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

Zhang Liao's mind grew increasingly confused as he listened, his brow furrowed with bewilderment.

"Brother Su, what exactly is His Majesty's intention?"

Su Mo's gaze slowly settled on Zhang Liao, his tone calm: "Delay! Use Zhenyuan City as a shield and fight a war of attrition against the Northern Barbarians!"

"Winter will arrive in two months. In the freezing cold, it will be difficult for the Northern Barbarians to attack the city. At that time, they will naturally take the initiative to propose peace to our Great Qian."

"In this way, His Majesty's dignity will not be damaged, and the Great Qian will also have a chance to catch his breath."

Zhang Liao slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his voice rising sharply: "How can we place all our hopes on the Northern Barbarians, a matter of paramount importance concerning the survival of the Great Qian Dynasty?"

"If we're going to fight, we should mobilize the entire nation's strength, deploying all our troops, resources, and finances to Zhenyuan City!"

"Such indecisiveness and hesitation are not the behavior of a wise ruler!"

Su Mo gave a helpless, wry smile: "You! Your fiery temper is flaring up again!"

He reached out and pressed Zhang Liao back into his seat, saying slowly, "The Duke of Dingguo anticipated your reaction, which is why he specifically sent me here to explain things to you in detail."

"Brother Zhang, although we are far away in Zhenyuan City, as long as this battle is fought well and the Northern Barbarians are hurt, their chances of taking the initiative to negotiate peace will be much greater."

"Moreover, the Northern Barbarians have just occupied two states, and it will take them time to digest them."

"If they fail to capture Zhenyuan City after a prolonged siege, and their food supplies dwindle daily, they will most likely send envoys to sue for peace."

Although Zhang Liao returned to his seat, his chest still heaved with anger, and his tone was full of disappointment: "To bear the disgrace of the nation is to be the master of the state; to bear the misfortune of the nation is to be the king of the world! Your Majesty's obsession with your own face and your constant hesitation are truly disheartening!"

Su Mo nodded slightly, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes: "I understand Brother Zhang's intentions, but His Majesty is no longer the monarch who led his troops to conquer the world."

"The court is currently in turmoil. The Crown Prince is indulging in wine, women, poetry, and literature. He is weak-willed and unfit for important positions."

"The Second Prince is brave and skilled in battle, and possesses superhuman strength. He enjoys great prestige among the generals of the capital's army."

"The Third Prince has always been known for his virtue and humility, and there are quite a few ministers in the court who are loyal to him."

"His Majesty has favored the Crown Prince for many years and has always tried his best to suppress the Second Prince and the Third Prince."

"If His Majesty's prestige is damaged at this moment, and the morale of the court and the people is unsettled, there is a risk of unforeseen changes in the capital!"

With these words, Su Mo finally revealed the hidden reason why the emperor was unwilling to take the initiative to negotiate peace.

Zhang Liao spent his life in the military, and when it came to political acumen, he was far less astute than the Duke of Dingguo.

Upon hearing this, his eyes widened in astonishment: "Has the situation in the capital deteriorated to this extent? His Majesty... is no longer able to control the court?"

Su Mo looked up and sighed, his tone full of regret: "Control? These days, it's already difficult for His Majesty to attend court for half a month each month. He spends the rest of his time in the palace researching elixirs."

"Although he still holds absolute power during court assemblies, the people inside and outside the court have long since lost their support."

"Your Majesty is not a god. He is now plagued by a hundred illnesses. Even if he wanted to control things, he is already powerless to do so."

"The court officials are all harboring their own thoughts and schemes; the capital is now a den of dragons and tigers. One wrong step, and you'll be utterly destroyed!"

At this point, Su Mo stood up and bowed to Zhang Liao with a sincere expression.

"Therefore, the key to war or peace lies entirely with Brother Zhang."

"If you can deliver a crushing blow to the Northern Barbarians and force them to negotiate peace, then the capital, and even the entire Great Qian, can gain temporary stability."

"If we can go further and severely damage the Northern Barbarians, restoring the confidence of the officials in the capital, then the General's strategy will have a chance of being implemented!"

A tremendous burden instantly weighed on Zhang Liao's shoulders. He took a deep breath and solemnly returned the salute: "As long as Zhang Liao has a breath left, he will stop the Northern Barbarians outside Zhenyuan City and will not allow them to advance an inch!"

……

Silent all night.

The next morning, Lin Feng woke up from his deep sleep, feeling parched and as if his throat was on fire.

"Cough cough..."

He coughed twice, propped himself up on the bed, and looked around blankly.

The first thing I saw was an unfamiliar barracks, simply and old-fashionedly furnished, but much cleaner than the communal sleeping quarters of ordinary soldiers.

"How did I get here?"

Lin Feng rubbed his throbbing temples, pushed open the door, and went out.

With the sun high in the sky and a gentle breeze caressing his face, Lin Feng's hazy memories gradually became clear.

Last night at the general's mansion, he got completely drunk, and it was his godfather, Uncle Er Gou, and others who helped him back.

Now that he has been promoted to centurion, the barracks of the late Zhuang Yan have been given to him, which is why he has this private residence.

"grown ups!"

As soon as Lin Feng stood still, he saw Li Ke and Wang Tu walking quickly towards him.

One man was carrying a wooden box, and the other was carrying a sword; both men had smiles on their faces.

Li Ke spoke first: "You're finally awake! We were just thinking of going to the army doctor to get you some hangover medicine!"

Lin Feng stretched, his bones cracking softly, and said casually, "No need for hangover medicine. I'm not that bad yet. What are you all doing?"

Li Ke and Wang Tu exchanged a glance. Wang Tu smiled and opened the wooden box: "This was personally delivered by Guard Zhang. It contains the centurion's uniform, sword, and waist badge. Knowing that you haven't woken up yet, he asked us to deliver it first."

"My lord, look at this centurion's uniform! It's so impressive! The fabric and the workmanship are far superior to ordinary soldiers' uniforms!"

Lin Feng waved his hand, interrupting him: "Stop talking nonsense! Wang Tu, go get me some water, my throat's practically parched!"

"Li Ke, you're familiar with Zhenyuan City, do you know where Jiying Lane is?"

"Jiying Lane?"

Li Ke's eyes darted around, and after a moment he realized: "It's at the end of the Rainbow Bridge in the city, sir. Why do you ask about that?"

A hint of unconcealed sorrow flashed across Lin Feng's eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Du Song's home is over there. I'm taking a rare day off today, so I'll go see his sister."

He never forgot the promise he made to Juniper.

After drinking two jugs of water, Lin Feng changed into a clean blue robe and left the military camp.

For a long time, the shadow of war has loomed over Zhenyuan City.

Now that the Liaodong army has moved in, the northern barbarians have temporarily halted their offensive, and the city is gradually regaining some vitality.

There are more vendors lining both sides of the street.

People are also more willing to leave their homes and engage in activities.

The long-lost aroma of cooking permeated the streets and alleys.

In the afternoon, Lin Feng finally found Ji Ying Lane.

He walked along the narrow alley and, sure enough, found a house at the end.

The wooden door to the courtyard looks quite old, with mottled panels.

The door is adorned with faded images of the door gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei, and a striking white lantern hangs under the eaves with the character "奠" (meaning "offering" or "consecration") neatly written on it.

It really is Brother Du's home...

A shadow fell over Lin Feng's eyes as he raised his hand and knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

"Is Miss Du home?"

He applied a little too much force, and the courtyard gate creaked open by itself, but no one answered from inside.

Lin Feng peeked through the crack in the door and saw that the courtyard was clean and tidy.

A pear tree stands in the courtyard, beneath which sits a stone table. Herbs are laid out to dry in the courtyard, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafts through the air.

"Miss Du?"

He called out again, but when no one responded, he stepped into the courtyard and closed the gate behind him.

"Did Brother Du's family originally deal in medicinal herbs?"

Lin Feng sniffed the herbs drying in the courtyard and muttered to himself.

These are mostly inexpensive heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs, commonly used by ordinary people.

He placed the gifts he had brought on the stone table, walked to the door, and found it locked.

"Looks like he's not home."

Lin Feng simply sat down in the shade under the eaves, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes to rest, and quietly waited for Miss Du to return.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Feng, who was drowsy, was awakened by a series of hurried footsteps.

"Squeak—"

The courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open and then slammed shut with a "bang".

The girl's voice was tinged with panic and anger as she pressed hard against the hospital door, saying, "Hou San, if you keep bothering me, I'll call for help!"

A lewd laugh came from outside the courtyard: "Prajna, why are you always hiding from me? I'm not a man-eating tiger."

"I already told you, that matter is easy to resolve. If you come with me, you won't have to worry about anything from now on."

"Your brother Hou is capable; he'll make sure you don't suffer the slightest bit. You... let me in!"

"Bang!"

Hou Sanmeng forcefully smashed open the courtyard gate. When he saw the girl's appearance in the courtyard, his eyes lit up instantly, and his gaze lingered greedily on her.