Chapter 58: The Brightest Kid in the Whole Place

“Master, what are we going to do?”

Feng Siniang stood behind Zheng Fan, massaging his temples as she asked.

Zheng Fan’s fingers tapped lightly against the tea table before him.

The secretary had already left.

The problem, however, remained.

The Pacification Commissioner truly was a man whose body stood in Cao while his heart belonged to Han.

Perhaps because relations between the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei and the imperial court had deteriorated further over the past month—and the worst possible outcome might soon occur—even Xu Wenzu could no longer sit still.

He wanted to personally meet the Marquis’s family in secret.

If that day truly came, and the Zhenbei Army under the Marquis’s residence raised the banner of “purging evil ministers from the sovereign’s side,” then Xu Wenzu could immediately respond, offer up the city, and provide support.

But the key problem was that joke Zheng Fan had made back then.

Zheng Zhilong.

The Lord of the Imperial Surname.

Where the hell was Zheng Fan supposed to find either of them?

As for his supposed relationship with the Marquis’s household...

Originally, the Princess had wanted to reward him with the status of a household retainer.

Zheng Fan had refused without hesitation and run back to Tiger Head City to continue being his own little mountain king.

The moment this bubble was punctured, forget the reaction of the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

That plump Xu Wenzu was definitely no easy man to deal with either.

Just how furious could a deceived Comrade Deep Sea become?

Hiss...

“Master, why don’t we simply rob the birthday tribute ourselves?”

For most people from later generations, the moment they heard the words “birthday tribute convoy,” their minds automatically supplied the phrase “outwit and seize”—much the same way that mentioning camera film once immediately made people think of Kodak.

“Do we have enough manpower?”

Zheng Fan asked.

The Blind Man and Xue San had gone to Tuman City to move goods.

Liang Cheng, A’Ming, and Fan Li had gone into the desert to recruit men and horses.

The rabble from the Brotherhood and Cart Gang were stationed at Mei Clan Fort.

Recreating the earlier scene where everyone swarmed together to abduct Ding Hao was almost impossible.

“Master, we can choose assassination.”

Feng Siniang continued massaging him gently as she offered her suggestion.

“In this era, someone catching a chill or falling sick and suddenly dying on the road isn’t particularly unusual.

“Afterward, we can simply throw the blame somewhere and lay a false trail.

“The Beifeng Liu Clan.

“The desert barbarians.

“Even secret agents of the Yan court.

“Any of them would work.”

Zheng Fan nodded thoughtfully.

The plump Pacification Commissioner had indeed treated him well.

He had even protected Zheng Fan.

Mm.

So Zheng Fan felt that if Xu Wenzu could continue protecting him by dying, the kindhearted Pacification Commissioner would probably be willing.

Besides, since Xu Wenzu intended to enter the escort convoy under a hidden identity, Zheng Fan would actually have more opportunities to act.

Right now was the stage of recruiting soldiers and buying horses.

If everything went smoothly, perhaps in less than a month, Zheng Fan’s first cavalry company could be assembled.

Abandon everything he possessed now?

Abandon the bathing pool in the rear residence?

Zheng Fan really was not particularly willing.

If there was a choice, who the hell wanted to run into the desert and eat sand?

Even if he had to flee, he would rather flee to the State of Qian.

Literary culture flourished there.

After arriving, he could imitate those glorious transmigrator predecessors, channel Su Dongpo and Liu Yong, and visit brothels where not only would he drink for free, the courtesans might even pay him instead.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

“Sigh.”

Zheng Fan sighed.

Not having the Blind Man beside him really was inconvenient.

The Blind Man’s moves were always aggressive, but damned if they did not work every single time.

Everyone would be having fun, and somehow the problem would get solved along the way.

“Let’s do this, Siniang.

“On the day we depart, disguise yourself and come with me.

“Once we’re on the road, we’ll adapt to the situation.

“For these next two days, arrange the affairs of the household first.”

“Yes, Master.

“Then... Master, shouldn’t I trouble you to help this servant become more familiar with her needlework again?

“If my hands grow rusty, I won’t be able to handle the needle properly.”

Zheng Fan froze.

Then asked, “Play with... the needle?”

...

Early the next morning, Zheng Fan emerged from his room.

First he stretched toward the dawn.

Then, facing the rising sun, he began to glow.

After completing the routine, Zheng Fan went to eat breakfast.

The birthday tribute convoy would depart tomorrow.

According to Xu Wenzu’s arrangements, Zheng Fan needed to meet the men who would escort it.

There were more than five hundred people in the escort force.

Naturally, Zheng Fan could not host some giant open-air banquet for all of them.

But following custom, he had invitations sent to the five Centurions, inviting them to a restaurant for drinks.

He finished breakfast without hurrying.

Just as Zheng Fan prepared to lead his horse outside, he saw an unfamiliar man already kneeling on one knee by the entrance, waiting for him.

“Ding Hao?”

“It is this subordinate.”

Ding Hao raised his head and looked at Zheng Fan.

The man had originally possessed thick brows and large eyes.

Now, however, he somehow looked a little... sleazy.

As though yesterday he had been Zhu Shimao, and this morning had suddenly transformed into Chen Peisi.

“Siniang’s craftsmanship really is impressive.”

“Yes. Madam Feng’s methods truly approach divine craftsmanship.”

Ding Hao was referring not only to the disguise, but also to Feng Siniang’s treatment.

After remaining unconscious and resting for a day, Ding Hao had awakened and tried circulating his qi.

Gray radiance immediately burst from his body.

For a man who, only a day earlier, had been a cripple waiting around to die, the change was nothing less than complete rebirth.

Moreover, Ding Hao vaguely sensed that after experiencing such tremendous rises and falls, he seemed to have grasped the beginnings of another breakthrough.

At that moment, Zheng Fan noticed the long object beside Ding Hao wrapped in cloth.

He pointed at it.

“What is that?”

“A spear.”

“Mm. You used a spear before?”

“No. This subordinate used a saber in the past.

“Madam Feng said a spear suited this subordinate better.

“This subordinate believes Madam Feng’s words cannot be wrong.

“I also know how to use a spear, so I accepted this one from her.”

A spear paired with Ding Hao.

Zheng Fan understood.

Siniang was playing the Lin Chong joke with Ding Hao.

Besides, the household genuinely had no shortage of weapons.

Melt a few down and a new one could be forged.

That was the benefit of having A’Ming around, a fellow who loved returning home with weapons stuck through his body.

It was like owning a dog that never brought home bones only gold bars.

“Master, this is the armor Madam Feng prepared for you.”

Ding Hao rose and picked up a suit of armor from the steps behind him.

“This isn’t the armor I received from the yamen.”

“No. Madam Feng specifically forged this suit for Master.”

Since Siniang had prepared it, Zheng Fan said nothing more.

With Ding Hao’s help, he put the armor on.

Once dressed, Zheng Fan asked curiously, “Is there anything special about this armor?”

Following the Western fantasy routine, people seemed fond of carving formations and enchantments into armor.

He wondered whether Siniang knew how to do that.

“Hm?

“What’s this?

“Ash?”

Zheng Fan looked at the dark-green stain on his palm.

It had rubbed off the armor just now.

“Master, Madam Feng said this is luminous powder.”

“Luminous powder?”

“Yes.

“Madam Feng’s exact words were...”

“What were her exact words?”

“She said that with this powder, Master can become the brightest kid in the whole place.”

“...” Zheng Fan.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Zheng Fan rapped his knuckles against the armor.

“You mean the stuff on this armor can make the glow stronger?”

“Yes, Master.

“Because you are the commander of this escort force.

“It is much the same as leading troops.

“You need to intimidate and unite the soldiers beneath you.

“There are generally three ways to command men.

“First, entice them with benefits.

“Second, demonstrate power.

“Third, rely on personal relationships.

“Today’s banquet is the enticement.

“Madam Feng has also prepared gifts.

“As for building relationships, Master is not familiar with those five Centurions, and there is no time to develop such ties now.

“That leaves demonstrating power.

“Master has already entered the grades.

“Although it has only been a short time, among ordinary soldiers, a graded Martial Artist naturally commands respect.

“Combined with this specially made armor, the effect of that demonstration can be pushed to its limit.”

Ding Hao had once commanded soldiers and bandits alike.

Naturally, he understood these methods perfectly.

“Heh.

“How did she even think of this?”

Zheng Fan could not help laughing.

In this world, glowing was the sign of a graded expert.

For Siniang to apply the principle of a glow stick and turn him into the brightest star beneath the spotlight was genuinely amusing.

“Master, actually, someone already used this method a hundred years ago.”

“Oh?

“Someone used it?

“For inviting people to dinner too?”

“No.

“It was the first Marquis of Zhenbei.”

“The first Marquis of Zhenbei?”

Zheng Fan immediately became interested.

After all, that man was a god-of-war-level figure who had shattered an army of five hundred thousand Qian troops with only thirty thousand iron cavalry.

That battle had not only established the century-long foundation of the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

It had also established the State of Qian’s century-long position as the one getting pushed around.

“Yes.

“The Qian ruler who inherited the throne as the previous emperor’s imperial younger brother actually wasn’t quite as incompetent as people say.

“Under him remained an elite Qian army tempered through campaigns north and south during his elder brother’s reign.

“Besides, five hundred thousand soldiers even five hundred thousand pigs wouldn’t be easy to catch all at once.”

“Wait.

“Don’t tell me the first Marquis of Zhenbei won using this trick?”

“Master is wise.

“At the beginning of that battle, the first Marquis of Zhenbei gathered every material he could find that would shine beneath sunlight.

“He even forcibly opened the cellars of wealthy Yan clans, seized their pearls, and ground them into powder.

“Then he threatened several cultivation sects within Yan at blade-point, forcing them to cast spells when battle began so the armor of Yan’s cavalry would be covered in halos.

“And then...”

A scene immediately appeared in Zheng Fan’s mind.

It was noon.

The weather was clear, yet the atmosphere was suffocating.

Five hundred thousand Qian troops stood in battle formation.

Their northern campaign up to that point had been unstoppable.

Their morale towered.

Their numbers were overwhelming.

They held every advantage.

The troops in the forward formation were already prepared.

They would soon face the charge of Yan cavalry.

But they were not afraid.

They knew that so long as they held formation for a while, the allied forces on both wings would encircle the enemy.

Once they swallowed this Yan cavalry force of only thirty thousand men, Tiancheng Commandery and even Yan’s capital itself would open their arms completely and welcome the Qian army inside!

Back then, the Qian army had not yet become synonymous with weakness.

Back then, the State of Qian had not yet transformed itself into a fortress-obsessed turtle hiding beneath layer after layer of defensive works.

They were vigorous.

They were ambitious.

They hungered for military merit.

They hungered to expand their borders and carve their achievements into history!

Then, the tens of thousands of Qian soldiers in the forward formation first heard the earth begin to tremble.

They knew.

Yan’s cavalry had begun its charge.

Then, they witnessed a sight they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

Despair.

Fear.

Shock.

In an instant, those emotions flooded the hearts of every soldier in the Qian vanguard.

And immediately afterward they collapsed.

Because what they saw charging directly toward them were more than ten thousand glowing bastards!

(End of Chapter)