Chapter 168: Ambushing The Ji Prefecture Army
In the 2nd year of the Tian You Calendar, 5th month, while Wu Fei was assembling the Southern Route troops, he was also gathering information.
Since it could be highly confirmed that behind the rebellion in Chong Land, there were merchants involved; Wu Fei thus transferred a group of people from the southern Security Bureau, and then used southern film distributors to probe for information.
Merchants, after all, do not have any unified will. The southern merchants, seeing such a good opportunity to kick their northern counterparts when they were down, naturally would not let it pass.
These people anonymously came to the Security Bureau to report: they spilled out all the rumors about how the northern route “colleagues” speculated, levied goods, and then spat out gold after being imprisoned. And they revealed to Wu Fei their observed conclusion, that this group of “friendly merchants” had been particularly diligent in delivering supplies to the rebellion area before the rebellion.
They were just short of saying that the northern colleagues harbored resentment against Wu Hanluan and deliberately plotted rebellion.
Under Wu Fei’s supervision, the Security Bureau met with multiple batches of merchants from trade routes not in Zhenzhou, all narrating the northern chaos in different contexts.
Merchant A: “It is said that in March this year, General Wu Hanluan was short on grain and wanted to borrow grain.” (This is probing attitude type)
Merchant B: “Over in Ji Prefecture, Chong brocade is all the rage.” (This is citing indirect evidence)
Merchant C: “My lord, my family’s few unworthy descendants recently took a few deals in Chong Land business.” (This is rapid disavowal, and tainted witness type)
Wu Fei did not believe one side’s story, and also found some northern route small merchants for interrogation; in their stammering defenses, Wu Fei pieced together the information.
Rough situation: Before the incident, Wu Hanluan had a huge conflict with merchant groups in Zhenzhou, so these merchant groups, under the influence of forces in other prefectures, betrayed Wu Hanluan.
Thus, Wu Fei pulled out a list of Chong Land merchant associations, with corresponding business types for each family, and marked them with checks and crosses.
Even though Wu Fei had been away for several years, these merchants had built many connections—but Wu Fei’s commercial statistics from a few years ago were still valid. A merchant’s stance can change, but they would never easily abandon commercial channels and brands.
Wu Fei matched this goods production statistics to merchants of various routes, more accurate than Da Yao’s local household registrations and fields in each prefecture.
So merchants wanting to rebel? Impossible. The force Wu Fei built learned from Chiang Kai-shek in military affairs, Qin and Han in politics, and Roosevelt in economic control from the start.—Always maintaining the ability to destroy any merchant association utterly without much effort.
As for whether “the merchants were wronged” in this conflict, and whether appeasement was needed?
Wu Fei had no attitude of atonement at all. Wu Fei: “If you don’t do it, there are plenty of people who will.”
Over these ten years, for southward expansion, official-supervised merchant operations bloomed everywhere; amid the prosperity, Lelang City also accumulated massive wealth, and all contradictions stemmed from wealth distribution.
Merchants received the most wealth, and were the most active in inciting contradictions everywhere—they!
For example, the disdain chain between slaves and city free citizens was created by these merchants; merchants, to make free citizens buy more cotton cloth, designated hemp cloth as slave goods.
North-south contradictions were also related to merchants. During the great northern chaos, many northerners crossed south, forming contradictions in mixed living.
In northerners’ context, “being exiled” “being banished”; in southerners’ context, it was “pulling you out of famine” “still not content.”
Southerners’ resentment was that they did the same work but couldn’t get the same “land” “houses.”
Northerners felt that buying salt, cloth, iron pots from the General’s Mansion film distributors here was always more expensive than southern local goods stores.
When the order system was still in place, these resentful ones were obsequious; merchants exploited this “resentment” to harvest leeks from all sides, with rhetoric to northerners: “Those southern bastards are bad, deliberately selling you shoddy goods!” To southerners: “Northerners are never satisfied, have fields and houses, yet still stingy and petty.”
Merchants exploited information asymmetry to profit from both sides under stable order, but once order slightly collapsed, merchants themselves started feeling aggrieved and began colluding externally.
Wu Fei: “The entire channels were opened by me, security guaranteed by me; I take one-tenth profit to sustain the army, locals take three-tenths to maintain facilities, you take six-tenths and still not satisfied—outrageous!”
Xuan Chong: “After taking the route of promoting commerce, the ruling group enjoyed profits extracted from below by commerce, but must realize—in the wake of unrestrained commercial extraction, every side under governance will inevitably become greedy villains who ‘want both’!”
Every faction prioritizes preserving their own “small righteousness” to some degree. Those who place “public righteousness” too high in priority, the big-picture seers, will be fleeced to death by factions in the broader environment that damage public righteousness to fatten private ones.
Just like how “helping up, letting women” etc. public righteousness was once prevalent, but a decade later, who would dare put such public righteousness as their top execution priority?
Having experienced this era’s changes, Xuan Chong would not, like rotten Confucians, impose moral shackles on everyone below him, demanding they yield, content in poverty and simplicity, strive to contribute.
But how to foster unity? This is by “occasionally” creating “whale falls.” Only during whale falls do seabed fish, shrimp, crabs, etc., quietly gather together to feast, rather than killing each other.
…Fire form is severe, so people are rarely burned; water form is weak, people often drown…
Mid-May, Wu Fei’s first batch of corps assembled, two thousand troops immediately set off north; ten days later, the second batch of corps also assembled, the laborer corps, about eight thousand disciples, heading to the northern armory to receive armor.
Next, Wu Fei dispatched non-commissioned officers with conscription teams to public slave camps across Lingnan, conscripting twenty thousand men.
For these slaves, Wu Fei issued twenty-four execution orders and thirty-eight reward commands, ordering all to memorize them, after which their slave status could be immediately lifted, to join the army northbound.
People in these slave camps, upon hearing Wu Fei’s decree, lined up one after another, expressing willingness to go north for future prospects.
For this northbound campaign, Wu Fei needed troops, massive troops. Because he had to clean up all unreliable interest groups in several northern prefectures, he needed absolute overwhelming momentum like Mount Tai pressing down to sweep the north. Solve the problem in the shortest, fastest way.
Lingnan families and households were excitedly rubbing their fists. In past southern border expeditions, they understood that the stronger the storm stirred by Wu Xiao Que’s wings, the more profits distributed; the storm’s size was the scale of deployed corps.
Conversely, if Wu Xiao Que deployed fewer troops, each family had to be more self-aware, not open their mouths too wide, lest Wu Xiao Que mistake it for “baring teeth and hissing,” and hammer them upon return.
Lingnan forces clicked their tongues: “Now Wu Xiao Que’s troop mobilization is ten thousand? Wait, it’s thirty thousand? Still recruiting northbound—this is to swallow the north whole!”
Thinking about it, Zhenzhou used to be Wu Family territory too, but belonged to Wu Family Northern Army.
When the Old Marshal was alive, the Northern Army could still be called family, but the Old Marshal was gone, and his death was extremely suspicious, said to be betrayed to death.
Wu Fei, as the Old Marshal’s designated heir and actual person in charge of the Wu Family Southern Route faction, naturally had to properly clean up Zhenzhou and other northern territories, right?
Southern Route merchants showed cruel smiles: “What, those northerners still think they won, now can make our Flying General run over to give them face at a banquet? Thinking too much!”
These Southern Route merchants, in past years in the southern border, had been driven to ecstasy and agony by Wu Fei’s arranged “reclamation shares,” but now confirmed northerners were more miserable, they stood before Wu Fei pumped with chicken blood.
…Not enthusiastic about eating, problem with ideology…
The first battle northbound erupted.
Long Wandong led five thousand troops from Ji Prefecture charging toward Lelang City in a mob, as the representative of the seven-route vassal lords’ grand army jointly pacifying Zhenzhou; his troops were the most elite, wearing the best armor, holding the best weapons. Yet marching in the worst formation.
During the march, these soldiers who strutted at home clustered in groups midway. At every rest point along the route, a group lounged, taking off boots, each finding a stone to sit on; some under tree shade took out cricket cages hidden in their bosoms, other Ji troops soldiers took out rice bowls and dice to gamble.
Wu Fei’s vanguard force arrived. As the family’s veteran corps, wearing wire-reinforced leather armor, carrying crossbow bolts and firearms, force-marched here.
Through Crow People guards’ scouting, Wu Fei discovered the enemy troops dragging fully five kilometers on the roads, and every noon, the foremost runners in the enemy would, due to the heat, remove armor and wait for the main body behind.
After non-commissioned officers confirmed this intel, they all looked to Wu Fei. Especially those Wu Family disciples who followed Wu Fei back from Bo Yan; though not standout under Wu Hengyu, they were all worldly, knew the quality of troops under heaven. Clear that a Wu Hengyu-style surprise attack now would be perfect.
Wu Fei calmly said to the surrounding non-commissioned officers: “Make the plan.”
About half a shichen later, a non-commissioned officer beside Wu Fei presented the operation plan: this afternoon, all light fires to cook, make sufficient dry rations; scouts go ahead, every few hundred meters assign soldiers as road guides; whole army at night follows the road guide soldiers’ directions, forced march to ahead of enemy. Finally arrive twenty li ahead of enemy at fourth watch, then main body rests in place, dispatch small teams to stand guard. After whole army rests two shichen, when sun is three poles high, immediately sound whistles, all prepare for battle.
Notably, this plan’s confidentiality level is 2, meaning upon forced march arrival, own troops’ soldiers will not be informed. All soldiers before departure ordered “don’t ask where going, don’t make noise.”
This means non-commissioned officers upon arriving at location with teams cannot rest.
Non-commissioned officers after fourth watch continue tense, can only rest lightly. As two shichen mark arrives, non-commissioned officers must immediately convey next orders.
As for why non-commissioned officers keep operational process secret from soldiers, it ensures soldiers upon arrival can relax, not have things on mind, and after hastily reaching frontline position, sleep well in those two shichen.
Wu Fei reviewed the detailed plan, nodded, stamped it, and simultaneously issued supporting orders, such as requiring follow-up troops to hurry over to assist with captives.
…High-efficiency execution and low-efficiency dawdling…
June 3rd, as sun rose three poles, the sun grew fiercer; Long Wandong swung his horse whip to order his formation halt; as his horse whip rose, the following personal soldiers scattered like a broken frame, finding clean spots around to sit. Long Wandong also dismounted with attendants’ support, unfastened his armor to lean on a stone, while a bronze guardian beast behind him stepped forward to fan cool air for him.
Long Wandong opened the map, confirmed they had marched five li today, felt it enough, spurred his horse to send personal soldiers back to urge the troops to hurry up.
This army formation now dragged five li back, making him feel it was unacceptable; regarding this long-distance march, as a military family heir, it was actually his first time. He had read family military treatises, considered most knowledgeable of soldiers in the clan.
Actually, Long Wandong was quite confident in this campaign, because the alliance of families, total troop strength claimed 50 thousand; even southern border Wu Family with objections had to yield to the situation.
As for Wu Family? Long Wandong sneered inwardly, because checking the family records, his family back then had Wu Family as ancestor’s subordinate small soldiers; due to merit differences, Wu Family got the southern frontier, while his family stayed before the lord; specifically, when his family branch moved from Divine Capital to Ji Prefecture, decades ago Wu Family still came to his main family to borrow military treatises.
Now Wu Family brothers were renowned in the north, but he dismissed it: their art of war from fragments of his family’s military canon, their soldiering nothing to fear, nothing to fear!
Just as he felt good, suddenly the sky’s sun was shrouded in dark clouds. A chill rose along his spine; he thought the bronze guardian beast behind fanned too much cold air.
He saw the sand and soil underfoot tremble, and ahead dust rolled, clearly a troop rushing over.
Long Wandong sensed trouble, ordered personal soldiers to rouse the formation; note: if he truly studied and applied military treatises, his personal soldiers now should sound horns, and his troops upon hearing reflexively enter battle; however he had no such discipline training, his personal soldiers bounced out shouting, while those sprawled in shade lazily got up, not even a few whips drawn yet.
…Civilian indolence and military playfulness…
When Wu Fei’s troops arrived, they saw enemy huddled in a corner, no need to surround themselves, just directly charge the scattered military formation.
Crossbowmen under Wu Fei quickly changed from column to line, starting concentrated shooting. These Long Family Army’s armor was good, but in engagement obviously hasty, not properly donned, so during lining up clattered off, then wailing, holding helmets over heads. Just like students in rain draping a towel over head to dodge.
“Spare our lives! Stop fighting!”
Under continuous crossbow bolts, Wu Fei’s cavalry flanked and pursued slashing; soon this troop’s vanguard scattered.
Long Wandong himself was dragged before Wu Fei. This defeated general’s mouth was gagged, but clearly wanted to say something; Wu Fei had no time to savor victor’s feeling here, waved hand to hand to personal soldiers for interrogation.
Long Wandong tried to cozy up, narrate two families’ generations of friendship, but no chance to vent his eloquence, greeted by soldiers’ leather whips.
In the rear interrogation tent, “Confess or not!” “Ouch, tough mouth, tough guy huh!”
“Boss, his mouth seems still gagged!”
Long Wandong nodded frantically, aggrieved near tears. Little did he know, this was Wu Fei personal soldiers’ intent, first a prestige-beating stick to whip out so-called literati arrogance, then questioning easier, no posturing.
As for why so rough. Can only say captives are graded; capable and possibly surrendering captives, Wu Fei personally unbinds.
But Long Wandong this guy was too inept, so inept as to have no united front value.
Wu Fei: “If you were a civil official, inept is fine; as long as you share weal and woe with soldiers, when facing our army’s assault run to frontline to die unsuccessfully, then captured. I’d at least emulate Three Visits to the Thatched Hut, personally unbind Mister, reason with emotion, move with great righteousness, even use some Water Margin low tactics, help write a rebel poem, bind family then proceed.”
Wu Fei personal soldiers joked: “You damn military general born, armor century-old glorious heritage brand, so fragile?”
Several shichen later, Wu Fei reviewing battle on sand, writing battle report, saw interrogation report and couldn’t hold back: “Inept to this birdlike degree, march turned into young masters’ outing, facing iron hooves charge, bare-ass fleeing with routed soldiers. Now talk generations friendship with me? You worthy? Deserve a beating!”
Nearby personal soldier grabbed whip to go out, Wu Fei: “Come back.”
Wu Fei to personal soldier: “Lock him with other officer captives, reduce treatment to common soldier. See if other personal soldiers help him.”
Half shichen later, Long Wandong saw his rear team’s squad leaders also bound and thrown in. This meant Wu Family Army’s one-route surprise attack scattered his entire five thousand army.
Long Wandong and these retainers stared wide-eyed, suddenly feeling himself a joke!
Like imitating gait in Handan, three generations cozying to Ji Prefecture elite, learned much elegance, forgot roots; after one defeat, all empty!
