Chapter 151: The Shepherd Boy Points to Apricot Blossom Village

Above, the cold wind whistled.

Below, severed heads rolled across the courtyard.

It was said that Shangjing, capital of Qian, was unimaginably prosperous.

Every Lantern Festival, shops selling lanterns often erected racks seven or eight levels high outside their doors, covering them with ornate lamps.

Often, even that was not enough.

They would rope off another patch of ground before the racks and pile even more lanterns there.

No matter how beautiful a lantern was, there always came a time when its flame went out.

Human heads were much the same.

It was winter.

The flies were not quite so diligent.

The maggots were not quite so industrious.

But these bloody heads had first been hauled around for half the night, then packed tightly inside sealed crates and shaken all the way to Nanwang City.

Once the lids came off that smell... tch, tch.

Fortunately, everyone present was a rough military man.

Even Xu Wenzu had seen great scenes before.

Zheng Fan had personally witnessed the ruthless, murderous side of the fat man.

So although everyone was surprised, no one panicked.

The Generals standing behind Xu Wenzu had slightly weaker composure.

But none were pathetic enough to reveal fear.

Yan's regional military commanders might have commanded miscellaneous forces but the material was still pretty good.

Deng Ziliang first looked at the severed heads.

Then his gaze shifted toward Zheng Fan.

There was scrutiny in his eyes.

Unfortunately, Garrison Commander Zheng had never liked that whole "enemy for life at first sight" routine.

He had gotten along well with the Sixth Prince because Zheng Fan understood that beneath the surface of that idle Prince was someone extraordinary.

Real figures did not obsess over appearances.

They cared about substance.

As for Assistant General Deng standing before him tch.

Look at that bright red armor.

If someone did not know better, they might think he was preparing to go back home before New Year for a marriage interview.

One glance was enough.

You are not one of my people.

The gatekeeper beside Zheng Fan fared much worse.

He collapsed to the ground in fright.

Damn it!

Only moments ago he had called these things Lord Zheng's New Year gifts for his master!

Zheng Fan stood there in a reserved and elegant pose.

He had learned the posture from A'Ming.

When it came to class very few beings in this world could compare with a vampire.

They were natural aristocrats.

Eventually, several Generals could no longer restrain themselves.

They stepped forward and began inspecting the heads.

They already knew perfectly well that if someone dared display them this openly, then faking them would amount to insulting everyone present.

Even so, curiosity drove them to look more closely.

Ordinary people instinctively feared severed heads.

But to these veteran soldiers each one was little different from a gold ingot.

Ignore the smell and they were truly delightful things.

"Hm? This head..."

One General frowned slightly.

The commanders who had not yet come over immediately became interested.

They crowded closer.

Even Deng Ziliang moved several steps nearer.

Could they really be... fake?

Severed heads had always been the most important bargaining chip and proof when counting military merit.

Naturally, that created a long tradition of falsifying them.

Killing civilians and claiming their heads as enemy casualties was only the basic technique.

Some men would even deliberately "beautify" heads afterward.

But everyone here was a General.

Veterans of war.

If the heads were fake, there was no way the deception would escape their eyes.

Xu Wenzu came over too.

He did not believe Zheng Fan would be stupid enough to fake enemy heads this flamboyantly.

But after hearing the General's doubtful exclamation, he could not help feeling uneasy.

"These are Wolf Native Troops.

"Soldiers of the native chieftains from southwestern Qian," said one well-traveled General.

At a moment like this, no one present was low enough to point at a deer and call it a horse or deliberately frame Zheng Fan.

They were indeed supporting Deng Ziliang.

But there was no need to smear or suppress Zheng Fan deliberately.

Xu Wenzu was standing right there.

More importantly, everyone vaguely knew that the shadow of the Marquis of Jingnan stood behind Zheng Fan.

That was not someone they could afford to provoke through petty tricks.

"Yes.

"That's the hairstyle of Wolf Native Troops.

"Those earrings too.

"Earlier military dispatches said Qian's Western Army was marching north and had brought fifty thousand Wolf Native Troops with them."

No one doubted the value of Wolf Native heads compared with ordinary frontier troops.

Everyone had heard about the native-chieftain rebellion in southwestern Qian some years ago.

Those fearless Wolf Native Troops had caused the Qian armies endless suffering.

More importantly with Qian's elite Three Frontier troops continuing to hide inside their positions, weren't the heads Deng Ziliang had taken also mostly from ordinary garrison soldiers in border forts?

Everyone present knew exactly how strong those garrison troops truly were.

Who had the face to claim their quality surpassed Wolf Native Troops?

And there was another problem.

So many heads...

Xu Wenzu coughed deliberately and asked Zheng Fan, "Did you count them?

"How many?"

"Two thousand six hundred and fifty-four.

"We also captured one female native chieftain alive.

"She isn't dead, but her head was injured and she remains unconscious.

"I'll have the Secret Intelligence Department go to Green Willow Fortress and collect her later."

The eyelids of several Generals twitched involuntarily when they heard the number.

Deng Ziliang pursed his lips.

Xu Wenzu smiled.

He was delighted.

Damn it.

Didn't you all say military merit should decide things?

Didn't you say otherwise people wouldn't accept the result?

Fine.

Let's compare military merit!

Fatty Xu reached out and thumped Zheng Fan's chest.

"You brat.

"Really something."

Then, Xu Wenzu immediately turned toward the others.

"Gentlemen, what you said earlier was absolutely correct.

"The Great Yan's army has always valued military merit above all else.

"The heads of Qian's Wolf Native Troops are right here.

"With this many heads— there can be no question.

"This is the greatest military achievement by any Great Yan frontier force since the war began!

"First he broke Mianzhou City.

"Now he has taken nearly three thousand heads!

"Does anyone refuse to accept that?"

These words were rather arrogant.

They also made it hard for the others to save face.

But Xu Wenzu no longer cared.

Damn it.

They were all crude military men.

If he tried playing subtle games with them, they would probably miss half the meaning anyway.

Better to make it direct.

Every time soldiers argued over merit or begged to lead a charge, when had a command tent ever been quiet?

If you want meat show your military merit!

The heads could not be fake.

Wolf Native hairstyles and jewelry were highly distinctive.

Hair could be shaved.

Ears could be pierced.

But the age of the marks could not be easily fabricated.

And forging more than two thousand heads would be impossible in the first place.

This achievement could not be questioned.

Which meant the pit they had dug for Xu Wenzu earlier they had now fallen into themselves.

Standing behind Xu Wenzu, Zheng Fan badly wanted to ask:

What exactly are you people fighting over?

Zheng Fan had not understood earlier.

He had only sensed that some kind of "division of spoils" was happening inside.

And whatever was being divided—

Green Willow Fortress intended to take a share.

Xu Wenzu seemed to sense what Zheng Fan was thinking.

He continued, "These fifteen hundred barbarian soldiers go to Garrison Commander Zheng.

"Any objections?"

Holy shit.

Fifteen hundred barbarian troops!

Zheng Fan's breathing immediately grew heavier.

What had he built his foundation on?

Five hundred barbarian soldiers.

He had suffered considerable losses taking these heads.

But if fifteen hundred fresh barbarian warriors joined him now—

Green Willow Fortress's military strength would instantly double!

And barbarians were actually easy to tame.

The Blind Man had experience brainwashing them!

On the road to Nanwang City, Zheng Fan had imagined all sorts of possible rewards.

But he had truly never expected a prize this large.

I want them.

I want them.

They're mine.

They're fucking mine!

Zheng Fan drew a deep breath.

Inside his heart, he felt somewhat moved by Xu Wenzu's insistence on supporting him.

Sigh.

Fatty Xu really was a good man.

Thinking about how he had once wanted Shatuo Queshi to smash Xu Wenzu into meat paste—

Zheng Fan felt a faint ache of guilt.

The Generals fell silent.

There really was nothing left for them to say.

They had set the standard themselves.

Naturally they had to abide by it.

As they and Deng Ziliang had already said the Great Yan army judged men by military merit.

Deng Ziliang smiled.

The icy indifference from earlier vanished from his face.

He proactively walked toward Zheng Fan.

"Brother Zheng."

You did not slap a smiling face.

Besides, Deng Ziliang was an Assistant General, one rank above him.

Zheng Fan cupped his hands.

"Lord Deng."

"Brother Zheng's accomplishment leaves Deng deeply impressed.

"To serve beside Brother Zheng as comrades-in-arms and march south together against Qian— that would truly be one of life's great pleasures."

"Lord Deng praises me too highly."

Deng Ziliang continued, "Brother Zheng, I have an unreasonable request.

"I wonder whether I should speak it."

"Since Lord Deng already calls it an unreasonable request, perhaps you shouldn't say it."

"............" Deng Ziliang.

Around them, several Generals including Xu Wenzu visibly swayed slightly.

They simply were not accustomed to hearing the standard rhetorical formula answered this way.

Deng Ziliang looked startled too.

But he still spoke.

"Brother Zheng, would you be willing to cede five hundred barbarian soldiers to me?

"My Apricot Blossom Stockade— my Deng Clan and I, Deng Ziliang would owe Brother Zheng a favor!"

There it was!

Zheng Fan immediately shook his head.

"Lord Deng may not know this, but my unit suffered serious losses in this campaign.

"We urgently need replacements.

"I hope Lord Deng can understand."

"Brother Zheng, that's rather ungenerous.

"You're only a Garrison Commander.

"You control a single fortress.

"How many troops can it possibly hold?"

Deng Ziliang's voice had already lost some of its warmth.

He rarely lowered himself to ask favors like this.

Yet after asking so directly today, he had still been denied face.

Since when had the prestige of the Sanshi Deng Clan become so worthless?

"My fortress is very large.

"Never mind another fifteen hundred.

"It could hold another three thousand and still fit them.

"Lord Xu knows that."

Xu Wenzu nodded.

"Green Willow Fortress was rebuilt from the ground up.

"Among the fortresses along Yinlang Commandery's frontier, it is probably the largest."

The Blind Man had designed Green Willow Fortress.

The Sixth Prince had paid for its reconstruction.

Naturally, the place was enormous.

Deng Ziliang pursed his lips.

Then said, "Brother Zheng, could you at least give the Deng Clan some face?"

"Lord Deng, please don't make things difficult for this humble officer."

Deng Ziliang gave a snort.

"Could it be that my Sanshi Deng Clan truly means so little in the eyes of Garrison Commander Zheng?"

Several Generals close to the Deng Clan immediately began helping him.

"Garrison Commander Zheng, sometimes a man should not be too greedy."

"Exactly.

"You two are both future pillars of the Great Yan and will serve as comrades later.

"There's no need to make things so ugly."

Zheng Fan suddenly felt like it was New Year and some brat from a relative's family was insisting on playing with his beloved collectible figurine.

He had already said no.

The brat still cried.

Still made demands.

Still produced one excuse after another.

And a group of idiot relatives stood around urging him to be generous:

He's only a child.

What's wrong with letting him play?

Zheng Fan could not understand it.

Deng Ziliang might still count as someone's child.

But Zheng Fan sure as hell had not given birth to him.

Why was this bastard throwing a tantrum at him?

Zheng Fan's temper began rising.

By now he could roughly guess what had happened inside the signing room before his arrival.

Xu Wenzu had probably intended to swallow all fifteen hundred barbarian soldiers and save them for Zheng Fan.

Then this rising star of the Deng Clan had stepped in and tried to take them away.

Thinking about how Fatty Xu had already torn face with this group for his sake, Zheng Fan felt he should show a little spine too.

Especially because Deng Ziliang had already made a terrible first impression today.

And now he wanted to stick his chopsticks into Zheng Fan's food bowl?

Dream on.

Zheng Fan reached into his pocket, took out a silver token, and handed it to Deng Ziliang.

Deng Ziliang frowned.

He could not understand what game Zheng Fan was playing.

Still, he accepted the token and examined it for a moment.

"Fine craftsmanship."

"This is an access token for the Lake Pavilion."

Deng Ziliang's gaze sharpened.

Several Generals around them changed expression as well.

Clearly everyone had heard what sort of place the Lake Pavilion in Yanjing actually was.

Much like how few people in later generations had ever visited Qincheng Prison, but the moment the name was mentioned, everyone instinctively treated it with caution.

In the Great Yan the Lake Pavilion existed specifically to imprison members of the imperial clan.

Princes who fought for the throne.

Feudal Kings who rebelled.

Because everyone shared the Ji surname and executing them was inconvenient, they were confined there instead and allowed to "die naturally of old age."

That was imperial mercy.

Seeing the token produce the proper effect, Zheng Fan did not hold back.

"This token was personally bestowed on me by His Majesty.

"He told me that whenever I had free time, I should go to the Lake Pavilion and visit the Third Prince."

Ever since awakening in this world, the thing Garrison Commander Zheng had been best at was borrowing tiger skins.

Though this time, he was not purely bluffing.

The Yan Emperor really had said exactly that.

Deng Ziliang looked at Zheng Fan with a rather meaningful expression.

The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened slightly.

The other Generals, meanwhile, became much more solemn.

They had heard various rumors before.

But they had never truly confirmed anything.

After all, Yanjing was far away.

Yet now Zheng Fan had admitted it directly before them.

That inevitably made everyone reevaluate him.

Destroying a Prince's future descendants was one thing.

Even if no one punished him at the time who knew what might happen later?

But the man had dared cripple a Prince.

And even now he was perfectly fine.

Still commanding soldiers.

Still fighting wars.

Hiss...

Zheng Fan had not wanted to show off with this matter.

For the imperial household, it was not exactly something glorious.

If he ran around bragging about it everywhere, wouldn't that be deliberately strutting in front of the Emperor and begging His Majesty to stop enduring and finally kill him?

Unfortunately society was forcing him to show off.

Zheng Fan even found himself wondering whether the Marquis of Jingnan had deliberately made him cripple the Third Prince back then precisely to establish this sort of foundation.

After all, once you had already done something that outrageous something treasonous enough to deserve having your name written on a future purge list what else could possibly frighten you?

"Brother Zheng has truly broadened my horizons today.

"Fine.

"I won't take the barbarian troops.

"The mountains do not turn, but the rivers do.

"We will meet again someday."

"Lord Deng, are you threatening this humble officer?"

"............" Deng Ziliang.

Some things were simply strange.

Yes.

He was indeed threatening Zheng Fan.

But he had used a calm, indirect phrase.

Even if everyone understood the threat, why did Zheng Fan have to expose it directly?

By now, Zheng Fan had been irritated by this piece of dogskin plaster.

He gave a cold laugh.

"Lord Deng thinks highly of himself.

"You were born well.

"That much this humble officer truly cannot compare with.

"But why did His Majesty trample the great clans?

"So the Great Yan would no longer be chained by family rank!

"So every man of Yan would have the chance to fight forward through his own strength!

"Lord Deng, your military merit cannot compare with mine.

"So now you stand here hinting again and again that your Deng Clan is dangerous to offend?

"I truly am curious.

"How does the Liu Clan of Beifeng compare with the Deng Clan?

"How does the Tian Clan outside Yanjing compare with the Deng Clan?

The swallows once before the halls of Tian and Liu...
Now fly into the homes of common folk.

"You keep saying military merit should decide a man's standing.

"Yet the moment you lose that contest, you begin talking about family origin and background.

"Heh.

"How is that any different from those penniless Qian scholars obsessed with preserving face?"

"You!"

For one instant, Deng Ziliang truly wanted to draw his saber.

Zheng Fan merely looked at him calmly.

The moment he produced the Lake Pavilion token, there had been no reason to keep preserving face.

Damn it.

If he had already been willing to stab the Emperor's own son, why couldn't he sneer at Deng Ziliang?

Ultimately, Garrison Commander Zheng was still someone who refused to swallow humiliation.

And with Xu Wenzu standing beside him and the Marquis of Jingnan above them both if you had people protecting you and still meekly endured being bullied, how pathetic would you have to be?

Would that be worthy of the Marquis of Zhenbei's lamb leg?

Would that be worthy of the Third Prince's cute little dick?

Deng Ziliang drew in a deep breath.

Then exhaled heavily.

He turned and left without another word.

"Swallows once beneath Tian and Liu’s high hall
now nest in common homes beyond the wall."

Xu Wenzu repeated the lines under his breath.

Then asked with some emotion, "What are the first two lines?"

Zheng Fan smiled bitterly.

"I only had those two lines in the moment."

Xu Wenzu shook his head in dissatisfaction.

He was not an orthodox civil official.

But he was still a scholar.

He found Zheng Fan's habit of giving half a poem and refusing to complete it deeply irritating.

In truth, it was not that Zheng Fan did not want to plagiarize the first two lines.

The problem was that he had no idea whether Black-Clad Lane or Vermilion Bird Bridge existed in this world.

Judging by those place names, perhaps equivalents existed somewhere in Qian.

But dragging them into this poem would make no damned sense.

Xu Wenzu smiled at the remaining Generals.

"Gentlemen, do you still have any instructions for me?"

Naturally, none wished to remain.

Once again the fat northerner was destined to eat alone.

After exchanging perfunctory farewells, they left one by one.

Xu Wenzu did not invite them to stay for a meal.

Once everyone had gone, Xu Wenzu instructed the gatekeeper to have men pack the heads back into the crates.

They still had to pass through several more procedures.

Zheng Fan had brought the military-merit reports as well.

A'Ming carried them.

Later, he still needed to visit several yamens and complete the bureaucracy.

The condemned soldiers' relatives needed to be released from slave status.

The barbarian soldiers needed Yan household registration.

These matters directly concerned morale and loyalty.

There could be no mistakes.

Fortunately, A'Ming might normally appear lazy, but when he handled business he was extremely meticulous.

Anyone careless could never brew excellent wine.

So Zheng Fan had complete confidence in letting A'Ming handle the paperwork.

As for Xiao Yibo, he had already left with his men.

He needed to return to Green Willow Fortress and report the news.

Zheng Fan was kept behind by Xu Wenzu... for afternoon tea.

According to Xu Wenzu, the two brothers had not had a proper meal together in a very long time.

Thinking about it carefully, Zheng Fan realized they might never have truly sat down and peacefully eaten a full meal together at all.

Afternoon tea in Xu Wenzu's household was lavish.

Six substantial meat dishes.

The only green on the table was a plate of stir-fried spinach.

The room was cleared of attendants.

Xu Wenzu first ate half a roast chicken.

Only then did he wipe his mouth and point toward Zheng Fan.

"Beautifully done this time!"

Xu Wenzu was deeply satisfied today.

The feeling was no weaker than being trapped in desperate circumstances on a battlefield, only for a great general to suddenly arrive with reinforcements and slaughter the enemy into complete collapse.

Zheng Fan merely smiled.

"Don't bring those fifteen hundred barbarian soldiers away just yet."

The chopsticks in Zheng Fan's hand stopped.

"Why?"

Boss Zheng had just taken a loss in capital.

He was staring at this chance to double his investment and recover everything.

"Heh heh.

"How are your armor, weapons, and warhorses at Green Willow Fortress?

"Still enough?"

Zheng Fan calculated.

There were indeed still substantial reserves inside the fortress warehouses.

But not enough to equip fifteen hundred men all at once.

The barbarians were poor.

If fifteen hundred barbarian warriors came south and each had one horse, that would already count as decent.

As for armor and weapons truthfully, many probably carried bows while using arrowheads ground from animal bone.

"Leave them with me for two days.

"I'll open the warehouses and equip you with fifteen hundred fully armored cavalry— two horses per rider."

Zheng Fan's eyelid twitched.

He did not immediately celebrate.

Instead, he asked, "Will that cause trouble?"

You did not need toes to guess that Fatty Xu could not simply conjure equipment for fifteen hundred cavalry out of nowhere.

One had to remember that when Zheng Fan originally equipped fifteen hundred cavalry, the Sixth Prince had nearly bled himself dry.

The only possibility was Xu Wenzu was about to steal from his own warehouse.

Nanwang City had once been the center of Yan's "Little Jiangnan," a place of extraordinary commerce.

Now that war approached, it had transformed completely into one giant supply depot.

The key to that depot was in Xu Wenzu's hands.

But the majority of those vast stores had assigned quotas and were supposed to remain sealed.

They were being preserved for the day when the Jingnan Army and Zhenbei Army truly marched south.

Xu Wenzu intended to carve a piece out of those armies' supplies and give it to Zheng Fan!

If something went wrong later—

Li Liangting or Tian Wujing were not exactly forgiving men.

For either Marquis, taking Xu Wenzu's head would require little more than one sentence.

Xu Wenzu shook his head.

"Supplies left sitting there are dead things.

"Better for you to use them first.

"Heh heh."

Zheng Fan sighed.

"Don't force it."

The Sixth Prince could exhaust himself arranging equipment, horses, and supplies.

At worst he vomited from overwork.

Fine.

Let him vomit.

But Xu Wenzu's maneuver could cost him his life.

Zheng Fan genuinely did not want that.

Put yourself in another man's place.

Since they met, Xu Wenzu had truly treated Zheng Fan well.

Zheng Fan genuinely did not want him taking such a dangerous risk.

"Stop acting sentimental.

"You just called Deng Ziliang a sour-faced scholar, and now you're doing the same thing?

"Kid, win me a few more battles.

"Earn more merit.

"Then even if this gets discovered later, I, Xu Wenzu, did not pocket those supplies for myself.

"I'll have something to argue with."

"All right."

Zheng Fan stopped pretending to refuse.

If Xu Wenzu dared do this, then he certainly possessed some degree of confidence.

Zheng Fan even had a strange intuition perhaps Xu Wenzu had already guessed something about the coming direction of the war.

Zheng Fan had never underestimated him.

This man could be a bureaucrat when necessary.

He could also be an efficient administrator.

He was absolutely not simple.

"That's better.

"Kid, I'm counting on you to give me face.

"Heh heh.

"Come.

"Finish this cup."

Zheng Fan raised his cup and clinked it against Xu Wenzu's.

After draining the wine, Zheng Fan tested him.

"We were lucky this time too.

"During the battle, we left only shortly before Qian's Western Army arrived.

"Otherwise, we might not have made it back."

A surprise raid was inherently dangerous.

The rewards were equally enormous.

"Heh heh.

"A centipede does not stiffen immediately even after death.

"No matter how useless Qian becomes, it's still an enormous state.

"Naturally, it will still produce a few capable men."

"This war may not be easy anymore."

If Qian was determined to remain a turtle hiding inside its shell, then the coming war would become difficult.

"Let those two Marquises worry about that.

"Your big brother isn't worried at all."

"Why?"

"The two greatest commanders in the Great Yan will personally lead the armies.

"I have seen the Marquis of Jingnan's ability to train soldiers.

"It is no worse than our Zhenbei Army.

"As for his battlefield skill— that I cannot judge yet.

"But our Marquis..."

Xu Wenzu chuckled.

"The people of Qian absolutely cannot defeat him!"

Utter confidence.

Absolute strength.

What could Zheng Fan even say?

Xu Wenzu was the Marquis of Zhenbei's textbook fanboy.

"Drink."

"Drink!"

They drank all the way into the night.

Xu Wenzu was rarely in such high spirits and stubbornly refused to let Zheng Fan leave.

After all, Zheng Fan now owed him an enormous favor.

He could only remain with Fatty Xu and keep drinking and chatting.

From desert sands and winds to the figures and affairs of Yinlang Commandery.

Then from thirteen- and fourteen-year-old girls to the mulberry tree outside a widow's door.

Eventually, after enormous effort, Zheng Fan finally drank Xu Wenzu under the table.

He rose and called for attendants to take the drunken Xu Wenzu away to rest.

Then he walked outside.

A'Ming had already waited at the entrance for a long time.

The waterskin in his hand was noticeably flatter.

"Let's go back."

Zheng Fan yawned.

He was still slightly tipsy.

After mounting, Zheng Fan reached into his chest and adjusted the Demon Maru's position.

Ever since the Demon Maru had blocked an arrow for him at Mianzhou City, whenever Zheng Fan was not wearing armor, he always kept the Demon Maru over his chest.

Nothing else mattered.

At the very least, it could stop one arrow.

"Master drank too much," A'Ming said.

"There aren't traffic police in this world checking drunk riders."

A'Ming smiled.

"In two days, the relevant yamens in Nanwang City will send the verified head count and military-merit records to Green Willow Fortress."

Even with Xu Wenzu opening green lights, the bureaucracy involved was extensive.

There was no way everything could be finished in one day.

Too many soldiers' merits were involved.

Zheng Fan estimated that his own rank would probably rise again too.

Assistant General should be almost guaranteed.

But with those fifteen hundred barbarian soldiers already in hand he did not really care whether the promotion came.

The Great Yan army valued actual strength far more than nominal rank.

"Mm."

Zheng Fan acknowledged him.

Then he and A'Ming slowly rode out through Nanwang City's gate.

Once outside they urged their horses into a gallop.

Under the night sky, with wine still warm in his blood, it was easy for a man to get carried away.

When they reached a small bridge, Zheng Fan pulled lightly on his reins and slowed the horse.

Beyond the bridge was a crossroads.

West led toward Green Willow Fortress.

But Zheng Fan pointed south.

"Do you know where that road goes?"

A'Ming answered, "Apricot Blossom Stockade."

"Hm? You know?"

A'Ming smiled.

"Apricot Blossom Stockade buys wine often.

"I assume its commander has some ability."

Someone capable of frequently treating everyone in his stockade to alcohol was certainly not ordinary.

Soldiers could not normally drink as they pleased.

So if they were repeatedly holding drinking feasts it probably meant they repeatedly earned military merit.

"Heh heh.

"He's from the Deng Clan of Sanshi.

"Damn it.

"If I hadn't arrived in time today, those fifteen hundred barbarian soldiers might have fallen into his hands."

"Then he truly is hateful."

The Demon Kings' likes and dislikes naturally shifted according to their Master's.

Apricot Blossom Stockade was not a bandit den in the ordinary sense.

It was a military camp.

Zheng Fan held a fortress based on the old frontier-fort system.

Though when he arrived, Green Willow Fortress had been little more than collapsed walls barely suitable for raising chickens, at least there had been a foundation to rebuild upon.

Later, the imperial court transferred many other Generals into the region.

Their numerous subordinate forces had no ruined fortifications to inherit at all.

And not everyone had a Sixth Prince furiously pouring money into them the way Zheng Fan did.

Building proper fortresses also required enormous time and labor.

So military stockades became the substitute.

By now, the frontier line of Yinlang Commandery was covered with military stockades beyond counting.

Their names were interesting too.

Set aside Zheng Fan's Green Willow Fortress.

Look at Deng Ziliang's Apricot Blossom Stockade.

Then compare those names with the fortified positions across Qian's border—

Destroy-the-Enemy.

Slaughter-the-Barbarians.

Yan's names were clearly more elegant and delicate.

Qian's were rougher and harder.

It came from the difference in mentality.

And there was also the example of the first Marquis of Zhenbei composing poetry on the battlefield a century earlier.

Yan's military men deliberately liked to add a touch of calm refinement to themselves.

"Forget it.

"Let's go home.

"There'll be plenty to handle over the next few days."

Zheng Fan shook his head, trying to clear the drunken haze.

He had thoroughly offended Deng Ziliang today.

But Zheng Fan was not afraid.

They were both men with troops under them.

Would Deng Ziliang really dare start an open battle with him?

Even if he tried playing dirty from the shadows what a joke.

Green Willow Fortress had no shortage of experts in conspiracies and dirty tricks!

Suddenly, A'Ming's expression changed.

His voice dropped.

"Someone's here."

Thud-thud-thud!

Thud-thud-thud!

The next moment the sound of hooves erupted.

A cavalry force burst directly from the dead woods beside the bridge.

Every rider was stained with blood.

And every one carried a heavy killing aura.

Zheng Fan's first thought was Holy shit.

Deng Ziliang, are you really this ruthless?

You're already leading men out to assassinate me on the same damned night?

But very quickly, Zheng Fan realized something was wrong.

This was not Yan military dress.

Yan troops generally favored black.

The colors on these riders were far too varied.

Unless Deng Ziliang intended to disguise the entire ambush as an attack by Qian troops?

Then a young general in silver armor rode forward and spoke.

Only then did Zheng Fan confirm these were not soldiers from Apricot Blossom Stockade.

That northwest accent was far too clear.

If this was still an act then Zheng Fan would have to raise both thumbs and praise Deng Ziliang for his incredible dedication to the performance.

The silver-armored general shouted, "This general asks you— which way to Green Willow Fortress?

"Answer truthfully and I will spare your lives!"

Zheng Fan suddenly felt that not wearing armor today had truly been the right decision.

He had never particularly enjoyed wearing armor.

It was hard.

It was cold.

In winter, wearing it was torture.

So earlier during the day, ordinary clothing had helped him avoid being targeted by that married pair of Silver-Armored Guard spies.

Now, in the middle of the night, combined with the drunk look on his face he had apparently been mistaken for some useless drunken drifter.

Lucky.

But the identities of these cavalrymen were now obvious.

They were Qian soldiers!

Good mother of Qian troops had actually dared march north!

And the moment they came, they were already asking for Green Willow Fortress!

Looking at the blood on their armor, they had probably just trampled another fort somewhere.

"South from here."

Zheng Fan immediately put on a flattering smile.

A'Ming also said, "South."

The silver-armored general nodded and waved.

"Thanks."

Then he turned his horse and galloped south.

His cavalry remained orderly as they followed their commander in the same direction.

Huh?

He actually keeps his word?

Zheng Fan was genuinely surprised.

Very quickly—

Zheng Fan realized how naive he had been.

Naive in exactly the same way he had been outside Mianzhou City two nights ago when he said he would release the prisoners.

At the back of the Qian cavalry column, two riders drew their bows.

One arrow struck Zheng Fan.

His body jerked.

He fell from his horse.

Another rider loosed an arrow at A'Ming.

The shaft struck him.

A'Ming clutched the arrow in his chest and stared after the departing riders in disbelief.

"You... actually... broke your word..."

Thud.

A'Ming fell from his horse as well.

The Qian cavalrymen looked at one another and laughed.

Then they spurred their horses after the main column and disappeared southward.

A short while later—

Zheng Fan sat up from the ground and pulled the arrow from his chest.

Once again the shaft had struck the Demon Maru's stone body.

"S-son... thank you."

Having a son really was useful.

Who wouldn't love a son willing to block arrows for his old man at critical moments?

A'Ming sat up as well and pulled the arrow from his body.

Zheng Fan looked at him.

"That acting just now..."

A'Ming looked back.

"How was it?"

"Overdone."

(End of Chapter)