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

"But you only need to think about what wedding dress you should wear and what jewelry you should wear on your wedding day, and your senior brother will take care of the rest."

Emperor Dehong looked at her with a smile, as if her happiness was his own.

Moreover, he is quite emotional right now.

I still remember when we were in Dongshan County, my junior sister was a young girl who followed me around all day calling me "Your Highness". I never thought that so many years would have passed in the blink of an eye.

Liu Xianya did not notice his happy yet disappointed expression.

She read the memorial word by word, afraid of missing any key information and embarrassing herself on her wedding day.

After all, the memorial sent by Zhang Hengzhi of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau was not only about the exact date of the wedding, but also included the basic behavior and conduct for the three days before and after.

It is said that this can bring good luck to the newlyweds!

"Alright, alright, you'll have plenty of time to look at these things now, and your sister-in-law will tell you what to do."

Seeing her so engrossed in her work, Emperor Dehong smiled helplessly.

"Junior Sister, what I can do for you is far from enough to repay the kindness you and our teacher showed me back then. So, whatever your request is in the future, as long as it's within my power, I will definitely fulfill it for you!"

When he said this, he first spoke as if they were fellow disciples, and then made a promise as if they were ruler and subject, which shows how much he valued it.

Liu Xianya also realized the change and nodded with gratitude:

"Thank you for your concern, senior brother. I am very happy now and have no other desires."

"But... is it really possible for Lu Lang to leave?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Dehong knew that she was worried about what would happen if Lu Xiao left the White Wolf Camp, and whether the soldiers could defend against the Hu people's attack.

He nodded with a smile:

"The wedding date is set for January, which is the dead of winter. In previous years, the Northern Hu would never send a single soldier south at this time."

"Even if things change this year, I will definitely find a suitable person to stand guard for him for a period of time before your wedding, so that you two can have a smooth wedding!"

"Thank you, senior brother!"

For the next while, the two chatted about interesting things happening inside and outside the palace.

Seeing that it was getting late, Liu Xianya tactfully got up to say goodbye.

As soon as she left, the smile on Emperor Dehong's face slowly disappeared, and he coldly called out towards the palace gate:

"Wang Fu, prepare to enter the Hall of State Affairs!"

……

"Cough cough..."

"Cough cough cough!"

A violent coughing sound came from deep within the government hall, startling the other officials who moved cautiously, not daring to make any loud noise.

Just then, someone noticed the arrival of Emperor Dehong, hurriedly paid their respects, and then prepared to go and inform him.

Emperor Dehong gestured for silence, then waved for the official to leave before tiptoeing inside.

When he arrived at Zhou Kang's cell, he was immediately stunned.

After a few days apart, Zhou Kang looked even older and more frail, and his sickly appearance made him look particularly terrifying, like a dead man who had just crawled out of a coffin!

Emperor Dehong was startled, but as a ruler, he could not be disrespectful.

He silently took a deep breath before stepping forward and saying with concern:

"Prime Minister, what are you doing...?"

"If you're sick, you should rest at home instead of forcing yourself to work!"

Why are you doing this to yourself?!

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kang quickly stood up, coughing as he apologized:

"This old minister has been unwell and unable to personally greet you; I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

"Prime Minister, please rise. How could I possibly blame you?"

Emperor Dehong hurriedly helped the man up and personally helped him back to his chair.

"Prime Minister, I know you work tirelessly day and night for the Great Zhou, wishing you could stretch one day into two, but you must take care of your health!"

"What would I do if you collapsed?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kang's eyes also filled with tears.

He grasped Emperor Dehong's hand, shook his head, and said:

"As long as I have a breath left, I will not abandon my post!"

"Your Majesty, the Northern Hu are eyeing us covetously. Now, in our battle with the Southern Chu Kingdom, our Great Zhou has suffered another defeat. If this continues, we fear our Great Zhou will be attacked from both sides!"

"How can this old minister be at ease in the face of such a situation?"

Zhou Kang was a staunch advocate of war within the Great Zhou Dynasty. He never sought peace with the enemy, nor would he betray the interests of the Great Zhou Dynasty for the sake of peace.

After recounting the incident, he looked indignant:

"The Chu barbarians harbor wolfish ambitions, always coveting the rule of our Great Zhou. This time, they have taken advantage of the weakness in our southern border defenses and launched a direct invasion!"

"If we don't fight back, those Chu barbarians will only become more arrogant and take our Great Zhou for granted!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Dehong lowered his eyes slightly, his expression extremely solemn.

He was reading memorials in the Hall of Diligent Governance just now, and it was because of this news that he was distressed and angry.

After a moment of silence, he looked into Zhou Kang's eyes:

"Prime Minister, I have heard that the defeat in this battle against Chu was due to General Qian Yu's misjudgment and failure to heed his subordinates' advice?"

"true."

Zhou Kang nodded, deeply distressed by this:

"Our Great Zhou had a great advantage in the battle against the State of Chu, but he squandered it all."

"Therefore, Your Majesty, please rest assured, this old minister has already sent a letter to the army, reprimanding Qian Yu and urging him to learn from this experience, to know shame and then strive for improvement!"

"The Prime Minister's handling of the situation... was truly excellent."

Emperor Dehong struggled for a long time before finally managing to utter this sentence, feeling both angry and helpless.

In any previous war, whether domestic or foreign, if a commander of an army had such a serious problem, he would have been dismissed and sent to the capital for joint trial by the three judicial authorities!

Moreover, if these mistakes were attributed to another person, it might be a capital offense.

But there's money left over...

This person is Zhou Kang's protégé, and over the years Zhou Kang has helped him rise to power.

This left Emperor Dehong feeling helpless. Why would a prime minister who was loyal to the country choose to support his confidant in such a blatant way?

"Since Your Majesty deems it appropriate, then this old minister will express his gratitude on behalf of Qian Yu."

After Zhou Kang finished speaking, just as he was about to talk to him about other things, Wang Fu walked in carrying a bowl of hot soup.

Emperor Dehong hurriedly gestured for Wang Fu to bring the soup over:

"Prime Minister, this is a nourishing soup that I specially prepared for you after I heard you were ill. Please drink it while it's hot."

Zhou Kang quickly thanked him.

Just as he was about to pick up the soup bowl, a person rushed in and said loudly:

"Your Excellency, a messenger from the White Wolf Camp has brought news of a victory!"

"Oh?"

Zhou Kang was taken aback. Seeing the other person nod, he immediately put down the soup bowl and said urgently:

"Quickly, bring that messenger in!"

"Here you go!"

In the shadows nearby, Emperor Dehong's face was ashen, but he quickly regained his smile:

"It seems that the Prime Minister and I were right about Lu Xiao. This young man has repeatedly brought us good news; he is truly a lucky star for the Great Zhou!"

"I wonder what kind of good news Minister Lu will bring this time!"