Chapter 178 What He Relies On

The hot pot had long been moved from the bonfire, but Zheng Boye's heart was still churning.

The Prince of Jingnan had laid out his plan for the war against Chu in detail to him, and even Zheng Boye, who was used to seeing waves, was shocked.

This was a national war, and if the laborers were included, it would involve millions of people.

This was Tian Wujing. When commanding troops and fighting, he could be as meticulous as unraveling silk, but in terms of grand strategy, he could also outline a blueprint in his own mind for you.

Qian Dynasty literati liked to write poems and lyrics that often featured "landscapes like paintings" and "landscapes so enchanting," but in the eyes of generals, the landscape was just a huge sandbox, with cities, lakes, mountains, and hills. They didn't know if the landscape was like a painting because they didn't care. What they cared about was using the golden spears and iron horses under their command as whips to lash this majestic and vast land.

His own position, unsurprisingly, had been arranged by the Prince of Jingnan long ago.

In fact, viewed from this perspective, the battle of Yangshan Stronghold was a prelude.

Originally, Zheng Boye thought it was to seize the first merit for himself, but now it seemed that the real purpose was not here. The Prince of Jingnan's idea was probably to let himself gain merit in the early stage while reasonably consuming a lot of strength. Then, he could justifiably withdraw his troops from the front line to rest and recuperate, while accumulating and restoring strength in the rear, laying the groundwork for the upcoming boat trip into Chu to raid Jing City.

However, in the battle of Dongshan Fort, although Shi Yuantang launched an unexpected counterattack, he was ultimately pushed back and took Dongshan Fort in one fell swoop.

This didn't affect the Prince of Jingnan's arrangement; on the contrary, it played a better role in promoting it.

Because his unit didn't have to wait any longer, they could now openly withdraw to rest and replenish their troops and strength. Moreover, with solid military achievements and results here, no one dared to say a word against it.

Even the Chu people would think that it was normal not to see the "Zheng" banner on the battlefield in the future. It was also reasonable for the Earl of Pingye and his troops to disappear from the first combat sequence of the Yan army on the front line.

After all, the casualties were so high.

The rapid capture of Dongshan Fort accelerated the Prince of Jingnan's plan, making him more at ease in deploying this chess piece.

He could even call himself to his side again and continue to impart his knowledge and experience.

Just like generals giving speeches to encourage their soldiers before a battle, to inject more killing intent into them before the charge,

The Prince of Jingnan certainly knew how challenging and difficult this large-scale raid was for the commanding general. Therefore, he took this opportunity to bring himself to his side, as a way to give himself a last-minute boost.

This was one reason.

The second reason was that during this period of "rest" and "development," he could formally appear at his side, increase his presence, and elevate his status in the army fighting against Chu.

Since ancient times, a leader's confidants naturally had an extraordinary status when they were by the leader's side, and those below would be more flattering to you. But once you were sent down to gain experience, you would often find yourself in a situation where your eyes were higher than your hands, and those who used to flatter you would watch you make a fool of yourself.

Upstarts never fare well in any organization.

Zheng Boye didn't have these hidden concerns because his military achievements were solid. No one in the Yan army… or even the Chu army would question the Earl of Pingye's ability to fight.

In addition, the Prince of Jingnan's almost undisguised appreciation made it twice as easy to support the Earl of Pingye in the Yan army.

The afternoon wind blew, bringing heat waves, and finally awakened Zheng Boye from the emotional turmoil in his heart.

He pointed to the remaining maocai and said to Gongsun Zan and Gong Lin:

"Don't waste food."

"Yes, Boye."

"Yes, Boye."

Zheng Boye stood up and seemed to think of something again, saying:

"This afternoon, you draw out the defense map near the Prince's tent for me."

Gongsun Zan and Gong Lin both showed excited expressions on their faces. They thought that the Earl of Pingye was teaching them.

But Zheng Boye just felt that letting them stay here idly like this wouldn't be good when he met their old men in the future. He simply assigned them a task, regardless of whether it was meaningful or not, to keep them busy first.

Leaving his tent, Zheng Boye walked back to the Prince's tent. After lifting the curtain, Tian Wujing was already sitting in the main seat.

And the seat Zheng Boye had occupied in the morning was piled with more memorials.

Zheng Boye didn't say anything, quietly sat back in his seat, and began to review them.

Memorials were constantly being sent in, some from the rear and some from the front.

At the same time, Zheng Boye had to write inquiry memorials on behalf of the Prince of Jingnan and send them out.

As before, Zheng Boye streamlined the old, cliché, and routine matters. He made decisions on issues that required some ideas but were not very difficult, and those that needed the Prince of Jingnan to take a look at were placed separately.

After submitting them,

Tian Wujing didn't look at the other two piles at all, but instead picked up the three memorials placed separately.

One was that a garrison officer under Xue Chugui's command was drinking in the camp. The disciplinary officer of Xue Chugui's unit suggested demotion, a fine, and relegation to the vanguard camp.

Zheng Boye's endorsement was beheading and displaying it to the entire army.

One was that after Ma Youliang's unit failed to attack a military stronghold, the centurion was killed in battle, and the remaining dozen or so who retreated were sentenced to be beheaded.

According to Yan army law, if the main general died in battle without victory, the subordinates would be buried with him.

Zheng Boye's endorsement was: remove the death sentence and send them to the vanguard army to atone for their crimes.

One was that a brawl broke out in the civilian labor camp of Luo Ling's unit, involving hundreds of people. The cause was that a group of Jin civilians found that their food was worse than that of the Yan civilians, which caused dissatisfaction.

The disciplinary officer suggested beheading the leaders of both sides and the captains of both civilian labor camps, and whipping the followers.

It could be said that everyone received thirty lashes.

Zheng Boye's endorsement was to only punish the Jin civilians and the civilian labor camp captains.

Punishment in the army often involved bloodshed because the army was an instrument of war, and the law had to be strict. Otherwise, it would be impossible to restrain this group of desperadoes who licked blood from their blades.

Therefore, sentencing often involved beheading, which was very different from the way local officials liked to mediate and were extremely cautious about cases involving human lives.

Because Tian Wujing personally liked to pay attention to details and control when using troops and governing the army, these memorials would be submitted to the Prince's tent for Tian Wujing to review.

The army was gathered, and the combat troops, auxiliary soldiers, and civilians added up to more than a million. Because the imperial power didn't extend to the countryside, even the prefect of a wealthy prefecture in Yan would not actually control so many people.

Tian Wujing put down the first memorial and said:

"Xue Chugui's army discipline is lax, whip him twenty times."

This meant that the Prince of Jingnan felt that it was not enough to just kill the garrison officer; the main general had to be punished as well.

Tian Wujing put down the second memorial and said:

"Siege warfare is different from field charge. The applicable military law is naturally different. Send it to all the commanding officers for review and order them to consider it themselves."

Back in the snowfield, Li Fusheng's unit suffered more casualties because of this habit of the Zhenbei Army, which led to soldiers not returning even after the retreat signal was sounded.

Generals taking the lead and soldiers protecting generals create an atmosphere in which the army has real combat power and can be fearless. But that was field warfare, while siege warfare required too much attention to detail and was a completely different way of war. Some military laws were no longer appropriate.

As for the third memorial,

Tian Wujing looked up at Zheng Fan, dropped the memorial, and said:

"Talk."

It was a brawl between civilians, and it was between Yan civilians and Jin civilians. Logically speaking, the disciplinary officer's original sentence was correct. At present, the overall situation should be the priority, and the people and troops of Jin were also an indispensable force in the war against Chu.

"This subordinate believes that the food for the civilians is determined by the superiors. The responsibility for this matter should also lie with the superiors. Furthermore..."

"Are you deliberately biased?"

The Prince of Jingnan interrupted Zheng Boye.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Our army is the Yan army. Yan civilians travel from Yan across mountains and rivers to participate in the national war. They should be given preferential treatment."

"This Prince thought that you, Earl of Pingye, liked to talk about the Confucian idea of teaching without discrimination."

Because among the Earl of Pingye's subordinates, the Yan people were not the majority. The barbarians, Jin people, and now the wild men were the real majority.

"Your Highness, this subordinate's unit is a special case. From the overall perspective, in this war against Chu, what we can truly rely on is the old Yan people. If it were in my unit, I would use other methods to deal with it, but this matter happened in Luo Ling's unit, which is the Prince's Jingnan Army's main force, so it cannot be handled like this.

The Sixth Prince once pointed at the barbarians and said to this subordinate that barbarians only fear power and do not cherish virtue. The Jin people are not barbarians, but at least for now, the Jin people are the newly conquered people of our Great Yan, and they are being swept into this national war by our Great Yan. Their dissatisfaction is certain.

Therefore, treating everyone equally will not be appreciated by the Jin people, and the Yan people will be hurt.

Rather than letting both sides fall, it is better to first grasp the fundamentals.

Yan and Jin can be equal, treating the Jin people as Yan people, and turning the Jin people into Yan people, only after we break through Zhennan Pass and eliminate the threat from Chu will we have the energy to do so."

Finally,

Zheng Boye added very solemnly:

"No matter when, under any circumstances, the old Yan people, the Yan civilians, and the Yan army will always be the true foundation of our Great Yan."

Tian Wujing looked at Zheng Fan very seriously,

Zheng Fan stood there calmly.

Finally,

Tian Wujing nodded and said:

"Do it this way."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Help this Prince put on his armor and accompany me to Li Fusheng's unit for a look."

Zheng Boye helped the Prince of Jingnan put on his armor.

Subsequently,

Outside, the personal soldiers brought over the two men's pixiu.

Taking only a hundred or so riders as guards, Zheng Boye and the Prince of Jingnan left the central army camp together.

Gongsun Zan, who was drawing and recording there, looked up at the departing team. Still young, he couldn't help but say:

"Boye looks like the Prince."

The same pixiu,

The same golden armor,

And an indescribable feeling that made people feel they were very similar.

Gong Lin heard this and said:

"My father said that our Boye is the Prince's designated successor."

Immediately,

Gong Lin realized that he had said too much. Perhaps it was because Gongsun Zan in front of him was too young, so he was careless and made the mistake of talking too much.

Who knew that Gongsun Zan nodded and said:

"My father said so too."

…

Compared to the rapid capture of Dongshan Fort, the Xishan Fort side had fallen into a long-term stalemate and fierce battle.

If Li Fusheng had a choice, he would definitely prefer Zheng Fan's situation.

The defenders came out, and he pushed them back, clean and neat, and the battle was over.

Better than now…

"Damn it, I'm so angry!"

Li Fusheng threw down the military flag in his hand and spat twice on the ground.

Today's offensive had stopped again, and the Yan army began to retreat. The Chu people on the city wall cheered.

"Report, General, the Prince and the Earl of Pingye are here!"

Li Fusheng's face showed a look of shame and anger when he heard this.

It wasn't that he resented anyone, but because the battle had been deadlocked and there was no progress, he was really embarrassed to see Tian Wujing. As for Zheng Fan, he had actually come too. Looking at other people's achievements, there was really no comparison. He always felt that he would look very stupid!

You know, last time in his own commander's tent, the Prince of Jingnan directly told him that Zheng Fan's side had no problems, and he was very unconvinced.

He rubbed his face hard a few times with both hands,

Li Fusheng ordered a personal guard beside him:

"Order the generals to hold a military conference in the commander's tent.

Also, go, didn't I ask you to find a new pair of leather boots last time? Bring them here."

"Yes, General."

The generals hurried to the commander's tent for a military conference, regardless of the fatigue of a day's siege.

Everyone's faces were a bit solemn.

When the siege didn't make much progress at the beginning, Li Fusheng was still normal.

But after Dongshan Fort was captured, every day after that, Li Fusheng would scold everyone with a sullen face at the military conferences.

Everyone was used to this, after all, it wasn't the first day they had fought under their general.

Some of the lower-level military leaders saw that these direct descendants were also being scolded, so they didn't feel anything. Anyway, they were all being scolded together.

But this time, hearing that the Prince of Jingnan had come again, and with the Earl of Pingye,

Not only did Li Fusheng, the main general, feel ashamed, but these generals below also felt the pressure.

The various units in an army would secretly compete with each other, not to mention the troops under one commander and the troops under another commander.

Most importantly, what kind of soldiers were under the Earl of Pingye's command?

They were barbarians, Jin people, and slaves who were said to be wild men.

What kind of soldiers were they?

They were the direct descendants of the Zhenbei Army who had followed Li Fusheng from the desert to the capital of Qian and then to Jin!

Barbarians were their defeated opponents, Jin was a country they had destroyed, and wild men, what were they!

But even so, the Earl of Pingye had taken Dongshan Fort so decisively, while their side still couldn't see much progress. How could they not be depressed?

Inside the commander's tent,

Tian Wujing sat on the commander's seat that belonged to Li Fusheng.

Zheng Boye stood aside,

It felt like all he was missing was a horsetail whisk.

After the generals came in, they all saluted the Prince of Jingnan first, then saluted Zheng Boye, and then stood in two rows.

Finally,

Li Fusheng came in, and there was movement outside.

Noise was most taboo in the army, especially within the commander's tent.

The Prince of Jingnan opened his mouth and said;

"What's going on outside?"

Li Fusheng replied: "Reporting to Your Highness, wasn't there a bet between this subordinate and Your Highness last time? If the Earl of Pingye could capture Dongshan Fort in a few days, then we would cook and eat our boots. Right now, they are boiling them outside."

The Prince of Jingnan shook his head and ignored it.

Zheng Fan's mouth moved slightly. He couldn't say anything either.

To be honest, that was just a joke. The Prince of Jingnan wouldn't take it seriously, let alone mention it in front of everyone and ask Li Fusheng to fulfill it.

After all, no matter how much Tian Wujing doted on Zheng Fan, he wouldn't be so obvious.

Li Fusheng took the initiative to mention it, and his purpose was very clear: to promote Zheng Fan's name, willing to use himself as a foil.

He was ashamed and angry,

But for a long time, Li Fusheng had always regarded Zheng Fan as his junior.

Among the seven major commanders under the former Marquis of Zhenbei, he was the oldest. Although he often went crazy on the battlefield and liked to take the lead in fighting, he was actually very transparent in other aspects.

Today, he took the initiative to mention it, and this matter would definitely spread again, becoming a wonderful anecdote belonging to the Earl of Pingye.

Fortunately, it would take some time to cook the boots. Next, under Tian Wujing's chairmanship, the military conference began, and what was discussed was nothing more than the gains and losses of the siege these days.

Everyone said a lot, and Zheng Boye listened all the time, without expressing his opinion.

In fact,

His mind began to go back to the memorial in the Prince's tent earlier.

The Blind Man had specially analyzed the Prince of Jingnan's position with him. Obviously, the Prince of Jingnan had become indifferent to the concept of "family," or had given up on it on his own initiative. Therefore, what supported his beliefs was "country."

What was the foundation of the Great Yan's founding? It was the Yan people.

As his relationship with the Prince of Jingnan continued to grow closer, Zheng Boye hadn't felt the feeling of "accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger" for a long time, but this didn't mean that Zheng Boye had relaxed his vigilance.

That memorial, including the Prince of Jingnan's questions, actually contained a consideration of Zheng Fan's own political stance.

After all, there were too few real Yan people under Zheng Fan's command. If it was really the idea of "teaching without discrimination"...

From a politically correct point of view, everyone must be equal.

Tian Wujing wouldn't simply say that because he was a Yan person, he should favor the Yan people. Rather, from his perspective, only by adhering to the principle of prioritizing the Yan people could the territory he had conquered and the empire he had created through his southern and northern campaigns continue to exist.

This was a political stance, and Zheng Boye had no choice but to follow the Prince of Jingnan for now.

While he was wandering in his thoughts,

Suddenly,

Zheng Boye saw the Prince of Jingnan look at him,

"What do you think?"

He had been so absorbed in his daydreams that Zheng Boye had completely forgotten what they were talking about specifically, and simply said:

"Your Highness is right."

As soon as he said this, the faces of many generals in the commander's tent suddenly changed, and some even showed very clear expressions of resentment.

Zheng Boye suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Tian Wujing nodded and said:

"Yes, you also agree with what this Prince said, they are indeed useless."

"………" Zheng Boye.

But that wasn't the most awkward part.

The most awkward part was that,

Subsequently,

Tian Wujing pointed to Li Fusheng below and said:

"In that case, let the Earl of Pingye take over your command for two days."

"!!!" Zheng Fan.