Sheng He choked. He didn't think there was anything wrong with the Sheng family retreating to defend Ze'a Commandery back then; it was merely for self-preservation.
It was just that the barbarians did not play by the rules of the Han people, insisting on driving them to extinction.
Otherwise, as long as it didn't harm the interests of their noble clans, what did it matter who became the emperor?
Once things stabilized, Fengzhou would still be under the control of their prominent families.
Sheng Shang narrowed his eyes slightly, forcing a smile. "City Lord of Gefeng, whatever happened in the past is in the past. Our Sheng family was also thinking of our clansmen and the common people."
"Right now in Fengzhou, only our Ze'a Commandery and your Gefeng have the capability to resist the enemy. We can cooperate, coordinating from the inside and outside, and drive the Quzhao army out of Fengzhou."
Jiang Jin raised her eyebrows slightly. Were they trying to coax her like a child?
She didn't dwell on this issue, but instead asked, "What is the current situation in Ze'a Commandery?"
Speaking of this, Sheng He and Sheng Shang both looked grave. "Quzhao's army of over a hundred thousand is besieging Ze'a Commandery. We now only have Yushui and Fengan County left."
Ze'a Commandery had a total of six counties, which meant they had already lost four in a row.
As for whether his claim of a Quzhao army of over a hundred thousand was exaggerated, that remained unknown.
Jiang Jin nodded. "What exactly do you want our Gefeng to do now?"
A flash of joy crossed Sheng He's face. "We hope Gefeng can dispatch troops to reinforce us."
Jiang Jin shook her head. "Our Gefeng is just a small city. We don't have a large population or military force. We can barely defend our own city. Dispatching troops to reinforce you would be too difficult."
She didn't say it was impossible, only that it was too difficult. The meaning was clear: there was room for negotiation.
Sheng He indeed caught her underlying implication, and his eyes lit up. "As far as we know, Gefeng was able to break through the siege of a twenty-thousand-strong Quzhao army, which means you must possess formidable strength."
They were actually forced by desperation to come to Gefeng for help. The closest Han faction to Ze'a Commandery was Gefeng.
And the fact that Gefeng could force back the siege of twenty thousand Quzhao troops showed that they had some real strength.
Regardless of how many troops Gefeng could dispatch, as long as they made a move, it would inevitably trigger a counterattack from Quzhao, and their goal would be achieved.
Sheng Shang also spoke up, his voice impassioned, "As long as Gefeng is willing to lend a helping hand, we will surely be able to fend off the enemy together and protect our Han territory."
Jiang Jin smiled. "Why don't you first tell me about the situation in Ze'a Commandery, and then we can discuss a strategy to deal with it?"
Sheng He nodded. "Whatever the City Lord of Gefeng wishes to ask, I will answer truthfully."
Jiang Jin didn't hold back and asked directly, "May I ask what your current military strength is? And how is Quzhao deploying their forces for the siege?"
Over the next half hour, Jiang Jin learned from the two men about the military strength and offensive and defensive information of both sides in Ze'a Commandery, as well as the situation of the commoners and arable land in the city.
Although this information might not be entirely accurate, it could serve as a reference.
Jiang Jin smiled. "You two have traveled a long way. Why don't you go rest first? We need to discuss the specifics."
Sheng He and his companion also knew it was impossible to get a definite answer right away.
The two stood up and bowed. "We hope Gefeng will prioritize the bigger picture and send reinforcements as soon as possible."
Jiang Jin nodded.
Two servants immediately led the two men out and took them to the Gefeng Inn.
Yun Ce, who had been temporarily assigned as a part-time innkeeper, smiled so widely his eyes curved into crescents. "Welcome to our Gefeng Inn. Would you like to stay in a courtyard or a suite?"
Sheng He and his companion looked bewildered. "What's the difference?"
Yun Ce immediately explained, "Of course there's a difference. The suite is cheaper."
Sheng He was stunned. "What did you say? This requires payment?"
Yun Ce replied matter-of-factly, "Naturally, you have to pay for your lodging."
"Alas," he sighed. "Our Gefeng is poor. Otherwise, we could have paid out of our own pockets to let you eat and stay for free."
Speaking of which, the Gefeng Inn was truly in a miserable state. Only He Li and Lady Mei had stayed for one night each, and it had been vacant ever since.
It was one of Jiang Jin's few businesses that hadn't even earned back its labor costs.
Now that newcomers had arrived in Gefeng, it was only natural to fleece them a bit.
Sheng He: "..."
He touched the money pouch at his waist, secretly glad he had brought silver with him. "Then give us a courtyard."
Yun Ce was delighted. "Alright! Let's go, I'll take you to the Bamboo Courtyard."
Naturally, there was no bamboo in the Bamboo Courtyard, but the environment was indeed quiet and secluded. The service was also excellent, providing them with water for washing and food.
They were also assigned two servants to be on standby at all times.
Yun Ce and several soldiers stood guard at the courtyard gate; it would be impossible for Sheng He and his companion to wander around the city as they pleased.
At the county magistrate's office, Jiang Jin and her two companions arrived at the assembly hall, where Dong Si, Yao Ji, and several others were already waiting.
"Elder Yun, what do you think?" Jiang Jin asked, looking at the map.
Yun Ci shook his head. "I do not recommend sending reinforcements. The disadvantages outweigh the advantages."
Zhou Sui furrowed his brows tightly. "If the lips perish, the teeth will be cold. They are not wrong about this. If Quzhao conquers Ze'a Commandery, their next target will inevitably be us."
Yun Ci pondered. "That may be true, but with our meager forces, how can we reinforce them?"
"Furthermore, is the Sheng family truly sincere? They are merely driven by desperation. If we really help them break the siege, the moment we dispatch troops, we will face the retaliation of the Quzhao army at any time."
He understood the Sheng family's initial choice, but he did not agree with it.
True, no matter how state power changed hands, these great noble families remained as steady as Mount Tai. No imperial power could easily shake their interests and status.
However, what they were facing now was not a change in state power, but the iron hooves of barbarians about to trample the Han territory. It was a time when the nation could be destroyed and the race exterminated.
To still act independently and consider only the gains and losses of individual clans at a time like this showed extreme shortsightedness.
If the entire race was about to be wiped out, what did gains or losses matter?
Of course, the Sheng family might have other calculations that he was unaware of.
Zhou Sui could well understand Yun Ci's feelings. To be honest, if all the prominent families of the Yan State had united as one, the Yan State might not have been defeated.
Xie Nanxiao was astounded. "Elder Yun, are you saying that Ze'a Commandery harbors ill intentions?"
Yun Ci remained silent.
Zhou Sui explained, "This might be Ze'a Commandery's attempt to divert the disaster toward us. By asking for our rescue, they aim to draw the Quzhao army to our Gefeng to alleviate their own pressure."
Gefeng was a small city with a small population. This was a fact known to everyone.
Yet Ze'a Commandery still sought their help, which made the underlying motives worth pondering deeply.
Perhaps being driven by desperation was one aspect, but the greater reason was likely to disperse Quzhao's military strength.
As long as Gefeng dispatched troops, regardless of whether they could actually rescue Ze'a Commandery, Gefeng would be dragged into this quagmire.
Yao Ji suggested, "Should we send another squad of scouts to investigate the specific situation in Ze'a Commandery?"
Although Jiang Jin had sent people to monitor the movements of various factions, she lacked a solid foundation and could not investigate too deeply.
Especially in Ze'a Commandery, where the two sides were currently locked in a fierce battle. Her people dared not enter their spheres of influence, so the information they obtained was naturally pitifully scarce.
Yao Ji meant to send people to investigate the situation more thoroughly.
Jiang Jin shook her head. "No need."
Seeing her confident demeanor, Zhou Sui couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, have you made a decision?"
Jiang Jin smiled and said, "If the lips perish, the teeth will be cold. They are not wrong about this."
Because of Ze'a Commandery, she had bought nearly a year of time for development.
Therefore, the best-case scenario was for Ze'a Commandery to continue stalling the Quzhao army, giving her more time to develop.
But clearly, Ze'a Commandery lacked stamina and was on the verge of collapsing.
She pointed at Chunrong County and Shanguan County, her meaning self-evident.
Yun Ci followed her gesture and quickly understood her intention: "Are you suggesting we attack their home base to force them to lift the siege?"
Xia Chanyi was puzzled: "My Lord, are you really planning to dispatch troops to help Ze'a Commandery?"
She had assumed Jiang Jin was not going to intervene.
