The Demon Lords-Chapter 557 - 61: Sudden Arrival_1
No one could understand the bitterness in Xue Three's heart. After assisting A Ming and Fanli in their advancement, he had now helped the Blindman advance, completing his "hat trick" of assists for this round.
He also understood now that if this were a game, the Blindman had probably figured out the fundamental rules long ago. It was simply that his previous sycophancy hadn't been enough; he needed to stir My lord's heart on a deeper level. The Blindman wasn't in a hurry; he truly wasn't. He just sat to one side, watching them all desperately scramble for advancement, while he leisurely sipped his tea, silently waiting to be the last one. When the other six had all advanced, leaving only him, My lord would inevitably feel rather embarrassed and guilty towards whoever was left. Because, to be frank, among My lord and the seven Demon Kings, the one who contributed the least and was the most hands-off manager was, in fact, My lord himself. That feeling of guilt was precisely what the Blindman had been waiting for. In other words, he had calculated long ago that the last one would inevitably receive an automatic advancement, so there was no need to panic.
The white at his temples had been carefully dyed by Yuexin after he woke up; it couldn't be too pronounced, nor too subtle—the balance had to be perfect. If overdone, it could easily backfire. The ink stains on his cuffs were dabs he had applied himself—not too many, not too few, and not too dark. His attire for the day had been specially chosen: it had to be simple, yet not shabby. He couldn't speak too much, nor show too many expressions; an air of calm indifference was best. It was just like political campaigns in later Western generations, where even the amount of dust on a candidate's shoes would be meticulously planned by their PR team. The Blindman had succeeded.
He turned, bowed to Zheng Fan, then, with another graceful turn, flicked his sleeves and headed to the government office for work.
A wave of intense frustration suddenly washed over Xue Three. He was skilled at hiding, but when it comes to scheming, he was truly no match for the Blindman, that old fox.
After breakfast, Zheng Fan personally saw Liang Cheng off outside the city. The contingent heading out this time was larger, but their morale was high because everyone who had returned from the previous expedition had brought back considerable spoils.
Soldiers fight for their keep; this was the simplest of truths. Zheng Fan had always been very generous with rewards for his subordinates; typically, fifty percent of the spoils of war were directly distributed to the soldiers who participated in the battle. It was much like how bosses in later times would often complain that young people weren't committed to their work and were always job-hopping, when the fundamental reason was simply… low wages.
Xue Three didn't go outside the city to see Liang Cheng off but returned to his own private barracks. When he entered, fifty soldiers were already training.
This place didn't resemble a gym or a martial arts training ground; instead, it was more like a classroom. Because when Xue Three selected them, adhering to the principle of striving for excellence, he had chosen men who were already agile and skilled in archery and horsemanship. This significantly reduced the initial investment in basic training and shortened the overall training period, allowing them to be put into service much sooner.
Therefore, these men spent every morning familiarizing themselves with the newly improved equipment Xue Three had personally designed for them, and their afternoons and evenings were spent memorizing texts. Yes, Xue Three had written down his insights and experiences from his infiltration missions, compiling them into a "training manual" for these fifty soldiers to memorize. It detailed what to pay attention to in various situations, what choices to make in different environments, and factors like wind direction and weather conditions. It was extremely thorough, and their task was simply to memorize it all.
Xue Three sat in his armchair, responsible for quizzing them. Anyone who failed to recite correctly would receive a harsh beating with a ruler. Consequently, many nearby residents and his former fellow soldiers mistakenly believed these men were preparing for the "imperial examination," abandoning martial pursuits for scholarly ones.
This method was certainly not the best, but in Xue Three's view, it was the most suitable for now. So be it if it was rote learning; the priority was to have them memorize it until it was branded into their minds. Scouts inherently faced high casualty rates. Once these fifty men were sent out, and eventually fewer than ten survived, the core veterans would have emerged. They would then form the framework for new development. It sounded somewhat cold-blooded, but that was the reality.
Just as Xue Three was about to quiz his "students," a man approached the courtyard entrance—it was Xiao Yibo. Xiao Yibo currently acted somewhat like a steward, bustling about handling logistics.
"Master San," Xiao Yibo said, "I've brought something for you. Mr. Bei asked me to deliver it."
"What is it?" Xue Three asked.
Xiao Yibo signaled for his men to bring the items in. It was cotton cloth, all white.
Xue Three glanced at it and immediately understood. He knew why Liang Cheng, having just returned, was now leading troops back into the mountains. So, these materials were for his scouts to use for camouflage. The snowy plains, as the name suggested, might not be entirely covered in white snow, but large areas would have deep snow. If the scouts could wear white cloaks, their camouflage would be greatly improved.
"Alright, I've got them," Xue Three said.
"Very well, Master San," Xiao Yibo replied. "Please continue with your work. I'll head back to report."
After Xiao Yibo left, Xue Three gathered his fifty men. Pointing to the white cloth in the boxes, he ordered, "From now on, during the day, you'll learn to make your own clothes. In the evening, continue memorizing your texts."
Hearing this command, the men all looked at each other in consternation. They were all hardened soldiers, veterans of countless battles. Asking them to pick up needles and thread to make clothes? It was truly like forcing Zhang Fei to do embroidery!
However, Xue Three's authority was so imposing that no one dared to voice their objections.
"Do it! Learn it!" Xue Three declared. "I'll go into the city later and get some seamstresses to come teach us. A soldier who can't make his own clothes isn't a good soldier!"
「...」
On the city walls, thousands of slaves were being driven to work. After his experience of being besieged by Jin State troops inside the fort, Zheng Fan had developed a profound appreciation for sturdy fortifications. Although annihilating the enemy in the open field was exhilarating, at critical moments, one still had to rely on high walls and deep moats to survive.
Two hundred-strong cavalry patrols from the Jingnan Army were in the vicinity. On the construction site, however, there were no Yan people wielding whips as overseers; instead, some of the wild people themselves acted as supervisors. Fanli was personally hauling bricks and earth, his bare, muscular torso attracting attention.
After confirming that the construction site was operating smoothly, Zheng Fan and Siniang began walking towards their residence.
Truth be told, each of the Demon Kings had their assigned tasks; Zheng Fan was the only one who was relatively idle. He couldn't just stay cooped up in the residence playing with his "needlework" all the time. For one, Siniang also had her duties, and for another, his "needlework" also required a "cooldown period."
Therefore, to make his presence felt, Zheng Fan began to walk around the city, inspecting various sites.
The inspection process was deeply gratifying. This was his own domain, his stronghold, and it was flourishing. The sense of satisfaction as the lord of the city was truly almost overflowing.
Seeing it was getting late, Zheng Fan decided to return to the residence. As he walked side by side with Siniang, she continued her report, "My lord, the ones wielding whips earlier were slaves I specially selected from among the wild people. Having them act as overseers is much more effective than using our own people. Those who become overseers receive better food, drink, and provisions than the other wild people slaves. This also shows the other wild people that there are tangible prospects to strive for."
"You've put a lot of thought into this," Zheng Fan commented.
Management was a science, but how to manage and exploit slaves so that they didn't hate their master, but rather directed their resentment elsewhere—that was an even more profound art.
"It is merely what I should do," Siniang continued. "Our manpower is indeed still somewhat insufficient. I've already recruited civilian laborers from the surrounding areas to help build the city walls. The recruited laborers from Jin land will receive payment. As for those wild people on the construction site who perform well, I've promised them their freedom once the city walls are completed.
"Regarding other supplies, weapons, and armor, our workshops aren't fully established yet. We can only purchase from external merchant caravans while also recruiting master blacksmiths. Fortunately, Jin land is not a barren wasteland, so artisans are not hard to find. It's just that some forts are unwilling to provide them."
"Then pay them. Buy them," Zheng Fan said.
The Yan people's control over Jin land, aside from Li Tian City where it was gradually extending its reach, remained largely superficial in other areas. Their so-called influence had not penetrated the countryside.
"But some are unwilling to sell, my lord," Siniang noted.
"Then take them by force," Zheng Fan declared. "Have Gao Yi dispatch another five hundred Jingnan Army soldiers specifically to raid those disobedient small forts."
"But My lord," Siniang cautioned, "A Cheng has already taken most of our forces into the mountains. Within the city, we only have this small contingent of Jingnan Army soldiers left. If we dispatch more, the city will be left with very few defenders. Moreover, if this incites resentment among the masters of the Jin land forts, they might unite against us…"
"Let them unite then," Zheng Fan retorted. "Lord Jingnan's army will be here before long. In fact, I'd welcome it if those wealthy local landowners in Jin land banded together to cause trouble. It would be a perfect opportunity for Lord Jingnan to deal with them for us when he arrives."
Speaking of which, Zheng Fan suddenly paused, then added, "Heh, I almost forgot! Have Xiao Yibo lead the way, with Gao Yi providing backup. Let Xiao Yibo fly Lord Jingnan's banner and announce that he is acting on Lord Jingnan's orders to conscript grain, fodder, and artisans. Any who refuse will have their entire clan exterminated!"
"My lord, is that... wise?" Siniang asked, her concern evident.
This was essentially tantamount to forging an imperial edict. Although Lord Jingnan was not the emperor, faking his orders was hardly different.
"There's nothing wrong with it," Zheng Fan said dismissively. "When Lord Jingnan's forces arrive soon, we'll have to contribute grain and fodder to support his army anyway. We're essentially just collecting it on the Lord's behalf beforehand. Besides, with Lord Jingnan's current reputation… HA HA HA! Once that name is invoked…"
Tian Wujing's name and deeds inspired such awe and fear throughout Yan State that people were hesitant to even speak of him, let alone in Jin land, which he himself had conquered. A great fiend who dared to annihilate his own entire clan, a veritable god of slaughter—that reputation, it was no exaggeration to say, was worth ten thousand heavy cavalry!
"And what about this Lord's reputation?"
Just then, a man ahead, leading a horse and wearing a wide-brimmed bamboo hat, began to remove his hat as he spoke.
Zheng Fan smoothly continued, "—why, they'll be moved to tears of gratitude and eagerly contribute grain, fodder, and artisans to supply the King's army!
"Your subordinate, Zheng Fan, pays respects to Lord Jingnan!"
