The Demon Lords-Chapter 663 - 124 Pixiu_1

Night had fallen, and the cold began to intensify. Outside the main tent, soldiers were already setting up pots to brew ginger water. Every officer who entered or left the main tent would receive a bowl.

Lord Jingnan declined Situ Yu's invitation to a welcome banquet. He didn't even enter Ying Capital City but instead took direct command of a military camp outside the city.

Immediately, a command was issued: all officers in the Eastern Expeditionary Army holding the rank of Guerrilla General or higher were to report to his marshal's tent for a council.

In truth, many had already understood that Lord Jingnan's arrival signaled that the fires of war would be reignited. Still, very few had expected them to rekindle so quickly.

It was less a military council and more Lord Jingnan purely issuing directives. He didn't even wait for everyone to arrive. Instead, whoever arrived would announce their presence and wait outside for a short while. Then, someone would emerge, and it would be their turn to enter. Sometimes, an officer went in alone; other times, three or four would go in and come out together.

Zheng Fan was among those waiting outside the main tent, along with Chen Yang.

The two sat facing each other, each taking small sips of ginger water.

On a winter night, wearing armor was an invigoratingly chilly experience, like being covered with "cooling patches."

Honestly, if one could move around and warm up, it wouldn't be so bad. The real torture was being stuck in one cold spot, unable to move, with nowhere to seek warmth.

But this was unavoidable. Following Lord Jingnan's summons, senior officers rushed to receive their orders, fearing even the slightest delay. They were being kept waiting outside the tent for a while; did they expect a heated room to warm themselves? Perhaps some roasted meat to whet their appetites? Or maybe a maidservant to warm their blankets?

These were all military leaders commanding substantial forces, yet now, they huddled together like common soldiers. Even when receiving their ginger water, they wore smiles and politely said, "Thank you."

This was the difference military prestige made. Regardless of which army they previously belonged to, before the Southern Marquis, everyone had to tread carefully.

Zheng Fan was already on his third bowl of ginger water, and he felt like his teeth were steeped in its flavor.

Finally, the Eldest Prince lifted the tent flap, emerged, and said to Chen Yang, "The Marshal summons you."

Chen Yang cupped his fists in salute to the Eldest Prince, put down his bowl, stood up, and walked into the Marshal's tent.

The Eldest Prince sat in Chen Yang's former spot, accepted a bowl of ginger water, and said to Zheng Fan while sipping, "When he comes out, you go in."

"Understood."

The commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expeditionary Army only yesterday had now become a *Geshiha*—essentially a bodyguard—in the new Marshal's tent.

Yet, you couldn't see much dejection on the Eldest Prince's face. On the contrary, he seemed even more animated than before, the gloomy aura around him having dissipated.

Moreover, anyone not a fool understood that Lord Jingnan kept the Eldest Prince by his side not to humiliate him, nor to use him to establish his own authority. Rather, it was an elder teaching a junior. When a junior erred, the elder would step in to manage the situation, deliberately letting the junior observe and learn how things should truly be handled.

This was the conduct of a true elder—not like those who merely lectured to indulge their own desire to talk at the New Year's dinner table. What kind of elders were *those*?

Strangely, Zheng Fan felt a twinge of jealousy. After all, such direct tutelage had mostly been a privilege he alone enjoyed before.

"General Zheng, this is the first proper meeting between us, isn't it?" the Eldest Prince spoke up. "Back in Yanjing, my sixth brother, Ji Chengjue, often mentioned you to me, along with those 'golden phrases' of yours."

"You flatter me, Your Highness."

The Eldest Prince seemed disinclined to make small talk, merely stating, "I used to think that, while not a seasoned veteran, I at least understood some fundamentals of warfare. Now, looking back, I realize how truly lacking I was."

Zheng Fan keenly sensed that the Eldest Prince's current lament stemmed from the series of military orders issued from within the Marshal's tent. The Eldest Prince had been going in and out, relaying messages, so Lord Jingnan's direct commands to the generals certainly wouldn't have been concealed from him, leading to this somber reflection.

Based on what Zheng Fan knew, the Eastern Expeditionary Army, under the Eldest Prince's command, had previously adopted a steady and cautious approach. Judging by the Eldest Prince's current state, it was likely Lord Jingnan had altered this strategy upon his arrival—not with minor tweaks, but with a drastic overhaul, perhaps even completely subverting the original operational thinking.

Sometimes, merely negating a person isn't the most severe blow; what cuts deeper is the negation of their ideas and guiding principles.

Zheng Fan didn't know how to console the Eldest Prince; in fact, he felt the Prince didn't need consoling.

A messenger from outside came to report that the thirty thousand troops of the Jingnan Army, led by Lord Jingnan, had also arrived. Lord Jingnan had arrived earlier with an advance party, while the main army followed behind. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Upon hearing the news, the Eldest Prince, heedless of the heat, drained his bowl of ginger water, stood up, went in to report, then quickly came out again and sat back in his original position.

A personal guard was about to offer Zheng Fan a fourth bowl of ginger water, but Zheng Fan refused. He looked up at the sky; a faint white was already showing on the horizon. It turned out he had been waiting outside for the entire night.

Originally, Zheng Fan had planned to meet Tian Wujing privately to talk about how adorable and intelligent the young lord was—how he had started crawling at only a few months old and, as he grew a little older, even showed signs of beginning to learn to speak.