Chapter 169: How To Wrap Things Up
In the 2nd year of the Tian You Calendar, June 5th, the Wu Family Army completely annihilated the military force from Ji Prefecture that had entered Zhenzhou to the west. The entire campaign was like a clown performing a set of ridiculous movements, only to be knocked down with one punch.
“Remove the armor!” “Take off your armor, did you hear me!” The Wu Family Army’s non-commissioned officers swung whips and clubs, urging the captives to remove their armor, their gazes just like seeing a beautiful maidservant.
Prefect Yan’s this military force, although weak in combat power and the troop-leading general having the negative trait of “arrogant, extravagant, lecherous, and indulgent,” the recruitment costs and maintenance costs for this entire troop were not low at all.
The armor on them was all made of iron pieces sewn together, lined inside with cowhide. In the Southern Border, even cotton cloth could signify middle-class status; this cowhide with iron pieces was equivalent to “wearing a luxury car.” Moreover, every set of armor had been infused with killing intent, allowing it to automatically wrap around the wearer according to their will.
After batches of armor were loaded onto carts, some shrewd Wu Family Army soldiers disregarded the reward money and shouted to the non-commissioned officers that they must get their hands on this armor.
In this era of spiritual energy resurgence, a martial arts culture had emerged in the military camp, starting to cultivate things like internal energy and other martial power values. However, things like armor remained unchanged. Things like the Golden Bell Cover could still be breached by powerful bows and crossbows, while wearing armor could reduce damage; even for Martial World people, the military’s shields could render many of their moves ineffective.
Of course, such good equipment was wasted in Long Wandong’s troops; after interrogation, this troop’s equipment was also top-notch within Ji Prefecture, pieced together from the family’s accumulated reserves; as for whether a second one could be assembled? Long Wandong honestly admitted during the lesson: “Even if we could scrape some together, this defeat has cost Ji Prefecture Army sixty percent of its assets!”
This made the entire Wu Family Army sigh with emotion: compared to the Southern Region, the North is indeed rich!
The troop led by Wu Fei was only the vanguard force; when the subsequent troops arrived to escort the captives and saw that Wu Fei’s vanguard troops had all been allocated a full set of armor, their eyes turned green, but they all knew that rewards come with merits, so they all eagerly told Wu Fei “I can also be the vanguard.”
Among the Wu Family Southern Route army, the non-commissioned officers muttered: “So weak, yet with such good equipment—heaven bestows and we don’t take, we will suffer the consequences!”
…In the atmosphere of northern expedition to avenge the Old Marshal, a wave of fanaticism surged…
After the Wu Family Army directly annihilated this Ji Prefecture troop, it shocked the world under heaven! No other reason: although Da Yao’s North had long been battle-hardened, and the various military strategists were accustomed to drawing knives on each other at the drop of a hat; moreover, to varying degrees they had become fiefdomized, turning their relationship with noble families into cooperation where they held the dominant position.
But for Da Yao’s rear prefectures, the various military strategists were still just dogs leashed by the great clans.
Because of keeping dogs, these prefectures mentally only showed off their armed forces, attempting to subdue the enemy without fighting to achieve their goals.
Xuan Chong commented: “These poetry-makers really think one plan can determine a thousand troops?”
In the prefects’ values: “The generals and soldiers under their command are merely decorations for their own power.”
This is just like in a noble family, a jade cup worth twenty-eight fine knives, a pendant in their ruling circle to show off their “abundant resource mobilization”—the pendant is for others to see, and the military strength is also for others to see.
Such armies are like the beautiful maidservants of great clans, mere accessories for show. Gold and jade on the outside, dog nature within.
When Wu Fei raised troops, whether gathering miners or rope-pullers; first, he rooted out the “dog nature” and “servile character” from them, kicking down those “lowly people” who had been above them to kneel before them; at the same time, he squatted down and told them that as long as they provided enough blood labor, they could exchange for “blood reward” (status advancement).
Xuan Chong’s summary of these negative examples: Scholars talk freely under heaven about various justices, but an army only needs to uphold one justice! Blood labor for blood reward. An army without the goal of “self status advancement,” no matter how loftily it shouts its “classics,” lacks combat power.
So, these temple calculators in the South planned this: this time entering Chong Land is to show off “stats,” then Wu Fei in the south would feel inferior about his insufficient “stats” and ultimately withdraw knowing the difficulty. Immediately after, the upright lords in places like Da Yao’s Jing Prefecture and Xia Prefecture could divide Chong Land with jade knives.
The result was: the southern barbarians in their eyes couldn’t understand how many “stats” the troops under the high-level complex “classics” packaging had; they only judged based on their marching situation that such a useless “Ji Prefecture Army” could be taken down by them; thus they directly “bared their swords,” and on a narrow road, the brave wins.
After the Ji Prefecture troops were completely annihilated, the news spread to various prefectures, shocking many prefects.
Undoubtedly, Wu Xiao Que in Lingnan faced a fierce round of verbal and written attacks from these long-time senior predecessors within Da Yao.
Ji Prefecture’s famous great scholar from a four generations three dukes family: “Do you Wu Family people really want to make enemies of the world under heaven?”
Xia Prefecture Prefect: “Soldiers are inauspicious weapons; to rashly mobilize such violent troops will surely lead to self-destruction!”
Each of these articles was worth a million elite troops, able to make a prefect lose sleep; in times of peace under heaven, these great scholars could sever cultural ties between two places on the territorial level, making their “dialects” mutually unintelligible and “dietary habits” mutually repulsive.
Of course, Wu Xiao Que with low culture couldn’t understand these, and moreover, great chaos under heaven was coming soon, everyone was about to starve to death and would eat anything; for survival, Yao People would migrate en masse from one prefecture to another—cultural blockades or whatever, Xuan Chong didn’t care at all. Xuan Chong: “If you have the guts, when your whole family suffers next, you can really hold to the integrity of not eating Zhou grain.”
Now Wu Xiao Que was unafraid of the verbal combat from Da Yao’s many prefects, only caring about martial combat between the prefectures.
The prefects ultimately all held their troops still, each finding excuses, among which the most ingenious was: considering themselves of high moral character, they shouldn’t deal with the barbaric Wu Family full of savage aura. Such “low-end” matters like military conquest should be left to others.
After Xuan Chong obtained this intelligence through agents, he laughed heartily. This reminded him of his previous life, where elites among the intellectuals of abstract regional states like Assyria treated the “freedom theory” provided by the western theoretical world as precious aid projects fitting their needs; then shamelessly asking the east for “low-end” infrastructure aid.
Lip service, this low-cost aid, is more high-end than real gold and silver military and infrastructure aid! Only fools would use real gold and silver to aid these clueless idiots.
By the same logic, in Da Yao’s work of allying several prefectures, when writing articles to denounce this low-cost literary attack is considered more high-end than high-cost military deployment martial attack, such vertical alliances basically get no one to contribute effort.
And so, this seven-clan alliance hosted by Prefect Yan did not proceed as the many noble families had envisioned.
…For the great scholars, they were “singing to a sparse audience (sarcastic)…
June 12th, Wu Fei’s vanguard force arrived at the southern border of Zhenzhou; the local military supervisor immediately opened the city gate for Wu Fei. And personally led two hundred personal soldiers to join Wu Fei’s ranks; Wu Fei was very pleased and recorded for him a share of “annihilate five hundred enemies” merit points in the merit book.
Over the next month, over ten thousand vanguard troops from the south continuously poured in, the northward advance began. And subsequent tens of thousands more would pass through here.
At the same time, Wu Fei announced to all directions, fiercely denouncing Ji Prefecture Prefect for conspiring with demons, harming the loyal and good. Spreading plague in Chong Land first, then supporting rebel army afterward, cloaking evil schemes in righteousness. I shall lead troops to conquer them.
Proclamation flyers like snowflakes spread to all directions, and the army sang loudly along the way the “Great General Wu’s Troop-Training Song,” changing the villain to Prefect Yan, shouting that Yan the demon head eats human flesh and drinks human blood.
When the Long Family Army’s banners were shown to the Da Yao bureaucrats in various cities along the route during the march, it basically confirmed that Ji Prefecture was the villain!
The villagers’ logic was simple: the Way of Heaven is impartial, so the righteous are invincible, only villains get completely wiped out!
…Perspective shifts to Ji Prefecture…
“Men, kill the entire Long Family for me!” Ji Prefecture Prefect sat squarely in his seat, mercilessly issuing the execution order. Beneath this majesty was passing the buck, since he couldn’t admit it was his own mistake leading to massive troop losses.
The advisor persuaded Prefect Yan: “My lord! The most critical thing now is how to deal with the Wu Family Southern Army.”
Prefect Yan jumped up reflexively: “He is spreading rumors!” Then he smashed a cup.
This habit, Xuan Chong secretly thought they fancied themselves as upper-class people whose golden mouths couldn’t utter “extremely mom-containing words” to express anger, so they could only smash things; for this ailment, Wu Fei believed sending them to the big prison for two days of hard labor would cure it.
The advisor was stunned, helpless in his heart, but still circled around to explain the pros and cons: “Since the battle wasn’t won, the alliance with the other six prefects has become a mirage. Now news has come that the situation of our seven great vassal lords’ alliance has become the other six houses saying they want to wait and see, holding troops still on the periphery of Zhenzhou.”
Prefect Yan said self-abandonedly: “They broke faith and abandoned righteousness, how am I to blame? Wu Yuanchang is an upper general appointed by Emperor Shu, who now can fight him? (Ji Prefecture suddenly remembered well that Wu Fei is an upper general now)”
The advisor cupped his hands: “My lord, we can’t win. But our conflict with the Wu Family stems from someone in the Imperial Court instigating behind the scenes! Now Wu Yuanchang is at the height of his power; we might as well ask the Imperial Court to mediate, to avert the imminent disaster before our eyes.”
Prefect Yan hesitated: “Will the Imperial Court side with us?”
The advisor said: “My lord, you still need to walk more of those paths in the Imperial Court now. (He leaned to the prefect’s ear and began muttering)”
Prefect Yan heard names like Su Wang and these eunuch factions, disgust appearing in his eyes.
He, as a member of a prestigious clan, looked down on martial men like Wu Fei while also looking down on eunuchs; he especially despised those speculative eunuchs. Wu Fei’s marquisate was at least earned with sabers and spears, enfeoffed by Emperor Shu’s golden mouth. Eunuchs? Spat upon under heaven.
But for the present, he seemed forced to pinch his nose and play along with these Imperial Court villains.
…While Ji Prefecture side was still seeking high-level solutions, Wu Fei side focused on the “lower three routes”…
Axe-wielding executioners rushed into the Long Family home, kicking down doors in each courtyard, capturing all men, women, elderly, and children.
And among them, Security Bureau people contacted local merchants and all sorts of riffraff, deciding to raid the execution ground. Thus under the oil lamp, Security Bureau gave assurances to Martial World people and merchants: as long as a batch of Long Family disciples are rescued, the Marshal will definitely give ten merit points per person saved.
Pure merit points aren’t much, but merchants with merit points can directly ensure a commercial channel’s stability for over twenty years. And can receive recommendation of filial and honest.
That night, after spending money to bribe connections, taking advantage of the guard change around the Long Family troops, the crowd quietly swapped out those dozens of Long Family boys and girls. Reported externally as plague.
…Loose military discipline and tyrannical control over subordinates naturally create vulnerabilities…
June 21st, during a break in military affairs, Wu Fei interrogated Long Wandong. This guy had already learned that Prefect Yan had exterminated his entire family, all hope lost. He even started laughing maniacally.
He couldn’t help but go mad: after years of groveling to seek integration, one failure and he was slaughtered like a dog—this was a joke.
Wu Fei gave a look, and the nearby personal soldier immediately slapped him sober, the personal soldier shouting loudly: “Sober up!”
Long Wandong knelt: “General Wu, if you can let me take revenge—”
Wu Fei: “Enough, first look at this list.”
Wu Fei tossed over a list; as it unrolled in Long Wandong’s hands, his offspring appeared prominently. A total of eighteen people.
Long Wandong saw these familiar names, his hands trembling; since Wu Fei knew his offspring’s names, it meant he had connected with his own people, so he asked: “General, this is?”
Wu Fei said: “My people learned of this situation and couldn’t bear the ‘cunning rabbit dead, hunting dog cooked,’ so they took risks to test; fortunately, though you can’t lead troops, you still have some loyalty to your subordinates. (Ji Prefecture soldiers) They didn’t kick when down; after taking the money, they quietly let them out, and now they’re transporting your several children back.”
Long Wandong cried: “My lord, your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain.”
Wu Fei coldly: “Stop crying!”
Long Wandong stopped crying but still kept kowtowing on the ground without rising.
Wu Fei pointed at him: “Your use to me now is to bite that Yan surnamed one to death! His troop strength situation, his subordinates’ troops’ equipment, you go dock with Security Bureau! Remember, that’s your only role; before you take down that Yan, don’t think of seeking other positions from me.”
At this, Wu Fei cursed: “You’re a waste; with your family passing down so many military strategy principles, you abandoned them all and followed those useless literati learning useless poetry? (About his daily life, Security Bureau suddenly interrogated it out; Wu Fei just learned he actually has ties to his own ancestors. But after asking, of course he had to mock him a bit.)”
Wu Fei: “You’re not much use anymore; your family children need good cultivation; I’ll reserve spots for them in the Officer Academy.”
Long Wandong naturally understood in his heart: this was warning that his abilities didn’t match high positions, but he could leave a future for his offspring: “My Long Family has generationally been loyal to Lao Guanghou!”
Wu Fei had Security Bureau people take him away, specializing in Ji Prefecture work.
For the seven-route vassal lords invading Zhenzhou, though Wu Xiao Que wanted to retaliate against all, Wu Fei knew his political capital couldn’t afford enemies everywhere!
But if the Wu Family didn’t retaliate, trouble would come knocking, so they must bite Ji Prefecture to death. Wu Fei: Even if the King of Heaven or Old Father comes, I say it can’t be stopped.
…Perspective to Zhenzhou…
Multiple southern cities didn’t surrender on proclamation, but the corps dispatched by Wu Fei also smoothly occupied the relevant areas; after all, Wu Fei had mobilized all of Lingnan, reaching the mobilization level of a pre-modern nation-state.
Especially since Zhenzhou had grain stations everywhere, and Wu Fei had household registration data; now with no shortage of troops, as long as order was strongly maintained.
Lao City this rebellion point: on March 20th, Wu Hanluan led 6 thousand troops to attack Lao City, but because of being bombed to death, the siege army retreated to Lelang City; then in low morale encountered corruption in Lelang City, and after that Wu Baichuan’s these soldiers met Wu Xiao Que and were reorganized in Lelang City.
Now it’s June, after Wu Fei personally led a route of troops (two thousand) to arrive at Lao City, as Wu Fei’s banner was raised, with one cannon after another deploying on the high platforms outside the city, the internal rebels infighted, then opened the gates and offered the rebels’ heads.
At the city gate, these leaders knelt on the ground holding “heads,” not daring to meet Wu Fei’s eyes at all! Because as traitors, the stain on them was too great.
After the Wu Family Army entered the city, they maintained order. Right after entering, they encountered a large pile of rioters on the streets smashing, looting, and burning. They shouted “Wu Family Army” slogans while smashing. Then these people were captured, and when captured “they shouted grievances all the way.”
Wu Fei glanced at this scum: “Thieves get whipped, those who injure get criminal labor, killers die. Theft cases must have local Baozhang’s signature on the conviction document; injury cases requiring punishment must be reviewed by the circuit judges I appoint; as for murder cases, I will ultimately approve. Curfew at night.”
As for those merchants who were smashed, it was later proven they had sided with the rebels, which was why the local thugs in the city dared to come step on them.
The originally chaotic shop entrances, after being whipped by the big soldiers, everything settled back down, leaving only some damaged debris.
Wu Fei on horseback hurried over, looked at those half-beaten-to-death merchants, and said: “Arrange people to treat them. This is an extraordinary time; tattoo the crimes on their arms; tell them now they can redeem merits through service, don’t play any more little tricks—light penalty beheading, heavy penalty implicating family.”
Regarding these Lao City rebels, Wu Fei still didn’t want to kill them! Reasons numbered three.
1: For the rebellion matter, if starting from the bottom to kill indiscriminately, leads would break very quickly, unable to reach the masterminds behind.
2: Moreover, though Wu Fei stubbornly said the “plague” was unrelated to Uncle, he still had some idea in his heart.
3: These rebel troops were at least part of the old Northern Army; his Southern Route Army just arriving and executing them without trial would look bad, like the Wu Family was eagerly infighting. And they were trained soldiers; troops are scarce in chaotic times, such a purge is huge waste—why not send to Southern Border?
Thus, after Wu Fei’s conciliation policy, envoys from various places in Zhenzhou came to contact, stating: “We never rebelled, always helping Wu Family Army suppress local chaos.”
Lao City, in front of the burned data treasury, Wu Xiao Que gradually laughed happily. “Destroying account books makes you safe? Account books protect you; this gives me reason for collective punishment!”
Nearby, Wu Juwang assisting in office work looked at batches of clerk lists marked with ×, these were predetermined for clearance within five years. He couldn’t help but have a headache, because it meant a considerable portion of workshop-born school graduates would fill the gaps.
Wu Fei patted Wu Juwang’s shoulder: Kid, stuff in more people I’ve personally inspected, otherwise your future ambitions won’t unfold.
That night, Wu Fei received another message: San Gu had also come.
Wu Fei frowned: “She didn’t bring the child, what did she come here for?”
Then sensing, he asked: “Where is she now?”
Gongshu Wang: “Madam went to the City God Temple, brought you a message: the Immortal Sect still isn’t giving up.”
Wu Fei patted his head speechlessly: “These weird gods and monsters.”
