The Demon Lords-Chapter 622 - 107: Taking a Bath_1

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

General Zheng, dressed in a Flying Fish Suit, was practicing archery at the target range. Siniang stood nearby. The blind man sat further back; A Ming, Xue Three, Fanli, and Liang Cheng were also present. Aside from Mo Wan, who was at the mansion looking after the child, everyone was there. It wasn't the bi-monthly regular meeting, so it was rare for everyone to gather so completely.

Aside from General Zheng, who was "doing nothing" each day, every other Demon King was responsible for several departments. Siniang handled economic and livelihood matters. The blind man was in charge of administration and ideological development. Fanli managed civil construction. Xue Three trained spies while also overseeing the weapons workshop. Liang Cheng commanded the army, and A Ming was responsible for product development. They had gathered so completely because the latest battle report from the front line had arrived.

The Emperor of Cheng State, Situ Lei, had, on his deathbed, led his army to a great victory over the coalition of rebels and wild people. The Eldest Prince then ordered Li Bao's forces to enter Ying Capital City directly and control the situation.

Situ Lei's deathbed strike significantly broadened Yan State's strategic space in this war and enhanced its strategic initiative. Meanwhile, after the war, Cheng State's Prime Minister Sun Youdao, accompanied by a group of civil officials and military generals, oversaw the ascension of Situ Lei's young son to the throne. This was done according to Situ Lei's previous arrangements, ensuring an orderly handover and transfer of the Situ Family's original foundation to a considerable extent.

Thus, just a few days after ascending the throne, the young emperor reduced his country's status. He no longer called himself emperor but instead adopted the title of 'National Lord'.

"What do you make of this?" Xue Three said, quite exasperated. "This useless teammate either stays useless or, after being useless all this time, suddenly pulls off something incredible. What does that mean? Are they messing with us?"

Although they all held official positions in Yan State, few possessed much awareness or concern for Yan or the broader situation.

The blind man massaged his brow and said, "Situ Lei was always a formidable individual. It's just that he first encountered that father of his, then those two brothers, and inexplicably conceded too much in the early stages. But this emperor always possessed genuine ability."

Situ Lei's last battle also left many "blank spaces" for him in the annals of history. If it weren't for that final battle, future interpretations of Situ Lei would likely depict him as a powerful official who rose to power, murdered his father, betrayed his brothers, and ultimately led his country to ruin. It is precisely because he died after winning his last battle that future historians can speculate: if Situ Lei hadn't been seriously injured, if he hadn't died, if he had been given a few more years, what would the outcome have been for Cheng State?

At this point, Siniang spoke, "My lord, based on the current situation, can we pause our war preparations? We could assign five thousand soldiers to the workshops to help out."

Maintaining a large-scale standing army is undoubtedly a huge expense and a heavy burden. Consequently, many historical dynasties preferred to manage their armies using the 'system of stationing troops'. Unfortunately, this method invariably led to terrible consequences in the long run. But Siniang clearly understood the current situation in Shengle City. If they didn't find a way to adapt, their foundation truly wouldn't last much longer.

"No," Zheng Fan stated decisively.

"Yes, My lord is wise," Siniang replied very bluntly, without arguing.

Whether it's orderly management or playing until you go broke and collapse, it's all just a game in essence. Siniang wouldn't argue with Zheng Fan about this; there was no point.

"I always have a hunch that things probably won't go so smoothly," Zheng Fan continued. "It's still the same sentiment: we must be prepared for war."

Speaking based on a hunch was much like making major decisions based on an oracle's pronouncements; it gave an impression of unreliability. However, to succeed in the profession of an oracle, your predictions had to be accurate to attract clients. And since Zheng Fan had awakened in this world, setting aside all else, his luck had always been remarkably good. This luck wasn't manifested as invulnerability on the battlefield under a halo of destiny, but rather in his grasp of the larger trends. He always managed to land on the most opportune point.

"We need to give that King of the Wild People some confidence. The rebel army and the wild people's coalition have hesitated to attack Ying Capital City because they don't want to tear away the last shred of pretense and directly face Yan State's reaction. They had already considered whether Yan State would send troops or if the Situ Family would defect to Yan State. Perhaps Situ Lei's final resurgence was unexpected for them. While this defeat might be a heavy blow to the rebels' morale, it certainly wouldn't be enough to cripple the wild people. Since the King of the Wild People calculated that the Yan Army would enter Cheng State to assist in the fighting, he must have countermeasures planned." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Betting the future on the enemy's 'intelligence' was an approach and stance that seemed rather distasteful. Yet, no one present felt there was anything wrong with it.

Shengle City needed war. It needed to plunder population, materials, and everything else through external conflict. Without war, they could only reduce their troop numbers or, as Siniang suggested, transfer some soldiers to a 'garrison farming' model. However, everyone present understood that doing so would make them no different from ordinary warlords. At best, they might appear slightly better than the border armies of the former Qian State, which local officials and powerful clans had often used as mere 'laborers'. To cultivate a new force comparable to the Northern Garrison Army or the Southern Pacifying Army was almost an unattainable luxury.