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

It was late at night, inside the General's Mansion.

In Zhang Liao's study, his lieutenants Bian Xi and Qiao Ping stood respectfully with their hands at their sides, not daring to utter a sound, even deliberately keeping their breathing soft.

"Qiao Ping! Is this how you discipline your soldiers?!"

Zhang Liao's eyes widened in anger, his voice deep and cold, each word carrying a threatening tone as he questioned Qiao Ping.

"How dare your soldiers secretly sell military merits to Wang Qian! What does this do to the reputation of our army? Where is military discipline? Where is their conscience?!"

"Lord Li and Lord Su are both here. Are you trying to make a fool of ourselves in front of the brothers of the Liaodong Army?"

Previously, Zhang Liao had ordered Bian Xi to meet Lin Feng and Zhang Lu, and Bian Xi had completed all the tasks.

He first carefully inquired about the ins and outs of the matter, and then immediately ordered someone to temporarily detain Wang Qian.

After a thorough interrogation, the details of the buying and selling of military merits were finally uncovered.

After the banquet ended, Bian Xi presented the recorded testimony to Zhang Liao, awaiting his decision.

Qiao Ping, his face filled with fear, pleaded guilty to Zhang Liao: "General, I have failed in my duty to manage my subordinates and deserve to die! But... but I truly did not know they had the audacity to commit such despicable acts!"

He tried his best to distance himself from the situation, pretending to be completely unaware.

The truth is, given his relationship with the Wang family, his soldiers would never dare to sell their military achievements to Wang Qian without his tacit approval.

Zhang Liao was so angered by his hypocritical appearance that he lost his composure and felt dizzy.

"Although you claim ignorance, you cannot escape blame for your lax management of your subordinates!"

"You will have three months' salary confiscated and go to the military court to receive ten strokes of the military rod!"

"From now on, the records of military merits will be managed by someone appointed by Bian Xi!"

Qiao Ping was seething with hatred, but dared not harbor any resentment towards Zhang Liao. Instead, he directed all his anger at the meddlesome Lin Feng.

The three months' salary was a small matter; the real prize was managing military merit records.

Now that a stable channel for making money has been completely cut off, not to mention being publicly humiliated and losing face.

He secretly resolved that he would repay Lin Feng tenfold for the humiliation he suffered today!

After Bian Xi and Qiao Ping took their leave, Zhang Liao did not go to bed.

Although he had drunk quite a bit tonight, his alcohol tolerance was astonishing. He was only about 60-70% drunk at the moment, and his mind was still clear.

He picked up a document at random, his gaze falling on the accounts of grain stored in the city.

Zhenyuan City already had a plentiful supply of grain, but since the arrival of 50,000 Liaodong troops, the daily consumption of grain has been astronomical.

"One month, two months, three months..."

Zhang Liao made a rough estimate and concluded that, at the current rate of consumption, the city's grain reserves would only last for three months.

"We must immediately petition the court to send another batch of grain to replenish the supplies."

He knew in his heart that, given the greedy nature of the northern barbarians, this battle might not end for three months.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

There was a gentle knock on the study door, and Zhang Lu's voice came from outside.

After returning from Elephant Trunk Hill, Zhang Lu was promoted to Zhang Liao's chief bodyguard, responsible for his protection.

"General, Mr. Su has arrived and is requesting an audience!"

Zhang Liao was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Why would Su Mo suddenly come here so late at night?

But he did not hesitate and replied in a deep voice, "Please invite Mr. Su in!"

Su Mo arrived late at night, draped in a black cloak, his figure almost blending into the darkness outside.

Upon entering the study, he curtsied respectfully, saying, "Su Mo, Military Advisor of Liaodong, greets General Zhang!"

Zhang Liao looked him up and down, then suddenly chuckled: "Brother Su is still the same as before, preferring black and wearing the same outfit all year round."

Su Mo laughed and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm just a scholar, merely a soldier trying to make a living. Where would I get the extra money to buy clothes? I can't compare to General Zhang's imposing presence!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The two looked at each other, exchanged a knowing smile, and then burst into laughter.

Lang Lang's laughter instantly dispelled most of the dullness in the study.

The depth of their friendship is beyond the comprehension of outsiders.

Zhang Liao rose, walked around the desk, and pulled Su Mo toward the tea room at the back of the study: "Today has been so busy, so full of things to do, I haven't had a chance to speak with you alone, Brother Su. How long has it been since we last met like this?"

Su Mo looked on with deep emotion. After a moment's thought, he said, "It has been a full fifteen years since I failed the imperial examination and attempted suicide, when you saved me and took your letter to Liaodong to seek refuge with the Duke of Dingguo."

The two took their seats as host and guest, and Zhang Liao personally brewed tea for Su Mo.

"Fifteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. I never imagined that we would meet again in Zhenyuan City."

"With Brother Su here, I feel much more at ease."

"Starting tomorrow, you will stay by my side to assist me and manage all the city's supplies. We will fight side by side against the northern barbarians!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo smiled faintly: "Brother Zhang, we can discuss this matter later. Assisting you in defending Zhenyuan City is Su Mo's duty. I came here tonight on the orders of the Duke of Dingguo to discuss with you in detail the options for the battle of Zhenyuan City."

Zhang Liao suppressed his smile, his expression turned serious, and he slowly nodded: "Alright, business comes first, Brother Su, please speak."

Su Mo pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Brother Zhang, how long do you think the battle for Zhenyuan City can last? If we are lucky enough to hold the city, what should our next steps be?"

Without hesitation, Zhang Liao blurted out, "We'll fight the Northern barbarians for as long as they want!"

"After holding Zhenyuan City, the natural course of action will be to march north and reclaim Shuozhou, Fengzhou, and the lost northern territories of Youzhou that were occupied by the Northern Barbarians!"

A bitter smile crossed Su Mo's face. He sighed softly, his brows furrowed with undisguised helplessness.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Liao frowned and pressed, "Brother Su, what do you mean? Could it be... that the Duke of Dingguo has received some news?"

It is not surprising that Duke Dingguo, Li Chengliang, had deep roots and extensive connections in the court, and was able to know some of the core political trends in advance.

Su Mo casually picked up the chess box beside him and slowly placed a piece on the table, saying, "Since autumn, His Majesty's health has been declining day by day. Not only are people in the court restless, but they are also arguing fiercely about the course of the war."

"Snapped!"

A black piece landed heavily.

"Prime Minister Wang Jin's faction is deeply entrenched and has many followers. He has already advised His Majesty to negotiate a peace and ceasefire with the Northern Barbarians in order to give the Great Qian Dynasty a chance to regroup."

"No way!"

Zhang Liao flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the table.

"The northern barbarians have invaded our Great Qian, burning, killing, looting, and occupying more than ten cities, oppressing and enslaving countless people. How can we possibly face those suffering people if we now negotiate peace with the northern barbarians?"

Su Mo nodded slightly and then placed a white piece opposite the black piece.

"General Lu Jian also shared this attitude, strongly advocating a resolute resistance against the Northern Barbarians."

He believed that as long as Zhenyuan City could hold off the Northern Barbarians' offensive and the government could focus on recruiting and training soldiers, the Great Qian Dynasty would have the strength to launch a northern expedition and recover all lost territories within a year or two.

Zhang Liao gazed at the black and white chess pieces on the table, remained silent for a moment, and then said in a heavy tone, "In the Battle of Shuozhou, 20,000 Shuozhou soldiers and 20,000 Jing soldiers perished on the battlefield. In the Battle of Fengzhou, another 20,000 Fengzhou soldiers and 30,000 Jing soldiers were lost."

"Now, most of Youzhou has been lost, and many elite soldiers and generals have perished in the north of Youzhou."

"Brother Su, is the General truly confident that he can train an elite force capable of contending with the Northern Barbarians within a year or two?"

Elite soldiers who can fight on the battlefield are not like cabbages that grow in the fields.

Moreover, his opponent was a fierce northern barbarian, and he found it difficult to be completely convinced.

Upon hearing this, Su Mo pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Brother Zhang, you are well aware of the General's methods of governing and training troops. Since he dares to say this, he must have some confidence in it. But whether you and I believe him or not is irrelevant; the key lies with His Majesty, who resides in the capital."

Zhang Liao leaned forward slightly, his tone urgent: "Then... what exactly is Your Majesty's intention?"

He fought desperately in Zhenyuan City to resist the northern barbarians, all for the sake of guarding the country's borders and protecting the capital, hoping to one day recover the lost territory.

But if His Majesty insists on making peace, or even cedes the two prefectures of Shuo and Feng, he might be so angry that he would vomit blood.

Su Mo raised his hand to stroke his beard, his eyes shifting slightly as he leaned closer and whispered, "The message from the Duke of Dingguo is that His Majesty wants to negotiate peace, but dares not take the initiative to do so."

Zhang Liao's lips moved, his face full of doubt: "Brother Su, what does the Duke of Dingguo mean by that? What do you mean by wanting to negotiate peace, yet being unable to?"

Su Mo lowered her voice and carefully analyzed the situation in the capital for him.

In the capital, the old emperor is obsessed with the alchemy of Huang-Lao and has unwavering faith in Wang Jin, which has allowed Wang Jin's faction to grow in power, control the government, and act tyrannically.

Shuozhou and Fengzhou fell one after another, and the Northern Barbarian army advanced with unstoppable momentum.

As they approached the capital, the peace faction in the court seized the opportunity to gain the upper hand, stirring up trouble in the emperor's ear every day.

The old emperor was also well aware that if they continued to fight the Northern Barbarians head-on, the Great Qian Dynasty might not necessarily gain any advantage.

Choosing to negotiate peace, recuperate, and wait for the nation's strength to recover before making further plans is indeed a viable path.

But he just wouldn't take the initiative to make a decision.

Firstly, they feared being branded as traitors who sought peace at the expense of their country for all eternity.

Secondly, he feared that this move would severely damage his own prestige.

Now that the old emperor is advanced in years, frail and suspicious, he is absolutely unwilling to bear this eternal blame.

They just want to give vague answers and shirk responsibility.