Xue Three, standing on one side, knitted his brows tightly,
Damn,
A master!
"Get lost, go do your work! Make sure the cattle, sheep, and horses are all gathered up for me. Also, keep your tribesmen in check, don't let them reach out recklessly. The spoils of war will be distributed after being accounted for back at Snow Sea Pass."
"My lord, I've already inquired with Brother Jin Shuke about these matters on the way here. Rest assured, my lord, I can handle things reliably."
Seeing that Lord Zheng wasn't interested in recognizing him as a godson,
Keyan Dongge sensibly ran off to command his tribesmen.
Zheng Fan, on the other hand, led Xue Three towards the area where the captives were held. Along the way, Xue Three expressed some concern:
"My lord, can the combat strength of this barbarian troop be guaranteed?"
After all, they are foreign soldiers who have just arrived and have not yet been integrated.
"At the very least, we can assure the basics. They won't fare too poorly, and anyway, our opponents aren't very strong."
This was Zheng Fan's perspective. After all, there were no more wild kings on the snowy plains, and the fragmented snowfield tribes fighting for themselves really lacked commendable combat prowess.
Back when both the Situ Family and the Helian Family dealt with the snowfield tribes, they handled them as they pleased.
The area for detaining the captives was quite large, essentially an encirclement. A group of knights with bows and arrows stood guard on the perimeter, patrolling continuously, while the captives inside were all crammed together sitting there.
But privileges exist everywhere regardless, such as in the prison camp, where there was a tent, and the Third Prince was inside the tent.
Once Liang Cheng led the army to charge in, the camp had no capacity to retaliate, leaving the tribesmen with only the options of surrendering or fleeing. The Third Prince was specifically targeted early on by Xue Three's subordinates due to the tent's distinctiveness, so he had nowhere to escape and didn't take up a knife for any desperate resistance, surrendering quite decisively.
As Zheng Fan was about to reach the tent entrance, Xue Three beside him drew out his voice and shouted:
"Lord Pingye has arrived!"
The Keyan Division warriors at the side exchanged glances; some saluted from horseback, some thumped their chests, and some awkwardly emulated the rituals of Zhuxia, slightly bowing their fists towards Zheng Fan.
This chaotic scene left Xue Three somewhat dissatisfied, silently noting it down in his little book. For the Snow Sea army, a standard that ranks alongside combat strength is... etiquette.
Not ordinary etiquette, but how to properly coordinate and respond with my lord, so that my lord can stand there and wave to gain mass obedience, or shout once and have thousands of soldiers echo the next line in unison.
In short, the primary purpose of the army's existence is to keep my lord happy, with warfare as a secondary objective.
Of course, these two are not conflicting. In this era, if a whole army can act in a uniform and rhythmic manner, their combat strength likely won't be lacking.
After all, the troops under Lord Zheng include either knights from the Three Jin, or prisoner soldiers, or those who are from the Southern Pacification Army, or even barbarian soldiers; their personal qualities are guaranteed, not some phalanx made of court girls and eunuchs.
Such high-quality troops, combined with disciplined order, significantly enhance combat strength.
Though Xue Three's call failed to elicit a synchronized response from the surrounding Keyan Division warriors, soon the tent flap was lifted, and the Third Prince dressed in a white shirt directly knelt before Zheng Fan:
"Criminal pays respects to Lord Pingye, wishing Lord Pingye good fortune."
Behind the Third Prince, a woman also knelt, neither young nor quite old.
Xue Three was scrutinizing Madam Wu, as his own lord's Cao Cao's preference wasn't exactly a secret anymore;
Even the Silver Armored Guard knows to send wives over for undercover operations, let alone these Mo Wan who have been around my lord.
Zheng Fan extended a hand and flicked Xue Three's forehead lightly.
Xue Three sobered up immediately.
Zheng Fan didn't enter the tent but instead signaled for Xue Three to set up a chair outside.
Lord Zheng sat on the chair, while the Third Prince remained kneeling on the ground.
Xue Three stood beside the Third Prince, while Mo Wan remained in Zheng Fan's armor; while on a campaign, Mo Wan couldn't remain appearing as a child and would be forcibly brought out by Lord Zheng.
Furthermore, dozens of barbarian warriors stood vigilantly around.
Being cautious is never wrong during excursions.
What if this Third Prince wasn't outwardly genteel but actually a hidden master?
Lord Zheng, who was fond of beheading others, never slacked on defending himself against similar attempts by others.
After Zheng Fan got comfortable,
The Third Prince raised his head,
Looking at Zheng Fan,
And shouted loudly:
"My lord, the Naman Tribe has rebelled against authority and slaughtered Yan people, offending the mandate of heaven, an unforgivable crime!
My lord wielding the King's army to strike unrighteousness, quell rebellion, is to execute heavenly punishment.
The criminal is willing to serve my lord before and behind, exerting every effort, to seek atonement through meritorious service!"
The flowery rhetoric coming from a wild man's mouth was truly surprising, leaving a sense that his demeanor seemed mismatched.
Yet, this person, indeed, had some capabilities.
That prince from the Naman Tribe killed hundreds of Jin people, but out of his mouth, it turned into killing Yan people.
Actually, Lord Zheng was angered by that pile of skulls, as it was a direct affront to his face, manageable?
But in the Third Prince's mouth, it became the King's army protecting the people under his command.
Even though the Jin land now belongs to the Yan State, and the Jin people are subjects of the Yan Emperor, that's true;
But to keenly perceive this and articulate it outright shows that his political acumen is indeed high.
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