Are you crazy? Trying to trick him into military service? He's the number one dragon on the fro

The Hall of State Affairs.

Now, all the important officials in the court know that the core of power in the Great Zhou Dynasty is not in the Hall of Diligent Governance, but here.

As the prime minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Kang was only in his early fifties, but he looked older than his actual age. This was because he had to review all matters, big and small, in the court before deciding whether to hand them over to the emperor or assign them to officials at various levels.

His years in a high position had instilled in him an extremely powerful aura.

When Wang Fu arrived at the Hall of State Affairs, all the officials, high and low, were acting with utmost care, even walking quietly, for fear of disturbing the Prime Minister who was presiding over the hall.

He limped up to the prime minister, cupped his hands, and reported:

"The messenger has delivered news of the great victory at White Wolf Mountain to the palace, and His Majesty has ordered me to come and inform the Prime Minister."

"The person is currently outside; please, Prime Minister, make a careful judgment."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in greeting again, then turned around with difficulty to leave.

Seeing his awkward movements, Zhou Kang immediately asked curiously:

"Master Wang, are you... ill?"

"Your Excellency, it was not that I was ill, but rather that I was ignorant and brought the messenger directly to His Majesty instead of consulting you first. His Majesty then ordered me to be flogged."

Wang Fu responded respectfully.

He said this not to blame Emperor Dehong or Zhou Kang, firstly because he dared not, and secondly because there was nothing to complain about.

The reason why the emperor acted in this way was that although he had been on the throne for three years, he had always faced difficulties and had to consider the opinion of the prime minister before him before making any decisions.

He was the chief attendant of Emperor Dehong when he was still Prince Lu, and he knew how hard his emperor had worked all the way.

The forbearance we endure now is only for the sake of ruling the world in the future!

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kang immediately sent someone to fetch the imperial physician who was on standby, so that he could be treated.

Wang Fu smiled and refused:

"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister, but I still need to collect my punishment of being deducted from my salary for half a year, so I won't stay any longer!"

After he left, Zhou Kang walked to the door with his hands behind his back, gazing in the direction of the Hall of Diligent Governance. His eyes flashed with a light, which made the other officials even more cautious.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he came to his senses and ordered his men to send the messenger out so that he could be properly settled and rewarded.

An official standing nearby asked, puzzled:

"Prime Minister, are you unaware of the great victory at White Wolf Mountain?"

"Military reports are sufficient. Moreover, such matters of national importance require a face-to-face meeting with His Majesty for a personal decision. I am not the kind of person who acts arbitrarily."

After saying that, he walked towards the Hall of Diligent Governance, leaving behind officials who looked at each other in bewilderment, some even secretly scoffing at the words "dictatorial and autocratic".

In the Hall of Diligent Governance, Emperor Dehong paused in his actions upon seeing him arrive in person. He then rose and walked around the hall, saying with a sense of flattery:

"Prime Minister, you are busy with important military and national affairs every day, and time is of the essence. How can you come in person?"

"If the Prime Minister simply gives the word, I will go to the Hall of State Affairs!"

"I was overjoyed to hear of the great victory at White Wolf Mountain, and I have come here to ask Your Majesty to decide on the rewards for the soldiers."

Zhou Kang repeatedly said he dared not, maintaining the demeanor of a subject as he bowed.

He saw that Emperor Dehong pulled him aside to sit down and personally served him tea and water. Although he didn't say anything on the surface, he was very pleased.

He observed Dehong Emperor's every move.

From his impetuousness upon entering the palace to his current forbearance, the dramatic change has made him feel that the future of the Great Zhou Dynasty is promising.

Zhou Kang silently sighed a few times in his heart:

"Your Majesty, you would be happy to see your child's performance today, wouldn't you?"

"This is the emperor you personally chose, and he has not disappointed you!"

"One day, he will surely fulfill your ambition of unifying the world!"

He actually treated Emperor Dehong very well, correcting all of Emperor Dehong's personality and habits from when he was the Prince of Lu, selecting civil and military officials for Emperor Dehong, choosing beauties for the harem, and contributing to the reproduction of the Great Zhou royal family.

He even personally taught Emperor Dehong how to handle state affairs!

After all, when Emperor Dehong was Prince Lu, he had no idea how to be an emperor and had nowhere to learn.

Coming to his senses, Zhou Kang gestured for Emperor Dehong to sit down and began discussing serious matters:

"I have heard that the great victory at White Wolf Mountain was achieved by a newly enlisted soldier in the army."

"Your Majesty, how do you think the court should reward him?"

Emperor Dehong immediately sat up straight, then smiled obsequiously and said:

"It's all that dog of a lackey, Wang Fu. He's been kneeling for so long that he forgot to bring the messenger to the Prime Minister first so that the Prime Minister can take a look."

"Prime Minister, I have severely punished him, and this will never happen again!"

Zhou Kang waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing this:

"This was his duty, and he did nothing wrong."

"Then... what does the Prime Minister mean?"

If others were to see Emperor Dehong's cautious demeanor, they would surely wonder which of the two people in the hall was the emperor and which was the subject.

He even observes the other person's facial expressions before acting.

Zhou Kang laughed:

"Your Majesty, both thunder and rain are acts of imperial favor. As the Son of Heaven of the Great Zhou, you should personally decide matters of rewarding and punishing soldiers. Why ask an old minister for your opinion?"

"Today, I have come to hear Your Majesty's thoughts."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Dehong pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice:

"Lu Xiao, that new recruit, is courageous, ambitious, and brave; he's a promising talent. Therefore, the court must reward him handsomely, lest it discourage the other soldiers."

"But not too much, otherwise it will easily breed greed among these young soldiers."

As he spoke, Zhou Kang observed the changes in his expression. After hearing his evaluation of Lu Xiao, a subtle glint flashed in his eyes, and he waited a few moments before nodding in agreement.

"In that case, this young General Lu is truly a rare talent."

Emperor Dehong's heart skipped a beat. Realizing he had misspoke, he quickly bowed slightly.

"Prime Minister, these are all just my speculations and impressions of him; we still don't know what he's really like."

"Then what does Your Majesty think, would it be better to summon this person to the palace and see him in person?"

Zhou Kang patiently and persuasively explained, and upon seeing that Emperor Dehong showed any unusual reaction, he immediately smiled:

"Your Majesty, what do you believe is the source of Great Zhou's current ability to defend against its neighbors?"

Emperor Dehong did not speak after hearing this.

He knew very well that apart from the army, which still had the strength to fight, everything else in the Great Zhou Dynasty was a complete mess. Even in the capital, people often went hungry, and the people were being oppressed.

Without a large army to keep them in check, those treacherous individuals would probably be even more unscrupulous!

After a moment's thought, Emperor Dehong said:

"I understand what the Prime Minister means."

"good!"

Zhou Kang smiled broadly, gave a word of praise, and then stood up and walked out of the hall.

"Your Majesty, before I came, I had already sent someone to the White Wolf Mountain outpost to summon Lu Xiao to the capital for an audience."

"There are still many matters to attend to in the Council of State Affairs, so this old minister will take his leave now."

Emperor Dehong hurriedly rose to see him off, adopting an extremely humble posture:

"Without the Prime Minister, I... I'm afraid I truly wouldn't know what to do!"