Chapter 10: Yongji Pass Gold Brick Banquet
The good news from the Southern Border reached the Divine Capital. In the central palace, the highest of the nine palaces, on its map of the realm spanning ten thousand li, the Emperor and his generals engaged in strategic planning. The several commanderies in the Southwest belonged to the green area, so taxes could be increased.
For Da Yao, whether to exterminate or pacify the barbarians on the border has nothing to do with whether the barbarians themselves think they are behaving properly.
In the eyes of Da Yao’s rulers, as long as the barbarians on the border hold weapons, they will definitely harass the border folk, which is disloyalty. Da Yao is inherently tolerant of “disloyalty.” Normally, allowing mutual trade counts as appeasement. Even if they are exterminated, since they cannot be governed deeply, these barbarians will regrow like weeds after a period of time under the spring breeze. So usually, as long as the barbarians do not cause too much trouble, a light knock every few days is enough.
Now, the Da Yao Sitian Chengs have forecasted the dragon descending into the East Sea, so they ordered the border military garrisons everywhere to deliver a heavy hammer blow.
In other words, next, if Da Yao uses troops in the East Sea and trouble arises in the Southern Border, Wu Hanluan will have to handle it himself! As for the recent Campaign to Pacify the South, although the Imperial Court did not send troops, the court reduced taxes in the Southern Region.
The difficulty to the livelihood of the people when a dynasty copes with one war versus two wars is not simply twice as hard. Those who have played real-time strategy games know that multi-line operations are much harder than single-line. For an actual state, mobilizing in two directions means large-scale consumption in both directions.
In peaceful times, Da Yao’s grain price is around ten cash per dou, and during times when cheap grain harms farmers, it can even reach one point five cash per dou.
During this Battle of Crimson Serpent Mountain in the Southern Border, the grain price remained stable at fifty cash per dou, which is normal levels. But after the Southern Border is pacified next, the grain price will not drop, because storage in many places in South Commandery needs to be moved north.
Three hundred years ago, while Da Yao was fighting the Northern Hu, there was a great drought under heaven. At that time, grain prices in the northern lands reached three thousand cash per dou! The two river commanderies, most heavily taxed for grain levies, saw massive flight of households due to the heavy taxes, leading commoners of all levels to flee further south to settle. Along the way in flight, corpses piled up beside the roads. Only three in ten survivors reached the south. And the Wu Family rose to prominence in the Southern Border at that time.
The Wu Family is merely a “military family.” Although military officials do not interfere in local governance, they have intricate ties with local officials and gentry.
Normally, they can raise bandits to strengthen themselves, harvesting merit like leeks on the border by periodically using barbarian heads to secure achievements, keeping the marquisate stable. But if the court wants to mobilize troops in other directions and they cannot keep the border peaceful, that is failing to see the big picture and disregarding the overall situation.
After this battle, the court center methodically awarded imperial wine, silk, gold cakes, and gave Wu Hanluan quotas to recommend scions of a military family for promotions. Everything seemed as usual; the court was still the same court.
…However, various omens still appeared…
In the 24th year of the Shu Tian Calendar, in the Divine Capital, four canals dried up overnight, exposing silt at the river bottoms. Wanderers crossed the railings to rummage in the riverbeds for goods. When someone fished out some silverware, the onlookers on both banks showed burning gazes.
In an instant, a soft female voice whispered in the ears of everyone along the riverbanks: “Have you lost any gold or silver things here?”
Crowds of commoners in the capital surged into the canals to search for goods. Some even picked up a dead elephant carcass and happily tried to pull out the elephant tusk. But just as the crowd was blinded by greed, suddenly the riverbed silt surged, trapping many people. Before they could pull their legs out, the canal water levels suddenly rose, drowning thousands. Overnight, coffins sold out in thousands of households in the capital.
Some ministers in the court found this strange, so the Censorate remonstrated: “This matter should be thoroughly investigated!”
Emperor Shu approved it.
The four divine detectives mobilized simultaneously, but discovered a shocking secret. Beneath the Divine Capital, somehow a massive tunnel had appeared, and the earth vein connected in the tunnel could even form a Sha Cave. The reason the canals dried up was that the Sha Cave suddenly formed, sucking all the water underground, and after the Sha Cave dissipated, the water surged back from the riverbeds.
The relevant gazette reached the south, and Xuan Chong thought of Wu Hanluan intercepting the Snake People underground, where the traversing tunnel suddenly formed a Grotto-Heaven. Thinking of this, it was alarming: such a massive tunnel under the capital, if it hid thousands of soldiers? What enormous conspiracy was behind it.
Several days later, after the arrest squads stirred up chaos in the Divine Capital, they suddenly stopped. This was not because the clues ran dry, but because they had uncovered something tremendous.
Emperor Shu publicly terminated the arrest squads’ duties but secretly instructed his inner guards to continue investigating, resulting in findings implicating the Grand Marshal and Prince Bo. Emperor Shu was furious and overnight dispatched troops to seal them off. However, Prince Bo seemed to have gotten the news and fled ahead of time, while the Grand Marshal self-immolated at home.
The court began a nationwide manhunt. However, the cooperating detectives later revealed to others that while pursuing the rebels, they had seen “purple moons” hanging upside down in the sky.
…The perspective returns once more to the tranquil south…
At Yongji Pass, Wu Fei wore his official uniform, looking at his new territory.
After the great victory at Crimson Serpent Mountain, Wu Hanluan hosted a banquet inviting the leaders of the local hundred tribes, slaughtered cattle to swear an oath, and then withdrew his troops. He left Wu Fei to hold the fort.
This is Da Yao’s governance strategy for the Southern Border over a thousand years: use military strength to knock the foreign race tribes into place, establish a policy of loose rein. Then hold the strong passes while controlling trade in vital strategic resources like salt and iron, maintaining balance among the tribes.
Xuan Chong: When Zhuge Liang seven times captured Meng Huo, it was based on the “loose rein” objective to formulate the campaign. The reason for capturing but not killing Meng Huo was that the Marquis of Zhuge was uncertain whether killing Meng Huo would produce a new balance state in the entire Southern Border favorable to Ji Han’s loose rein rule.
Meng Huo originally had excessive authority locally. After trimming it once and reducing his authority, having him rely on Ji Han allowed his family to survive, which aligned with Shu Han’s interests for long-term peace and stability in the area.
As for reforming native administration, that only happens after Ming-era culture and economy have penetrated to a certain degree.
After Wu Hanluan’s army withdrew, the Great Warehouse that Wu Fei had guarded during the war was also disbanded.
Of course, Wu Fei now had his style name “Yuan Chang.” Wu Yuanchang had originally planned to hang up his armor and return to the fields to enjoy the feudal young master life he deserved, but Wu Hanluan rebuked him with “How can you rest at your age?” and kept him, so he had to take the general’s order and become the garrison commander of Yongji Pass.
This checkpoint was undoubtedly the plumpest of the “plum jobs.” Merchant caravans passed endlessly. No matter who Wu Hanluan placed here, it would not be as reassuring as his own nephew.
The bulk goods passing through included “salt,” “ironware,” “taro slices,” and “cattle and sheep livestock,” with the fees collected being a major source of funding for the Wu Family Army.
To put it this way, even a lowly city gate soldier here could eat meat.
…Such a good position requires not only trusted aides but also no wastrels…
After Wu Fei proved in the Battle of Crimson Serpent Mountain that he had sufficient ability to hold a strategic node, Wu Hanluan unhesitatingly tossed this “heavy responsibility” to him.
The city wall of this majestic pass was ten zhang high, snaking like a giant python along the foothills of two mountains, with overwhelming momentum. The foothills on both sides had military caves, fully stocked with weapons and granaries. As long as the pass guardian was cautious enough, not even a million-strong army could breach it.
Xuan Chong evaluated it thus: Such a majestic pass would be very tough to crack even in the hot weapons era. The only flaw is the pass guardian himself.
Xuan Chong, using knowledge from his previous life, thought of several siege methods, none workable; he could only rely on deception to trick the city.
For example, if inspection of military order flags at the pass is not strict, enemies could use fake flags to deceive it.
Or, if military discipline is lax during duty and they take bribes from merchants passing through daily, a familiar opponent could ply them with alcohol and meat before smuggling through, then scale the walls at night to steal the city.
Thinking of the frustrating outcome of being deceived and losing the city, Wu Fei began preventative measures.
Several days later.
After taking over Yongji Pass, Wu Fei quickly discovered many defensive vulnerabilities. Some important watchposts were unmanned at night. Wu Fei, practicing the Body Fixing Technique, climbed along the city wall edge at night and went undetected. —Of course, Wu Fei knew why the soldiers were lax; with the Southern Border war over, it was natural to relax.
Do not expect feudal house troops to be dedicated to their posts, rigorously holding them without fail. At a prosperous pass, if superiors do not check, subordinates just go through the motions.
After arriving at the pass, Wu Fei could feel the corrosion of this Yongji Pass. Right after he took office, a straw mat with a beautiful maidservant was arranged by his bed.
Of course, Wu Fei knew very well that if he touched alcohol, sex, or wealth, it would be even harder to manage here. Once rot starts at the top, it becomes unstoppable below.
Xuan Chong on their current environment: Holding a high position leaves absolutely no leeway for “indulging a bit.” To manage others with rules, he himself must be the rules!
…The stability of the “physical test instrument” on his body is affected by the surrounding Human Realm order level…
The greater the responsibility, the power, um, whether the power is great or not is unknown, but the destruction caused is absolutely greater.
Most of the bottom-level people who have not come into contact with the management system will have such fantasies, that is, assuming: if they make a great contribution, they can hold a beauty and play around, get drunk, and nothing will be a problem!
That’s right, when at the bottom, gamble a bit, act rogue a bit, the destructive power won’t be too great, but in the position of rule, any lack of restraint will cause serious impact.
Therefore, after arriving at Yongji Pass, Wu Fei dismissed the excess servants in the residence. A bed and a desk are sufficient; food and drink are handled by the kitchen soldiers.
On the drill ground, he called the roll for all soldiers and announced an increase in patrol duty benefits. — Night patrol military pay is five times the usual, and additionally, the military police team will check posts and verify patrol personnel. Of course, identity must be confirmed again when collecting this portion of night pay each month.
Note: If Wu Fei does not send the military police team to verify patrol personnel, then in all likelihood, the squad leaders will have new soldiers stand night watch for them and then collect the pay themselves; this policy would turn into a malign policy that makes the sentries full of complaints. — Therefore, verifying identity is extremely important in the reward and punishment system, as it concerns the survival after policy implementation.
After the new reward and punishment policy was completed, Yongji Pass’s defenses became tight.
And unintentionally, when the checkpoint became tight, some merchants came to the hall of three treasures and began to visit this young general.
Because only when the net’s mesh becomes dense do the netters know how many fish slip through the net.
…No night grass makes a horse fat, and the night grass has arrived…
In the city tower, Wu Fei looked at these merchants who came to visit. They smiled obsequiously as they introduced the “Treasured Jade” and “silk fabrics” they brought, while Wu Fei pondered how to slaughter these “fat sheep.”
Wu Fei stroked the satin said to be comparable to a young girl’s skin, pondering in his heart how to choose!
Be impartial and sternly warn these merchants not to smuggle? — Wu Hanluan would absolutely not agree. The Wu Family is merely a military strategist family and does not care about the dynasty’s finances. Falling out with these merchants is not good for the Wu Family Army, not to mention that during the Battle of Crimson Serpent Mountain, these merchants helped raise military grain! They were used in the past and will be useful in the future.
As for just accepting the goods like this? — Paying money to buy passage is these merchants’ current goal. However! This is not something they “willingly” give; to speak frankly, if Wu Fei were not Wu Hanluan’s “heart’s flesh,” these merchants would consider directly paying to build connections and remove Wu Fei.
Wu Fei looked at these “treasures” again, not coveting them with greed, but wary of the power behind these merchants! — Taking their money means bearing their pressure, and he only wants to eat the meat without bearing uncertain responsibility.
“Wait, unlimited liability, limited liability system!” A thought popped up.
Wu Fei glanced at these merchants and began thinking about how to establish a stable relationship with these powerful merchants with real strength. Such a sentence emerged in his mind: “I have soldiers, you have money, we can do big things together.”
Thus, Wu Fei waved his hand to summon the warehouse manager, had these goods stored in the treasury, and then held a banquet to entertain these “sensible” peddlers.
The alcohol at the banquet was very simple, and the food very crude; after all, Wu Fei had recently been promoting “integrity promotion” activities inside the pass and had not prepared these.
At the wine table, Wu Fei, with intentions not on the wine, asked about the types of business these “powerful merchants” did:
For example, the Li family peddler does wood business; the giant wood needed for building temples in the Capital City all comes from his hands, and he even pried out a piece of information that the “ironwood” needed for some large mechanical puppets is supplied here in the Southern Border.
And Wu Fei also asked about another trade route, that is, salt! Before this, Wu Fei had heard that all salt entering the Southern Border must pass through Yongji Pass.
Wu Fei’s eyes twitched, and he asked: “How much salt passes through the checkpoint?” The drunk merchant clearly did not want to say more and said with an embarrassed smile: “Not much, just a few shi each time we exit closed-door cultivation.”
Wu Fei, who had managed the Great Warehouse, immediately completed the conversion in his mind: calculated at three grams per person per day, one shi of salt at thirty kilograms is enough for ten thousand people for a day. The other side was clearly lying.
Obtaining salt data was extremely important for Wu Fei.
The Qin and Han dynasties conscripted soldiers by issuing quotas to every prefecture and county based on the household registration system, which could ensure mobilization to the limit without inciting rebellion below. At this time, the Wu Family could not obtain such key household registration data; inside the pass, this data was all in the Minister of Works’ treasury.
But data could be obtained indirectly through commerce! The amount of salt used in a place, the amount of cloth and silk used, could all clarify the population in the area. Then, through commercial colonization, squeeze according to this amount.
Wu Fei turned into a smiling tiger, and the merchants at the desks on either side felt a chill. Wu Fei said: “Gentlemen are business people; do you want to make your business bigger, make it a monopoly business?”
Wu Fei handed the bamboo book he had prepared long ago to all the merchants.
The scene fell silent for a moment, and it was still the Li family powerful merchant who asked: “General, do you want to invest and divide the work?”
Wu Fei paused and said: “Yes, I only want one percent profit, no, half a percent profit. After your goods exit closed-door cultivation, safety is insured by my soldiers for your business; if anything happens to your goods, tell me, and I’ll get it back for you.”
The merchants looked at each other, but soon a merchant gathered courage and said: “General is joking; you only take half a percent profit, and we can’t eat the remaining nine and a half percent peacefully; it would be better if—”
Wu Fei: “I only want half a percent, I want half a percent! My requirement is that under my support, you must scale up big.”
…As Wu Fei’s quoted price became lower and lower, the killing intent in his eyes grew heavier; if these fat pigs on the chopping block do not drink the respectful toast, then they will drink the punishment wine…
As a person from the 21st century, Xuan Chong knew the importance of a warlord supporting oligarchs; only commercial oligarchs can obtain important data like population consumption in an area, helping the warlord concentrate resources. — And half a percent profit? Doing big business is not about how much profit, but whether you are an irreplaceable part in the partner.
That half a percent profit looks small, but in reality, low “interest” yet holding “lending priority.” The military hegemony of the previous life did not go to war with the “half percent profit” accumulated over days and months beforehand, but went to war by borrowing.
That is, the lighthouse in the previous life superficially favored its allies for decades, but secretly piled up debt to make these protected ones pay the bill; when it was about to collapse, those loyal “allies” sacrificed themselves for the lighthouse, frantically buying the dumped lighthouse debt nonstop. Why? Because the lighthouse had an irreplaceable role for loyal allies on security issues.
Wu Fei as the fisherman cannot begrudge throwing bait, and these merchants, as their business grows bigger, will find their entire wealth and lives tied to the “fishhook,” unable to escape its mouth.
After the banquet ended, Wu Fei gave all merchants a brick from Yongji Pass, with a “Yongji Pass General Order” voucher engraved on the brick. — This brick would be worth dozens of times a gold brick four or five years later.
