Chapter 864: First Volume_Chapter 864: Rectification

First Volume_Chapter 864: Rectification

Although Elder Wu did not say it outright, in his heart he had already made his assessment: the Tianji Camp Guards were the pinnacle of light-armor infantry combat under Heaven!

As long as they did not encounter heavy armor soldiers or cavalry, the Tianji Camp Guards could sweep all before them.

And the gap in armor and weaponry could never be bridged by martial training alone.

To put it bluntly, if Tianji Camp Guards faced heavy armor infantry head-on, they could slash the enemy ten times without effect, while a single strike from the enemy would be lethal—no amount of martial skill could change that.

As for cavalry, the gap was even greater; a person is still a person, unable to wrestle with a warhorse.

This was also why, despite the Tianji Camp Guards' long fame, there had never been any record of them engaging heavy armor soldiers or cavalry.

"Qin Feng, a man should learn contentment. If you truly want to make the Tianji Camp Guards stronger, give them a set of heavy armor, and their tactical advantage will instantly undergo a qualitative leap."

Elder Wu did not understand military affairs, but regarding the strengths and weaknesses of armor, he was not entirely ignorant.

Qin Feng chuckled: "The Tianji Camp is light-armor infantry—this will never change. If we switched to heavy armor, they could neither fight independently nor conduct guerrilla operations, and the Tianji Camp Guards would be finished."

"My idea is actually very simple: to forge the Tianji Camp Guards into a pure, brutal war machine."

Elder Wu raised an eyebrow: "Isn't that what the Jinyiwei already are?"

Qin Feng answered without hesitation: "Of course not! The Jinyiwei are brutal, but not pure. Though they have eyes and ears everywhere, they are also extremely dangerous."

"I can control the Jinyiwei, which is why they can display such tremendous value. But if one day I retire? Whether the next person taking over could keep these madmen in check would be anyone's guess."

"A blade's edge, though sharp, can kill others—or wound its wielder."

"The Tianji Camp Guards are the hidden card to keep the Jinyiwei in check. They are absolutely loyal and absolutely brutal. With a single word from me, they can wipe out every last Jinyiwei."

Elder Wu looked at Qin Feng in disbelief. Had he not heard it with his own ears, he would never have believed Qin Feng would guard against the Jinyiwei to such an extent.

One must remember, Qin Feng's ability to triumph everywhere was precisely thanks to the Jinyiwei!

This man's thinking was truly unlike that of ordinary people!

Elder Wu could not help but sigh: "Any ruler who possessed a dagger like the Jinyiwei would laugh himself awake in his dreams. Yet you, at every moment, prepare to destroy that dagger—truly beyond comprehension."

"However, I have no intention of puzzling out your thoughts. As for teaching the Tianji Camp Guards, I have absolutely no interest."

Seeing Elder Wu about to leave, Qin Feng did not pursue him, but shouted at his retreating back: "If Elder Wu is willing to teach, I will save the people of another county!"

"Does Elder Wu intend to take his martial arts to the coffin, or to let them fulfill their proper value and bring salvation to the masses?"

Elder Wu's figure trembled, but he did not stop. Only when he was nearly out of sight did his voice drift back.

"Tomorrow, here. Pick ten Tianji Camp Guards!"

Watching Elder Wu disappear, Qin Feng finally laughed heartily for the first time in days.

This is the power of money!

Qin Feng saved the people, Elder Wu taught the Tianji Camp Guards martial arts—mutual benefit.

At the same time, Tianji Camp Guards who had been lurking in the shadows came to Qin Feng's side.

Since Ning Hu was recuperating from his injuries, command authority passed directly down the line to Vice Commander Zhang Zhenhai.

Zhang Zhenhai was from the Central Plains. He had experienced famine and displacement, was ultimately taken in by Beixi County, and joined the Tianji Camp Guards' expansion plan, rising to become a proud Tianji Camp Guard.

At only twenty years old, Zhang Zhenhai had climbed to the position of Vice Commander in such a short time. Both his martial skill and his loyalty were beyond question.

The young man, nearly 1.7 meters tall, said softly: "Marquis Qin, why do you guard against the Jinyiwei so heavily? Your subordinate truly cannot figure it out."

Hearing this, Qin Feng could not help but laugh.

The fact that Zhang Zhenhai could ask such a question meant he had no guile whatsoever—in short, he was a simple, rough fellow.

And the more such a person was, the more loyal they were!

Qin Feng did not mind. He sighed softly and said earnestly: "It is not that I guard against the Jinyiwei, but that once the Jinyiwei's power grows to a certain level, it must be rectified."

"The Jinyiwei are a spy organization, and every spy organization inevitably develops a tendency to 'devour its master.' This is an inherent trait, having nothing to do with loyalty or disloyalty."

"To protect me, they might today move against the generals of Beixi County, tomorrow against Ning Hu and Xu Mo, and the day after, against my own family."

"In other words, to safeguard my interests, there is no one under Heaven they would not dare to kill."

"And one day, under the pretext of protecting me, they will seize the authority in my hands and place me under soft detention. It would not be rebellion—they would simply believe it the best course of action."

Saying this, Qin Feng turned and walked toward the garrison, a look of helplessness in his eyes.

To be honest, he was very fond of Mo Li, and he knew Mo Li's loyalty to him. But Mo Li had led the Jinyiwei for too long, and had inevitably become a spy chief who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

After Mo Li stepped down, he could still enjoy top-tier treatment and retreat to the second line—for instance, serving in logistics—but he could never again be allowed to hold power.

Qin Feng handing the command of the Jinyiwei to Li Xiaolan was merely a transitional measure.

Or rather, no one could sit in the spy chief's seat for too long. Even after Li Xiaolan held it for a few years, the power would have to be transferred.

Zhang Zhenhai said softly: "What about Liu Ming? Can we still use him?"

Qin Feng shrugged: "Of course we can use him. As for how many years, no one can say—it depends on the situation."

"Any spy, unless their mind is exceptionally resolute, will most likely retire within five years, ten at the absolute outside."

Saying this, Qin Feng looked at Zhang Zhenhai and said approvingly: "The Tianji Camp Guards may not be as powerful as the Jinyiwei, nor can they help me triumph everywhere the way the Jinyiwei do. But you are the stabilizing anchor—like the Palace Guards by the Liang Emperor's side. The responsibility you bear is heavier than that of any organization, any army."

"You are the Jingcha Supervising Official of my army!"

Zhang Zhenhai nodded heavily: "I will absolutely not fail Marquis Qin's expectations!"

Qin Feng suddenly thought of something and looked at Zhang Zhenhai with a smile: "If Elder Wu had truly come to kill me just now, what were your odds of victory?"

Zhang Zhenhai answered without hesitation, his voice low: "Elder Wu's assassination-technique has reached the pinnacle. If he struck with intent against the unprepared, even the Tianji Camp Guards would inevitably suffer massive casualties."

"But considering only the situation just now, within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, your subordinate could take Elder Wu's head!"

As he answered, Zhang Zhenhai suddenly realized that Qin Feng's reason for having the Tianji Camp Guards learn assassination-technique was to prevent future conflict with the Jinyiwei and being assassinated by them.

Zhang Zhenhai was filled with solemn respect for Qin Feng's far-sighted planning.