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

"At that time, I am willing to serve as Your Majesty's vanguard, leading the soldiers of the Great Zhou in the south and north as a general, until Your Majesty unifies the world!"

Lu Xiao answered without hesitation.

He originally just wanted to live a peaceful life, but as he dug deeper into Liu Xianya's blood feud, he realized that perhaps only the identity of a general could forcefully intervene and avenge his wife!

These words startled the Dehong Emperor, who then burst into hearty laughter after a moment:

"What a fine foot soldier, what a fine general!"

"Lu Xiao, if that day ever comes, I am willing to entrust all the armies of the realm to your command!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

……

After seeing Emperor Dehong off, Lu Xiao hesitated for a moment before being led by Wang Fu to the Hall of State Affairs.

Upon reaching the door, Wang Fu first went inside to ask for instructions before allowing him to step forward:

"The Prime Minister is waiting in the inner hall. I'll leave you here."

"Go then."

"Thank you, Eunuch Wang!"

Lu Xiao clasped his hands in farewell and entered the Hall of State Affairs with a sense of curiosity.

He found that the officials here were no different from ordinary people. In particular, after meeting the legendary powerful Prime Minister Zhou, he found that the other party was like a kind old neighbor.

It doesn't look that scary at all!

"You've arrived?"

Hearing the noise, Zhou Kang didn't even look up, continuing to handle his official duties while gesturing for him to wait nearby.

Lu Xiao could only obediently sit down to the side.

This wait lasted for almost half an hour.

Only when he had almost finished the pot of tea did Zhou Kang finally put down his vermilion brush, stand up, and give him an apologetic smile:

"I apologize for keeping Lord Lu waiting."

"Your Excellency is too kind. I am willing to wait as long as you wish."

Seeing that he did not reprimand him and was even still gentle and kind, Lu Xiao couldn't help but wonder if this Prime Minister was different from everyone else's description.

After all, he had deliberately sat down and looked around.

Such rude behavior, and no one has said anything!

"I have read the battle report."

While he was thinking, Zhou Kang gave him an approving look, but it was fleeting and Lu Xiao didn't see it when he looked up.

He gave direct details about the reward, showing no interest in further discussion:

"His Majesty has decided to appoint you as a Halberd Bearer and concurrently as a Left Guard Commandant, and after three years you will be directly appointed as a Left Guard General."

"I will later send someone to find you a house in the capital, where you can live permanently from now on."

"Lu Xiao, although the rank of the Halberd Bearer is not high, it allows you to see His Majesty every day, a rare opportunity that countless princes and nobles dream of. Don't miss it."

After saying that, he went back behind his desk to continue working.

A few breaths later, Zhou Kang looked up and saw that he was still there, which puzzled him:

"Lord Lu, are you not leaving yet? Are you dissatisfied with the arrangements here?"

"Your Majesty has granted me permission to stay in the capital for a few days before returning to the White Wolf Outpost to resume my post as a centurion!"

"Therefore, I am sorry that I cannot follow the Prime Minister's arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kang was taken aback, then his expression turned cold:

"Aren't you afraid that I'll see you as a thorn in my side from now on, and that you'll only ever be a lowly centurion for the rest of your life?"

"In the eyes of others, the Prime Minister is indeed as terrifying as a demon."

Lu Xiao smiled slightly, completely disregarding the advice of Luo Yang, Long Gui, and even Eunuch Wang Fu, and confronted Zhou Kang on the spot:

"Moreover, in my humble opinion, no matter how terrifying the Prime Minister may be, he is not as ferocious as the barbarians."

"These barbarian barbarians steal my family's grain, drink the blood of my relatives, and eat the flesh of my descendants. I have long ago made a solemn vow in my heart—"

"Those who offend our Great Zhou, though far away, shall be punished!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kang was stunned and stared at the fearless young soldier for a long time.

Finally, he clapped his hands and laughed:

"What a fine example of 'punishing them no matter how far they are'!"

"I never imagined that my Great Zhou would have someone with such lofty ambitions as you!"

"Commander Lu, let me ask you this: if the Northern Hu and the Western Rong simultaneously declare war on my Great Zhou, but one sends an army to the border while the other merely declares war, what would you do?"

The fervor in Zhou Kang's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sharp, piercing look.

"This is a problem that my Great Zhou Dynasty once encountered. You can answer it from the records in historical materials, but think about the consequences of doing so."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiao responded almost without thinking:

"Only by employing a strategy of befriending distant states and attacking nearby ones can this be resolved!"

He had no idea what was recorded in the historical records of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but he had learned about the basic situation of the nine provinces of the world when he talked with Emperor Dehong just now.

The Great Zhou is located in the northeastern part of Kyushu. Dongshan County is located by the sea, and it is said that there are other countries overseas, but that is not a problem he needs to think about now.

For many years, the northern nomadic peoples have been enemies of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and can be considered its most important adversary.

The West, also known as the Western Rong by Zhou Kang, also had many conflicts with the Great Zhou, and there was always the possibility of a national war breaking out!

In the south and southwest, there were also several relatively large countries, such as the Nanman and Ouyue.

However, between the Great Zhou and the Southern Barbarians and Ouyue, there were also small states such as Yan and Chu.

What is the strategy of "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones"?

Seeing Zhou Kang's confusion, Lu Xiao said seriously:

"I have heard that the Western Rong and the Southern Man have a long history of conflict, with many tribes on both sides being enemies for generations, and there is basically no possibility of resolving the hatred."

"But our Great Zhou has a relatively friendly relationship with one of the southern barbarians, and we even have business dealings with them."

"If we can persuade the Southern Barbarian tribe to send troops to the Western Rong, we don't need them to attack. Just putting on a show will be enough to temporarily intimidate the Western Rong army."

"Further afield, there are a few small countries in the Ouyue region. For those that are farther away, we can send them some gold and silver treasures, while for those that are closer, we simply refuse to trade with them."

"Your Excellency, you are an expert in governing the country, while I have only come up with these solutions in a whimsical way, so please do not take them seriously..."

After saying so much in one breath, Lu Xiao also felt extremely thirsty.

Although he only said what he was thinking, he believed that with the other party's intelligence, they would definitely be able to understand the key points.

Sure enough, a deep look of surprise and doubt flashed in Zhou Kang's eyes at this moment:

"Putting you in a place like White Wolf Mountain is truly a waste of your talents!"

"Here's what we'll do. Go back and write a report on the basic situation of the White Wolf Mountain outpost and the surrounding Hu tribes, and send it to me in the form of a memorial."

"At that time, I will choose an appropriate way to handle it."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiao smiled bitterly to himself, thinking to himself that Zhou Kang was indeed a petty person, and was about to ruin his future so quickly.

I was really carried away by my pride just now because the emperor was my senior brother.

He could only helplessly bow in response:

"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister. I will carry out your request immediately upon my return."

"Here you are."

Zhou Kang's face showed no emotion; he nodded slightly and then dismissed the others.

What no one saw was that as soon as Lu Xiao left, he excitedly paced back and forth in the cell, finally pointing heavily to the location of Beihu on the map and whispering excitedly:

"I am not alone on my path, I am not alone on my path!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"