The Demon Lords

Chapter 445 445: 53 Assassin_1

The heated chamber was silent for a moment.

Zheng Fan tried his best to appear natural, but a bitter smile soon touched his lips.

He had underestimated his opponent.

Of course, the progression of this entire affair, the so-called 'grand tide of events,' had nothing to do with whether Chief Zheng had been careless or not.

One could only say that none who sat upon the Dragon Throne were simpletons.

The Qian State possessed nearly seven hundred thousand elite troops on its Three Borders. Originally, if these forces had turned south to reinforce the capital, the Earl of North Border and Lord Jingnan could have led two hundred thousand cavalry to annihilate this grand army on the plains. Such an outcome was entirely possible.

Had that battle been won, the Qian State's northern territories would have lost most of their capacity to resist. But now, if the Qian State's armies on the Three Borders did not return to provide reinforcements, instead remaining entrenched like nails, or even secretly dispatched a portion of their troops to invade the vulnerable Yan State, then no matter how rampantly the Earl of North Border's army and Lord Jingnan's army operated in the northern territories of the Qian State, they still wouldn't be able to completely swallow and digest this prize. Instead, they would find themselves choked by it, like a fishbone caught in the throat.

Simultaneously, the Barbarian Royal Court would likely seize this opportunity to attempt to break free from the Earl of North Border's control—an opportunity they had awaited for a hundred years.

Furthermore, the Jin State, adhering to the principle 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will feel cold,' would likely dispatch a large army to attack the Yan State. This was almost a certainty. Otherwise, the Imperial Guards of Yanjing and the rear echelons of Lord Jingnan's army would not have been deployed to the empire's easternmost defensive line so prematurely.

Meanwhile, Yan's most formidable field army was trapped in the north of the Qian State, unable to advance or retreat. If they withdrew, they would not only have to relinquish the prize almost within their grasp but also face a counterattack from the Qian State.

For a moment, Zheng Fan felt a chill in his heart.

The Yan State, which had enjoyed such an advantageous position, had suddenly been plunged into a predicament where it faced war on three fronts.

Seeing Zheng Fan's silence, the Qian Emperor said,

"To be honest, I truly must thank him, Ji Runhao. Those fraudulent payrolls for the Three Borders and the Imperial Guards—that vast sum of misappropriated military funds—in the past, no one dared to touch it. Not even I.

But now, you Yan people, with your 'knives,' have helped me—helped Great Qian—puncture this abscess. It was perfect.

So, tell me, how should I thank His Majesty of your state?"

"But the north of the Qian State has already been devastated."

"'It matters not, it matters not,' the Qian Emperor said, casually shaking his head. 'The wealth of my Great Qian lies south of the Qian River, in Jiangnan. The taxes from Jiangnan account for eighty percent of my Great Qian's annual treasury revenue.

The Three Borders have been desolate for far too long. Shu Prefecture and Beihe Prefecture are particularly impoverished. They might seem prosperous in the eyes of you Yan people, but to us Qian people, they are destitute regions.

The only area slightly affected is West Mountain Prefecture. But even if West Mountain Prefecture were completely ravaged, for me, it would still be a worthwhile exchange.

Don't laugh. My Great Qian suffers gravely from the 'three redundancies.' Though it appears prosperous on the surface, our treasury is nearly at the point of insolvency—living from hand to mouth.

The first redundancy is superfluous soldiers. I've sent wave after wave of garrison troops for you to scatter. Consequently, the generals of the Three Borders and the Imperial Guards, along with the powerful figures behind them, no longer dare to conceal the truth about the fraudulent payrolls. This, in turn, gives me a legitimate reason, under the guise of the greater good, to extend my reach into these two military forces.

The second is redundant officials. With so many officials in the north being derelict in their duties, killed, or surrendering, it's an excellent opportunity for a purge.

This third redundancy is the clergy. You Yan people believe in neither Buddhism nor Daoism. Along your path, you've destroyed countless temples and Daoist shrines, which has done me a great service.

What's more, some temples and Daoist shrines, to protect themselves, even actively handed over their stored grain to you Yan people. This has given me another excellent pretext! I've long been displeased with these people of the faith who contribute nothing to production or labor yet are exempt from taxes!'"

Growing animated, the Qian Emperor stood up. He even spun around. Disregarding his age, he appeared remarkably carefree and elegant.

Perhaps it was very much in line with the aesthetics of this era, but Zheng Fan truly couldn't appreciate it. Maybe it was because there were far too many performance artists in his previous world.

"Your Majesty," Zheng Fan began.

The Qian Emperor stopped and asked,

"Do you have anything else to say?"

"Any plan, in its initial conception, always seems wonderful."

"'I understand. That's why I didn't allow you to meet with the officials. I am quite pleased at the moment, but most of the officials are likely deeply unsettled. Even the esteemed ministers at court—they are all top-notch administrators in times of peace and prosperity, but in an era of chaos, they are little more than decorative displays.'"

"Your Majesty, this foreign subject believes that you might be overly optimistic."

"'Are you just being a stubborn mule?'"

"'The Qian State cannot conjure a large army out of thin air!'"

"'Give me three years, and I can rebuild a true Imperial Guard of eight hundred thousand!'"

The Qian Emperor bent down, looking at Zheng Fan seated on the blanket, and said,

"'Actually, as an emperor, I am quite ordinary. But there's truly nothing to be done.

It's like two children: one herding cattle, the other gathering firewood. They both sit under a large tree for an afternoon, doing nothing.

Yet, the cow of the cattle-herding child has grazed its fill, while the firewood-gathering child hasn't chopped a single piece of wood.

Do you understand what this implies?'"

A sudden surge of anger and frustration welled up in Zheng Fan's heart.

To be honest, Chief Zheng had never truly considered himself a Yan person in the fullest sense. However, as the 'place of his birth' in this world, and the nation where he had fought and risen, an emotional leaning was naturally unavoidable.