Chapter 1 Lord Zheng's Concern

Lord Zheng walked down the steps and, upon reaching Sun Ying's side, said:

"This Marquis doesn't plan to delay any longer."

Sun Ying immediately kowtowed, saying:

"Ying can leave with you, my Lord, right now."

Then, Sun Ying turned to his younger brother, Sun Liang, folded his hands in front of him, and solemnly said:

"Brother, I'll have to trouble you with the arrangements for Father and Mother's funeral."

Sitting on the ground, somewhat belatedly, Sun Liang finally understood everything.

Father's passing was sudden, but in reality, it wasn't an accident, but something premeditated.

Sun Liang felt that he should hate his elder brother now, but he found that he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

His elder brother was very talented; if he could re-enter officialdom, then the Sun family would truly be able to carry on, and that was Father's choice.

In short, amidst a thousand thoughts, faced with his elder brother's solemn request, Sun Liang also knelt up, folded his hands in front of him, and returned the salute solemnly.

His elder brother was leaving, leaving with the Marquis; he wouldn't even be able to attend Father's funeral.

Sun Liang, at this moment, actually felt a sense of relief.

He knew his own abilities; after losing his father, he would find it difficult to stand alone. Now that his elder brother was standing in front of him, his burden had become lighter.

"Inform the Prefect on my behalf, just say that this Marquis is setting off ahead of schedule."

Zheng Fan instructed Sun Liang again, and then left the Sun residence with the Sword Saint.

Sun Ying then called his two servants, prepared a carriage, and had them send him out of the city.

His clothes, boots, and everything else should have been prepared long ago.

He knew that the Marquis of Pingxi would pass through Yingdu today, so after hearing the news of his father's passing, he tearfully signaled to the servants who were accompanying him in confinement to pack his bags.

Therefore, this departure wasn't too hasty.

After Lord Zheng left the city and reunited with his group, he didn't specifically arrange for someone to escort Sun Ying back to Fengxin. Instead, the group immediately set off and continued westward.

………

The wheat fields in autumn, in the eyes of great poets, are a kind of scenery, at most carrying some "pity the farmers" emotions, acting as a facade, like a carefully carved cucumber or tofu on the edge of a dish, for looks, but no one will touch them.

And this scene, in Lord Zheng's eyes, was another kind of situation.

A professional habit, perhaps; he always felt that if he supplemented it, accumulated it, and nurtured it again, he could start another national war in three years.

A regional official governs the people on behalf of the emperor; the word "govern" says it all.

If the common people live and work in peace and contentment, and their granaries are full, then they can be taught to know propriety, but this takes too long, and it's not something that can be shown off in the annals of history.

Life, if it can be lived just fine, then that's enough; next, he still had to satisfy his ambitions.

Food, manpower, money, and soldiers—opening up territory and extinguishing countries, creating books to be passed down, that was the true pursuit.

Zheng Fan and his entourage rested at a post station, having notified them in advance to clear out the other guests; only messengers and the like could change horses and eat as usual.

The Marquis of Pingxi had this kind of extravagance.

Another day and they would reach Litian City.

Lord Zheng had finished his evening meal and leaned back in his chair, with tea beside him.

Sun Ying, sitting in his wheelchair that he had brought from home, was attending to Zheng Fan.

This time, Zheng Fan had not brought any of his family's strategists.

One reason was that the family's affairs were numerous and indispensable; the Blind Man and Gou Moli had many things to deal with every day.

Furthermore, the space for maneuvering in this trip to the capital wasn't large.

As Zheng Fan had said to the Sword Saint before, he was just going to follow Lao Tian, and whatever Lao Tian's intention was, that would be his intention.

So, there was no point in bringing a strategist.

Now that he had Sun Ying by his side, he could share some of the advisory tasks.

Of course, Zheng Fan was too lazy to introduce him to the situation of the Marquis's estate or its goals; all of this would have to be learned, seen, and asked of others by Sun Ying himself.

And along the way, Zheng Fan hadn't communicated much with Sun Ying, neither hot nor cold; and Sun Ying knew when and where he should be, even if the Marquis didn't say a word, he should still be by his side.

As a staff member, he not only had to offer advice to his master, but also had to share the duties of conversation, chess, and playing the zither.

Unless you rely on your own abilities to soar to the sky and receive higher treatment, these are the things you should do; before proving your worth, don't act like you have some kind of status.

"Having traveled this way, what do you think of the state of Jin now?" Lord Zheng asked.

Sun Ying immediately replied:

"It already shows signs of recovery and peace with the people."

Zheng Fan nodded slightly.

Sun Ying added: "But I have heard that the drought in Yan is still severe this year."

"Yes, the Ministry of Revenue is still worried; this year, it will almost certainly rely on subsidies from Jin."

"Then that's good news for our Marquis's estate."

"What's good about it?" Zheng Fan looked at Sun Ying and continued unhurriedly, "The money and food given by the imperial court will be reduced, or simply kept as a cut; after all, the war has been over for almost a year, so it can be done."

"My Lord, the migrant workers in the fields know that they work for the one who feeds them and pays them; the Marquis's estate inherently has a very strong independence, and if the imperial court cuts off the money and food, the Marquis's estate will naturally become even more detached."

Zheng Fan shook his head and said:

"There's no such simple thing in this world. Besides, eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink. You may think this is a good thing, but in my opinion, it's a headache because it reduces income."

Sun Ying nodded. He joined halfway and hadn't been to Fengxin City, so discussing some things and making some plans would inevitably be superficial.

And Zheng Fan's words were equivalent to telling Sun Ying that the Marquis of Pingxi's estate was completely in the hands of him, the Marquis's direct line, and the imperial court was currently unable to divide or interfere.

Therefore, the imperial court's money and food were purely supplements.

"What I'm worried about now is that our Emperor hasn't completely given up his ambition."

Hearing this, Sun Ying's face showed hesitation.

"Say whatever you want to say. In front of me, there's never been anything to avoid."

"Yes, my Lord. I'm new here, so some things can only be analyzed from an extreme point of view, in the hope of providing you with some inspiration."

"Tell me about it."

The Savage King once commented on this eldest son of the Sun family, saying that his grasp of subtle details was not as good as the Blind Man's, meaning that he was not good at mundane affairs; and his control of the overall situation was not as good as the Lord's.

Of course, the Lord here should actually be Gou Moli.

But the Savage King finally said that a fish can be cooked in countless ways depending on the place and even the taste of the people, let alone a person?

A strategist is a strategist. Since ancient times, there have been those who are good at subtly grasping details and winning from a thousand miles away, and those who are good at creating new paths with divine inspiration. The Savage King believed that Sun Ying was the latter, which, in the Xia people's language, could be called a "poisonous strategist."

"My Lord, my view of the imperial court and the situation is naturally not as deep as yours. Since you sit in this position and have these concerns, there must be a reason.

Therefore, I will boldly speculate on your premonitions.

You sense that the Yan Emperor may be ambitious in his old age, which means that this time, the two princes and two marquises' entry into the capital may not be as simple as the outside world says, merely to establish the foundation of the country.

But given your status and the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the Marquis's estate, it is impossible to start another national war without preparing in advance.

As the saying goes, before the army moves, food and grass come first, and this kind of preparation cannot be concealed.

In a war, as long as more than 10,000 regular troops are mobilized, tens of thousands of civilians will be mobilized, carrying supplies, food, weapons, and equipment, which cannot be done silently.

So, this war can be fought quickly, or it can be another long-distance raid."

Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes, looked at Sun Ying, and gently tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair, signaling him to continue.

"Where can His Majesty use his troops? The snowy plains are not needed.

Qian?

The three key towns are there, and Grand Marshal of the Eastern Sea, Zu Zhuming, personally leads the three sides.

Chu?

South of Shanggu Prefecture, on the banks of the Wei River, two state pillars command troops.

These two places cannot be achieved overnight, and cannot be effective without the strength of the whole country. To fight is to fight a national war!

Out of Nanmenguan?

Outside Nanmenguan, there are small countries standing, but they are only small fish and shrimps. They can serve as a buffer between big countries, and once the big country is destroyed, they can be determined by issuing a proclamation. And the dishes are too small to be on the table of the Yan Emperor.

Looking around, there is only one place left."

Zheng Fan's eyes widened a little.

Yes, there was only one place left.

Sun Ying struck while the iron was hot and continued, "My Lord, only the barbarians can meet this condition. The desert is boundless. Fighting the barbarians involves long-distance raids and retreats. Logistics—no, there is no logistics to speak of at all.

The Marquis of Zhenbei's estate has stood in the desert for a hundred years. Why can it suppress the barbarians?

Nothing else.

In fact, the Marquis of Zhenbei's estate has become a new desert royal court in the system established by the first Marquis of Zhenbei. For a hundred years, it has been fighting the barbarians in the manner of the barbarians.

The necessary military supplies must have been accumulated in the Marquis's estate. After all, since the horses trampled on the noble families, civilians and food have been mobilized from various places countless times. Only Beifeng Prefecture mobilized only half of the Zhenbei Army, but did not send food or civilians!

The military situation and terrain must also be clear to the Marquis's estate!

Fight, fight the barbarians, fight the barbarian royal court!

I have heard that the old barbarian king is a heroic figure who has devoted his life to regaining the glory of the royal court in those years. To this end, he has been patient and made great efforts, showing the rare political skills of the barbarians.

He has been lurking all his life, and when he is old, he will push his youngest son, who is known as the Desert Eagle, up, using his whole life to pave the way for his son.

That little barbarian prince once called himself one of the four famous generals of the younger generation along with you, my Lord.

Fighting the barbarians—if you are opposed to all the barbarian tribes, it must be a big war, a national war that is not inferior to or even exceeds the war against Chu and Qian!

But what if you just fight a royal court?

No need to prepare food and grass, no need to mobilize civilians, and it won't startle the snake.

All you need is..."

Zheng Fan said, "All you need is to gamble."

A group of elites, or rather, three groups of elites come out together, raid thousands of miles, and strangle the royal court.

This is a gamble, a gamble that can only win, and both peace and defeat are destined to lead to the annihilation of the entire army.

A layer of haze suddenly rose in Zheng Fan's heart.

"My Lord, I have been pondering the temperament of the Yan Emperor. He is a proud emperor. The more proud a person is, the more he wants to solve all the difficulties in his lifetime and leave the best situation for his descendants.

Over the years, the Yan iron cavalry has attacked Qian, destroyed Jin, conquered Chu, and chased the wild people. But for hundreds of years, the real knife hanging over the head of Yan has actually come from the desert!

This is what I have analyzed based on what you said, my Lord, that you feel that the Yan Emperor may still be dissatisfied and wants to mobilize troops. It may be a wild idea, but I can only say whatever is in my mind now."

His father used his life to pave the way for him again, and he actually felt pressure in his heart.

He had to use his ability to prove that his father's sacrifice was not wrong.

At the same time, he could not rebel, otherwise, he would be sorry for his father.

Zheng Fan picked up the teacup and said:

"Drink tea."

"Thank you, my Lord."

Sun Ying picked up the teacup, the tea was already cold.

But Lord Zheng has never had any pursuit of tea, and the only thing he enjoys is the Daze Fragrant Tongue.

If the tea is cold, just drink it as cold tea. He has practiced martial arts all his life and has a very good physical fitness. He is temporarily not destined for warm water and wolfberries.

Sun Ying also drank tea silently. He actually likes these enjoyments, but at this time, he naturally won't care about this.

Putting down the teacup, Sun Ying saw that Zheng Fan was still thinking, and continued:

"My Lord, you must know the Yan Emperor better than I do. You know better than I do what kind of monarch His Majesty is.

Putting aside all external factors, simply from the Yan Emperor, you can get three pieces of evidence!"

"Three points?" Zheng Fan smiled and put down the teacup, "You really can't change this habit. You always say a few points or items."

"I will change."

"It's okay, I was just saying it casually. Continue, what three points?"

"The first point is that His Majesty is good at accumulating momentum in secret to plan thunder, like a true dragon soaring in the sky, first laying clouds, then thunder, and finally, in an instant, heavy rain pours down and the earth becomes a swamp."

"Just speak, you are a Jin person, there is no need to flatter like this."

"My Lord, I really admire the Yan Emperor from the bottom of my heart. He is truly a great leader.

In the early years, the imperial court and the Marquis of Zhenbei's estate confronted each other, and the two sides deployed troops, almost going to war, but then there was a hand to trample on the noble families.

The Yan army iron cavalry entered Qian and was unstoppable, almost reaching the capital city, but the main force of the Yan army went to Nanmenguan and trampled on half of Jin.

He negotiated peace with the Chu people, and the national strength and people's livelihood were exhausted, but he used the third prince's death to save the emperor as an excuse to forcibly provoke a national war, catching the Chu country off guard.

From this, it can be seen that if you want to fight, you must choose an object that the world cannot guess.

Also, the barbarians."

"The second point."

"The second point is that His Majesty is a cold-blooded person."

When saying this comment, Sun Ying paid special attention to Zheng Fan's expression, and saw that Zheng Fan did not change because of his disrespectful words, and then he was relieved to continue:

"You will understand this point better than I do. The world rumors that His Majesty loves the sixth prince the most, but how did His Majesty treat the sixth prince in the past few years, and there are various secrets...

In the past two years, His Majesty first sent several letters of warning to the old barbarian king, and the old barbarian king did not disrupt the situation when the Great Yan used troops several times. The two sides seem to have a tacit understanding.

Furthermore, the little barbarian prince offered gold armor and barbarian knives, calling His Majesty his uncle.

Finally, the eldest prince married a barbarian princess, and the princess gave birth to a royal heir, who was treated extremely favorably in the palace.

When the eldest prince was named a marquis for his military exploits, he was named the Duke of Andong while he was in the west, while you, my Lord, who is in the easternmost part, were given the title of Marquis of Pingxi.

Although the southeast, northwest, symbolize the four directions of the world and are not limited by the direction, this also reveals a kind of emotion to take care of the eldest prince, this barbarian son-in-law, to take care of the barbarian princess, and to take care of the face of the barbarian royal court.

You must know that when the Great Cheng State was still there, why didn't the Great Yan take the opportunity to enter when the first emperor led the main force of the Cheng State out of the pass to attack the wild people, and the rear was empty?

You, my Lord, also followed Prince Jingnan to Shengle, out of the Tianduan Mountains and into the snowy plains to help fight a battle.

This is the pattern.

His Majesty's pattern,

The Son of Heaven's pattern!

I don't think that the Son of Heaven with this pattern will really flirt with the barbarians, ease relations, and even turn hostility into friendship in order to attack Qian and achieve his unification.

The more His Majesty is good to someone, the more it proves that he is going to attack someone!

This is the Emperor's Mind!"

Zheng Fan asked, "What about the third point?"

Sun Ying took a deep breath.

In his mind, he suddenly remembered the rainy night in Yingdu half a month ago.

He leaned against the door panel.

On the other side of the door panel was his old father, holding an umbrella and sitting on the steps.

The father and son sat back to back, as if separated by a door panel.

"What about the third point?"

The old tutor asked.

"Is there a third point?" Sun Ying was a little puzzled behind the door panel, "Father, I only thought of these two points."

"The Emperor's Mind, the Emperor's Mind, yours is still not enough.

The Emperor's Mind does not mean playing with the court in the palm of your hand, using powerful ministers to fight powerful ministers, using factions to fight factions.

It is not checks and balances, not wooing, not support,

It's not doing these things,

And then sitting safely behind the scenes, thinking you are smart, thinking you have good means, and being able to control the situation.

The Emperor's Mind is not only that the ruler wants his ministers to die, but the ministers have to die,

But,

The ruler gives you a chance,

To let you die a worthy death!

This third point

Must have,

For you,

For that one,

This third point is especially important.

The duel between Jianghu martial artists often pays attention to the opening three axes. If these three axes are well executed, the future road will be smoother, and you can truly enter the scene, and truly make people look up to you, and place you in the position of a teacher and strategist, instead of just drinking tea, talking, chatting, and relieving boredom."

"Father, what is the third point?"

In the rain, Sun Youdao smiled.

He reached out and pointed to the west.

This Prime Minister-level talent who once assisted the monarch in creating a foundation,

Gave the third point with his lifelong wisdom.

"If you fight the barbarians, who is suitable to lead the troops?"

Behind the door panel, Sun Ying immediately woke up and said:

"Prince Jingnan!"

Sun Youdao nodded.

He sighed again,

Slowly got up,

Said:

"With this third point, you can become a strategist under the Marquis of Pingxi's estate."

"Father, how can it be so simple? Father is sure that the Marquis will lift my ban and take me with him and keep me?

His Marquis of Pingxi's estate cannot be short of a strategist."

"My son."

"Father..."

"Actually, Father has never blamed you, really, Father has never blamed you for acting on your own and tarnishing Father's reputation. Actually, Father doesn't care about these things.

Father is actually very gratified. When you were a child, Father always stayed with the late emperor, planning for the late emperor, and neglected your discipline.

But you actually didn't disappoint Father, really.

A Liang is an honest person, and Father only saw the shadow of his youth in you.

Remember,

Your current situation is not because you are stupid, you are stupid.

No,

You are not more stupid than Father, really, you are much smarter than Father when he was young.

It's just that the situation is different.

The general trend is not in Jin, not in Cheng State."

"Father..."

"Father is tired, I'm going back to rest. Last night, Father dreamed of the late emperor, hehe."

………

"My Lord, this third point is, if you want to make this gamble, who is the most suitable for the Yan Emperor to lead the troops in this gamble?

Who is willing to go, who wants to go, who... is determined to go!

Who, if they go,

Whether they win or lose,

Is a relief for everyone."

Zheng Fan's eyes slowly closed.

Sun Ying picked up the cold tea again and prepared to drink water.

Lord Zheng, who was closing his eyes, opened his mouth and said:

"The tea is cold, Si Niang, add water."