“So, this reminds me of the end of a movie in the Huang Feihong series, where after the Lion King competition, Huang Feihong says, ‘We’ve won the gold medal, but lost Jiangshan?'”

Zheng Fan said while drinking tea.

In front of him, Xue Three was grilling meat, Fanli was helping to build the fire, and Liang Cheng was watching from the side.

After that battle, the Yan Army advanced eastward again without encountering any further resistance from the Wild King’s troops. What they encountered along the way were mostly scattered skirmishes from local wild people tribes.

Then, news arrived that Cheng State’s Snow Sea Pass had fallen.

Lord Jingnan ordered the army to halt its eastward advance and make camp on the spot.

This halt was different from the previous one, which was for rest and recuperation before a major battle. This time, it was simply because the war could not continue.

Xue Three handed half of the roasted rabbit to Zheng Fan, saying, “My Lord, initially, we thought the Situ Family was quite formidable, but surprisingly, they turned out to be utter fools.”

“What’s the matter?” Fanli shouted.

“Go eat your meat!”

Xue Three turned his head and continued to speak to Zheng Fan, “My Lord, in this situation, it’s really become difficult to continue the war. Should we prepare to return to the capital?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to wait for Lord Jingnan to make a decision. A Cheng, what do you think?” Zheng Fan asked.

“My Lord, this war probably really can’t go on. If we continue to march eastward, our army is likely to be heavily intercepted by the Wild King. Previously, we were able to advance with unstoppable momentum because the Wild King’s focus was primarily on the Snow Sea Pass front. Now, he is completely free to deal with us.

Furthermore, it’s very dangerous for our army to be isolated on the snowy plains. Recently, I’ve noticed that more and more soldiers are falling ill.

Most importantly, we no longer have a clear strategic objective.”

Zheng Fan listened while sipping his tea. Since entering the snowy plains, he had truly grown tired of eating meat and needed tea to cleanse the grease in his stomach.

It’s tricky, very tricky indeed.

Zheng Fan sighed. How could a string of victories lead to such a predicament? The snowy plains were too vast. The cost of trying to conquer them or attempting any kind of “extermination” was simply unbearable.

Liang Cheng spoke, “Unless the Yan Emperor is willing to show the same resolve as when he marched south into Qian State, mobilize over three hundred thousand cavalry, re-enter the snowy plains, and commit to fighting for two years, only then might it be possible to completely crush and pacify the snowy plains.”

Zheng Fan immediately said, “That’s not realistic.”

Invading Qian State would yield population and wealth; invading Jin State would yield territory. What could be gained from invading the snowy plains? Perhaps something. For example, the number of cattle, sheep, and horses captured this time would be significant—almost enough to feed Chief Zheng in Zheng City and the other local tyrants around Shengle City. But consider the terrifying logistical burden of deploying an army of 300,000 soldiers. By then, the captured livestock wouldn’t be nearly enough to feed them.

Moreover, what if the Wild King decided to engage in guerrilla warfare, playing the long game by preserving his forces and deliberately avoiding decisive battles? How could a 300,000-strong cavalry chase him across the vast snowy plains in a game of cat and mouse? Facts have already proven that the Wild King is indeed capable of such tactics.

Taking a step back, even if the snowy plains were truly pacified, how could such a vast and desolate region be governed? Ten or twenty years later, unrest would inevitably resurface. If it could be suppressed, fine. But if not, all the painstaking efforts would have been in vain.

At this moment, one of Zheng Fan’s personal guards approached.

“Lord Zheng, the Lord calls for you.”

Zheng Fan nodded, indicating he understood.

Xue Three picked up a piece of freshly roasted pheasant and said, “My Lord, take this with you. It has chicken ribs; you might be able to coin a clever phrase with it.”

The Demon Kings were also quite concerned about how their Lord would perform in front of important figures.

Liang Cheng ruthlessly retorted, “How did Yang Xiu die?”

Xue Three fell silent.

Zheng Fan gestured to his subordinates with his eyes and didn’t take the chicken ribs. After adjusting his armor, he went to the commander’s tent.

Inside the commander’s tent, Tian Wujing was sitting alone, reading a book.

There was a stove beside him, upon which a soup was simmering, smelling quite fragrant.

As Zheng Fan drew closer, he realized that the book Tian Wujing was holding was actually “Zheng’s Art of War.”

Chief Zheng’s face immediately turned red.

Seeing Zheng Fan enter, Tian Wujing put down the book and motioned for Zheng Fan to sit.

Zheng Fan sat down. Tian Wujing pointed to the book and said, “The situation that day greatly resembled the ‘Empty Fort Strategy’ described in your book.”

When Blindie was helping Zheng Fan ‘author his works,’ he included Sun Tzu’s Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

“My Lord…”

“Sigh.”

Tian Wujing let out a sigh.

In Zheng Fan’s perception, Tian Wujing rarely showed such emotion; he had always been like a solid rock.

“The situation has deteriorated. You may not be aware, but south of Snow Sea Pass, it’s wide-open plains for the wild people. According to the worst estimates, the wild people are already ravaging nearly half of Cheng State.”

“So quickly?”

“There’s nothing particularly ‘quick’ about it. Over a hundred years ago, the Jin people had already built their own cities and strongholds on the snowy plains.

Therefore, although Snow Sea Pass, due to its terrain, is a chokepoint controlling access between the snowy plains and the lands of the Three Jin, in reality, it has long ceased to be the Jin people’s foremost defense against the wild people.

And for this reason, south of Snow Sea Pass, the Jin people have hardly any significant fortified towns or defenses.”

For hundreds of years, the Jin people had been suppressing and bullying the wild people. After the Situ Family established their position as the most powerful clan in eastern Jin State, they also continuously expanded outward.

The Skybreak Mountains serve as a natural barrier between Jin State and the snowy plains. The route from Shengle City to the snowy plains is actually one of the easier paths across these mountains, which is why it became a trade route. At the easternmost end of the Skybreak Mountains, there is an open passage directly connecting the snowy plains and Jin State. The strategic pass on this route is Snow Sea Pass.

However, because the battlefront had been pushed onto the snowy plains long ago, Snow Sea Pass, despite its excellent geographical advantages, had been strategically overlooked for nearly a hundred years.

After Cheng State’s series of defeats this time, which nearly cost them all their cities and strongholds on the snowy plains beyond the pass, they finally remembered the importance of Snow Sea Pass. But who would have thought they’d practically hand it over? Snow Sea Pass was lost, and after that, the wild people’s southward advance was incredibly smooth.

“You mentioned before that you wanted to take on the assignment of suppressing the wild people in Shengle City. I’m afraid that’s no longer feasible. The situation in Cheng State might be more serious than imagined, and it’s very uncertain whether they can hold out.

If the Situ Family cannot hold out, half the lands of the Three Jin will become pastures for the wild people. Furthermore, the wild people will acquire various techniques from Jin artisans. Their warriors will then be able to wear armor and will no longer be as vulnerable as the opponents we faced this time.”

“This is a grave matter, Your Lordship. I understand its severity.”

Previously, the wild people were a minor nuisance; occasional crackdowns were sufficient. Zheng Fan could have taken that assignment.

But now, the wild people were likely to escalate into a major disaster. The Yan imperial court would certainly not allow Zheng Fan to handle it; they would undoubtedly assign a high-ranking general. Now that Cheng State hasn’t been completely destroyed and the situation hasn’t totally collapsed, the imperial court will likely order Li Bao’s forces to redeploy to the Xinsu City front line.

If the situation continues to deteriorate, it’s possible Lord Jingnan himself might have to take command of that front line.

“That Wild King is indeed a remarkable figure. This time, one could say that our forces were insufficient, or one could say that the Wild King achieved what he wanted at the smallest possible cost.”

“My Lord, do not worry. If worst comes to worst, we can fight our way through the Situ Family’s territory in the future and recapture Snow Sea Pass.”

“That is a matter for the imperial court to consider. However, ultimately, it might not be entirely a bad thing. Faced with such a predicament, the Situ Family might very well choose to request annexation by His Majesty.”

Internal Annexation, meaning the entire state surrenders to you, submitting and relinquishing its sovereign title. This is because, firstly, in this war, Yan State didn’t take advantage of their plight; on the contrary, they sent troops to help. In terms of human decency and righteousness, one could say they scored perfectly. Secondly, Chu State is currently embroiled in internal conflict. Even if it weren’t, the Situ Family and Chu State have had decades of intermittent friction and minor skirmishes, making it impossible for them to seek Chu’s assistance. As for Qian State, never mind the combat effectiveness of their army. Even if the Situ Family were willing to ask for help and Qian State were willing to send troops, do you believe that the moment their army crossed out of Qian State’s borders, Yan cavalry wouldn’t immediately arrive to collect heads? So, the Situ Family’s only option now is to choose internal annexation by Great Yan.

By this calculation, Yan State stands to benefit greatly this time. Of course, this is on the premise that the Situ Family isn’t swept away by another disaster. Otherwise, Yan State, which has just concluded the great war between three states, would have to clean up the mess that is eastern Jin.

“My Lord, I truly cannot understand how the Situ Family could be so foolish.”

“There are internal reasons for this. We’ll have to wait for the military reports from there to understand the exact situation. However, I suspect it’s because Situ Lei murdered his father to seize power, causing a split within the Situ Family. Situ Lei is the old family head’s third son. Although not the direct heir by birth, he is the most outstanding and was publicly acknowledged as the Situ Family’s future successor.

His two older brothers were pushed aside long ago, ostensibly to ‘guard the snowy plains and prepare for border threats, defending the frontier for the family.'”

“So, within this…”

“The specifics are currently uncertain. We’ll have to see if news of Situ Lei’s two older brothers’ deaths emerges. However, the Spy Bureau’s initial investigation into the Wild King included speculation that he had a very close relationship with the Situ Family’s eldest and second sons. In their presence, he reportedly presented himself as their devoted ‘foster grandson,’ addressing them as ‘First Grandfather’ and ‘Second Grandfather,’ and also had significant business dealings with them.”

If this is indeed the case, then the Situ Family’s defeat wasn’t truly undeserved. Of course, one can’t entirely blame Situ Lei for dismantling his own defenses, because no one could have predicted beforehand that the wild people would rise to become such a threat again. His two older brothers had merely been exiled, sent far from the center of power. Furthermore, that Wild King was truly capable of humbling himself, acknowledging Situ Lei’s two brothers as his ‘grandfathers’—an act of sycophancy even more extreme than becoming an adopted son. But it seems all that bootlicking had finally paid off.

Tian Wujing pointed at the pot on the small stove next to him and said, “Enough of that. Would you like some chicken soup?”

“I would be honored to have your chicken soup, My Lord.”

“Heh.”

As Zheng Fan was about to get up to serve the soup, Tian Wujing raised his hand, signaling Zheng Fan to remain seated. He picked up the pot himself and placed it on the low table, then took two bowls and began to ladle the soup.

While serving, Tian Wujing spooned out a chicken rib and placed it in Zheng Fan’s bowl, asking at the same time, “Chicken ribs, do you like them?”

“I love them!!!”

Zheng Fan, ignoring the heat, directly grabbed the chicken rib and bit into it forcefully, with a satisfying CRUNCH.

Tian Wujing shook his head and said, “But this chicken rib, it doesn’t have much meat, nor much flavor.”

“My Lord, I’ve had too much meat recently. I was just craving something plain to balance it out. I love it!”

“Heh heh.”

They both picked up their bowls and slowly drank the soup.

After they both finished their soup, Lord Jingnan gently placed his bowl on the low table and announced, “Tomorrow, we withdraw the army.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep