The Demon Lords-Chapter 761 - 167 Bridal Dowry_4

But what's at stake is the life of your entire family.

They say a barefoot person isn't afraid of those with shoes, but the problem is that the boots currently on General Zheng's feet are quite handsome and also quite warm. It's really not worth impulsively taking off his boots to run with Ji Chengjue under the setting sun.

The Eldest Prince observed Zheng Fan's expression. When Zheng Fan remained silent, the Eldest Prince smiled and said, "Wujiang has been rash."

"The Eldest Prince is too harsh. As for me, I'm no more than a slightly larger soldier. Facing this kind of situation, I really haven't thought about it, nor do I dare to."

"Why can't you, and why wouldn't you dare? General Zheng, your men can carve out so many official seals from radishes overnight. Are you now pretending to be pure and virtuous before me?"

"Heh."

Zheng Fan smiled shyly. He really couldn't figure out what was going on with the Eldest Prince today. Was he provoked? Is he starting to let himself go now?

The Eldest Prince immediately stood up. Zheng Fan didn't move, continuing to lean back in his chair.

"General Zheng, the Eastern Conquest Army has fought two major battles—one loss and one victory. The defeat resulted in heavy casualties, and this victory also undoubtedly came with significant losses."

This was only natural. The defeat had caused the Left Army to lose the majority of its main force. The victory was achieved when Lord Jingnan, with the elite forces of the Zhenbei and Jingnan armies, directly charged the main force of the wild people, securing a great win. It couldn't be called a pyrrhic victory, but their own casualties were certainly not insignificant.

Zheng Fan's expression also turned serious, and he sat up a little straighter in his chair.

In his past life, although he ran a comic studio, he ultimately couldn't shake off his homebody tendencies. In this life, he was constantly interacting with influential figures. It was not until he himself was on the verge of becoming an influential figure that he slowly began to understand their particular conversational style and habits.

It turned out that the Eldest Prince's earlier words were merely a prelude; the real substance was about to begin.

At this thought, General Zheng couldn't help but inwardly scoff. He had actually thought the man was honest. Alas, being an offspring of the Yan Emperor, how could he be that simple?

"The losses for the Northern Army and the Southern Army must be substantial. That's precisely why Lord Jingnan has no intention of launching a northern expedition into the Snow Sea anytime soon."

Tens of thousands of Chu army soldiers were still contained within Jade Plate City. But truthfully, Zheng Fan estimated that forty or fifty thousand cavalry would be enough for an expedition into the Snow Sea. The Snow Sea was not only severely weakened but also exceedingly vulnerable. A single campaign, not necessarily to annihilate them, but to strike another blow, bleed them further, and simultaneously reclaim the people and resources previously plundered by the wild people, was genuinely not difficult.

But even though it wasn't difficult, the Yan Army was currently incapable of undertaking it.

"In less than three years, the territory of Yan has gained the entirety of the Three Jin lands. Such a vast area requires an immense number of soldiers to garrison, and with so many new borders and passes, an equally large number is needed for defense."

Expanding territory too quickly could also be a detriment. It's like brands in later eras opening chain stores: blind expansion eventually leads to foundations that can't keep up, resulting in a complete and utter loss.

"The core units of the Northern Army and Southern Army will undoubtedly be the priority for troop replenishment after the war. General Zheng, you wouldn't disagree with that, would you?"

Zheng Fan nodded. Regardless of the circumstances, the two premier field armies would certainly be prioritized for reinforcement.

"But herein lay the problem. The original Left Army, though largely composed of local military leaders, often became targets for assimilation after a major war. It is indeed inappropriate for Wujiang to say such things, but they are truly from the heart."

Following the subjugation of the great clans, local military leaders became a major destabilizing factor. That's why the Yan Emperor had previously dispatched the Eldest Prince to gather these local military leaders for an expedition. These local military leaders and their soldiers should have been the best source for replenishing troops. But now, due to the disastrous defeat in the first Battle of the Wang River, this pool of manpower for replenishment had been severely depleted.

This created an awkward problem: the reserves couldn't keep up. Continuous warfare exhausted the soldiers, and it was more than simple fatigue. As veteran soldiers constantly fell in battle and new recruits took their places, the overall quality of the forces was being steadily diluted.

"Your Highness, please speak frankly," Zheng Fan said.

"General Zheng, even if your entire Shengle Army were relocated here, Snow Sea Pass is so large, and the Snow Sea beyond it so vast, do you think your forces would be sufficient?"

"Far from it."

"Precisely. Furthermore, the area within a hundred-mile radius south of Snow Sea Pass has become a no-man's-land due to the wild people's raids. General Zheng, you are renowned within our Yan Army for your skill in commanding Jin troops. Among Yan's many generals, you are the only one whose forces are primarily composed of Jin soldiers. But now, General Zheng, where will you find reinforcements?"

Reinforcing the troops was indeed a problem.

Firstly, it was difficult for high-quality recruits to be assigned to him because the other main armies' own core units were still understrength.

In the battle at Snow Sea Pass, his Shengle Army had indeed suffered considerable losses. But compared to the Southern Army and the Northern Army fighting on the main front, his casualty ratio truly wasn't considered large. So, prioritizing their replenishment was certainly the politically correct move.

The most frustrating part was that, in the short term, even if he wanted to conscript able-bodied men, it would be difficult. A large swathe of the territory under his jurisdiction was now uninhabited. With the people gone and villages empty, how could he possibly conscript anyone?

As for the over twenty thousand wild people captives, they could only be used as laborers; it was impossible to integrate them into the army.