Chapter 1287 – Taking Down Huang Song, Unifying Dongqing (29)
Dian Yin sighed, “What a pity, it’s still too late.”
Feng Jin nodded in agreement, chiming in, “Indeed, it is too late. If Nie Xun had dealt with Yuan Xin earlier, perhaps our Lord—”
He paused momentarily. If Nie Xun had full control over the troops in Chenzhou with Yuan Xin assisting, Jiang Pengji might indeed encounter serious trouble. Nie Xun’s tactics were not something Yuan Xin could match; while Yuan Xin was good at leading troops in battle, he was far from a master tactician like Nie Xun.
In military operations, it’s most troublesome to allow inexperienced commanders to lead seasoned warriors.
Yuan Xin wasn’t entirely clueless, but his rash and reckless nature often resulted in hasty decisions.
Yuan Xin could be a fine weapon, but he wasn’t skilled at being the wielder of that weapon.
Dian Yin was a hidden fanboy of Jiang Pengji; though his symptoms weren’t as overt as Jiang Nongqin’s, he still held a peculiar confidence in Jiang Pengji. Hearing Feng Jin’s words, Dian Yin countered, “Even if Nie Xun had sole control over Chenzhou’s military, he still couldn’t do anything to our Lord.”
Feng Jin chuckled, “Yes, our Lord is naturally the strongest.”
Fanboy logic at its best! Like Yang Si, Feng Jin had long since given up trying to reason with them.
So, what was the “strongest” Jiang Pengji doing at this moment?
She was having a grand old time leading her troops in Chenzhou, leaving a mess behind for Feng Jin to deal with, as she strolled off with her entourage.
When Yuan Xin was scheming against her, she only arrived halfway through, and with the information dissemination back in ancient times being so abysmally slow, it would take her a while to catch wind of it. If she had known, she would’ve definitely given Nie Xun a double thumbs up and even left a like — now that would be heartwarming!
Jiang Pengji was leisurely riding on Xiao Bai, humming a bizarre tune.
Her nonchalant demeanor felt less like she was leading troops into battle and more like she was taking a group of kids out for a day of fun in the countryside.
“What tune is our Lord humming?”
Initially expecting it to be some random jingle, Yang Si listened closely and realized there were several repeating motifs — this was not just aimless humming.
Unlike the tunes of the moment, Jiang Pengji’s melody sounded refreshingly unique.
With a cheerful tone, Jiang Pengji answered, “The March of the Ten Armies of the Federation.”
Broken down like that, every word made sense to Yang Si, but combined, it left him baffled.
“March of the Ten Armies of the Federation? Where in the world is that?” Yang Si asked in astonishment.
Taking advantage of Yang Si’s ignorance, Jiang Pengji decided to tease him, saying, “A place I dreamt about, a distant land of freedom.”
Even after nearly ten years of time travel, Jiang Pengji still held her homeland dear in her heart.
“Land of freedom?” Yang Si replied, “Oh? What kind of place is that?”
Jiang Pengji pondered for a moment, then calmly replied, “A place filled with war.”
Since she could remember, the Federation had been embroiled in unending wars, and had it not been for the dire situation, the Gene Warrior Project would never have been initiated.
She was simultaneously a victim and beneficiary of this plan.
Without it, she might have perished long ago or faded into obscurity, becoming just another ordinary citizen to be protected.
Yang Si replied in disbelief, “A place filled with war… and you call that a ‘land of freedom’?”
Jiang Pengji laughed, “Perhaps it’s because… the people in dreams wage war to fight for freedom? Just like the lords of today are battling for dominance, seeking to bring peace to the world. War is terrible, but it’s also one of the means to achieve certain goals…”
“To wage war for the sake of peace — say that out loud, and you’ll never know how many people pounce on it to criticize.” Yang Si shook his head. “The lords fighting for dominance are ultimately driven by their own desires, far from the noble narrative our Lord presents…”
Jiang Pengji playfully asked, “What makes it different?”
“The Lord’s ambition to unify the realm is for peace,” he said. “That’s a genuine sentiment. Not only do you believe it, but others believe it too. People vary; not every lord possesses the same level of integrity and awareness as you do. For example, our Lord willingly exhausts her personal treasures for the common people and soldiers, investing tens of millions over the years, rarely tapping into the public treasury. Others, however, would happily squeeze the common folk dry, exhausting their scant interests, hoarding public resources for private gain. Who would believe that sort of person claims to fight for the common people rather than the ultimate power and status?”
Yang Si didn’t think of himself as praising their Lord; he was merely speaking the truth.
From this perspective, Jiang Nongqin’s constant praise of the Lord wasn’t without merit.
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “I didn’t expect my reputation in Jing Rong’s eyes to be this high. To live up to your praises, I have to give it my all.”
Yang Si awkwardly coughed, inadvertently catching Jiang Nongqin’s gaze, which was filled with unspoken admiration —
Your taste is impeccable!
Yang Si: “…”
What a peculiar experience it was to fancy someone who was a die-hard fan!
Answer: It was like having a green pasture on one’s head, just waiting for someone to set sheep loose.
Jiang Pengji remarked, “I need to get moving.”
Yang Si questioned, “Get moving? Move on what?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Military reform.”
“Didn’t our Lord say to wait until after the war to implement that?”
Reform always comes with risks and rewards; poorly executed, it could bring disaster, and Yang Si hoped she would be more cautious.
Jiang Pengji confirmed, “That’s true, arranging it for after the war. But now we can add it to the agenda; you help me strategize.”
Marching was too dull; even though there were slacker viewers in the livestream to lighten the mood, she couldn’t let herself get too engrossed in the comments, after all, Yang Si was sharp as a tack.
Sneaking a peek at comments warranted vigilance to avoid leaving any traces for Yang Si to uncover.
She needed to find something to do to pass the time.
Yang Si inquired, “How does our Lord plan to reform things?”
Jiang Pengji stated, “I’m not satisfied with the current military system. Responsibilities and powers are vague, which slows down efficiency. Military salaries are disbursed unclearly, leaving room for opportunistic scoundrels to eat the empty rations; no matter how elite, a troop can’t withstand the gnawing of pests… And then there’s military discipline; while it was well managed before, violations still occur — clearly, the costs for wrongdoing are too low, inflating their arrogance…”
She wished she could lazily lift the Federation’s military structure directly, but deep down, she understood that wouldn’t fly. To maximize benefits, Jiang Pengji had to innovate extensively based on the existing framework, fine-tuning responsibilities while ensuring it aligned with the contemporary context and was acceptable to the people.
Coming from a military background and having undergone Gene Warrior training from a young age, she deeply understood just how vital formidable force was. Whether for a nation or a faction, dignity, rights, and status all necessitated powerful military backing.
She aspired to forge a bloody path in these chaotic times, establishing a realm that all nations would respect; without overwhelming force, everything else was mere talk.
The army needed to be well managed, and military reform was simply unavoidable.
To her, the current military system was an utter disaster, with so many flaws she could talk for hours.
Jiang Pengji didn’t intend for the reform to be instantaneous; instead, she planned to take one step at a time to minimize upheaval and backlash.
Starting with the most problematic areas, she planned to gradually delve deeper into the issues.
