Chapter 1 Zheng Fan sat down on the chair. He quite liked the wildling style; it was wide, large, and sturdy. Although it wasn't fancy, it was comfortable to sit and lean on.

The blind man silently peeled an orange, facing Xiong Lie, and said,

"Eat an orange?"

"No, no, Mr. Bei, you eat."

"Oh, what are you doing standing here if you don't want one?"

"Yes, yes, I'll take my leave, I'll take my leave."

Xiong Lie bowed and left.

After he left, the blind man peeled the orange and offered it to Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan shook his head and said, "I'm still more used to Si Niang feeding me."

"Well, I can't replace her in that role."

"Yeah, don't force yourself."

"Hehe, Master, tomorrow night, this city will belong to you."

"I'm not too worried about that."

A group of opponents who seemed united but harbored their own agendas. City Lord Zheng had seen the world; if he couldn't handle them, he'd have been a fool.

Don't look at the Tu Fa family or the various merchants; they were all paper tigers in front of a regular army.

"What is Master pondering?"

"Blind man, I feel like my realm is loosening a bit."

Hearing this, the blind man's dark eye sockets seemed to flicker with light.

Zheng Fan's strength improvement affected the hearts of all the demon kings, just like parents watching their child go from kindergarten to elementary school and then to middle school.

You really want him to skip straight to college and get out of the house,

But you can't rush him.

"Perhaps you just need a little more seasoning."

"Master has worked hard."

"You're too polite. By the way, look at this place; there are a lot of demon beasts. It feels like browsing a pet market."

"Yes, Master, the profits here are very high."

The pet industry in later generations had terrifying profits, especially pet hospitals, which were more expensive than human doctors.

"It's good that you've noticed."

"Master, I feel that developing agriculture in Shengle City isn't very cost-effective. The climate isn't suitable. However, more effort can be put into commerce.

Currently, the Yan Kingdom is recuperating, and it's unlikely that they'll go to war with the Situ family in the short term. The Qian Kingdom is also quiet, accumulating strength and undergoing reforms.

The businesses and layouts of other merchants have been damaged and depleted by this war that affected three countries. With Shengle City as our base, it's a good opportunity for us to enter this industry.

Most importantly, although the Sixth Prince's industry has been handed over to the Yan Kingdom's Ministry of Revenue, industry is industry, and talent is talent. I don't believe that the Sixth Prince doesn't have a group of capable managers under him.

Moreover, it's impossible for the Ministry of Revenue to keep all of the Sixth Prince's people without replacing them, or else what's the point of taking over?"

"You're even more ruthless than I am."

Sucking the marrow from Little Sixth.

"If we don't use it, it's a waste. Anyway, we already owe the Sixth Prince a lot of favors. Besides, if we don't continue to ask him for help, the Sixth Prince might feel uneasy himself, and his cornbread won't taste as good."

"Yeah, so we're thinking of him."

"Yes, Master."

"You saying that makes me feel much better."

"Master, I'll go take care of the welcoming arrangements for entering the city."

"Alright, go ahead and get busy."

After the blind man left, Zheng Fan walked to the side of the cage again and opened it. This blue eagle had been trained by Xiong Lie to be quite intelligent. It obediently stood on Zheng Fan's shoulder, head held high.

"Hehe, interesting."

City Lord Zheng immediately imagined himself sitting on a warhorse in full armor with a gyrfalcon standing on his shoulder.

Unfortunately, blue eagles were too expensive and difficult to raise. They could indeed be used for military intelligence transmission, but they couldn't be widely promoted, making them somewhat useless.

Just then, a commotion came from the courtyard outside.

Zheng Fan sent the blue eagle back to the cage and walked out of the small courtyard.

In the field, there was an outside merchant caravan, led by a woman in her early thirties.

It was rare for women from Yan and Jin to learn the gentleness of Qian women. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but life and the environment forced them. The woman in front of him was the same, clutching a long saber, leading more than a dozen people in a standoff against Xiong Lie's men.

Zheng Fan leaned against the fence, reached into his pocket, took out a handful of roasted beans, and put them in his mouth one by one.

Xiong Lie was startled to see Zheng Fan come out.

He knew that Shengle City was still "enemy territory" at the moment. How could Zheng Fan show his face? What if something unexpected happened?

Seeing Xiong Lie walk over, Zheng Fan smiled and asked:

"What's the matter?"

"Sir, this woman is from the Tu Fa family, and she's been responsible for running goods. Recently, the trade routes have been cut off and difficult to travel. She brought people to ask me for money."

In business, you owe me, and she owes him; this was normal. In later generations, the end of the year was basically the time for debt collection. Zhang San asked Li Si for debt, and Li Si said he had to wait for Wang Wu to pay him before he could give the money to Zhang San.

"You didn't give it?" Zheng Fan asked, looking at Xiong Lie.

"I gave it," Xiong Lie immediately replied. "Sir, at this time, how could I cause any extra trouble?"

Anyway, if he gave it today, he might have to take the money back tomorrow.

Zheng Fan clapped his hands and asked, "How much did you give?"

"I cleared it all."

Xiong Lie had just finished answering when he froze. He knew he had fallen into a trap.

If he had kept dragging and owing, everyone would have gotten used to it.

At this time, he had actually taken the initiative to clear the debt, and it was when the Yan people might be coming and everyone was panicking and didn't know what the future held.

How could that not make people suspicious?

"You've clearly cleared the debt, so what reason is she using to cause trouble?" Zheng Fan asked.

"She said we were preparing to retreat back to the mountains and didn't plan to do business with her cargo gang anymore, and she wanted me to give her an explanation. After all, the brothers under her command were still counting on this line to eat."

"Heh, that's quite far-fetched."

"Sir, I'll go handle it."

"Don't. Since people have seen through it and come to your door, then entertain them. Bring her in."

"Yes, sir." After speaking, Xiong Lie licked his lips and said, "I'm guilty."

"Next time you do things, use your brain more."

"I understand."

"Okay, go bring her in."

After Zheng Fan finished speaking, he calmly turned around and returned to the courtyard.

Xiong Lie looked at Zheng Fan's back and couldn't help but sigh. The person who was valued and funded by his master was indeed extraordinary. This kind of courage and insight was not something that ordinary people could compare to.

What he didn't see was that Zheng Fan, who had returned to the courtyard, directly shouted in his heart:

"Blind man, blind man!"

The blind man was in a room in the courtyard, not far away.

Soon, the blind man responded in his heart:

"Master, what's wrong?"

"The people from the Tu Fa family may have noticed something."

"Master, don't panic. It's fine if they've noticed. How many troops did they bring?"

The blind man was as calm as ever.

"A dozen or so, a woman is leading the charge to make trouble."

"Then should Master meet them?"

"I'll have Xiong Lie bring them over in a moment."

"Master is wise."

"First meet, then chat."

"That's how it should be."

Zheng Fan didn't have much of the panic of someone working behind enemy lines. This was Xiong Lie's stronghold in Shengle City, with hundreds of wildling guards inside and out. Even if other forces in Shengle City wanted to break in, it would take a lot of effort.

At the same time, he only needed "an arrow that pierces through the clouds,"

And A Ming and the others, who were ambushing in the suburbs, would immediately send troops to attack the city.

The reason for taking the risk of coming in one step ahead was just to arrange things a little more properly so that things could be smoother when they were done.

Forceful attacks were not the style of City Lord Zheng during this period unless he had a family fortune similar to the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion. Then he could really learn from Li Fusheng and roar: The most important thing in war is strong soldiers and horses!

Shortly after,

The woman was led in by Xiong Lie.

Zheng Fan leaned against the chair, covered with a fur blanket, with the blind man standing behind him.

The woman looked at Xiong Lie, then at Zheng Fan.

Then,

She knelt down to Zheng Fan,

And said:

"This commoner greets Your Excellency!"

"You know who I am?"

Zheng Fan asked.

"Your Excellency must be a noble from the Yan Kingdom."

"You're from the Tu Fa family, right?"

"Responding to Your Excellency, this commoner is called Tu Fa Su."

"Cough..."

Zheng Fan couldn't help but cough.

"Your Excellency, the Tu Fa clan is willing to submit to the Yan Kingdom, become loyal subjects of the Yan Kingdom, serve as your vanguard, and sweep away all those who refuse to be disciplined!"

"I'm curious, what would you have done today if I hadn't told Xiong Lie to bring you in?"

"Responding to Your Excellency, this commoner originally planned to find an excuse to come here during the day to take a look, and might personally sneak in at night to take another look."

"You're honest."

"In front of Your Excellency, this commoner dares not hide anything. Your Excellency, you only need a word, and the Tu Fa family's patriarch, Tu Fa Chengji, will personally come to hold your saddle."

"How did you know I was here?"

"Your Excellency, which family in Shengle City hasn't sent someone to contact Great Yan?"

Inside and outside Shengle City, who doesn't communicate with Yan?

"It's just that Xiong Lie's performance was too abnormal, which made the patriarch certain that Xiong Lie had definitely made contact with the noble from the Yan Kingdom."

Everyone wanted to communicate with Yan because the Yan people were too scary, and at the same time, the Situ family had very unkindly broken their promise.

During this period, the Situ family's approach was very similar to how Zhong Zheng sent special envoys to wholesale letters of appointment to bandits and local bullies all over the mainland, but he never counterattacked himself.

However, wanting to communicate with Yan and wanting to be a traitor also required connections and letters of introduction.

Zheng Fan closed his eyes slightly and began to ponder.

In fact, the initial idea was to completely clean up Shengle City because this was his first base and also his lair, so he had to clean the house before inviting guests.

But, the loyalty of a local snake like the Tu Fa family?

Tu Fa Su immediately continued:

"Your Excellency, the Tu Fa clan has nearly a thousand armed people, who will become the most loyal guards by your side!"

A thousand people?

The hand under the fur blanket began to draw.

The blind man didn't speak; at this time, the master needed to make his own decision.

Tu Fa Su remained kneeling on the ground, her expression very solemn. She was very nervous, and this nervousness was very strange. Clearly, Shengle City was still in her hands, at least half of it.

However, despite this, she was still trembling under the feet of this Yan man.

This was the so-called national power. If you are strong, you can be invincible.

After a great war, the Yan Kingdom single-handedly challenged the two major powers of the East, on the one hand, fighting to the bottom of the Qian Kingdom's capital, and on the other hand, annexing half of the Jin Kingdom. To the west, it still had the spare capacity to guard against the barbarians, preventing them from taking another step east.

If the Situ family wanted to take advantage of the Yan people's unstable footing and wrestle with them, these wealthy families wouldn't mind taking a gamble, after all, the Situ family was also recognized as the strongest of the three major families, and they also fought with the wildlings all year round, so they were also considered to have strong soldiers and horses.

But once the Situ family didn't plan to fight, these wealthy local snakes were instantly drained of all their energy and spirit, and in front of the Yan people's iron hooves, they directly turned into quails.

"Well then, have Tu Fa Chengji come visit me."

Tu Fa Su immediately kowtowed,

"This commoner will go back and report to the patriarch."

"Okay, go back, I'll be waiting for him here."

"This commoner takes her leave."

Tu Fa Su left the courtyard.

Xiong Lie said anxiously:

"Sir, what if..."

"What if, then what if? Unless the Tu Fa family is determined to move their entire clan into the Heavenly Barren Mountain, otherwise he will make a wise choice. In the end, even if he hides in the Heavenly Barren Mountain, do you really think that my Great Yan's elite soldiers can't do anything to him?"

As Zheng Fan spoke, he turned his gaze to Xiong Lie.

"Some words might hurt your feelings. I'll apologize to you here first."

"Sir, you can say whatever you want. I wouldn't dare to have the slightest resentment."

"Well, then, to be honest, wildlings and barbarians aren't very comparable. Although I've heard that a king has emerged among the wildlings in your northeastern snowy plains, my Great Yan really doesn't pay much attention to it.

We've been fighting with the barbarians for hundreds of years. How big was the barbarian race at its peak back then, but when has my Great Yan ever been at a disadvantage?

In the past hundred years, the barbarians have been beaten until they are afraid and hurt. When my Emperor issues an edict, their barbarian king really doesn't dare to take another step east.

It's the same principle as playing chess. If you always play chess with experts, your level can't be too bad. You guys can weigh it yourselves."

"I wouldn't dare to have the slightest ulterior motive, and the few settlements I often interact with wouldn't dare to have the slightest ulterior motive either. I can guarantee that with my head."

"Xiong Lie."

"I'm here."

"I don't think you're a wildling. To tell you the truth, I have the most barbarian troops under my command. There aren't many proper Yan people. I don't distinguish between barbarians and civilized people, as long as they are willing to serve me, I treat them all the same.

But I have to say the ugly words first. Although I won't be like the Jin people, who occasionally go into the mountains to exterminate wildlings."

"I, on behalf of the many wildling settlements in the mountains, thank Your Excellency for your great kindness and virtue!"

"Hey, don't rush, don't rush, I haven't finished speaking. If you don't want to be regarded as a thorn in my side, then you have to follow my rules."

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

"Tribute, conscripting tribal warriors for my troops, and hostages entering Shengle City. These three items, not one can be missing."

"This..." Xiong Lie.

"What's wrong, do you regret it?"

"I... I wouldn't dare."

"Alright, tell your men to prepare. Don't let Tu Fa Chengji suddenly go crazy. You have to help me resist for a while."

"I obey!"

Xiong Lie retreated to summon his subordinates.

Zheng Fan then looked at the blind man, pointed to the animal skin blanket on his body, and said:

"I think replacing this blanket with a snow wolf skin one would better highlight my temperament."

"Your Excellency is right. Tiger skin is too rough, fox skin is too girly, snow wolf skin feels just right. I will pay attention to it in the future."

"Okay, good."

"Master is planning to subdue the Tu Fa family?"

"Let's see if he's willing to cooperate. Actually, I'm still eyeing his tribal soldiers. Who told us to have so few soldiers? We have to return those thousand Jingnan troops.

It's just hard on you and A Cheng."

The subordinate troops are so mixed, with barbarian soldiers, criminals, Jin deserters, local noble soldiers, and predictably soon, there will be wildlings.

To be honest, all the warlords who engaged in this kind of hodgepodge ended up dying miserably.

It's only in those Western heroic fantasy movies that you can easily assemble troops from various races and win a victory.

But Zheng Fan trusts Liang Cheng's troop training ability and the blind man's brainwashing skills. They are professionals after all.

"Master, rest assured, these are not difficult matters. Once everything is ready, everyone can do their job."

"Yeah, that's what I think too."

As he spoke,

Zheng Fan crossed his hands in front of his abdomen,

Closed his eyes slightly,

"I'm going to sleep for a while."

"Then I'll go down and send a message to have them launch the attack tonight."

"Yeah, that's the safest."

"What does Master want to eat tonight? I'll have someone prepare it."

"No need to rush, Tu Fa Chengji won't be visiting me anytime soon."

"It's best that way."

"If he comes early, then we'll have him go down early in the future."

………

"The noble from the Yan Kingdom said he wants me to visit him?"

"Yes, patriarch."

Tu Fa Su knelt in front of Tu Fa Chengji and reported.

"Okay, I understand."

"Patriarch, are you going now?"

"No rush. Since he said he wants me to visit him, there's no reason to visit without bringing a gift."

As he spoke,

Tu Fa Chengji's gaze turned to his three younger brothers, who were all warriors in the clan.

"The south and west city gates are already in our hands. Order them to open the city gates wide tonight and light the torches. Fourth Brother, you take care of this."

"Yes."

"Second Brother, Third Brother, you muster the tribesmen."

"Brother, which family are we targeting?"

"Which family? Except for that wildling family, we're targeting all the others."

"Brother, does it have to be this way?"

Tu Fa Chengji glanced at his younger brothers and scolded angrily:

"They dared to swaggeringly enter the city and put on airs, what does that mean? It means they are confident enough that even if we plan to fight them to the death, they are confident that they can sweep us away.

You should be glad, glad that I discovered the strangeness of Xiong Ye's goods earlier, earlier than the other families.

Otherwise, we would have been used as a test by the other families!

Sending gifts and being a dog, either don't send or don't lick;

Since we've decided to be one,

Then send the biggest gift,

And be the dog that wags its tail the most!"