The Demon Lords

Chapter 512 27 Borrowing Troops_1

Actually, Zheng Fan didn't much care what impact his advice would have on Ren Juan's future. He had only said those things to Ren Juan to show that he was on their side.

As soon as he returned to his sleeping quarters, Zheng Fan immediately summoned the Blind Man and the others, assigning them the task Lord Jingnan had given him. Then, he found a relatively empty room in the side hall adjacent to his quarters and began to rest.

By the time he awoke, it was nearing dusk.

Stretching languidly as he woke, Xue Three hopped down from a ceiling beam. "My lord, you are awake?"

Zheng Fan nodded, glanced at the sky outside, and said, "I slept a bit long."

"You were tired, my lord."

Zheng Fan chuckled. Actually, he knew he was just shirking his duties, but it didn't matter. Who could blame him when his subordinates were so competent? Even when he was lazing about and sleeping, he had a subordinate protecting him. Sigh, considering all the recent campaigns and battles, life certainly hadn't been easy. But to call it torturous would be a bit melodramatic.

After getting up, Zheng Fan walked out. He was just about to find something to eat when he saw A Ming approaching, who handed him a booklet.

"So soon?" Zheng Fan was surprised. He opened the booklet and discovered it detailed the assets confiscated from properties in the capital city.

Indeed, a centipede dies but never falls down. Despite the Jin State royal family's decline over so many years, there was still a thick layer of wealth to be skimmed off. Twenty percent of this was his! He was rich, truly rich! And to think, there was likely another set of hidden accounts beneath these official ones... tsk, tsk.

However, Zheng Fan still asked A Ming, "Lady Jingnan was with the Spy Bureau. What if she wants to examine the accounts?"

A Ming chuckled. "Siniang said you don't need to worry, my lord. This was all hastily plundered amidst the chaos of war. It's likely even the original owners don't know how much was taken from them. These accounts? We can make them say whatever we want."

"Hmm, good." Since Siniang was so confident, Zheng Fan figured there wouldn't be any problems.

Just then, Liang Cheng rode over. Seeing Zheng Fan, he reported, "My lord, Lord Jingnan summons you."

"Noted." Zheng Fan took the reins from Liang Cheng with one hand, the booklet still in the other, mounted his horse, and headed towards the west side hall of Zhenghe Hall.

Only five armored soldiers were stationed at the entrance to the side hall; there was no large contingent. A tiger retains its awe even in death, after all. Lord Jingnan was merely injured; even so, he wasn't someone common miscreants could hope to harm.

Without needing to be announced, Zheng Fan simply exchanged a glance with the soldiers at the door, and they stepped aside. When Zheng Fan pushed the door open and entered, he saw Lord Jingnan sitting on a cushion on the floor.

Lord Jingnan wasn't meditating but sitting casually. A small stove with boiling water was in front of him, and a tea set, presumably scrounged from the palace, sat beside it.

"Lord." Zheng Fan paid his respects.

"Hm." Lord Jingnan nodded, gesturing for Zheng Fan to sit and talk.

Zheng Fan didn't stand on ceremony and directly sat cross-legged on the ground.

"How is the task progressing?" Tian Wujing asked.

When your superior assigns you a task and then asks about its progress, if you feign ignorance, stammer, or are unclear, then you're truly just occupying a post without fulfilling your duties. This is especially unacceptable in wartime. To hold a position and not perform, according to military law, means death would be too light a punishment.

Fortunately, even though Zheng Fan had slept for most of the day, his subordinates had thoughtfully compiled the data and presented it to him.

"Lord, it is all here." Zheng Fan handed the booklet, which he himself hadn't finished reading, directly to Lord Jingnan.

Lord Jingnan took it and began to flip through it. The entries were itemized, and everything was meticulously categorized.

"Li Fusheng said you did a fine job in Chuzhou. This time, I specifically gave you this chance, and it seems you haven't disappointed. You've handled this task beautifully."

"Lord, it is merely my duty."

"Good work is good work. Don't be modest. Besides, you're not exactly a modest person."

Lord Jingnan set the booklet aside and added, "Your reminder this morning was very good."

"You have treated me very well, Lord, and saved my life several times. It was only right for me to do so."

"That, I believe, is true."

"Every word I say to you, Lord, comes from the bottom of my heart."

"See? That one is false."

"Lord..."

Lord Jingnan chuckled. "Alright, I won't make things difficult for you. But I am truly curious. You can fight, write, speak eloquently, manage accounts, and you possess the strategic perspective to analyze the broader situation. Chief Zheng, how did my Yan produce a talent like you?"

"Lord, you praise me too highly. Compared to you, I am nothing."

"Between us, there's no need for such insincerity."

"It's because I feel close to you, Lord. It's like how a junior wishes to please an elder and says a few extra auspicious words in their presence."

"An elder?"

"Yes."

"In your career, I didn't actually do much to promote you. Everything you have now, you've carved out yourself, blade by blade, spear by spear. In fact, I've even held you back quite a bit."

"How could I ever forget the grace of you saving my life on multiple occasions?"

"That's hardly a great favor. You are my soldier; it is my duty to save my own men."

"Lord..." You've blocked every path; how am I supposed to continue my flattery now?

"How many men do you have left under your command?" Lord Jingnan asked.

"To answer you, Lord, I have only about a thousand soldiers left who are capable of charging into enemy formations."

Fortunately, during the assault on the capital city, the Jin State resistance had been weak, so his casualties weren't heavy. Otherwise, Chief Zheng wouldn't have even been able to scrape together a thousand combat-ready soldiers.

"Does it pain you?" Tian Wujing asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Zheng Fan nodded. "It does."

The greatest issue plaguing him now was that Yan essentially had only two great field armies: Lord Jingnan's army and the Beifeng Army. The Beifeng Army had the young men of Beifeng Prefecture as a source of replenishment, while Lord Jingnan's army relied on Yinlang County. While he had connections to both these major field armies, he wasn't formally part of their command structure, so he couldn't directly receive troop reinforcements from them after battles. The root of the problem was that he should have originally belonged to a local military faction like Hui Wenzu's. However, he wanted to carve out his own territory and be independent, effectively cutting the umbilical cord. As someone who had experienced similar things, how could Tian Wujing not understand this?

"Shengle City is still in the hands of the local magnates. I will have Ren Juan dispatch a thousand cavalry to you shortly to help you capture Shengle City."

A thousand Jingnan Army troops? Zheng Fan exclaimed excitedly, "I thank you, Lord!"

"Don't be so quick to thank me. They are only lent to you for three months. After three months, this unit must return."

"Huh?" Zheng Fan was stunned. Although borrowing them for three months was already an excellent arrangement, he had truly thought they were being given to him permanently.

"Do you want them or not?"

"I do, Lord! I do, I do!"

Tian Wujing nodded. "The location of Shengle City is critical. It borders the Situ Family and is also near the Skybreak Mountain Range. You don't need to worry about guarding against the Situ Family; I will personally oversee that. But there is one thing you must do well for me."

"Please give your orders, Lord!"

"Keep a close eye on the Wild People. Although they may be inferior to the Barbarians, if Yan wishes to unify the Three Jin in the future, we will inevitably face the problem of the Wild People."

"Please rest assured, Lord. I will not fail this mission!"

"Hmm, I trust your ability to get things done. By the way, Ren Juan has also taken over two thousand Jin State prisoners. Their quality is rather mixed. Some are former retainers of the Wenren family, some from the Helian family, and others were personal guards from the capital city. Do you want them?"

"I want them."

"Just don't bite off more than you can chew and end up with a stomachache."

"Lord, for me, when it comes to troops, the more the merrier."

"Such arrogant words! If for you, 'the more troops the merrier,' then what about me?"

"Lord, you excel at commanding generals!"

"Heh." Tian Wujing chuckled and shook his head. "Who on earth did you learn this art of flattery from?"

"To answer your question, Lord, I ran a tavern and was a merchant before joining the army."

"That makes sense. When you, Chief Zheng, achieve prominence in the future, you'll be a prime example of someone rising from humble origins. My Yan has been plagued by aristocratic clans for too long; it needs people like you to emerge and shake things up. People need hope. In the past, the paths to advancement were controlled by these great clans, making it incredibly difficult for commoners to rise to prominence. Since we've already trampled upon these clans, a new order must naturally emerge. Zheng Fan, for his part, was more than willing to be cultivated as such an example."

"In fact, Qian State once had such a figure: the Tattoo-faced Master. He rose from being a genuine bastard—one of those criminals exiled to the border army—step by step, to a position second only to the emperor. His story was a powerful inspiration for the military officers of Qian State, though that era of hope didn't last long."

"Barring any major disturbances, I will be stationed in Li Tian City for the foreseeable future. It's quite far from your Shengle City. However, Li Bao of Quhe City is much closer to you. You also have some history with the Beifeng Army, so manage those relationships as you see fit."

"I understand."

"There's nothing else for you here. I plan to withdraw the army tomorrow. I will also be taking the Empress Dowager and some close relatives of the Jin State Imperial Clan with me. You should also make your preparations quickly."

"Yes."

"Alright, you may go now."

"I take my leave."

After Zheng Fan left, a graceful figure emerged from an inner room. Holding a damp cloth, she lifted the kettle from the small clay stove and began to prepare tea.

Tian Wujing gently patted his own forehead and said, "I told you not to come."

"My lord, how could I not come? Just look at the state you've gotten yourself into! It was a battle you clearly could have won, yet you insisted on fighting that Jin State Sword Saint yourself. Do you really need that kind of fame, my lord?"

For a martial artist, defeating the Sword Saint in person was indeed an unparalleled honor.

In Dujuan's presence, Tian Wujing indeed put on no airs. As his gaze fell upon her gently swelling belly, a rare tenderness softened his eyes.

"If I make a move myself, fewer of our soldiers will die." If the Sword Saint were in the capital city or the imperial palace, he alone, with his sword, could cut down two hundred cavalrymen without issue.

"Yes, yes, yes, you are the Lord, you are the Marshal, your heart aches for your soldiers. But you must also show some consideration for me!" Dujuan handed the teacup to Tian Wujing and said, "My lord, Ren Juan already has few soldiers under his command, and now you've transferred another thousand from him. Are you trying to discipline him?"

"He's been entertaining ideas he shouldn't. Naturally, he needs to be reined in a little."

"My lord, Ren Juan is loyal."

Tian Wujing took a sip of tea, then looked up at Dujuan. "Do you want to be the empress?"

Dujuan snuggled into Tian Wujing's embrace, her fingers gently stroking his chest. "My lord, I don't want anything. I only want you to be safe and sound."

"Even if you wanted to, you couldn't." Tian Wujing swirled the tea in his cup. "Who would ever trust someone capable of exterminating his own entire clan to share wealth and power with them in the future?"