Chapter 308: Flattery

Zheng Fan rubbed between his brows.

He glanced at Jin Shuke, who was still kneeling there and looked utterly exhausted.

Truthfully, the fact that Jin Shuke had managed to bring back news from the front this quickly was already a major merit.

This barbarian soldier had genuinely given him quite a pleasant surprise.

Even learning the battlefield situation a single day earlier could be extremely important for how Shengle responded.

“Go get some rest.

“I’ll record a merit for you.”

“This general is willing to die for the General!”

Jin Shuke immediately kowtowed.

Then he said, “This general takes his leave.”

He truly was exhausted.

Completely spent.

After Jin Shuke withdrew, Zheng Fan swept his gaze across the Demon Kings gathered around him.

“A’Cheng.

“How many troops can we send?”

“Ten thousand.”

Liang Cheng gave the answer without hesitation.

Shengle City’s position was simply too “dangerous.”

It could not really be called some great strategic stronghold, but from here, one could travel north through the Tianduan Mountains and enter the snowfields.

By the same principle, snowfield tribes could also cross through those mountains, descend upon Shengle, and then enter the Jin lands.

The roads were terrible.

For a large army to move through them could easily take half a month or even longer.

Even so, Shengle had no choice but to leave enough troops behind to guard its home.

At the same time, a defeat for Yan’s army on the front could easily trigger a chain reaction.

When your power blazed at its height, naturally nobody dared make trouble.

That was roughly the situation in these newly conquered Jin lands.

But once you suddenly suffered a defeat, certain people’s thoughts would inevitably begin stirring.

Just as when Qin’s First Emperor was still alive, all those heroes and ambitious men obediently pretended to be loyal subjects.

The moment the First Emperor died, the realm exploded into chaos.

The Jin lands were much the same right now.

Yan had not yet fully digested this newly conquered territory.

So protecting their own base became even more important.

Heaven alone knew whether some “Jin restoration army” or rebel force might suddenly appear nearby the moment Shengle sent its troops away.

“Ten thousand...”

Zheng Fan still felt that was a little too few.

Ordinarily, the enormous cost of maintaining soldiers gave him headaches.

Yet whenever the time came to actually use them, he still felt he did not have enough.

“Blind Man.

“Conscript five thousand laborers.”

Those five thousand laborers would form the army’s logistical support.

However, once they marched out, Zheng Fan had no intention of hauling grain all the way from Shengle.

For one thing, the supply route would be inconvenient.

For another, they were going out to relieve Dacheng.

Was it not only natural for the people of Dacheng to feed them?

Even neighbors in the countryside who came over to help in the fields still expected a meal.

Those five thousand laborers would mainly be responsible for tending warhorses, repairing equipment, and building camps.

If necessary, they would also help construct siege engines.

In many armies, regular troops and auxiliary troops were difficult to distinguish cleanly.

Shengle, however, followed an elite-soldier policy.

So at least for now, it did not really maintain auxiliary troops as a separate category.

In one sentence—

General Zheng spent lavishly on soldiers.

“Yes, Master.”

The Blind Man accepted immediately.

Since war was coming, workshops, merchant routes, and everything else could wait until after the fighting.

“Third.

“Take your people and head into Dacheng first.

“Scout out the actual situation there in advance.”

“This subordinate obeys.”

“Siniang.

“Double-check our military supplies again.”

“Yes. This servant understands.”

Zheng Fan straightened in his seat.

His expression grew serious.

“Same rules as always.

“The Blind Man and Siniang stay behind and hold the house.

“Everyone else— marches with me.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

After the meeting ended, the Demon Kings all left to handle their respective preparations.

Zheng Fan decided to practice his saber for a while longer.

One could truly call it “sharpening the blade right before battle.”

Not long afterward, Xiao Yibo came over and reported:

“Master, that Lord Xiao from the Secret Intelligence Department has come again.”

“Again?”

Zheng Fan put away his saber.

Instinctively, he felt annoyed.

Anyone would be unhappy if the head of the secret police kept appearing at their door.

Unless, perhaps, that person happened to be your wife.

Lord Xiao’s full name was Xiao Liang.

He came from the Secret Intelligence Department.

After Dujuan’s death, Yan’s Secret Intelligence Department divided the newly conquered Jin territories into two regions, with their respective heads stationed in Litian City and Quhe City.

Xiao Liang was the head stationed in Quhe City.

This was his third visit.

The first time, the Blind Man had received him.

Zheng Fan had conveniently “not been home.”

The second time, Zheng Fan himself had received Xiao Liang.

And now, this was the third.

Zheng Fan knew perfectly well why the man kept coming.

It was not because Xiao Liang felt some special warmth toward him.

Nor was he repeatedly coming all this way simply to freeload a meal.

The Secret Intelligence Department and the army seemed to complement one another, but in reality they were still two separate systems.

Everyone could smile politely on the surface.

But if either side truly chose to make an issue of something, they could completely ignore the other.

More importantly, the present Emperor of Yan was broad-minded.

He had little interest in governing through secret-police terror.

His governing style also meant the Secret Intelligence Department could never dominate Yan the way Qian’s Silver-Armored Guard did.

Compared with the Brocade-Clad Guard or Eastern Depot Zheng Fan knew from history, there remained a very large difference.

Yet even the imperial court had tacitly accepted the official account that the wife of the Marquis of Jingnan and the child in her womb had both “died.”

And still this Xiao Liang kept running to Shengle again and again.

Naturally, he was here because of little Tian Tian.

This fellow was walking a tightrope.

As someone who had once been something of a “king of the tightrope,”

General Zheng understood Xiao Liang’s thinking perfectly.

He wanted to seek wealth and rank through danger.

There was definitely no will from the Emperor of Yan standing behind him.

As for whether someone else was backing him, Zheng Fan did not know.

But the bastard had come again and again.

At this point, he was truly taking kindness for weakness.

Zheng Fan met Xiao Liang in the front hall.

Xiao Liang had an unusually pale face.

Yan men generally possessed rougher features.

This fellow qualified as something of a pretty-faced man among them.

It did, admittedly, fit his profession rather well.

“General Zheng.

“I have come to trouble you again.”

Xiao Liang stood and cupped his hands.

Zheng Fan nodded.

He did not respond with much warmth.

Instead, he simply sat in the chair.

A maid naturally came forward to serve tea.

“I wonder what business brings Head Xiao to Shengle again?”

“General Zheng.

“Let us stop speaking around the subject.

“This is already my third visit to your territory.

“I imagine General Zheng understands perfectly well why I am here.

“I wish to see one person.

“Only once.

“One glance is enough.

“This is my duty.

“I ask General Zheng to make things convenient for me.

“In the future, if General Zheng has any need whatsoever, the Quhe City branch of the Secret Intelligence Department will refuse nothing.”

Truthfully, Xiao Liang himself was the most helpless one here.

The first time, a blind scholar had played Tai Chi with him until he left dizzy and confused.

The second time, General Zheng had copied the exact same method and played another round of Tai Chi with him.

Again, he had returned empty-handed.

This was the third time.

As the saying went, nothing should happen more than three times.

Xiao Liang had decided it was better to open the window and speak plainly.

That would leave both sides much less room to maneuver.

But he truly did not want to be fooled in circles again.

“Head Xiao jokes.

“If you want to see someone, feel free to choose any girl in Shengle City’s Red Tent.

“Zheng may not be wealthy, but I can still afford that much hospitality as your host.”

“General Zheng.

“Why make things difficult for me?

“This is already my third visit.”

“You know it’s the third time too.

“So who exactly is making things difficult for whom?”

“General Zheng.

“This is Xiao’s duty.

“Xiao...”

Zheng Fan immediately stood from his chair and dropped to his knees.

“This general Zheng Fan respectfully receives the imperial decree!

“Long live His Majesty!

“Long live!

“Long, long live!”

“...”

Xiao Liang.

Zheng Fan raised his head and looked at him with visible confusion.

“Head Xiao.

“Where is the imperial decree?”

“I...

“I do not have an imperial decree.”

“No decree?”

Zheng Fan rose from the floor.

The smile on his face turned cold.

“Now that is strange.

“Without an imperial decree, what exactly are you trying to do?”

“General Zheng.

“Can certain matters truly be written into an explicit imperial decree?”

“Zheng is merely a military man.

“I do not understand all these twists and turns.

“During war, I look at military orders.

“During ordinary times, I look at imperial decrees.”

Xiao Liang finally lost patience.

He said directly:

“General Zheng.

“Do not treat everyone beneath Heaven as fools.

“The son of the Marquis of Jingnan is in your residence.

“Do you truly believe you can hide that from everyone?”

“Ridiculous.

“The wife of the Marquis of Jingnan and the child in her womb died midway through a pilgrimage to Tianhu Mountain to pray for the Marquis.

“His Majesty and the imperial court both sent people to offer condolences.

“And now, from Head Xiao’s mouth, some completely different story has suddenly appeared?

“What exactly are your intentions, Lord Xiao?”

“What are *my* intentions?

“Should we not instead ask what intentions *you*, General Zheng, possess?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

Then he sat back down, lifted his tea, and said:

“Please forgive Zheng.

“Military affairs are extremely pressing.”

“Zheng Fan!”

Xiao Liang’s voice turned sharp.

“This is Great Yan’s realm!”

“There are many things Zheng would not dare claim.

“But when it comes to being a loyal and upright subject of Great Yan, my conscience is clear.

“It is simply that military matters are genuinely urgent.

“I truly have many things requiring my attention.”

“Military matters?

“General Zheng, do you really think Xiao is so easily fooled?

“Today, whether you want me to see that person or not—

I will see him.

“If General Zheng possesses the courage, then by all means bind Xiao and imprison me.

“Let the entire world see just how awe-inspiring General Zheng truly is!”

“Head Xiao.

“Do you know something?

“Even Eunuch Wei himself would not dare speak like this if he were standing here.

“Yes.

“Our Marquis has shut himself inside the Marquis’s Residence.

“But do you truly think that means our Marquis can no longer walk out?”

“Xiao is carrying out his duty!”

“The fuck does it have to do with you?”

Zheng Fan cursed outright.

“You little bastard have gone mad trying to seize a chance to stand out.

“You think every pit is one you’re qualified to jump into?”

“General Zheng.

“Times are different now.”

“Yes.

“Times are different now.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

Then he hurled the teacup in his hand onto the floor.

Truthfully, they had not arranged this beforehand.

But Zheng Fan figured that if he smashed a teacup, someone outside ought to hear the commotion.

Sure enough, A’Ming entered with a group of armored residence guards behind him.

Xiao Liang looked around in surprise.

He clearly had not expected Zheng Fan to actually dare lay hands on him.

Zheng Fan pointed at Xiao Liang.

“Take him.

“Hang him from the city gate for three days.”

A’Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Take him.”

The armored guards stepped forward.

Xiao Liang hesitated.

Then he chose not to resist.

Three days hanging at the gate was humiliation.

It was not execution.

He understood perfectly well that if he resisted now, he would absolutely never walk out of the General’s Residence alive.

“General Zheng!

“You will pay the price for what you have done today!”

Zheng Fan waved his hand.

The guards dragged Xiao Liang away.

A’Ming looked toward Zheng Fan.

“Master.

“Isn’t this move a little too aggressive?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“He was the one courting death.”

“But doing this is slapping the Secret Intelligence Department across the face.”

“The First Prince lost,” Zheng Fan suddenly said.

“Hm?”

“Tell me.

“Who do you think the court will ask to come back out?”

Zheng Fan stood.

He patted A’Ming on the shoulder.

“Flattery must be delivered early.”

[End of Chapter 308]