Chapter 11: What Is “unbenevolent”
Inside Yongji Pass, reforms were carried out at the checkpoint entrance and exit. The coachmen in the new wave entering the pass discovered something novel: the way the soldiers guarding the city gate inspected goods had changed.
In the past, for a caravan to enter the pass, soldiers would check each vehicle one by one at the city gate, occasionally extorting and demanding bribes.
But now, these squad leaders at the city gate held bamboo slips one by one, and according to the goods reported by the merchants, they found the guarantor for each vehicle to verify. Before verification, the soldiers engraved marks on the bamboo slips with a knife; after verification was complete, the bamboo slips were snapped into two segments along the middle engraved mark. After the caravan entered the city, it was separated by the government soldiers on duty and taken to different channels, where goods were declared according to the type on the “postal slip” (meaning postage stamp) in the merchants’ hands!
The channels led to different barbican areas. After the caravan arrived in the area, the “checkpoint person in charge” of that area began inspecting the goods.
On the checkpoints divided by postal slip, every checkpoint’s inspection personnel actually specialized in their respective fields.
For example, at checkpoint number one, they checked if salt contained smuggled contraband such as “sulfur saltpeter,” and the inspection personnel who dealt with salt a lot could naturally spot the tricks.
At checkpoint number two, the customs inspectors in the “cotton cloth” channel, over time, also knew the weight of a cart of cloth versus a cart of cotton. With one glance at the pressure of the wheels on the sand and a knock on the horse cart, they could sense if hard goods (ironware) were mixed into the cotton cloth.
As for checkpoint number three, in the “wood” “jade” channels, when two jade peddlers looked at each other in bewilderment, the soldiers with some experience specifically inspecting such goods awakened “hunter perception,” and subsequently, the jade hidden by hollowing out wood in a cart of mixed wood was inspected out.
This was a situation that did not exist when goods were mixed-inspected in the past. After checking one or two vehicles at most city gates, with the boss saying a few nice words like “soldier brother, we’re in a hurry, could you do us a favor?” along with a bag of copper coins, the gate guard would wave his hand slightly and signal his subordinates holding spears to let them pass. Hence there was a term “muddle through.”
After the current Yongji Pass reform, when several merchants were caught smuggling and both vehicles and people were detained, the merchants rarely tried small tricks in this regard anymore.
Because reality made them understand that the cost of hiding goods had begun to exceed the cost of declaring goods!
And those checkpoint personnel inspecting goods also did not take money, because they wore a neat and form-fitting uniform similar to night clothes, with not even one pocket on it. But once undeclared goods passing the checkpoint were found, the bamboo slip was sent up, and after shift change that evening, silver money rewards would be distributed.
…Transmigrator’s dividing line…
Xuan Chong did not understand what a “modernization” customs system looked like, but coming from modern society, he had seen that traffic police issuing tickets on site and going to the station to pay fines were two different programs, and accountant and cashier were also two different processes.
Xuan Chong: So-called modernization is to separate functions, refine division of labor, and then mutual supervision.
That is, knowing what the system is responding to and what goals it is built for, those who accept modern thinking and are committed to it can explore and build according to the situation.
…Everything helpful to order is being tried…
Nowadays, after the caravan separates for declaration, it begins to follow postal slip guidance. The owners hold the stamp on it to find direction signs, arrive at the designated area, and different goods caravans are led by people to different checkpoints, going through a set of declaration process. After getting the postal slip, they pay taxes, collect their goods, and pass the checkpoint.
Merchants go through the process outside the wooden railings of the service office. Inside the wooden railings are more than forty accountant’s offices in five city towers of the checkpoint, divided into eight offices handling accounts. Goods types and exit amounts are all recorded in bamboo slips.
After the first month of operation of this “trade checkpoint,” Wu Fei witnessed all sorts of bizarre situations.
Before opening the pass, Wu Fei thought the main work was “salt” “ironware,” paying attention to sulfur and saltpeter. But once everything was weighed, Wu Fei sighed: “These traveling merchants’ ways are truly wild.”
Just then, a customs official came to consult on how to handle a special situation: a certain merchant reported an unusually large number of “female dependents.”
At first hearing, hmm, so what if there are many female dependents? What’s there to report? We check checkpoint goods, not interfere in people’s private lives.
But Wu Fei saw the expression of this customs personnel and knew this was definitely not a simple matter.
Upon careful check, good grief, what female dependents? It was smuggling human trade! And now the customs reported this matter up! Actually wanting to know how to set the tax rate for this trade, after all, the young general’s current customs system collects large amounts of silver money daily, all concerning the brothers’ interests.
So cargo vehicles that were previously overlooked with one eye open and one eye closed are now inspected!
This put Wu Fei in a difficult position, because according to his previous life memories, his own customs had no tax rate for human trade. Which proper customs handles this kind of goods? —Oh, America’s probably has management experience in this regard.
Right now in this feudal era, this was still a kind of “trade.” Wu Fei had not thought of prohibiting this trade; after all, he couldn’t even shut down the brothels behind the checkpoint.
You know, back when he had just joined the army and carried out his uncle’s order to check illicit liquor, it gave him a very profound lesson! That is, do not think a single prohibition order can be fully implemented at the lower levels.
Soldiers conscripted from rural areas these days are “young boys leaving home return as old men.” What keeps these men devoted to the border their whole lives? Etiquette and morality? Or looking at the distant Divine Capital emperor and noble families enjoying fine clothes and food, grand mansions and beautiful maidservants?
Xuan Chong: Fairness is needed, but the group that can wield the knife must be prioritized for fairness over other groups.
…Only in the eager anticipation from below is authority truly authority…
Under the gaze of the customs personal soldier’s “loyal suggestion,” Wu Fei pinched his nose and set declaration standards for human trade. Male slaves declared according to “how many shi of heavy goods they can lift,” and the slaves’ food and clothing were no longer the cargo owner’s responsibility but the checkpoint’s, that is, to prevent cargo owners from having male slaves lift less weight to deduct customs duties.
At this time, the system timely sent a historical document.
Xuan Chong compared it: “Hey, America really does have it, and many details I hadn’t considered. Check teeth wear and tear, rinse with clean water every time entering and exiting the cage to prevent contagion, drape with cotton cloth. For diet, every time entering the slave trading area, give fried chicken—um, chicken is too expensive, fried tofu to supplement energy.” As for “female goods” quality evaluation and price assurance (omitted).
…One month later…
Another day of checkpoint work ended. Xuan Chong looked at the “human goods” area, where slaves in various wooden cages were stripped naked, classified, and huddled inside, while outside the cages it was orderly, buyers and sellers inspecting goods at the viewing platform. Even from hundreds of meters away, there was a sour stench from the people. Previously at livestock markets there was that ruminant smell, but Xuan Chong had never imagined people could smell like that! Because in his previous life, those people all bathed; gathered together they only smelled of shampoo and clothes washed with detergent.
Xuan Chong silently sighed, while nodding.
“Reducing people to slaves” is certainly inhumane, but! If “war’s ferocity” cannot be controlled, that is the most inhumane.
Xuan Chong: On some future day, after my great army suffers heavy casualties under a firm city and finally breaches the city wall, how to curb my army soldiers’ demand for “blood reward” after victory?
How many generals in history answered with “great looting for three days” “no sheathing swords upon entering the city.”
But if the general links the “survival of city people” to the interests of those city-breaching soldiers after breaching the city? They probably wouldn’t kill indiscriminately.
Wu Fei (Xuan Chong) dislikes “slave trading,” but in this era he knows he accepts even less the disorderly great looting after capturing a city!
Enslaving the whole city is better than a mountain of skulls filling the city.
Wu Fei glanced at Zhao Tu, the loyal bodyguard following steadfastly by his side. This guy was not interested in money, only liked seizing heads on the battlefield. He had to keep an eye on him.
Wu Fei tallied the warehouse silver money and also began purchasing items. It was far from a time for high pillow and no worries. Oh, it could be said that as long as he held military power for one day, he would forever have to worry about the military camp this powder keg. While he still had speaking authority now, prepare more backups to ensure passing the next checkpoint.
Just as Wu Fei walked down the city tower, a personal soldier delivered a family letter. After Wu Fei read the bamboo slips, he muttered: “Another one to stuff in.”
…Killing intent and spiritual energy’s dividing line…
On Qinghua Mountain, streaks of sword qi tore through the long sky. This was a place some guy forced to accept “military strategist” inheritance sought but could not obtain.
Even without using “ascension gate” to other worlds (planets), this under heaven was vast and boundless for the human race. Around Da Yao there were many fierce beasts and birds of prey, many malignant miasmas and poisons, and also many barbarian tribe savages, eating raw meat and drinking blood, hence rarely visited by humans. Even within the Central Plains, between mulberry fields and farmsteads, there sat some mountains and strange valleys unreachable by ordinary people.
In a refined hut on Qinghua Mountain, a sword-browed star-eyed youth was looking out the window when suddenly he seemed to see something in the valley’s clouds and mist, and a silver spear appeared in his hand.
After gripping the long spear, the spear body was like lightning, instantly extending hundreds of zhang, the spear tip reaching into the cloud sea, precisely hitting a vortex within. As the vortex was pierced and scattered, the mist in the valley melted into the clear breeze.
After the time of one cup of tea, sunlight filled the valley. Disciples controlling swords inside and outside the valley saw this scene and involuntarily stayed away, though some inner sect disciples were unfazed.
Some disciples even joked: “Senior Brother Hengyu is competing with the flowers and grass in the valley again.”
On Qinghua Mountain, Wu Hengyu was an anomaly; others controlled swords, he wielded the great spear.
However, this time, after piercing the valley’s mist, Wu Hengyu confined in the refined hut received a message from the “immortal crane messenger.”
This immortal crane with three-zhang wingspan circled above the refined hut, its long beak like a swordsman’s sword technique, pecking at the prohibition on the refined hut a few times, like a key inserting into a lock. The cloud mist prohibition enveloping the valley unfolded like petals, layer by layer returning to the slopes on both sides. And in the originally white hazy valley, the grotto-heaven suddenly appeared.
Wu Hengyu, who had been meditating in the prohibition, immediately stepped out on clouds once the prohibition opened, but handsome for only three seconds, the immortal crane’s beak pecked lightly, and Wu Hengyu fell flat to the ground at the valley mouth like a wild goose landing.
Wu Hengyu flattered the immortal crane: “Senior Brother Cangtian, don’t peck.”
The immortal crane landed on a pine tree, its long legs scraping at the cloud mist hanging on the pine, and its crane beak issued the young master’s cold voice: “The reflection hut is for restless sect disciples to calm their minds, but your hot temper disturbed this serene place. Come on, Master wants to see you.”
…Clouds and mist flowing, one crane and one man, circling up the mountain…
Wu Hengyu knelt in the sect main hall, while outside the hall, lightning flashed in the clouds.
Dao Venerable Huayun looked at this impetuous disciple and sighed: “Hengyu, how many years have you been on the mountain?”
Wu Hengyu: “This disciple has been on the mountain through five springs and six autumns.”
Huayun sighed: “Almost six years. When you entered the sect, your wild strength was hard to contain; in a blink, many years passed, and your valor is still growing.”
Wu Hengyu: “This disciple is obtuse.”
Dao Venerable Huayun: “Enough. Now under heaven will have great changes; go down the mountain.”
Wu Hengyu raised his head, his face full of confusion.
The Dao Venerable added: “The ancestral master’s path does not suit you; go down the mountain and seek opportunity.”
Wu Hengyu, suddenly driven down the mountain, wanted to say something.
Dao Venerable Huayun waved his fly whisk: “No matter what, you and I have master-disciple affinity. I give you three artifacts to aid you in gaining achievements after going down the mountain.”
In the main hall, a halberd spear flashing with golden light stood before him — “Star River Spear,” weighing six thousand jin, can be large or small, as one wishes.
Wu Hengyu glanced at it and couldn’t look away, tentatively asking: “This is a ‘treasure artifact’?!” — Second generation disciples of the sect used spiritual artifacts; treasure artifacts were a higher level, characterized by “weighing a thousand jun, only the artifact master can wield.” Dao Venerable Huayun nodded.
Wu Hengyu gripped the Star River Spear with both hands, silently recited the incantation, and the spear turned to golden light and shrank directly disappearing. Wu Hengyu looked at his arm, only to see the spear patterned on it.
With a thought, the spear reappeared in his hand.
Next, a box appeared before Hengyu. Wu Hengyu opened the treasure box, and inside was a suit of armor — no need for the Dao Venerable to introduce; upon touching the box, he knew its name: “Quenched Sun Armor,” high-grade spiritual artifact, characteristic of not fearing water or fire (immune to most elemental damage).
After donning the armor, Wu Hengyu raised his head to look at his master, awaiting the third treasure.
At this time, the wind and thunder outside the main hall grew closer, the prohibitions seemingly failing, but Dao Venerable Huayun smiled: “It’s here.”
Amid the gathering wind and thunder, a colossal creature three zhang tall and eight zhang long stopped outside the main hall, its hair black and eyebrows white, prostrating down waiting.
When Wu Hengyu and this divine beast whose head alone was horse cart-sized gazed at each other, both seemed to peer into each other’s hearts — the Dao ancestor’s narrating voice rang in Wu Hengyu’s ear: it has ‘Suanni’ bloodline, you can call it Wuzhui.
Wu Hengyu looked up at this divine beast. The Suanni’s black gemstone-like large eyes reflected Wu Hengyu, confusion in the divine beast’s eyes, but soon turning to recognition. And Wu Hengyu was confused, because in the bewilderment, he seemed to have another self. But for the moment he couldn’t recall.
With Dao Venerable Huayun’s enlightenment, the massive divine beast began to shrink, becoming a divine steed with base black fur mixed with pale.
……
On Yongji Pass, Wu Fei, who was entertaining another distinguished guest, felt the system suddenly activate.
System: “Various Heavens obsession invasion detected, tracing back, suspected nomadic type appeared. Preparing to activate secondary campus security facilities.”
Xuan Chong: “What’s up.”
System: “Nothing, study well. I’ll tell you when to pay attention.”
Xuan Chong: “You got in trouble?”
System: “You’d better not gloat, or I won’t care about you.”
