You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 186 The Mountain King Returns to Luoyang
The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen sat on the dragon throne, looking down at Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, who looked travel-worn.

After several days and nights of travel, Prince Zhou Zhan of Kaoshan has just returned to Luoyang.

He went straight to the palace to meet the emperor without even tidying up.

The emperor personally issued an edict ordering Prince Zhou Zhan to return to Luoyang as soon as possible, and Prince Zhou Zhan thought something had happened to the court.

Therefore, King Zhou of Kaoshan traveled non-stop along the way, basically without resting at all.

"Your subject Zhou Zhan greets Your Majesty." Prince Zhou Zhan bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

Zhou Chen glanced at the Prince of Kao Shan; "Uncle, there's no need for such formalities."

According to seniority, King Kao Shan Zhou Zhan is Zhou Chen's grandfather.

Therefore, Zhou Chen addressed the Prince of Kaoshan according to seniority, which made it seem more intimate.

It must be said that the feeling Zhou Chen got from Prince Zhou Zhan was very similar to that of the late Grand Tutor Wen Zhong—both were old but still strong.

However, the aura emanating from Prince Zhou Zhan was more imposing than that of the late Grand Tutor Wen Zhong.

This may be due to King Zhou Zhan of Kaoshan's long-term presence in the southern border region, fighting against the southern barbarians.

In Zhou Chen's memory, he had only seen this powerful figure who was stationed in the southern border region a few times.

Zhou Chen nodded inwardly to Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan.

As a veteran of three dynasties of the Great Zhou Dynasty and one of the two pillars of the dynasty, he commanded hundreds of thousands of Zhennan troops, making outstanding contributions to the Great Zhou.

He showed no arrogance whatsoever.

This is rare.

If it were anyone else, they would inevitably have a hint of arrogance.

"Please offer a seat to the Imperial Uncle," Zhou Chen added immediately.

The eunuchs and guards standing in the hall immediately brought a stool for Prince Zhou Zhan.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly on the squat chair.

After Prince Zhou Zhan sat down, Zhou Chen looked at him and asked, "Uncle, was the journey peaceful?"

"Thanks to His Majesty's great fortune, the journey has been peaceful."

"I am a military general, and even petty villains would not dare to plot against me."

"It was King Zhou Zhan who was backed by the mountain," he said.

"Your Majesty, why the urgent summons to Luoyang? Has something happened at court?"

King Zhou Zhan, who was in charge of the mountain, asked again.

In order to get back to Luoyang as quickly as possible, he traveled non-stop, day and night.

Zhou Chen shook his head; "The court is very stable now, nothing has happened."

"The reason I summoned my uncle back to court is because of the matters concerning the northern frontier and the western Liang."

"I twice issued edicts to the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang, ordering them to allocate some troops to quell the rebellion, but they made various excuses to fob me off."

“I ordered them to return to Luoyang at the end of the year to report on the border affairs, but they made up various excuses to fob me off.”

"Uncle, what do you think should be done about this?"

Zhou Chen looked at Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan.

Upon hearing Zhou Chen's words, King Zhou Zhan immediately understood Zhou Chen's intention in summoning him back to Luoyang.

"It seems that His Majesty intends to take action against the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang."

King Zhou Zhan thought to himself.

Although Zhou Chen appeared to be asking him how to deal with this powerful figure, Emperor Zhou Chen probably already had a decision and a plan in mind.

It might already be being implemented.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have directly issued an edict ordering this powerful prince to return to court as soon as possible.

Prince Zhou Zhan pondered for a moment before speaking, “Your Majesty, matters concerning the border are of utmost importance, and are somewhat different from purging the court or exterminating powerful families.”

"The northern frontier faces the Northern Di, and the western Liang faces the Western Rong."

"If you act too hastily and make a mistake, the consequences could be immeasurable."

"The Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang had already shown signs of becoming powerful and influential during the reign of the late emperor."

"These two marquisate estates have been operating in the northern frontier and western Liang for a long time, and the Zhenbei Army and the western Liang Army are no longer what they used to be. Most of the generals in the army are their confidants."

"Your Majesty's desire to reclaim power over the Zhenbei Army and the Xiliang Army requires careful consideration and should not be rushed."

"Otherwise, causing unrest will give foreign tribes outside the pass an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"If the foreign tribes outside the pass take the opportunity to break through the border defenses, then we'll be in trouble."

"I am a king who relies on others," Zhou Zhan reminded him, his expression serious.

King Zhou Zhan believed that Zhou Chen would use force to deal with the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Marquis of Xiliang, just as he had dealt with the court and eliminated the powerful families, and take back the power of the Zhenbei Army and the Xiliang Army.

That would not be a wise move.

Both the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion and the Xiliang Marquis's Mansion had been operating in the northern frontier and western Liang regions for generations.

The Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion and the Xiliang Marquis's Mansion together control hundreds of thousands of troops from the Zhenbei and Xiliang armies.

If force is used, it could ignite war on the border.

The consequences will be far more than just border unrest.

"Uncle, I understand everything you've said."

"But I do not have the time or the patience to spend several years resolving the problems in the Northern Frontier and the Western Liang."

"I have already begun to make arrangements for the northern frontier and the western Liang."

"I summoned my uncle back because I hope he can help me stabilize the Zhenbei and Xiliang armies and prevent them from becoming too unstable."

Zhou Chen did not hide the fact that he had already begun to make arrangements in the Northern Frontier and Western Liang, and looked at King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan and said.

Zhou Chen understood perfectly well what King Zhou Zhan had said!
The affairs of the frontier are indeed somewhat different from those of purging the imperial court and eliminating powerful families.

If things go wrong on the frontier, the consequences will be unimaginable.

But Zhou Chen didn't have the patience to slowly boil a frog in water and spend years solving the border problems.

Besides, Zhou Chen's current strength is already sufficient to handle most unexpected situations.

If anything goes wrong in the Northern Frontier and the Western Liang, Zhou Chen's current strength should be more than enough to handle the changes in the Northern Frontier and the Western Liang.

As long as there are no problems on all four borders, it's fine.

This is also why Zhou Chen dared to take action against Northern Xinjiang and Western Liang.

Upon hearing Zhou Chen's words, King Zhou Zhan knew that the matter was already settled.

Emperor Zhou Chen has already made his decision and begun making arrangements, so there is no room for maneuver.

Prince Zhou Zhan immediately stood up and said, "Since Your Majesty has made a decision, then this old minister will not say anything more."

"If Your Majesty needs anything, this old minister will gladly die for you."

"I am the Prince of Kao Shan," Zhou Zhan said in a powerful and resounding voice.

To be able to resolve the problems of the Great Zhou Dynasty and revitalize it during his lifetime was also the lifelong wish of King Zhou Zhan of Kaoshan.

Zhou Chen nodded in satisfaction at the statement from Prince Zhou Zhan; "With these words from my royal uncle, I am relieved."

With the prestige and influence of Prince Zhou Zhan in the army, stabilizing the Zhenbei and Xiliang armies should not be difficult.

After recounting the matter, Zhou Chen said apologetically to Prince Zhou Zhan, "Your Majesty, Cao Zhengchun acted recklessly in the Prince Zhou's residence, and I have already reprimanded him."

"I hope Your Majesty can understand and not blame Cao Zhengchun for his outrageous behavior."

As he spoke, Zhou Chen glanced at Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside him; "Cao Zhengchun, why don't you hurry up and apologize to the Prince of Kao Shan?"

King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan was a veteran of three dynasties, a pillar of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and a member of the royal family.

Even though Cao Zhengchun, as the head of the Eastern Depot, had the special privilege of acting first and reporting later, killing a general of the Zhennan Army in the Prince of Kaoshan's residence was still an act of audacity. Moreover, Zhou Qi was the adopted son of Prince Kaoshan, Zhou Zhan.

Therefore, Zhou Chen still needs to adopt a certain attitude.

Giving King Zhou Zhan some explanation would at least save some face for this veteran of three dynasties.

Cao Zhengchun immediately stepped forward and bowed to Prince Zhou Zhan, saying, "I was impetuous at Prince Zhou's residence earlier, and I hope Your Highness can forgive me."

Cao Zhengchun adopted a very humble attitude.

Since Emperor Zhou Chen has spoken, Cao Zhengchun has no choice but to adopt a humble attitude.

This is where Cao Zhengchun's cleverness lies.

King Zhou Zhan glanced at Cao Zhengchun and said to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne, "Your Majesty, Chief Supervisor Cao was acting under imperial decree. During this time, I have heard a lot about Chief Supervisor Cao eliminating traitors for our Great Zhou. How could I possibly hold this matter against him?"

"In truth, it was because this old minister failed to discipline his children properly that this incident occurred."

"Otherwise, those remnants of the Yuan family wouldn't have been able to escape beyond the Great Wall."

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"I am sorry," said Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, as he apologized.

Zhou Chen asked Cao Zhengchun to apologize to him, but King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan did not believe that Zhou Chen had actually reprimanded Cao Zhengchun.

This is nothing more than a gesture.

"Your Majesty, the Yuan family has been preparing for this for a long time."

"As the head of the seven great families of the Great Zhou, it would not be difficult for the Yuan family to secretly send some of their members out of the pass."

"Even if the Imperial Uncle knew in advance, it's not certain that he could have stopped them."

"Let's not talk about these things for now."

"Uncle, please tell me about the situation on the southern border!"

Zhou Chen didn't dwell on these matters any further, but instead asked about King Zhou Zhan's situation at the southern border.

Although the Eastern Depot's secret police now have spies in the southern border region, they also send back news about the southern border from time to time.

But what came back were only superficial messages.

The Eastern Depot was still unable to monitor some truly important information.

Now that King Zhou Zhan has returned, Zhou Chen can learn about the situation on the southern border from him.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

King Zhou Zhan of Kaoshan began to report on the situation at the southern border.

……

Northern Xinjiang.

Zhenbeihou Mansion.

Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei looked at the young figure before him with a slight look of surprise on his face; "You still dare to enter the pass? You've got quite the nerve!"

"Don't you know that the plans of the King of Shu and your three great families have failed?"

“Your Fan family has been completely eradicated. Even your patriarch and all the experts of the Fan family have died in Luoyang.”

Xue Shaowen looked at the unexpected guest in front of him and said.

"I have already heard the news of the Shu King's defeat, and I have also received the news of the extermination of our Fan family."

"The reason I dared to enter the pass is because I believe that the Marquis and I are the same kind of people, and the Marquis will not hand me over to the court."

Fan Shaohe said affirmatively.

That's right.

The figure standing before Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei was none other than Fan Shaohe of the Fan family of Jiexiu, who had previously escaped beyond the Great Wall.

Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei never expected that Fan Shaohe would dare to enter the pass and come to his Marquis of Zhenbei's residence.

That's incredibly bold.

Upon hearing Fan Shaohe's words, Xue Shaowen didn't say much, but directly asked, "Speak! What business do you have with my Zhenbei Marquis's residence this time?"

Xue Shaowen didn't believe that Fan Shaohe had taken such a great risk to enter the Zhenbei Marquis's residence; he thought Fan Shaohe was just bored and came here for sightseeing.

"Master Hou."

"I came to the Marquis's residence this time to rescue the Marquis."

Fan Shaohe cupped his hands and said.

"help me?"

Xue Shaowen was taken aback, thinking he had misheard.

What a joke.

Fan Shao and a stray dog ​​who had fled beyond the Great Wall actually dared to say they would save him, the Marquis of Zhenbei.

This is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world.

If Fan Shaohe hadn't escaped beyond the Great Wall, he wouldn't even be able to save himself. How could he have the audacity to claim he could save people?

Besides, he's perfectly fine now, what could he possibly need someone to save him from?

A cold smile appeared on Xue Shaowen's face; "Fan Shaohe, for the sake of the Fan family in the past, I will let you off the hook again."

Go back to where you came from!

"That way, you can still eke out a living."

"If you dare to mock me again, I will send you down to reunite with the Fan family without the court even having to lift a finger."

Xue Shaowen said coldly.

In the past, out of respect for the Fan family of Jiexiu, Xue Shaowen would have given Fan Shaohe some face.

But now, the Fan family has been wiped out.

If Fan Shaohe is ungrateful and thinks that anyone can come and go as they please at the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion, then I don't recommend sending Fan Shaohe down to reunite with the Fan family.

“My lord, I had no intention of making fun of you.”

"I did come to rescue the Marquis."

"Your Excellency has disobeyed the imperial edict twice. Do you think the emperor in the palace will let you off the hook?"

Fan Shaohe said without changing his expression, ignoring Xue Shaowen's warning and threat.

Uh?
Upon hearing this, Xue Shaowen frowned.

"go on."

Fan Shaohe did not hesitate and continued, "The one in the palace was unable to spare the time before, as he was involved in the chaos in the four northern states and was also restrained by the court and other institutions."

"But things are different now. The four northern states have been pacified, and the obstacles inside and outside the court have been basically eliminated."

"The plot of the King of Shu and our three great families failed, and they were all executed."

"Does Your Excellency think that now that the Emperor in the palace has freed up his hands, he might turn his attention to Your Excellency next?"

Fan Shaohe looked at Xue Shaowen, who was sitting in the main seat, his eyes filled with wisdom.

Marquis Zhenbei, Xue Shaowen, remained silent for a moment, then looked at Xue Shaowen and asked, "Who is behind you?"

Xue Shaowen didn't believe that Fan Shao and a stray dog ​​would dare to come to his Zhenbei Marquis's mansion and say such things without anyone backing them.

“I come from beyond the Great Wall. Who do you think is behind me, my lord?”

Fan Shaohe did not answer directly, but instead asked a question with a faint smile.

Upon hearing this, Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei's pupils contracted slightly.

Although Fan Shaohe did not give a direct answer, Xue Shaowen already had the answer in his heart.

They came from beyond the Great Wall.

Isn't the answer already obvious?

(End of this chapter)