The Demon Lords-Chapter 782 - 171: Sightseeing_1

If the various imperial edicts dispatched from Yanjing—ennobling new princes, barons, and officials alike—were merely a prelude, then what followed, with the conclusion of the Battle of Chasing the Wild, was the rapid resurgence of the entire Three Jin region, like a long-caged beast finally unbound and regaining its vitality.

The initiating war against Jin State had shattered one half of the Jin State, and the rebellion of the wild people had poisoned the other. Economically and for the people's livelihood, this had indeed inflicted immense losses and impact upon the Three Jin region. But it was precisely because many entrenched systems of order were destroyed that reorganization became simpler and easier.

Upon Lord Jingnan's ennoblement to prince, he would henceforth be addressed as Prince Jingnan. Concurrently, the supporting army system in the Three Jin region was swiftly established.

The earliest Jin people military leaders who surrendered or allied themselves received new appointments and promotions. They transitioned from previously marginal roles to being pushed onto the main stage, capable of assuming positions such as commanders of small cities or main generals of military encampments.

The remaining troops from Cheng State were handled similarly, being reassigned or assimilated as needed.

Over several years of major wars, the Yan people had consistently achieved victories, but the losses incurred during this process were undeniably substantial. Furthermore, the Three Jin region was equivalent to another Yan State in size and complexity; establishing true control without relying on local Three Jin troops was extremely difficult, let alone dealing with external threats.

Admittedly, this approach would inevitably allow the power of Jin military generals in Jin land to grow. If not managed carefully, the newly annexed Jin land could easily descend into division and rebellion. However, most people believed that as long as Prince Jingnan presided over Ying Capital City, such a scenario would not materialize.

The initiating war against Jin State and the Battle of Chasing the Wild had elevated Prince Jingnan's prestige in the Three Jin region to an unparalleled level; neither the Yan Army nor the Jin Army dared to show insubordination in his presence.

As for the populace, due to Prince Jingnan's past act of exterminating his own clan, there was, in Zheng Fan's words, a perpetual 'aura' of 'panic' and 'shock' surrounding him among the common people.

While this might seem unfavorable, from a ruler's perspective, it was an exceedingly beneficial attribute.

People always tend to take advantage of those who are reasonable, principled, and care about their reputation. Conversely, when dealing with those who metaphorically wore their ruthlessness like a tattoo on their forehead, most people would quickly assess the situation and choose to yield.

Though the words are crude, the underlying truth is undeniable.

Moreover, under these circumstances, following Prince Jingnan's decree, all units, whether belonging to the Yan Army or the Jin Army, were required to select elite soldiers to be incorporated into the ranks of Prince Jingnan's Army and the Northern Army.

Those who dared to feign compliance while secretly acting in opposition were to be executed without mercy!

Their elite soldiers were the apple of these military chiefs' eyes. However, Prince Jingnan had just been ennobled as prince, and no one dared to provoke his 'new king's three fires' at this juncture. On the other hand, regardless of public perception, the soldiers—whether Yan or Jin people—were exceedingly enthusiastic about joining the Northern Army and Prince Jingnan's Army, especially the latter.

Firstly, there was the reputation of these being strong armies. Military men naturally possess that fierce drive to compete and excel; additionally, there was no shortage of those with the pragmatic attitude of 'if you can't beat them, join them.'

Secondly, with Prince Jingnan's investiture, everyone understood who would truly hold authority in the military of the entire Three Jin region for the next several years, who the real 'boss' would be.

These various factors allowed Prince Jingnan's Army to recover extremely quickly after the war, and even to expand.

However, to be fair, this method of directly treating allied forces as 'reserve troops' was something only Prince Jingnan dared to do and could successfully execute at that time. If anyone else had attempted such a maneuver at a different time, they should not have been surprised to face a mutiny.

At the same time, the issue of "replenishing troop numbers" that the Eldest Prince had discussed with Zheng Fan before leaving Snow Sea Pass did indeed come to pass.

Although he, Zheng Fan, was nominally Prince Jingnan's direct subordinate, a favored person, and a rising star—or rather, an already established new noble—of the younger generation within the Yan military establishment, Snow Sea Pass, however, had genuinely received no new troop reinforcements. There wasn't even a token gesture of a few hundred or a thousand men sent to make a cursory show.

Furthermore, in the uninhabited lands outside Snow Sea Pass, even if General Zheng wanted to forcibly conscript soldiers or shamelessly press-gang able-bodied men, there was no one for him to conscript.

Were it not for the Shengle migration convoy led by Siniang and her group still en route, offering a glimmer of hope, Snow Sea Pass would indeed present a truly desolate picture.

Logically, given Snow Sea Pass's critical importance and its commander, Zheng Fan, being Prince Jingnan's direct subordinate, it should naturally have been the first to receive 'resupply,' yet this support was conspicuously absent.

Xue Three and Liang Cheng had speculated privately.

Setting aside the clearly nonexistent possibilities of their lord suddenly falling out of favor or Prince Jingnan having a change of heart and favoring someone else, it must have been intentional.

Xue Three surmised that the Eldest Prince, on his way back to Yanjing, would likely seek another audience with Prince Jingnan. He would probably report the matter of employing barbarian soldiers to man Snow Sea Pass as a means of 'fighting barbarians with barbarians.' Therefore, knowing that nearly 10,000 barbarian cavalry would soon be stationed at Snow Sea Pass, Prince Jingnan would naturally withhold any allocation of the currently precious troop resources to that location. Moreover, giving one person command of 10,000 barbarian soldiers, kept together as a whole unit, is undoubtedly something a superior dislikes. It wasn't necessarily a matter of distrusting Zheng Fan, but rather a concern that if these 10,000 men remained together 'fully intact,' it might be unsuitable for proper command and control.