CHAPTER 330: CHAPTER 19 NOW IT HAS THE ESSENCE_4

"So, tell me, how many troops are about to assemble on the three borders of Qian State?"

"The West Army Division has 150,000, and the Wolf Land Soldiers 50,000—though these fifty thousand are not at full strength. Then there are over twenty thousand garrison soldiers on the three borders, 50,000 troops from the Zu family, 100,000 auxiliary troops from the neighboring regions, and 100,000 Imperial Guards. That adds up to a whopping 650,000-strong army!"

A 650,000-strong army stationed on the three borders of Qian State could indeed be described as lavish.

Zheng Fan then asked, "And do you know how many troops Yan State can dispatch to the south?"

"TSK TSK, sir, you’re not a Yan person."

"But I am even less likely to be a Qian person."

"Sir, perhaps you haven’t witnessed the prosperity of the imperial capital, or the scenery of Jiangnan."

"Believe me, I have seen it, and I have experienced it. But... I didn’t like it very much."

Not just Zheng Fan, but also the Demon Kings under him had pondered this question: would things have been better if they had started not in Hutou City in Yan State, but in Qian State? Their conclusion was still... it was more comfortable, freer, and more enjoyable in Yan State.

Putting those thoughts aside, Zheng Fan now shared a bond with Lord Jingnan, Tian Wujing, from a time the latter had "collected the corpses" for him—a grim favor. He had a connection with Li Liangting forged over a leg of lamb. With Yan Emperor Ji Runhao, there was a dark bond related to the fate of an heir. Even that Eunuch Wei was considering having him enter the palace as his successor.

No matter how he looked at it, Zheng Fan should feel more affinity towards Yan State.

"Hmm, is that so?" The old man’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment.

"You haven’t answered my question yet."

"As for how many Yan troops can be sent southward, surely you know, sir?"

"Sometimes, an outsider can see one’s own affairs more clearly."

"Well said. In that case, I shall do the calculations for you, sir. Along the Yinlang County line, there are over a dozen commanders of various ranks. All their assorted forces add up to an estimated forty to fifty thousand, but their quality is inconsistent. The Jingnan Army has 50,000, plus another 50,000 in the rear camp—let’s count that as one hundred thousand. The Yanjing Imperial Guards must defend the homeland and simultaneously guard against threats from Jin State. In the desert region, at least a hundred thousand of the Earl of North Border’s cavalry must be stationed for defense. All things considered, Yan State could, at best, temporarily dispatch the two hundred thousand from the Earl of North Border’s army, one hundred thousand from the Jingnan Army, and several tens of thousands of miscellaneous troops southward, amounting to over three hundred thousand in total."

"By that count, the numbers seem comparable."

"Qian State has a larger population, but the Yan Army is stronger, especially the two hundred thousand cavalry from the Earl of North Border’s army. They are like a blade, honed in the desert for a century, only now to be drawn against the south. But..."

"But what?"

"Though Yan State is formidable, Qian State is vast and resource-rich. Its forces on the three borders may seem numerous now, but once war truly erupts, no matter how valiant the Yan cavalry may be, could they breach these iron fortifications?"

Zheng Fan said nothing.

Siege warfare and field battles are two entirely different concepts. Especially when the enemy has ample troops for defense, Zheng Fan hadn’t seriously considered a direct assault on Mianzhou City in his two previous attempts because he couldn’t afford the attrition.

"When the Yan Army marches south, how much civilian labor would need to be mobilized? Have you calculated this cost, sir?"

Zheng Fan remained silent.

"Most importantly, with a single decree from His Majesty of Qian, all the armies of the land, all the righteous volunteers, can be swiftly mobilized. Never mind reinforcements; it wouldn’t be difficult for Qian to muster an additional seven to eight hundred thousand troops to march north."

Consider this: for years, Qian State has maintained its Three Borders Army of 800,000 and its Imperial Guards of 800,000. Although significant corruption and siphoning of funds plague these two armies, it demonstrates that the Qian court can indeed support a force of 1.6 million!

Qian State being large and wealthy was not just an empty phrase.

"Newly raised troops are unreliable," Zheng Fan stated.

"Once they’ve seen battle, shed some blood, and the veterans have integrated the new recruits, they’ll become a proper army. The most important thing is, in the short term, the Yan Army’s southern offensive certainly cannot breach Qian State’s three-border defenses. Qian, meanwhile, can use this time to gradually temper its own rashness and reorganize its military. As for the Yan Emperor, while he appears to have trampled the great clans and swept away nefarious elements, he has ultimately placed himself in an extremely perilous position.

"Since ancient times, every dynasty has had its pillars of support. The barbarian tribes rely on their Royal Court and their Left and Right Virtuous Princes; Chu State relies on its nobility; Jin State relies on its imperial kinsmen and patriarchal clans; and Qian State governs through its scholar-bureaucrats. The foundation of a state is like a mound of earth, built layer by layer, with the imperial family at the very top. Everything has two sides; what appears to be a parasite draining the nation can also be considered its cornerstone. The Yan people cannot afford a protracted war, nor can they sustain it. And this is without even factoring in potential intervention from Jin State, Chu State, and the barbarian tribes."

To a modern mind, the old man’s words implied that once a regime establishes power, it must share benefits with a certain social class to secure its rule. While this vested interest class may be seen as parasites feeding on the nation’s lifeblood, they inherently possess an instinct to preserve the ruling order.

It was similar to when the Yan Emperor and the Earl of North Border were putting on an act; the great clans of Yan State merely wanted the two Lords to be enfeoffed as Princes. They never conceived of deposing the Ji Family from the Dragon Throne. If the Earl of North Border’s army truly intended to usurp power, these great clans would still have sided with the Emperor. However, the Yan Emperor swept them aside directly. While this was beneficial for the state, it rendered his own rule less secure.

Should Li Liangting die one day, or Ji Runhao, or even Lord Jingnan, problems would inevitably surface. Alternatively, what if dissenting voices emerged within the Earl of North Border’s army—a military group that is, in itself, a self-contained system? What then?

Without the great clans to act as a buffer and a check, the slightest disturbance could directly threaten the Ji Family’s hold on power.

Zheng Fan chuckled softly.

"You don’t believe me, sir?"