Chapter 987 The Greedy Regent

"Thirsty?"

"No."

"Hungry?"

"No."

"Tired?"

"Not tired either."

The Sword Saint, who had just returned, sat there, watching Zheng Fan, who was showering him with concern.

Zheng Fan also looked at him.

Then,

they both laughed.

Zheng Fan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said,

"Oh, you have no idea. With you not in the tent next to mine, I couldn't eat or sleep well. I just couldn't feel at ease."

The Sword Saint replied, "I heard on the way back that during the final battle, the Regent charged ahead, leading the heavy-armored iron cavalry. He didn't seem to be suffering from any loss of appetite or sleep."

"Rumors, those must be rumors. Old Yu, you know how it is with the soldiers down there, they love to mythologize me, making up stories every day about how brave and invincible I am.

When you were by my side, I still shrank back, let alone when you weren't. How could I dare?

Don't listen to their nonsense."

"Alright, I'll go beat up my son later."

"Forget it, he's the head of the personal guards after all, and he's grown up. Leave him some face."

The Sword Saint took the teacup from Zheng Fan and said,

"This time, I encountered a group of people with mysterious origins, the kind you guys mentioned before."

"Did you fight?"

The Sword Saint shook his head. "No, they didn't give me the chance, so it's still hard to say for sure."

"Confirmed, the ones who are so cowardly are definitely them.

I've run into them too. There seem to be quite a few of them, mostly Qi refiners, with fewer martial artists and swordsmen.

I've already asked Blind Chen to investigate."

"Mm."

"Even though they're cowardly when they're weak,

I always feel uneasy when they're wandering around outside. It would be best to find a chance to get rid of them, even if it's just to trim their branches."

"We have to catch them by their weakness."

"Mm, but for now, they're just a minor problem. Faced with the overall situation, they can't jump too high."

"Is Chu finished after this?"

"It's like a fifth-grade swordsman having his arms broken. You can say he's strong, but how strong can he really be?

Chu is now in pretty much that state.

After all, hundreds of thousands of elites are not just hundreds of thousands of soldiers, nor hundreds of thousands of people. It's hard to replenish those elites.

It'll take at least five years to recover, and even if they had five years, unless Great Yan is in turmoil, they won't be able to bite anyone.

Continuing to fight will be troublesome and not cost-effective."

"How did this war of attrition feel?"

"Comfortable."

Zheng Fan sat down in his command seat, crossing his legs.

"With strong troops and sufficient logistics, unless the commander is out of his mind, he's already in an invincible position from a purely war perspective."

In this round of the Yan-Chu war, Great Yan steadily overwhelmed the Chu in terms of military strength, logistics, and the level of generals. Finally, with a bit of open strategy, they forced the Chu to take the initiative to seek a decisive battle.

"You're getting more and more modest," said the Sword Saint.

"Wasn't I before?"

"So-so."

At this moment, Liu Dahu walked in and reported, "Your Highness, Eunuch Huang has come to bid farewell."

"Mm."

Eunuch Huang walked in and knelt to pay his respects.

Logically speaking, as an imperial supervisor, he was on equal footing with the commander of the army, but that wasn't the custom in front of this man.

"Now that the war is over, this servant has come to bid farewell to Your Highness, so I can return to the capital and tell His Majesty about the events on the battlefield."

"How's your injury?"

"This servant is terrified that Your Highness is concerned about this minor injury. Rest assured, Your Highness, this servant is tough and will recover after some rest."

"You can't have any problems. When this Prince goes on an expedition next time, I'll still need Eunuch Huang."

"This servant thanks Your Highness for your great kindness and appreciation. This servant's heart belongs to Your Highness. If Your Highness is ever short of snacks when drinking, just send someone to order this servant, and I will immediately dig out my heart, chop it up, mix it with sesame oil, and personally bring it to Your Highness."

Zheng Fan laughed and said, "Wei Zhonghe once said that this Prince was eloquent; I actually believed it. Now it seems that I'm still far from you eunuchs who came out of the palace."

"Rest assured, Your Highness, this servant will definitely squeeze Old Scoundrel Wei Zhonghe again when I get back."

Eunuch Huang was on equal footing with Eunuch Wei in terms of seniority, but he had never been as prominent as Wei Zhonghe in his duties, so he naturally didn't dare to act presumptuously in front of Wei Zhonghe before.

But now it was different. After several military achievements as supervisor, he had obtained divine protection, and his position had become transcendent.

"By the way, I have a letter here to send to His Majesty."

"This servant accepts the order."

Eunuch Huang stepped forward and placed the letter in his sleeve, his expression normal.

There were messenger riders constantly running between Yanjing City, Fengxin City, and the commander's tent day and night, but he still had to deliver the letter himself, so it was clear that this letter was unusual.

"Does Your Highness have any other instructions for this servant?"

"Have a safe journey."

Eunuch Huang knelt down again.

"This servant kowtows to thank Your Highness for your great kindness, Your Highness. You must take care of your health. This servant is leaving."

As soon as Eunuch Huang left the commander's tent, Liang Cheng walked in, having obviously arrived earlier and waited outside.

"Lord."

"Come, come, come."

Zheng Fan stood up and walked down from the command seat, instructing,

"Dahu, the map."

"Yes."

Liu Dahu spread the map on the ground.

"Cheng, you didn't get to fight this time, are your hands itching?"

"This subordinate is fine, as long as my lord wins."

"That won't do. You've worked so hard to train the troops for so many years, how can I let you just lay eggs and not eat egg fried rice?"

"Heh."

The Sword Saint couldn't help but laugh.

Liang Cheng hesitated for a moment, seemingly feeling that he should laugh, so he laughed.

"Calculate how many troops we can mobilize here right now, while maintaining stability."

Liang Cheng looked at Zheng Fan, puzzled.

"Does my lord mean...to continue using troops?"

"What else?"

"It shouldn't be to continue fighting Chu," said Liang Cheng.

"Chu is nothing but bones and no meat. Biting it again will not only delay things, but also be uneconomical." Zheng Fan walked to the side of the map, his boot stepping on the location of Qian.

"It's the fattest."

Liang Cheng did not directly dissuade him. As a general, when the commander proposed a combat goal, he instinctively began to enter the war planning stage.

"My lord, what about logistics?"

"For the Yan-Chu war, I, Jindong, brought the first batch of logistics supplies myself. Xu Wenzu sent two batches, the first batch has been used, and the second batch has just arrived, which can maintain the army's needs until after the spring.

Originally, this national war was prepared to fight for two years, but now it is over in less than half a year.

If nothing unexpected happens, the imperial court's third batch of military supplies, which should have been transported to the front line here, should now be stopped at Nanmen Pass."

Zheng Fan's left foot stepped on the location of Nanmen Pass.

"What's the strategy?" Liang Cheng asked.

"In the early years, the Qian people relied on the Three Border Defense Line to block the Yan army from going south head-on, and even if the Yan army bypassed the three borders and went deep, the logistics would be stuck by the three borders, making it impossible to talk about anything, and they might be worn down by the Qian people.

At most, they could enter the house like thieves, steal and rob, and had to leave before dawn, and they had to worry about being ambushed by the owner.

The weakness of the Qian's Three Border Defense Line is actually at Nanmen Pass.

This area was originally the territory of Jin, the sphere of influence of the Wenren family. After the Three Jin Lands were incorporated into Yan, the opening at Nanmen Pass was directly opened.

It can be said that half of the Qian's Three Border Defense Line has been abandoned here.

The Qian-Chu allied forces counterattack in Liang and Zhao lands was also thinking of blocking the opening here. After all, in the subconscious of the Qian people, they still felt that the Three Border Defense Line was the most stable and reliable, and it had sheltered them for a hundred years anyway.

The last time I entered Qian, I also entered through this opening and went south to steal his Shangjing.

This time,

I plan to have you select 100,000 elite cavalry to withdraw from this battlefield, go through Jin, pass Nanmen Pass. That old boy Chen Yang wasn't transferred this time, and he also has a foundation of 50,000 old Jingnan Army troops under his command, give them to you together.

In addition, I will have Gou Moli mobilize his Fancheng Army, cross Qishan Mountain, pass through Liang and Zhao lands, and join you.

In this way, you will have 200,000 iron cavalry under your command.

If conditions permit, you can try to take down Lanyang City, the northeast gateway of the Qian people, and then cut in horizontally, not seeking to go south, but only to isolate the three borders.

In addition, in Yinlang County, there are troops led by the Eldest Prince and Li Liangshen, which can exert pressure from the north.

This time,

let's give the Qian's three borders a 'meat sandwich'."

After finishing the strategy, Zheng Fan looked at Liang Cheng and asked, "Any problems?"

"Very risky," said Liang Cheng.

"In what way?" Zheng Fan asked.

"Your subordinate's 200,000 troops."

"Oh?"

"First of all, the 100,000 troops that my lord said he would allocate to this subordinate have just experienced a major battle and have not yet had time to rest. After a long journey away from the battlefield, crossing the entire Jin land and out of Nanmen Pass, they will inevitably be exhausted when they arrive at Lanyang City.

Even the most elite troops are prone to disintegrate when used like this.

In addition, this time, the troops supporting Jin land are mainly elites. Although some garrisons have not come out in full force, they have also provided elite direct descendants under the dual pressure of my lord's royal order and the imperial court's decree.

Chen Yang is no exception.

Therefore, this subordinate believes that Chen Yang can gather 50,000 troops, but it is unlikely that they will be elites.

Moreover, after the Three Kingdoms War, Chen Yang's old Jingnan Army foundation was too damaged. Although the troops have long been restored, they are definitely not the Jingnan Army that my lord was accustomed to and recognized in the past.

After all, the Jingnan King has been gone for so many years.

Gou Moli's troops have just been killing each other with Xie Zhuyang on the second battlefield for several months. This old thing is doing favors again, sending his direct descendants to Xian Ba and Tiantian to play with.

Now that he is gathering troops and crossing the mountains to join me under Lanyang City, can this troop still fight?

Therefore, what my lord gave me is not 200,000 iron cavalry, but...200,000 exhausted soldiers.

The new troops that the Qian people newly formed that year, the Zu Family Army, the Meng Family Army, the Han Family Army, the Zhong Family Army, and the Le Family Army, all withdrew to Qian land completely unscathed during the Three Kingdoms War. Over the years, they will only develop further.

If I were the commander of the Qian people, I should not choose to shrink back at the beginning, but would try to fight a few battles proactively. After all, they were not there when Shangjing City was broken.

From a purely military point of view, they still maintain the psychological construction of annihilating Li Fusheng during the Liang land battle and dare to fight.

Therefore, if this subordinate wants to bluff with exhausted soldiers, it will be difficult to really scare them."

"You mean, we can't fight?"

Liang Cheng shook his head and said, "We can fight, after all, the Qian people would never have dreamed that my lord's appetite is so big, so greedy, that he would immediately turn around and fight him after fighting Chu.

Just for the sake of these four words 'surprise attack', it is actually worth fighting a battle."

"That's why."

Zheng Fan reached out and put his arm around Liang Cheng's shoulder,

saying:

"When the troops are strong and the horses are strong, I can lead the army, no problem, you can be absent;

But the scenario I just described is indispensable to you. Without you, I wouldn't dare to be so greedy."

"This subordinate just feels that it will be a bit of a loss." Liang Cheng pondered, "We can achieve results, but the results will not be too great, and the final result may still be a fruitless return, and it will consume the hard-earned family fortune.

If I were a Qian, I would confront, the three borders against Yinlang County, and those few field armies would specialize in confronting the army led by this subordinate.

Everyone will eventually turn into a competition of attrition again.

The Qian people's wealthy land is in Jiangnan, unlike the Chu people, who are fighting us in the north, where the essence lies. The Qian people are more durable than the Chu people.

If it lasts for a long time, the people of Yan and Jin will have to tighten their belts again, and everything will return to the past.

Overall, it's not cost-effective."

Liu Dahu was next to him, carefully taking notes of the military discussion.

The Sword Saint sat on the chair, listening with great interest.

"Hehe."

At this time, Zheng Fan smiled,

His boot first pressed against Wenqiu County, which is where the commander's tent is now located, and then pulled all the way southwest, bypassing the Daze, then bypassing Guyue City, and then cutting horizontally inward from the southwest of Chu.

Liang Cheng's eyes immediately narrowed;

"What if I personally lead another army, take this route, imitate Nian Yao's raid on the Qian Kingdom, and also launch a raid on the Qian Kingdom's Jiangnan?

Think about it,

The Qian's army is tensely confronting you on the three borders, and I suddenly stabbed them hard from behind, what will happen?"

"My lord, this is no longer a military problem.

Although the Chu people have just been defeated by us, the Chu Kingdom has not been destroyed. Will the Chu people watch you lead an army and pass by peacefully under their noses?"

"Cheng, you also said that this is no longer a military problem, so we naturally have to find non-military methods to solve it.

Let my brother-in-law,

After being slapped hard by me,

Willingly,

Give way to me."

"This subordinate is stupid, please enlighten me, my lord."

"Wait a little longer."

"Wait?"

"My lord, this subordinate requests to see you." Blind Chen's voice sounded from outside the commander's tent.

Zheng Fan clapped his hands,

saying:

"Here he comes."