Chapter 102: The Southbound Exploration Team
In the 33rd year of the Shu Tian Calendar, December, there is a lake three hundred li outside the southern edge of the Southern Ling River, this large lake is called Tiger Leap Lake. This is already the border designated by Wu Fei. North of this border, all tribes have been forced into Tusi-ization with knives.
The Tusi-ized tribes have a certain storage surplus this year, and the merchants have already received part of the stored grain. This is the condition for the newly formed Southern Prefectural Soldiers to march troops here.
As early as the first half of the 33rd year, Wu Fei told the Tusi who had submitted to him in the south that after they farmed, a wave of tribes further south would cross Tiger Leap Lake and raid these good Tusi enfeoffed by Da Yao.
Wu Fei was very “distressed” about this: Why does my border line keep refreshing barbarian tribes?
In October, to punish the barbarian forces on the border who refused royal civilization, Wu Fei launched an armed punishment. The structure of this armed punishment force consisted of the Wu Family’s noble disciples and the Southern Ling River vassal army. It was also a battle to temper the Wu Family’s scrap metal.
Speaking of which, it was already quite far from the border to here, and it wasn’t cost-effective to drag good sons from families within Da Yao territory this far to fight.
Wu Fei calculated: After assessing the appeal of enfeoffing fiefs south of the Ling River to soldiers from different regions. He decisively dragged his own boys over to serve as the backbone doing unpaid labor, then mainly used Horned People and Clawed People vassal army.
These vassal armies have the code name “brown cloth livestock” in the Southern Border—this term was dictated by Wu Fei, but now the non-commissioned officers fully endorse General Wu Fei’s judgment.
The reason for such a derogatory term was that last year’s education and indoctrination of the barbarian tribes was slow, making Wu Fei extremely irritable, proclaiming: “Illiterate” equals “livestock”.
The Wu Family disciples dragged to the Southern Ling River, although their clan school education couldn’t compare to that taught by the great scholars inside Da Yao, they were still enlightened. Even if they knew few characters, they could handle fixed “battle report terminology” and “symbol markings” for now.
The Wu Family dandies’ pitiful cultural level was just enough to look down on the Horned People, these complete blind fools.
Because Wu Fei used spirit injection rods to warn all Wu Family disciples, and these Wu Family disciples also used spirit injection rods when taming these vassal armies, and this fit perfectly.
Back to commanding troops; the Horned People can only accept very simple orders. Just like diodes, they can only take very simple commands, such as turn left or turn right. Each platoon of Horned People soldiers consists of ten people, based on Horned People having ten fingers, and the Horned People in each platoon can count fingers with each other to confirm teammates.
“Livestock” belongs to the simplest “diode”, while Wu Family literate guys who can proficiently record dozens of standard military commands belong to more complex circuit boards.
For now, Wu Fei doesn’t have to worry about his clan disciples being in a situation of virtue not matching position in this army, because they have at least read books. In this savage lands, they are talents ahead by one version.
And as long as they progress just a tiny bit, it’s enough to crush this even more barbaric and backward area, after all, further south they don’t even have bronze wares.
…Border small campaign…
In the jungle, after receiving intelligence, a seven hundred man force began charging towards the Lizardmen tribe reportedly numbering two thousand. Iron piece inlaid boots trampled the ground with “clang, clang” sounds, some small pebbles were crushed into footprints.
The Wu Family Army’s good soldiers drove the trained dog “sentinels”. These black wolfdogs’ throats were made half-mute with medicinal materials from young, unable to make too much noise, but very intelligent. They would return near the owner and use movements to signal enemies ahead in the jungle.
These sentinels are mostly native Horned People hunters who have been naturalized, this soldier type is one of the few who can eat and live as well as Da Yao non-commissioned officers. Behind the sentinels, neat small square formations marched through the jungle. Wu Fei spent three months training his own disciples into square formation change states.
The large barbarian tribe’s whereabouts were very easy to track, as their migration left massive campfire traces along the way in the jungle.
This was a strong period, elders leading newcomers, just like when Wu Hanluan led Wu Fei back then…
On October 5th, such a barbarian tribe totaling three thousand with many young and strong was caught up by the Wu Family Army, and both sides engaged in a decisive battle in a jungle passage.
This was a war that looked like seven hundred against three thousand, but the barbarian three thousand were a chaotic mess, not even formed into queues.
Wu Zhantie looked at the chaotic situation opposite, and his own side’s orderly firearm line array, rubbed his butt— the butt whipped half a year ago had long scabbed, but the feeling of orders and whipping had bound together, he used the same “whipping injection method” on his Horned People subordinates.
Once upon a time, when he was scolded by Wu Fei, he resented that the drill manual queues constrained his combat power, thinking if not bound by queue rules, he could kill many people.
Now as a non-commissioned officer, he discovered how much clearer queues reduced shouting when conveying orders exhaustingly.
“First rank, advance in column, load bullets, platoon leaders check each team’s firelock!”
Wu Zhantie shouted the command, watching his brown cloth livestock subordinates, adjusting their iron helmets, holding firearms forward. These movements had been drilled thousands of times.
After the time of one cup of tea, after the Wu Family Army’s ballista maneuvered forward and fired a volley of crossbow bolts, the Lizardmen’s big ones couldn’t hold back with the small ones, in endless “hissing” sound waves communication, collectively roared and charged towards the Wu Family Army.
For these Lizardmen, they could only charge, the Wu Family Army had stuck to them for ten shichen, Lizardmen retreating would face Fire Rhinoceros Cavalry charges, each charge could knock flying a dozen people, though casualties not heavy but panic extreme.
On Wu Zhantie’s side, he used the telescope to check enemy positions, using the fired ballista bolts as reference, quickly calculated distance, and ordered firearms prepare.
Horned People soldiers bit open tung oil paper cartridges, poured in measured gunpowder, rammed in bullets with willow catkins at the tail, the catkins to increase friction with the gun barrel. Of course after firing, the bullet’s recess would be impacted by gunpowder gases, flying along the smoothbore gun barrel.
This paper cartridge fixed ammunition is essential for Horned People troops, because they are uncultured, if not quantifying the gunpowder loading step well, burst barrels are common.
All Horned People soldiers shouldered firearms, but fingers didn’t dare pull the trigger first, the result of countless “injections” with whips on the drill field was only firing after hearing “prepare” and the sharp bamboo whistle sounded.
As the bamboo whistle sounded, a rank of gunfire rang out.
The charging jungle Lizardmen immediately dropped a large patch, their beautiful fine scales looked smooth, able to defend against “non-armor-piercing” knife slashes, but couldn’t block high-speed armor-piercing projectiles’ penetration at all. Two meter tall bodies collapsed in a large patch ninety paces away.
Then the second rank advanced, in a short five second interval, another round of firing began.
In round after round of firing, the Horned People at the bottom of the Southern Border contempt chain now experienced the fierce prestige of being “warriors”.
Horned People watched the tall races that always bullied them fall, yelling “yiya yah yah”, issuing cheers. Pink but callused fingers quickly cleared the lead fouling in the smoothbore gun barrel, reloading bullets.
After confirming this round’s firing, Wu Zhantie confirmed the enemies still had no armor. Thus, he didn’t let the cavalry charge first, but had the Horned People fix bayonets.
After three rounds of firearms emptied, Horned People clustered together with slogans, forming a steel hedgehog, while Lizardmen with stone hammers charging could smash away four or five with raised hammers, but their crocodile-like sharp chest skin was pierced.
After entangling with Horned People for twenty minutes, Wu Zhantie blew the slogan, cavalry began surprise attack, heavy armor rhinoceros cavalry charged out from the jungle flank, Lizardmen caught off guard.
As the Lizardmen’s rear was smashed down a large patch by golden melons, the Lizardmen collectively began to rout, chased by cavalry dozens of times fewer than them.
The battle ended quickly, Lizardmen captives with broken legs and heavy bleeding would have wounds simply cut open to remove projectiles, bandaged, since Southern Border magic has “Spring Return Technique” effect, using tree sap adhesion, extracting specific herbs tree sap to regenerate cells, most of these Lizardmen could survive, contributing to Wu Family’s road construction and field reclamation in the Southern Border.
Horned People excitedly watched these big ones, following orders stamped pork chops on some strong captives, marking them as priority picked slaves.
Compared to Horned People’s excitement, Wu Zhantie’s was a hundred times more. Because he saw shiny pendants on the Lizardmen leader, and weighing them, these things were heavy.
The entire Southern Border had no large smelting smoke signs, and these shiny metal products were undoubtedly real gold.
He smilingly picked a handy female Lizardman for questioning, took out sesame candy from his bosom to sell, in this female Lizardman’s naive pure answer, he learned those shiny metal products were picked from sand in a river flowing from a holy mountain fifty kilometers away.
He particularly liked this Lizardman’s big eyes, so he squatted down and took out a “Holy Ash Pill”.
…Trouble from philanthropy…
Early in the 34th year of the Shu Tian Calendar, Wu Fei was planning the future distant trading posts in the Southern Ling River while writing, after hearing the door bell pulled, he put down his pen, and asked the messenger reporting: “How are the exploration team’s casualties?”
Messenger: “Four wounded, but all carried out on stretchers, just, Lord Zhantie also got a minor injury, currently unable to move.”
“Puff puff” birds outside the window took flight, Wu Fei felt a jolt in his heart, then movements stalled, slowly asked, “How did he get injured?”
The southward exploration team totaled seven hundred thirty-four people, among them Wu Family disciples and clan servants only fifty-seven, Wu Fei to prevent Wu Zhantie from epidemic disease, not only focused on testing him in camping, water sourcing etc. subjects in assessments, but also gave him poison repellent medicine, decent armor, according to current combat drill manual, unless ambushed midway, he was extremely hard to injure.
And now total four injured, Wu Zhantie took one? This made Wu Fei feel something off, could he have temper tantrum whipping Horned People too hard, causing Horned People mutiny? Injured in the dispute? Wu Fei frowned: “Didn’t I tell him, can whip during training, but treat well in wartime!”
If vassal troops’ loyalty really had issues, this exploration team must be immediately isolated! Strictly review disloyal leaders, the rest sent to mine.
Wu Family Army now as external force entering then ruling this heaven and earth, currently cannot tolerate any “rebellious” will appearing in its supported armed forces!
Because Southern Border natives’ local scale numbers too many, if indulging bottom-up opposition, in a few years, natives’ ambitious ones could “reverse the heavenly gang”.
Under Wu Fei’s especially icy gaze, the messenger stammered and had to sell out his captain bit by bit: “General, Captain Wu Zhantie was unfortunately assassinated.”
Words just out, no chance to ease, instead the whole hall grew colder, Wu Fei drawled: “Misreporting military intelligence is punishable by beheading, but latest military rules implemented, now is your time to defend yourself.”
Latest military rules prevent such: officers hearing disliked words, directly wave hand to behead messenger; this rule guards against those Wu Family disciples, who heard storytellers in marketplaces, really thinking they can do that.
Wu Fei’s personal soldier nearby threatened the messenger: “Inaccurate information transmission is grave sin! Speak!”
Then explained military law to him. —Sure enough, this messenger paled, hurriedly kowtowed admitting guilt.
Wu Fei added pressure nearby: “Some special intelligence you think shouldn’t be public, can report secretly, but cannot not report!”
Wu Fei’s words like siege ram, directly broke this messenger’s psychological defense. Ten minutes later, Wu Fei’s selected personal soldier came out from next door temporary interrogation room, with strange expression, relayed to Wu Fei, Wu Fei abruptly stood, cursing: “This damn well deserved!
Wu Fei looked at the dragged out messenger, cursed: “He felt it embarrassing, so wanted you to beautify it, right!”
Messenger kowtowed: “My lord, this lowly one was bewitched, shouldn’t have taken~” He
That “taken money’s take” not finished, was kicked in mouth by Wu Fei, cursing: “Your brain has shit.”
Nearby personal soldier hurriedly held down this messenger and slapped him to shut up.
Wu Fei’s personal soldier knew why Wu Fei flared: “This messenger’s brain definitely has shit, inaccurate intelligence transmission can be stupidity, a few whips enough; but if confessing he took Wu Zhantie’s money to conceal in reporting, then big trouble. Because by military law this is definite beheading.”
Wu Fei today didn’t want to kill, wanted to play dumb on some things. After all in Southern Ling River edge, strictly speaking, currently troops stationed in Southern Ling River edge too few, hard to cultivate a glib tongue, directly chop, hard to replace. And bribe-giving Wu Zhantie also done for, so kicked his mouth before he finished.
Then tossed a bag of “injury nurturing money” to messenger, along with “alter military intelligence” military rule page, let him memorize more.
Nearby personal soldier got it, after Wu Fei stormed out slamming door, personal soldier stayed to comfort this messenger soldier: “This matter on scales would be death, but now scales too full, general didn’t escalate! Next, in military law trial there, some things can confess, some cannot!”
Note: Why go through military court, not directly suppress? Only related personnel on military law scales know severity, know the entire system’s suppression of this matter! If Wu Fei directly suppressed, equals telling these bratty boys, Wu Fei can cover this, so when drinking they boast wildly.
…Wu Fei: How so trouble-prone, back then I was just, um, thinking of alcohol ban time, uncle helping wipe my ass…
Wu Fei assembled eight hundred personally went south, to pick up Wu Zhantie’s exploration team. Dragon Horse flying queue flew treetop level, en route Tusi tribes prepared beans and fodder for feeding horses.
Wu Zhantie lay on stretcher, caught off guard seeing sullen-faced Wu Fei, felt chill on neck. —In this Southern Border one year, he now respected and feared this clan brother, respect for thoroughly submitting to difficulty of unifying this Southern Border, fear of really worrying this time legs broken, kicked back to clan.
Wu Fei without a word, directly lifted his quilt, seeing him clutching bleeding lower body, said sinisterly: “Your injury so coincidental!”
Wu Zhantie wanted to say something, Wu Fei instructed nearby medical master: “Use best medicine, arrange Spring Return Technique too.”
Turned to Wu Zhantie: “One month time. After healed, wait for military cudgel.”
Now Southern Prefectural Soldiers as colonial army corps, nature is tiny noble troops combined with local vassal army, similar to Tang in Western Regions mode; such troops, upper layer has extremely high freedom! Precisely this extreme freedom attracts more pioneers to further south higher risk areas.
…But can’t be too free…
Wu Fei pulled off the cloth Wu Zhantie clutched tightly, lifted his underwear to carefully check the injury, frowned, that thing though reattached with “spirit glue” that can regrow severed fingers, but at reconnect joint, a ring of swollen scar like tree tumor.
As for why that female Lizardman so hatefully struck there? Naturally this turtle bastard did particularly hateful thing.
Half month ago, he fed the female Lizardman pill to shed scales become human-like, deceived body, deceived feelings. From female Lizardman, Wu Zhantie learned Lizardmen holy land’s splendor, prepared to go rob holy land gold under enfeoffment pretext.
However matter leaked, that night Wu Zhantie was plotted against by female Lizardman during her active service.
Evening, pleading Wu Zhantie aggrieved to Wu Fei: “Brother Fei, I learned from you too, get some money to subsidize.”
Wu Fei clutching head cursed this Wu Family cousin learning his own skinning: “Learned from me?! I taught you well, did you listen seriously? Half bottle water wandering out, randomly scheming, learn fully, if deceiving sex don’t covet wealth, covet wealth don’t deceive sex. Dare drag me again, believe it or not I’ll snap your third leg.”
