Chapter 964: National War (II)

“It’s raining.”

Sitting on horseback, Gou Moli raised his head and looked into the night sky.

Raindrops fell one by one onto his face.

They were clearly growing heavier.

Around him, soldiers moved busily through the camp.

Their commander had just ordered the entire army to prepare for withdrawal.

It was not that no generals had tried to come to the command tent and voice objections after receiving the order.

Gou Moli had simply instructed his personal guard to stop them.

This was an attitude.

The attitude of a commander-in-chief whose decision was not open to dispute.

Even Chi Lin and Hao Min, seeing that the Sword Saint still stood beside their Marshal, did not force the issue.

They could only obey.

The white-robed Sword Saint rarely appeared openly before the army.

But precisely because of that, his presence could, to a certain extent, be treated as the Prince’s own endorsement.

Longyuan had long since been given to the little princess of Prince Pingxi Residence.

But with the Sword Saint himself standing here... it was as though the Prince had personally sent Gou Moli an imperial sword of authority.

“Doesn’t it make you uncomfortable, Old Brother?” Gou Moli asked, turning toward the Sword Saint.

Being used as a “princely command” in human form probably was not especially pleasant.

Gou Moli knew the Sword Saint’s temperament.

Sometimes Gou Moli would also look back on the past and wonder:

If, years ago before Snow Sea Pass, the Sword Saint had not forcibly opened Second Grade and killed Gelimu... would everything have turned out differently?

Of course... it was only idle thought.

No matter how many hypothetical versions one invented for the past, they were not worth half a copper coin.

The Sword Saint shook his head.

“I’m used to it.”

To a certain extent, Zheng Fan had long since understood the Sword Saint’s temperament perfectly.

Of course...

Zheng Fan had paid an enormous price for that understanding.

One son and one daughter had both entered the Sword Saint’s lineage.

“Your temper has changed quite a lot,” Gou Moli said.

“Who stays unchanged forever?”

“Even a swordsman changes? I always thought a swordsman’s sword remained straight forever.”

The Sword Saint spread his hands.

“That is why I no longer carry one.”

“Tsk.”

Gou Moli made a sound of admiration.

“Not bad.”

“You have changed too,” the Sword Saint said.

“Where?”

The Sword Saint looked toward the military camp ahead, where soldiers moved with a faint air of haste and tension.

“You had already guessed this scene would happen. And that was why you deliberately sat there playing with Big Girl’s toy. The purpose... was so that when the military reports arrived... you could react at exactly the right moment.”

“Well, well. You noticed even that little thought of mine?”

Gou Moli wiped rain from his face.

“He is the same,” the Sword Saint added.

Gou Moli replied:

“That is called seeing the worthy and thinking of becoming their equal.”

Then...

Gou Moli flicked his riding crop.

“I’ll trouble you to run away with me.”

“I’m used to it.”

The Savage army began withdrawing.

The retreat was... somewhat hurried.

That same rainy night, Xie Zhuyang rode at the head of his troops in pursuit.

“Clan Head, this general has one thing I do not understand.”

A general beside Xie Zhuyang spoke.

His name was Xie Yi.

He was Xie Zhuyang’s nephew.

Xie Zhuyang had only one son, so naturally there were many nephews from collateral branches serving close beside him and being cultivated for future use.

Of course... the Xie Clan’s own Thousand-Li Colt was simply too outstanding.

Even though the main line had only a single heir, none of the collateral branches dared entertain improper thoughts.

“Ask.”

“Why did the Yan army simply withdraw like this?”

For an isolated army that found itself surrounded, the first instinct was normally to punch open a road home.

That was the safest and most conservative choice.

But this Yan force actually possessed another possible choice.

It could deliberately choose a road from which there was no return.

Xie Zhuyang glanced at his nephew and released a sigh.

“They’re afraid.”

“The Yan army is afraid?”

“No. You are.”

“We...?”

“In your eyes, the Yan have already become so powerful they cannot be defeated. You are accustomed to losing to Yan. Accustomed to avoiding Yan sabers. Accustomed to becoming timid in front of Yan. But... Yan men are still men. You only remember Qu Tiannan and the Azure Luan Army being slaughtered beneath Yupan City. You forget that the surface of the Wang River was once covered with Yan corpses too. You only remember the flames that rose over Ying Capital that night. You forget the sight of Yan’s Count Huwei dying beside the lake. The Yan are not invincible. They are not gods. Certainly, their previous generation had Prince Jingnan, and this generation has the Regent Prince. I admit both are heroes of the first rank. But as long as Great Chu can continue to exist... as long as we Chu people can continue preserving our identity as Chu... then sooner or later fortune will turn in our favor.”

“Yes, Clan Head. This general has been instructed.”

“But this time, what you said was not entirely wrong. If the force opposite us belonged to some other Yan commander, then breaking north right now would indeed be the most natural choice. But the man commanding the troops across from us... is that wolf-dog from the snowfields.”

A wolf traveled a thousand li... to eat meat.

How could such a beast willingly run away like this?

Xie Yi asked:

“Clan Head, then the meat he wants to eat is...?”

Xie Zhuyang looked deeply at his nephew.

Under the rainy night, everything seemed shrouded in mist and difficult to see clearly.

Yet Xie Zhuyang’s eyes shone with a soul-seizing light.

“It is... us.”

...

“Hu... hu...”

A bitter wind had already begun to rise.

The cold of winter had arrived early.

Yet south of the Wei River, construction did not stop.

Military stockades rose one after another.

Defensive works appeared in row after row.

Anyone seeing the scene without knowing the preceding situation might have assumed Chu was attacking while Yan was defending.

Compared with the bustle on Yan’s side... the Chu side looked somewhat bleak.

By paying with enormous numbers of Savage auxiliary lives, Yan had effectively forced Chu’s three-commandery defensive system to shift, as much as possible, from defense sustained by the local countryside toward isolated strongpoints dependent upon outside supply.

Moya, Wenqiu, and Shangyang Commanderies had originally been relatively prosperous territory for Chu.

But ever since the first Yan-Chu national war years ago, Chu’s fertile regions had gradually been eroded.

In other words...

Chu’s overall national strength had been weakening continuously.

Then, after Prince Pingxi took control of eastern Jin with Zhennan Pass in hand, that Prince—who never forgot to concern himself with the spiritual civilization of his neighbors on the snowfields—had likewise never neglected caring for his wife’s maternal homeland.

He never stopped bleeding Chu.

The fundamental reason the Chu court had remained able to endure and preserve its military system was that after the Chu Emperor used external pressure to weaken the great noble houses, the authority of the court expanded.

At the same time, Chu’s policies over the past several years of courting and dividing the southern Shanyue had gained the court still more support from the south.

From the perspective of the entire land of Chu...

Chu had become weaker.

But from the perspective of the “State of Chu” as a centralized court... it had actually become “stronger.”

The problem was that this strength had been achieved by overdrawing the qi and blood of the entire country.

In other words... its future potential.

“Master, the present Chu actually resembles the north and south during the Three Kingdoms period to a certain degree.”

“During the Three Kingdoms?” Zheng Fan asked.

“Yes.”

The Blind Man nodded.

“At that time, the north had undergone much more development. The south, which later generations would regard as wealthier, was still comparatively ‘wild.’ Chu’s situation now is similar. To some extent, our pressure against Chu has forced that elder brother-in-law of yours to accelerate the development of Chu’s southern regions.”

“In that case, my elder brother-in-law has also made a tremendous contribution to All Xia.”

“Heh-heh.”

Zheng Fan tugged his cloak more tightly around himself.

With the Blind Man following one step behind, he climbed a watchtower.

“Blind Man, how much longer do you think Chu’s logistics can hold?”

“We spent five years burying our heads and developing. They were not idle either.”

Zheng Fan heard this and nodded.

“The main issue is still the Great Marsh. The Savage auxiliaries have achieved tremendous results. But once the Chu completely pull in their necks and have the Great Marsh supporting their flank, our army cannot sever their rear. That means my elder brother-in-law can keep supplying the army at the front.”

Cutting logistics before fighting the army should not even be called a habit of commanders.

It should be called instinct.

Zheng Fan stopped walking.

Then said:

“Still, Chu’s problem is terrain. When we fight Qian in the future, this method could be used to break the Three Frontiers. The northern lands of Qian are very flat.”

“Master is correct.”

The two reached the top of the watchtower.

Zheng Fan did not look south.

Instead, he turned north.

Two armies were appearing from that direction.

Their armor differed from eastern Jin’s.

“Have the rotations gone up?” Zheng Fan asked.

“Replying to Master, everything was arranged long ago. You specifically instructed it. This subordinate would not dare neglect it.”

“Mm.”

Zheng Fan turned south again and gently patted the railing before him.

“Truthfully, this national war is larger in scale than the first Yan-Chu national war Old Tian fought.”

In total manpower, the numbers might be similar.

But in the number of true regular soldiers and the abundance of logistical support... this campaign surpassed Old Tian’s by far.

“And it was planned personally by Master. Sometimes when this subordinate looks at Master, I still find it surprising. It feels faintly unreal. Though by now I am gradually growing accustomed to it.”

“Your way of flattering people is much better than Ah Cheng’s. You build up to it. It doesn’t feel stiff.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Below the watchtower, Mandun had returned with his men.

He had no idea that the man standing above his head right now was the Regent Prince himself.

Nor did he have any interest in looking around.

His mood was poor.

With winter arriving, Chu civilians had stopped most forms of necessary outdoor production and begun huddling away.

Ears... had become much harder to collect.

Chu soldiers were not easy meat either.

Now the Savage auxiliaries often had to pay several times the losses they once had... only to collect far fewer ears than before.

Most infuriating of all, batch after batch of cavalry flying banners of the Yan court had begun stealing the work that had originally belonged to the Savage auxiliaries.

The explanation from above was that those troops had only just arrived and needed opportunities to practice.

According to Mandun and the other Savage auxiliaries’ understanding of Great Yan... the Yan court was also a powerful tribe.

It was allied with the Regent Prince’s eastern Jin tribe.

But those men were still Yan...

So once court troops arrived, the Savage auxiliaries did not dare compete with them for meat.

Whenever some easy target appeared, they could only leave it for those soldiers.

Mandun and the other Savages did not think they were being bullied.

Nor did they believe there was anything wrong with their lower status.

Instead... they became even more desperate to obtain Standard-Household status.

Once they achieved that... everything would be different.

Unfortunately... he was still missing just a little.

Only a little more.

Mandun led his horse with drooping spirits.

After he and his men passed inspection and entered the military fort, he happened to see the earless Guo Dong hurry past them.

Mandun found it strange.

But his status was nowhere near high enough to call the man over for no reason.

He only watched Guo Dong climb the watchtower, then dared not delay further and went toward the station where ears were counted and military merit settled.

“This humble officer pays respects to Your Highness! May Your Highness live a thousand years, a thousand years, ten thousand thousand years!”

Guo Dong prostrated himself before Zheng Fan.

“Is everything here still orderly?” Zheng Fan asked.

“Replying to Your Highness, I would not dare call it perfectly organized, but it remains orderly.”

“What kind of wording is that?”

Zheng Fan could not help laughing.

Guo Dong gave an embarrassed smile, rose, and stood respectfully to one side.

“Is everything well at home?” Zheng Fan asked.

Guo Dong looked flattered by the attention.

“Replying to Your Highness, everything at home is well.”

“I heard you had a daughter?”

“Your Highness, two daughters.”

At that moment, the Blind Man interjected:

“Xu An has two sons.”

Zheng Fan’s impression of Guo Dong came mostly from what the man had suffered in the past and from his “disfigurement.”

But that disfigurement itself was essentially a military medal one carried openly on the body.

As for Xu An, that iron-faced military discipline officer...

Zheng Fan remembered him much more clearly.

“Oh. I remember the two of you are very close. Have you arranged a child betrothal?”

“Replying to Your Highness, no.”

“Did the war delay it?”

“No...”

“Then what was the reason?”

This age certainly did not emphasize free love.

Zheng Fan’s own act of abducting and marrying a Princess of Great Chu was already practically a pioneering example of “free love” for the era.

Guo Dong answered:

“Replying to Your Highness, this humble officer originally wanted to arrange one marriage. But that bastard wanted to arrange two. I got angry and stopped discussing it.”

“Hahahahahaha!”

The Prince burst into loud laughter.

“He certainly knows how to calculate a bargain. Don’t agree. You’d be losing all the way back to your maternal grandmother’s house.”

Guo Dong nodded vigorously.

“Yes, yes. Your Highness is absolutely right.”

At that moment, Xu An also climbed the watchtower.

Seeing Guo Dong standing beside the Prince did not surprise him.

He first saluted the Prince and Mr. Bei.

Then he presented a memorial.

The Prince did not accept it.

Mr. Bei did.

Inside was a list.

A purge list.

Some of the names belonged to officers at Commandant rank or above.

Some had been arrested directly.

Others had died “accidentally” in battle.

For example, a man in charge of logistics might suddenly be sent outside to collect ears... and then there would be no “afterward.”

The Blind Man did not open the report.

Yet he had already finished reading it.

He nodded toward Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan sighed.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“This general merely performed his duty. I would not dare speak of hardship.”

“This Prince should reward you with something.”

“This general would not dare...”

“Hey. Rewards and punishments must be clear. How about this? I’ll arrange a marriage for your children. Guo Dong, you agree to let this Prince act as matchmaker, don’t you?”

Guo Dong immediately put on a miserable expression.

“A marriage bestowed by Your Highness is this humble officer’s honor. Many thanks, Your Highness.”

Xu An saluted at once as well.

“Many thanks, Your Highness.”

“Hehehe.”

Zheng Fan turned around again and continued looking south.

This purge had nothing to do with differences in political opinion.

Inside eastern Jin... the Prince was the only political opinion that mattered.

The fundamental cause of this latest purge lay in one representative force that had played an enormous role during eastern Jin’s early establishment: smuggling merchants from every state and region.

When eastern Jin needed them most, they entered.

They made enormous fortunes.

At the same time, eastern Jin obtained what it desperately lacked and gained commercial circulation.

Their relationship with Prince Pingxi Residence had once been extremely good.

But not every smuggling caravan was the Fan Clan of years past.

In truth, even Fan Zhengwen—the Emperor’s uncle by marriage—had originally dreamed of carving out territory and governing himself.

If Zheng Fan had not eventually rescued him with troops when he was driven into a dead end, Fan Zhengwen would never have voluntarily handed over the ancestral foundation and lands of the Fan Clan either.

Most importantly... once Little Sixth at court and Zheng Fan himself both issued declarations calling for the unification of All Xia... this group instead became an obstacle to that process.

Eastern Jin’s situation was not too serious.

Prince Pingxi Residence possessed overwhelming control.

Moreover, to the military-war machine beneath the Residence, the profits brought by outward war were obviously greater than the tribute offered by smugglers.

So these people never developed into any meaningful force in eastern Jin.

The men Xu An had purged were merely small fry.

And small fry were all eastern Jin really had.

The court’s situation, by contrast... was much more serious.

Back then, Ji Old Sixth had performed surgery on himself, staged his own sudden death, then used Lu Bing as his blade to purge a group of people.

A large portion of those eliminated were “officials” involved in collusion between bureaucracy and commerce.

After Great Yan trampled the great clans beneath cavalry hooves, a vast vacuum had appeared.

Something would inevitably fill it.

And back when Ji Old Sixth was still a prince managing the Ministry of Revenue, he had used every method imaginable to support his father’s wars.

Truthfully... at the time, Ji Old Sixth himself had been the greatest smuggler in all Great Yan.

Under his leadership, there was even a period when smuggling became one of Great Yan’s most important sources of revenue.

That naturally created an enormous collection of vested interests.

These smugglers operated across All Xia.

Behind them usually stood local backgrounds and local powers of their own.

They could become Yan’s eyes and ears.

But they were certainly not only one side’s eyes and ears.

They would cry and shout that they supported Great Yan’s unification, claim they longed for the day their own homeland became Yan territory, and beg for Great Yan’s royal army to arrive.

But in truth... the people who least wanted All Xia unified... were also them.

“I think Ji Old Sixth is going to jump with anger.”

Zheng Fan suddenly laughed.

Eastern Jin had acted first.

That meant beating the grass and startling the snake.

The move would inevitably leave Ji Old Sixth in Yanjing somewhat unprepared.

The Blind Man said:

“Urgent circumstances require exceptional measures. This subordinate actually warned the Emperor in advance.”

“Oh. Good.”

Once the Emperor had long since discovered that the letters exchanged with him were not actually written personally by Zheng Fan but by someone else... the Prince had felt not the slightest embarrassment.

Instead, he became even more comfortable handing all correspondence over to the Blind Man.

The Blind Man only reported the important points back to him.

At that moment... two Brocade-Clad personal guards hurried up the watchtower.

“Report! Your Highness! Urgent military intelligence from Fan City!”

This time, Zheng Fan did not wait for the Blind Man to take it.

He personally reached out, accepted the report, and opened it.

The moment he finished reading... he burst into loud laughter.

“Hahahahaha! Our little dog... has been surrounded.”

[End of Chapter 964]