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

Zhang Liao nodded slightly and continued, "The officials sent by the imperial court to Ruzhou either died of illness there or perished on the battlefield resisting the allied forces of the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions."

"Some officials even went to Ruzhou and became devout Buddhists, eventually entering monastic life and passing away."

"In short, going to Ruzhou to serve as an official, especially a military officer, is not a good job."

After a pause, Zhang Liao pointed to the map.

"Lin Feng, today I will give you a proper explanation of the situation in Ruzhou."

"You must remember all of this well, and when you go to Ruzhou in the future, do not be careless!"

Lin Feng followed Zhang Liao's hand and looked at the map.

"This humble general would like to hear the details!"

Ruzhou is located in the western part of Daqian and is an important border prefecture connecting the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions.

The twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions are Loulan, Qiemo, Xiaowan, Jingjue, Ronglu, Shule, Qule, Yutian, Pishan, Gumo, Xiye, and Zihe.

The first problem facing Ruzhou was the threat posed to its border defenses by the allied forces of twelve kingdoms in the Western Regions.

Lin Feng was quite surprised to hear this.

"General, I have heard that Buddhism is flourishing in Ruzhou, with three thousand Buddhist caves."

"Ruzhou is also a bustling and prosperous passage for trade between the Western Regions and our Great Qian."

"I have never heard of the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions engaging in conflict with our Great Qian in recent years, so where does this talk of a border threat come from?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao sighed: "The conflict between Ruzhou and the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions has always existed, but it is unknown to outsiders."

"The reason it has been quiet all these years is because Ruzhou sends silver to the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions every year."

"But you know the current situation of the Great Qian Dynasty. The Northern Barbarians are invading, and the court is running a deficit. Where would we find extra silver to send to the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions?"

Lin Feng frowned and said, "General, what's the difference between this and paying tribute? Does the mighty Great Qian Dynasty have no way to deal with the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions?"

The Great Qian Dynasty, a vast and powerful nation, actually had to rely on paying silver to the Western Regions to ensure its safety.

Lin Feng felt extremely aggrieved after hearing this.

Zhang Liao waved his hand, signaling Lin Feng to calm down.

"The allied forces of the twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions number as many as forty to fifty thousand. It would be difficult to deal with them with the strength of Ruzhou alone."

"The twelve kingdoms of the Western Regions are an external threat, but the real trouble for Ruzhou is its internal problems."

The second problem in Ruzhou was the rampant corruption among officials and the complex web of interests within the prefecture.

Officials sent by the imperial court to Ruzhou would die or resign for various reasons.

Over time, officials at all levels in Ruzhou came under the control of powerful families in Ruzhou.

Moreover, due to the immense power of the nobles in Ruzhou, a peculiar situation of "governance by officials and the people" actually emerged.

"Joint governance by government and the people?"

Lin Feng pondered these four words repeatedly, muttering to himself, "Government-civilian co-governance sounds good, so why has it become a problem?"

Zhang Liao held up five fingers: "Nominally it is 'governance by officials and the people,' but in reality, the 'people' only include the five surnames of Ruzhou in Ruzhou."

"Officials with the surnames Kang, An, Cao, Shi, and Mi have to consult with them and be mindful of their moods when handling affairs."

"If they don't agree, many of the court's decrees cannot be implemented."

Do you still think that "government-civilian co-governance" is a good thing?

Lin Feng was greatly shocked. So, even the officials of Ruzhou had to be mindful of the powerful clans?

Is this Ruzhou the Ruzhou of the Great Qian Dynasty?

Or is it Ruzhou, a place inhabited by aristocratic families?

"General, the situation in Ruzhou is so dire. Can I possibly succeed by going there alone?"

Even someone as strong as Lin Feng began to have doubts; he wasn't afraid of a real fight.

However, political affairs were not Lin Feng's forte, and he was worried about the ways of those powerful clans.

Zhang Liao smiled kindly: "Don't worry, His Majesty will send help for you."

"With the war over, the court can recuperate and rebuild. Ruzhou connects to the Western Regions and is a cash cow for our Great Qian."

"The imperial court will not stand idly by and watch Ruzhou continue to descend into chaos."

The third problem in Ruzhou was that bandits ran rampant.

Lin Feng had already learned this from Xia Bing.

The notorious bandit Duan Lang has roamed Ruzhou and the Western Regions and has yet to be eradicated.

In addition to the three major issues mentioned above, Zhang Liao also specifically reminded Lin Feng: "Whether it is the cat demon or the flourishing Buddhism in Ruzhou, they are all tricks to fool people's minds."

"Lin Feng, you must be careful and not underestimate those monks from Ruzhou."

Lin Feng nodded slightly and said, "General, please rest assured, I will be careful."

After talking for a long time, Zhang Liao was a little tired, so Lin Feng took his leave.

When he left, he also took the map of Ruzhou with him to study it carefully.

With the day of the Northern Barbarians' withdrawal drawing ever closer, everyone in Zhenyuan City was busy preparing.

The Liaodong army was about to embark on their return journey, and the princes and Zhang Liao were also to return to the capital to report.

Lin Feng, on the other hand, spent his days studying the map and situation of Ruzhou, finding great enjoyment in it.

Three days later, at Niujiaoyuan.

Su Mo, a soldier from Liaodong, wore a blue robe and held a sworn brotherhood written on red paper, his face beaming with smiles.

Lin Feng, Li Pingan, and Lü Zheng also changed into new clothes and stood side by side.

Today is an important day for Raymond Lam and his two sworn brothers.

Lin Feng and Lü Zheng made a bet that if Lin Feng could learn Zhang Liao's spear technique within a few days, Lü Zheng would acknowledge Lin Feng as his elder brother.

Although it was a joke, the three of them, Raymond Lam and his friend, had been through thick and thin together and had a life-or-death bond.

Seeing that the three were about to part ways—one returning to Liaodong, one going to the capital, and the other probably going to Ruzhou—they knew that the three were about to separate.

This parting, with no idea when we'll meet again, is truly heartbreaking and makes me reluctant to part.

Therefore, Li Ping'an proposed that the three of them become sworn brothers.

Lin Feng and Lü Zheng immediately agreed to invite Su Mo to preside over the event for them.

The sworn brotherhood of the Great Qian Dynasty is a major event, and it is generally held in a temple, ancestral hall, or courtyard of a home.

However, the three chose the cemetery where the spirits of heroes such as Du Song of Niujiaoyuan rest in peace.

The people of Daqian worship Guan Sheng Di Jun because he represents "righteousness".

The Guansheng Emperor Temple in Zhenyuan City was destroyed by war and has not yet been rebuilt.

Lin Feng and his two companions then invited the loyal and righteous spirits in the cemetery to witness their sworn brotherhood.

The altar has been set up, with a red cloth covering the table and the tablets for Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher.

On the table were placed in order sacrificial items such as incense burner, candlesticks, pig's head, sheep's head, and strong liquor.

Su Mo handed the sworn brotherhood certificates to the three people and said, "Bye!"

Li Ping'an was the oldest of the three and stood at the front, followed by Lü Zheng and Lin Feng.

The three burned incense and lit candles, and together they kowtowed to heaven and the gods.

After completing his first kowtow, Li Ping'an held the Golden Orchid Pact in his hands and knelt before the deity to recite the oath.

"I, Li Ping'an, met Lü Zheng and Lin Feng during a time of national crisis. We fought for our country without fear of death, the three of us sharing weal and woe, and standing together through thick and thin!"

"By the grace of Heaven and Earth and the gods, I hereby declare myself sworn brothers with Lü Zheng and Lin Feng, sharing joys and sorrows, bound by blood!"

"We don't ask to be born on the same day, in the same month, in the same year! We only ask to die on the same day, in the same month, in the same year!"

Lin Feng and Lü Zheng also shouted along with Li Ping'an.

"Sharing joys and sorrows, bound by blood!"

"We don't ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but we ask to die on the same day, month, and year!"

After the oath was read, Su Mo ordered someone to bring rooster blood and drip it into the wine.

Then prick the fingers of the three men and drip their blood into the wine.

There is a saying about this ritual: "If the blood does not mix, the heart is not sincere." After the blood is mixed, the three people drink the blood wine separately.

The three drank the blood wine, then bowed to each other, and from that moment on became true sworn brothers.

Li Ping'an also assured Lin Feng and Lü Zheng that he would record their relationship in the appendix of the Li family's genealogy when he returned.

The Li family descended from the Duke of Dingguo of the Great Qian Dynasty, and their genealogy is extremely meticulous.

Recording Lin Feng and Lü Zheng in the family genealogy appendix signifies that the family has officially recognized these two "brothers of different surnames".

Lin Feng was overjoyed to have become sworn brothers with Lü Zheng and Li Ping'an.

He immediately invited Su Mo and his trusted confidants to a restaurant for a good drink and to drink until they were completely drunk!