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

For Emperor Dehong, if this news is true, the marriage alliance between Lu Xiao and the Northern Hu would be tantamount to handing over their Yuyang County to the Northern Hu.

After all, Lu Xiao had already demonstrated sufficient combat talent, and the White Wolf camp bordered the Northern Hu.

In this situation, if Lu Xiao harbors any rebellious intentions, he can immediately flee to the Northern Hu.

If we speculate based on this, it will make people even more suspicious that the victory report just now was a staged performance by Lu Xiao.

However, after thinking it over carefully, Emperor Dehong silently shook his head in his heart and rejected his own idea.

If it were fake, the various forces such as Yuyang County, Changyang County, Zhenbei, and Pingxi would not cooperate with Lu Xiao in putting on a show, and the northern border of the Great Zhou would have been in chaos long ago.

He looked up at Zhou Kang, and seeing the other's solemn expression, he quickly spoke:

"Prime Minister, although we have only known each other briefly, we both know Lu Xiao's character. He would never do such a rebellious thing."

"Why not send someone to the White Wolf camp to investigate thoroughly before making a decision?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kang raised his head, his expression incredibly complex:

"I also hope this matter is false, but there are official documents from all over the Great Zhou Dynasty proving that Bagu Lun did not enter the country privately."

"Even if Bagu Lun didn't come with their Northern Hu princess, he must have had other members of the Northern Hu royal family with him."

"He's always been like that."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Dehong's expression darkened slightly, but he remained steadfast in his opinion:

"I still believe that Lu Xiao is incapable of doing such a thing."

"What if?"

Zhou Kang was deeply worried:

"Your Majesty, it is not that I doubt Lu Xiao's loyalty, but as the Prime Minister of the country, I must make thorough preparations so that I will not be caught off guard when something unexpected happens."

"The White Wolf Camp has grown so much that it has almost replaced the other major border camps in Yuyang County. If Lu Xiao really accepted the Northern Hu princess without reporting it, this boy must have great ambitions."

"In my opinion, a solution to this matter must be devised as soon as possible!"

Emperor Dehong frowned deeply, unwilling to believe it from the bottom of his heart, understanding that it was very likely a conspiracy by the Northern Hu.

However, Zhou Kang's words also make sense.

He was at a loss for what to do.

I don't know how to handle this matter, let alone how to explain it to my junior sister.

"Your Majesty, Zhou Daxing, commander of the White Wolf Camp, requests an audience!"

Just as Emperor Dehong was feeling a mix of emotions, Wang Fu came in with small, quick steps to report.

He was slightly taken aback, but after regaining his senses, he exclaimed with great joy:

"Bring him in quickly!"

"Prime Minister, this must be Lu Xiao's explanation for this matter. I have always believed that he is not the kind of person who is arrogant and conceited."

A moment later, Zhou Daxing walked nervously and excitedly into the Hall of Diligent Governance. Upon seeing the two imperial leaders, his heart pounded wildly, and he hurriedly knelt on one knee and bowed deeply in respect.

"This humble general, Zhou Daxing, greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Minister Zhou, please rise at once!"

Emperor Dehong smiled and reached out to help him up, then asked from behind as he straightened up:

"Has your visit been related to the marriage alliance between the Northern Hu and my Great Zhou?"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Dehong smiled at Zhou Kang, as if to prove that he had never misjudged anyone.

Zhou Daxing's exclamation of "brilliant!" was indeed a heartfelt sentiment, because he was unaware that Emperor Dehong and the Prime Minister had been discussing this matter before he arrived.

After calming down a bit, he said loudly:

"Your Majesty, after the Marquis met the Northern Hu envoy Xiluoluo and Princess Yuezhen, he saw through their trick of sowing discord and immediately ordered me to escort Princess Yuezhen to the capital and hand her over to Your Majesty for judgment."

"The Marquis also instructed me to present a letter for His Majesty's perusal!"

As he spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket, which was wrapped in several pieces of cloth without any creases.

After Emperor Dehong read it, he nodded to him:

"As expected of the Marquis appointed by me, your insight is indeed sharp, seeing through the Northern Hu's conspiracy at a glance."

"Since the King of Hu intends to betroth his daughter to Minister Lu, then let Minister Lu accept it."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Daxing was startled. He quickly looked up at Emperor Dehong's face before lowering his head again.

However, his little tricks could not escape the eyes of Emperor Dehong:

"Minister Zhou, stand up and speak."

"I still remember that you and Minister Lu launched a lightning attack on the Northern Hu tribes of Heishachuo, Moda and Qingwu, and even led the troops to defend the White Wolf camp. You made great contributions."

"I have always wanted to meet you, a loyal and brave man, but I have never had the opportunity."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!"

Zhou Daxing was immediately flattered.

When he accepted this assignment, he wondered what kind of monarch Emperor Dehong was, and whether he would have the opportunity to behold his imperial countenance after meeting him.

The Dehong Emperor now strikes him as exceptionally approachable.

Therefore, when asked if he had anything else to say, Zhou Daxing hesitated before speaking:

"Your Majesty, when the Marquis personally saw me off, he jokingly remarked that if he were to actually marry the princess of the Northern Barbarians, wouldn't he be a generation below the King of the Barbarians for no reason?"

"In the future, the Marquis will be trampling the Northern Hu royal court on horseback. If word gets out, he'll be a laughing stock."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Dehong and Zhou Kang exchanged a smile, both agreeing that Lu Xiao wasn't just good at fighting; he was quite interesting in everyday life.

After laughing, he nodded:

"That's right, Minister Lu was correct in refusing the King of Hu's offer."

"However, Princess Yuezhen has come from afar, so it would be inappropriate to send her back directly."

"In my heart, King Hu is nothing more than a regional lord, and his daughter is utterly unworthy of Minister Lu!"

"Here's what we'll do: when you get back, tell Minister Lu that you can announce to the public that he has accepted the Northern Hu princess, and see how the Hu king reacts."

"After all... Princess Yuezhen will soon become Minister Lu's concubine."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Daxing was initially taken aback, but quickly understood the reason behind it.

He couldn't help but thank Emperor Dehong on behalf of Lu Xiao in advance:

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

Concubines were not officially recognized in the Great Zhou Dynasty. In a family, both the male and female heads of the household had the power of life and death over their concubines. Even if a concubine was killed in public, there would be no particularly severe punishment as long as the reason was appropriate.

Giving Princess Yuezhen to Lu Xiao as a concubine would directly anger the King of Hu!

Emperor Dehong felt exceptionally good upon thinking of this:

"Wang Fu, after you go downstairs later, arrange for a few people to take Zhou Aiqing on a good tour of the capital for a few days before returning."

"Minister Lu, I know that the White Wolf Camp needs to guard against the invasion of the Hu people day and night. As your right-hand man, you should be ready to fight at any time. So I will not keep you any longer."

"Otherwise, I'll make sure you bleed until late January so you can attend Lu Aiqing's wedding!"