Kill the enemy and get a wife? I'll single-handedly slaughter my way through the Northern Barba

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the soldiers responsible for the rotation marched in neat rows onto the city wall.

"Hey, are you saying General Lin is really dead?"

"If they're neither alive nor dead, then they're simply gone."

"I don't believe it! Has anyone here ever seen Lord Lin launch a catapult? I have! His strength and accuracy are unmatched!"

"Come on, isn't His Highness Prince Qin formidable enough? With his spear in hand and his horse astride him, few in the world can rival him, yet he still nearly died in the chaos of battle. I reckon Lord Lin won't escape the same fate either."

"What a good man Lord Lin was! It's such a pity he's gone so suddenly."

"It's all His Highness Prince Qin's fault! He refused to send troops to aid us, insisting on fighting Bayan Mengke to the death. In my opinion, Lord Lin was killed because of him..."

"Snapped!"

Before the soldier could finish speaking, he received a hard slap on the back of the head from the centurion.

"Shut up, all of you! Even switching positions won't shut your mouths, will it?"

"If you dare utter another word of nonsense, I'll tear your mouths apart!"

The centurion cursed and kicked the talkative soldier again.

His harsh reprimands were actually a way of protecting everyone.

After all, this matter is too sensitive; even a single wrong word could lead to death.

Lin Feng, who came from humble beginnings, has become the most outstanding young general in Zhenyuan City in the past year.

No one dared to openly discuss his death.

But secretly, everyone knows where the problem lies.

"Lord Centurion! Look outside the city!"

A soldier who had just finished changing shifts suddenly exclaimed to the centurion.

Upon hearing this, the centurion rushed to the crenellations of the city wall, peered out, and cursed, "What the hell are those damned northern barbarians up to?"

A plain-looking carriage with a white flag was slowly making its way toward the city gate.

The centurion grabbed a hard bow and pointed the arrow directly at the carriage.

When the horse had traveled a hundred paces away, he raised his hand and shot an arrow into the open ground in front of its hooves.

"Whoosh!"

"Halt! State your name and purpose!"

The centurion shouted loudly, his eyes fixed on the carriage, waiting for a response.

"My master is Eqir, the Vice Minister of War of the Northern Barbarians, who has been sent as an envoy to Zhenyuan City by order of our Emperor!"

The coachman leaned out and shouted back towards the city wall.

Vice Minister of War of the Northern Barbarians?

The centurion's heart skipped a beat. Seeing the shabby carriage, he had assumed that there was only a lowly henchman inside.

His eyes darted around quickly, and he called out to the carriage again, "Please show me your credentials. Once verified, I will immediately inform His Highness the Prince of Qin!"

Next to the city gate tower, there is a special basket for lowering passengers; the driver puts the receipt into the basket.

After carefully checking the documents, the centurion dared not delay for a moment. He called out, "Please wait a moment, Your Excellency," and then quickly ran down the city wall with the credentials, handing them to Bi Fang, who was waiting below.

The centurion was puzzled. He figured that the Northern Barbarian Minister of War had come in person, probably to seek a truce and peace.

The protracted battle in Zhenyuan City may finally be about to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

King Li Yan of Qin was in the palace making arrangements for today's attack when Bi Fang suddenly came to report on the matter, which surprised him.

Why would the northern barbarians take the initiative to communicate with us?

Li Yan immediately cancelled the attack plan and ordered Fang Hui and Bi Fang to go to the North Gate to bring Eqir into the city.

Half an hour later, in the reception hall of the imperial palace.

Prince Qin, Li Yan, Prince Jin, Li Zhen, along with Su Mo, Li Ping'an, Lü Zheng, and other officials, had already gathered.

Erqier followed Bifang and the other man in and bowed respectfully to the two kings.

"Eqier, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War of the Northern Barbarians, pays respects to His Highness Prince Qin and His Highness Prince Jin of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Li Yan's gaze fell on Erqier, scrutinizing him closely.

This man was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a red face and short beard. He was dressed in scholar's attire and exuded a scholarly air.

He wore a faint smile, was impeccably polite, and had a dignified appearance.

"Lord Erchir, there's no need for such formalities!"

Li Yan waved his hand, looked intently at him, and asked, "Our two countries are at war right now. You're not afraid that my Great Qian soldiers will fight without mercy, entering the city with only a coachman and no soldiers?"

Upon hearing this, Erqir's smile deepened, and he said loudly, "I have heard that His Highness the Prince of Qin possesses the courage of ten thousand men and once displayed his divine might on Niujiao Plain."

"I am but a weak scholar. If Your Highness wishes to kill me, please do so."

"But with my death, the important matter of peace negotiations between the two countries will likely be delayed for a long time."

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions.

Prince Li Zhen of Jin frowned slightly and spoke first: "Lord Eqir speaks of peace negotiations. I wonder if this is the will of your emperor, or if you have acted on your own initiative? Can you truly represent the emperor of the Northern Barbarians?"

Erqir bowed deeply to the north and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness Prince Jin, I have come here on the orders of our Emperor to mediate. I implore your army to suspend the attack so that our two countries can sit down and have a proper peace talk."

Upon hearing this, Su Mo sneered, "Lord Erqir, our army currently holds the upper hand and has Bayan Mengke trapped in his camp. To expect us to halt our attack based solely on your words is wishful thinking, isn't it?"

Su Mo had never agreed with Li Yan's plan to launch a strong attack on Bayan Mengke's camp.

But now, facing an envoy from an enemy state, he naturally had to stand on Li Yan's side.

If the Great Qian wants a ceasefire, the Northern Barbarians need to show some sincerity.

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Erqir met Su Mo's gaze and said calmly, "This lord asks me what my basis is? Very well, I will discuss the current situation with you."

"Jiming City has been recaptured by our army, as I believe you all already know."

"Five thousand elite troops accompanied me this time, and more than ten thousand more troops will arrive later."

As he spoke, he bowed slightly to Li Yan, his smile gentle: "May I ask, Your Highness, with our reinforcements arriving in droves, are you absolutely certain you can breach the camp?"

Erqir's words were half true and half false.

He did bring 5,000 elite troops to reinforce the city, but because the Zheng brothers led their troops into Elephant Trunk Mountain, the garrison in Jiming City was sparsely defended. At present, the only reinforcements he could mobilize were these 5,000 men.

The so-called "more than 10,000 troops" is nothing but a bluff.

Li Yan slowly clenched his fist from his sleeve, his eyes coldly fixed on Erqir: "You think I can't take it?"

Erqier's heart tightened, but he still had a smile on his face.

"Your Highness, the King of Qin, may succeed or you may not; I dare not make any rash judgments."

"But there is one thing I can confirm: if Your Highness the Prince of Qin is willing to take the initiative to cease hostilities, our Emperor is willing to present you with a 'Yangyou Bow' as a token of respect for Your Highness's bravery."

The Northern Barbarians were unparalleled in their bow-making skills, and the "Yangyou Bow" was a powerful bow exclusively made for the royal family, a symbol of bravery and nobility.

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, his tone icy: "What is the meaning of this, Your Majesty's Emperor?"

Erchir laughed and said, "We Northern Barbarians are descendants of the Blue Wolf and White Deer, and we respect warriors the most."

"Whether this warrior is a northern barbarian or from another country, our emperor will appreciate him greatly."

"The 'Yangyou Bow' has never been given to anyone outside the royal family, and our emperor believes that Your Highness is worthy of this divine bow!"

Whether the Northern Barbarian Emperor was genuinely trying to make amends or had ulterior motives.

This courtesy and respect were finally extended to Li Yan.

He was already considering withdrawing his troops.

As Erqir said, Jiming City has fallen, and the northern barbarian reinforcements have arrived.

His final window of opportunity to defeat Bayan Menke has closed.

Su Mo originally intended to take advantage of his side's offensive momentum to gain some benefits from the Northern Barbarians.

This Yangyou Bow was the "price" offered by the Northern Barbarians.

However, this price only applies to Li Yan personally, and does not bring much practical benefit to the Great Qian Dynasty.

The reception room was silent as everyone held their breath, waiting for Li Yan's decision.

Li Zhen frowned, a hint of jealousy rising in his heart towards Li Yan.

With such honor bestowed upon him, Li Yan's prestige in the court will likely only rise even higher in the future.

The three brothers came to Zhenyuan City together, but in the end, all the benefits and limelight were taken by Li Yan!

After a moment's thought, Li Yan finally made his decision: "Very well, I accept your conditions! But preliminary peace negotiations need to be arranged as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow at noon, right in the center of Zhenyuan City and the Northern Barbarian camp, I will personally meet with Bayan Mengke!"

The huge weight that had been weighing on Erqier's heart finally slowly lifted.

He bowed respectfully to Li Yan again and said, "As Your Highness, the Prince of Qin, wishes!"