The Demon Lords-Chapter 666 - 126: Being an Individual_1

The tempo of the war began to accelerate.

Within Ying Capital City, various government offices began to operate swiftly. Whereas the Eldest Prince, as commander-in-chief of the Eastern Conquest Army, had merely maintained the basic situation, the bureaucratic system in Ying Capital City became instantly and extremely efficient upon Lord Jingnan's arrival. For any task that needed doing, any resources that required procurement, or any support and provisions for the various army units, Lord Jingnan was solely responsible for issuing approval slips. These slips were then swiftly delivered to the relevant departments. If matters were not handled well, it was of no consequence; the chief official would be summarily beheaded, and their deputy would take over. If performance still faltered, the executions would continue.

Within Ying Capital City, no one dared to dissent, at least, no overt dissent emerged. All levels of government offices began to operate with desperate urgency. This was the value his prestige commanded, bolstered, of course, by Lord Jingnan's own fearsome reputation. Matters the Eldest Prince could not or dared not handle were considered trivialities by Lord Jingnan. The so-called principle that "the law does not punish the masses" held no sway; no one dared to organize, let alone participate in, any collective protests. Everyone knew this lord would genuinely kill, and without hesitation.

Meanwhile, a stark difference existed between the west and east banks of the Wang River. The west bank still retained a relatively complete administrative system, with all levels of government offices operational. Although war was raging, spring planting and the recent autumn harvest had been, for the most part, completed. Organizational capacity in other respects also remained intact. Concurrently, as the Yan people represented a new regime, their deterrent effect on local influential families was exceptionally potent. Local powers in Cheng State, who might have dared to defy local Cheng officials, not only shrank from resisting the Yan people but proactively offered tribute and flattery.

Such are people; such is human nature.

Conversely, on the east bank of the Wang River, after the wild people breached the passes, they engaged solely in widespread arson, murder, and plunder—in essence, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Gold, silver, goods, population—everything. Perhaps due to their ingrained poverty, they even considered hauling iron woks back to the snowy plains. The puppet regime initially established by Situ Yi was as flimsy as a paper window screen, exercising negligible control over the local regions. Although the Yan people had been defeated in the previous Battle of Wang River, the wild people and the Chu people had also sold out the new dynasty Situ Yi had founded. Having lost the meager forces that still supported him, Situ Yi, this new "emperor" of "Cheng State," not only saw his "capital," Jade Plate City, occupied by Qu TianNan, but was also forced to flee with his younger brother to Fengxin, a small county town further east. There, he established a new capital, an act he euphemistically termed "relocating the capital."

Consequently, it was no exaggeration to say that the entire east bank of the Wang River was in a state of anarchy. This was likely not the situation the King of the Wild People desired, yet it was one he could not change. After his people breached the passes, he had no way to control his wild warriors from their rampant pillaging, killing, and burning. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

A detachment of cavalry galloped along the west bank of the Wang River, reconfirming the location for the next day's river crossing. By afternoon, the men had dismounted to rest. By evening, the conscripted laborers were expected to arrive at this location. Although the frozen river surface reduced the difficulty of crossing, enabling nearly ten thousand cavalry with their horses to pass quickly still required some preparations to be made on the ice. In fact, once the Wang River froze, the defensibility of its defensive line plummeted by over eighty percent. Once the water surface was frozen, the speed of passage would be greatly enhanced and the difficulty significantly reduced; the defending side would be simply unable to mount an effective and timely interception.

Jin Shuke offered his treasured bottle of essential balm to the Eldest Prince.

"Apply a little, right under your nose."

The Eldest Prince nodded, took a dab, applied it under his nose, and inhaled deeply. He instantly felt clear-headed and refreshed.

"This stuff is good."

"It is, isn't it? A pity I only have this one bottle left. After the war is over and we return to Shengle, I'll get some more to give you."

"Thank you."

"No thanks are necessary, truly. You are a person of high status; we have an unspoken understanding between us."

"An unspoken understanding?"

"Oh, yes. Heh heh."

Jin Shuke scratched his head, looking somewhat simple and honest.

In fact, as long as one wasn't a fool, they could guess the Eldest Prince's identity because of his mount… That all-black Pixiu was indeed too conspicuous. In the entire Yan army, for someone of his age to possess such a mount, the person's identity was truly not hard to guess. This time, Jin Shuke didn't need to ponder it; it was practically an open-book exam. He understood he had to serve this young master attentively, yet also maintain the proper measure of deference.

However, in assigning the Eldest Prince to this unit, Zheng Fan had another consideration: more than half of the men under Jin Shuke's command were barbarians. These belonged to the group that had been indoctrinated by Fan for the longest duration, with the most effective results, and who were also exceptionally loyal to General Zheng. Tian Wujing had wanted to place the Eldest Prince with him, a request Zheng Fan could not refuse. However, he had to ensure this military force remained firmly loyal to the "Zheng" name. Jin Shuke was a well-tested and favored student of Fan; his political convictions were undoubtedly sound and could withstand scrutiny. If this had been a unit under other Jin generals, they might very well have considered switching their allegiance to a more powerful backer. After all, even though the Eldest Prince of Yan had just suffered a defeat, that "thigh" still appeared thicker and more fragrant than General Zheng's.

Putting himself in their shoes, General Zheng reckoned that if he were in that position, he too would probably be unable to resist latching onto such a powerful connection.

Admittedly, under normal circumstances, the Eldest Prince would not engage in such maneuvering, nor would Tian Wujing permit it. But necessary precautions still had to be taken. Otherwise, Zheng Fan himself would find it grating.