On the 27th of October, Shanhai City.
On this day, Morocco Governor Mulan Yue, Yunnan Governor Baihua, Jiangchuan Governor Siege Lion, and Northern Frontier Governor Suan Ni were ordered to return to the capital to report.
It was still the end of October, far from the time when the local officials returned to the capital to report.
The four officials had one thing in common. They were all lords of the Alliance of Mountains and Seas. After submitting to the Great Xia, they were promoted to provincial governors and guarded a region of the Great Xia.
Because of this, such a summons was even more unusual.
The location of the report was not arranged in the imperial study, but in the quiet imperial garden. Obviously, the so-called report was only secondary. The king must have something important to discuss with the four people.
Summer Palace, imperial garden.
In late autumn, the imperial garden was still colorful. Only the golden leaves of the ginkgo and magnolia trees indicated the arrival of autumn.
In the Yiran Pavilion by the Blue Lake.
Palace maids in Han clothing stood at the four corners of the pavilion, ready to pour tea for the important people in the pavilion. Ouyang Shuo sat at the head, Mulan Yue and Baihua sat on the left, and Siege Lion and Suan Ni sat on the right.
Other than them, there was no one else.
The atmosphere was a little cold. After the baptism of time, the tempering of officialdom, and the tumbling of the mortal world, the five people were no longer the high-spirited youths when the Alliance of Mountains and Seas was first established.
Every one of them had shed their immaturity and matured day by day.
Even the youngest Mulan Yue was rumored to have a lot of prestige in Morocco Province. Her methods were tough and soft, and when she stood beside Queen Kalia of Atlantis, her aura was not weak at all.
There was more or less some doubt in the eyes of the four people.
The summons this time came without any warning, which made people worried.
Baihua also stared at the man at the head, thinking about something. Before coming, the elder brother even said worriedly, "Is the king going to drink wine to release the troops?"
As the saying went, "When the cunning rabbit is dead, the hound is cooked."
The Great Xia was carrying out a top-down reform with the intention of getting rid of the evils and promoting the benefits, further solidifying the foundation of the dynasty, and accumulating energy for another rise.
Was a feudal official like Bai Hua, who had great influence in the local area, also on the list of the king's "reform" targets? No one dared to guarantee.
"Transferring you out of Lingxi City previously was a sign." Big Brother's words were very convincing.
Bai Hua, on the other hand, only smiled and did not comment.
"The others, more or less, are also worried about this, right?" White Birch glanced at the Siege Lion and Bi 'an, as if trying to figure out something. Compared to women, men were always more ambitious.
Ouyang Shuo didn't seem to notice this at all. He excitedly chatted with everyone about daily life. Everyone had their own stalls. It was already very rare for them to gather together and chat like this.
Even if they did meet, it would be a grand gathering between the ruler and his subjects. It was lively, but it also made them seem distant. It was precisely because of this that Ouyang Shuo intentionally arranged for the meeting to be in the Imperial Garden and not in the Imperial Study that was too solemn.
His intention was to tell everyone not to be too reserved.
"It's still different after all!" Even though a warm smile hung on Ouyang Shuo's face, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He sighed for them, and he also sighed for himself.
In the midst of fame and fortune, perhaps it was involuntary, or perhaps it was because of the circumstances, people would change.
Even though everyone had a cheerful smile on their faces and were chatting about interesting things, they couldn't conceal the uneasiness and awkwardness in their hearts. Towards Ouyang Shuo, they couldn't easily open their hearts to him and had become very careful.
It was very much like the attitude of a subject towards the emperor.
Seeing that he couldn't continue talking, Ouyang Shuo took a deep breath and finally revealed the mystery. He emotionally said, "You are the people I trust the most. You are the comrades who fought together with me and fought against the [Yan Huang Alliance]."
Ouyang Shuo spoke very emotionally, as if recalling those extraordinary times. "A long time ago, when you were at ease and merged your territories with the Great Xia, I made up my mind that I would definitely compensate you in the future."
"Your Majesty, we have already received enough!" The one who spoke was the Siege Lion.
At the beginning of the game, or perhaps a little later, when they joined the [Yan Huang Alliance], the Siege Lion never thought that they would become a provincial governor in the future and become one of the giants of the wilderness.
Strictly speaking, the Great Xia had treated them well.
However, Ouyang Shuo shook his head. "This is still not enough, far from enough. You are different from ordinary governors. They are only the subjects of the Great Xia, but you are the comrades who fought together with me. We have the same ideals and pursuits. There is no reason to say that I am the only one standing at the peak and you are all silently sacrificing. "
"This world should have a share in it!" Ouyang Shuo's words were shocking.
Bai Hua and the others were bewildered. They really didn't think that Ouyang Shuo would have such a breadth of mind. Such a scene was completely different from what they had imagined.
Even Bai Hua, who was the most mentally prepared, was a little stunned and couldn't come back to his senses.
However, Ouyang Shuo didn't care and continued, "In the future, the imperial court is preparing to establish four to six protectorates at the borders and overseas regions. They will be in charge of the territory's military and political affairs."
Protectorates were not unfamiliar to everyone present. This was because the predecessor of the Great Xia was the Protectorate of the Southern Border.
If a provincial governor was a high-ranking official, then a protectorate was an existence on equal footing with the cabinet. It was basically no different from a vassal king and was one of the most powerful people in the dynasty.
During the Han and Tang Dynasties, the protectorates were all led by princes. There was no need to worry about the deputy protectorates.
"The four of you are the best candidates for protectorates. Everyone will have a share. It is only a matter of time." Ouyang Shuo finally revealed the final mystery and gave the four of them a huge promise.
When and which protectorate would be established by the imperial court depended on the situation at that time. It wasn't something that Ouyang Shuo could decide at will. Hence, it was only a matter of time.
"Many thanks for your kindness, Your Majesty!"
The four of them looked at each other and didn't know how to react. They could only stand up one by one and cupped their fists.
Ouyang Shuo waved his hand and asked everyone to sit down. He said, "Right now, the imperial court is going to establish the first protectorate in the north. It will be the Protectorate of the Northern Border. It will govern the Yingzhou Province, the Northern Border Province, and the Liaojin Province."
"Hiss ~ ~ ~"
Bai Hua and the others realized that the imperial court was going to make a move.
The combined area of the three provinces was comparable to the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. If they could become the Protectorate of the Northern Border, they would undoubtedly become one of the most powerful people in the dynasty apart from Ouyang Shuo.
This temptation was indeed greater than the heavens.
The Northern Border Governor Lao Ai's breathing became a little rapid, but he himself didn't know anything.
Of the four of them, if they wanted to become the Protectorate of the Northern Border, there was no one more suitable than Lao Ai. He had been overseeing the Northern Border for a long time and was the most familiar with the north.
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