The Demon Lords

The carriage was spacious, and Zheng Fan felt a wave of warmth as he stepped inside.

Behind the fire basin, Dujuan was helping Lord Jingnan remove his armor, his back turned to Zheng Fan. Zheng Fan stood, not daring to be too presumptuous; he was, after all, in the presence of a powerful figure who had just "rescued" him and deserved respect.

Not every noble is as shameless as the Sixth Prince, Zheng Fan thought. Thinking of the Sixth Prince, he suddenly realized he rather missed him.

Lord Jingnan, now divested of his armor, sat down by the charcoal basin. He gestured lightly with his finger.

"Sit."

Naturally, there wasn't a stool for Zheng Fan, not even a cushion. Though the carriage was spacious, it only had one set of seat cushions. So, Zheng Fan sat cross-legged on the floor.

One good thing about Yan State was that despite its strict hierarchy, it wasn't overly pedantic about details. When told to sit, you sat; there was no need to kneel nervously.

Lord Jingnan's gaze swept over Zheng Fan. Noticing the bloodstains on his clothes, he asked, "Are you injured?"

"In response to Your Lordship, it's not serious."

Dujuan handed a sweet potato to Lord Jingnan. He shook his head, pointed to Zheng Fan, and said, "Give it to him."

Dujuan handed the sweet potato to Zheng Fan. As Zheng Fan took it, their eyes met briefly.

A female agent from the Spy Bureau sharing a carriage with Lord Jingnan? This Lord Jingnan certainly knows how to live. Isn't he concerned about appearances at all?

Zheng Fan juggled the very hot sweet potato in his hands, not in a hurry to eat, letting it cool first.

"You're very bold," Lord Jingnan remarked.

Zheng Fan didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent.

"Never mind that," Lord Jingnan said. "Tell me, what's the situation like in the frontier towns of Qian State?"

Zheng Fan began to organize his thoughts. He had personally experienced the situation and had his own insights. However, it was like the difference between asking a primary school student and a renowned author to write about the same tourist spot—the resulting accounts would be vastly different.

Liang Cheng is a general with battlefield experience. Answering Lord Jingnan's question from his perspective and using his manner of speaking will undoubtedly be more effective.

"The border army of Qian State is all glitter but no gold," Zheng Fan began, channeling Liang Cheng. "The three prefectures of Qian State have all built fortifications and castles, foolishly attempting to use the bricks and tiles of their fortresses to block Yan's iron hooves.

"However, those truly skilled in warfare prioritize people. Armaments, equipment, and bricks are all inanimate objects. While they can provide support, they cannot be solely relied upon.

"Based on what I have seen and heard along the way, although Qian State's border troops include some brave and loyal individuals, they are few and far between; they are unable to influence the larger situation. Their warriors all cherish their own lives; their scholar-bureaucrats all love wealth. Nearly half of the garrison soldiers are just names on a list, while the other half have been reduced to private slaves and laborers for the powerful and wealthy.

"The three major garrisons in the northern lands of Qian State—Chen, Liang, and Wei—claim to have a combined force of eight hundred thousand soldiers. However, in my opinion, if it comes to a field battle, with Your Lordship as the commander-in-chief, our fifty thousand Jingnan troops, together with fifty thousand garrison soldiers from Yinlang County's fortresses, can definitely crush them!"

The phrase "with Your Lordship as the commander-in-chief" was Zheng Fan's own addition. Liang Cheng's original assessment was that in such a situation, unless the commander-in-chief was an utter fool, it would be difficult to find a reason to lose.

Lord Jingnan warmed his hands over the charcoal basin. He asked calmly, "Then, in your opinion, why didn't I order an attack before?" The implication was clear: if the Qian army was as weak as Zheng Fan described, why hadn't he, Lord Jingnan, already ordered their destruction?

Zheng Fan had already peeled the sweet potato and taken a bite. He couldn't yet tell if it was sweet, but a sense of smug satisfaction washed over him, similar to correctly guessing questions on his postgraduate entrance exams.

"Because Qian State is rich, while Yan State is poor."

Hearing this, Lord Jingnan's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't show any anger. "Continue."

"Qian State occupies the fertile lands of the Central Plains. In terms of both territory and population, it far surpasses Yan State.

"The weakness of Qian State lies not in its small size, its poverty, or its sparse population. Instead, it is due to its emphasis on civil matters over military affairs and the excessive power wielded by the scholar-bureaucrat class. The Qian State Emperor's authority has waned. The regions are wealthy, but the state is poor; local powers are strong, while the country gradually weakens.

"Throughout history, when a small nation attacks a large one, or a poor nation attacks a rich one, the key to victory has always been speed. The larger nation must never be given a chance to catch its breath and regroup."

Hearing this, Lord Jingnan deliberately raised his head and looked at Zheng Fan anew. He chuckled. "If that's the case, by deliberately provoking the Qian people, weren't you just giving them a wake-up call?"

"In response to Your Lordship, my actions were merely to probe the true state of the Qian people. Although it may have caused them to lose some face, it's ultimately a minor issue. It's far less shocking than if Your Lordship had ordered the annihilation of those several thousand Qian State border cavalry."

"A minor issue?"

"Yes, a minor issue. That little prod is hardly enough to wake someone who is only pretending to be asleep."

"'Hardly enough to wake someone pretending to be asleep.' Well said! Zheng Fan, you have truly made me see you in a new light today."

"I am humbled, my Lord."

"Then, in your opinion, if Yan State wishes to attack Qian State, how should we proceed?" Lord Jingnan paused, then added, "Be specific."

"First, we do as Your Lordship did today: apply pressure on Qian State, forcing them to deploy their available fighting forces to defend the Northern Three Prefectures.

"Our army then seizes the opportune moment to annihilate Qian State's elite field forces in open battle. Their cities and fortresses can be disregarded. We then send a cavalry force straight to pierce Qian State's imperial capital!

"At that point, whether we compel the Qian ruler and his court to cede territory, pay indemnities, and sue for peace, or we go all out, breach their imperial capital, and capture their ruler and officials to present to His Majesty our Emperor—the initiative will be entirely in our hands."

"Heh," Lord Jingnan chuckled. "According to your plan, my Jingnan Army alone would be far from sufficient."