“After the Misty Intelligence Division discovered the physical characteristics of the Barbarian King, it corroborated this matter, and roughly confirmed the Barbarian King’s initial movements.”

Zheng Fan nodded, thinking:

So, if the Princess had been more willful, more tyrannical, more arrogant, and instead of just whipping him, had directly killed him, would there not be the Barbarian rebellion now?

Of course, you could also say that even without this Barbarian King, there would be another, perhaps even more powerful;

Such things are impossible to assume.

“Lord Marquis, should this humble general dispose of these bodies first?”

“No need, it’s good to keep them on alert, lest they huddle together.”

“Oh, very well.”

Tian Wujing mounted his horse and said, “Let’s ride further east before we return.”

Zheng Fan had no room for questioning; he could only mount his horse and follow Tian Wujing further into the eastern snowfield.

The snowfield was vast; in some ways, it was no smaller than the desert, but like the desert, most of it was uninhabitable.

The two rode east for several more days, encountering people from several tribes and even being chased by a patrol of barbarian scouts, but this time Tian Wujing did not attack, choosing instead to shake them off.

Afterward, the two began their return journey.

Several days later, Zheng Fan and Tian Wujing returned to the Heavenly Barricade Mountains.

The army’s march certainly wouldn’t be as fast, because Zheng Fan and Tian Wujing had started with one person and two horses, and they had also seized barbarian horses in the snowfield to change mounts. The time it would take for the army to advance might be more than three times as long as it took the two of them to move.

Estimating the time, by the time the army came and set foot on the snowfield, the ice and snow would have melted, and it would be entering the most “vital” time of the year in the snowfield.

“What are you thinking about?”

Tian Wujing asked.

“Lord Marquis, this humble general is thinking that the timing of your Lordship’s dispatch of troops this time is very clever. When our army enters the snowfield, it will be precisely the most important production season for the barbarian snowmen.”

It was the same when attacking the Qian Kingdom; a great battle that started in winter and ended in spring, the greatest impact, compared to the actual killings, was the destruction of the spring planting in the northern territory of the Qian Kingdom.

The Jingnan Marquis heard this and said:

“The Zhenbei Marquis’s Mansion is most skilled at this tactic. In recent years, the number of beheadings may be much less than it was decades ago, but they always choose to send troops when the barbarians are in the most distress.

Soldiers kill people, not just on the battlefield.”

“This humble general is enlightened.”

Tian Wujing was really giving him guidance.

To explain it with more modern ideas, the general meaning is that war is not a single form of existence. If it rises to the level of national war, then the impact is truly all-encompassing.

Using war to disrupt the opponent’s production, thereby causing “famine” within them, may not be so dazzling in terms of direct head-count data, but the actual trauma may be more tormenting than a major defeat, which is the so-called depletion of the local war potential.

“That you can comprehend this is already quite good, but one is momentum, one is technique. Without the support of technique, momentum is just a castle in the air.

In the Qian Kingdom’s imperial court, there are many talented people, and even the current Emperor is not a common person, but precisely because the Qian army does not dare to fight in the field, even the best-planned momentum will ultimately be in vain and cannot be put into practice.

The reason why the barbarians have had to endure the Zhenbei Marquis’s Mansion’s method of weakening and suppressing them for decades is also because they cannot defeat the Zhenbei Army in a direct confrontation. Once the Zhenbei Army cannot form a suppression in technique, the feedback in momentum will naturally be out of the question.”

Zheng Fan savored these words, forgetting to flatter him for a moment.

Tian Wujing looked at Zheng Fan’s thoughtful appearance and revealed a smile.

In the following days, Zheng Fan would ask Tian Wujing some questions, most of which were limited to military matters, and Tian Wujing would answer them.

As for family matters, Tian Wujing didn’t mention them again, and Zheng Fan didn’t take the initiative to lean that way again.

Until,

The two finally left the Heavenly Barricade Mountains and returned to Shengle City.

This trip in and out took nearly twenty days.

The city walls of Shengle City had been built out several more sections than when they had left, and outside the city, neat military camps had been erected.

The Jingnan Marquis governed his army with strict discipline, and his Jingnan Army was known for its strict military discipline. This strictness was not only reflected in not burning, killing, and looting, but also in the fact that as an army specializing in cavalry warfare, it could still be meticulous when setting up camp.

“Lord Marquis, back to the city first…”

“This Marquis will return to the military camp first. City Warden Zheng will gather three thousand soldiers before noon tomorrow to follow the expedition.”

Tomorrow?

Zheng Fan wanted to curse, but he held back.

In the end, he could only cup his fist in salute and accept the order.

Immediately,

Tian Wujing went straight to the military camp, while Zheng Fan returned to Shengle City.

The construction of the city wall had stopped, and a large number of slaves had been transferred to logistics, beginning to assist the newly arrived thirty thousand Jingnan Army iron cavalry with logistical support.

When Zheng Fan returned to the mansion, he found everyone inside was busy. Since the army was departing from here, the preparations required were naturally enormous, and most of the work fell on Shengle City. On the one hand, this was the organization’s trust in you, the Jingnan Marquis’s trust in you, and on the other hand, this was your tribulation, and you couldn’t avoid it.

As soon as he entered the inner residence, Zheng Fan lay down in the hot spring bath as if he were racing against time, even before the water had been properly prepared.

Si Niang also stopped her work and came to serve her master with his bath.

“Master, this time, in order to support the army’s expedition, our family fortune has been greatly depleted. Combining the wealth that the Jingnan Marquis distributed to us in the capital, we basically have to support it all this time.”

Zheng Fan wiped his face with a towel and said:

“There’s no choice.”

Since you still have the banner of “Yan Person” on your head, you have to pay the price and fulfill your obligations for it.

Fortunately, Si Niang had embezzled a lot in the capital, and later had the replenishment of the Helian family’s treasury. Furthermore, the wealth in the tomb of Prince Fu of Chuzhou would soon be smuggled over by the merchants. It was precisely because of these “dirty silver” that Shengle City would not go bankrupt under such large-scale construction.

So, Zheng Fan suddenly understood the “fire consumption silver” of those ancient corrupt officials.

For this expedition, these thirty thousand Jingnan troops had really come “lightly armed,” without baggage, supplies, or laborers.

Everything had to be provided by Shengle City.

“I just don’t know if we can make a fortune this time,” Si Niang thought to herself.

“Call Liang Cheng in,” Zheng Fan said.

Liang Cheng had returned with his troops a few days ago, much earlier than Zheng Fan and Tian Wujing.

Hearing this, Si Niang put on her clothes, went out, and called Liang Cheng in.

“Master.”

Liang Cheng came in and squatted by the hot spring.

Si Niang went to make tea, as it was not appropriate to do anything intimate in front of outsiders.

“The Jingnan Marquis means that our Shengle City will provide three thousand soldiers, and we’ll keep that one thousand Jingnan soldiers.”

“They’re still ours?”

“If we provide money, food, and laborers, would the Jingnan Marquis still have the nerve to take back those one thousand Jingnan soldiers?”

Liang Cheng nodded. “That’s certainly the logic.”

“Replenish the remaining two thousand troops as you see fit. Also, if the army’s operations go smoothly on this expedition to the snowfield, I believe there will be many spoils of war: warhorses, slaves, cattle, and sheep. You organize the remaining troops to be responsible for this with Blind and Si Niang.

“By the way, Si Niang…”

“Master, I’m here.” Si Niang walked over with the tea.

“You and Blind should do a good job with the reception work. This time, we’re going to help the Situ family fight the barbarians, so we don’t have to worry about any actions from the Situ family’s garrison nearby. It doesn’t matter if the defense is a little lax.”

“What about the nearby Wubao (fortified villages) and wealthy families, Master? They’ve been heavily plundered and squeezed by us these days.”

Tian Wujing’s banner was really useful. In order to avoid being exterminated, those Wubao lords and local wealthy families painfully donated craftsmen and grain, and even forcibly requisitioned many laborers.

If they are squeezed too hard, it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no trouble. Now that the thirty thousand Jingnan troops are on the side, these Fort Lords are naturally as docile as good babies, but when the army goes out on an expedition, and Shengle City becomes empty as a result, who knows who will take the risk.

“Tell them that we’re taking them to make a fortune together this time. The spoils of war after the army’s expedition need to be received. This plate is too big for us to eat, so everyone can come together.

“Call on them to contribute manpower and resources, let them maintain the line from our Shengle to the snowfield, and then everyone can eat the spoils that come down from the front.”

Hearing this, Liang Cheng couldn’t help but smile:

“This move by the master is extremely clever. In this way, on the one hand, we can win over the wealthy families and Wubao within a hundred miles of Shengle, and on the other hand, we can ensure the rear of the army. Once the front is lost…”

“Shut up!!!”

I’m going to join the army on this expedition!

Liang Cheng shut his mouth.

“According to my speculation, this expedition should be mainly based on long-distance raids and blitzkriegs. There is no way to slowly transport a large number of spoils back, so it is necessary to receive and transport them.”

“This humble servant understands, please rest assured, Master.”

Zheng Fan was used to being stingy, and after losing Xiao Liuzi as a backup for blood transfusions, he understood more and more the difficulty of life after having to rely on his own efforts.

Liang Cheng took the order and left,

Si Niang began to scrub Zheng Fan’s back,

Just as she was preparing to play with needles according to the established procedure,

Zheng Fan shook his head,

And said the words that old couples often say:

“Wash up and go to sleep.”

………

When your boss is a good-for-nothing who spends his days eating and waiting to die, you will be very depressed;

But when your boss is an out-and-out workaholic and careerist, you will also be very miserable.

Zheng Fan, who had a rare good night’s sleep in bed, was helped by Si Niang to put on his armor early in the morning, and then immediately mounted his horse to join the three thousand Shengle City troops prepared by Liang Cheng outside Shengle City.

Of these three thousand troops, one thousand were Jingnan soldiers, and the rest were composed of Tufa family soldiers and Jin soldiers. Zheng Fan’s old foundation was left at home.

Of course, from Zheng Fan’s point of view, this was preserving his strength, but from the point of view of the Jin soldiers and the Tufa family, this was simply City Warden Zheng showing grace and giving them credit.

Especially the Jin soldiers,

Facing the Jingnan Army that had once crushed them,

They were now going to go on an expedition with the Jingnan Army, which can be said to be quite exciting, and they were incredibly confident in the war.

The reason is the same as when you used to play games and were educated by a great player, and then the great player invited you to team up with him and let you hug his thighs.

A Ming hadn’t returned from Yanjing yet. Without him, the City Warden Zheng who was going on the expedition felt a little panicked for some reason.

Xue San and Fan Li went on the expedition with the army, while Blind and Si Niang stayed behind. After all, compared to the war situation, the follow-up operation of the old home was the most critical.

In the morning, the Shengle City troops had already set off and stopped outside the Jingnan Army camp, dismounting and sitting cross-legged to rest.

Although there was still some disarray in their armor, with a thousand Jingnan soldiers leading the way, these three thousand troops really had an elite aura, which was enough to show that Liang Cheng’s practice of training troops through battle had indeed achieved good results during this period.

Zheng Fan also sat there waiting, with Liang Cheng and Gao Yi sitting beside him, while Tufa Chengji and Tufa Su sat behind.

A little before noon, the gate of the military camp was wide open, and the Jingnan Army cavalry began to leave the camp. When the huge figure of that Pi Xiu beast and that gilded armor appeared, Zheng Fan, sitting in the square formation of his own army, felt the fervent enthusiasm and excitement coming from all around.

The common people may be very disgusted and afraid of Tian Wujing,

The big bosses of various forces will be very suspicious of Tian Wujing,

But the thoughts of the bottom-level soldiers are very simple. They only know that Tian Wujing can fight battles, and following him, they can win battles and have a greater chance of surviving.

They don’t care what kind of killing god or butcher you are.

What surprised Zheng Fan was that the Jin soldiers under his command actually showed a “look of adoration.” Did they get a sense of pleasure from being beaten?

Zheng Fan silently noted it in his heart. After this expedition, he still had to let Blind further strengthen ideological construction. How could the soldiers he paid to raise worship others?

It was about time. Zheng Fan glanced at Liang Cheng, and Liang Cheng raised his knife and shouted:

“Mount up!”

Three thousand knights mounted their horses.

At this time, a Jingnan Army captain rode over, his eyes falling directly on Zheng Fan,

And said:

“The Marquis orders City Warden Zheng to accompany the central army.”

“This humble general obeys!”

Zheng Fan rode out, bid farewell to his own troops, and went to Tian Wujing.

To be honest, City Warden Zheng was already used to this kind of treatment. No matter who was the commander, they all liked to keep him by their side. Maybe it was really because he spoke nicely?

“City Warden Zheng, where are the laborers and supplies?” Tian Wujing asked.

It was obvious that the number of laborers and supplies was too small.

“Reporting to the Marquis, when this humble general sent his subordinates into the mountains to clear the way for the army, he had already hidden food along the route the army would take, enough for the army to use when crossing the mountains.”

Hearing this, Tian Wujing nodded,

And said:

“Well done, I’ll record a merit for you.”

“Thank you, Lord Marquis.”

Under the midday sun,

With the Shengle City troops as the vanguard,

More than thirty thousand troops set off.

And on this day,

In the Li Tian City Marquis’s Mansion,

Du Juan was following Si Niang’s stitches and began to try her own needlework,

But no matter how she embroidered, she couldn’t be satisfied, only feeling that with the jade and pearls in front, the things she embroidered were really not worthy of being on the table.

After a while,

She put down her needlework,

The midday sun shone through the window on her pretty face,

And her hand was placed on her already noticeably bulging belly,

Outside the window,

The azaleas that the man had planted with his own hands,

Were blooming all over the garden.