We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

The old leader of the Baicaoqiang tribe ultimately couldn't hold on and soon fell silent.

It's unclear whether he bled to death or was heartbroken by Li Lin's words.

Luo Yueniang did not spare him either, and ordered his head to be cut off, carefully preserved with lime, and prepared to be hung high above the city gate of Rongcheng in the future.

It was not only to commemorate the people of Shu who perished in this tragedy, but also to deter foreign tribes.

There are not many Qiang and Man people left alive in the valley. Keeping prisoners is pointless, and we also need to guard against their counterattack.

Despite their discomfort, the Shu army entered the battlefield and finished off the remaining enemies one by one until there was not a single living enemy left in the valley.

This is the cruel other side of war, regardless of good or evil, it's all about eliminating hidden dangers completely.

By the time everything had settled down, it was completely dark.

With no stars or moon, only a few torches flickering in the valley, both armies began to withdraw from the valley one after another.

This valley is probably doomed; it's likely that no one will come here for the next decade or so, until nature completely clears away this dead land.

On the way back, the atmosphere was quite subtle, and the Shu soldiers subconsciously kept their distance from the Qing army.

Yesterday's mortal enemies have become today's allies fighting side by side, a change in status that leaves many feeling lost.

However, the situation was quite different on the Qing army's side.

The Qing soldiers seemed completely unfazed, and instead, they laughed and joked as they approached the Shu army.

Someone pulled out a water bottle and dried meat from their bag and casually handed them over:

"Are you thirsty, bro? Here, have a drink!"

The Shu soldier who was being addressed looked bewildered and instinctively replied, "What are you doing?"

The Qing army soldier didn't seem to care at all, and replied with a laugh in a northern accent, "What? What could I possibly be doing?"

"We're all comrades who fought alongside barbarians in the same trench. It won't cause any trouble if we eat and drink together, will it?"

"But...but we were enemies yesterday..."

"Hey, yesterday is yesterday, today is today! We just fought side by side, now we're comrades!"

The Shu soldier hesitated, took the water bottle, took a sip, choked, and whispered, "Pfft... This is wine?!"

"Shh—keep your voice down!" The Qing army soldier quickly made a shushing gesture, glancing furtively ahead, "Don't let our political commissar hear!"

The two looked up simultaneously and, sure enough, saw a serious-looking officer scanning their direction in the distance.

Both of them shrank back guiltily and lowered their heads.

Then, the Shu soldier felt somewhat confused.

Damn it, I'm not a member of the Qing Army, why should I be afraid of their political commissar?

Out of their sight, the political commissar slowly turned his head, a slight smile curving his lips.

Everything is going according to plan!

. . . . . .

When Luo Yueniang saw this scene from her horse, her brows furrowed slightly.

She instinctively wanted to stop them, but found it difficult to speak.

After all, with the addition of Qingjun, he was able to resolve the Qiang and Man threat that had plagued Shu for many years with almost zero casualties.

This favor is truly immense.

At this moment, it would be somewhat harsh to intervene and prevent normal communication between soldiers.

What troubled her even more was a real question in front of her: should this war continue?

From a personal standpoint, having incurred such a great debt of gratitude, turning against each other with weapons would be morally untenable.

From a public perspective, the terrifying strength displayed by the Qing army today made her realize that continuing to resist was tantamount to a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

How could the flesh and blood of the Shu army withstand the cannon fire that roared like thunder?

So... according to her husband's last wish, should she surrender?

Once this thought arises, it is difficult to suppress.

But the Prince of Yan kept chatting and laughing with her, talking about the local customs and strange tales of Shu, without mentioning anything about the subsequent war.

Luo Yueniang gritted her teeth and cursed inwardly: This Prince Yan looks open and honest, but he is actually a bad seed. He is deliberately not mentioning it, waiting for me to speak first!

Each person had their own thoughts, and they walked silently for a distance.

Li Lin felt the time was right, suddenly stopped smiling, and cupped his hands to Luo Yueniang, saying:

"General Luo, now that the threat of the barbarians has been eliminated, it would be inconvenient for our army to linger here."

"Farewell then. Please, General, grant us a passage to return to our camp. We can resume our battle when both sides are fully prepared!"

"You..." Upon hearing this, Luo Yueniang was speechless with anger, her chest heaving.

The Prince of Yan was clearly pretending to be ignorant.

We just fought side by side, and now you're saying we'll fight another day? Isn't that just deliberately putting me down?

Li Lin, however, looked completely innocent, as if he couldn't understand why Luo Yueniang was angry: "Hmm? What's wrong, General Luo? Are you worried about our artillery?"

"Please rest assured, General, His Majesty has already given a clear order that heavy weapons such as cannons shall never be used in battles against the Shu army. How could Li Lin dare to disobey the imperial decree?"

Seeing his innocent look, Luo Yueniang almost blurted out "Damn it!"

It's better not to mention artillery; mentioning it is like killing someone's spirit!

If the Shu army could fight like this without artillery, what would happen if they used artillery?

Luo Yueniang, after all, was a military commander who had been in charge of military affairs in Shu for many years, and she quickly calmed down.

Suddenly, I understood Li Lin's deeper meaning.

The Shu army had already taken a wrong turn by previously controlling a region. Now, having been rescued by the Qing army, they are in a weak position both morally and logically.

Even if Luo Yueniang were to abandon the darkness and embrace the light at this moment, she should take the initiative to raise the important matter concerning the sovereignty of a region in order to show her sincerity.

Instead of Li Lin taking the initiative to persuade them to surrender, it seemed as if the Qing army was using the emperor's favor to seek revenge, which was unbecoming of the imperial court.

This is a matter of national importance, concerning the very foundation of the nation, and therefore cannot be taken lightly.

Having figured this out, Luo Yueniang's anger dissipated considerably.

She was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her tone was different:

"Your Highness, if the two armies were to cease hostilities now, could you make the decision on behalf of His Majesty?"

Without realizing it, she had changed her address to Li Che as "Your Majesty".

Li Lin understood; he knew the crucial moment had arrived.

Faced with Luo Yueniang's overtures, he resolutely shook his head: "No! Our Great Qing army only accepts surrender, there is absolutely no talk of a truce!"

These words were extremely forceful, and Luo Yueniang was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected Li Lin, who had been so amiable just moments before, to suddenly become so resolute.

She bit her lower lip and asked again, "If the Shu army is willing to submit to the imperial court, how can Your Highness the Prince of Yan guarantee that the court will not seek revenge later?"

"How can we guarantee that His Majesty will not treat the people of Shu differently or show any bias in the future?"

Li Lin smiled broadly and said loudly, "I can guarantee it!"

Luo Yueniang stared at him, forcing herself to say, "Words are meaningless; you are not the emperor after all!"

Li Lin met her gaze and replied, "The Emperor is my brother!"