The Demon Lords-Chapter 594 - 89 Promotion_3

Zheng Fan actually had a feeling about all this. Lord Jingnan turning grey overnight, even uttering the word 'rebellion' to his face... and then, in the end, it all settled into this calmness characterized by the funeral and mourning rites. Somehow, he felt that the attitude Lord Jingnan had shown him earlier was a bit too extreme. Perhaps others didn't feel this way, because on that day before the mourning hall, only he and Lord Jingnan had been present. This was a feeling exclusive to Zheng Fan, the one who had 'personally experienced' it.

To put it bluntly, even if Ji Chengjue were sitting right in front of him discussing this, Zheng Fan wouldn't necessarily tell him everything truthfully, never mind having to rely on this Master Zhang before him to relay messages. In terms of close relationships—call him a bit of a scoundrel—Zheng Fan still felt closer to Tian Wujing.

"Very well, this humble servant understands. With that, I shall take my leave and depart for the capital tomorrow. I wish Lord Zheng a smooth and safe journey."

Having said that, Master Zhang left, bringing the secret agent meeting to a close.

A Ming, who had been outside, walked in and asked, "How did the conversation go?"

Zheng Fan shook his head. "Just some idle talk. Alright, let's head back. Have some ginger water and get some sleep."

"My lord, the blind man hasn't arrived yet. Could something have happened to him on the road?"

"He can take care of himself; I'm very confident about that. Anyone can run into trouble, but the probability of him doing so is always the lowest."

Zheng Fan didn't stay in the military barracks. For one, he hadn't brought any soldiers with him. For another, he disliked the barracks environment. However, staying at the Lord's residence wasn't appropriate at this time either. So, Zheng Fan simply rented two rooms in a well-known inn in Li Tian City, not far from the Lord's residence. This made it convenient if Tian Wujing needed to summon him, though Tian Wujing hadn't shown his face or called for him since their return from Tianhu Mountain.

But Zheng Fan was, after all, a favorite of the Lord. As such, he was afforded certain basic considerations. Even the disciplinary officer of the Jingnan Army, renowned for his impartiality, deliberately turned a blind eye to such irregularities.

However, just as Zheng Fan and A Ming reached the inn's entrance, they saw two rows of armored soldiers lined up by the door.

When Zheng Fan walked inside, he saw a herald captain standing in the center of the inn's main hall, with a military officer in his early thirties standing beside him.

Seeing Zheng Fan enter, the herald captain raised the military token in his hand. It was Lord Jingnan's token; to see this token was like seeing the Lord himself. It was generally issued to messengers conveying the Lord's military orders.

"The Lord has an order! Zheng Fan, Defender of Shengle City, attend to this order!"

Zheng Fan immediately dropped to one knee. A Ming, behind him, also knelt.

"Zheng Fan, Defender of Shengle City, has achieved numerous merits in the expedition to the snow plains. Since ancient times, it has been held that errors must be punished and merits rewarded, to set hearts right and bolster the army's spirit.

Zheng Fan, Defender of Shengle City, is hereby promoted to General of Shengle. Furthermore, five thousand Jin soldiers from Li Yiyong's encampment are ordered north to Shengle, to be placed under the command of General Zheng to defend against border incursions!"

For the past decade or so, Lord Jingnan has essentially held absolute authority within the Jingnan Army. Matters of reward and punishment were decided by his word alone. Even promotions such as this were handled this way, with the procedures at the Ministry of War in the imperial court merely a formality completed afterward.

Everyone in the Jingnan Army had long grown accustomed to this.

In other words, without such decision-making power and autonomy, Tian Wujing could not have forged such a formidable army, one that rivaled the Northern Army, in just over a decade.

Of course, the current king valued such decisiveness. However, if times were to change, it wouldn't be surprising if this very autonomy was later used as evidence of Lord Jingnan harboring treasonous intentions and showing contempt for the sovereign.

General of Shengle? This is a direct promotion in rank. It's somewhat like a 'roaming general,' but since I have my own territory and defense zone, it's actually half a step higher than a typical roaming general. Of course, the official title itself isn't what I'm most concerned about. What I truly care about are those five thousand Jin soldiers.

When Yan State invaded Jin, it shattered half of the Jin State. Excluding those who died in battle, the survivors met various fates. Some Jin soldiers became scattered remnants, fleeing into the lands of the capital city or joining the Situ Family. Others were enslaved as laborers. Still others—the discerning and capable ones—recognized the changing tides and were absorbed into the subordinate army.

Five thousand soldiers, handpicked by the Jingnan Army—their quality definitely wouldn't be poor. After all, the inherent quality of the Three Jin Knights themselves was genuinely good.

At this moment, the officer who had been standing nearby knelt on one knee before Zheng Fan.

"I, Li Yiyong, pay my respects to General Zheng! Henceforth, I and the men under my command are willing to serve at General Zheng's behest and achieve great deeds for our Yan!"

Zheng Fan took a deep breath.

After the initial surprise came a wave of confusion. Old Tian hadn't even shown up for the funeral, yet he suddenly promoted me. And it wasn't just a promotion; he directly assigned troops to me! These five thousand Jin soldiers were fully equipped with warhorses and weaponry; I wouldn't need to worry about outfitting them. In the past, Tian Wujing always found reasons to 'temper' me, holding back my promotions. Now, he'd suddenly lavished me with such a 'sweet plum.' Humans... sometimes they're just perverse. This sudden generosity actually made me a bit uneasy.

Just then, an armored soldier walked over, carrying a long box.

The herald captain continued, "The Lord bestows this named sword upon General Zheng of Shengle. It is his hope that General Zheng will guard the border like its sharpest blade, protecting the people of our Yan from all harm."

A sword? But I use a blade.

At this time, the herald captain put away the token and said to Zheng Fan in a pleasing, even somewhat flattering tone, "General Zheng, please come forward and receive the sword."

Zheng Fan rose and walked to the long box.

The herald captain reached out and opened the box.

A sword with an antique-looking hilt and a reddish blade lay quietly within the long box.

Some things possess a value that even a layman can discern at a glance. I don't wield swords; I'm accustomed to blades. But one look at this sword before me, and it's clear: this is undoubtedly a renowned sword of this era.

"This sword is called..."

The herald captain immediately answered, "Longyuan."