Chapter 295: Preparations

“Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!

“Do Xinsu City and Shengle City still belong to Great Yan or not? Do they or do they not?

“That Chen Yang shutting himself inside the city and refusing to come out is one thing.

“But that Zheng Fan actually dared throw out the vanguard officer I sent to requisition grain, then had the nerve to send us a letter begging for handouts!

“Bastard!

“An absolute bastard!

“This is the Jingnan Army?

“Do these people still recognize their sovereign-father?

“Do they still recognize His Majesty?”

The old man was so furious that his beard trembled and his eyes bulged.

Many officers seated below him were equally indignant, slapping the tables and joining in the curses.

The old man was named Deng Jiuru.

He was the head of the Deng Clan of Sanshi Commandery and could be considered a veteran commander within Great Yan’s military.

His daughter was also the mother-consort of the Fourth Prince.

When the Emperor of Yan’s cavalry trampled the great clans, the Deng Clan of Sanshi escaped serious involvement for two reasons.

First, they had chosen their side early.

Second, they were ultimately a military great clan.

Within the present military hierarchy of Great Yan, if the Marquis of Zhenbei and Marquis of Jingnan formed the first tier, then the Deng Clan could be counted among the standard-bearers of the second.

Its influence extended especially deep into the local military structure.

Many regional commanders had once risen through the Deng Clan’s network.

“Press them!

“Keep pressing them!

“This old man refuses to believe they truly dare rebel!

“And if they do rebel, then with our great army already here, we will first suppress the rebellion on His Majesty’s behalf before entering Dacheng!

“Pacify the interior before resisting external threats!”

“The Commander-in-Chief has arrived!”

“The Commander-in-Chief has arrived!”

The guards outside shouted in unison.

“Greetings, Commander-in-Chief!”

“Greetings, Commander-in-Chief!”

The tent flap was lifted from outside.

The First Prince, dressed in armor, strode in and looked toward Deng Jiuru seated at the head.

Deng Jiuru stood and saluted.

“Greetings, First Prince.”

The many officers of the left-wing army also saluted together.

“Greetings, First Prince.”

The Deng Clan’s influence was concentrated mainly in the localities.

The left-wing army had essentially been assembled from regional commandery troops.

That was why Deng Jiuru had been appointed commander of the left wing.

“The old general certainly has a temper.

“Tell Us what happened.

“Who was so treasonous and outrageous that they managed to anger Our old general this badly?”

“Your Highness, look at this. Just look!

“Our army passed through Xinsu, yet Chief Commander Chen Yang actually pretended not to see us.

“The vanguard officers sent out to requisition grain were all turned back by the local garrisons.

“Not one grain of rice.

“Not a single laborer.

“And that General of Shengle even sent us a letter crying poverty, saying the court has owed his grain and military pay for ages!

“He actually stretched out his hand and asked *us* for support!”

“Oh?”

The First Prince walked forward.

Deng Jiuru hesitated for a moment, then stepped down from the commander’s seat.

The First Prince naturally sat in it.

He picked up the written reply on the desk and looked it over.

“This is indeed somewhat improper.”

“Exactly, Your Highness!

“These people simply have no respect for—”

“Old General Deng.

“Mind your words.”

The First Prince cut him off.

“What?

“They can do such things, but this old man is not even allowed to say it?

“This realm ultimately belongs to Great Yan.

“It belongs to His Majesty.

“It does not belong to some man surnamed Tian!”

The First Prince rubbed between his brows.

“This matter will be handled by Us.

“Old General, please calm yourself for now.

“Once the army enters Dacheng, Dacheng will naturally be responsible for supplying our military provisions.

“The Yan troops stationed here in the Jin lands truly have not had easy lives.

“We ought to show them some understanding.”

“But—”

“Why are you still standing there?

“Escort the old general out to rest!”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

The officers of the left-wing army rose.

They first excused themselves before the First Prince, then half supported and half carried Deng Jiuru out of the command tent.

Deng Jiuru was still shouting complaints as he went, but his body was very honestly carried outside without any real resistance.

The command tent was cleared.

Only the people the First Prince had personally brought remained.

His personal guards also surrounded the tent outside.

At that moment, a young officer bowed toward the First Prince.

“Your Highness, those local commanders are deliberately putting eye drops in your eyes.”

“You think We cannot see that?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“These old bastards have spent so long acting like local kings and tyrants that even on a distant campaign they still insist on putting on their stinking airs.

“The war has not even begun and they are already thinking about flaunting their authority and scraping profit into their own pockets.

“Before we marched, the court allocated part of the grain, supplies, and military equipment and ordered the localities to raise laborers themselves.

“These people swallowed their own allocations.

“Then after arriving here, they actually had the nerve to extort supplies from the Jingnan Army.

“Heh.”

The First Prince picked up another written response.

“They even dared send vanguard officers in Our name.

“Right.

“The people We ordered you to send—have they gone?”

“Your Highness can rest assured.

“They have already been dispatched.”

“Make the explanation clear.

“We will not have this chamber pot dumped over Our head for no reason.”

“But Your Highness, the Jingnan Army truly has shown very little respect.”

“Face is something you earn for yourself.

“It is not something you seize by relying on status and rank.

“Besides, the Marquis of Jingnan has not spoken.

“How would the people beneath him dare do anything?”

“Then why has the Marquis of Jingnan...?”

“Is that a question you should be asking?”

“This subordinate knows his crime.”

There was one matter very few people knew.

Ever since the wife of the Marquis of Jingnan died, the Marquis had shut himself away inside his residence.

At first, he refused to meet the emissaries sent by the court to offer condolences.

Later, even when an imperial commissioner arrived to proclaim a decree, he still refused to appear.

And yet, despite the Marquis of Jingnan behaving this way, the court did not dare punish him.

It even had to help conceal the matter.

“Now We finally understand why Father deliberately had Us bring these troops into Dacheng.

“It is not Great Yan’s iron cavalry as a whole that excels in battle.

“It is the Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army that excel in battle.

“Look at those old foxes.

“Look at that bunch.

“How are they any different from those pieces of trash in the State of Qian?

“Once we enter Dacheng and the fighting begins, We will personally lead the Zhenbei Army to hold the rear.

“Then We will find an opportunity to kill off a batch of them.

“Otherwise, they may truly begin thinking this Prince is made of clay.

“For now, We still need to endure them a little longer.

“Endure a little longer.”

The First Prince rested his forehead in one hand and said with some relief, “Fortunately, when We laid out the strategy before Father, We advocated proceeding gradually.

“That gave Us enough room to handle matters calmly.

“If We had really made some grand military pledge before him, then a sovereign’s court admits no joking words.

“Once forced into a desperate rush to attack hard and fast, serious problems really could arise.

“Right.

“You personally take a detachment to Shengle.

“Separate a batch of grain, supplies, and military equipment from Our central army stores and deliver them there.”

“That Zheng Fan is crying poverty, isn’t he?

“Then we will send him something.

“Once we enter Dacheng, whatever we lack, we can simply ask the Situ Clan for it.

“If they have it, why wouldn’t we take it?”

“Your Highness, won’t that only encourage his arrogance?”

“You’re muddleheaded.

“Shengle’s position is far too important.

“Once our army enters Dacheng, if anything changes in the war, the rear must be secure first.

“Chen Yang at Xinsu City did not open the gates when we passed.

“But if we truly need him to receive us or cover a retreat, We believe the Jingnan Army will not stand aside and watch us die.

“As for Shengle, the Marquis of Jingnan’s expedition into the snowfields passed through there in the first place.

“We have to guard against the savages copying that same method and circling around to cut our rear.

“Send Shengle some supplies.

“Let them keep a proper watch over the road behind us.

“It is worth the cost.”

“This subordinate understands.

“I will go shortly.”

“When you meet Zheng Fan, say a few pleasant words.

“Do not be too proud to lower your face.”

“This subordinate understands.”

“Good.

“That will do for now.

“We truly are somewhat tired.

“Back when We served as an ordinary officer beneath another commander, life actually felt much easier.

“You received military orders and carried them out.

“How could you understand how many rotten, trivial matters come with personally taking the commander’s seal and leading an expedition?”

...

Inside the central army camp, Li Fusheng and Li Bao sat together.

Li Fusheng had an entire plate of peanuts to himself.

In front of Li Bao sat a plate of pickled garlic.

“Heh.

“Heard about it?

“That old bastard Deng Jiuru is stirring up trouble again,” Li Fusheng said.

“Something has felt wrong about this expedition from the very beginning.”

Li Bao peeled garlic with his one hand.

“Exactly.

“This First Prince of ours— when it comes to fighting wars, he is far behind those two Marquises.”

“Heh-heh.

“You old bastard.

“The battle has not even started and you are already farting in advance.”

“Do I need to wait until the battle starts?

“If our Marquis or the Marquis of Jingnan were sitting here in command, would that old bastard Deng Jiuru and his crowd dare jump around like this?

“What the fuck are these people?

“Fighting beside this lot makes me uncomfortable all over.”

“That part is true.

“But I reckon the First Prince is simply enduring them for now.

“There are not many children of the Ji Clan who are easy to deal with.”

“Right.

“I have something good here.”

Li Fusheng furtively pulled out a jar of liquor from beneath him.

He removed the stopper.

Immediately, the fragrance of alcohol spread through the tent.

Li Bao’s face instantly relaxed in pleasure.

He sighed.

“This liquor could get a man drunk just from the smell.

“Want a little?”

“Forgot the Marquis’s rules?

“No drinking in the army.”

“We haven’t entered Dacheng yet.

“The fighting hasn’t started.

“Just one tiny bowl.

“One tiny bowl.”

“Fine.

“One tiny bowl.”

Li Fusheng poured one small bowl.

Then he produced two chopsticks.

The two Chief Commanders of Great Yan each took one chopstick.

They dipped it into the liquor, sucked the droplets off, then ate a peanut or took a bite of garlic.

“This liquor has some real force behind it.

“You old bastard, where did you get it?”

“That brat Zheng Fan had someone send it over.

“Three whole cartloads.”

“The one from Shengle City?

“That turtle’s grandson lives that close to me and has never once sent this old man a proper gift!”

Hearing that, Li Fusheng laughed even more happily.

He said, “You have no family ties with him and no old friendship.

“Why would he send *you* anything?

“Do you know how valuable this liquor is?

“It isn’t really meant for drinking.

“When soldiers are wounded, you pour it over the wound first.

“It can reduce the chance of the flesh festering.”

“Fine, fine.

“Keep showing off in front of me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?

“It wasn’t only liquor either.

“That brat sent plenty of other strange and useful things.

“We haven’t seen each other for almost a year, yet he still remembers me.

“At least I didn’t waste the regard I showed him back then.”

“Having that kind of heart is rare enough.

“Back then, he was only a tiny garrison officer.

“Naturally he had to lick your old boots.

“Now he has clawed his way up into one of those miscellaneous General titles, and he still remembers you.

“That is not easy.

“Still, he is flourishing beneath the Marquis of Jingnan now.

“There is no chance he will switch over to our Marquis’s household.

“Back then, our Marquis thought highly of the brat too.

“It was only that the Marquis of Jingnan moved first and snatched him away.”

Hearing that, Li Fusheng suddenly felt that the liquor in front of him was not quite as fragrant anymore.

He sighed.

“Once the Commandery Princess enters the capital, our Marquis’s household will no longer be the household it used to be.”

Hearing those words, Li Bao reached up and rubbed his eyes.

“How can our Marquis bear to do it?

“Even I can’t bear it.

“I truly can’t.”

“Oho.

“What’s this?

“A grown man like you is crying now?

“Cry my ass. Cry, cry, cry.”

“Fuck your mother.

“This old man isn’t crying!”

“You’re not crying?

“Then what’s this?

“What’s this?”

“I forgot the hand I used to rub my eyes had just peeled garlic!”

[End of Chapter 295]