Chapter 38 The Emperor and His Ministers Meet
Yan Xuanyu imagined many scenarios of his first meeting with the Great Zhou God of War.
With the policies adopted by the previous emperor on the one hand and the new emperor's clear dislike and defensive attitude on the other, even loyal ministers would inevitably feel disheartened.
So in Yan Xuanyu's imagination, this general, who had only briefly appeared in the original owner's memory, might have been submissive on the surface but resentful in his heart, having long since alienated him, or perhaps filled with grief and indignation...
But the truth surprised Yan Xuanyu -
When Yuan Kang saw him, he didn't even wonder why the emperor wanted to meet him here. Instead, he knelt down and saluted, and loudly said, "Your Majesty."
The general's voice was like a loud bell, shocking Yan Xuanyu so much that he took a small step back.
The sound of the knees hitting the ground was extremely loud, and this was a cobblestone road!
Yan Xuanyu felt pained when he heard this and quickly asked him to get up: "No need to be polite outside the palace, General, get up quickly."
After hearing Yan Xuanyu's words, Yuan Kang hesitated for a moment before slowly standing up: "Yes, Your Majesty."
This was the first time Yan Xuanyu met Yuan Kang. Unlike the general who had a tragic end and only existed in the original owner's memory, the Yuan Kang in front of him was still very young. He did not have the slender figure that was popular among the noble children in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He looked very strong, and his skin was rough and dull due to years of wind and sun exposure at the border.
Yan Xuanyu suddenly couldn't say the words he had prepared.
For a moment, the emperor and his ministers looked at each other in silence.
Yuan Kang was wondering why His Majesty would summon him privately. No matter what he was asked to do, he, Yuan Kang, would do it even if it meant death.
Li Zhongxian asked his entourage to serve tea.
"Before I ascended the throne, I heard the late emperor often talk about several generals of the Yuan family, but I had never seen them. Now that I have seen them, they are indeed as the rumors say, they are the gods of war who defend our Great Zhou." Yan Xuanyu said slowly.
He was not a native of ancient times, so naturally he had never experienced the thoughts and obsessions of Yuan Kang and the Yuan family, who were loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and fought for the Great Zhou on the battlefield.
But saying this does not mean that he thinks Yuan Kang and others are "foolishly loyal". On the contrary, it is precisely because of such people that the people of the Great Zhou were protected. In the memory of the original owner after he became emperor, when people were living in dire straits in the later period, the border areas under the jurisdiction of Yuan Kang and others were well organized, much better than other places.
Yuan Kang was a man of great loyalty and purity, but he was not tolerated by the world.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your kind words." Yuan Kang said in a deep voice.
"I summoned you here today for a purpose," Yan Xuanyu said. "I wonder if you've heard about the incident I investigated during my trip south to Fengxian, regarding an official. I ordered you to take the items you found back to the border towns to use as resettlement for the soldiers."
Yuan Kang hesitated and asked, "I wonder what your majesty is talking about?"
"Wine." Yan Xuanyu said lightly.
Wine was still a good thing in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Because grain was scarce in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the government had very strict control over private winemaking.
It was almost the turn of autumn into winter, and Yan Xuanyu thought that the border people would definitely need strong liquor, which was extremely useful for warming the body or treating injuries.
"This is also the reason why I summoned the general back to the capital. The Great Zhou is now in crisis." Before he finished speaking, Yuan Kang seemed to want to say something, but Yan Xuanyu raised his hand slightly to stop him.
"I used to only wish to be an idle prince, and I did many absurd things. But the late emperor passed the throne to me, and now I am the Son of Heaven of the Great Zhou. The world has become my responsibility."
Yan Xuanyu spoke slowly. The courtyard was quiet, with only Yan Xuanyu's voice remaining. He talked about what he had seen since he ascended the throne, and how unknown forces had infiltrated the Great Zhou.
"I know that the borders of the Great Zhou are not peaceful right now... General, you are my right-hand man. I hope you can guard the border cities for me and suppress any generals who have rebellious intentions."
"Leave the rest to me. Can General Yuan do it?"
These words shocked Yuan Kang so much that he was speechless. He had never known that His Majesty had such thoughts, and he had no idea that His Majesty was so insightful.
What shocked him even more was His Majesty's grand ambition, but when he thought about it carefully, he actually felt that His Majesty should be like this.
He immediately knelt on one knee with his fists clasped together, saying, "Your servant, Yuan Kang, will certainly fulfill this mission."
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