Chapter 1 The Night Deepens

The night was already deep.

The cavalry's hooves still thundered, their speed not slowing in the slightest.

This cavalry troop, the foundation upon which Zheng Fan built his fortune, had been luxuriously equipped from the very beginning. In some areas, it even surpassed the Zhenbei Army.

One man, two horses was standard, ensuring the cavalry's long-term mobility.

More than a hundred years ago, during the war between the barbarians and the Yan Kingdom, the barbarian cavalry relied on this advantage to ignite beacons of war throughout the seven prefectures of Great Yan.

Now, the barbarians were no longer capable, but this barbarian cavalry, strictly speaking, had already surpassed the limitations of their ancestors.

Because the barbarians had never truly defeated the Yan Kingdom, but now, they had crossed Yan and arrived on the land of the Qian Kingdom.

This already counted as a historical breakthrough.

"My lord, which target are we aiming for?"

"Don't know, let's take a look further south!"

Along the way, they had seen some fortresses from afar, but Zheng Fan didn't think about touching them. He just pulled away a little distance to avoid them. The fortresses didn't notice this cavalry force rushing in the middle of the night.

Having learned from the previous fortress, Zheng Fan really didn't want to play "scaring himself" late at night anymore. At the same time, he didn't want to eat a duck hotpot after pulling out a chicken hotpot.

Finally,

A city appeared in everyone's sight.

Zheng Fan raised his hand, and all the cavalry reined in their horses together.

"Send out scouts."

Dozens of barbarian cavalrymen voluntarily scattered and patrolled the vicinity.

Zheng Fan dismounted and stood on the hillside, looking at the city in front of him.

The city wasn't very big, smaller than Tiger Head City.

But it was still a city. Those walled villages were not comparable to it at all. Moreover, it stood near the border, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a "military stronghold."

Zheng Fan pulled out the stopper of his water bag and took several large gulps.

Liang Cheng stood next to Zheng Fan. When Zheng Fan handed him the water bag, he took it, but didn't see Zheng Fan reach out to wash his hands.

"Aren't you thirsty?" Zheng Fan asked.

"Not thirsty."

"I haven't seen you eat anything either."

"I've eaten."

"You and A Ming are both easy to take care of."

Zheng Fan smiled, pointed to the city in front of him, and said, "You have good eyesight. Look at the gate over there. Is it still open?"

"The city gate is indeed open," Liang Cheng confirmed.

At the city gate, several convoys seemed to be entering and exiting, with several rows of torches lit outside, illuminating the area brightly.

Outside the city wall, a row of shantytowns could be seen, some with only the simplest tents, like a slum attached to the city.

"What do you think? Is it possible?"

Zheng Fan asked Liang Cheng.

"We only have four hundred men."

"Li Yunlong dared to attack Ping'an County with just one regiment."

"That's a work of fiction."

Zheng Fan reached out as if he wanted to touch Liang Cheng's chin,

Hesitated for a moment,

And instead placed his hand on Liang Cheng's shoulder,

Pinched it,

And said:

"Says the one who isn't the same."

"If my lord wants to try, this subordinate can lead a team to charge once."

"No, I, this burden, can't stay behind and watch. If we play, we play together. If we're finished, we're finished together."

"It's too dangerous, and too reckless."

"Is that the truth or a lie?"

"A lie."

"Heh."

"It's night, and the city isn't closed. It's still so lively outside. If we don't try to charge, this subordinate will really be a little unwilling."

"After we took down a fortress, we went south from that fortress's defense zone and didn't encounter a single soldier.

The Yan Kingdom has abolished all the fortresses. Our Cui Liu Fortress has been changed to raise chickens. Some fortresses even had their bricks taken by local residents to build pigsties.

The fortresses on the Qian Kingdom's side are indeed still there, but there's no difference between having them and not having them. But, A Cheng, are we too inflated?"

"My lord, we are still cautious."

"Yes, we are not inflated. It's the Qian people who gave us too much confidence."

…………

Beneath the north gate of Mianzhou City, the lights were bright. Cart after cart of goods were transported out of the city, and batches of goods were transported into the city.

Several Qian Kingdom merchant firms were waiting at the city gate, and several stewards were urging the laborers to hurry up and move quickly.

Occasionally, the eyes of the stewards of each firm met, and they could see the provocation and resentment in each other's eyes.

It was late at night, and it was freezing cold. Originally, their own family would have finished transporting the goods out (in), if they were quick enough.

Who knew that tonight was just a coincidence, and several families' convoys had run into each other.

The city gate was only so big. If you wanted to go in and I wanted to come out, wouldn't that cause a blockage? Most importantly, there were only so many laborers in Mianzhou City. If your family hired a lot, my family would have to use less. But no one was willing to back down half a step. After all, the stewards who came out to manage the convoys represented their masters' faces. How could they just give way?

As for these busy laborers, if you looked closely, you could see that some of them were wearing cotton uniforms issued by the Qian Kingdom army.

………

"Father, it's cold. Why are you still standing here?"

An old man with white hair and beard stood on the city tower wearing a thin long gown. Below him was a scene of bustling noise.

A middle-aged man stepped forward, took off his cloak, and draped it over the old man.

"Humph."

The old man shook his body, and the cloak fell to the ground.

"This father is old, and his qi and blood are not as strong as before, but this father is also an eighth-rank martial artist. This bit of cold is not even worth this father's attention!"

The middle-aged man picked up the cloak again, grabbed it with both hands, and forcibly draped it over the old man, saying:

"This son knows, this son knows, but this is also a bit of filial piety from this son, isn't it? If my own father is freezing here, how can this son feel at ease?"

"Then what about these soldiers below?"

The old man pointed to the laborers below who were busy carrying goods, his voice trembling slightly,

"Are they not cold, are they not hungry, are they not tired?

They are the border troops of Great Qian! Border troops are supposed to wield knives, not to be coolies!"

"My dear father, don't be stubborn. Which place on the border doesn't do this?"

"Do you think you're wronged to have a father like me?"

"Wronged? How could that be? You're my father, and I'm your son. There's no question of being wronged."

"Then you still have resentment?"

"Tsk, no one knows a son better than his father. You're right, there is a bit. You've been an eighth-rank martial artist for so many years, and you have seniority in the army. When I was young, I thought that with you, my old man, supporting me, I wouldn't have to worry about anything in this life;

Who knew that you would submit memorials and report to your superiors, causing your official position to drop year after year.

A good regimental training envoy was demoted to the Mianzhou City patrol captain. My dear father, you really are my dear father.

But, just tonight, I had dinner with the prefect. The prefect said that if you softened your attitude and admitted your mistakes, some of the blame on you could be cleared. It's impossible to restore your original position, but you can still move up a little before you retire and return to your hometown, so that when I take over, the position will be more comfortable."

"You came to me just for this?"

"You can say that."

"Beg your father to be a son to those damned civil officials?"

"Father, you're right about that. Isn't your son always being a grandson in front of the prefect? According to this seniority, you're just right."

"Hehehehe…………"

The old man laughed.

The middle-aged man also laughed.

"Son, Father knows, Father is sorry for you."

"Why are you saying that again?"

"Father doesn't not know to plan for the family and for his descendants, but, I can't do it!"

The old man lowered his head and glanced at the long spear that he had placed at his feet.

"Alright, I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that the Yan people might be going south, and our Great Qian border troops can't continue to be so muddleheaded. But to be honest, Father, have you ever fought with the Yan people in your life?

No, right?

It's been almost a hundred years, and the Yan people haven't even shown a hair. I know that you've been feeling that you're getting old, but you haven't had a chance to use your martial arts and strategies, and you're not convinced, but…………"

The old man suddenly turned his face and looked at his son,

Very seriously, he said:

"There hasn't been any news from the desert barbarians for a long time."

"What does that mean…"

"This means that it's becoming increasingly difficult for the barbarians to contain the Yan people. Once the Yan people have no pressure from the north, what will they do?"

"Father, these things are things that the prime ministers and the officials in the court need to consider. Why should we worry about them?"

"The official doesn't understand, the official doesn't understand how rotten our border army has become. Most of the prime ministers don't understand either. Even if there are a few who do, they pretend not to understand.

Look, look, I'm now the patrol captain of Mianzhou City, but how many people can I mobilize under my command?

Not only are these Mianzhou City garrison soldiers being used as coolies and laborers by the various military leaders and the prefect, but even the barracks originally located in the city have been demolished and turned into warehouses, and all these soldiers have been driven out of the city to live in tents!

With soldiers like this, with an army like this, can it fight? What war can it fight?"

"Father, put your heart at ease. The Yan people won't come. The Yan people are busy doing business with us. Where do they have the time to fight? See, it's so lively down there.

Two of the convoys are returning from Yan today, and two of the convoys are going out of the city to Yan.

With money to be made and a good life to live, why fight?

Do you think those Yan barbarians are stupid?"

………

"Others will definitely think of us as fools."

Zheng Fan, already sitting on horseback, said to Liang Cheng, who was riding beside him.

Attacking a border town with four hundred cavalrymen. If you're not a fool, you really can't do this kind of thing.

"My lord, we don't care what others think of us. The key is what we think of ourselves."

"Actually, I also feel like I'm pretty stupid, giving up a comfortable life to pursue some excitement.

Say, when we charge the gate later, if there's a sharpshooter on the city tower and he shoots me through the heart with an arrow, wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"

"As long as you're happy."

"Alas, I've been corrupted by you guys. I'm getting closer to those who are red and closer to those who are black." (close to good people become good and close to bad become bad)

"My lord."

"Hmm?"

"We were designed by you."

"So?"

"The upper beam is not straight, and the lower beam is crooked."

"You're getting more and more cheeky."

"That's called getting closer to those who are red."

Zheng Fan put down the face guard that he had specially requested to be added to his helmet.

At the same time,

He raised the knife in his hand,

And shouted in barbarian language:

"I forbid you from touching women, but today, in this city, I allow you to have your fill of wine and meat!"

All the barbarian soldiers followed Zheng Fan's movements and raised the weapons in their hands.

"Kill!"

Zheng Fan slashed his blade forward!

"Ula!!!!!!!"

"…………" Zheng Fan.

"Which idiot taught them 'Ula'?" Zheng Fan roared.

"Fan Li."