Nearly half of the Jin Kingdom's army was lost in Jixue City, but there was still no truce between the two countries. Jixue City had been buried by heavy snow and could only be entered after the arrival of spring. So they were now stationed in a valley outside Jixue City.

Another battle had just occurred, the white snow was stained red with large patches of blood and piles of corpses were directly frozen into popsicles. Both sides of the battle had suffered losses. The Qing Kingdom lost 10,000 soldiers and horses, and the Jin Kingdom should be about the same. It was just that there weren't many people left and it was estimated that after a few more confrontations all the remaining ones would be lost as well. The mountains around Jixue City were a natural barrier between Jin and Qing and if it was lost, the Qing Kingdom would be in danger.

Shen Wei's expression was solemn and authoritative. He picked up the tongs and fiddled with the charcoal fire that was about to go out. Suddenly, there were footsteps outside the tent, and Shen Wei immediately raised his head.

"Reporting to General, Lord Shi Nuo asks to see you."

"Shi Nuo!" Shen Wei stood up immediately. Shi Nuo was the Crown Prince's confidant and personal guard. Him coming personally must be to relay an important matter of the Crown Prince. Shen Wei's heart sank. Jixue City, including the civilians inside the city, were all buried under the avalanche he caused, and this time it did not look very good for him.

Shi Nuo's cloak still had unmelted snowflakes stuck to it, and there were small droplets of water on his sharp brows and long eyelashes. He strode into the tent with large steps and took out the paper inserted in the bamboo tube from his pocket, and began to read: "Shen Wei listen to the imperial order, you have made an avalanche to bury Jixue City without authorization and caused the death of innocent civilians of the Qing Kingdom. This crime is enough to die for ten thousand deaths, but as this is your first offence and you committed this crime with the intention to prevent the Jin Kingdom's army from invading our country. Therefore, you are demoted from generalissimo and relegated to commander-in-chief. Whenever the army of the Jin Kingdom is repelled then you will return to your original post."

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"Thanking His Highness." Shen Wei bowed and took the yellowed thin paper. After carefully putting it away, he asked Shi Nuo to sit down, and on the way ordered his subordinates to bring Shi Nuo ginger tea and refreshments.

Shen Wei was still depressed about having been dismissed from his post. At that time, he had acted in a moment of impulse, burying Jixue City without first reporting to the Crown Prince.

His subordinates delivered the dishes to Shi Nuo's table, and Shen Wei greeted Shi Nuo and said: "Lord Shi has suffered on the road all the way here, please don't mind the coarse food of this bitter cold land."

It was indeed inferior tea and coarse food. When Shen Wei set out, Shi Kingdom's grain and grass had yet to arrive. The letter requesting grain and grass ration support had already been sent to the imperial city. Shen Wei guessed that Shi Nuo's arrival should also mean that grain and grass replenishments were brought.

Shi Nuo was indeed hungry. After eating a few large bowls of rice, he put down his chopsticks and said to Shen Wei: "I have made Commander Shen laugh. This official hasn't eaten well in the past half month."

Shen Wei smiled: "No hurry, no hurry, please use the refreshments slowly."

Shi Nuo waved his hand and said: "No, His Highness has entrusted me to hand over the things to Commander Shen as soon as possible."

"Is it grain and grass?" Shen Wei's eyes lit up.

Shi Nuo nodded and said: "It's not just supplies and rations, please come with me."

Shi Nuo's grain escort team did not come with Shi Nuo. Instead, they were stationed hundreds of feet away from the army barracks and no one was allowed to approach. Shen Wei led a team of people to follow Shi Nuo across the snow. Someone greeted them immediately after arriving at the station.

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"My lord."

Shi Nuo said: "This is Commander Shen, you take the people to hand over the grain and grass to these lords." Shi Nuo pointed to the military officers behind Shen Wei, but at this moment a loud noise suddenly erupted in the place where the grain escort team was stationed, a pile of unknown objects covered by straw and cloth having exploded suddenly. The dazzling fire and flying fragments made Shi Nuo's scalp tighten and he urgently shouted: "Lay down!"

Everyone immediately lay down, burying their faces in the thick snow on the ground.

"Boom, boom, boom....."

The humongous explosive sounds seemed to shake people down to their souls, and lasted for half a cup of tea. The heavy smoke of gunpowder permeated the air and after a while, Shi Nuo tentatively raised his head. Only after he was sure that there were no more explosions did he get up from the ground with lingering fears. Shi Nuo felt a little depressed and pondered why it exploded at this time despite it having been smooth all the way on the road over?

Shen Wei also got up from the ground, and looked at the huge hole with a diameter of four or five meters a distance away, and asked with a numb scalp: "Lord Shi, this is?"

"The weapon His Highness has me bring to you. It is powerful but dangerous." Shi Nuo said.

During the severe winter in the 194th year of the Qing Kingdom, Jin and Qing confronted each other once again. This time the Jin army was miserably defeated. Among the 70,000 soldiers and horses less than 1,000 managed to escape. However, the number of casualties in the Qing Kingdom, including minor injuries, was only more than 2,000. When the statistics were passed to other countries, everyone's first reaction was, nonsense!

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Still covered in a veil, Princess Hongyun looked at the fragments of explosives placed on the table. Her beautiful eyes glowed with splendor, and her voice was as pleasing as the sound of a stringed instrument: "Keel water lift, animal drawn seed plough, cowpox vaccine, smallpox vaccine, and explosives....." The corner of her mouth hooked up in an attractive curve. Light flashed in her eyes, and the handsomely beautiful man who she had only seen twice appeared in her mind: "How many secrets do you still have?"

Shi Imperial Palace.

Shi Ran threw the letter aside, and examined the complete explosives on the table with deep interest. He stretched out his callous palms towards the explosives, and the eunuch became so nervous his heart nearly jumped out. He hurriedly shouted: "Your Majesty, it's dangerous!"

Shi Ran paused and took back his hand while raising his eyebrows: "This little guy is really not simple, surprising Zhen every time. The Wu Kingdom's hopes to cross the chaotic land and invade south may just be dashed. That million dan of food was worthily won." Shi Ran thought of Su Mu's handsomely beautiful face and his attractive figure, and the corners of his mouth curled up wickedly. Leaving the unexploded explosives to his subordinates for research, Shi Ran arrived at the Shi imperial prison.

Shi Qingshuang, who was covered with blood and with a deathly pale complexion, had her limbs fixed to the wall with chains. After seeing Shi Ran's figure from her blurry eyes, she revealed an inexplicable smile at the corner of her lips. She coughed up blood and said intermittently: "Greetings to.....Your Majesty....."

"Clean yourself up and go to the Qing Kingdom for a peace marriage." Shi Ran said in a cold tone: "If you dare to act without Zhen's order, your fate will be a hundred times worse than it is now."

Shi Qingshuang's blood-stained face had a creepy smile: "Thanking.....Your Majesty.....for the kindness....."

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Qing Imperial Capital.

Su Mu, who received a letter from Shi Ran, really wanted to slap the letter back on the other's face.

This was a fucking taunt! If he really had a marriage alliance with the Shi Kingdom then the Wu Kingdom would really target him to death. These two countries were deadly rivals and although Princess Hongyun had been stirring up trouble behind the scenes, she at least did not directly go against the Qing Kingdom, nor did she mobilize the army of the Wu Kingdom to attack the Qing Kingdom. What Su Mu needed the most right now was time, not a shitty peace marriage alliance. Besides, it was not a soft meat bun who was coming for the peace marriage, but a poisonous snake! Putting Shi Qingshuang in the capital of the Qing Kingdom, who knew what havoc she would cause. Even till now, her Heavenly Justice Sect had yet to be completely destroyed!