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

With a smile on his face, Yin Li, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and bowed to Li Dan, saying, "Your Majesty, the Northern Barbarian Kingdom has sent its letter of credence, and the selection of officials for peace negotiations should be decided."

Emperor Li Dan nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Three princes are already overseeing the peace negotiations. The remaining attendants should be selected from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites."

"Minister Yin, Minister Cao, do either of you have any ideas?"

Yin Li, Minister of Rites, and Cao Kun, Minister of War, were both key ministers of the court.

One person was in charge of etiquette and education, while the other was in charge of military affairs.

Selecting people from the two departments to participate in the deliberation and negotiation is a perfect match.

Cao Kun bowed first, his tone earnest: "Your Majesty, peace negotiations are a matter of great importance to the nation. As the Minister of War, I am willing to personally go to Zhenyuan City to facilitate peace negotiations for our Great Qian Dynasty and strive for the greatest benefit!"

With peace talks between the two countries a foregone conclusion, all Cao Kun could do was to do his utmost to gain more leverage for the Great Qian Dynasty.

Immediately afterwards, Yin Li, the Minister of Rites, also bowed and said firmly, "Your subject is also willing to go!"

With the negotiating officer appointed, there are still many complicated matters to prepare.

In particular, the bottom line for peace negotiations with the Great Qian Dynasty, the interests to be fought for, and the bargaining chips to be given up all need to be discussed repeatedly and cannot be decided in just one or two court meetings.

After the court session ended, civil and military officials gradually left the palace.

Outside the palace, inside Prime Minister Wang Jin's carriage, the atmosphere was exceptionally relaxed.

Cao Hui, the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, could not hide his smile and leaned close to Wang Jin, saying, "Your Excellency, look at General Lu Jian's extremely grim face in court today, hahaha!"

Cao Hui was a protégé of Wang Jin, and his rise to the position of Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review was entirely due to Wang Jin's patronage.

Therefore, among the court officials, he made the least secret of his respect and following of Wang Jin.

Wang Jin squinted, a smile playing on his lips, quite pleased: "My efforts to persuade Prince Qin to go to Zhenyuan City were not in vain. Even if the three princes went together, what difference would it make?"

Prince Qin, Li Yan, had allowed Wang Jin to firmly suppress Lu Jian and others in the court, finally giving him a chance to vent his frustrations.

"His Highness the King of Qin's abilities are far beyond the reach of the King of Jin or the King of Zhou."

Cao Hui nodded repeatedly, a hint of urgency flashing in his eyes: "Your Excellency, do you think we should have someone put in more effort and bring up that old matter again?"

The "old story" that Cao Hui mentioned refers to a mistake made by the Crown Prince due to negligence during a disaster relief effort a few years ago.

At that time, the criticism of the Crown Prince was overwhelming in the court, and some officials even directly called for the Crown Prince to be deposed and a new heir to be established.

However, the emperor eventually suppressed the storm, and the officials who dared to speak out were demoted and banished from the capital.

Several years later, Cao Hui felt that the time was ripe.

Wang Jin glanced at him, chuckled, and said with a hint of reprimand, "Haven't you suffered enough from your impatience over the years? Do you think General Lu Jian, Minister of War Cao Kun, and the like are easy to mess with?"

"His Highness Prince Qin has indeed rendered meritorious service, but the Crown Prince has recently committed no wrongdoing. What grounds do you have to attack him? Are you suggesting that His Majesty depose the Crown Prince?"

Cao Hui chuckled sheepishly after being reprimanded, and explained in a low voice, "Your Excellency, I'm just eager for His Highness Prince Qin to ascend the throne. Just last month, the Crown Prince was at a banquet and uttered such short-sighted words."

He said something like, "Since ancient times, the Three Dukes discussed the Way and the Six Ministers divided their duties, so there was no such thing as a prime minister." He also said, "Since the Qin Dynasty first established the position of prime minister, the dynasty quickly perished."

"How many years has he lived? Your Excellency has served two dynasties, making great contributions. Without you, how could the Great Qian have enjoyed these decades of peace?"

Cao Hui grew angrier as he spoke, his tone filled with indignation.

Wang Jin tucked his hands into his sleeves, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Some people think I'm old and useless, so they want to kick me out of the court completely, and even abolish the position of prime minister, which has lasted for more than two thousand years. Haha!"

"Young people often fail to recognize their own limitations; they need to be taught a lesson."

Cao Hui's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he asked in a low voice, "Oh? What brilliant idea does Your Excellency have?"

Wang Jin smiled slightly and said unhurriedly, "No rush! With peace talks imminent, everyone from the court to the army is on edge."

"Once the negotiations are over, people will be more relaxed and more prone to making mistakes."

"It won't be too late for us to make our move then."

Cao Hui quickly bowed and clasped his hands, his face full of admiration: "Your Excellency's plan is truly thorough; I admire you!"

Throughout history, the struggle for succession has always been intertwined with intrigue, scheming, and bloodshed.

The capital city may appear calm on the surface, but in reality, the struggle for the throne between the Crown Prince and Prince Qin, Li Yan, has already drawn countless people into a vortex.

Some people want to use their support to rise to the top in one fell swoop.

Some people are betting on who can maintain the family's wealth and status.

A single wrong decision can gamble with the glory and favor bestowed upon one's descendants for decades or even centuries...

Daqian, Youzhou, Zhenyuan City.

Inside the government-run workshops, the clanging and hammering of metal could be heard incessantly.

Master craftsman Kuai Xiang, dressed in coarse blue clothes, hurriedly led several disciples out to greet him, bowing respectfully: "Kuai Xiang greets Lord Lin!"

Kuai Xiang and Lin Feng had met once at Zhang Liao's residence.

When they met again, Lin Feng was already the deputy general of Zhenyuan Army, and his status and position were no longer what they used to be.

"Master Kuai, there's no need for such formalities!"

Lin Feng smiled slightly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "I hope my visit hasn't disturbed Master Kuai's work?"

Kuai Xiang waved his hands repeatedly, smiling broadly: "My lord, you worry too much! The Northern Barbarians are not attacking for the time being, so the workshops don't need to rush to produce weapons, and things are quite peaceful. Has my lord come today on some important matter?"

Lin Feng's gaze swept over the row of neatly arranged, sharp weapons in the courtyard, and he cut to the chase: "I want to have a weapon forged. I've heard that Master Kuai is an expert in Zhenyuan City. I wonder if you could help me?"

Upon hearing this, Kuai Xiang immediately perked up and quickly replied, "Yes! Of course!"

As he spoke, he made a "please" gesture.

"It is my honor, Kuai Xiang, to forge weapons for Lord Lin. Let's go inside and discuss this further!"

Lin Feng smiled and pulled him back, pointing behind him.

"Master Kuai, please wait a moment. I have brought two weapons and would like to ask you to see if they can be melted down and used as raw materials for forging new weapons."

Kuai Xiang then noticed that Lin Feng was followed by two other people—Feng Qing and Wan Qian.

Wan Qian carried a long object wrapped in gray cloth on his shoulder, which looked quite imposing.

He rolled his eyes slightly and smiled, "Alright! Let's go to the backyard; it's quiet there."

Kuai Xiang led the three through the front yard of the workshop to a secluded courtyard in the back.

As soon as Wan Qian took out the two weapons, Kuai Xiang's eyes lit up instantly, and he exclaimed, "This is... Zheng Yan's Soul-Snatching Halberd, the great general of the Northern Barbarians?"

The story of Lin Feng killing Zheng Yan had already spread like wildfire throughout Zhenyuan City.

What started as a fight in the water gradually evolved into a story about the Black Dragon's assistance and Lin Feng's slaying of the general, eventually becoming a plot point in a folk tale.

"Exactly!"

Lin Feng pointed at the Soul-Snatching Halberd and said with a smile, "I've heard that the weapons of the Northern Barbarian generals are all specially made by the imperial court, and the materials used must be of the highest quality. I wonder if these materials can be used?"

Kuai Xiang reached out and stroked the Soul-Snatching Halberd, his eyes burning with fervor: "Yes! My lord, look, this Soul-Snatching Halberd is twelve feet long. The halberd head is a crescent blade made of fine steel, and the shaft is made of ironwood from the North. Both of these materials are extremely rare."

"After removing the miscellaneous parts from the weapons, the remaining materials are enough to forge one or two handy swords."

As he spoke, he gently tapped the halberd head with his fingers.

Hearing the crisp sound coming from inside, he immediately nodded: "Good materials! And the willow-leaf knife you brought is made of the exact same material as the halberd head."

"I also have some excellent materials here. If we use them all, it will be enough to forge a satisfactory weapon for you, sir."

"What does Your Excellency wish to forge? A knife or a sword?"

Lin Feng gently shook his head, his eyes gleaming: "No, I want to forge a long spear!"