28: Chapter 28 King of Southern Xinjiang, Huo Meng

The matter of bestowing surnames was, in the eyes of Su Chen and the old ministers, originally a very simple affair.

Zhuge Jinyu, as Prime Minister, was erudite and knowledgeable.

Coming up with a surname with a good meaning on the fly was simply the easiest thing to do.

Yet, she chose to drop two bombshells instead.

The surname 'Su' was easy enough to explain.

But everyone throughout the Great Qian Dynasty knew exactly what the surname 'zhuge' implied.

With Zhuge Jinyu currently wielding power over the imperial court, this surname was even more sensitive than the imperial family's 'Liu' surname.

How could this Female Prime Minister so casually offer her own surname to a group of homeless orphans?

The debates in the imperial court had not ceased since the night Zhuge Jinyu bestowed the surnames.

Domestic affairs, border defense, and public livelihood were all set aside; the entire Great Qian court had been arguing over this matter for three days and three nights.

Even Su Chen, who had returned to the mirror, felt dizzy and overwhelmed from listening to it.

After all, the human form consumed too much energy.

One night was fine, but if he had to maintain that form constantly, it would be better to use the remaining forty-five percent of his energy to deal with enemies that Zhuge Jinyu could not handle herself.

However, even in the face of everyone's opposition, Zhuge Jinyu remained unfazed.

Su Chen had even considered persuading Zhuge Jinyu to retract her order; after all, those old ministers were truly too annoying.

But upon seeing the determined look in Zhuge Jinyu's eyes, he swallowed back all his persuasive words.

There was no other reason.

Su Chen had never seen Zhuge Jinyu change her mind once she had made a decision.

Time passed quickly amid the chaos in the imperial court, until three days had gone by.

All discussions regarding the bestowing of surnames in the imperial court ceased on that day.

The reason was simple.

Prime Minister Zhuge was going to personally lead an expedition against the Southern Barbarians once again.

Faced with an external enemy, the ministers had no choice but to compromise and agree, registering each "Little Su" and "Little zhuge" into the Ministry of Revenue's records.

...

The southern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, Zhennan Pass.

The density of the trees in the Southern Border was far greater than near the capital.

Mists and miasmas filled the air, severely limiting visibility, and the air carried a foul stench of rotting wood.

"Sir, what is your opinion on the sudden attacks launched by the Southern Border people against our Great Qian?"

Zhuge Jinyu was still dressed in her moon-white Prime Minister's robes, her white hair like snow.

She gently swayed her vermilion bird feather fan, her expression grave.

The Southern Border had long harassed the Great Qian border, but such a large-scale, formal invasion was unprecedented.

The timing coincided roughly with the defeat of the eastern rebel army led by Guo Wenzhuo.

Originally, the people of the Southern Border, while exceptionally brave, only excelled at brute force, and their impact on the Great Qian was truly limited.

Yet, over the past year or so, the Southern Border had suddenly begun to progress rapidly; not only had the number of cultivators greatly increased, but they had also started using the military tactics of the Central Plains Immortal Dynasty.

The King of the Southern Border, Huo Meng, was even more difficult to deal with.

Although he was only at the late Spirit Transformation Realm and his individual strength was not particularly outstanding on the continent, he was not only skilled in Gu arts and other forbidden techniques, but his movements were also exceptionally bizarre.

It was said that some had even seen this Huo Meng appear in several locations simultaneously, using different bizarre methods to fight.

Su Chen glanced at the battered fortress in the distance and sighed.

The city walls were scarred, covered in saber marks left by cultivators and scorched traces of spells.

"The situation is worse than expected."

Su Chen's voice sounded in Zhuge Jinyu's mind.

"The morale of the defending troops is low, the camp is full of wounded soldiers, and the fortress walls are damaged in many places."

"This King of the Southern Border, Huo Meng, seems no easier to deal with than Guo Wenzhuo."

Although they had not been there long, what she had seen and heard already made her heart heavy.

"Xiao Yu, I believe there are two points regarding the current situation in the Southern Border that are worth your attention."

"Please speak, Sir."

Su Chen paused, then continued.

"First, I do not know if you have noticed."

"The changes in the Southern Border began after the collapse of the Guo Clan rebel army."

"I suspect that something links these two events, and it is even possible that the same person is behind it all."

"Second, it is what my divine sense has detected."

"Within the entire Southern Border fortress, there is simply no organization, logistics, or medical support."

"It is as if... there are no commanding generals in this Southern Border fortress at all, and the soldiers are relying entirely on their own initiative to fight the enemy."

Zhuge Jinyu nodded imperceptibly.

Coming to greet her were several old defending generals of Zhennan Pass.

One was a mid-stage Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator surnamed Qin, along with several deputy generals who had also been stationed here for many years.

These generals were all wounded, and their energy was not at its peak.

When they looked at Zhuge Jinyu, this excessively young Female Prime Minister, the suspicion and faint resentment in their eyes were barely concealed.

The atmosphere at the military briefing was oppressive.

Zhuge Jinyu sat upright in the main seat, her arms crossed over her broad Prime Minister's robes, her fox-like eyes thoughtful.

"Tell This Prime Minister, why do you all believe that when facing a group of Southern Barbarian savages, our Great Qian chooses not to take the initiative to attack, but instead remains on the receiving end of beatings?"

"Prime Minister."

Old General Qin pointed to the interlocking power markers on the sand table.

"Although it is true that both Guo Wenzhuo and Huo Meng are at the Spirit Transformation Realm, this Southern Border is different from the East."

"That scoundrel Huo Meng is as cunning as a fox, as ferocious as a wolf, and furthermore proficient in various bizarre forbidden techniques and witchcraft of the Southern Border."

"His barbarian soldiers are fearless in the face of death, and they are familiar with the terrain, coming and going like the wind."

"It is already a struggle for us to hold the pass; taking the initiative to attack... is unlikely to succeed."

The implication was a warning to Zhuge Jinyu.

Although your feat of dealing with Guo Wenzhuo on the eastern plains could barely be considered excellent, but now that you are in the Southern Border, you outsiders still need to be a bit more cautious.

"Oh?"

Zhuge Jinyu suddenly lifted her right leg and crossed it over her left.

"If This Prime Minister insists on leading a team to actively launch an expedition, what will you do?"

Another deputy general with a hideous scar on his face snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of aggression.

"Prime Minister, do not blame this subordinate for speaking harshly!"

"The imperial court has always prioritized the north over the south; withholding military pay and supplies is common, and reinforcements are few and far between."

"Now, it is fine; with Huo Meng's power growing, the imperial court has only just remembered to send someone as precious as you over..."

"Even the Eastern and Northern Borders, which received full support from the imperial court, were wiped out by the enemy; you need not expect us, the Southern Border defense forces, to meet your requirements, Prime Minister!"

These words were quite impolite.

Although the other generals in the tent did not echo his sentiments, the look in their eyes was largely the same.

Faced with this situation, Su Chen was also quite troubled.

The key point was that he was still speculating.

Were these defending generals of the Southern Border truly just full of resentment toward the imperial court because of a lack of support, or was there another reason?

Zhuge Jinyu swayed her feather fan, and the corner of her extremely beautiful lips behind the fan curved slightly.

She did not get angry, but simply said calmly:

"Since This Prime Minister has come, I have my own plans."

"As for the expedition, This Prime Minister has my own personal troops; I do not need you to risk your heads in battle, just ensure the logistics are well-managed."

"This Prime Minister will personally take Huo Meng's head to pacify the Southern Border."

In the end, Old General Qin, whose attitude was slightly better among the defending generals, sighed and shook his head.

"Prime Minister, you are young and vigorous; having spirit is a good thing."

"But Huo Meng... sigh, is he someone to be trifled with?"

"He is especially skilled in the art of cloning and illusion, often appearing on several battlefields simultaneously, making him impossible to guard against; we have suffered greatly because of it."

The meeting ended on a sour note, and the defending generals left one after another.

Some sighed in disappointment, while others did not take this new Female Prime Minister seriously at all and began drinking.

The night grew late.

Dozens of miles outside Zhennan Pass, deep within the Southern Border rebel camp, inside a large tent made of animal skins.

The sounds of singing and laughter could be faintly heard.