Chapter 120: War Drums
In Yao Capital City, news regarding Your Majesty going on a tour and Prince Zhou serving as Regent quickly spread.
The cries of the Black Birds on the Nine Heavens Palace also became cheerful, as if naughty children hearing their parents were leaving, their tone becoming smug.
For the Imperial Family, even a family banquet, every word from the Emperor counts as a public statement. After the nobles attending the banquet return home, they will summon advisors to discuss, and while advisors discuss, there will be servants attending, and thus some people mixed in among the servants can obtain the news.
In the palace, Emperor Shu looked at his itinerary for the western hunt. This time leaving the capital city, the ministers who in the past advised against it citing “Your Majesty’s body worth thousands of gold cannot move lightly” now most of them were silenced, and he coldly snorted in displeasure.
While Emperor Shu was silently pondering, the eunuchs in the palace knew that at this time the sovereign’s might was unpredictable, so they lowered their heads and served carefully, no longer pretending to be clever and guessing the Emperor’s mind as before. Because at this time Your Majesty was deliberately picking faults.
Emperor Shu now had some bias against his son and was looking for someone to blame.
Even an ordinary old farmer father would doubt his adult son’s ability, always pointing out to his son not to be clumsy while tending crops; this kind of “doubt” in the Imperial Family would be amplified.
Although Emperor Shu had confirmed Prince Zhou as heir, he was dissatisfied with the people gathered around Prince Zhou.
At least, Emperor Shu was very dissatisfied with how Prince Zhou arranged these people. Just like an old farmer dissatisfied with his son’s spacing when planting crops and the force when digging holes.
Over these many years, the various types of ministers in the Imperial Court, such as “virtuous and talented,” “virtuous but untalented,” “loyal and devoted,” “wolf’s ambition,” Emperor Shu had a clear count in his heart. (Similar to Liu Bei being able to see that Ma Su was not up to great tasks, while Zhuge Liang did not know, because previously Zhuge Liang lacked the power to promote and test Ma Su), Emperor Shu had commanded these people for so many years and had already arranged them properly.
And now these people began centering around his son, but his son did not understand the backgrounds of these people, which made them dare to rely on their superficial performances in front of his son to reorder themselves. This instantly triggered Emperor Shu’s “obsessive-compulsive” tendencies.
Xuan Chong summarized such situations historically: In student days, one always knew how the books in the room were messed up, but when others helped tidy them, one could not find them and became extremely irritated. Presumably, between father and son in the Imperial Family, there existed this “tidying books” contradiction.
In the palace, Emperor Shu looked at the intelligence from secret agents on “Prince Zhou’s Mansion,” his expression very gloomy and cold, and ordered the Secret Guards left in Prince Zhou’s Mansion to watch closely without alerting them.
Because letting those ambitious people jump out was one of his purposes; this tour, first to let the heir familiarize with managing affairs. Second, to warn those favored imperial relatives to know the taste of “losing their backer,” to work diligently. Third, the situation in the west this year was rotten, so he wanted to go reprimand them.
Emperor Shu did not think himself old; he wanted to show his son in all aspects how to be lord of Under Heaven. Whether in government affairs or military matters.
Emperor Shu began assembling troops, five thousand elite Capital City guards’ forces. With the decree issued, these capital city soldiers donned their best armor, mounted their best mounts, and formed ranks to march out of the city.
He planned to, upon returning, properly sort out the people around Prince Zhou.
…Perspective switch…
Sha Prefecture, the most fertile river valley area, Hao Army main camp here, in the camp Zhao Cheng lit a lamp and was looking at the Da Yao Northern map.
Regarding news of Emperor Shu touring the west, Hao State side had already obtained information through secret agents. — Small states confronting great powers pay more attention to such details. While inside Da Yao, although scholar-officials were unlikely to be bribed by petty gains, the servants in scholar-official families were very likely to fall into traps under a feast with wine and dozens of taels silver money’s bribery, passing the news to the enemy state.
On this point, intelligence about Wu Fei about to rush to aid was actually also on Zhao Cheng’s desk; but due to Da Yao Capital City populace viewing Eastern Market Army with a “dandy disciples” filter perspective, in the sea of intelligence transmissions, Zhao Cheng overlooked it in a rare lapse.
In the tent, under lamp after lamp of oil lamps, Zhao Cheng’s advisors were also negotiating: this year’s war, fight the east or the west? Since last year they tore an opening in the west, and militarily forced some tribes on the grassland to follow, according to the principle of “evenly harvesting leeks,” this year they should plunder the east.
The advisors split into two factions for discussion, unfolding their views around the silk book map, the silk book mountains and rivers manifesting various spring-summer transition scenes with the advisors’ spirits infused (like a computer system entered with data).
However, Zhao Cheng waved his hand, confirming: “We should not change strategy.”
The reason was simple: after Emperor Shu leaves, the eastern fiefdoms lack motivation to advance and can be set aside; if strongly attacking the east, it would instead provoke these fiefdoms to unite. Conversely, going west, seemingly Da Yao’s elite troops would follow to guard Emperor Shu, forming immense pressure.
But Zhao Cheng: “After Emperor Shu personally expeditions, Da Yao frontline generals’ combat decisions will lose autonomy; generals will have to first request instructions from Emperor Shu. However, I think Emperor Shu lacks the ability to command ten thousand troops.”
Note: When Emperor Shu personally expeditions, fiefdoms must deviate from predetermined tracks; if not requesting instructions, defeat means being killed to scare the monkeys, victory means upper big shots taking most merit with strategic planning, one’s blood and sweat glossed over. Moreover, over these years Da Yao at the border has lost more than won. With Emperor Shu coming to command, it increases pressure of “failure” on Border Army, forcing them to preserve themselves wisely. Guarding by Emperor Shu’s side is safest, easiest; even without merit, there is hard work.
If Emperor Shu were a mounted Son of Heaven like Li Shimin, his advisors would have strategies for advancing and retreating, reward and punishment of ten thousand troops; unfortunately he is not.
Zhao Cheng, from intelligence transmitted, saw Emperor Shu’s depth at a glance, immediately associating with previous life, his own lord who could not “more troops the better” in leading troops but only “commanding generals,” who ended up suffering a big setback at White Mountain.
In Yao Capital City, Wu Fei summarized Emperor Shu’s self-knowledge of “can fight, cannot fight” only four or five years ago; Zhao Cheng this veteran general is stronger in such “battle sense.”
These years clashing with Da Yao’s various troops, for most battles before starting, he could determine the ‘odds of victory’ in his heart. Zhao Cheng in full battle armor drew a line on the map’s west side, preparing troops to press the west.
…Group after group of carrier pigeons, only three of these carrier pigeons released by Zhao Cheng…
In Hao State, King Hao was discussing the Great General’s memorial. On the pitch-black brick steps, besides native Da Yao joiners, there were Dragon Descendants, Haotian Realm’s Guotai people, even two golden-haired knights from other realms.
Pu E nodded after seeing Zhao Cheng’s remonstrance requesting to send troops, while King Hao beside pinched his hand, sidelong glance observing Pu E’s expression.
King Hao was not worried about Zhao Cheng suffering troop losses, but rather Hao State’s various factions worried about this Great General’s power.
Consecutively two years expanding west, those Yao People local strongmen invested in Hao State now added new forces to Hao State. Now newly recruited tens of thousands of soldiers all provided by these local strongmen, but they also brought the infighting between Yao Capital’s noble families and clans here, demanding shares from King Hao after contributing men and effort.
Among them, a portion self-proclaimed as loyal faction forces began helping King Hao guard against Grand Tutor’s power of Pu E’s line.
Moreover, Haotian’s Da Yao local strongmen also did not hope Zhao Cheng forever stands with Pu E.
Due to being in the vortex of power, Pu E could not completely avoid these influences.
After all, this Zhao Cheng historically had the stain of “declaring himself King of Qi.” This was precisely why later that lord of “White Mountain Siege” preferred going himself rather than letting him out to pacify rebellion. After all, at that time, if Zhao Cheng rebelled, who could suppress him?
When Pu E first recruited Zhao Cheng, she did not like Zhao Cheng’s manner of “lacking kingly might yet seeking to climb heaven.”
And now, in Hao State, which general could stand up to Zhao Cheng?
Pu E looked at the people in the Imperial Court, knowing their current minds were mostly wanting to push this tough job to Zhao Cheng.
At the court assembly, King Hao did not reject Zhao Cheng’s western expedition strategy, but restricted the troop numbers Zhao Cheng requested, not giving five thousand elite but reducing to fifteen thousand elite.
However Pu E frowned: The center gaining safety by cutting frontline generals’ command troops is not a good strategy. Because for famous generals, building new troops via core framework is basic; fewer troops, then conscript locally at the frontline.
Pu E: In the multiverse calculation area’s certain historical line template, that Hongwu Emperor completed conscription just relying on eighteen brothers.
Even for them, fewer old troops brought out means more opportunity for famous generals to promote their confidants, because original positions still controlled by court-appointed generals.
To truly control capable warring generals, not compete for rights in the military, but grasp appointments of civil officials in their logistics.
…Haotian themselves unaware of their own pettiness…
On the other side, Wu Fei also led his army out of the city, two thousand troops divided into three camps marching.
In the central military tent, Wu Fei took out the map, pointed to the dock, post station, and other points, and said to those who had previously drawn the top lots: “These are our army’s retreat routes. Each of you take fifty men to control these places. You are allowed to train able-bodied men into the troops. This is our army’s retreat route; no one who comes to seize it can have it.—Even if people are sent from the Imperial Court, you must be prepared to ‘obey not the emperor’s orders when the general is in the field.’ If someone tries to pressure you with their hat, just push it directly onto me.
As early as in the Capital City, while those rope-puller soldiers were playing with whores, Wu Fei was already planning how to increase troop sources.
Before setting out, Wu Fei had repeatedly allowed the rope-puller troop sources to go back and publicize their lives, so those labor gathering points all spread the “benefits of being big soldiers.”
After the army left the city, Wu Fei began procuring grain along the way, while dispatching eighteen squads, each with twenty men, to various docks, as well as inns and trade route gathering points along the way to find people.
…Various docks and inns welcomed the Grasping Sparrows’ scourge…
In Qunyou Crossing, this marketplace with fewer than a thousand people, today they learned there would be a big job. So the idlers gathered early here to prepare for work. Neatly dressed soldiers arrived, and a batch of dock workers were unloading cargo. After unloading was finished, basins of red-braised pork and rice were brought up, and they began inviting these dock workers to eat.
The dock was full of harmony, short-term workers praised the employer’s generosity, idlers kept entering the site to freeload on the meal, suddenly the tooth men on the dock were tied up by the soldiers, then all the people eating on site were also detained, then immediately gathered together, collectively changed into clothes, and five per rope tied to each other.
A non-commissioned officer told these people that they had become braves conscripted by the Imperial Court’s army.
Instantly there was an uproar, some stevedores shouted that they had elders and children at home, but after being whipped back with horse whips, they could only hold their heads and cry. These unlucky bastards were dragged away just like that, and they subsequently passed multiple stations, seeing the laborers grabbed together with them.
These laborers were hung with signs, then managed under collective responsibility regulations. A few days later, five hundred of them gathered at the station, guarded by soldiers.
Fortunately: these soldier masters did not skimp on their grain.
…”Grabbing able-bodied men” is an Imperialism specialty, cannot not taste it…
Three days after setting out, all docks and stations along the way were like being baptized by a storm, all the idlers who had originally been invited to work were in a daze tied to twenty stations. These stations Wu Fei had previously procured grain for training.
Of course, these able-bodied men could not go directly into battle like this; after all, some truly had elders and children at home to support, and dragging them straight to the battlefield would make them run.
For this, Wu Fei arrived at these stations, faced the able-bodied men squatting like chicks in fear, and announced the policy: groups of thirty from those grabbed, select three to go back report the news,—this way the spots are limited, some who could eat their fill alone without hungering the family couldn’t account to their buddies.
Then clatter the money box opened, Wu Fei: each one going back to report comes to take thirty silver leaves, this money is to be brought to the families of those not going back. Every month I will issue it at the station where you were grabbed from.
Facing those pitiful gazes, Wu Fei warned: the army fights for half a year, after half a year the rest can each return home, (those going back to report don’t expect to greedily keep the money).
The able-bodied men looked up and whispered among themselves, previously if grabbed to the battlefield they absolutely wouldn’t come, but now after grabbing them over, allowing some to go back report the news, they suddenly felt “this general is pretty good.”
Thus, they began discussing, and after half a shichen, completed the election.
Wu Fei ordered the non-commissioned officers to record each one taking money, then loudly report their group, afterwards, the other able-bodied men stared.
Wu Fei simultaneously gave them a reassurance: rest assured, I will send people to protect the reporters back to the dock, and every dock has money shops, no strongmen will rob midway. The money will definitely reach your families.
After these reporting able-bodied men were escorted by troops on boats back to the original docks, Wu Fei looked at the able-bodied men below, and on the spot began distributing clothes, and a big pot poured with rice and lard, beginning to give this station’s able-bodied men a full meal.
As for next, it was to train them!
The massive iron lion deliberately passed through these able-bodied men camps, like a tank reviewing troops on the plaza, while the non-commissioned officers in charge of training took the chance to teach them to sing: First, resolve to repay the emperor’s grace, second, task relies on officers to teach. Third, on march do not harass the people, our pay silver all from people’s lard.……
Transgression and such, only when those above want to find trouble will they grab and strictly judge.
Now with arrow on the string, Emperor Shu sending him to the North is for a victory.
Now, all charges can be piled up unlimitedly, press them all on after losing, but if win, all can be canceled.
…Perspective to the vanguard…
Wu Fei’s vanguard of one thousand was quickly arriving at the Northern frontline, in the vanguard, Wu Hong sat in the war chariot scouting the forward queue ahead, beside him was Capital City disciple Hong Qiang.
Hong Qiang: Southern barbarian, you say when you all were strangling those barbarian tribes in the Southern Region, did you also advance while grabbing people like this?
The one called Southern barbarian Wu Hong was not annoyed, he hadn’t rarely called these Capital City dandies “shrimp crawlers,” with this title, both sides had long fought over it, and while swinging fists at each other, reached consensus, privately both sides could call, but in formal occasions could not play around.
Wu Hong: Grabbing people? Only you all need to grab people. Over there when general exits closed-door cultivation, every village automatically follows.
Hong Qiang: How exactly is your general’s battle record in the Southern Border?
Wu Hong: Not me bragging, our family general fights “like this.”
Just as the words fell, a colorful light appeared in the sky above the army. All non-commissioned officers raised their heads to look at this floating spirit beast in the air,—Great Peacock.
Of course its name is “Ming Zun.” As the peacock swooped down, when Wu Fei passed over his own troops he showed excellent “riding skill,” came down from the peacock’s back, directly single-handed hooked on the peacock’s claws, (like coming out from helicopter cockpit, hanging on the helicopter landing gear), better to call out in mid-air to the many soldiers.
This was since the army’s formation, Wu Fei’s first time showing his giant beast mount. These non-commissioned officers accustomed to fine horses and fancy chariots in the Capital City raised their heads looking at the sky.
Wu Hong then resolved the crowd’s doubts: this is the Southern Border’s sacred beast.
The Capital City non-commissioned officers confirmed it was not something awarded by Emperor Shu, it was Wu Fei’s own, and Wu Fei previously hadn’t boasted about it at all.
