Chapter 238 I never expected that Xiao Fang, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would also care about age!

These findings were already within Shen Lanxi's expectations.

She opened the list and checked off Yan Huai and Sun Qian's names.

"Apart from these two who are missing, everyone else died either by accident or from illness."

Wei Dongzhu and the others felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.

“There’s something fishy about Wei Jiajun’s case!” Shen Lanxi said.

The only people directly connected to this case are the Shen family and Wei Dongzhu. The others looked at the two of them and silently shook their heads.

Even if there's something fishy going on, there's no way to prove it now that they're dead!

Wei Dongzhu: "I have already sent people to the bottom of that cliff to look for the two bodies, but there has been no news yet."

Shen Lanxi paused for a moment before saying, "We are short-handed right now and can't spare any troops to search for the two of them."

Wei Dong nodded readily. He had come to the Northwest in advance to investigate and already had a good idea of ​​what was going on.

"General, what should we do next?" Xiao Fang asked.

Shen Lanxi's eyes were dark as she said, "Wait for news!" She would remain unchanged in the face of any eventuality.

After a brief discussion, the group went back to rest.

Two days later, news suddenly came from the three Turkic tribes that they wanted to negotiate peace!

Sun Zhong immediately relayed the news to Shen Lanxi. He thought that once Shen and Wei arrived, they would seize his power immediately, but to his surprise, they only asked for the battle report and then there was no further action.

This left him completely baffled.

"The envoy for this peace talks is once again Abe Hiroshi from the Turks." Sun Zhong then recounted Abe Hiroshi and the previous unsuccessful peace talks.

"Abe Hiroshi is the younger brother of the Turkic Queen Dowager. In the previous peace talks, his attitude was very tough. He wanted money, weapons, warhorses, and all the cities west of Xiling City to the three Turkic tribes!"

Shen Lanxi remained expressionless, but the others couldn't help but react.

"They're dreaming!"

"Don't even think about it! Not an inch of my Great Zhou territory will be given up!"

"Money is negotiable, but weapons and warhorses are absolutely out of the question. If they take these things, wouldn't they be like tigers with wings, even more brazen in their invasion of our Great Zhou territory!"

"The princess didn't bring much wealth with her when she went on the marriage. If we really want to have a marriage alliance, we can't just send the princess over!"

It's not that they didn't bring much, it's that they brought almost nothing. Even ordinary families give a dowry when their daughters get married; what kind of family is this?

The standards for marriage alliances in various dynasties are all recorded in the archives. If a marriage alliance were to be negotiated, the imperial court would not even be able to provide the necessary provisions and pay, and might have to leave them to solve the problem themselves.

They don't have that ability; they'll be embarrassed in the end!

Sun Zhong secretly glanced at Shen Lanxi. Both sides were cursing angrily, but why did she not react at all?

"General Shen, what do you mean?" Sun Zhong asked anxiously.

Shen Lanxi: "Where will the peace talks take place?"

Sun Zhong's eyes flickered, and he quickly replied, "It hasn't been decided yet; previously it was ten miles outside the city."

Shen Lanxi: "Then let's decide on the location for the peace talks first, and take it one step at a time!"

Sun Zhong was so anxious that blisters were forming on his lips. He hurriedly said, "General Shen, you may not know this, but every time peace talks fail, the three Turkic tribes organize hunting expeditions. When they hunt, they treat our Great Zhou people as prey. Killing, burning, and looting are bad enough, but they are so ruthless that they even massacre entire villages, not even sparing newborn children!"

Sun Zhong clenched his fists in anger as he recalled the memory.

Shen Lanxi glanced at him: "The Northern Expeditionary Army has 300,000 troops, and the three Turkic tribes also have nearly 300,000 troops. I'm very curious why you were invincible in the southwest, but failed in the northwest?"

"Not only did they fail to reclaim the cities they had lost, but they also suffered repeated defeats, which emboldened the three Turkic tribes to become increasingly arrogant!"

Sun Zhong looked like he was choking.

Shen Lanxi: "If General Sun doesn't want to talk about it, that's fine too!"

Sun Zhong, as if burdened by a great injustice, took two deep breaths and said, "We had just arrived in the Northwest when we were caught off guard by the three Turkic tribes who had been lying in ambush. Later, they used the people to hold us hostage." He stopped there.

There were other reasons, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.

Shen Lanxi noticed his hesitation and knew he had concerns, so she didn't ask any further questions.

He simply said, "Considering that I am new here and you haven't made things difficult for me, I won't ask you why Zhou Ruyuan went from being a minor official in charge of escorting grain to the position of commander-in-chief."

Sun Zhong was stunned for a moment, staring straight at Shen Lanxi, his surprise undisguised.

He probably didn't expect her to know these things, and Sun Zhong probably thought she was a complete idiot!

"Let's go and decide on a location for the peace talks!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhong immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurried off to carry it out.

Cheng Zheng received the news and immediately showed it to Shen Lanxi.

The document contained two pieces of information: first, Wei Dongzhu was requesting grain from the imperial court; second, troops were being transferred.

After reading it, Shen Lanxi passed the message around.

"Once the imperial decree to transfer troops arrives, immediately petition the court for provisions and pay, and then, under the pretext of insufficient soldiers, have the court issue a conscription order!"

Cheng Zheng took notes from the side.

Xiao Fang: "Great! Old Liu and the others are coming!"

Shen Lanxi joked, "Your nephew will be coming too."

Xiao Fang immediately retorted, "I'm so young, how could I have a nephew that old? He's just a lackey who runs errands for me!"

Whatever. I never expected that Xiao Fang, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would care about age!

Sun Zhong quickly determined the location for the peace talks, which was still ten miles outside the city.

The day before the peace talks, Sun Zhong hesitantly approached Shen Lanxi.

"General, how about I go with General Wei to negotiate peace?" He didn't actually say the rest of his sentence.

Peace talks are inherently a game of strategy between men, and she, as a woman, should understand that.

Shen Lanxi raised an eyebrow: "Was it you and Zhou Ruyuan who went to negotiate with Hiroshi Abe before?"

Sun Zhong was taken aback by the question, then replied, "It was me twice, and the other times the prince brought other generals."

Shen Lanxi said with a half-smile, "Even the God of War couldn't reach an agreement with you. Do you think you can succeed by adding Wei Dongzhu to the mix?"

What a sharp tongue! Winter is almost here, and Shen Lanxi's words have made Sun Zhong's palms sweat.

"General, you may not know this, but that Abe Hiroshi is extremely boorish and lustful," Sun Zhong reminded him, bowing his head.

He was doing this for Shen Lanxi's own good; her face was just too stunning. During the negotiations, Abe Hiroshi was arrogant and domineering, and repeatedly tried to clash with them.

They are men, and even Hiroshi Abe behaves this way. If it were a woman like Shen Lanxi, who is so lustful, who knows what Hiroshi Abe would do.

We mustn't let the peace talks fail, and instead, the envoys sent for the marriage alliance be humiliated. If word gets out, it won't just be a loss of personal face, but the face of the entire Great Zhou!

Shen Lanxi: "Thank you for the reminder, General Sun. I will remember this favor. Do as I say!"

Seeing her resolute tone, Sun Zhong sighed inwardly, feeling utterly powerless and somewhat disappointed.

Is there no one else the court can send? Why send a woman instead?

The Northwest's fate is sealed!