Chapter 115: Additional Historical Elements
In the 34th year of the Shu Tian Calendar, August, the warfare in the North underwent changes once again. Although Wei Guan’s troops were weakened, with tens of thousands of troops forcibly conscripted laborers, there were barely over a thousand proper armored soldiers, no tamed beasts at all, and Wangheng Sect and other immortal families had withdrawn their investments, no longer providing mounts to the disciples in Prince Bo’s armies in Yongzhou and Xingzhou.
But even so, Wei Guan’s Prince Bo raised the banner of “clearing the emperor’s side” and began mobilizing troops to invade Da Yao’s Suzhou region.
Wei Guan’s actions coordinated with the offensive from the Hao State in the Sha Prefecture region. Wei Guan began conquering the empire’s western border, several cities were captured, and tens of thousands of military and civilians were taken captive to the Western Regions. Spiritual birds carrying jade slips came and went.
Before the western border was breached, Da Yao’s Border Army sent multiple requests for aid to the Imperial Court. But the Hao State was in the North, preventing Da Yao from dividing its attention. The Imperial Court’s conservative ministers, after endless debate, ultimately did not send reinforcements to the West.
As Wu Fei’s Xuan Chong, he couldn’t help but recall the situations recorded many times in history books. When the Eastern Dynasty was held up in frontline campaigns, it had no time to respond to other changes.
Wu Fei recalled the refugees along that road, as well as the underreported situations at the various post stations. He could already imagine that the harsh officials in those directions had kicked in doors and levied taxes from every household.
The territory was too vast; sending troops to any battle line would drain the stability of that direction due to the supply foraging costs along the way.
For example, with Prince Bo’s current rebellion, dispatching a troop capable of winning would increase the difficulty of foraging supplies; and foraging too much would raise the probability of unrest in other northern areas.
Now the northern rebel army has been suppressed, and for the Da Yao Imperial Court, the cost is that many prefectures after the rebellions have been placed under military control by the suppressing armies. However, Da Yao’s squad leaders in the military don’t know governance; when feeding the troops, they still borrow grain from places like bandits.
The central Imperial Court has substantially lost its prefecture and county management capabilities over the war-torn conflict areas, regressing to feudalism. Granting military generals great power over local military and finances, making them the direct persons responsible for the region.
In Eastern history, the upper structure was like this, repeatedly going up and down between “great unification” and “feudal system,” crushing unlucky fools who couldn’t see “where the cart was heading” time and again, until technological progress reached the railway era, when local feudalism detached from the center was thoroughly suppressed.
…Notebook records…
Xuan Chong: One of the most basic conditions for maintaining the prefecture and county system is that the central hub has sufficient resources to maintain the military adjudication strength to resolve “local contradictions within the kingization scope.”
Xuan Chong: For borders, one cannot rashly move troops, but once conquering, one must charge over and eliminate the root.
This was also the importance of personally conducting “border exploration” work during the end of the Southern Border campaign a few years ago. The cost of “military adjudication” needs to be controlled.
Comprehensively strengthen economic, political, and cultural control within the border line; as for outside the border line, after my conquering army leaves, whether they are disloyal, I have no obligation to conquer.
For those vassals blocked outside the territory by rugged mountain passes, if our country has excess power, we can come beat you; if not, you declare yourself king, I don’t care.
But when I have time, I will ask why you didn’t come to pay tribute!
Wu Fei limited the cost of maintaining “kingization” to within what the Yongji Pass General’s Mansion could bear through precise calculations. The beatings the Southern Border hundred clans took were all given by Wu Fei.
If the Southern Border “kingization” maintenance work were handed over to Emperor Shu in the Divine Capital thousands of miles away, operated through several layers of bureaucratic system, the cost would multiply several dozen times.
Xuan Chong proactively participated in the “promulgating kingization” system through such cost calculations, playing an indispensable role. He reached a deal with Emperor Shu through good “work performance,” having him grant feudal authority over himself in the power system.
The fundamental reason Xuan Chong chose this path is that Emperor Shu is reasonable; not that stupid emperor born in the deep palace and raised by women. Only recognizing a piece of paper command, not costs.
Speaking of which, how would a muddled emperor operate? Immediately after border stability, kick out the regional governor who fought for this land, replace with his own family (son enfeoffed as prince) to manage the area’s resources. (Many 21st-century companies replicate this operation. Some born with silver spoons hold this logic and see nothing unreasonable.)
Now Xuan Chong’s (Wu Fei’s) Major General identity remains unchanged. Wu Hanluan’s General Who Pacifies the South identity also remains unchanged.
When Emperor Shu recalled Wu Fei, he did not “promote in name but demote in reality”; the general’s title remains in the Southwest direction, with no other additional appointments.
All of Emperor Shu’s “loyalty” tests were within what Xuan Chong could tolerate.
Relatively speaking, Emperor Shu in the northern direction did not do this. One command after another inciting local noble families and armies to fight each other.
Wu Fei: This may be because those military strategists haven’t learned to be “feudal lords,” unable to reconcile contradictions with locals; if like a paperhanger perfectly harmonizing local military and politics, the old witch wouldn’t dare incite.
Emperor Shu and these generals fighting back and forth only harmed the common people; no one is responsible for them, soldiers and bandits and harsh officials taking turns to exploit, leading to refugees fleeing.
…Decayed but not fallen…
“Hmm, this doesn’t seem right?” Xuan Chong suddenly felt puzzled while taking notes: “Da Yao has stood for five thousand years, with so many triggers in its state structure, not every generation has sage rulers, how has it been maintained? Similar crises should have happened before. Could there be some extra force?”
System: This question is currently out of syllabus. In this history class, you don’t need to analyze “elements outside the Da Yao historical system”; you only need to practice your historical experience summary.
Xuan Chong immediately became sensitive: “Hmm, so there really is an extra force interfering with this history, right!”
The System did not respond.
Xuan Chong quickly associated it with the “Zhu Er Prefecture” when he first practiced “military strategist.” There had been a “Common Union” event dozens of years ago; when it developed to the point of mobilizing a hundred thousand in rebellion, it did not spread like wildfire but was quickly extinguished.
According to Security Bureau related materials summary, the “Common Union” side at that time vigorously advanced water-powered workshop machinery and could drill “fire wells,” that is, natural gas wells, for forging.
At that time Wu Fei analyzed the reason: Da Yao this dynasty could summon “giant beasts,” “golden men,” and bow and arrow enchantments and other “magic” technologies to bombard that transmigrator’s immature technological buds. —And smugly thought himself conservative enough. Slowly stockpiling weapons. Only then not provoking unknown elements before technology maxed out.
But now thinking back, was the transmigrator back then really “overly arrogant” leading to failure?
Xuan Chong worried “that while doing things in this world, step by step approaching the goals I believe in, I also encounter unknown elements, causing all my calculations to come to nothing.” And hesitation arose in his heart.
The System popped up a window encouraging: “Your current academic credit exchanges can cope with the problem. Study well, don’t go off-topic in class.” —Then the System paused: “At least don’t go off-topic in this class.”
Xuan Chong: “Hmm, other classes, possible?”
System: “Math class, physics and chemistry, natural science, language, sports and other courses will all have related homework for you to solve. Learning must be step by step, don’t aim too high.”
Xuan Chong: “Hmm, when does this class end?”
When asking this question, Wu Fei felt the System was particularly unhappy. But the System still gave an answer.
On the System popup, it marked forty-five small hourglasses, with eighteen already emptied.
Xuan Chong wanted to ask more questions, System: “Class time, don’t ask when class ends.”
The conversation ended, although the confusion wasn’t resolved, the “unease” disappeared. The System vaguely revealed a “guarantee” that could curb “historical accidents,” as long as he studied seriously.
…In the sky, the Evil Moon was being pulled, preparing for a new round of merger…
“One two one, one two one, at ease!”
In the Da Yao Capital City, Wu Fei, who held the position of Jinwu Guard, still accepted Emperor Shu’s task of training a new army. —After all, as someone about to become Imperial Son-in-Law, belonging to the outer relatives camp, he should do one or two things for the Emperor.
Regarding training soldiers, Emperor Shu adopted Wu Fei’s suggestion, that is, recruit soldiers from the rope-puller teams, but in terms of personnel, Emperor Shu stuffed Wu Fei with a list, all nobles. A total of about twenty people.
In response, Wu Fei’s reply was that the list needed at least “two hundred people,” because he had to screen out seventy percent. And he also needed to write home for twenty people.
Emperor Shu approved.
After the previous failure to exterminate the Bo Prefecture rebellion leading to total collapse, Emperor Shu although didn’t say, already knew the Zhanlu Army and other capital guards were rotten. Knowing that if noble disciples sent over weren’t screened and whipped by new blood from outside, it would still be a bearish nest. Thus, he tacitly approved Wu Fei’s conditions.
Wu Fei on his side: Completely excluding court nobles from the new army is impossible; Emperor Shu’s new army first needs to be “reliable,” second “combat capable.” —Wu Fei knew his bottom line and compromised. And stayed within Emperor Shu’s boundary line, demanding as much power as possible.
However, Wu Fei had another request: to take the East Market of the Da Yao Capital City as the new army’s defense area! And in the northeast direction, an open area near multiple river traffics, allocate land to build barracks; Wu Fei named this place Small Station.
Nothing else, the canal traffic in East Market is sufficiently large, “oil and water” plentiful here. Can support the army. This is also why Xuan Chong had Wu Juwang and other adopted sons investigate the shipment volumes there. At that time, East Market’s gangs didn’t take the newly appointed Jinwu Guard seriously, so the marketplace peddlers below revealed all basic information to Wu Juwang and them without guard.
Yao Capital gangs have very quick information; knowing Wu Fei got the appointment, they would put Wu Fei’s intelligence on the black market to sell to those not short of silver money. And all the information-savvy people in East Market would guard against Wu Fei this outsider.
At that time, if Wu Fei wanted any East Market information again, it would be difficult.
Especially when Wu Fei training soldiers offends some interests, their connections would all come into play, even street coolies would be threatened in advance not to have deep communication with Wu Fei’s side with anyone in East Market.
…Now the despicable outsider takes the stage…
On Small Station’s drill ground, the brightly dressed officer corps led soldiers turned from rope-pullers wearing black livestock clothing, standing on the drill ground.
The brightly dressed are outer relatives nobles, who were sloppy just days ago, but after Wu Fei kicked out one-third at once, the remaining are those who can obey orders.
And these willing to obey orders, Wu Fei had all talked to one by one, understanding they were all sons born to concubines in their families. After all, Da Yao’s higher layers also guessed Emperor Shu’s intent; this new army is for pulling out to use. In short, for battlefield, with some risk. So no legitimate sons were sent.
After figuring out the composition of these guys willing to stay, Wu Fei did not require them to eat and live together with the rope-puller origin soldiers.
Wu Fei: After all, their remaining ambition now is to one day leap up in the family; you can’t make them feel class descent right away.
So the military must implement strict rank system arrangements, officers having separate food systems, separate military tent arrangements.
Of course Wu Fei himself must be the highest rank; on the drill ground, after personally beating down fifteen troublemakers, Wu Fei established his boss position. Relative to the freak Wu Hengyu, Xuan Chong can’t beat, but for this bunch of battlefield-newbie recruits, after being shaken in mind by Wu Fei’s killing intent, they were knocked down, horse whip choking neck to suffocate and faint.
After finally choking out a big guy named Li Xiaorong, Wu Fei looked at the remaining and mocked: Gentlemen, how many heads do you owe me? —These noble origin guys thus gave up the irritable route against Wu Fei.
After suppressing this bunch, Wu Fei instead remembered the challengers, focused on their performance, immediately praised after they slightly obeyed, delegated military law management rights to them. Quickly pull and beat this wave. Nothing more than painting pies: work well, Your Majesty is watching you, under me I guarantee you can fight out your own sky.
I fly: Although the old saying is “not fearing scarcity but inequality,” its extended application in the ruling class is “not unwilling to obey management, but you can’t manage me like lowly people.”
So, when Wu Fei trains this wave of noble non-commissioned officers sent by the court, their training system and punishment system are completely different from the rank-and-file soldiers. And precisely so, the training continued.
On the training ground, after a non-commissioned officer was punished by Wu Fei to do twenty push-ups, he immediately punished his subordinate rank-and-file soldiers with one hundred push-ups.
This is the authority Wu Fei gave these nobles; he himself won’t overstep to punish rank-and-file soldiers, and the right to punish rank-and-file soldiers is theirs.
Wu Fei: Don’t do any equality harmony; the way to quickly form combat power now is for non-commissioned officers to quickly master the drill manual; as long as quickly mastered, this special rank is deserved.
…Xuan Chong: Training imperialist troops with imperialist methods…
As the marching drill on the training ground proceeded.
Wu Fei casually demanded from the eunuch who came to inspect the training results: “An army to maintain combat power must have ambition. And to stimulate ambition, corresponding rewards must be prepared.”
The eunuch from the palace was originally very satisfied with this marching drill, but upon hearing Wu Fei demanding again, he paused slightly and reminded Wu Fei: “General, Your Majesty has been extremely gracious to you. You still need to self-motivate.”
Obviously feeling that Wu Fei repeatedly asking Emperor Shu for this and that might exhaust Emperor Shu’s patience.
However, Wu Fei pretended not to understand, actually no need to argue, because the two sides are not the same type of people, can’t think alike.
The eunuch has servant mentality; servants accept fate, believing everything is given by the emperor, hence feel unqualified to demand, demanding more only distances from His Majesty.
While Wu Fei has “scholar” mentality; now it’s not him demanding from the emperor, but doing things for the emperor; without resources can’t do things, more resources mean more things done.
Wu Fei: “The saying heavy rewards under brave husbands, but for His Majesty’s sake, rewards must be calculated precisely to support the new army scale; hence, separate rewards and punishments for non-commissioned officers and ordinary soldiers. Captains there have enough grace and might, but for soldiers here, I still need His Majesty to grant more dew.”
Xuan Chong found evidence from military strategy to persuade: “Officers from noble origins now compete for ambition in ‘simplicity in emperor’s heart’ prospects. While soldiers recruited from rope-pullers, how to make them feel their meritorious service is worthwhile!” (Xuan Chong: Some things Li Jing didn’t pass to Hou Junji make sense)
The eunuch paused, asked: “What does the General think is needed, might as well say clearly.”
Wu Fei opened his mouth to demand for East Market Army disciples: “East Market Captain position, and some special punishment powers.”
…Perspective to the sky palace…
Emperor Shu looked at the arriving eunuch, pondering deeply.
The eunuch seeing this probed: “Your Majesty, this southern barbarian doesn’t know etiquette, let this slave reprimand.”
Emperor Shu: “Didn’t let you speak.”
Then Emperor Shu waved his hand, the eunuch quietly waited by the side, but he felt he already understood the holy intent.
Emperor Shu began Yao Calculation; during the Yao Calculation, that touch of fiery red light tightly gripped in his palm stayed in the hand, without any detachment, but with the intense Yao Calculation, the sudden burst of killing intent still caused a burn on Emperor Shu’s palm.
Emperor Shu frowned, slightly clenched his palm, confirming “Chihong” hadn’t detached and was still stable, although a bit hot to handle.
Grasping rivers and mountains like holding thorns; grasping talented persons like holding burning charcoal.
When the country is affluent, one can choose not to use; but now national power is strained, can’t discard usable chess pieces just because afraid of pain.
Emperor Shu ordered the person beside to draft the imperial decree, then the imperial seal beside floated up and stamped the seal.
