Chapter 117: Devotion Unto Death
Perhaps because they shouted too loudly, and even more because this is under the Son of Heaven’s feet, what they did was too contrary to the ritual system; in short, the barracks in the East Market were impeached by the Imperial Court’s censors the next day. For the subsequent ten days or half a month, such absurd events occurred in an orderly manner.
Emperor Shu knew the whole story. This emperor, who had always gotten his way year after year, had not encountered anyone daring to breathe heavily and shout loudly in front of him for a very long time.
Now Wu Fei was very bold, giving him a feeling of “Southern Border barbarian style,” and for a moment he felt somewhat aggrieved for his daughter who was to be married off.
But apart from doing “absurd” things very loudly, this new army was overall quite loyal and strictly disciplined.
That night after the group visited the brothels in the East Market, they quickly returned. Afterward, not a single such soldier could be seen in the flower and willow alleys. They all returned to the barracks outside the East Market for inventory. — That is, they would definitely come when they should, and absolutely would not come when they shouldn’t.
Emperor Shu knew very well in his heart that Wu Fei was not fooling him; he was training a pack of fierce battle soldiers like wolves and tigers, not a pack of dogs that wagged their tails at the powerful and bared their teeth at the weak. As for reputation and such? When Emperor Shu was still a prince, he already knew that “reputation for virtue” was far less useful than a tiger tally in hand.
As for the young officers of this troop, after culling, there were still 124 left. They were all from noble families, collateral disciples of marquises’ households.
A month ago, Wu Fei said he wanted to cut 70%, but in reality “stick education” was the main method. In the end, the men were still kept.
Emperor Shu did not even know what charm Wu Fei had to make these boys, who were the same age as him or even younger, obey him completely and even unite together.
Those dandies originally roamed in groups of three or five in the city, breaking laws and causing chaos, making the capital city’s citizens avoid them. But now — although they obeyed military law, they were even more “arrogant.” No longer indulging individually in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, but daring to band together and act tough.
When this group of dandies took turns on leave, three gambling dens in the capital were smashed, and behind these three were all high officials of the Imperial Court; so previously these young masters would hold their breath when they lost money. Now, after Wu Fei created an identity that allowed them to “do things they didn’t dare to do before,” they went to make trouble. After confirming the casino was cheating, they deliberately shouted, provoking the gambling den’s thugs to act, and then struck later, having the troops from the next street rush over immediately to fight in a group brawl.
The masters in the capital suddenly discovered that this was exactly “forming cliques”! Compared to the literati in the Imperial Court who casually denounced with words and pens and attacked in groups, these young masters in the capital could now collectively wield clubs on the streets, bullying “honest” merchants.
…Collectivism, even if its core is condensed from arrogance, has more combat power than individualism…
Regarding this matter, Emperor Shu even sent a eunuch to question Wu Fei, but Wu Fei’s response was very piercing: “At home they eat hot pot and sing songs, and when unhappy they can kick servants. Why come to me to suffer? Your Majesty wants them obedient, yet also to fight dangers. Why bother.”
The eunuch deliberately played dumb and asked back: “Under the Son of Heaven’s feet, where is the worry of fighting dangers?” His shrill voice sounded particularly cunning when pretending to be foolish.
Wu Fei glanced at him and, through the “system-provided facial expression intelligent analysis system,” understood that the eunuch was certain he wouldn’t shirk responsibility.
The eunuch treated Wu Fei as a aggrieved “Party B,” that is, after taking on the task of training soldiers for Emperor Shu as Party A, he couldn’t wash his hands of it and still had to face nitpicking from a second Party A (criticism from the court). He (the eunuch), as the messenger, just needed to control the tone during transmission, not giving Party B a chance to complain or retort, and Party B would have to swallow the anger, continue the project plan, and adjust until all parties were satisfied.
Wu Fei decided to openly shirk responsibility to show this eunuch: “Oh, if that’s the case, please have Your Majesty demote me back to the border. Training soldiers requires using them. And elites especially must go through bloody battles.”
In this way, the eunuch could only summon Wu Fei to the Heavenly Palace.
The dragon horse carriage carried the “sinful minister” Wu Fei soaring hundreds of feet through the clouds. It stopped in front of the palace to the due north.
Emperor Shu did not appear, but instead an eunuch asked Wu Fei from behind the screen: “How many days until the army is formed?”
Wu Fei: “At longest one year, at shortest half a year, then they must head to the border to be put to use.”
Eunuch: “Your Majesty says he doesn’t want to see you, get out within half a year.”
Wu Fei: “This minister accepts the order. This minister’s method of training soldiers is usable, but the current border is dangerously fierce, with 40% casualties highly probable. After an army is formed, it must not only look at the might at formation time, but also whether it can still recruit soldiers after heavy losses. If it cannot treat them as national heroes now, no one will come to be the pillar.”
When Wu Fei answered this, he knew that behind the screens on both sides were the parents of those noble non-commissioned officers.
Suddenly hurried breathing sounds arose, and the eunuch said: “Only 20% casualties permitted, if 40% die, bring your head to see him.”
Wu Fei: “This minister leads an army that fights to the death, even 60% dead they can still fight! Please have Your Majesty prepare graves and sacrificial texts in advance for this minister and the loyal righteous men.” This time the eunuch did not speak. Clearly, this was haggling.
At this time, Emperor Shu’s celestial voice came from behind the screen: Get out and train the soldiers well.
…The palace gates opened, the waiting dragon horses neighed…
Emperor Shu watched Wu Fei’s retreating figure and shook his head helplessly. Since he had long relied on yao calculation to prepare psychologically, he could still accept all this.
He glanced at his son standing beside him, that is, Prince Zhou.
A month ago, when Prince Zhou learned that Emperor Shu had personally enfeoffed Wu Fei, he wanted to host a banquet for Wu Fei, but after this incident a few days ago, Prince Zhou dared not. — Emperor Shu saw all this in his eyes and couldn’t help feeling paternal pride at his son’s current “helpless” state.
In his heart, Emperor Shu stated to Prince Zhou: This troop is what Father will leave you in the future; now as a son, you cannot touch Father Emperor’s things prematurely.
Wu Fei’s behavior currently appeared to Emperor Shu as a form of “self-defilement”; this “self-defilement” checked his son’s fear of getting dirty hands, which was very good.
As for Wu Fei’s self-defilement, as long as Wu Fei proved this army was effective, Emperor Shu would have ways to help Prince Zhou clean Wu Fei up and hand him over.
That is, demote Wu Fei before death, then heavily promote and elevate a bunch of his grassroots officers under him, dispersing power, and finally let Prince Zhou, after ascending the throne, have the authority to promote Wu Fei, to suppress those promoted troops and control this troop whose soldiers and generals all come from the capital city.
At this point, Emperor Shu thought of Prince Bo, and suddenly felt a pang in his heart.
Actually, among the imperial family’s military strategists, Prince Bo originally had the highest talent; Wu Fei was actually filling Prince Bo’s position, but Prince Bo’s status made him unable to stay in that position, from arrogant to wildly ambitious.
The reason Emperor Shu now used Wu Fei with reassurance was that he absolutely had no possibility of seizing the throne.
At this time in the great hall, Emperor Shu began to falsely inquire of his dear ministers. He smiled and asked: “Anyone heartbroken over their own disciples? If you want to leave now, it’s not too late. If you regret it on the battlefield another day, it will be your head hung on the flag.”
After the screen was removed, the dear ministers all had no objections whatsoever.
As the Son of Heaven, Emperor Shu quickly restored the “imperial family’s ruthlessness.” In the past when in power, for imperial power, Emperor Shu with a stroke of the vermilion brush ordered the extermination of rebellious ministers’ entire families. Now facing the possible death of these noble powerful disciples in the future, he still felt it was only natural under “heavenly grace.”
However, after flipping through the memorials from the civil officials on the so-called “forming cliques” in the East Market camp, he snorted coldly and flung it aside.
…Outside the palace gates, after the meeting dispersed, people gradually thinned out…
After Prince Zhou came out of the palace, he found Emperor Shu’s messenger and asked: “He said forming the army within a year — how true is that?”
Eunuch: “The general gave this slave a training list, with periodic weapon drills and march training; it should be in six months.”
Prince Zhou said: “Should be?”
The eunuch knelt: “This slave deserves death! Shall this slave go to General Wu again?”
Prince Zhou hurriedly pulled the eunuch: “Eunuch, you misunderstood. Could you let me see the training subjects table?”
The eunuch paused, then took a scroll from his sleeve.
Prince Zhou drew it out and took a look, his gaze scanning from top to bottom, confirming all the troop training planning tables. Seeing “graduation” at the end of the subjects, there was a “internship” before it, and this internship direction was precisely the Northern Frontier. He couldn’t help but sigh deeply: “Forty percent wrapped in horse leather!” Previously, he had only heard the civil officials’ disgust toward these disciples from the East Market, which turned into guilt.
At the same time, he thought that these non-commissioned officers following Wu Fei were all “our own children,” and he could use them quite assuredly. ——Even though he himself couldn’t name those dozens of his illegitimate cousins.
…Favored in the Emperor’s heart…
In the East Market camp, as the command rang out, the bullet paper cartridges were torn open, gunpowder poured in, then the bullets were stuffed in, the side ramrod was taken out to ram the bullets in, then they raised it up, took a small copper cap from the pocket, (about the size of the plastic cap at the end of a fountain pen), and pressed it onto the metal protruding tube at the one-third centimeter place in the rear of the firearm.
After pulling the trigger, the hammer struck the small copper cap, the small copper cap collided with the metal it covered, immediately producing sparks. This was the masterpiece of the Divine Capital alchemists.
Although the inside of the copper cap exploded on touch, the substances smeared in the “concave”
Although firearm soldiers have a lower ceiling in this era compared to crossbow soldiers, because even rudimentary internal energy—the kind that can be quickly mastered in one or two years—allows the crossbow bolts they shoot to surpass projectiles in range.
Moreover, the cost of training with projectiles is higher than that of reusable and recoverable training bow and arrows, which leads to high army maintenance costs. But the advantage is fast training speed; the physical fitness required to hold a firearm belongs to horizontal training techniques. As long as people in their twenties or thirties have sufficient food and proper training regulations, they can be trained in three months. Moreover, due to the supply from alchemists, this “new army” in the Divine Capital is capable of rapid fire.
When Wu Fei took on the task of training the army, he understood that this was a thankless job. If he wanted to slack off and not do it, he would be stuck in the Capital City for the rest of his life. But if he wanted to do it, he would definitely face resistance.
Xuan Chong: After all, it involves military power under the Son of Heaven’s feet. Even if one is not arrogant, the Imperial Court’s bizarre factional struggles will still try every means to create pressure, win over, and slander. —There are already many charges that can be listed, so it is better to just let loose and act directly. If combat effectiveness cannot be quickly generated, with “production returns,” one will suffer backlash from all sides’ forces.
As for the money spent on equipping firearms and training, it’s not using my own money anyway.
…In Yao Capital, all kinds of technology points are not lacking…
Wu Fei still used a little ploy. In the Firearms Institute, he opened the percussion cap technology line.
Compared to Wu Fei currently developing caplock gun technology, in the eastern region prefectures of Da Yao, local troops are generally equipped with flintlock rifles, which use “Fire Jade” as the projectile, and the heterodox path cultivator’s caplock is a new thing.
Fire Jade is a precious gemstone that can instantly ignite upon contact with vegetation. Wu Fei imported a batch of it while in the Southern Border, trying to see if he could find suitable minerals under his command. In his previous life, during the Age of Discovery, flint was always monopolized by Europe, which was also the reason why the East failed to advance further on the firearm technology tree.
After obtaining the Fire Jade for research, Wu Fei concluded that he initially thought it was a kind of “catalyst,” but after careful study, he determined that this thing only had this effect after being exposed to the sun, thus inferring it was a magical photoelectric material. It stores electrical energy through light exposure and releases it through impact.
Large pieces of Fire Jade can only be produced in certain prefectures and counties in the eastern region of Da Yao; the southern border has none of this.
Wu Fei used “exquisite ingenuity” to avoid this natural specialty. Although the percussion cap technique was nothing special—just an alchemy method of igniting contact explosive in a copper cap. His own crafting in the Southern Border was always limited and unable to mass-produce on a large scale, but in the Divine Capital, there were plenty of talented and unusual people.
When customizing weapons, Wu Fei used the Son of Heaven’s prestige to order the Da Yao alchemists to research crafting techniques for him. With a whoosh, he propelled technology forward.
Wu Fei has now completed the production allocation, and the percussion cap’s ignition efficiency is 99.9% or higher.
Compared to other firearm troops’ “Fire Jade” needing to be wiped, as well as steps like Bathing Sun and such. Caplock gun maintenance is another step, and now the East Market’s new army has already formed a weapon use habit.
After Wu Fei checked the on-target probability, he quickly established rewards and punishments. Those who hit the target while practicing firearm shooting could go to Yoshiwara for fun.
As Wu Fei personally confirmed today’s rewards, the soldiers who were living day by day and rapidly training under various spirit infusions had their eyes light up!
It is said that these soldiers originating from rope-pullers are all accustomed to being whipped while pulling ropes, and they have long grown used to whippings and such, so flogging alone is not enough to make them actively learn quickly within three months—only rewards and punishments will do.
Moreover, Wu Fei did not skimp on them in terms of quality either.
All the madams in the entire East Market initially despised Wu Fei’s group purchase business and would hide the girls. However! Wu Fei dispatched informants to keep a close eye on the best girls, issuing operating licenses to all the shops in the red-light district. Any without a license were caught once and directly taken away upon visit. As for those courtesans once reserved by the princes, since they had been used, no one wanted them anymore.
…The market has sunk…
It was another evening, Wu Fei waiting at the street corner for the soldiers.
Suddenly, gusts of yin wind blew, Wu Fei, who was sitting at the checkpoint with his legs crossed, paused, stood up, and looked at the female ghost hanging upside down in front of him!
The soldiers nearby felt somewhat guilty, while Wu Fei stepped forward, looked at it, and said disdainfully, “Is there really a ghost?”
This female ghost had black hair like a waterfall fluttering in the wind, her exposed half-face was stunningly beautiful, and she was singing a mournful song, the lyrics too soft and drawn out to hear clearly. The general meaning of the song was resentment at being ravaged by beasts despite originally being a fine talent.
The female ghost walked up to him, revealing her original appearance from life: bright and beautiful with pearly white teeth, gold and silver on her head, gemstone earrings dangling by her ears, sparkling brilliantly. (Originally a plaything for princes, now that she had been touched by a soldier she considered lowly, she was no longer worth that price)
The female ghost’s expression suddenly twisted, and she shrieked sharply: “You destroyed me!”
However, just as the female ghost charged forward, she did not encounter the expected regret and panic. Instead, a look of disdain, arrogance, and brutality appeared on the face of her soul-snatching target. Just as the female ghost sensed the crisis, a towering killing intent like a blood river flood swept across the entire street. The female ghost wanted to flee, but the killing intent enveloped her, turning her into ash as if being burned.
Wu Fei had just drawn his blade and was looking at the thing that had vanished, astonished: “So there really are ghosts?” Wu Fei thought it was an actor in disguise.
The soldiers nearby were stunned for a moment, realizing that their general was someone even ghosts feared.
Wu Fei turned his head: “What are you afraid of! When alive, draped in gold and silver, sneering at the starving ghosts! Now, after death, you feel aggrieved? These kinds of things owed debts while alive, and still have the face to crawl out after death? If she doesn’t die, I’ll find people to line up.”
As he spoke, the entire killing intent did not converge; instead, it spread out like a floodgate bursting open, like tidal waves surging toward the East Market.
…It was never fair to begin with, so where does the question of fairness come from? Blade Technique is also a law…
In the East Market, inside a secret chamber, several Heterodox Path Cultivators were already suffering backlash from failing to exorcise the ghost, with blood streaming from their seven orifices, but after a surge of Killing Intent swept in, they immediately clutched their hearts and cried out in agony.
And after the gang elders outside rushed in, they saw a shocking scene: these cultivators they had invited to perform the ritual had flames bursting from their chests, then bit by bit their entire bodies burned away!
An evil cultivator who hadn’t burned yet looked at these culprits who had invited them to perform the ritual, immediately pointed his finger at them, then the fireworks aura on his body surged toward these gang elders. As the fireworks flowed out, the evil cultivator let out a breath of relief and finally died.
And these gang elders, guided by the fireworks curse power, felt a heat in their hearts, tore open their clothes and saw a scorching red mark on their chests, and all felt that something big was wrong.
