Chapter 205: Dodging The “spendthrift”
The military coup in Yao Capital shocked under heaven. This upheaval affected the imperial court, and Emperor Heming’s family disappeared without a trace during the coup.
On the evening of the coup, the arrogance of Yao Capital’s nobles was completely shattered. Not to mention them, even Emperor Heming’s female dependents were ravaged. The noblewomen’s screams that night traveled through the entire streets with the turning of the donkey carts, and the Son of Heaven’s dignity and prestige were utterly destroyed by these brutish beasts.
As for Ji Yan, who had supported Emperor Heming’s rise to power, he leapt down from the city battlement when the mutinous soldiers surrounded the city.
After the E Family Army committed heinous crimes, they fled in panic three days later, but were soon surrounded and annihilated by the armies from the surrounding areas.
The loot plundered by the E Family Army, even the palace items, all fell into the hands of the warlords. Now Yao Capital is without a master.
As for the Yu Prefecture faction! After Ji Yan, with whom they cooperated, died, and Emperor Heming went missing, their situation became extremely dire.
After the Yu Prefecture troops hurriedly returned, they finally found the unscathed heir left behind by Emperor Heming. They hastily enthroned him as the new monarch and withdrew from the chaotic Yao Capital, but halfway, the new monarch died from excessive fright! His face showed an abnormal gray color, with blue veins spreading.
Looking back on these years, Yu Prefecture bustled around in a big circle, losing massive amounts of armaments and food supplies, gained nothing, and slunk back to Yu Prefecture. Withdrawing the army like this signaled the complete failure of the “march to the capital to save under heaven” strategy.
In the eyes of insightful people everywhere in Da Yao, the path for the vassal lords in various places henceforth could only be the path of separatist rule.
…bones of ministers and nobles…
Ten years ago, no one could have imagined that Da Yao could squander its house to such an end. Although in the late years of Emperor Shu there were incessant border troubles and omens of bandits rising everywhere, the foundation left to Yao Capital was quite substantial.
First, Yao Capital was the richest under heaven; second, the armory was well-stocked; and there was also a powerful local force of troops from noble origins (Eastern Market Army). At that time, all sides could not figure out what capability could squander such a thick foundation.
But after the Eastern Market Army was squeezed out to Bo Prefecture by those muddleheaded forces in the court, they had no home to return to. Yao Capital became like a useless body with a failed immune system.
Now, no matter which external army enters the capital, its commander faces this reality: “Yao Capital” is a burdensome city that cannot increase military points.
Xuan Chong: Because strategically, the foreign vassal lord occupying Yao Capital faces severe strategic problems, namely two strategic weak points that must be defended—its own home prefecture and Yao Capital. If another force steals either of these two, it can collapse this strategy of saving under heaven.
Moreover, occupying Yao Capital has major strategic significance, so the force must bear two additional strategic objectives: one, to ally with the western vassal lords in a vertical alliance to resist the Hao Army led by Zhao Cheng;
Two: once entering and ruling Yao Capital, diplomatic relations with the true Yao Capital army—the Bo Prefecture troops—will decline.
Regarding the decline in diplomatic relations between Heming Dynasty and Bo Prefecture, it cannot be blamed entirely on one side; both Ji Yan and the Yu Prefecture side had issues.
Ji Yan did not want the Eastern Market military merit faction to return and dilute his power; in his view, annihilating the “Su Wang faction” relied entirely on his own strategy. The Yu Prefecture troops also dared not let the Eastern Market Army return, as it was too localized; once it returned, the Yu Prefecture army would likely become “external troops.”
So both sides excluded the Eastern Market Army in Bo Prefecture from returning. —Only Emperor Heming himself wanted to ease relations, but he was a puppet.
And this is precisely the reason why Yao Capital’s increase in “military points” is almost zero: Yao Capital cannot conscript soldiers.
In the current chaotic times, any major city in any prefecture under heaven is a source of soldiers and grain for warlords. But why can’t Yao Capital conscript soldiers?
First, the people of Yao Capital are unwilling. With the precedent of the Eastern Market Army, Yao Capital’s masters did not deliver on the “chips they should pay.”
So whether high-ranking court officials and nobles or lowly commoners in Yao Capital, when facing this decrepit “elder” Da Yao about to fall, none dared to step forward to help.
Furthermore, the people of Yao Capital have too poor an understanding of the military, thinking “armies” are only for outward conquest, never imagining they might one day be plundered and need their own disciples’ soldiers for protection.
The arrogance fostered over a thousand years as first-class subjects under the Son of Heaven’s feet made them believe no one dared touch them, that they were inviolable and sacred.
So they hoped external troops entering the capital would handle “outward conquest.” Yu Prefecture demonstrated it wouldn’t work.
When the E Army plundered Yao Capital, Yu Prefecture’s main force was far away to the east, forming alliances with many vassal lords.
The “restoration faction” was determined to jointly counter Zhao Cheng’s aggressive offensive. But Yu Prefecture did not expect one of its home bases to be stolen by a rabble of defeated soldiers they despised. Even if they had foreseen it, they still could not remedy it! Yao Capital was a dead end.
After this great plunder, the people of Yao Capital also realized that their own troops are not just for conquering others, but also to prevent themselves from being conquered.
Amid the ruins, an heir of a Yao Capital noble clan, his face covered in dust, muttered: “Wrong, all wrong. We shouldn’t have driven out the Eastern Market Army.”
However, they did not realize their mistake; they were beaten and felt the pain.
…pigeon message…
After learning of Yao Capital’s tragedy, Xuan Chong commented: Scholar-officials use their class’s “Neo-Confucian morals” to impose high standards on the troops, yet fail to grant high-class privileges to those who desperately offer blood labor, naturally inviting backlash. Next time they hope the army protects them, they must use polite language. The army can magnanimously say it’s unnecessary, but as the protected, you cannot be clueless!
When Xuan Chong led the Eastern Market Army, he first wrapped up brothels to meet those poor men’s basic physiological needs, then spiritual needs, and finally class elevation needs.
Yao Capital, this gathering place of under heaven’s Neo-Confucian scholars, wanted to give nothing, yet fucking used moral logic narratives to make big-headed soldiers admit that “fighting for the interests of us noble breeds is their duty.”
As a result, when the Eastern Market Army slightly retorted, they were labeled “arrogant” and abandoned by the scholar-officials, and after a round of impeachments, the entire army was kicked to Bo Prefecture, unable to return home.
To this day, those Yao Capital-born generals of the Eastern Market Army cannot help but drink merrily and mock: “You lot (Yao Capital’s elites) are impressive, sitting in the imperial court directing under heaven, berating us. Now you’ve finally berated the chaotic troops into your own homes.”
…defeated remnants…
The situation continues to develop. The “Great General” Qi Shangnian, who was originally allied with western vassal lords, saw the tide had turned and immediately withdrew his troops, abandoning his allies to Zhao Cheng.
This “Great General” Qi Shangnian was enfeoffed by the Heming Dynasty; now with Emperor Heming killed by the chaotic troops, he has lost the legitimacy to command under heaven.
After Qi Shangnian returned to Heluo in Yao Capital, he immediately gathered his remaining forces here, then led thirty thousand soldiers back to his Yu Prefecture home base. This army, having grabbed conscripts near Yao Capital with complex compositions, returned dragging families.
But at this moment, Ning Prefecture took the lead by accusing the Yu Prefecture Qi clan of plotting a coup, then dispatched five thousand elite troops to ambush the Yu Prefecture army.
After the ambush, the Yu Prefecture defeated soldiers already had scant battle intent, and after losing one or two thousand corpses, they scattered in panic.
Ning Prefecture then smoothly invaded Yu Prefecture, and amid the prefect’s pleas for aid everywhere, the Ning Prefecture troops captured nine of its cities one after another. Ning Prefecture’s main force of six thousand soldiers, with fifty thousand laborers, claimed one hundred thousand, aggressively advancing to the walls of Yu Prefecture’s main city.
Yu Prefecture’s main city was right by the river, with a thirty-zhang-long great ship on the river opening gun ports, unleashing exaggerated firepower from over a hundred heavy cannons like heavenly fire rain, directly bombarding and collapsing the Yu Prefecture city walls.
Facing Ning Prefecture’s siege formations pressing up, Yu Prefecture’s remnant soldiers had long lost their will to fight and fled down the city walls one after another. Only Qi Shangnian was left standing alone on the empty walls.
Seeing the tide had turned, this Great General Qi Shangnian straightened his mustache, then holding his sword and wearing armor stood on the city battlement. When Ning Prefecture troops climbed the walls, he drew his sword and killed several, and facing the other Ning Prefecture soldiers surging up around the walls, he cried to the heavens: “This subject could not protect the Son of Heaven above, nor guard the land and secure the people below; unable to live on shamefully, ashamed before the world!” Then he jumped off the city walls to his death.
In the final moment, this show of loyalty was merely to gain a posthumous reputation in defeat (stubborn even in death).
Xuan Chong’s comment: “This man died for the country, he has a sense of responsibility!”
…blue fire seeks a new host…
While Ning Prefecture attacked Yu Prefecture, Wu Hengyu suddenly launched from the north southward, striking at Yu Prefecture’s ally East Prefecture. The Eastern Market Army, pent up for a full year, with five thousand troops carrying only three days’ grain, pounced on East Prefecture’s main city.
Powerful bows and crossbows directly formed an arrow ladder on the brick walls, then Wu Hengyu rode Wuzhui toward the walls, and before his climbing teams arrived, he overturned the golden juice cauldrons on the walls and flung away the rolling logs.
East Army soldiers then climbed up, seizing this city. That night at the victory banquet, family members suddenly whispered to Wu Hengyu, who paused, dismissed the other guests, and went to the side hall.
There, Xian Daoren had been waiting for some time and came to seek refuge.
In the military tent, Wu Hengyu eyed this master who had served under his father, saying unkindly: “Master, after years of wandering the four directions, you’ve finally thought of my family.”
Xian Daoren cupped his hands: “General, I am a bit late, but my old home has a saying: though late, it will still arrive.”
Wu Hengyu: “Oh, you’ve really arrived at a clever time. Why didn’t I see you come when my father was alive?”
Xian Daoren: “The old marshal back then did not hope anyone would travel with him, including you, Yuan Chang the military master, and me.”
Wu Hengyu gripped his cup, looking at him; the meaning of Wu Hanluan conveyed in Wang Xi’s final letter was known only to him and Wu Fei, yet now this Daoist priest laid it bare.
Wu Hengyu probed: “Then why come to me, not to my brother Yuan Chang?”
Xian Daoren: “Yuan Chang the general’s place already has my junior sister holding position, and Yuan Chang the general may not wish me there. (If Xian Daoren went, Xuan Chong would indeed guard against the suddenly strengthened rearguard faction.)”
Wu Hengyu: “Then what instruction does the Daoist priest have?”
Xian Daoren: “Prince Bo’s lineage heirs are with the general, right?”
Wu Hengyu narrowed his eyes. Xian Daoren was unperturbed, for before the new plan began, the host needed to vent his bad temper.
…learn from the past for the future…
Tong Zheng Calendar year 2, month 4, Wu Lu was eleven; Xuan Chong issued an order transferring him to the border.
The profligate state of Da Yao side gave Xuan Chong deep feelings, so he decided to let Wu Lu grow from the grassroots.
An excellent ruler is not one raised in the deep palace, nor poorly nurtured in the countryside.
Rather, one must experience the changes in a region! This change could be a previous generation monarch’s governance failure causing a place to go from rich to poor, like Emperor Xuan of Han. Or a place turning from poor to rich through governance, like Emperor Wen of Han’s Dai state.
The elements of a region’s poverty or wealth are not the gold, silver, and jewels in the deep palace, but in food and grass storage, roads, and water channels. And the mobilization of labor and resources under the official system.
These governance elements can only be appreciated for their “importance” if the ruler grows up as a youth in a region undergoing change and development. Returning to the position of rule, they will adjust the nation’s various valves according to the “importance” imprinted in their mind. Rather than randomly operating on the control panel.
For example, Chongzhen wanted to diligently govern the country, but sitting at the control panel, he didn’t know how to operate it.
Xuan Chong called Wu Lu to the Ling River Four Commanderies, and also summoned Wu Juwang and the team to govern the Ling River Four Commanderies. This was to let Wu Lu know the water he drank came from built reservoirs, the horses he rode were raised, the grain planted was irrigated by water channels, and cultivated with what kind of silt.
As for Wu Lu clamoring to learn military strategy? Xuan Chong did not want to teach Wu Lu military strategy, at least not openly admitting it was military strategy.
Xuan Chong had left a letter for Wu Lu after age thirty: Weapons are instruments of war; when one feels “committing violence” is prestigious, they are unworthy of learning military strategy. Remember, in the future, our family military strategy inheritance should all follow this.
Amid inquiries from the many Wu Family imperial clan members, Xuan Chong bluntly replied: Because he can’t endure that hardship. Just like you all, all freeloading on merits.
These words shut up Wu Zhantie and the others, leaving them speechless.
As for military strategy, if one does not endure the most hardship and take the harshest beatings, they will inevitably be one step weaker; and this military strategist system has special characteristics—it is not that investment yields results, but only victory in confrontation recovers full capital. Being even slightly weaker means the investment of the disadvantaged side in confrontation is entirely wasted.
Why doesn’t Xuan Chong dare directly field battle Zhao Cheng now? Because he knows in mobilization he may still be slightly weaker than Zhao Cheng, and his life’s reputation could be ruined in a moment, so he adopts the “outlast the old man” tactic.
Wu Lu now self-studying in the ranks can also command troops, but compared to Wu Rui’s level, it’s not just a little behind.
This is the gap between a college student who just passed the line and the top scholar.
Moreover, Wu Rui has an advantage: his reputation is not prominent, the great powers don’t know his level, so Xuan Chong can calmly arrange for him to start from the ranks and gradually cultivate.
But Wu Lu cannot; he is his (Xuan Chong’s) son, and inheriting his reputation, Wu Lu will face the hardest initial battles, pressed to death as soon as he shows his head.
Just like Zhao She’s son Zhao Kuo, Zhuge Liang’s son Zhuge Zhan; carrying their fathers’ halos, they get no small monsters for leveling in national war—other forces will come to kill these second-gen right away, and for them to die loyally for the country is already top-tier second-gen.
While on the governance level? The margin for error is higher; as long as patiently invested in, with overall vision and cultivation, it can be stabilized.
…three generations of rule…
Xuan Chong rode mules with Wu Lu through the countryside conducting surveys, while in the sea of trees, a piece of farmland was being developed.
Xuan Chong planned four fortresses here, and for this, he had Wu Lu recite the situation of these fortresses.
Wu Lu very standardly drew four fortress points on the sand, and stated how much land around the fortress points could be reclaimed. And listed the names of the permanent families in these four fortress points, as well as contracts with related film distributors.
Wu Lu: “Such fortresses are regulated to have three hundred men garrisoned; under Father’s edict, supplied jointly by the four great clans Shi, Tie, Ran, Hui with soldiers. Here they guard the land, maintaining Da Yao’s influence in this place.
Xuan Chong looked at him: “Explain why not implement prefecture and county system here.”
Wu Lu, having done his homework: “In these fortress areas, except for major crimes like rebellion requiring superior judgment; various thefts and robberies can be handed to the clan elders, with exile, flogging, detention decided by clan elders.”
Wu Lu said: “Because the general’s mansion can now only control this land through trade, and traders are often itinerant, with many knight-errants, knights violate bans with force. Because ‘trade is lawless,’ the garrison soldiers must act as judges.”
As for whether these southern border four fortresses will in the future drift apart from the Wu Family and Da Yao court like this?
It can only be said no covenant can remain unbroken for a millennium. Da Yao lost control over the Wu Family due to its own lack of virtue. Various contradictory behaviors could not justify the ritual system constraints on seal-holder governors like the Wu Family.
If one day the Wu Family fails to uphold constraints with these four fortresses, it would be reasonable for the Wu Family to be abandoned.
At this moment, Xuan Chong erected a stone tablet in the four fortresses, with inscribed text expounding the values of “men diligently cultivate, women diligently weave, self-sufficient by day labor and night rest.” As for the legitimacy endorsement of the inscribed text? —At the end of the inscribed text: “Heaven and Earth, human dao vast, gods and men witness together!”
Xuan Chong did not write “generation after generation obey the Wu Family” in this legal basis.
Xuan Chong silently thought: “Generation after generation loyal to one family, this thing is fundamentally unreliable; even if initially loyal on the border, it can’t withstand certain contrarians inciting, provoking, questioning the necessity of this loyalty.”
For some reason, thinking of this, Xuan Chong unconsciously thought of that Xian Daoren, who had a very dishonest face.
Xuan Chong muttered: “What am I randomly associating? He is my uncle’s good friend; how can I judge by appearance?”
Xuan Chong patted Wu Lu’s head: “Learn more here.”
Wu Lu: “Father, what about the southern expedition? Won’t you take me?”
Xuan Chong: “You can’t even govern this one area’s prefecture and county well; why would the officers and soldiers believe you can fight?”
Then pinching his ear: “Governing subjects, subjects only need full bellies; officers and soldiers, besides full bellies, need you to give them positions, so first know which positions in this country are good.”
