Martial Guard.

As for the local troops, they were utterly ineffective. Sending them to the border to deal with the Yue and Yan armies would simply be sending them to their deaths.

Fang Xuanling pondered for a moment before speaking, “We can mobilize the Xiliang Army and the Zhenbei Army. Currently, the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness are preoccupied with their own affairs and pose no threat to our Great Zhou. There is no need for the Xiliang Army and the Zhenbei Army to be stationed entirely in Xiliang and the Northern Frontier.”

"Although the Xiliang Army and Zhenbei Army suffered some casualties when facing the experts from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness, they were basically unharmed and can be deployed to support the Southern Frontier and the Eastern Wilderness."

Xun Yu nodded; "This method is feasible. At the same time, we should immediately order the conscription of soldiers. It would be best to conscript those wild people who have fled to our Great Zhou, or find a way to conscript soldiers from the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness."

"good."

Xiao He nodded and said, "The strength of our Great Zhou army is far inferior to that of the armies of Great Yan and Great Yue, whether in terms of weaponry or military strength."

"If things continue like this, no matter how many troops my Great Zhou has, it will not be able to contend with the two great dynasties of Great Yue and Great Yan."

"Therefore, I believe that we should find a way to turn the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness into the military base of our Great Zhou."

"If my Great Zhou can conquer the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness and incorporate the experts from those cities into the army, then the military strength of my Great Zhou will no longer be weaker than that of the Great Yan and Great Yue dynasties."

The words of Xiao He and Xun Yu made everyone in the hall's eyes light up.

Even Zhou Chen, sitting on the dragon throne, had a glint of light in his eyes.

Currently, the combat strength of the Zhou army is indeed far inferior to that of the Yue and Yan armies.

Otherwise, it's impossible that 500,000 Zhennan troops couldn't withstand 200,000 Vietnamese troops and suffer heavy casualties.

Recruiting soldiers from within the Great Zhou Dynasty, no matter how large the army, would not have much effect.

Because the Great Zhou was a secular dynasty that had just merged into the Great Wilderness, the people of the world were generally ordinary people.

But dynasties like the Great Yan and Great Yue are different. They are old dynasties in the barbaric world, and whether in terms of their foundation or the proportion of people cultivating, they are not comparable to the Great Zhou.

However, if the Great Zhou could conquer the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness and recruit soldiers from them, then it could make up for this gap.

At the very least, there are many experts in the Hundred Cities of the Great Wilderness. If these experts could be incorporated into the army, the strength of the army would definitely increase several times over.