Chapter 44: The Ever-stable Da Yao Rivers And Mountains
Donghua Commandery Wu Hanluan’s large camp, the army’s five grains cycle place.
This place is filthy, but it is a gold mountain and silver mountain in the eyes of some in the army. One by one, naked men scoop buckets of “golden juice” from the manure pit and send it into the golden bull’s belly. Then the golden bull clanks out, traveling dozens of miles away to the newly reclaimed lands outside the camp.
On these lands dependent on the army, various crops grow well, especially vegetables, lush and green, sprouting a new batch in seven days. These vegetables are sent to the cook’s quarters and processed into vegetable soup.
This is a cycle. Wu Hanluan’s army rarely gets sick. Even if uncomfortable, taking one dose of excrement dispelling powder and squatting on a toilet in the army camp, all ailments are expelled with diarrhea.
However, this excrement dispelling powder and the entire army’s five grains cycle have a secret. Even Wu Fei and Wu Hengyu do not know this secret.
In the camp, all manure buckets have connections at the bottom!
Occasionally, soldiers notice a vortex in the manure bucket while excreting, but no one investigates what is under the vortex. But Wu Hanluan knows.
This is actually a “guiche”.
Three hundred years ago, in Dongyi Commandery, there was a large-scale disappearance of people. The Demon Suppressing Division lost more than a dozen experts before finding that ghost locusts at every village entrance connected to the ghost realm. Finally, an army was brought in to exterminate them.
The situation in the Wu Family Army is similar. The occasional vortices in every manure bucket all connect to a place called the Golden Bucket Realm.
This Golden Bucket Realm is Wu Hanluan’s name for it.
Forty years ago in the family, he was twelve years old. Compared to his younger brother, he was the sickly one. After treatment by various famous doctors, the verdict was he would not live past thirty. But later overnight, it was said he worshiped a god in the mountains and wilderness, and his illness suddenly healed.
However, as if the Way of Heaven balanced it, his brothers and sisters successively fell ill and died.
Back to the topic, since then, when Wu Hanluan relieves himself, it takes a bit longer than usual, and he lowers his head and brushes something with his fingers. — He is connected to the Golden Bucket Realm.
Because the Golden Bucket Realm is too filthy, Wu Hanluan has never told anyone else, not even his beloved wife or son.
Undoubtedly, the Golden Bucket Realm is powerful. All evil filth is absorbed by it.
For example, the earlier evil thing hindering the army’s advance. The military strategist’s Nine Curves Yellow River Formation could only trap it. To suppress it required odd items like evil-avoiding stones, or expending manpower to build “yin villages” and “yin cities.” But after Wu Hanluan’s Golden Bucket Realm opened toward the guiche, it silently absorbed all these guiche.
…And once tainted by filth, all ferocity dissolves…
For example, on the east side of the camp, the guiche in the cage was unruly for several days. Now?
These two giant flying beasts are pressed on the execution platform. Their nine heads are locked with shackles. Below the heads is a dug pit already filled with filth poured from the army’s manure buckets.
Amid the extreme panic of the giant beast’s nine heads, over a hundred soldiers pull like in a tug-of-war, dragging one head to the manure pit. The rope in the pit pulls strongly, dragging the guiche’s head down, finally submerging into the chaotic yellow turbidity. The body on the platform thrashes violently, wings flapping to break free.
When this big bird head is pulled out, all ferocity is gone. Aside from being too dirty, it becomes kind and gentle, starting to groom feathers for the other heads that used to fight often.
After cleaning, this bird head no longer resists. The other bird heads not soaked in “golden juice” show “incredulity” in their eyes. However, the military order is issued: every bird head must roll in this “Yellow Springs” once.
Just like that, three days after entering the camp, the guiche is tamed. But no one notices what seems like tiny bugs in the guiche’s pupils.
But Wu Hanluan knows the Golden Bucket Realm has a side effect: all animals released from it bring back a plague.
After the guiche is tamed, under Wu Hanluan’s order, it flies a circle toward the south. And on the south bank, Changcheng is brightly lit…
…Perspective to the southern region…
In Yongji Pass, Wu Fei reads a family letter stating all is well outside. Then it requests some urgently needed supplies, with medicinal materials as the top priority, followed by earthenware pots.
Wu Fei immediately arranges, issuing orders through various channels to procure at any cost.
Wu Fei pauses and mutters: “After a great war, there must be a great plague. Uncle considers it very thoroughly. But notice the qualifier afterward ‘do not let other families take the lead’, and ‘bandits rampant in Yunmeng Marsh territory, do not slack’?”
Wu Fei opens the silk cloth and looks at the map, confused and puzzled.
After a cup of tea, Wu Fei points at the evil dragon and water tribe area on the map: “Could these rebels be plotting a plague?”
Due to the thousands of miles distance, Wu Fei does not know what Uncle’s army encountered in the guest territory, but he still arranges diligently.
…Thousands of miles away…
In Changcheng, in a red building. Noble family servants are discussing with personal soldiers from two other camps, but after discussing flower wine, they turn to conspiring.
The noble family servants cautiously state their tasks, while the personal soldiers laugh and say: Leave it to us. But they need information on the northern Wu Family Army camp from Changcheng.
Earlier, the powerful clans in the city arranged the Wu Family Army to the poor mountains and bad waters in the north, aiming for “three harms eliminated.” At worst, thorough mutual destruction in conflict. No matter how naive, some “talented individuals” designated clever since childhood have started designing accordingly.
Now the guiche is subdued, the Wu Family Army firmly holds the north bank, and its southern merchants borrow troops as bandits, harming all sides.
Changcheng’s scholars are greatly indignant, so they plan to contact the two southern camps. Since the north lets troops act as bandits, why not the south? Especially the northern camp has gathered many villages, ripe for robbing now.
…Little witch sees big witch dividing line…
Shu Tian Calendar year 28, January, a great plague appeared in Changcheng.
The plague is fair, infecting dysentery regardless of rich or poor in the city, especially the powerful clans. Sick servants are abandoned outside the city daily.
Noble family servant, a good job of “room and board, lifetime employment” in some novels from Xuan Chong’s previous life, actually only works in peaceful years. In disaster years, it’s “you’re no good, someone else is.” Slaves in great clans are recruited precisely in disaster years.
Of course, now the noble family servants are sick or dying, and their masters taking five stones powder for excitement fare worse. Often dying suddenly after drinking. Children in the mansions die young even earlier.
Instead, some lowly poor flee the city to the porridge sheds set by southern merchants outside Changcheng to the north, take a bowl of herbal soup, endure diarrhea for two or three days, and recover. Then head north into the camp to serve corvee for the army.
This great plague empties nine of ten households in Changcheng instantly. A few months ago they co-hosted grand events, but now they flee the city to avoid. Due to physical separation, some conspiracies are cut off.
As for the two southern bandit suppression armies, they do not escape. Amid rampant plague, combat strength is reduced. Even elite family armies vomit and diarrhea. These two southern camps, ravaged by plague, see people scatter quickly. The armies are dispirited, lacking firewood and food and grass supply, so they withdraw south from the battlefield.
For a time, only the north shore Wu Family Army camp remains near Changcheng.
The Divine Capital is furious, rebuking the local prefect for insufficient yao calculation, leading to disaster.
At the same time, a decree is sent to Wu Hanluan’s camp, awarding him, and merit awards for Wu family heirs. Right, in the decree, Wu Fei is formally titled Major General for merit in southern pass defense.
…In Yunmeng Marsh…
On layers of floating buildings, in a giant wooden hull, a woman looks at distant Changcheng shrouded in plague qi.
As the core of bandit chaos defined by Da Yao, Yu Li does not lead her water tribe to take Changcheng now, but vigilantly watches two guiche hiding in dark clouds in the sky.
As a lake marsh spiritual descendant, she has strong spiritual sense. From the evil qi source, she knows this great plague is related to these two evil birds!
……
Year-end, Wu Fei personally escorts supplies north to the camp: twenty wooden oxen and flowing horses carrying forty tons, or 1,300 shi, supplying currently scarce sulfur, saltpeter, and medicinal products in the army.
Wu Fei stays in the military tent only one day. As pass guard leaving post privately, if known, it gives local powerful clans reason to attack. —Of course, with ongoing Yunmeng Marsh warfare and Imperial Court’s reliance on Wu Family Army, such trivial matters likely won’t be handled. But Wu Fei’s personality avoids trouble.
In the tent, Wu Fei meets Uncle and the obviously attention-seeking Wu Hengyu.
In recent Wu Family Army battles with Yunmeng Marsh, Wu Hengyu repeatedly leads charges, quite domineering. His troop method is simple: center on himself, charge enemy center to create chaos, then other soldiers impact where chaotic.
If enemies avoid scattering, they thicken lines and huddle. Executing defensive great formation with equal troops gets surrounded on all sides! Then under golden bull impact, end is like walnut vs. iron hammer, shattered more thoroughly.
Wu Fei comments: This battle tactic has “reckless man teaches scholar” flavor, premise being his own sharp “spearhead.” If not sharp enough, it’s Sun 100,000.
Delivering supplies to camp, Wu Fei sees Wu Hengyu on horseback, no one dares meet his gaze. Clearly after several battles, his prestige is heavy.
Wu Fei envies this. Back then, even winning Great Warehouse defense battle, he guarded against laborer soldiers’ captains seizing merit and unauthorized pursuit. Only when Zhao Tu arrived and beheaded some did the chaos end.
Wu Hengyu jokes with Wu Fei before the army warehouse.
Riding horseback holding spear tip, he feints near Wu Fei’s cheek, squinting knowingly: “Who is this? Does not report seeing this general.”
Wu Fei immediately raises hand to pinch halberd tip, flicking it aside. Note: since Wu Hengyu uses no force, it’s easy.
Wu Fei looks up at this “eye-catcher,” irritably: “Don’t delay my work!”
Current warehouse supplies need sorting, e.g., saltpeter and sulfur stored separately in dry earth cellars. —In this warehousing, Wu Fei also oversees current army storage.
Wu Hengyu, having advantage, chuckles: “Storage here is steady. You’re overcautious. Hurry, Father Commander awaits you in camp.”
……
In the camp, Wu Hanluan strokes the wooden ox and flowing horse. Three-zhang-long hull, large wind-catching sail, and bottom single wheel wide as tank track give it “big is beautiful” quality.
Wu Hanluan heard in Yongji Pass battle reports of wooden oxen and flowing horses using wind to charge enemy formations, so had Wu Fei bring them. Seeing today, he finds them very useful.
When Wu Fei enters tent, Wu Hanluan asks specifics of wooden ox and flowing horse. Learning it shares origin with ancient “Wind Elder”‘s chariot of the south, he looks at jadeite direction wheel on bow and sighs: “Still needs treasured jade to communicate with heaven-earth cloud qi flow.”
Then, Wu Hanluan takes out a local Donghua Commandery treasured jade, asks: “How about this?”
Wu Fei pauses, strokes it, finds internal “yin yang yao calculation” dao power smooth, a spiritual material. Looks up asks: “This works. Mined where?”
Wu Hanluan: “Eight hundred plus li south, Huaiyu Mountain, abundant precious jade. Local noble persons compete to wear them.”
As for rest, Wu Fei guesses: likely gifts from local noble families.
In this world, “jade” is not just gemstone, but strategic resource. Dao cultivation needs jade, Confucian upright peace needs jade ingestion, even priest communicating ghosts and spirits needs jade. Of course Wu Fei’s current “heterodox path” needs jade more.
Current southern border mined jadeite not fine goods, brittle so cannot process into large items. —Wu Fei heard pure jade carved swords with attached patterns become indestructible, tried jadeite imitation. But yao calculation dao power exceeding limit causes internal cracks, then collapse.
So in Wu Fei’s object-study laboratory, jadeite only as palm-sized spiritual energy items, embedded in devices for connection.
Wu Hanluan to Wu Fei: “You do well in southern border, but Central Plains rich in resources. Do not settle as grass-roots king.”
In talk, Wu Fei confirms from Uncle: new spiritual material influx. Must increase wooden oxen and flowing horses production.
Wu Fei looks puzzled at Uncle, probes: “Imperial Court not pursuing? (Privately making war chariots, great crime.)”
Wu Hanluan glances at Wu Fei, meaning clear: “Even if pursued, have you not already transgressed?”
Wu Hanluan: “Under Heaven already in chaos. Not us privately making weapons, but capturing enemy equipment, imitating.”
Wu Fei hesitates, Wu Hanluan drawls: “Or do you think only you use heterodox path equipment puppet technique to make wind-riding war chariots?”
Wu Fei startles slightly, realizes: right, after arriving this world, seen much yao calculation stuff, confirms not “peerless genius.” Many sudden ideas already tried here.
Wu Fei asks Wu Hanluan, who opens silk cloth map, points at “wind-sail giant boat” like map menu button on Yunmeng Marsh.
As gaze focuses, Wu Fei sees illusion: on misty Yunmeng Marsh, forty-zhang large treasured ship raises sails, flying suspended over Yunmeng Marsh!
This sky boat is the rebel’s mobile base in Yunmeng Marsh this time.
