Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 181 Sacrifice
On the way back to the manor, Li Yan looked at Lu Ming and said, "Now that you have commanded all the troops in the land, how do you plan to reorganize the army?"

Now, the army of the Great Yu, which once numbered in the millions of Imperial Guards, has been reduced to less than a million after a series of battles. However, their cultivation levels have all made great progress, and with the support of resources from the royal family, they have all reached the Innate Realm.

As for the border troops, their combined strength is probably around a million or so, and most of them are at the Qi Refining Realm.

The city guards are the largest, probably reaching two million, and their cultivation levels are generally at the True Essence Realm.

The battles of these years have greatly enhanced the strength of the Great Yu.

However, it is still far inferior to those forces outside the region.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Ming said, "That depends on how many resources the court provides and how much power it grants. If it is given enough trust, I think that with the current size of the Great Yu, it should be able to develop very quickly."

While it may not be able to rival the seven major sects, it should be able to handle nearby forces without any problems.

The twenty-three states that were seized by the Great Xia should be taken back as soon as possible.

If, in a few years, humanity has been completely eroded, then there will truly be no chance.

Lu Ming said calmly.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Li Yan nodded and did not continue the topic.

Then, turning to Lu Ming, she said, "You should have a child soon, your godmother is still talking about wanting a grandson."

He said with a smile.

Lu Ming could only say helplessly, "There's no rush, let's wait and see."

As the two were talking, they arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, just as they reached the backyard.

Lu Ming saw Li Xirou and Zhang Shi talking to a woman.

The other person was wearing an extremely fitted moon-white long dress, which showed off her perfect figure.

Her skin was fair and smooth, like solidified cream.

Crescent-shaped eyebrows, and eyes as bright as stars.

Her alluring red lips would occasionally part slightly, revealing her pearly white teeth.

When she stood still, she exuded a beauty that carried a touch of nobility.

Seeing this, a hint of helplessness flashed in Li Yan's eyes, and his face showed an expression of "I knew it was true."

Needless to say, the person who came was the Empress.

Moreover, through some unknown means, she has somehow managed to become sworn sisters with Li Xirou.

Upon seeing Lu Ming, the man stepped forward confidently and said, "Yu Muyun greets the General."

Looking at the woman in front of him, Lu Ming felt a sense of familiarity for some reason, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

However, I didn't pay much attention to it.

He asked with some curiosity, "Is Miss Yu a member of the imperial clan?"

"Your Excellency is truly clever; you guessed correctly!" the woman said sweetly.

This made Lu Ming smile involuntarily.

The girl in front of me is really lively.

In the capital city, who else besides members of the imperial family could have the surname Yu?

Li Xirou covered her mouth and laughed, "Sister Yu is so interesting. She said she's heard so much about you and wants to have a drinking contest with you."

Li Yan pointed at the Empress and said helplessly, "She is also my disciple. She grew up in this courtyard. We are all family."

He did not know the purpose of the Queen's visit.

But there's not much I can say.

To avoid offending Lu Ming, he had no choice but to speak.

Upon hearing that she was Li Yan's student, Lu Ming relaxed and looked at the woman, saying, "So you're my senior sister. Since you've spoken, let's drink until we drop."

Zhang walked over with a smile and said, "The house is ready with food, just waiting for you to come back."

As he spoke, he pulled Li Xirou and the Empress towards the house.

Lu Ming looked at Li Yan and asked, "Is this the guest my godfather was talking about?"

His voice was not loud.

Li Yan nodded imperceptibly, and then the two of them went into the house.

As soon as they sat down.

The Empress looked at Lu Ming and said, "I've heard that the General is very skilled in managing troops. I wonder how he plans to reorganize the army of the Great Yu?"

This matter aroused curiosity not only among the courtiers but also among the Empress.

After all, the army is fundamental to the imperial court.

"These matters need to be discussed with His Majesty; I can't make the decisions on my own," Lu Ming said with a wry smile.

"If the Grand General were to take control of the court, what would he do?" the Empress asked again.

This question made Li Yan's lips twitch involuntarily.

This emperor is truly bold to ask.

Who would dare answer such a question? It's far too sensitive.

Sure enough, Lu Ming pondered for a moment and said, "Those who are not in a position should not concern themselves with its affairs. I have never thought about this before. Senior Sister, this topic is too sharp."

"Hey, we're all family, just chatting casually. The Great Yu is currently beset by internal and external troubles, and the imperial clan is getting anxious," the Empress said nonchalantly.

Lu Ming looked at Li Yan and, seeing that the other was just eating and didn't seem to care about their conversation, smiled and said, "Actually, it's nothing much, just about improving national strength as quickly as possible and then recovering lost territory."

Once you have enough strength, any blockade is nothing but a facade.

Fishing nets can trap fish, but they can't trap a real dragon.

The Great Yu still possesses great potential. As long as Your Majesty works diligently and conscientiously, you will surely be able to break free from this blockade.

The Empress nodded in satisfaction at Lu Ming's words.

Then, he raised his wine cup and said, "You truly deserve to be called the Great General. You speak so well. When I see His Majesty another day, I will certainly put in a good word for you."

Yu Muyun said with a smile.

After clinking glasses with her, Lu Ming smiled noncommittally.

He is already very satisfied with his current position.

"Is the Great General about to break through to the Dharma Aspect Realm? I wonder if he has found suitable true blood from a ferocious beast. I heard that the royal family has been searching for it recently, but unfortunately, the major sects have blocked it so much that they haven't found anything suitable yet." As he said this, a hint of regret appeared in his eyes.

If Lu Ming had the right true blood of a ferocious beast, his strength would definitely increase even further.

Unfortunately, things are really too difficult for the Great Yu now.

"I have already broken through and condensed the Dharma Form. I will remember the kindness of the royal family."

Lu Ming spoke up.

A hint of sadness appeared in the Queen's eyes.

In her heart, she feared that Lu Ming had only found the true blood of an ordinary ferocious beast, which made her quite distressed.

If the other party wasn't after the Great Yu, with such talent, they would surely have gained the favor of the sect, and obtaining a powerful beast bloodline wouldn't have been difficult.

But now, it has cut off its own potential.

"The royal family will always remember the General's contributions," the Empress said solemnly.

Upon hearing the voice, Lu Ming realized the other party had misunderstood, but he didn't offer any further explanation.

After all, it was only their first meeting.

Next, the Queen deliberately changed the subject, and the atmosphere in the room relaxed.

Her poise and grace won the favor of Lu Ming and Li Xirou.

Only Li Yan remained constantly on edge.

They were afraid the Empress would ask some shocking question.

Fortunately, what he feared did not happen.

After the meal, the two actually became much closer.

In the days that followed, because Lu Ming had become the Grand General, he had to attend court every day.

In the imperial court, a reform plan for the army was formulated.

After nearly six months of discussion and implementation, it was finally finalized.

All one million Imperial Guards were retained, with Yu Kun, a powerful cultivator from the imperial clan, serving as the Grand General of the Imperial Guards. Under him were five guards: the Heavenly Martial Guard, the Left Martial Guard, the Right Martial Guard, the Vanguard Guard, and the Rear Martial Guard.

In addition to being responsible for protecting the safety of the capital.

They were also responsible for external combat operations.

If the emperor traveled, they would also have to follow him.

It can be said to be the strongest force in the Great Yu Dynasty, apart from the million-strong Imperial Guard.

They were the city guards, with a thousand captains stationed in each county.

The prefectural city was guarded by a military officer.

The number of troops stationed in a state has been reduced to 10,000.

After all, the cultivation levels of the Great Yu warriors had improved, and the rebels had been wiped out.

Ten thousand people are enough to handle it.

In this way, the number of city guards was reduced to around 700,000.

However, according to Lu Ming's idea, although the number of people has been reduced, the supply of materials must be increased.

We will do our utmost to improve the strength of our soldiers.

As for the thirteen border fortresses of Dayu.

Each of them will increase its garrison to 200,000.

Transferring a portion of the former city guards to the border will allow more troops to gain experience.

Furthermore, Lu Ming suggested that every six months, members of the imperial clan and court officials should go to various places to inspect the officials and prevent them from receiving salaries without working.

The imperial court adopted all of these suggestions.

At the same time, Lu Ming also noticed that Li Yan had been particularly busy lately.

I only found out after asking around.

The imperial court has begun to appease the displaced people in various regions.

They will gradually be sent back to their ancestral home.

Officials in various places also began to assist the people in rebuilding their homes and reclaiming wasteland.

It can be said that Dayu is undergoing changes from top to bottom.

Unbeknownst to them, Lu Ming's decision began to influence the course of the entire imperial court.

As for resistance, there certainly is.

However, with Lu Ming's strength and the support of the royal family, he killed a large number of opponents, and all obstacles disappeared.

It's also worth mentioning that in the past six months, the relationship between Yu Muyun and Lu Ming has also improved rapidly.

The other party comes almost every day.

And he never forgot to bring Li Xirou various gifts, including beautiful hairpins and exquisite hair ornaments.

A crystal-clear bracelet.

Or it could be a rare piece of Yun brocade.

I heard that this is a special delicacy reserved for royalty.

It was woven from the essence of clouds extracted by the strong from the clouds.

This made Li Yan cast a meaningful glance at the Empress, and he no longer reminded Lu Ming to restrain his speech.

The latter was amazed by Yu Muyun's generosity.

However, he did not refuse the other party's kindness.

On this day, Yu Muyun had just left.

After Lu Ming and his wife returned to their room, Li Xirou looked at her husband and said, "Sister Muyun has a good impression of you. I think you should marry her. We can serve you together from now on."

what do you think? "

As she spoke, she looked up at Lu Ming, and a blush rose on her face once again.

"Are you really willing for me to take another concubine?"

"Well, someone in your high position, who only has one wife? It would be a laughing stock if word got out. Besides, you haven't had a single child all these years. I'm more worried than you are. And you know my personality."

Naturally quiet and dislikes trouble.

But as the family business grew, I simply couldn't manage it all.

Mu Yun has a lively personality, but I observe that she is very opinionated, making her most suitable for managing affairs.

Li Xirou said softly.

Lu Ming looked at his wife, sized her up for a moment, and then said, "Don't overthink it or put too much pressure on yourself. Let's talk about this later."

Hearing her husband say that.

Li Xirou could only sigh.

She nodded gently, then helped Lu Ming take off his clothes.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study of the palace, the Empress sat in the seat of honor.

The elders were below.

The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan chuckled and said, "This Lord Jiuding is truly a man of great talent. Several of his suggestions have already been implemented in various places, and the fortune of our Great Yu has indeed increased considerably during this period."

Furthermore, the reform of the military has eliminated many of the past troubles within the Great Yu Kingdom.

If things continue to develop like this...

Within a century, the strength of my Great Yu will surely increase several times over.

Everyone nodded.

The changes in Dayu are visible to the naked eye.

The elders were clearly very satisfied with Lu Ming.

"It's just a pity. I think Lu Ming has a lot of ideas, but because of his current status, he always seems to want to say something but doesn't. And I know that he has a lot of good things that he hasn't brought out yet."

"If only I could marry His Majesty sooner, the strength of our Great Yu would surely leap forward." The Seventh Ancestor looked regretful, then turned his gaze to the Empress.

The other elders also looked over.

A rare blush appeared on the Empress's face. "These things can't be rushed. It always takes time and feelings. Please don't pressure me. Given enough time, things will naturally fall into place."

Hearing her say this, the elders said no more.

Only the Grand Master said with slight regret, "It's a pity that Lu Ming's Dharma Avatar did not find the bloodline of a top-tier ferocious beast. If it had, as long as he grows up, our Great Yu would be worry-free."

"Sigh, why keep talking about these unhappy things? Judging from his current abilities, even if his talent is a bit ordinary, it's not a big deal," the Seventh Ancestor said nonchalantly.

His slow progress in cultivation was due to being schemed against by the sect.

Now they've fallen so low that they're even worse off than some of their younger generations.

Therefore, I hate bringing these things up the most.

The Empress picked up a memorial, pondered for a moment, and said, "Wei Zhong just submitted a memorial stating that the Great Xia Dynasty plans to sacrifice a group of people in a month, intending to once again shake the foundations of humanity in the twenty-three states."

Furthermore, Dao disciples and holy maidens from various sects were invited to attend the ceremony.

What are your opinions?

Sacrifice is, in fact, killing.

Moreover, the number of people this time will definitely not be small.

"Let's discuss this in court tomorrow; it's a matter of great importance," the Grand Master said solemnly.

The atmosphere in the study was somewhat heavy at this moment.

After all, they were the people of the Great Yu.

Moreover, if this sacrifice by the Great Xia Dynasty is successful...

The humanitarian power of the twenty-three states is likely to be completely eroded.

This means that the Great Yu will completely abandon these territories.

This is something no one in the imperial court wants to see.

"Alright, then let's discuss this further tomorrow when we summon the ministers."

At the same time, on the other side, Lu Ming also received a letter from his subordinate generals.

A smile appeared on his face as he looked at the contents.

The generals under his command are actually about to break through to the Dharma Aspect stage.

It seems I also need to find a way to get some points so I can exchange them for the bloodline of ferocious beasts.

Once all the subordinates have reached the Dharma Aspect Realm.

This gave him the confidence to confront the forces near Dayu.

If the Great Yu Dynasty wants to become powerful, it needs to not only improve its internal governance but also continuously expand its external influence.

Only in this way can we acquire more people and resources.

(End of this chapter)