Chapter 1 "Hiss… It hurts… hurts, hurts…"

Zheng Fan sat on a chair, his armor and inner lining removed. Xue San was busy applying burn ointment with a self-made cotton swab.

His chest and the inside of his right arm were blistered. The problem wasn't too serious; after all, Fan Li's armor was hot, but the flames had been extinguished for a while.

At least,

he wasn't roasted alive.

But being "baked" like this, the sourness of the experience was truly indescribable.

Fan Li stood to the side like a child who had done something wrong, wringing his hands nervously.

"My lord, it's not too bad. My medicine is excellent and shouldn't leave any scars. Rest assured, my lord."

Zheng Fan could only nod and say, "Find me some loose-fitting clothes."

"Yes, my lord."

Xue San went to find clothes, while A'ming sat across from him, drinking blood. He deliberately hadn't changed his clothes, and there was still a hole in his chest, indicating that he had blocked an arrow for his lord earlier.

Fan Li wanted to find a stool to sit on, but hesitated.

However, Zheng Fan didn't blame him. Although this big fool had almost roasted him alive, he was eager to save him, and he had indeed carried him back.

On the battlefield, one couldn't be too sentimental. This degree of burn was much better than being stabbed or shot with an arrow.

In fact, General Zheng knew that he was originally supposed to be asleep when he was being "roasted," but he had suddenly awakened and taken control of his body again.

Damn it,

truly a loving father and son.

But General Zheng could only turn a blind eye. After all, a father couldn't force his son to block damage while he "anesthetized" himself;

Every father protects his children behind him in danger, but he was completely the opposite. He never thought of his son normally, but immediately called for him in danger.

But regardless, last night's raid was extremely successful.

Liang Cheng's control over details had truly reached perfection.

It could be said that in terms of tactical details, the opposing barbarian general was abused by Liang Cheng.

It also made Zheng Fan understand that there was no absolute defense or offense. Just because you were defending a city didn't mean you had to cower inside and take a beating.

"My lord, the barbarian army that came yesterday has retreated, no, they've scattered." Liang Cheng came in to report.

"Oh."

Zheng Fan nodded.

Last night's victory, the fire and the raid, had limited casualties on the barbarians. More casualties were caused by the infighting and trampling after the camp became chaotic.

"Also, my lord killed the enemy general last night, probably a ten-thousand-man commander."

First, that person's armor was much better than ordinary barbarians. Second, the barbarian army had retreated directly, meaning that the army was in a state of headless dragons. If the enemy commander was still alive, the correct choice would be to re-establish a camp in a safer place and maintain surveillance over Xuehai Pass.

But now, the barbarian sentries around Xuehai Pass had also been withdrawn, meaning that the army's command system had collapsed.

Hearing this news, Zheng Fan paused and said, "Are you sure?"

"Not sure, but we think he's dead, so he's dead."

"That makes a lot of sense."

Zheng Fan nodded. The battlefield was so big, stretching hundreds of miles from Wangjiang to Xuehai Pass. Even if the Marquis of Jingnan was sharp-eyed, he couldn't come over to verify at this time, could he?

Besides, boasting about achievements was the norm in the army. As long as you won the battle and didn't lie about victory after losing, even if things were exposed later, the higher-ups wouldn't pursue it. After all, the battlefield was chaotic.

Moreover, there were so many barbarian tribes, and the barbarian king was generously rewarding positions in order to win over many tribes. This ten-thousand-man commander, although not as common as a captain in Yan, was definitely not rare.

In short, the current situation was indeed temporarily resolved. There would definitely be many barbarian troops coming later, outnumbering them several times over, but at least they had won a few days of respite.

"My lord, your subordinate has sent people to continue cutting down and burning the forest outside. At the same time, we will try to repair some of the fortifications outside the city if we can."

"Well, leave this to Xue San."

A clever trick was enough for one use. Barbarians weren't stupid and wouldn't fall for the same trick repeatedly. In the end, fighting would have to return to the primitive close combat.

"Yes. Also, although the main force of the barbarians is now in Jin, and the main threat we face is indeed from the south, the snowy plains to the north are not without barbarians. Your subordinate is worried…"

The defending troops, the Shengle Army, numbered less than ten thousand. Even with the Jin male slaves who had been given weapons, the number wasn't that large.

Facing an attack from one side was fine, because the area of the city wall was fixed, and they could slowly wear them down. But if the barbarians also attacked from the north, facing attacks from both sides, the Shengle Army would be in a very difficult situation.

A'ming, who was drinking blood on the side, raised his eyebrows slightly.

This was a strategic issue, and A'cheng had actually come to ask the lord about it.

This meant that, to some extent, the lord had replaced the original blind man's role in the team.

"My lord, the clothes are here. Please try them on."

Xue San brought the clothes.

Zheng Fan put on the clothes and said, "Call the First Prince over."

"Yes."

Soon, the First Prince came in response to the summons. Upon seeing Zheng Fan, he knelt on one knee without hesitation and saluted, "This subordinate greets General Zheng!"

The First Prince was indeed impeccable in this regard.

Zheng Fan even felt that even if the First Prince succeeded to the throne in the future, Yan wouldn't be too bad.

It was a pity that he had been tied to the Sixth Prince early on, just like he was tied to Tian Wujing. There was no way to change ships.

"Your Highness, this general has a military order for you."

Zheng Fan didn't pretend to get up and help the First Prince, saying "You mustn't, you mustn't."

The current situation seemed to have just been resolved, but the real crisis wasn't far away. There was no room for sentimentality.

"Please give your instructions, General. Wujiang will complete them even at the cost of his life!"

The First Prince had begun to admire Zheng Fan's ability to lead troops.

Once a soldier admired your ability to fight, it was much easier to talk.

At least, the First Prince felt that he couldn't have done the golden cicada shell escape and the surprise attack on Xuehai Pass, because the control over the art of using troops was amazing.

The First Prince even felt a little regret that if Zheng Fan hadn't been promoted by Little Six from the beginning, but had come under his wing, then…

"Your Highness, this general will give you eight hundred cavalry, led by Jin Shuke. He will be the deputy, and you will be the leader. You are ordered to go north out of Xuehai Pass and convey greetings from our Great Yan to the snow plain tribes."

The First Prince immediately understood Zheng Fan's intentions and said directly, "Does the General want me to go to the snow plains as an envoy as a prince?"

"That's right. Go and tell the tribes of the snow plain that the army of our Great Yan has defeated their barbarian king's army, and has now recovered Xuehai Pass. Now, the Yan army is busy wiping out the barbarian remnants scattered within the territory of Jin.

Order them to be safe and not to act rashly, otherwise, when the cleanup in Jin is complete, our Yan iron cavalry will inevitably leave Xuehai Pass again and destroy their entire clan!

That's roughly the idea. As for the specific wording, how to scare them, how to appease them, how to play the good cop and the bad cop, Your Highness can handle it yourself.

This general has only one request,

that is, the barbarians north of Xuehai Pass must not attack us from the north in the short term."

The First Prince hesitated.

"What, Your Highness is afraid?"

"This subordinate is naturally not afraid of death, but this subordinate is worried that he will not be able to complete the general's important task. Now our army is stationed at Xuehai Pass. Although we defeated a barbarian army last night, the barbarian army will arrive here in two or three days.

If this subordinate cannot complete the general's task, Xuehai Pass will inevitably be attacked from both sides…"

"Your Highness need not worry. This general believes that Your Highness can handle this matter well. Be bolder and have a broader mind.

Now, the direct line of tribal troops most loyal to the barbarian king have already entered the pass with the barbarian king. Now, many of those on the snow plain are later additions, and some are even still watching.

Your Highness can promise the tribal leaders, saying that His Majesty, the Emperor of Great Yan, has bestowed upon them the title of barbarian king. East, west, north, south, and center, Your Highness can scatter the title of barbarian king."

These words were actually very presumptuous.

And to say this to a prince, in other countries, General Zheng's head could be cut off and used as a ball.

But in the current Yan, the Yan Emperor was a magnanimous person. He didn't care about empty gestures, only about reality. He could even pretend that Zheng Fan had abolished his third son didn't happen. This little bit of transgression was a matter of expediency. Presumably, even if the Yan Emperor knew about it in the future, he would understand.

Moreover, the First Prince, regardless of whether he was faking it or not, had always been the image of a down-to-earth and sincere military prince. This person was more pragmatic.

"Confer them as kings?"

Even this military prince was stunned by General Zheng's tone.

In Great Yan, the highest rank for a non-imperial family was Marquis. Princes were usually conferred as kings, but only for one reign. If the prince didn't have great merits, after the old man died and one of his brothers succeeded to the throne, according to Yan tradition, the princes who were conferred as kings would themselves submit a request to abolish the title of king for the sake of the country.

Therefore, the captains of Yan were rampant, but the title of king was truly precious.

Therefore, when the Yan Emperor bestowed Situ Lei's son, Situ Yu, as the Prince of Cheng, everyone was shocked and thought that the Yan Emperor's move was grand.

Zheng Fan reached out,

but because of the burns on his body, he was pulled a little, and he sucked in a cold breath because of the pain.

The First Prince hesitated for a moment,

and finally lowered his head,

leaned forward,

so that Zheng Fan could more easily put his hand on his shoulder and pat it.

"Your Highness, what are you afraid of conferring them as kings now? Just confer them, as long as you can scare those tribes with troops into not attacking us to the south during this period.

When we eat all of these main barbarian forces in the Jin area,

the Three Jins,

the entire snow plain,

isn't it up to our Great Yan to decide?

If they say that Great Yan conferred them as kings, we just won't admit it.

If they really don't accept it, fine,

let their leaders go to Shangjing to file a complaint with our Emperor, hehe."