Chapter 276: Chapter 276

"Where is Lord Jingnan?"

"Commander of Green Willow Fortress in Yinlang County."

The Sixth Prince nodded and said, "You’ve chosen well. It’s good to be a commander."

"Right? I think so too."

If this news were to get out, others would definitely think Zheng Fan had lost his mind. But only a silver coin understands another silver coin’s way of thinking.

"Consider the Earl of North Border’s domain: six major towns, 300,000 North Border soldiers, seven Great Generals... Alas, the system is strict. To be honest, after you enter, you’ll still have to continue being submissive. You’ll have to be ranked by seniority. No matter how many achievements you make, you’ll still have to move positions step by step. But the higher you go, the more difficult it is to advance."

Of the seven Great Generals, six are from the "Li" family unless he, Zheng Fan, shamelessly changes his name to "Li Fan." But that would be hard to swallow, and rather embarrassing. And there’s also that mysterious young lord. Once you join the North Border Army, it’s like joining a strict new system. The support you gain from this group also indicates how deeply you are bound by it.

"The Commander of Green Willow Fortress... Sigh... my uncle really does think highly of you, hehe. Your position as Commander of Green Willow Fortress remains unchanged, and he hasn’t mentioned allocating any Jingnan Army troops to you. It seems stingy, but it also reveals a great deal of freedom. The war is about to begin. If you want to develop, grow, get men, soldiers, authority, status—go fight for it yourself, go seize it yourself! It’s like with the minor warlords and their forts in Beifeng Prefecture: how much you can gain depends entirely on your own abilities. Lord Jingnan didn’t force you to join his system. Instead, he gave you an opportunity. If you’re truly ambitious and willing, then go carve out your own new warlord faction. The national war is about to begin. Stars will fall and new ones will rise. Besides the North Border Army and Jingnan Army, perhaps a new army will emerge. In the past, when defending the country, the Northern and Southern Lords were sufficient. But going forward, they won’t be."

"My uncle has been back in Yinlang County for a while. How much longer are you going to delay?"

"I’ll leave tomorrow." Zheng Fan had been left behind to deal with the bodies for the Tian Family.

There weren’t enough coffins in the capital city, and the staff at the public morgues were already overwhelmed. No one knew how many people had been killed in the capital alone, let alone in the surrounding areas where the true power of the aristocratic clans was entrenched. Presumably, even more had died there. Actually, Zheng Fan wasn’t worried that such a massive purge would cause the kingdom to collapse. Firstly, the Yan Emperor, having initiated it, had certainly made preparations. For example, officials from humble families would replace those purged; the rise of the humble families was an unstoppable trend. Furthermore, among the aristocratic clans, a distinction was made between those marked for extermination and those merely for punishment. Additionally, some clans that had always been close to the imperial family and were willing to proactively lower their heads and clip their own wings would still be promoted and entrusted with important positions. Turmoil was inevitable. But unless Yan was completely defeated in the war against the Qian, the Yan court would remain as steady as Mount Tai. There was a saying from his original world: don’t think you’re so important; the Earth keeps spinning regardless of who’s gone. The aristocratic families indeed controlled every aspect of the Yan State, but its military was firmly in the hands of the Three Big Bosses. The aristocrats couldn’t stir up any significant trouble. Even if the system was disrupted and court operations faced some problems, these would only be short-term issues, quickly resolved. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged people eager to become officials are everywhere. In the history Zheng Fan was familiar with from his original world, there were countless examples of dynasties being established in the Central Plains by groups with populations of only a few hundred thousand. So, how did they manage it? All that talk about shaking the nation’s foundations, damaging its roots, or ruling a large state being like cooking a small delicacy—those concerns usually arose because the emperor and those in power were trying to repair the chair while still sitting on it, hence their caution. But in the Yan State, the Three Big Bosses stood united. Zheng Fan thought of the First Emperor of Qin. After conquering the Six States, he didn’t rest but continued to stir things up with actions like the burning of books and burying of scholars. He was quite willful. As long as the Ancestor Dragon was on the throne, those ambitious men and the surviving subjects of the conquered Six States dared not make a move. The Ancestor Dragon’s might could extinguish all thoughts of rebellion. Similarly, with the Yan Emperor, Lord North, and Lord Jingnan standing together now, all opposition forces within the Yan State were mere paper tigers. But once the Ancestor Dragon died... ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝

"What are you thinking about?" Ji Chengjue asked.

"When I think about leaving tomorrow, and not being able to see you for a long time, I feel a little sad."

"..." the Sixth Prince.

"But it’s also pretty good. As a soldier, it’s more interesting to fight against other soldiers."

Continuing to be a blade used to butcher aristocratic clans, Zheng Fan was tired of it; it didn’t suit his sensibilities. This was perhaps his last remaining piece of affectation in this world.

"Actually, I envy you. After you return to Green Willow Fortress, you’ll be free."

"Don’t be envious. What if we lose, and the Qian army wraps us up like dumplings and swallows us whole? Don’t think that war is an easy thing."

"Ah, using that term you mentioned before, is this what you’d call ’jinxing’ it?"

"You’re a good student; you actually remember what I said."

"That word, ’jinx’... the more I think about it, the more I feel it has a certain profound charm. These past few days, I’ve been pondering it repeatedly and have discovered many underlying principles."

"You’re incorrigible."

The Sixth Prince pointed to the somewhat gloomy sky outside the window and coughed a few times. Apparently, he’d caught a cold from playing his mourning act earlier that day.

Of course, only the Sixth Prince himself knew how much of it was an act and how much was genuine emotion. Though he appeared nonchalant, standing on the field ridges, facing the sites of razed local deity shrines—could he truly be happy?

"Zheng Fan," the Sixth Prince raised his teacup and continued, "they possess the present."

Zheng Fan picked up his teacup and clinked it with the Sixth Prince’s. This Sixth Prince is starting to spout profound lines after spending so much time with me, he thought, then responded, "What we possess is the future."