knife

Chapter 668 Linghu Ye's Proposal
Large, fluffy snowflakes fell in a flurry, blanketing the uneven ground and turning the world into a single color. The only seemingly flat area was not flat land at all, but rather a frozen river. The riverbed was completely frozen solid, and the freshly fallen snow was loose and scattered, leaving deep footprints with every step.

The entire river was almost frozen over, with only a narrow gap less than ten feet wide remaining in the middle. The sound of rushing water could be heard, and upon closer inspection, large and small ice crystals could be seen mixed in with the water. In a few more days, this gap would also freeze over.

Linghu Ye sat cross-legged on a felt mat, a fishing rod in his hand, the fishing line hanging down through the gap. Snow fell on him, almost covering his entire body, even his eyelashes.

A clear, melodious eagle cry echoed through the air. Linghu Ye looked up and saw a large black eagle circling high above. He chuckled and then lowered his head, closing his eyes.

After circling once, the eagle shot straight into the sky like an arrow and disappeared in a moment. Then, a figure appeared in the vast snowfield.

Dressed in green, she came through the wind and snow.

As the snowflakes fell on the man in blue's head, they automatically parted and slid to both sides, seemingly slowly yet quickly. In the blink of an eye, the man in blue was beside Linghu Ye. Standing next to him, he glanced at Linghu Ye, who looked like a snow doll, then at the fishing line in the ice crevice, and asked, "Did you catch anything?"

Linghu Ye suddenly opened his closed eyes, shook his hands, and reeled in the fishing line. A carp weighing several kilograms broke out of the water and landed on the snow. It jumped a few times before freezing stiff.

"With such distinguished guests, we must naturally offer them the finest food!" Pointing to the large carp, Linghu Ye said, "I've long heard of Protector Li's exceptional culinary skills. I'll provide the ingredients, and you can take charge of cooking, how about that?"

Li Dachui laughed heartily: "Since the commander has made all the arrangements, then I'll make a fool of myself!"

Linghu Ye pointed to the other side of the felt mat and said, "There's plenty of space, don't be shy, sit down and get things done."

"Alright!" Li Dachui sat cross-legged on the felt, glanced at Linghu Ye who looked like a snow doll, and said, "What? Commander Linghu, are you trying to make things difficult for yourself?"

A master of innate skill is immune to heat and cold; as long as they want it, not even snow or rain can touch them.

Linghu Ye chuckled: "When I was at the ninth rank of Xuan Yuan, I longed to enter the Xiantian realm every day. But once I actually entered the Xiantian realm, I missed the past so much. I felt that there were more people around back then, and they knew the cold and heat."

"So Commander Linghu is here to reminisce about the past and experience life!" Li Dachui said, but his hands were not idle. He scaled, gutted, and removed the fish's internal organs. With a wave of his hand, a water dragon leaped out from the gap, cleaning the fish thoroughly. He placed it on a piece of ice in front of him, and with a sharp glint of his energy, he sliced ​​a large fish weighing several pounds into extremely thin slices in the blink of an eye. He reached into his pocket, took out several bottles and jars, sprinkled some powder from them onto the fish slices, and with a flick of his finger, the ice block spun and came to the two of them.

Seeing Li Dachui tilting his head and looking at him, Linghu Ye picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, chewed slowly, and savored it. He nodded repeatedly, "You really have excellent skills. Do you always carry these seasonings with you?"

“Seasonings are easy to find, but precious ingredients are hard to come by!” Li Dachui laughed. “I’m a glutton, I can endure any hardship, but I can’t let my stomach suffer. Commander Linghu, aren’t you afraid I’ll poison it? I’m a disciple of Fu Qingzhu, and I’ve surpassed my master in the art of poison! Ordinary poisons can’t harm a person, but what I make might not be so.”

"Is it poisonous?" Linghu Ye picked up another piece and put it in his mouth. "With such delicious food in front of me, I'll satisfy my appetite first, even if it's poisonous!"

Li Dachui nodded, picked up a piece himself, and put it in his mouth, chewing it.

"Eating is always a top priority, whether for us or for the general public!" Linghu Ye stretched, and the snow and ice covering his body melted into a thin mist and disappeared without a trace. "This year's snow is excellent, heavy enough. A good snow promises a bountiful harvest; next year, the Central Plains will surely have a great harvest!"

"Is the commander-in-chief reminding me?"

Linghu Ye smiled slightly: "You heard me? Do you know why I insisted on entering the pass? This is the advantage of the Central Plains! It's not just about food, but also about having enough people. To achieve great things, territory and people are indispensable! Although you have now destroyed the Northern Yuan, those millions of people from the Northern Yuan are now a sharp blade hanging over your head. Let alone feeding them, it's difficult to even keep them alive, isn't it? If they can't survive, won't they cause trouble?"

“It is indeed very difficult!” Li Dachui did not hide anything from Linghu Ye. “To be honest, Commander, comprehensive food control has been implemented outside the pass. This heavy snow is a good omen for a bumper harvest inside the pass, but it is not good news outside the pass. For the herdsmen, a snowstorm is a catastrophic disaster! However, we can still manage, and we are not yet at the end of our rope!” “So Xiao Changche came to Yangguan and began to prepare for war. If we cannot plant on time next spring, he will launch a large-scale invasion inside the pass to support his army through war?” Linghu Ye said. “Is this the real reason why Xiao Changche came to Yangguan? This heavy snow will probably become another reason for your invasion inside the pass.”

"Maybe!" Li Dachui said noncommittally.

"Are you really going to let those barbarians into the pass?" Linghu Ye said coldly. "Whether they are Yuan people or barbarians, once they enter the pass, they will be a nightmare for the people of Qin. Li Dachui, are you really going to do this?"

"If barbarians invade our China, then China will be ours!" Li Dachui said. "You see them as barbarians, while I see them as my companions. This is the biggest difference between you and me. Commander Linghu, you have been outside the Great Wall for decades. How much has it changed? Under your rule, the area outside the Great Wall has even deteriorated day by day. But if you go back to the area now, you will see that the Beiting Protectorate is prospering day by day. Even if there are some temporary difficulties, we can conquer it."

Linghu Ye sneered: "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts!"

Li Dachui shook his head: "General Linghu, you didn't invite me here to talk nonsense, did you? Now that the Chu Kingdom has collapsed and is plagued by internal strife, it is no longer a threat to us. Therefore, the struggle for supremacy is now just a contest between the two of us. This is already an open matter."

Linghu Ye pondered for a moment and said, "Li Dachui, I invited you here because I wanted to have a serious talk with you. Can we... stop fighting?"

"What does Commander Linghu mean? Are you preparing to surrender to me?"

"If you don't submit to me, I won't submit to you either!" Linghu Ye spread his hands and said, "If the two of us start a war, I'm afraid we won't be able to determine a winner in a short time. In the end, the people of the world will suffer the most. Although Chu is in chaos, it is still a country with a great power. If we fight to the death and can't determine a winner for a long time, it will give them an opportunity to take advantage of us. This is not a good thing for Qin!"

Li Dachui laughed: "Two tigers cannot share one mountain, but if we two stop fighting and make peace, who will be the master and who will be the follower?"

“Now that Chang’an has a master, if the two of us stop fighting and make peace, we will naturally stand on opposite sides!” Linghu Ye’s eyes shone brightly.

Li Dachui lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up at the other person and laughed.

"Commander Linghu, do you people always have to find a high-sounding reason for your actions, put yourself on the moral high ground, and then take action?"

"What does Protector Li mean?"

Li Dachui picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly: "Commander Linghu specially invited me, Li Dachui, to negotiate for the sake of peace and the well-being of the people. If I don't come, I will be criticized by the people of the world, who will say that I, Li Dachui, am only concerned with my own selfish interests and disregard the lives of the people. Isn't that right?"

"That's the truth!"

"If I come, I will hear these words from the commander-in-chief. If I agree, it will be like tying my own hands. If I don't agree, I will naturally be the culprit for the continued turmoil in this world. Either way, you are in the right!"

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking! If you don’t come, the world will be in an uproar and your reputation will be ruined. If you come and still don’t respond, then it will be even easier for us to keep you here.” Linghu Ye laughed, “As long as you’re kept here, how history will be told and written will be up to us, won’t it? History is written by the victors!”

"

(End of this chapter)