Chapter 136: The Speech

Zheng Fan really had caught a cold.

And that cold lingered stubbornly for half a month before finally clearing.

But what he had said that night had not been delirious nonsense.

Because all seven Demon Kings had recovered another level of strength.

If Zheng Fan himself was now an Eighth Grade Martial Artist, then the Seven Demon Kings had probably also risen to roughly the Eighth Grade level.

But they were different.

Bloodline, experience, unique abilities, and all sorts of other absurd advantages meant that they could never be measured as merely seven ordinary Eighth Grade experts.

The people of the Tian estate had once enjoyed the saying:

“When one man attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to Heaven.”

Willow Fort was much the same.

Only here it was considerably easier to accept.

Although Zheng Fan’s cold had already passed, he still did not wear armor.

Instead, he wrapped himself in a padded winter coat, with a thick scarf coiled around his neck until he looked like a tightly bound rice dumpling.

Today was overcast.

Rain fell from the sky.

The weather carried a bitter chill, and the cold clinging to the ice granules seemed sharp enough to pierce the skin.

Yet despite this training inside the fortress continued in perfect order.

Among all the forts along Yinlang Commandery’s frontier, Willow Fort was probably the only one extravagant enough to possess an independent drill field.

So whether in ancient times or modern money might not be omnipotent.

But it could solve most things that otherwise could not be solved.

On the drill field, Huo Guang led seven hundred clansmen through training.

The aristocratic clans of Great Yan had existed for a very long time.

After generations steeped in luxury and excess, fewer and fewer great houses were still willing to truly preserve the tradition of passing down martial skill.

People naturally sought comfort.

They wanted to make their own lives easier.

The Huo Clan was an exception.

Unfortunately, that exception had not spared them from being crushed beneath the Zhenbei Army’s purge of the aristocratic houses.

Seen from another angle, however their martial tradition had given them a far greater chance to rise again.

Fighting in battle formations required suppressing many habits born from individual dueling.

No one needed flashy personal displays.

What mattered was coordination.

Those were Liang Cheng’s words.

So over the past half month, the Huo clansmen had remained together instead of being split apart.

Under Liang Cheng’s command, relentless drills had slowly begun grinding away the individualistic habits of proud clan disciples.

Zuo Jiqian similarly continued leading the Zuo clansmen.

War was imminent.

There was no time for slow internal division and reorganization.

For now, keeping each clan under one of their own people actually allowed cohesion and fighting strength to rise faster.

What came later could be dealt with later.

Zheng Fan did not understand the art of training soldiers.

So he did not interfere.

Well not quite.

Zheng Fan had issued one requirement.

Fan Li, that idiot, had to stay farther away whenever troops were being drilled.

Zheng Fan absolutely refused to let his new soldiers learn to shout “Ura!”

The artistic style should not drift too far off course.

Otherwise, as commander, when the moment came, Zheng Fan would not even be able to enjoy the proper amount of vanity.

That night, Zheng Fan had already made his attitude extremely clear.

I want to play.

I want to cause trouble.

But I do not want to take responsibility.

Put another way he sounded like a complete scumbag boyfriend.

In truth, after that night, the way Zheng Fan and the others interacted had not changed much.

The Demon Kings still called him Master.

But something new had appeared between them a calmness.

An ease.

Zheng Fan enjoyed the atmosphere tremendously.

He felt this was what life ought to feel like.

As for whether the Demon Kings genuinely thought the same—

Zheng Fan did not know.

And he no longer wanted to waste his mind worrying about it.

He had decided to be an ostrich.

It looked stupid.

But it felt wonderful.

“Ahhh…”

Zheng Fan yawned.

Over the past few days, Siniang’s skill with needlework had improved again.

For her using only her hands to manipulate needles was no longer satisfying.

Even her feet had begun…

When one of his subordinates wanted to develop a new skill or practice a new technique as Master, Zheng Fan could only sacrifice himself and serve as the sparring partner.

Sigh.

If I do not enter Hell, who will?

“Master.”

The Blind Man walked over.

“The Secret Intelligence Department sent someone.”

……

Before a brazier, Zheng Fan sat wrapped like a dumpling in his chair.

Both hands were held out toward the fire.

His body rocked gently forward and backward.

The man sent by the Secret Intelligence Department was someone he knew.

Last time, when Zheng Fan went to Huaiya Academy, this had been the man Du Juan dispatched to deliver orders to the academy.

In other words, the fellow Zheng Fan had once privately imagined must have been assigned to such a miserable beating because he had secretly peeped at his female superior while she bathed.

This brother had a memorable name.

Shan Ji.

When he first introduced himself—

Zheng Fan heard it as “Shanji”—Pheasant.

Fortunately, the cold had already passed.

Otherwise Zheng Fan might genuinely have laughed hard enough to blow a bubble of snot.

Shan Ji served under Du Juan.

Du Juan was the head of the Secret Intelligence Department in Yinlang Commandery.

And at the same time the wife of the Marquis of Jingnan.

“Lord Zheng.

“You really have been far too comfortable.”

Shan Ji had come only to offer this greeting.

After introducing himself, he spent the rest of the visit exchanging pleasantries.

The entire point was contained in that single sentence.

Then he left.

After Shan Ji departed, the Blind Man emerged from behind the hall.

He dragged over a chair and sat beside Zheng Fan.

“Master.

“Whose intention do you think that was?”

“Probably Du Juan’s.”

The Blind Man had never truly interacted directly with the Marquis of Jingnan.

So in certain judgments he could not be absolutely certain.

Zheng Fan continued, “The Marquis of Jingnan wouldn’t specifically send someone over merely to ask me this.

“He should be extremely busy right now.

“And these sorts of matters— should be under Du Juan’s responsibility.”

“Then Xu Wenzu must have been shielding us,” the Blind Man said.

Zheng Fan nodded.

“Probably.”

The Secret Intelligence Department was not a General Staff Office.

Jumping directly over Zheng Fan’s superior and passing him a private message was obviously improper.

But Xu Wenzu was probably protecting Willow Fort without condition.

So Du Juan had deliberately sent Shan Ji over to remind them.

In truth, while Zheng Fan had still been at the Tian estate helping the Marquis of Jingnan collect his family’s corpses the major military commanders in Yinlang Commandery had already received orders from the Marquis.

The order was extremely simple:

Do everything within your power to harass Qian.

Nanwang City was the first line of defense and Great Yan’s foremost southern stronghold facing Qian.

But along the Yan-Qian frontier, besides Xu Wenzu there were eight other Commanders-in-Chief.

They had all been pushed forward from their original defense zones and garrisons.

Meaning including Xu Wenzu, there were now nine Commanders-in-Chief positioned here.

And beneath them there were far more independent military commanders.

So the moment the Marquis of Jingnan’s order arrived, all those commanders began acting like hornets stabbing continuously into Qian’s frontier defenses.

The fighting had, in truth already begun before Zheng Fan even returned.

Then Zheng Fan came back with the convicts.

Another half month passed.

And Willow Fort still had not responded to the Marquis of Jingnan’s call.

Instead, Zheng Fan simply hid inside the fortress.

Training.

Training.

And training some more.

“This should be the opening of the first stage of the war,” the Blind Man said.

According to his calculations, the first stage of Yan’s war against Qian would rely upon the Jingnan Army to destroy the elite field forces of Qian’s three northern military commands.

That would prepare the ground for the second stage when the Zhenbei Army, after finishing the purge of the aristocratic clans, joined the campaign.

The current harassment had one purpose.

Force the Qian court to gather whatever nearby forces it could mobilize toward the three frontier commanderies.

Then compel Qian’s frontier armies to fight Yan in the open field.

At the same time because the subordinate commanders had absorbed large numbers of aristocratic-clan convicts, they needed frequent military operations to temper and integrate those troops.

And from a darker point of view it also allowed them to expend some of those convicts whose hearts still held resentment.

“Blind Man.

“Have you noticed something?

“After Yan fought the barbarians for several hundred years, even the way Yan now wages war has started looking a lot like the barbarians.”

“It has.”

When the barbarians marched to war, the Royal Court army formed the core.

Then the other tribes were called upon to send their warriors.

Together they became the great army.

Here in Yan, the Jingnan Army resembled the Royal Court army.

And all the scattered military commanders—including Zheng Fan—were like tribes arriving to support the campaign.

“The Qian people really are patient,” Zheng Fan sighed.

Although Willow Fort had not yet gone out to fight, Zheng Fan had received enough reports about the other friendly units’ operations.

Qian relied upon its fortress-defense system.

Even though small groups of Yan cavalry repeatedly penetrated past those defenses, Qian still refused to adopt any active offensive posture.

The elite troops of the three military commands had not come out even once.

It looked as though Qian had truly decided to become a turtle hiding inside its shell.

“Yes.

“Not many of our side have gained much advantage.

“Quite a few have even suffered losses.”

“Heh.”

Zheng Fan laughed.

Truthfully he was not in a hurry.

After all, he had fired the first shot.

Because of that, he had entered the Marquis of Jingnan’s sight.

And now he also had Xu Wenzu supporting him.

So he could afford to remain calm.

Staying inside the fortress and doing nothing but training soldiers every day was indeed a little boring.

But there was no need to rush out like a headless fly and slam blindly into walls.

“Master.

“News from the Sixth Prince says Grand Commandant Yang, commander of Qian’s three frontier military commands, submitted a memorial to the Qian court requesting that troops from the southwest be transferred north for defense.”

“In recent years, Qian has only fought real campaigns in the southwest against the native chieftains.

“Those soldiers are probably capable fighters.

“But there’s nothing especially terrifying about them,” Zheng Fan said.

“Correct.”

Southwestern Qian was mountainous.

But Yinlang Commandery and Qian’s three northern frontier commanderies were mostly flat plains.

Even if Qian’s southwestern troops were excellent their strength probably lay in mountain warfare.

On open ground once iron cavalry charged them they would still collapse.

“That isn’t the important part.

“The second point is.”

“Oh?

“There’s a second point?”

“Yes.

“Grand Commandant Yang also suggested dismantling every frontier fortress along Qian’s northern border and withdrawing all troops into the major cities of the three commanderies.”

Hearing that Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes.

He really was determined to become a turtle.

At present, Qian’s frontier forts had indeed provided considerable defensive value against Yan commanders’ harassment.

But that was only because the true offensive had not begun.

Everything now was merely minor skirmishing.

Once the Jingnan Army moved in force the early-warning role of those border forts would become almost meaningless.

And if Qian truly abandoned the open countryside and concentrated all troops within fortified cities it would look cowardly.

Yet defending cities and fighting in the open field were two completely different matters.

You could not possibly order Yan’s greatest strength its cavalry to dismount and start climbing walls.

That would practically be a crime.

“If he really turns Qian into a turtle— we’ll have a serious problem.”

Yan wanted a rapid war.

Ideally two or three decisive battles would devour Qian’s northern elite forces.

Then Yan could drive straight inward.

But if Qian forcibly dragged Yan into siege warfare across the northern frontier into dirtworks, walls, trenches, and construction…

Zheng Fan licked his lips.

Yan could not afford delay.

The Yan Emperor and the two Marquises had already heated Great Yan into a pot of boiling oil.

It needed ingredients thrown in immediately for a violent stir-fry.

They absolutely could not afford a slow simmer over a small flame.

“That eunuch is not simple,” the Blind Man said.

“Mm.

“The Marquis of Jingnan said something similar.

“But he should be transferred away soon.”

“If this memorial reaches the Qian court, it will probably accelerate that transfer.”

“Forget him for now.

“Let the Yan Emperor and the Marquis of Jingnan worry about that eunuch.

“I’m saying— since even the Secret Intelligence Department has sent someone to urge us and our soldiers have trained for a while isn’t it time to take them outside and test the blade?”

“Master wants to play?”

“Yes.”

The Blind Man asked directly.

Zheng Fan answered just as directly.

“It is possible.

“Truthfully, Willow Fort surpasses most other independent commanders by far in manpower, equipment, and troop quality.

“But with this much armor— this many warhorses and food this good every day it is indeed time to show the Sixth Prince some return on his investment.”

“The way you’re speaking— there’s a condition?”

“Yes.

“This time, this subordinate has one.”

“Speak.”

“Last time you went into Qian, Master only took Liang Cheng.

“This time— all of us go.”

……

Afternoon training was canceled.

Everyone received the rare gift of half a day’s rest.

Dinner was also much better than usual.

There was more meat.

So much, in fact that you could fill your stomach on meat alone.

Truthfully, Yan’s frontier armies were not short of grain.

The terrifying reserves accumulated by the aristocratic clans had left the Imperial Court with only the happiest kind of problem when it came to provisions.

But eating as well as Willow Fort did that was still nearly impossible elsewhere.

When it came to his own men, Zheng Fan was willing to spend heavily.

Of course, the most important reason was that he was not the one paying.

Little Sixth in the capital might someday run into the same problem Zheng Fan had experienced a lack of purpose.

Spending a little more of Little Sixth’s money and giving him the life goal of earning more could also be called helping him.

The soldiers excitedly carried their food basins over to receive dinner.

Then they sat down and began eating meat in great mouthfuls.

Several bonfires had been lit at the edge of the drill field.

Huo Guang sat nearby.

A clansman had brought him meat broth.

He drank it slowly.

On the other side—

Zuo Jiqian was much the same.

One possessed experience.

The other had once served as Garrison Commander of Jitui Fort.

These two men, though still branded convicts, possessed a sensitivity ordinary soldiers lacked.

They had guessed it.

War was coming.

These days inside the fortress had not been unpleasant.

They ate extremely well.

Aside from training being exhausting, there had been no real hardship.

But what these men wanted most was not good food or shelter.

They wanted military merit!

They needed the heads of Qian soldiers to purchase freedom from servitude for their families.

Zheng Fan could sit steadily and wait.

But these convict soldiers had been starving for this opportunity for a long time.

After the evening meal ended and officers began forming everyone into ranks and distributing dry rations, arrows, and other supplies everyone finally understood what was coming.

An eager atmosphere began spreading across the drill field.

Inside the courtyard a map had been opened.

Seven people gathered around it to discuss the battle plan.

“If we’re going to play— we might as well play big.

“I think Mianzhou City is good.”

Zheng Fan pressed one finger onto Mianzhou’s mark.

Mianzhou City was not one of Qian’s three great frontier command centers.

But it was still a substantial city.

More importantly although it was true that a person rarely fell into the same pit twice, people would still bend down many times beside the pit where they had once picked up money.

Zheng Fan liked that city.

“Truthfully, anywhere would work,” the Blind Man said.

He did not particularly care.

A surprise attack.

Something like copying the Four Crossings of the Chishui River.

That was not impossible.

“But won’t they be on guard?” Xue San asked, somewhat worried.

After all since the Yan-Qian conflict began, Mianzhou was the only Qian city that had actually fallen.

“These days, all those small commanders have constantly harassed Qian’s border.

“In truth, that will make Qian relax instead.

“Because those commanders’ forces— really are not especially strong,” Liang Cheng said.

Among the seven present he was the only one with genuine warfare skills.

“They’re too few in number.

“Their equipment is poor.

“At most, they make the Qian border forts light a few more beacon fires.

“For us— that actually provides excellent cover.”

Last time Liang Cheng and Zheng Fan had entered Qian, they had only four hundred barbarian cavalry with them.

Their results had been impressive.

But they had relied constantly upon dangerous gambles.

This time things were different.

Willow Fort planned to deploy fifteen hundred cavalry.

But even more than those fifteen hundred cavalry what gave Liang Cheng confidence was this: everyone would be going.

As one of the Demon Kings himself, Liang Cheng understood exactly how terrifying the abilities of his own kind could be.

As for the others they did not particularly care where they went or how the battle unfolded.

They simply wanted somewhere fun to play.

The soldiers outside, burning with impatience for war, probably could never have imagined what kind of “entertainment” mentality their commanders were using while designing the operation.

At last, Zheng Fan gave the concluding decision.

“For now, our target is Mianzhou City.

“We’ll adjust as events develop.

“Once we set out, Liang Cheng commands the column and issues orders.

“All of us listen to you.”

Nobody objected.

Liang Cheng nodded.

“Then we’re… deploying?” Xue San asked.

The Blind Man spoke.

“Master.

“I feel this is still a little too casual.”

“Mm.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

“I feel the same.

“Do you have anything else to add or analyze?”

The Blind Man answered with complete seriousness, “I think before departure—

Master should give the soldiers a speech.”

“Is that necessary?”

“Very.”

……

The soldiers waited anxiously.

Then, they finally saw the Garrison Commander of Willow Fort emerge.

Their military lord.

Over the past half month, this was the first time the convict soldiers had seen their Garrison Commander wearing armor instead of a thick padded coat.

This was practically an explicit announcement.

Everyone on the drill field began breathing more heavily.

“Seriously?

“I can say anything I want?”

Zheng Fan asked the Blind Man beside him.

“Whatever Master wishes to say.”

“Oh.”

Zheng Fan nodded and stepped forward.

Everyone fell silent.

Around them except for the occasional soft crack of wood in the bonfires there was no noise.

“Cough…”

The traditional throat-clearing opening.

In later generations it would have been equivalent to tapping the microphone and saying:

“Hello?

“Hello?”

The soldiers on the drill field gave him plenty of face.

Every eye fixed upon Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan opened his mouth.

“I assume all of you understand this much:

The Imperial Court sent you here because it hopes you die here and stop causing trouble for the state.”

“…”

The entire drill field fell dead silent.

(End of Chapter)