When Zheng Fan first arrived at Li Tian City, he was accompanied by only one subordinate. That subordinate was lost halfway through the journey; who knows where he ran off to.
However, when he left Li Tian City, Zheng Fan commanded an army of five thousand soldiers.
These five thousand Jin soldiers were handpicked from the surrendered Jin forces, so they constituted a genuine, full-strength contingent. There was no time to deceptively pad their numbers, even if someone had intended to.
Of course, the Yan Army was not entirely free of fraudulent payroll practices. Water too clear will have no fish. Even if the Yan Emperor was exceptionally ambitious and capable, and could trample the powerful clans, he could not completely eradicate this persistent issue—a malady that inevitably exists in every era.
