Chapter 19: One Force Charges Ahead, The Other Calculates
The situation at the border between Zhu Prefecture and He Prefecture is special; this area has dense waterways and is full of commercial ports, so the merchants and landlords here conspire and communicate with each other a hundred times more than in other places.
Other prefectures and counties do not have such convenience, to the point that there is a lack of interest ties between two villages or two towns, and local clans can mostly live out their lives without interacting except when needing to socialize over water disputes. But here, in the intersecting waterways, opera troupes, boatmen, and men doing short-term labor shuttle back and forth among them.
And this is precisely the foundation that allowed the Common Union idea to emerge here forty years ago. Because once everyone gathered together and confirmed they had the ability that even the Da Yao Prefect dared not underestimate, then these shortsighted peddlers without long-term vision became—greedy for more. When the Imperial Court levied grain, they no longer just sought to avoid oppression by the government office, but attempted sold old rice at high prices. After the Common Union township braves successfully cleared other banditry from the roads, they became even more lawless relying on this, until they were labeled as rebels, drawing the final extermination by the Imperial Court’s large army, and the Common Union ultimately became heretical nonsense strictly investigated by the bandit suppression office.
Xian Daoren stood at the river port watching all this, his face showing reminiscence of the past. That year, his gaze was clear and full of passion. He tried to lead the development and change of this world, but in the end, the changes were not in his control. As the Common Union army was trapped in the city with insufficient military grain, they had to resort to cannibalism in the city. At that time, after abandoning his old self, he gained a third eye at his brow center.
Oh, now, he was back. At this time, the rekindled Common Union idea among the gentry and elites of the two places was gradually developing again into a secret society that privately hired bandits—an underground organization. This was the change he had guided step by step over these three years.
And the heroes and greenwood figures of the two places caught in the net of chaos here were similarly shortsighted and selfish as back then. But this time it was purely gathering for profit, without stupid passion or cheap ideals, struggling within it.
In a certain gang, some people were bargaining when suddenly blue appeared in their pupils, and their originally profit-blinded gazes revealed fear of certain knowledge.
Xian Daoren, in his remote control position: Now Wu Hanluan is forcing me to come inspect this place, haha.
After letting out a cunning and morbid laugh, Xian Daoren: “Even without orders, I would report the intelligence here to the General.”
…Blue feather’s goose carries the letter…
Shu Tian Calendar year 25, month 3, the Wu Family Army arrived at Zhu Prefecture along the waterways. After Wu Hanluan led the rear army to camp at the fortress on the border between the prefecture and Zhu Prefecture, they did not move. On the surface, it was to secure the Wu Family Army’s weaponry and military supplies, stabilizing the army’s rear, but in reality, it was to prevent the Wu Family Army from being contained by the complex situation here. At the same time, he needed to figure out the local situation.
Wu Hanluan set out the Golden Goblet, poured fine wine, and wished to discuss major matters with the local village elders.
Whether the army generals reach a tacit understanding with the local ruffians is the difference between “victory with a single proclamation” and “surrender followed by rebellion.”
However, Wu Hanluan, as a veteran border general who has commanded troops for decades, if he directly deals with the local noble families, it would easily arouse suspicion from the Imperial Court.
Therefore, the authority to “act on convenience” during the army’s advance must be delegated to trustworthy young men in the military camp. —As Wu Family youths whose names the Imperial Court has not heard, the Imperial Court’s wariness would be lower. After all, young Wu warriors without facial hair, after arriving at the locality upon deployment, make a fuss, which would make the Confucians and Legalists less vigilant.
After the Wu Family Army arrived at Zhu Prefecture, the pacification process was very smooth.
Wu Hengyu led five hundred elite cavalry on a long drive straight in, killing into the largest area of disturbance in the rebellion zone. Among them, the bandits were divided into several groups, with the largest occupying Qixiang County. The thugs flying the Common Union flag robbed tax ships of the Imperial Court and fenced stolen goods here.
After Wu Hengyu arrived, he contacted the insiders sown here by his father commander before the army advanced (arranged by Wu Fei holding the commander seal). With the assistance of this insider, the city gates were opened by two people that very night. Five hundred elite cavalry charged in, then rushed into the county city for slaughter. The rebels were caught off guard and wanted to resist, but congested on the roads they trampled each other. When the iron hooves came thundering, they instantly lost courage, turned back to flee, and were directly trampled from behind by Wu Hengyu’s iron army. The narrow streets and alleys were filled with screams and the cracking of breaking bones.
In this siege, Wu Hengyu employed a bit of military strategy.
He conducted the extermination using a city map supplied by the insider, planning in advance which places could pass ten cavalry and which only people, just like 21st-century robbers and kidnappers planning escape routes.
After all, as a scion of a military family, even if not proficient in family learning, that is compared to some rote problem-solving bookworm. Compared to those bandits, Wu Hengyu had been immersed in the art of war since childhood, while these self-proclaimed heroes flying the old Common Union flag had no one versed in military affairs.
After they rose up and seized the city, though their numbers gathered to over a thousand, when suddenly attacked, their rabble nature was fully exposed. Moreover, most of these gathered thugs were local ruffians, majestic in street brawls, and after contacting the so-called Common Union, they merely raised flags to boost their arrogance, without the resolve for rivers of blood. When they discovered the entrants were not minor bandits coming for a turf war, but government soldiers in bright armor on tall warhorses, their battle fervor instantly dissipated, and they fled in panic.
Actually, among the bandits there were no lack of elites who were once city soldiers now turned outlaw, but these blood-licking killers hastily donned armor, only to be scattered by the vanguard, unable to form ranks, and disordered in mutual trampling. Then they were stabbed to death on the streets by the elites brought by Wu Hengyu with swords.
If it were Wu Fei, such a scion of a military family with orderly inheritance, arranging it: Besides arranging necessary patrols and night guard troops, he would also deploy checkpoints to contain the spread of chaos, simply blocking roads with wooden stakes. But this could effectively prevent defeated soldiers from mixing together. Each small group of routed soldiers could steady themselves before the checkpoints, then regroup.
On the narrow streets, wherever Wu Hengyu’s troops charged, blood and flesh flew there. Viewed from high above, the various alleys were like a coil of mosquito incense, and Wu Hengyu’s few troops were like the burning tip, leaving “incense ash”—a ground of corpses—after passing.
This battle of exterminating rebel bandits was Wu Hengyu, this military strategist high schooler, brutally beating a large group of illiterate hill bandits ignorant of military affairs.
One shichen later, the chopping and killing ended. Wu Hengyu rested briefly in Qixiang County. The blood-soaked county city was a scene of deathly silence, the thick killing intent keeping even sparrows foraging at dawn far away. After daybreak, the relief troops dispatched by Wu Fei cautiously approached, confirmed Wu Hengyu’s troops had taken it, entered the city, and seeing piled corpses, blood flowing along both sides of the streets, were horrified into silence.
After Wu Hengyu’s troops ate the pickled vegetable-filled dry rations brought by the relief army and replaced some horses, they began continuing combat. Impacting the next rebel county city.
Wu Fei, following behind and forced to hastily supplement support, cursed: This reckless fool.
Wu Fei did not write a letter to dissuade. First: He could not dissuade his own big brother, let alone not being on the front line and not understanding the situation. Second: This war was indeed speed is of the essence in warfare. The faster they fought, the fewer variables.
…A blood-colored whirlwind rampaged through the rebellion sites…
Then for three consecutive days of successive victories, all three county cities in the rebel zone were recovered. Except the first county was fought down, the bandits in the other two counties, hearing of the government army’s ferocity, fled overnight into the mountains with their small possessions and women.
Six days later, in Wu Hengyu’s other battles, he found those great clans cooperating with the bandits and directly assaulted their walled fortresses.
After searching out the evidence in the fortresses of conspiring with the thugs, Wu Hengyu was horrified: The rebellion in the entire prefecture and Zhu Prefecture was backed by connections among the local noble families and great clans.
However, just as he prepared to escalate the matter, the rear commander camp summoned him back.
…Treasure blade slits throat, not chops; blood not yet clotted, slides along the blade without sticking….
In the cavalry team, looking at the first commander order delivered, Wu Hengyu instinctively thought it was issued by Wu Fei using the central army seal. —No wonder he thought so; during pre-war preparations, all military resource collection and inserting spies into bandit areas were operated by Wu Fei, then stamped with commander orders. Now he even controlled the central army.
Wu Hengyu naturally associated: His vanguard had been continuously earning merits, while the central army was lukewarm, only scraping remnants in war merits, so Wu Fei had motive to recall him.
Wu Hengyu felt annoyed inside: I treat you as a brother, yet you drag my feet—In this battle he quite admired Wu Fei’s coordination, reaching this point was largely due to Wu Fei’s planning; after each battle, food and grass, horses, medicine all arrived timely. But now at this critical step, holding him back, made him feel quite displeased.
Just as Wu Hengyu prepared to invoke “military orders may not be obeyed when far from base,” the messenger delivering the order clearly anticipated it, so produced a personal letter from Wu Hanluan. This made Wu Hengyu realize the recall order came from his father commander. Then seeing the stern wording above, Wu Hengyu recalled from childhood the “military order like a mountain” stick education from his old father, his heart shuddering. And the dragon horse he rode also, with Wu Hengyu’s legs clamping hard, anxiously pawed the ground with hooves.
No matter how big or fierce the tiger, it can’t forget the helplessness of being grabbed by the scruff as a cub.
Wu Hengyu suppressed his feelings and could only say to the messenger: “Wait here first, I’ll reorganize the troops and go back with you immediately.”
And the messenger smiled and produced another letter, this one from Wu Fei.
Wu Hengyu was slightly stunned, snorted coldly, snatched the letter, tore it open for a glance. At first disdainful, but then his gaze became slightly pensive. Finally, he chuckled to cover the emotional shift before and after reading the letter.
The content of the letter was simple, with three points. First: “Congratulations big brother, pacified the two-prefecture rebellion with five hundred elite cavalry.”
Wu Fei first affirmed this battle’s top merit, basing the victory on the five hundred elite cavalry, not the five thousand army that came here. Using words declaring the Wu Family Army’s formidable combat power, he placed Wu Hengyu first.
Second: The two-prefecture rebellion is linked to local great clans, and our family’s elites are like a fast knife cutting through tangles, but not the Imperial Court’s hoe to uproot the roots of chaos here.
That is, knowing Wu Hengyu’s discovery of local great clan connections, agreeing with his hero’s view.
Third: Big brother your military prowess is unmatched under heaven, number one; the two-prefecture heroes all bow their heads now. Little brother wishes to borrow your tiger prestige, please support me.
Meaning: Your prestige has already been displayed, next, I’ll help you operate more effectively to show off.
Wu Fei had observed the squad leaders’ expressions when he first led soldiers, and now for Wu Hengyu’s stubborn and self-willed personality, he naturally knew how to stroke him the right way.
Wu Hengyu looked at the over-the-top flattery in Wu Fei’s letter and sneered at the words thick with performative elements. But he still kept the letter, because keeping it was satisfying for him—this was pretext sent up by his cousin.
…Compared to Wu Hengyu leading from the front and charging fiercely all the way, Wu Fei was calculating every detail, figuring out how to achieve the maximum battle results…
In the central military camp, an army of 1,800 men was stationed here. Everything was orderly; compared to the vanguard, the central army had only fought once. The background of this battle was after Wu Hengyu raided the county city.
Wu Fei then invited the village elders of this place, but at the time only one-third showed up, while the remaining two-thirds were led by local prominent families, these prominent families headed by Wang, Li, Sun, and Su, observing from the side. Clearly, they did not want to give Wu Fei this face.
Thus, Wu Fei did not give them face either! Wu Fei: Those who don’t come to the meeting are all small fries.
Due to Wu Fei’s good relations with the merchants, he knew the fortress areas where these four great households were stockpiling grain. —When troops pass through, the locality always suffers disaster. Wu Fei: Old man doesn’t rob the poor ghosts’ money.
Thus, Wu Fei selected two of the fattened fortresses and carried out bandit suppression!
A thousand regular soldiers directly besieged these local-level civilian fortresses, which was like eggs smashing stones. The city walls less than two feet thick cracked rapidly under the counterweight catapults, but Wu Fei did not completely smash open these city walls with cannons; instead, when they were just a bit away from collapsing, he chose to have the Golden Bulls charge.
The two-zhang-tall Golden Bulls, with their enormous builds, charged directly under the despairing gazes of the hired martial artists from these families inside the civilian fortress. With a crashing sound, the entire wall collapsed, and the crossbow soldiers and shield soldiers following on both sides of the Golden Bulls advanced into the breach using combined infantry tank tactics.
After capturing the fortress walls, some martial artists hiding in secret passages tried to sneak attack; these secret passages were filled with scalding golden juice, filling the air with screams and wails.
…Similarly for suppression, Xuan Chong used a heavy hammer to smash, inviting others to watch during the smashing process…
With such an overwhelming breakthrough of the city walls, the army suffered no losses, so soon under the military law team’s organization, the surrendering population in the fortress was divided up, all warehouses and storerooms sealed, and especially the female dependents strictly guarded.
After breaking the fortress, most captives would be sold as slaves, then distributed to the battle soldiers fighting in the vanguard army at the time, and afterward sold to merchants to be transported to Lingnan, but the female dependents were waiting for these great households to redeem them.
The bandit suppression nature of breaking the fortress would not change; if the great households were willing to redeem, the redeemed people were liberated by the imperial court’s heavenly army from the thugs’ hands; if unwilling to redeem, then they were thugs.
The fortresses Wu Fei targeted were famously prosperous locally, and after the looting, there was not much sympathy locally.
Wu Fei put himself in their shoes, considering from the perspective of these great households he had broken: To rally with this and call arms, they would need to fork over more grain as blood reward to make revolution for the mud-legged ones. Otherwise, what would they use to resist the violence machine’s suppression.
Right, the common union here was the local gentry’s common union, mutually addressing each other as Mister, even calling some brothel women Mister, but absolutely not calling mud-legged ones Mister.
Wu Fei looked at the common union books that were found: What’s the use of all this fancy stuff. Heh, they weren’t willing to give up interests.
Yes, blood reward; before organizing any bloody struggle, one must think about paying sufficient reward.
Taking breaking a fortress as an example, Wu Fei’s army used siege weapons and giant soldiers, breaking the city with overwhelming force, with few casualties, hence able to restrain the soldiers from causing harm. But if the siege point was chosen wrong, leading to over a hundred casualties on his own side, then Wu Fei could not restrain his men and could only let them vent violence on the losers after victory. —This is “Soldiers are inauspicious weapons; gentlemen should not use them, but do so anyway.”
In history, whenever any force builds an effective violence system that can be held in hand, all moral whitewashing cannot erase the “blood reward” principle.
The Confucian School talks rotten about benevolence and love, despising barbarians for breaking cities and taking people as slaves, and using morality to bind the imperial court troops to be righteous armies that must not plunder the people. But Confucian scholars with empty words, as upholders of the Way, cannot solve the blood reward problem, so much so that Xuan Chong in his previous life, as Han Gaozu, contemptuously said, “I take your Confucian hats as urinals.”
Thus—”After the city is broken, no sealing of blades for X days” is the only promise most feudal generals can give to their officers and soldiers when facing heavy losses from strong sieges. And the slippery moralists standing on the victor’s side will pinch their noses and gloss over it with Spring and Autumn brushwork.
After breaking the fortress.
In the camp, Wu Fei began sorting evidence of the people in the fortress colluding with bandits! The procedure of framing and planting false charges still had to be followed; troop passage like combing was too primitive and too easy to set oneself against all sides; had to learn from the county magistrate who ruined families.
And next was to bring out big uncle’s Thousand Hostel Ting Marquis title and have a good talk with the local prominent families’ agents. After all, now the Wu Family Army had demonstrated that everywhere the great army passed was turned to dust; Wu Fei could persuade these local snakes: Those who understand the times are talented individuals.
