CHAPTER 420: CHAPTER 43 DARK NIGHT _3

"I was bored. Wanted to insult you."

"My name is Zu Dongcheng."

"See? It’s better if you just say it. As for me, I’m Zheng Fan, Commander of Green Willow Fortress in Yinlang County of Yan."

"You?"

"It seems I’m quite well-known."

"Indeed, very famous. I never thought I would fall into your hands."

"It’s your honor."

"What are you going to do with me?"

"I haven’t decided yet, but I do have a preliminary idea. Can you persuade your father to switch sides and surrender to our Great Yan?"

Zu Dongcheng looked at Zheng Fan as if he were an idiot.

"Alright, that was a foolish question."

Zheng Fan waved his hand. He wasn’t really sure how to deal with Zu Dongcheng. He’d come to see him after dinner mainly to aid his digestion and to check on the ’piglet’ he’d herded into the ’sty’ today.

Li Fusheng also had no particular plans for Zu Dongcheng. It wasn’t that Li Fusheng was arrogant. As a veteran general, he knew very well that trying to manipulate someone by holding their son hostage was far too naive.

"How about we try a different approach? Tell me, what can you bring to the table? Let’s make a deal."

"A deal?"

"Yes, a transaction. Let’s discuss it."

A mocking smile touched Zu Dongcheng’s lips.

"BANG!"

Xue Three’s fist struck, and Zu Dongcheng’s right cheek began to swell.

"My lord, I was wrong. I acted impulsively."

"No, you did very well."

Zu Dongcheng spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and said, "Yan bastard! The men of the Zu family do not bend their knees easily!"

"Alright, alright, I get it, I get it. So, let’s chat. Do you know what we’re going to do next?"

Zu Dongcheng remained silent.

"You should play along. Who knows, you might hear some of Yan’s military secrets from me. If you manage to escape, you could even report back, right?"

"What are you going to do next?"

"We’re heading south," Zheng Fan answered directly.

"Heading south?" Zu Dongcheng was somewhat taken aback. "Heading south!"

"Don’t believe it?"

"Just you people? Heading south? How..."

"Oh, you’re mistaken. This time, two hundred fifty thousand Yan cavalry are heading south."

"Impossible... Impossible... Impossible..."

"I didn’t expect it at first either, but that’s the reality. Right now, in the territory of Shu Prefecture, two hundred fifty thousand cavalry have already spread out. When we came, we paid no mind to your three-sided defensive lines; we marched right through."

"How dare you!"

"There’s nothing we don’t dare to do. Our Emperor dares to make such a gamble, but does your Emperor Zhao dare to? Tell me, does your father dare to launch a northern expedition instead of heading south?"

Zu Dongcheng fell silent.

A villainous smile spread across Zheng Fan’s face. "Think about it. When your Emperor Zhao wakes up one morning and suddenly finds over two hundred thousand cavalry outside the imperial capital... Wouldn’t that be a surprise? A shock?"

"The imperial capital isn’t that easy to conquer."

The imperial capital is the pride of the Qian people. Without exaggeration, the imperial capital is not only the most brilliant pearl in the entire Eastern world but, considering both East and West, it is the most exquisite and prosperous city in the world.

"Chuzhou City was also very well-fortified, but we still took it, didn’t we?" Zheng Fan retorted.

"It’s not the same. I think the reason you took Chuzhou City so quickly was that it was completely unprepared. By now, the imperial capital will definitely be on alert. Then, Emperor Zhao will issue an Imperial Edict, calling for armies from all over the realm to rush to his aid, and hundreds of thousands of troops will easily be assembled."

"If we can conquer the imperial capital, we will. As for those so-called armies rushing to the Emperor’s aid, you and I both know what they’re worth. In the face of Yan cavalry, their numbers mean nothing."

Zheng Fan took out a metal tin and pulled out a cigarette.

Xue Three, ever considerate, struck a tinder-flint to light Zheng Fan’s cigarette.

Zheng Fan took a drag, slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, and said, "To be honest, we never expected to conquer the imperial capital."

"Then what do you..."

Zu Dongcheng’s eyes suddenly widened. Apparently, this young commander, raised in the military from childhood, had figured out the Yan people’s plan!

"Hehe, you’ve figured it out, haven’t you?"

Zu Dongcheng clenched his teeth.

In his mind, an image formed: his father, old Minister Zhong and young Master Zhong, Grand Commandant Yang, and others leading hundreds of thousands of troops from the three border regions, rushing south to reinforce them. Then, over two hundred thousand Yan cavalry would suddenly charge out to ambush them. Everything... it seemed to be a repeat of the scene he had experienced before. Countless soldiers scattering across the mountains and plains, Yan cavalry hunting them down relentlessly, the earth soaked crimson with blood, the elite forces of Qian State’s three border regions burned to ashes...

"Why... why tell me all this?" Zu Dongcheng looked at Zheng Fan.

"Think it over carefully yourself."

Zheng Fan reached out and patted Zu Dongcheng’s cheek again.

He rose and walked out of the tent.

Just then, he saw Siniang emerging from the blind man’s tent, followed by a young male soldier. The scene made it look as if Siniang and the soldier had just been doing something untoward in the tent.

However, Zheng Fan didn’t misunderstand. One would never suspect Siniang of having an affair; her character was too well-established for that. Therefore, with this preconceived notion of her character, it was perfectly clear who the young soldier behind Siniang actually was.

Coincidentally, the blind man approached, carrying a box of documents collected from Chuzhou City, all deemed worthy of repeated study.

Zheng Fan, cigarette in hand, gestured towards the blind man and asked Siniang, "She’s already disguised? What’s the blind man going to do tonight then?"

Siniang shrugged and said, "My lord, don’t blame me. It was the blind man who asked me to help her get disguised first."

If Yuexin wanted to accompany them, she had to be disguised as a male soldier. Even Siniang would disguise herself when on the march; having women in the army was indeed inappropriate.

Siniang then covered her mouth and giggled, saying, "My lord, it’s all the same when the lights are out."

Hearing this, Zheng Fan remarked, "For the blind man, it’s all the same whether the lights are on or off."