Chapter 169

"When battle brings victory, the people's morale rises and national prestige soars; the clan spirit ascends like a roc to the heavens, the people's will shines like the sun over the eight wildernesses."

This is a famous saying by a sage of old in the Great Zhou Dynasty, passed down to later generations.

In later generations, there was also a philosopher who greatly agreed and offered his own commentary or insight.

"Since glorious achievements are manifest, the people's morale is high and the commoners stand tall; this is not merely the benefit of expanding territory, but truly the forging of the Nine Tripods."

The meaning is very clear: that is, under certain circumstances, a war's victory can greatly boost the people's clan confidence and self-respect!

Of course, this is not to incite aggressive warmongering.

But at certain times, between clan and clan, it is often like this: if you do not beat them into utter submission once, the other side will forever carry a strange superiority complex, climbing all over you.

Especially for the Great Zhou Dynasty, this former hegemon after its decline, who knows how many alien races are restless and eager to move.

The Jie Tribe of the North Border, the Quanrong Tribe beyond the Western Border, are typical proof of this.

And now.

Gu Xuan led the Human Race's tens of thousands of North Border Army troops, sweeping clean the ferocious Jie Tribe that had caused calamity for decades, venting a great breath of foul air!

And also greatly deterring the many alien races beyond the border!

These days, in this Kuju City, who knows how many tribal leaders from small tribes who responded to the conscription came to pay respects to the Current Emperor.

When passing that Jingguan, even the most fierce and domineering alien tribal chiefs were startled, even gall-bladder cold with fear!

No need to strictly admonish their subordinates; they all knew the situation was different now, that even so powerful a tribe as the Jie Tribe had been destroyed, their own tribes must be even more cautious.

The Human Army did not stay long in Kuju City.

However, during those few days of rest and reorganization, matters were truly not few.

Soldiers healed wounds where they needed to heal wounds, recuperated where they needed to recuperate.

As for building the Jingguan, it was mainly completed by Jie Tribe captives, other alien soldiers, etc., while Human armored soldiers supervised from the side.

And Gu Xuan was also busy receiving the many tribal leaders who came to pay respects, discussing post-war matters with Jiang Bu Shi, the North Border Governor, etc., including military rewards and punishments, post-war handling, etc., for a moment busy beyond measure, as if more tiring than campaigning and assault.

If not for Gu Xuan's spirit, energy, and mind having reached the peak, another person doing this Zhou King would probably not handle it so easily.

A few days later.

The Human Army's main force withdrew from Kuju City, returning to the border cities within the North Border, and leaving some soldiers along the way to garrison the Jie King City, Chanshan City, etc.

And Kuju City, as the Jie Tribe's place of rising fortune, was originally this alien race's so-called sacred city, yet now has become a dead land!

Although Human soldiers did not burn this city, not a single small tribe dared to occupy this city.

Because not far outside the city stands that massive Jingguan, terrifying beyond compare, making every person with such thoughts feel dread in their heart.

After Gu Xuan led the army back, he stayed in the North Border for about half a month.

Within this half month, his work was still mainly the aftermath of this campaign, including implementing rewards and punishments for soldiers, pensions for fallen soldiers, etc.

And the most important among these was the subsequent arrangement of the North Border situation.

Jiang Bu Shi is a steady veteran general, suppressed for many years by Sima Clan remnants like Cheng Luo, only in old age did he encounter a wise ruler like Gu Xuan who set things right.

But he is after all already old, approaching sixty years of age, energy insufficient, and after years of campaigning, already riddled with hidden injuries.

In this situation, Gu Xuan personally promoted Jiang Bu Shi's most outstanding son to serve as his own Royal Guard, also one of the brave warriors who accompanied him to strike and kill Nu Chi.

Undoubtedly, being able to closely follow the Zhou King His Majesty, for the Jiang Bu Shi Family, this is enormous glory, also a significant step up in family status.

Someday in the future, Jiang Bu Shi's this son may not be unable to become a general or minister.

Gu Xuan's this move was precisely to win over old general Jiang Bu Shi's heart, letting him better guard the North Border.

Simultaneously, to avoid the Border Army Corps' power structure being dominated by one family, Gu Xuan also gradually consciously helped restore the North Border Governor's authority that was seized by the Sima Clan in the past.

This is a gradual process, impossible to achieve overnight.

But at least, the North Border Governor, although a civil official, himself possesses this ability to command troops.

After Gu Xuan issued the appointment and transferred one army corps that had followed him on campaign this whole way to the North Border Governor, the latter's power was also roughly sufficient to command the entire North Border Army.

In fact.

With Gu Xuan's current prestige in the Border Army, not a single person dared to defy his appointment, even old general Jiang Bu Shi could not.

After completing all this, Gu Xuan returned to the Imperial Capital he had been separated from for months.

These days.

Gu Xuan was almost "silent until a startling cry" in image, busy without a moment's rest.

He first resolved the Power Minister Family headed by Sima Shang.

Then, in just a few months, through methods like promoting the Feather Forest Orphans, he firmly gathered the Central Forbidden Army under his command.

It was only thus that he could suppress the Sima Clan Power, seizing court administration back into his own hands.

Otherwise, without tens of thousands of Forbidden Army loyal, even if Gu Xuan's Great Zhou Divine King Art reached great completion, had world-covering divine aura, it would probably be of no avail.

And after resolving the Jie Tribe's rebellion as a subordinate tribe, his prestige reached almost a new peak.

Long before he returned to the capital, his feats of pacifying the Jie Tribe had already spread through almost the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

Among them, including the two major heavy troop groups on the Western Border led by Ma Qi and Yu Chi Rui as main generals, also the Army guarding against the Quanrong Tribe.

Even the Quanrong Tribe far beyond the frontier knew of this matter.

And in the Imperial Capital, the over thousand elites who had followed Gu Xuan on the North Border campaign spoke extravagantly, wishing to exalt the Current Emperor as a god-like existence!

Among this, naturally there was their embellishment, but Gu Xuan leading Border Army elites, personally striking out and killing Jie King Nu Chi and other high-level elites, is an undisputed fact.

Therefore.

Within just a few days, this Zhou King's prestige in court and public increased further, especially in the Forbidden Army system that values military merit above all, treated like a War God.

And the two main generals Ma Qi and Yu Chi Rui far on the Western Border, also almost simultaneously sent congratulatory memorials.

Even the ever-unruly Quanrong Tribe, seemingly sensing some deterrence, or perhaps perceiving this generation's Zhou King as extraordinary, dispatched envoys to the Imperial Capital to pay respects and congratulate.

Since news of Gu Xuan pacifying the Quanrong Tribe of the North Border spread across the Da Mo beyond Xi Jing, the Quanrong Tribe as a whole seemed to tacitly greatly reduce their harassment of the Great Zhou Dynasty's Xi Jing, even tending toward stopping.

Obviously.

Whether the high-ranking members of the Quanrong Tribe or the ordinary tribesmen, they all sensed a certain iron-blooded meaning from Gu Xuan, this Zhou King.

Avoiding harm and seeking benefit is the instinct of living beings; these Quanrong Tribe members voluntarily stopped the actions that would bring disaster upon themselves.

And to a certain extent, this also gave Gu Xuan more energy to solve the true chronic ills within the Great Zhou Dynasty!

(Chapter End)