Chapter 24: All Preparations
On the 9th of January in the 26th year of the Shu Tian Calendar, Gu Shou Pass was breached. All the defending military generals perished. On the same day, Prefect Han Yong, after the city fell, perished together with the tower in flames. Five days later, Huangyu City fell, and the Prefect Liu Rang sent by the Imperial Court fled abandoning the city.
Under Heaven was greatly shocked, and Emperor Shu in Yao Capital was even more furious, perhaps he, who prided himself on unparalleled martial achievements, was angry at losing territory for the first time in decades, or perhaps because he failed to grasp the hearts of his ministers.
In Emperor Yao’s eyes, Wang Lu had long been labeled negatively as a treacherous minister and rebel, and as soon as he fled abandoning the city, he could be executed as the defeated general who misled the country and the people in the eyes of the world. However, this treacherous minister he had labeled negatively in his heart actually died on the battlefield in the most impeccable manner, while his highly hoped loyal minister Liu Rang also failed to turn the tide after Gu Shou Pass fell, and advance north to defeat the enemy.
The resolute deaths of these two “treacherous ministers and rebels” made this Son of Heaven, who prided himself on knowing people, feel a sense of frustration like “I was clearly right, why is the outcome different.”
The Son of Heaven issued an imperial decree at the court assembly to dispatch an army of one hundred thousand for the northern expedition. This “army of one hundred thousand” would be led by four generals.
And Xuan Chong, as an observer, after learning the full story later, made a summary. The bureaucratic system of Da Yao has structural vulnerabilities, and key personnel in core operations are irreplaceable. Once bureaucratic individuals in key positions who play important roles are wrongly disliked and excluded by the top rulers, no replacements can be found in the short term, and the resulting structural dysfunction often causes the state to stumble and take a big fall during operation.
Therefore, as a wise ruler, one should not casually vent one’s temperament. Han Feizi: Main Dao states: “The ruler should not reveal what he desires.”
…Southern Ridge of Da Yao…
On Yongji Pass, Wu Fei looked at the monster trapped in the net rope cage.
This was a strange beast with a lion’s body, a raptor’s head, but huge eagle wings. This eagle-lion composite monster had a hooked bird beak as big as a peck, and a water buffalo horn beside its mouth was like a bug on a chicken’s beak.
The officers and soldiers at the border were surprised by such a strange thing, prodding the chicken meat with long spears to tease the monster in the big net, but Wu Fei was astounded in his heart: Griffin! How did this thing appear on his own plane.
But soon he got used to it, after all, earlier Wu Fei had even seen snake people riding spiny-backed dragons and such monsters.
And the official Da Yao Records of Foreign Lands also recorded the reason: Savage lands, not protected by the Human Realm, foreign stars often fall, this is the source of these strange things.
Meaning, places outside Da Yao are not protected by the Human Realm, so foreign objects from beyond the heavens often fall in, which is the reason for the appearance of various strange creatures.
At the same time, the southern border also recorded such situations: In the past, Chi You Soldiers caused chaos in the southern miasma, killing intent accumulated in long hills, the people there do not understand etiquette, and are good at raising strange beasts.
For example, in the first year of Shu Tian, the Lingnan army once captured a Ba Snake with plump feathered wings, upper body of a phoenix chicken, and lower body with a snake tail.
As for how these strange beasts like the griffin at present are made, Wu Fei’s understanding is to first forcibly biologically fuse two species through Hun Yuan Stone, then control the mutation through means like Qi Ling Dan, and finally complete the fusion.
Wu Fei did not know how this world solves problems like “species rejection,” but he understood the purpose of cultivating these “mutated species,” which, like humans domesticating horses, is for war.
In the two years Wu Fei has been in Lingnan, he has also been trying to tame monsters, the most notable being a batch of “stone rhinos” that can be ridden, are not afraid of flames, and their cold vulnerability is countered by wearing cotton armor. This is a domestication activity that people from Earth in his previous life failed to achieve, showing the level of spiritual techniques in “medicine, stone, and alchemy” here.
As for the griffin in front of him, Wu Fei approached it, reached out to stroke the feathers on the griffin’s head, trying to soothe it. The griffin immediately turned its head to peck. Its giant beak could crush ox horns. Wu Fei quickly withdrew his hand to dodge the disaster.
Since petting the head didn’t work, then pat the butt. Wu Fei soothes his own pet cat by rubbing its butt. However, soon the griffin struggled violently. Its tail whipped like a whip.
Wu Fei: Damn it, no matter how I touch it, it doesn’t work. So he grabbed an iron hammer nearby and smashed it back at the eagle head, and after the griffin opened its mouth, directly thrust the iron hammer into its throat.
Facing the griffin trying to spit out the war hammer, Wu Fei bared his ferocious look: “Bite again?”
A few minutes later, the griffin listlessly lowered its head, Wu Fei said to the soldiers nearby: “Feed it meat later, if it doesn’t eat, feed it the iron hammer, if it doesn’t eat for three days, push the cage to the slaughterhouse.” Then glancing at the griffin’s crotch, Wu Fei issued an order: “Save the whip for me.”
The griffin immediately opened its bird beak wide, looking as dumbfounded as a bewildered white-headed sea eagle falling into water and becoming a drowned rat.
Seeing this, Wu Fei hesitated, so silly, can it be a mount?
In the midst of hesitation, Zhao Tu walked over, and the griffin immediately cowered, prostrating in a rideable state.
Zhao Tu looked over, and Wu Fei looked back.
A second late, Xuan Chong waved his hand at Zhao Tu like Cao Prime Minister sparing Zhen Ji: “Fine, fine, it’s yours.”
Wu Fei strode away, while behind him Zhao Tu excitedly rubbed the griffin’s fur, then mounted the saddle.
……
The appearance of the griffin made Wu Fei vaguely feel that obviously there has been a change in the southern border. This change is a change in the “energy field” of the environment.
At this time, the attention of the Da Yao Dynasty court and populace is focused on the invasion by that force called Guotai in the North, but in this great tribulation, is it really so?
Wu Fei opened the goods record for passing the pass and found some strange things, such as a feather robe whose soft glossy feathers had not been seen on any bird species before. And this feather robe has good “Dao Power” conductivity.
“Dao Power” is not a clear kind of power, but the dual nature of matter, namely the “Yin Yang” two states. In Da Yao, objects that perform Yao Calculation with “dual nature” all belong to “Dao Power” objects, and the best among them are presented as tribute to the Imperial Court.
Because these materials are either used to build palaces in Divine Capital or to forge battle formation giant soldiers.
For example, the giant turtles produced in Heluo Prefecture have eight opposing dual natures on their turtle shells; the Xiu Jade from Qiling also because of its excellent “Dao Power” is made into Treasured Jade, or turned into jade pendants hung on nobles’ waists; furthermore, the century-old giant wood in Southern Ridge also has alternating Yin and Yang in its growth rings.
Among these materials, the man-made post-heaven “Dao Power” materials are white ridge soil and black killing intent stone, adjusted by alchemists through “firing kilns,” alternating slow and intense fires to produce “Dao porcelain” and “spirit bricks.”
Xuan Chong remembers that in his previous life, all computer cores used the “potential” of semiconductors for calculation, while in this world “Yin Yang” is not just potential difference, and calculation materials are not merely semiconductors.
In the warehouse, Wu Fei picked up a feather, gently input blood energy, and the feather began to flicker alternately like optical fiber.
After careful comparison, Wu Fei determined that this should be feathers from the most common heron in the South, but it underwent mutation like “spiritual evil tide,” so it mutated into this form.
Wu Fei clasped his hands, as his killing intent rampaged without restraint, the originally flickering spiritual light on this feather robe soon turned into white water vapor-like substance dissipating from the clothes, just like back then when encountering the “snake swarm bite” spell, when the soldiers’ killing intent pressed in, the colorful patterns on those venomous snakes also turned into colored smoke and were forced out, reverting to ordinary non-venomous grass snakes.
Now, the barbarian tribes in the southern border should not have the ability to weave such feather robes, there must be external forces intervening. And being able to weave Dao Power into feather robes like this means embedding feathers behind arrow shafts for wind enchantment, greatly extending the arrow’s range.
…”Foreign forces interfering” Wu Fei shook his head…
In March of the 26th year of Shu Tian Calendar, in the workshop behind Yongji Pass, rows of arrow bamboo materials were being processed and stockpiled. At the same time, the engraving of “Wind Control Rune” was completed.
The engraving method of Wind Control Rune is completely summarized from the experience system of Da Yao artisans in this world, Xuan Chong simply cannot use Earth’s so-called “advanced” processes to meddle.
One step in this enchantment process is to wind spirit silkworm silk on the arrow shaft to form spirit patterns, then apply paint, and bake with fire to let the spirit of spirit silkworm silk seep into the arrow shaft, and after the oil soaking ends, the spirit pattern is completed.
What the principle system of these “artisan crafts” is, Wu Fei as a military strategist is like being in a different profession, unable to meddle in the craft, but Wu Fei can ensure the supply of raw materials.
After two years of Wu Fei’s management at Yongji Pass, military materials from production to transportation have been fully unified. For example, all arrow shaft arrow bamboo materials are planted in uniform terraced fields, harvested according to cycles, ensuring that the produced arrow shafts are all of the same level.
The bamboo mountain has become a heavily patrolled area, to the extent that the previous “iron-eating beasts” coming to forage have all been driven away, not getting a single bamboo shoot.
In the workshop, arrow shafts are all bundled, patrolled daily. Irrelevant people are not allowed to approach.
San Gu seemed to want to approach these artisan workshops, but Wu Fei thought it better not to bother her.
……
Arrows are abundant, and practical training density has also increased.
Outside the bamboo mountain, the army crossbowmen started three-day drills again, practicing formation shooting and shield formation melee, the arrow shafts piled on the targets like firewood, of course, worn-out arrow shafts after being split are deeply processed and woven into vine armor shields.
Oil-soaked bamboo is “beggar version” carbon fiber, made into shield frames, then attached with alligator dragon hide, becoming good light shields.
On the archery field, crossbowmen are drawing strings; on the sand field, battle soldiers with sandbags tied to legs holding vine shields and swords practice blocking, rolling, and dodging moves.
……
Within three hundred li of Yongji Pass, multiple fortified villages were mobilized, more and more laborers were pulled up for training. Armored and armed, forming teams for “border patrol.”
Da Yao edict, generals mobilizing more than a hundred soldiers between prefectures is a great crime.
But after returning from Tianchi City. Wu Fei no longer had concerns about overstepping authority, because compared to his uncle’s schemes, his own are nothing, moreover, he is not mobilizing troops into prefectures, but to outside the pass to guard against foreign races.
In this frontier, can Da Yao still control how many soldiers I gather? Even if they really want to, with troops in the frontier, they can’t check! If they really have the ability to check, why not check the northern dynasty’s troops in Bo Prefecture?
Since Da Yao’s series of scheduling failures in Bo Prefecture led to defects in mountains and rivers, Wu Fei has started to look down on Da Yao a bit.
……
Wen Si came to Yongji Pass, in the fields buzzing with mosquitoes, he looked at the ox carts on the official road and grinned foolishly, the annoyed slaves nearby frowned: “What are you laughing at.”
Wen Si said: “I think when I get rich someday, I must ride an ox cart and walk here.”
The slaves immediately sneered: “You, get rich.”
Amid the laughter, Wen Si also laughed ha ha.
Suddenly the supervisor came over, cursing: “What are you laughing at, get to work.”
Under the supervisor’s lewd power, everyone quickly lowered their heads.
The supervisor walked a circle, came to Wen Si, stretched out his foot and kicked him: “It was you causing trouble just now, right.”
Wen Si quickly nodded and smiled apologetically: “It was me, it was me, I was just telling a joke, telling everyone a joke.”
The supervisor swung the whip empty at Wen Si twice, oh, the whip was not unfolded, just held in hand pinched into a circle, the so-called whipping was just light tapping, merely symbolic.
Supervisor: “I hate this place, and you tell jokes, afraid you didn’t joke yourself into a slave.”
It looked like punishment, but the supervisor was actually bored. Just looking for someone to talk to and seeking liveliness is human nature, when the slaves laughed, he also wanted to chime in, but the local mosquitoes don’t spare him because he’s the supervisor, yet he can’t lower his status to join the slaves’ fun, so he can only lightly output at Wen Si.
And Wen Si, under this tapping, comically hugged his head while putting on a cheeky face, accompanying smiles, playing along with the supervisor. — This flexible demeanor made him get beaten less than everyone else, after all, if beaten badly, the atmosphere would really become dull.
After slightly expending energy, the supervisor shouted at the surroundings: “All get to work properly, Wen Si come with me.”
Wen Si bowed his waist smiling apologetically, then after the supervisor turned, quickly turned to the brothers, cupped fists, then thumbs up inverted signaling “I’ll be right back, brothers no need to worry.”
In the thatched hut, the supervisor sat down casually. While Wen Si swept the ground thoroughly for a full incense stick time nearby, only sitting after confirming the supervisor’s expression normal.
The supervisor asked: “Wen Si, want to shed slave status.”
Wen Si was stunned, obviously thinking for a moment, then showed great enthusiasm: “Of course I do.”
The supervisor took out a bamboo slip, this was a clerk document issued from above.
…The bamboo slip is all Wu Fei’s petty calculations…
During this northward period, Xuan Chong searched historical materials in his own system, perfecting his family’s merit reward system, that is, the “blood reward” formula corresponding to the “lower volume” of the “upper volume” at Wu Hengyu’s place.
And finally, after calculation, Xuan Chong determined that under the current dynasty’s farming productivity, the blood reward formula should be “one life for ten slaves.” — That is, for each soldier lost in the army, ten people must be enslaved.
Because raising one full-time soldier requires ten people to supply productivity, (industrial age has another standard, one person can support two, so in later international humanitarian consensus, no matter what, no massacre, but turn the defeated into colonies.)
So, Xuan Chong wrote his realization in his own system. The civility of military affairs is: by more reasonably squeezing value from the defeated, maintain blood reward payments. Reduce “life persecution” of the defeated.
Wu Fei: All strategies must also be laid out according to this basic formula, if one’s own military has no advantage, unable to maintain the one life ten slaves blood reward standard, either contract to reduce confrontation, stop confrontation, or think early that those who understand the times are talented individuals, while still having armed forces as chips, conduct negotiation, join their delineated order.
In the camp, Wu Fei held a brush and added a stroke: For a set of effective blood reward rules, what a military group needs to consider is, when “military occupies human resources,” how much labor force needs to be mobilized to fill. And the resources filled by labor mobilized from other areas must be “military occupied,” not letting this “labor supply” gradually be exploited by “non-military vested interest groups.”
So “slaves” should be limited to one generation. That is, ten slaves compensate one life, but the slaves’ descendants should not continue to bear the debt, similarly, merit heirs without paying “blood price” continue to enjoy support from “slave second generation,” which is unreasonable.
The Eight Banners’ iron-crop descendants enjoying ancestors’ blood rewards generation after generation is the most classic negative textbook, a “blood reward” that should be settled in one or two generations became an infinitely overdrawn check.
Blood merit rewards should undergo “performance review” generation by generation, title based on each generation’s blood labor evaluation, not becoming hereditary golden rice bowls. And this generational blood labor title evaluation is the “Qin law’s rank.”
Xunzi: Discussing Soldiers has long concluded, the state’s heavily rewarded “Wei Wu Zu” are hard to sustain. Wei Wu Zu peaked at fifty thousand, Qin elite soldiers peaked at six hundred thousand.
