Chapter 807: First Volume, Chapter 807: Ally and Enemy

First Volume, Chapter 807: Ally and Enemy

Before this, Jing Ci only knew Chen Si was the sole candidate from Di Kingdom to oppose Qin Feng, and her understanding of Chen Si was limited to the military sphere.

But now, hearing Qin Feng's personal evaluation of Chen Si.

Jing Ci finally understood what Chen Si meant to this nation.

One could say Chen Si was Di Kingdom's own "Qin Feng," yet beyond the military sphere, Chen Si could not match Qin Feng in any other aspect—not by a little, but by a vast margin.

Even so, Chen Si's brilliance could not be obscured.

Qin Feng's words struck Jing Ci like a thunderclap; at this moment, she finally realized how insignificant she was amid the struggle between nations.

As for the Qin Feng before her, Jing Ci still hated him, yet compared to hatred, admiration outweighed it.

Without Qin Feng's insight, Jing Ci would never have recognized these deeper stakes.

Jing Ci had only interacted with Qin Feng for a few days, yet each conversation left her profoundly enriched; she finally understood why Jing Qianying had fallen for this man.

Jing Ci's emotions gradually calmed; she regarded Qin Feng as her greatest enemy, her strongest rival, and her best teacher.

Whether it was recognizing a thief as a father or a thief as a master—

Jing Ci no longer cared; as long as she could learn something, contribute even a modest effort to her nation, even if she bore eternal scorn, she would have no regrets.

"Huh…"

Jing Ci exhaled softly, and her gaze at Qin Feng had undergone a radical transformation.

These changes were fully observed by Qin Feng, confirming the rumors: Di Kingdom's prosperity hinged on two surnames—one being the "Jing" family before him, and the other, naturally, "Chen."

The Chen family produced fierce generals, while the Jing family's descendants were all prodigies.

Jing Ci learned at an astonishing pace—even too fast; if Qin Feng revealed everything without reservation, this seemingly naive girl might soon surpass him.

Teach your disciple well, and your master starves.

Qin Feng would not be overly generous; he had long held a ruler in his mind, knowing exactly what to teach and what to withhold.

Ultimately, in Qin Feng's eyes, Jing Ci was merely a tool to be used.

Though she and Jing Qianying shared the same surname, they were worlds apart.

"Princess, I ask you to arrange the venue for my banquet honoring Chen Si—given my infamous reputation, not even a Wine House could be rented, let alone a Cha Tan."

For this small request, Jing Ci readily agreed.

She regarded Qin Feng and asked humbly: "I don't understand—before meeting Chen Si, shouldn't you first meet His Majesty?"

"If word spreads, someone might accuse Chen Si and you of colluding."

At this, Qin Feng laughed: "Ha ha ha, accuse? Princess, have you misunderstood something? Though Chen Si and I admire each other, we are unquestionably mortal enemies—why should I care for his interests?"

"If Chen Si is destroyed by treacherous ministers, I would rejoice far more than grieve."

These words were harsh, even repulsive to Jing Ci.

Yet Qin Feng was not wrong—he was a subject of Liang Kingdom; why should he worry over a loyal minister of Di Kingdom?

But this was precisely what puzzled Jing Ci.

"If that's true, how can you be certain Chen Si will attend your banquet?"

Qin Feng shrugged dismissively: "He will come."

"Don't be fooled by his constant presence in the Ministry of War—he only appears to care about military matters. But Li Yu never leaves his side. Who is Li Yu? He is Your Highness's eyes and ears."

"Chen Si represents Your Majesty."

"Meeting Chen Si is equivalent to meeting Your Majesty directly—do you understand?"

Jing Ci stared at Qin Feng, dumbfounded.

He had only just arrived in Di Guo Wang Du—how could he know so much about its inner workings?

Li Yu was the head of Ye Xiao, an utterly secretive figure, yet Qin Feng had pinpointed his connection to Chen Si with a single remark.

Had Qin Feng's army already infiltrated Di Guo Wang Du?

Beyond the Yi Guan's overt Jin Yi Wei agents, how many more were hidden in the capital?

Unaware to her, even her fleeting look of shock had been fully captured by Qin Feng.

Qin Feng made no attempt to conceal it: "Your Highness need not be so astonished."

"I can tell you plainly: since the war began, the moment the Jin Yi Wei was formed, we began infiltrating your kingdom."

"Not just the capital, but every major and minor town—every one has Jin Yi Wei spies."

"After all… your Da Liang Wang Du has long been infiltrated by Ye Xiao, hasn't it? Hehe—reciprocity."

Jing Ci's mouth opened and closed in shock; such a secret, spoken by Qin Feng so casually.

Was Qin Feng so confident he feared no Great Purge of Jin Yi Wei in the capital—or… was he already plotting something?

The more Jing Ci learned about Qin Feng, the less she understood him.

Qin Feng had no need to explain further.

After all, for a nation as vast as this, harboring enemy spies was perfectly reasonable.

Forget distant examples—just consider the Ye Xiao agents embedded in Liang Kingdom, tracked and watched by Hei Wei and Jin Yi Wei: there were at least two hundred, if not five hundred.

Yet Hei Wei and Jin Yi Wei pretended ignorance, allowing these Ye Xiao agents to freely gather Military Intelligence.

The reason was simple: spies cannot be eradicated.

Rather than conducting a Great Purge that appears to eliminate them, only for new ones to arrive shortly after,

It is better to monitor without cleansing from the start.

In this way, the intelligence enemy spies gather remains within controllable limits.

And at critical moments, one can even turn their own deception against them, feeding false Jiwei to disrupt the enemy.

Qin Feng was certain many Jin Yi Wei agents embedded in Di Kingdom had been uncovered by Ye Xiao—yet they had not yet been executed.

The principle is the same: the struggle between nations is not won in a single day or night, but through long-term cultivation, accumulating strength to strike decisively.

Of course, these things would need Jing Ci to figure out on her own in the future.

Even though Jing Ci had already taken Qin Feng as her teacher, Qin Feng had no intention of treating her as a student.

Everything stopped at just a hint.

Jing Ci had barely left when Liu Ming arrived right behind her.

"Marquis, the place has already been found, it's in the Chai Fang of the Back Courtyard, the Comrades have already started digging."