Chapter 1 After the Victory

After winning a battle, each general seemed to have his own way of dealing with it.

The Marquis of Zhenbei liked to start a barbecue on the spot.

Li Fusheng liked to eat human blood steamed buns amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Tian Wujing simply sat upright on his Pixiu, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him.

Well, compared to leading an army of 200,000 on a thousand-mile campaign that shattered half of the Jin Kingdom, everything he had just experienced was just a small skirmish.

The wildlings were defeated, thoroughly defeated, and defeated without any temper. They couldn't win; they just couldn't win.

At Quemu's feet lay many corpses, some of Yan soldiers, and some of wildling warriors who had sworn to protect him.

Angda was already dead, having fulfilled his oath.

Quemu didn't run either, even though the Southern Marquis of Yan didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry to kill him, this wildling general, he still didn't run.

Reason told him that if he could leave at this time, it would be beneficial to the overall situation, so he could go back and tell the king that the Yan people were indeed as powerful and terrifying as he had said.

As a general commanding troops, it would undoubtedly be a loss to the king to die in battle like this, displaying only personal courage.

Quemu believed that the king wanted him to survive and return, because the king always seemed to maintain a terrifying calmness.

But Quemu didn't want to run, nor was he willing to escape.

Earlier, Angda had advised him to run, to take his 5,000 warriors and run, but he had refused, and insisted on gathering the wildling warriors from nearby tribes to help.

This was the result of his own willful actions, and he had to stay here and bear this responsibility.

The overall situation was too big and too tiring, and he didn't want to bother with it anymore. He just wanted to die now, to die in battle...

Everyone must be in the sky, waiting for him. They were going to return to the embrace of the stars together.

However, the surrounding Yan cavalry were just circling around him, as if they had already regarded him as a fish in a net, waiting for their superiors to give the order on how to cook him.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!"

Quemu staggered around, shouting loudly. He was already exhausted. His injuries made it impossible for him to even run, and he could only barely maintain his balance.

Come on,

Come up here,

Kill me!

In the eyes of the surrounding Yan soldiers, there was a hint of mockery. From time to time, someone would hold a bow and shoot an arrow, but deliberately not hit Quemu, instead shooting in front of or beside him.

People often hear a story about how enemies solemnly treat worthy and respectable opponents, but such stories rarely happen, or perhaps some important figure specifically wants to put on a show of political maneuvering at this time.

A group of soldiers who had just gone through a bloody battle and were already bloodthirsty, you want them to learn and understand how to respect their opponents?

That's not going to happen.

Quemu was very ashamed and angry. He wanted to die, but no one came up to give him the final blow. At this time, he was like a surrounded prey.

Liang Cheng's rear army had now transformed into the vanguard to pursue the fleeing enemies, while the rest of the troops were resting in place, cleaning up the battlefield, delivering the final blows, and treating their wounded comrades. From time to time, everyone would look up at Quemu, who was still furious, as if watching an impromptu performance.

The Yan army had won, but it was impossible to have no casualties. This performance was not so much for the amusement of the living as it was a tribute to the comrades who had just died in battle.

Zheng Fan took out his water bag and took several gulps. At this time, Tian Wujing had dismounted and come to the edge of the encirclement.

"Come on, come on, come on..."

Quemu was still shouting, he probably only knew this much Xia language, and his voice was already very hoarse.

Tian Wujing stood there, just looking, without saying a word.

The surrounding Yan cavalry saw that their Marquis didn't speak, so they assumed that the Marquis didn't care about this and continued to tease this wildling warrior.

Zheng Fan took a coil of rope from his warhorse, walked over, and shouted to the cavalrymen who were circling around:

"Shoot his legs!"

What the red-man beside the Marquis said was still effective.

Immediately, several knights drew their bows and shot arrows. Quemu had already lost the ability to dodge and move, and his legs were hit by arrows at the same time, causing him to fall to the ground.

Zheng Fan threw the rope to a knight beside him and said:

"Tie him up, drag him behind the horse, and parade him around the nearby tribes!"

"Yes, sir."

Like lassoing a horse, Quemu, who had just been kneeling on the ground, was put on a rope, and then, he was dragged on the ground by a warhorse. Hundreds of knights roared and set off, dragging Quemu, who was struggling and roaring on the ground, away.

Tian Wujing didn't comment on Zheng Fan's measures, walked to the Pixiu, and sat down.

Zheng Fan also came over and asked:

"Marquis, should we set up camp?"

They could wait for the two thousand cavalry behind them, which were the left and right armies.

"No need, let the soldiers rest for a while, we'll continue east."

"What about these nearby tribes?"

"Leave it to the left and right armies behind us to clean up."

Hearing this, Zheng Fan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as these tribes could be wiped out, then a large number of wildling slaves and a huge amount of cattle, sheep, and horses would become the spoils of the Yan people.

Tian Wujing seemed to have already seen through Zheng Fan's thoughts, and said:

"What's wrong, afraid of losing money?"

Zheng Fan showed a shy smile on his face and nodded very honestly, saying:

"I'm a little afraid."

"Fighting is not doing business."

"This subordinate understands, but this subordinate is even clearer that losing battles and losing business are the same, they don't last long."

"There's something behind your words."

"Marquis is wise, this idea just came to me. Marquis, the wildlings on the snow plains are much stronger than the wildlings this subordinate has wiped out in the Heavenly Break Mountains."

"Continue."

"This subordinate feels that this time Marquis is leading the army into the snow plains, it is not to achieve success in one battle and completely eliminate the snow plain wildlings, because... it is impossible to eliminate them completely."

Tian Wujing looked at Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan continued:

"Just like the desert, the Zhenbei Army can defeat any barbarian tribe that faces them, but they still cannot wipe out the barbarians completely, because the desert is too insignificant for our Great Yan. Our Great Yan has no way to completely lock and encircle the desert like the Qian Kingdom, with walls connecting cities."

This was like another world, where the Central Plains dynasty's control over the border areas was often controlled during prosperous times and lost during times of decline, because the cost of controlling those areas was too great. When the dynasty was strong, they could still play around for the sake of expanding territory, but when the dynasty was not so strong, it became a burden instead.

"The snow plain wildlings are the same. Our army departs from Shengle City and enters the snow plains. This is only the borderland of the snow plain wildlings. Even with the elite of the Jingnan Army, it still takes more than ten days to cross the Heavenly Break Mountains to get here. If we continue to advance into the depths of the snow plains, it will truly be vast and boundless. The army's supplies, reinforcements, and intelligence transmission will all be greatly hindered. In fact, the snow plains are, to a certain extent, more like another desert."

Tian Wujing pointed his finger at Zheng Fan, and said:

"This Marquis understands what you mean. Since the snow plains are another desert of our Great Yan, then you, Zheng the city guard, want to be another Marquis of Zhenbei of Great Yan?"

"A soldier who doesn't want to be a marquis is not a good soldier."

"That's a bit interesting."

"Marquis, this subordinate doesn't dare to expect any marquis title. It's already difficult to obtain a different-surname title in our Great Yan, but this subordinate is willing to use the responsibility of the city guard of Shengle City to reduce the snow plain wildlings for Great Yan."

This place can be fought, but it can't be occupied. You win the fight, but you still have to leave. As soon as you leave, the people come back again.

The Jin people have been hacking at the wildlings for hundreds of years, and in the end, the Heavenly Break Mountains are still densely populated with wildling settlements. You chop off one crop, and they grow another crop. The knives are all blunted, but there are still a vast number of wildlings.

Therefore, they can only learn from the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion and visit these neighbors every now and then, to beat them down and prevent them from forming a unified regime, and to prevent their population from growing too quickly.

"This matter is not something this Marquis can decide."

To use a city to exercise the responsibility of governing the snow plains is not as simple as just a city guard. At the very least, a military region must be divided like the Jingnan Army and the Zhenbei Army.

Zheng Fan lowered his head.

"However, this Marquis will propose it to His Majesty for you, but, Zheng the city guard."

"This subordinate is here."

"Eat as much as your stomach can hold. This Marquis is afraid that you will eat too much at once and get bloated."

"Marquis, more than a year ago, this subordinate was just the young owner of an inn in Hutou City, with only a few mediocre and clumsy shop assistants who could only eat.

But now, this subordinate can already build a city. Marquis has said that this subordinate has some merchant habits, and this subordinate doesn't think there's anything wrong with that. At least this subordinate knows how to manage and can manage."

The implication was that if I were to do this job, the national treasury wouldn't have to spend more money.

I can run, and I don't eat grass!

Tian Wujing remained noncommittal.

Zheng Fan didn't dare to speak anymore.

After a while, Tian Wujing said:

"You're very anxious."

"Marquis, this subordinate is just..."

Tian Wujing nodded and said:

"This Marquis understands why you're anxious."

"Marquis, it's not..."

"Logically, your talent and aptitude are appreciated by this Marquis. Li Liangting also thinks highly of you, and even His Majesty is the same.

Emotionally, you are the godfather of this Marquis's unborn child.

So, emotionally and logically, this Marquis will push you up."

"This subordinate, thank you for your cultivation, Marquis!"

"No need to thank this Marquis."

"This subordinate thanks the young Marquis and young Princess!"

Tian Wujing laughed, reached out and pushed away Zheng Fan, who was kneeling in front of him, and scolded:

"You, ah, you, you really have the face of a villain."

Zheng Fan was pushed to the ground, but he still had a smile on his face, saying:

"Isn't it all because you spoiled me, Marquis?"

Tian Wujing sighed and said:

"It's really a pity that you didn't take over Wei Zhonghe's job."

"That won't do, Marquis. I haven't passed on my lineage yet. After this battle is over, I'll work hard to get a few playmates for the young Marquis or the young Princess.

In the future, if anyone dares to threaten them..."

Tian Wujing lowered his head, looked at Zheng Fan, and asked:

"What will you do?"

Zheng Fan put away the smile on his face, looked at Tian Wujing, and said word by word:

"I'll go tell the Marquis right away, and let the Marquis teach them a lesson!"

"Get lost."