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

"well……"

Li Zhen gazed at the painting, his eyes filled with infatuation and longing. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh.

Seeing this, the young Taoist nun Qingyu asked softly, "Your Highness, what...is troubling you?"

Li Zhen stared intently at the painting, his tone somber: "My path was already fraught with difficulties, and now I have gained another formidable opponent."

A prince with five pearls!

The King of Qin has already been promoted to the rank of Five Pearls, while Li Zhen remains only a Two Pearls Prince.

The gap between the two has become increasingly wide.

Since arriving in Zhenyuan City, Prince Li Zhen of Jin has devoted himself to both political and military affairs.

Although His Majesty bestowed gifts, those gold and silver items were nothing but dirt in Li Zhen's eyes, and he didn't care about them at all.

Upon hearing this, Qingyu pondered for a moment and softly advised, "Your Highness is a rare genius in the world. Qingyu firmly believes that what Your Highness wants to do will surely succeed."

"Yes! I can succeed, and I must succeed!"

Li Zhen slowly clenched his fist, and two flames seemed to flicker in his eyes.

He gazed at the painting and said, enunciating each word clearly, "No one, no matter who they are, will stand in my way!"

Li Zhen seemed to have made a resolute decision, his expression growing increasingly determined, yet a hint of madness lurked in his eyes…

From the moment the Northern Barbarian delegation arrived in Zhenyuan City, the entire city began intensive preparations for peace talks.

Although the two countries have temporarily ceased hostilities, the grudges and estrangement between them have not disappeared, and their wariness has not diminished in the slightest.

After several rounds of negotiations, both sides agreed to hold the peace talks in a neutral area between Zhenyuan City and the Northern Barbarian army camp, with the site to be built jointly by the two countries.

We must strive for safety, fairness, and impartiality.

Construction is proceeding at a rapid pace.

Meanwhile, Su Mo and Li Ping'an had already begun preparing for their return journey.

As the Daqian court had feared, the Liao Kingdom's incursions into Liaodong became increasingly frequent.

If Yelü Chu chooses to start the war in winter, Liaodong, though on the defensive, will have already deployed its main force to the Zhenyuan City battlefield.

Moreover, with more than half of their forces destroyed, the current standoff will undoubtedly be difficult.

Lin Feng then petitioned King Qin, Li Yan, and Zhang Liao to transport the remains of their soldiers buried at Elephant Trunk Hill back to Zhenyuan City for proper burial.

He was the one who personally buried Du Song and his comrades at Elephant Trunk Hill.

He also promised to bring them "home".

Now that the fighting has subsided, it is time to let these loyal and brave soldiers return to their homeland.

King Li Yan of Qin and Zhang Liao granted his request and even sent a letter to Boyan Mengke.

He explained that the soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty would be entering Elephant Trunk Mountain to collect the remains, and instructed him not to worry and not to misjudge the situation.

Bayan Mengke did not object to this.

Having served in the military for many years, he understands best the suffering of soldiers buried deep in the mountains.

Putting himself in his shoes, he would certainly have brought the remains of his soldiers back to their homeland.

Therefore, while Zhenyuan City was busy preparing for peace talks, Lin Feng, along with his trusted confidants, traveled back and forth between Elephant Trunk Hill and Zhenyuan City, bringing back the remains of his comrades who had died on the battlefield for burial.

In late autumn and early winter, the cold night wind howled incessantly in the night sky of Fengzhou.

In the woods beside the official road in the wilderness, a group of people were setting up camp.

Beside the campfire, a tall and imposing young man dressed in brocade robes was drinking strong liquor.

"Glug! Glug!"

He downed half a pot of strong liquor in one gulp, let out a long, satisfying sigh, and burst into laughter: "Good liquor! Hahaha!"

The young man was not yet thirty, but he had a full beard and looked much older than his actual age.

He was born with a leopard-like head and bulging eyes, exuding a fierce and imposing aura.

This person was none other than the second prince of the Northern Barbarians—Nanmuhe.

To Nanmuhe's left sat a refined-looking civil official with a pale face, short beard, and elegant appearance. He was smiling and advising, "Your Highness, it's cold and windy, and you've had a long day. You should drink more in moderation."

Nanmuhe laughed heartily, "Minister Wang, with my physique, am I afraid of a little wine?"

"Two years ago, I won a great victory in the conquest of the Burya tribe, and I alone drank eighteen jugs of fine wine!"

Wang Xun, the Minister of War of the Northern Barbarians, shook his head helplessly and did not try to persuade him any further.

Sitting opposite Wang Xun, Minister of Rites Gu Lie smiled slightly and changed the subject.

"I have heard that General Bayan Mengke is working with the Han people to build a temporary palace north of Zhenyuan City. The peace talks will be held there once the Second Prince and the Princess arrive. This shows that the Han people are quite sincere."

Nanmuhe put down his wine jug and looked at Gu Lie: "Lord Gu, I am not good at literature, I only know how to fight on the battlefield. You can discuss these peace talks yourselves, why bother informing me?"

"In my opinion, Father should have sent my eldest brother, as he is most adept at dealing with scholars."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lie and Wang Xun exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

Gu Lie stroked his beard and smiled, "Second Prince, the First Prince's status is extraordinary, comparable to the Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Since the Han dynasty has not sent its crown prince, if our northern barbarians were to send their own prince, it would be a breach of etiquette and an insult to others."

"In this peace negotiation, His Highness is the nominal leader, so this matter cannot be taken lightly."

Nanmuhe scratched his head and said in a simple and honest voice, "Lord Gu is so learned, I can't argue with you. I just want to know, what kind of agreement do we need to reach in this peace negotiation to be considered a victory?"

Nanmuhe was stationed in the army year-round and was only recently recalled by the Northern Barbarian Emperor, joining the peace negotiation delegation halfway through his mission.

He could never fathom his father, the emperor's, thoughts.

Wang Xun's eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly said, "The two prefectures of Shuofeng have already fallen to the Northern Barbarians, and there is absolutely no reason for them to be returned."

"As for the northern part of Youzhou, we will not cede an inch of the land we occupy!"

"At most, they'll just have to give up Chicken Cry City."

"In short, the Great Qian will not gain any advantage whatsoever."

Nanmuhe agreed wholeheartedly, pointing south with a face full of disdain.

"The Han traitors are cunning and cowardly; give them a little leeway and they'll dare to run wild!"

"Lord Wang, in my opinion, we shouldn't give them Jiming City either!"

"Unless the Han people are willing to cede the two prefectures of Shuofeng in writing, I might consider returning them if I am in a good mood."

As soon as Nanmuhe finished speaking, Wang Xun shook his head repeatedly: "Second Prince, although the Han people have lost two prefectures, they will never cede them in writing. If their emperor dares to do such a thing, his throne will certainly be in jeopardy!"

Nanmuhe scoffed, "A traitor is a traitor. They've lost all their land, yet they still refuse to admit defeat in writing. How hypocritical!"

"They still dream of taking it back someday? They're dreaming!"

"In my opinion, the Great Qian Dynasty is already devoid of talent and will be destroyed by my Northern Barbarians sooner or later!"

Nanmuhe, confident in his bravery, has always looked down on the Great Qian Dynasty, but Wang Xun and Gu Lie are not so arrogant.

Gu Lie stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Highness, there are also brave and loyal people among the Han people who cherish their country and its people."

"Zhang Liao, who was guarding Zhenyuan City, and his officers were all like this."

"Just look at his deputy, Lin Feng, who was able to kill General Zheng Yan, which shows his extraordinary bravery."

"If the Second Prince goes to the battlefield in the future, he must not underestimate the generals of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Nanmuhe drew his dagger and cut into the sizzling lamb leg roasting over the campfire, saying casually, "Zhang Liao is quite a character. He was able to turn the tide in a desperate situation and hold on until now. I admire him."

"As for Lin Feng?"

"Heh! It's just good luck!"

He casually stuffed the mutton into his mouth and mumbled, "That Zheng Yan is ambitious, bloodthirsty, and even cannibalistic. He's no different from a wild beast."

"With the Zheng family no longer having him and Zheng Bin, they've been spared two troublemakers, and things are finally much quieter."

The actions of the Zheng brothers had already provoked much dissatisfaction among the Northern Barbarians.

Even members of the royal family disliked the two of them.

The aroma of the mutton filled the air, and Nanmuhe took another big bite, nodding repeatedly. Then he said, "By the way, didn't Zheng Yan go to Xuanji Palace before his expedition? I heard he even received medicine from that demoness?"

"I thought he would be invincible with the sleeping potion from Xuanji Palace, but in the end, he was still killed."

"It's clear that the demoness is just putting on airs all day; she has no real skills whatsoever!"

Minister of War Wang Xun, with his hands tucked into his sleeves and a respectful expression, said, "Your Highness, before our delegation departed, His Majesty personally visited Xuanji Palace. The Imperial Advisor said that she has a way to conquer Zhenyuan City, but it will take a year."

Unlike Nanmuhe, Wang Xun and Gulie have always treated the Northern Barbarian National Preceptor with great respect.

Nanmuhe paused slightly as he cut the lamb leg, then sneered, "Starting to play tricks again! What ingenious schemes could she possibly have? Our Northern Barbarians have so many elite soldiers and generals, yet they couldn't break through Zhenyuan City. How could she possibly succeed?"

Nanmuhe made no attempt to hide his disgust for the Grand Preceptor.

"My brother was bewitched by that witch, which is why he invites Confucian scholars to the palace to give lectures every day and even wants to promote some kind of Taoist doctrine."

"In my opinion, my brother has been completely bewitched by her!"

"So what if she has a foxy face?"

"She's truly a femme fatale..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xun and Gu Lie's expressions changed simultaneously.

Gu Lie quickly warned, "Second Prince, be careful what you say!"

Zhenjin, the eldest son of the Northern Barbarian Emperor, was renowned in the court and possessed extraordinary abilities.

He was particularly fond of Han culture and often wore Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) when walking in the palace.

The Northern Barbarian Emperor valued him highly, and anyone who dared to insult Zhenjin would be severely punished if His Majesty found out.

In the past, a courtier criticized the eldest prince and the imperial advisor, and the Northern Barbarian emperor cut out his tongue and threw him into a snake pit, where he died a very tragic death.

Nanmuhe realized his slip of the tongue, slapped his forehead, and protested, "I...I didn't mean that! I was just worried that my elder brother might be bewitched by a witch. Everyone in the court knows how much I respect my elder brother!"

Wang Xun sighed softly and said, "Second Prince, everything the First Prince has done has been guided and inspired by the Imperial Preceptor."

"Our Northern Barbarians, though small in number, intend to challenge a great power. There are some things that cannot be accomplished by force alone!"