Chapter 78: “Satisfied.”

Chapter 78 "She was satisfied."

"My King."

Tuoba Baxiao stood up, opened his arms to embrace her, and kissed her rosy lips.

Jiang Congyan gently patted him.

This man seems to have a constant need for physical contact, as if he can't go a moment without touching her.

"Be serious, I need to talk to you about something."

"Hmph, I know you only come to me when you need something. Otherwise, you'd rather keep your distance."

Hearing his resentful tone, Jiang Congyan smiled wryly, "You should think about what you've done."

Blame her? If he didn't always have those thoughts when they were together, she wouldn't have to act this way. Sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, he would suddenly make a move, no matter who was around.

No wonder the Xianbei people think she's a seductress who has enchanted their king. If she weren't involved, she might think he's indulging in women, just like King Zhou and King You.

When he finally released her, he pulled her to sit beside him on the throne.

Her eyes flickered slightly. Tuoba Baxiao acted without much thought, simply wanting her by his side, as if the throne were no different from any other seat.

She thought he was just naturally proud and disdainful. To him, things the world considered powerful held no special meaning.

His power doesn't come from a throne or a ring; it's earned through his own abilities. He gives meaning to these objects.

Putting these thoughts aside, Jiang Congyan got to the point.

"Have you finalized the troops for the expedition? How many soldiers, and which generals are leading them? What's the strength of the Jie army?"

Tuoba Baxiao saw no reason to hide it: forty thousand cavalry, led by Su Li, Duan Muqi, and Tuoba Wuxi.

The Jie have at most a hundred thousand troops, of varying quality, and their combat power is no match for his elite cavalry. Forty thousand cavalry is the most he's committing, and he's determined to end the war before winter.

When she heard Tuoba Wuxi was going, Jiang Congyan was surprised, "Hasn't he always opposed you? What if he causes trouble?"

Tuoba Baxiao smirked coldly, "He won't cause trouble in front of me."

His confidence reassured her, and she no longer doubted.

Then he said, "I'm leaving Modolou with you. If you need anything, just tell him."

Modolou is loyal and speaks Chinese. He never showed hostility toward her, and over time, they've grown close. He often visits Zhang Zheng to eat and drink, and they're now like brothers.

Modolou would never refuse her orders, making him the ideal choice.

"Alright, thank you, King."

He had thought of everything for her; she couldn't help but be moved.

"With the expedition approaching, are the king's supplies and equipment ready?" she asked. This was the reason for her visit.

Tuoba Baxiao caught her tone, a glint of light passing through his green eyes as he looked at her, "Do you have an idea?"

Jiang Congyan extended her hand, pinching a bit of her pale fingertip, "I can't help with the big matters, but a little help is still possible."

Tuoba Baxiao looked at her expectantly.

It didn't matter how much help she could offer him; the main thing was her initiative in offering help, and he enjoyed this feeling.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Congyan's eyes and brows unconsciously softened with a hint of a smile. "The Ironworks, Leather Workshops, and Carpentry Workshops are almost ready, just in time to support the king's expedition. However, there is currently a shortage of new iron, and the furnaces haven't been fired up yet. There's no time to forge new weapons, but we can repair and refurbish the old and damaged weapons and leather armor. Yes, that's the small favor I can offer. Is the king pleased?"

Her eyes sparkled, her expression was lively, and her tone was cheerful, especially the last sentence, which seemed to tug at his heartstrings, suddenly igniting a fire within him, and a surge of heat rose in his groin.

The man's gaze slowly darkened, the green glint in his eyes as dangerous as a wolf's, staring at the girl before him, almost wanting to consume her entirely.

"Pleased," he rasped out from his throat.

Seeing him like this again, Jiang Congyan felt a mix of helplessness and secret pleasure. However, she couldn't push him too far, or she'd be the one to pay the price.

"As long as the king is content," she said, reaching out to cover his eyes, stopping him from staring at her like that.

Tuo Baxiao didn't remove her hand, letting her cover his eyes, his breathing noticeably quickening, the warmth of his breath brushing against her wrist. Jiang Congyan felt a bit ticklish but had to endure it until his breathing calmed down before finally letting go.

Looking up, she saw the deep emerald in his eyes.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, averted her gaze, and changed the subject.

"Can Zhang Zheng join the king on the expedition?"

Tuo Baxiao frowned, "Isn't he your bodyguard? He should stay by your side to guard you."

Jiang Congyan explained, "Zhang Zheng isn't just a guard. He was the bravest Imperial Guard under my grandfather and has been on the battlefield before. Originally, he was tasked with escorting me back to Chang'an from Liangzhou. If nothing had happened, he would have returned to the battlefield eventually. But later, he followed me to the royal court. He is highly skilled in martial arts and capable of leading troops in battle. Keeping him by my side all the time would be a waste of his talents. So, I wanted to ask the king if he could be part of the expedition?"

"The Jie have been subjugated for decades and have likely learned the ways of the Central Plains. Compared to the grasslands, the terrain of Henei and Hedong is complex, with mountains crisscrossing the area. Zhang Zheng was born in Liangzhou and is more familiar with such terrain. He might be able to help a bit."

"The king has already left General Modolou with me. Losing one guard by my side isn't a big deal."

Tuo Baxiao agreed with her last point. Indeed, would his men not be able to protect her without Zhang Zheng?

"How many troops do you want me to give him?"

"No need," Jiang Congyan shook her head. "Just assign him to the king's Imperial Guard. Let him prove his worth, and then the king can decide whether to assign troops to him."

Since she put it that way, Tuo Baxiao had no reason to disagree. He wouldn't hand over troops to someone whose abilities were unknown, and her request was not unreasonable.

"Alright, as you wish. I'll assign fifty men to him first."

Fifty men—not too many, not too few—just enough to maintain control and give him a chance to prove himself.

Among the Xianbei people, the strong rule. If one's own strength is insufficient, even if forcibly promoted to a general's position, the subordinates would not be convinced.

Jiang Congyan was well aware of this, which was why she made such a request. If she had asked Tuo Baxiao to assign thousands of troops to Zhang Zheng right away, it would only provoke dissatisfaction and resistance among the Xianbei people.

She believed Zhang Zheng could do well. He could earn the recognition of the soldiers with his own abilities, and then he would naturally be able to lead troops.

Military power...

They chatted for a while longer. Finally, Jiang Congyan hesitated for a moment before asking, "After the king defeats the Jie, how will you deal with their people?"

"Naturally, kill the men, and take the women and children..."

Halfway through his sentence, he noticed the caution in her eyes and stopped.

"Do you think I'm wrong?"

"I didn't..."

Tuo Baxiao was a bit annoyed, but since she was a young woman who had never been on the battlefield and didn't understand how ruthless the enemy can be, he took the time to patiently explain, "Do you remember Huo Bineng's ambush? If we hadn't won that time, we would have been the ones dead. We can't afford to show mercy to our enemies. If we don't kill them, they will kill us."

Jiang Congyan knew this logic, but knowing it is one thing, doing it is another.

"The enemies who fight should be killed, naturally. But what about the ordinary civilians?"

Tuo Baxiao sneered, "They're just like the ones on the grasslands. Any man can fight."

"Even if there are few, some must not have fought," she said almost stubbornly.

"Then they'll rebel later. If that's the case, better to kill them from the start."

"What if we stop them from rebelling?"

"Hmm?"

"Move them from their tribal lands and scatter them. They won't be able to gather enough strength to rebel, naturally."

This is what's called "large mixed settlements, small concentrated communities."

"Where would we move them to?"

"Tumochuan Plain," Jiang Congyan looked directly at him. "Isn't Your Highness planning to grow wheat? We're short on labor now. Wouldn't it be perfect to move the Jie civilians there?"

It didn't seem completely impossible.

Tuo Baxiao pondered, "Let me consider it."

Seeing he didn't outright reject the idea, Jiang Congyan knew there was still room for persuasion. With several days before his campaign, she didn't push the issue.

"Your Highness, could you spare the Jie women and children from being given as slaves to the royal court nobles?"

Tuo Baxiao frowned, "Slaves are assets. The Xianbei warriors fight with me to gain more assets. If they get nothing, they won't fight hard in the future."

Tuo Baxiao had a point. While charisma could win over some people, ultimately, it was about interests. Only interests could drive them to follow orders.

Jiang Congyan thought for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. She leaned over and whispered a few words to him. Tuo Baxiao's eyes flickered, "It seems feasible, but are you sure?"

Jiang Congyan nodded, "It's highly likely. Even if we're wrong, we won't lose anything, right?"

"If it really turns out that way, we'll do as you say."

They talked for nearly an hour before finishing. At that moment, A Long came to report something outside the tent, so Jiang Congyan took the opportunity to leave the royal tent.

As soon as she stepped out, Chigan Balie was still standing there.

Jiang Congyan guessed he must be feeling very frustrated and walked over to him.

"General Chigan Balie."

Chigan Balie glanced at her, raised his arm, and hesitated whether to salute her. In the end, he didn't know how to position his hand and stood there awkwardly.

Jiang Congyan almost laughed, "General, there's no need for formalities."

Chigan Balie snorted and turned his face away. He hadn't planned to salute her anyway.

Jiang Congyan didn't mind his attitude, "General, are you upset that Your Highness isn't taking you to fight the Jie?"