Chapter 60 The Submission of Wushi

Wu Mu's intentions were crystal clear. The submission of the Fan tribe merely meant adding another fierce cavalry unit to the Qin army's ranks for charging into battle.

However, the Wushi clan was entirely different; they could provide a continuous stream of trained cavalrymen for Qin.

Beyond that, they could supply fine-breed horses, enabling the Qin people to breed and raise them locally. This was precisely what Zhao Zheng truly desired.

Nevertheless, this batch of Qin cavalry being cultivated by Zhao Zheng must not appear under the watchful eyes of the Six States for the time being.

They could only be deployed against the Xirong and the surrounding nomadic tribes.

The foundation of the State of Qin was still too fragile. Should the Six States catch wind of Qin possessing such a formidable force, the consequences would be disastrous.

The Six States would undoubtedly unite to attack Qin, nipping the state in the bud.

Given Qin's strength before its reforms were thoroughly completed, it would be utterly incapable of withstanding the fierce onslaught of the Six States.

Everything Zhao Zheng was doing at present was merely paving the way for others to reap the rewards later.

Sigh, he just wondered if he would ever get to see the Qin cavalry he had personally trained shine brightly on the eastern battlefields.

Zhao Zheng pondered for a moment, and the terms he proposed made Wu Mu's pupils contract sharply:

"I can grant you a place to settle, and have your own people govern your tribe without our interference."

Wu Mu was utterly stunned. He had thought that merely forming an alliance with Qin would be a stroke of immense fortune; how could he have ever dared to imagine that Zhao Zheng would directly carve out a territory for them?

And even allow them the right to self-governance?

"Great General, do not toy with this old man," Wu Mu said, somewhat in disbelief.

With a solemn expression, Zhao Zheng replied, "A gentleman's word is as good as a team of four horses." Pausing briefly at this point, he added, "However, this comes with preconditions."

Wu Mu thought to himself that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. "Speak your terms. If they are reasonable, this old man will consider them."

Zhao Zheng smiled and said, "You certainly won't refuse this condition, Elder. The land I intend to give you was devastated by the Yiqu and is currently in ruins."

"You will need to rebuild all the houses and facilities yourselves. Of course, Qin will also dispatch some personnel to assist."

"Aside from that, you must deliver a fixed annual tribute of horses, beef, and mutton, and allow the Qin people to live alongside you on that land."

Wu Mu was taken aback upon hearing this: "Is it really that simple?"

He had expected Zhao Zheng to make exorbitant demands and set an unbearable price. In the end, it was actually this... simple?

Zhao Zheng was also momentarily stunned. What the hell? A massive loss! That was too hasty.

He regretted it; future negotiations should not be handled so casually.

Yet, on the surface, Zhao Zheng maintained a deadpan, serious expression: "Indeed, it is that simple."

Since he had already given his word as a gentleman, what else could he do if not follow through? Besides, the terms were not entirely disadvantageous.

"Deal," Wu Mu nodded readily.

The two men discussed the relevant details further. After a hearty meal and plenty of drink, Zhao Zheng wasted no time, riding out of the Wushi encampment at a gallop accompanied by Di Ning and the elite Di-Rong forces.

The Wushi encampment was not far from Shangyu City, and it was quite close to Chencang as well.

Consequently, Zhao Zheng intended to use the Wushi encampment as a stepping stone to capture Chencang through strategy.

The setting sun spilled across the Longxi plains, casting long, slender shadows of the two riders.

"Are you... returning to Yueyang soon?"

Her voice was very low, breaking the silence of the return journey.

This question, which she had held back in her heart the entire way, was finally spoken aloud as she mustered the courage at the moment of parting.

Zhao Zheng abruptly reined in his horse, turned his head, and fixed a profound gaze upon her.

"Soon," his voice remained steady and powerful, though lacking its usual decisive ruthlessness. "Once Chencang is captured and the west is stabilized, I must return."

Di Ning uttered a soft "En," her eyelids drooping slightly. She did not ask "When," nor did she plead for him to stay; she merely gripped her reins tightly, her knuckles turning slightly pale.

Watching her downcast profile, Zhao Zheng wanted to say something, but in the end, there was only a simple: "I must go."

He sharply dug his heels into the horse's flanks, and the warhorse let out a long neigh as man and steed galloped away.

To take Chencang, he had decided to use it as a trial by fire for the Qin army, declining the assistance of the Di-Rong elite troops.

This parting between him and Di Ning... might well be forever.

"Zhao Zheng!" Her voice suddenly rose in pitch, yet only the wind answered her.

Di Ning stood frozen in place for a long time, until his figure completely vanished at the edge of the horizon.

Di Ning... take good care of yourself.

Zhao Zheng chanted silently in his heart.

Compared to Ying Shu, who had accompanied him the longest, Di Ning's fierce and unrestrained love, her willingness to risk everything for him, had left the deepest brand upon his heart.

At Shangyu City, Li Hua and Meng Ming were startled when they saw Zhao Zheng riding back alone.

"Great General, you certainly have a lot of nerve!"

Li Hua practically lunged forward, eagerly grabbing Zhao Zheng's horse reins.

Zhao Zheng gave Li Hua a sidelong glance and recounted what had transpired.

"These Yiqu bastards are truly arrogant," Li Hua frowned slightly.

As it turned out, not long ago, the Yiqu had also sent troops to raid Shangyu.

However, present-day Shangyu served as a border trade market, and its internal combat power was terrifyingly formidable.

Not only did the Yiqu fail to gain any advantage, but they were soundly defeated and routed.

According to scouts' reports, on their way back, they had been pursued by Fan Long and Jian Ping, resulting in the slaughter of yet another massive contingent.

Indifferent to these matters, Zhao Zheng cut straight to the point:

"Given that Shangyu City's strength remains undiminished, how many main forces can be mobilized?"

After deep consideration, Li Hua replied, "Five thousand. We currently have five thousand reserve troops in Shangyu."

Zhao Zheng shook his head: "Not enough. To attack Chencang, we need at least eight thousand."

Chencang possessed strategic terrain; too many troops would make maneuvering passive, while too few would fail to capture it.

Zhao Zheng paced back and forth as a countermeasure formed in his mind:

"Here is what we will do: transfer the five thousand troops to Fan King City to fill the troop deficit there, and I will draw troops directly from Fan King City."

The troops in Fan King City had been personally trained by Ying Qian, and their combat capability was bound to be extraordinary.

With morale fully maximized, one man functioning as two would pose no problem at all.

Furthermore, his trump card—the large siege crossbows—should finally be put to good use.

Meng Ming suddenly recalled something and spoke up:

"Great General, General Ying Qian said you should make haste to Fan King City; it seems he has a surprise for you."

Elder brother? What kind of surprise could he possibly have for him?

Zhao Zheng nodded: "I understand. Help me assemble five thousand troops, and by the way, secretly transport my siege crossbows to the Wushi tribe not far from Shangyu."

"The Wushi tribe? Aren't they to our north? Why have they moved to the south?"

Li Hua was stunned upon hearing this. As the magistrate of Shangyu, he was intimately familiar with the surrounding tribes.

Both Wushi and Yiqu should have originally influenced only the northern part of Longxi; how had they both ended up in the north?

Zhao Zheng thought for a moment and said: "The reason this happened before was because the crucial strongholds of Fan King City and Mianzhu City were not in our hands, making it impossible to monitor their specific movements."

"But from now on, such a situation will not recur."

Geographical disadvantages could be remedied, but the pressing issue was that the Yiqu had seized Chencang.

With this in mind, Zhao Zheng decided to visit the Mohist stronghold while Li Hua and his companion mustered the troops.

The Mohist school maintained branches everywhere, and the border town of Shangyu was no exception.

Armed with the Mohist Master's token, the local Mohists naturally dispatched personnel swiftly to investigate the matter.

With all matters properly arranged, Zhao Zheng led the main army toward Fan King City.

At Fan King City, Ying Qian, clad in full armor, was already waiting beneath the city gates.

Seeing Zhao Zheng stop before him, he stepped forward and delivered a heavy knock to Zhao Zheng's helmet.

"You stinking brat, you've finally returned."

Ying Qian put on a stern face, though his tone was laced with concern.

Zhao Zheng gave a sheepish grin, straightening his slightly skewed helmet: "Hehe, didn't I run into a few things?"

"Alright, stop running your mouth, brat. Look who is here."

With those words, Ying Qian stepped aside, revealing a familiar figure.