Chapter 51: Exiting Closed-door Cultivation With Full Rewards
On the city battlement of Yongji Pass, Wen Si uncovered his own large pot. After the steam rose and the aroma just began to spread, his twenty subordinates crowded over like pigs. Upon seeing taro again, they all started complaining one by one.
Soldier Jia: “Taro again, eating it every day, every month! Not a drop of oil, can’t even run drills properly.”
Wen Si: “Go go go, all line up. Having taro to eat is already good. Want meat? Wait until exit closed-door cultivation!” With that, he then distributed the salted fish from the steamer one by one.
Soldier Yi: “Fourth Pavilion Big Brother, when are we exiting closed-door cultivation?”
Due to merit, Wen Si was now promoted directly from squad leader to squad leader. As a squad leader, he had to be properly recorded in the roster, so he couldn’t have a perfunctory name like Dog Remnants or Ding One. Thus, based on Wen Si’s place of origin being in Fourth Pavilion, he was named Wen Si Ting.
Wen Si Ting eyed this subordinate soldier: “You want to exit closed-door cultivation? You complain about being tired from running drills; once out, those barbarian tribe members would catch up and chomp you to bits.”
Amid the crowd’s laughter, they also made Soldier Yi first assume the horse stance steadily and hold the great spear before speaking.
But someone still interjected: “This pass has been closed too long; everyone’s about to grow fur.”
Wen Si Ting: “Soon. Our army corps on the north side is already able to source food locally. Now the food and grass isn’t being transported north anymore, but toward us here.”
The crowd: “So, we’re exiting closed-door cultivation soon.”
Wen Si Ting wanted to boast more, but seeing people moving outside, he quickly knocked the pot: “Less prying, eat your food.”
……
Wu Fei looked at the taro aroma filling the entire city pass. Though the grain fields outside were still lush green and last year was a bumper harvest, people’s rice bowls now held taro.
Oh, he himself was also eating taro, but his was drizzled with honey, different from everyone’s.
His subordinate soldiers didn’t go so far as to voice minor complaints, but more or less all felt it was time to change flavors; couldn’t keep it like this forever.
Zhao Tu said to Wu Fei: “Everyone wanting to change flavors isn’t because taro and potato grain aren’t tasty. But my lord, we’ve been too quiet too long; the thigh muscles under our crotches are regrowing.”
The reason Wu Fei’s side had every household eating taro was that, without modern industrial technology for packaging and preservation, among the five grains only millet endures storage, easy to collect and transport to the frontline. Taro has too much water content; during transport, the water weight severely damages transport capacity.
As a transmigrator, Wu Fei naturally knew about tin cans, pasteurization, glass jars and such. But in various calculations, the consumed stone coal and iron material were beyond what Yongji Pass could currently bear.
Wu Fei could only coordinate under the current mature grain transport system. In transport technology, it was still sacks filled with millet placed on transport vehicles. However, Wu Fei’s planned water and land transport relay system was more efficient, such as building docks where necessary, and setting up fodder stations along vehicle routes to fatten mules and horses at dedicated post stations, reducing the loss from mules and horses consuming transport grain en route.
And in grain collection, using the replacement method to gather transport-friendly millet from the populace.
Several months ago, the Wu Family Army utilized flood-prone areas during the rainy season for military reclamation, planting these coarse grains.
Wu Fei tried his best to have soldiers source food locally. The Wu Family Army calculated local ration consumption via merchants’ salt sales, setting millet exchange amounts for coarse grains per household.
Namely, using military reclamation-produced coarse grains to exchange for millet at a four-to-one ratio. Just the amount smallfolk felt was a bargain. The calculating Wu Fei precisely hit the level where subordinate jurisdiction populace was willing to exchange grain.
Notably, Lingnan residents were even willing to use plumper-grained rice to exchange for equivalent coarse grains!
Tycoon households felt rice had better mouthfeel and should be more expensive, but to small households, millet yields more porridge; after all, one jin of millet makes three jin of cooked rice. One jin of rice only makes two jin.
So, there was room for corrupt officials to maneuver, but Wu Fei strictly limited it to coarse grains for millet. Rice was to be exchanged for cloth and salt.
In the first half-year, Wu Fei used commerce’s “grain exchange” business to squeeze out every bit of military grain, supplying the north route Wu Family Army, helping Wu Hanluan and Wu Hengyu weather the crisis. Meanwhile, his main force side avoided famine from conscription.
In a sense! Wu Fei’s half-year scheduling was no less significant than victories in the north!
To local poor families, victories in the north earning merit had little to do with the able-bodied youths in the Wu Family main lineage’s region. Much like twenty-first century city settlers’ second generation cutting ties with rural clan brothers.
With no direct interest, Wu Fei’s grain support was purely maneuvering politics at Da Yao Dynasty’s upper echelons for the Wu Family marquisate!
But Wu Fei managing this half-year support was no small feat; it showed this next-generation Wu Family military master knew how to manage a household!
Everyone knew war required planning grain, and after planning, every extra mouthful the army ate meant one less in the countryside; repeated levies would leave starved corpses in villages. But now, Wu Fei’s scheduling left no one starving. That was household management ability! And everyone knew, once north support ended, it would be the south’s turn.
A military master who could schedule meant no worries on the home front during campaigns. So everyone rubbed fists eagerly, feeling Yongji Pass should handle its own affairs this year.
“My lord, it’s cold and rainy; please return indoors.” A nearby personal soldier urged Wu Fei.
Wu Fei returned to his room. Pondering in his mind: was deploying troops now truly problem-free? He wrote a letter inquiring Wu Hanluan once more, confirming if the situation was stable.
Wu Fei silently recited a previous life classical Chinese text: King Zhuang of Chu wanted to attack Yue; Zhuangzi remonstrated: “Why does Your Majesty attack Yue?” He said: “Government in chaos, soldiers weak.” Zhuangzi said: “I fear wisdom is like the eyes: sees a hundred paces ahead but not its own lashes.”
As the situation he controlled grew larger, Wu Fei grew more cautious with military use. With Yunmeng Marsh battles ended and subsequent Ji Prefecture political events, Wu Fei always felt uneasy about the north.
Several days later, Wu Hanluan replied: No worry; act at your discretion.
Wu Fei breathed a sigh of relief, confirming his judgment: the current Emperor Shu was not muddle-headed; he wouldn’t ignite contradictions between military generals and powerful clans at this time. But he also wouldn’t give the Wu Family (north route) army chances for further “merit.”
Because the north still had fifteen army corps; as the imperial court increasingly relied on them, it wouldn’t provide models for merit-earners to become arrogant.
In summary, the Wu Family Army north had no large-scale warfare dragging it down; Wu Fei confirmed they could exit closed-door cultivation!
Two Guiche took flight from the Wu Family’s beast taming area, arriving at Yongji Pass on standby. This high-level combat strength transferred from north to south enhanced Yongji Pass’s offensive capability.
Such massive aerial giant beasts were equivalent to twenty-first century tactical nuclear weapon configurations.
Army corps equipped with aerial giant beasts were extremely hard for enemies to surround. Even if blocked by large armies, as long as the giant beasts assaulted the enemy camp, they could buy enough time for breakout, preserving the army’s spark. Defeated but not destroyed.
Wu Fei pondered his hand: Giant Soldier Golden Bull such ground combat colossi were still very hard to replicate, and it was a heavy weapon recorded by the Da Yao Dynasty imperial court, not to appear in the army. As for other troops, bring more.
Then came various miscellaneous matters.
For example: prepare ample gunpowder bullets; vassal army was to take the stage; crossbow bolts and bowstrings needed moisture-proof cotton and oiled paper for preservation.
…Outside the pass perspective…
In May, heavy rain still fell; multiple tribes outside the pass had grown accustomed to Wu Family Army exiting during dry season. But this time, opening the pass early.
Several thousand Da Yao troops exited the checkpoint; southern border folk hunting outside the pass immediately retreated to their tribes, not daring to approach the checkpoint for one or two rabbits and mountain deer.
The Wu Family Army’s hegemonic way over recent years made all clans within two hundred li silent, choosing to hunker down.
However, opening the pass this early was a bit premature; southward roads were still very muddy, entirely unsuitable for offense.
The Wu Family Army didn’t advance south en masse, but headed straight for designated marsh areas outside the pass, namely reclaiming fields within fifty kilometers of the control zone, planting taro, potatoes and such coarse grains, scattering silt fertilizer dug from nearby rivers into the fields.
This was preparation for several months later’s exit closed-door cultivation peak, for army outer station just food, namely planting fields outside the pass to save massive transport costs, filling the gap in army grain consumption.
…Inside the pass manpower mobilization also proceeding synchronously…
With June’s arrival, Wu Fei’s conscription order reached multiple Lingnan villages and north escort agencies.
Laborer troops began receiving orders to handle home affairs, preparing to depart two months later. While laborers were still readying armor at home, Wu Fei led a fifteen hundred-man troop, guiding the first merchant caravan out of the pass. The vanguard troop followed the route, damming tributary rivers with mountain stones for water storage, ensuring the waterway could be full for a period during key transport times to support bamboo raft navigation.
Hearing Wu Fei had already exited closed-door cultivation, merchants not selected for the first wave grew anxious, openly and covertly inquiring at the general’s mansion about second wave merchant selection timing; they held too many goods, waiting to gamble, fearing Wu Fei wouldn’t take them along.
…Military camp…
Wu Fei, outside the pass, hearing his general’s mansion bustling with visitors, couldn’t help but sigh at merchants’ profit-chasing nature.
Historically, what “business” was the most lucrative and reliable? Of course, doing business with sabers and spears was reliable.
In Xuan Chong’s previous life family history, Han and Tang maintained strong troops westward in Western Regions during dominant periods. Could those strong troops be sustained by pitiful Western Regions precipitation farming? History proved demanding field output from Western Regions only caused desertification.
Local cloth (similar to poplar willow cotton material) from inside the pass, well-forged ironware farm tools, salt goods, alcohol, sent south for monopoly sale yielded three times profit. Water buffalo, medicinal materials, jadeite purchased outside the pass at one-fifth inside pass prices, transported back yielded multiples profit. After deducting “customs duties” and freight, merchants still gained four to five times profit. As long as controlling “risk” factors, it was guaranteed profit.
Controlling “risk” key was merchant caravans following army action.
Facing merchants’ mass visits seeking stability, Wu Fei held a press conference, requiring merchants to prepare sufficient vehicles and livestock to exit closed-door cultivation.
Late August, when all gathered at Yongji Pass, everyone was shocked: tiny Yongji Pass had assembled fully twenty thousand people!
Wu Fei’s mobilized army corps this time was unprecedented in scale.
When Wu Hanluan was military master, his outside the pass troop mobilization limit was just five or six thousand. This grand spectacle even had Yongji Pass garrison veterans of the black tide battle sighing; their side one day having so many people too.
……
Late August, after ten days of cleared heavy rain south of Yongji Pass, ground dried. The checkpoint opened; vast teams exited closed-door cultivation.
Leading were Guiche giant birds overhead, followed by ballistae and fire ox heavy cavalry—currently unstoppable by any tribe. The army was like patrolling mountain tigers; momentarily on mountain roads, only axle turns and hoof steps, no other sounds. Unwise wild boar or tiger leopards appearing meant whistling bowstrings.
Some tribes still muttering about scavenging food from Wu Family Army’s urgent military reclamation zone outside the pass now tightly shut gates, tails tucked hiding in caves and ditches. Waiting for this Da Yao transit army to cross Ling River and retaliate against southern border tribe alliance’s actions last year.
But this army corps watched by southern border major tribes suddenly slowed after two hundred li out of the pass.
Amid various tribe leaders’ long wait, this army scattered like missile submunitions, deploying camp teams at key waterway points.
Then Yongji Pass gates fully opened; pent-up half-year merchant caravans unleashed like rabid dogs. Following Wu Fei’s sold “Didi map” prompts, caravans found soldier stations already camped at waterways, first stockpiling full loads there, then taking samples to tribe gates to confirm trades. Upon confirmation, both sides placed needed goods at designated spots down-mountain for handover.
Each merchant caravan’s armed force was only fifty to a hundred men, but sufficient to deter unwary wildfolk in mountain ridges.
Dealing with Da Yao forces over fifty men required southern border major tribes for raiding supplies. But now no tribe entertained earning quick money that way.
Wu Fei now had troops camped here; flattening southern border tribes might be hard, but chasing and exterminating an offending tribe was effortless.
Ling River north tribes, under Wu Fei’s “pacifism,” one by one opened gates for peaceful profit with these north merchants.
By September, Wu Fei began mobilizing camped points one by one, deploying them toward Ling River like placing Go stones.
As army reached the endless riverbank, blocked by this southern border vital hydrological divide.
Wu Fei’s main camp arrayed like chess pieces along the river; camp cooking smoke rose strand by strand over entire north of Ling River; as Yao people felled spirit wood to build stockades, bribed clan spies were dispatched across Ling River for intelligence.
Of course, his allied Crow People troops, Wu Fei also deployed for daily high-altitude reconnaissance.
From various intelligence, Wu Fei quickly learned Ling River south tribes were tensed by this military operation, especially last year’s Li Huo Sect affiliates, now preparing countless traps south of Ling River and raising masses of poisonous insects waiting for him.
In the military tent, Wu Fei asked Jia Mude: “How long can these poisonous insects sustain?”
Jia Mude eyed the flickering evil qi across the river: “With ample gu food, poisonous insects can live three months.”
Wu Fei calculated mentally: “Oh, still very cheap.”
Jia Mude shook his head: “But controlling poison gu requires daily blood offerings.”
Wu Fei nodded, turning to gaze across Ling River: “So if we don’t go, what happens?”
Jia Mude answered directly: “They’ll lose big.”
Wu Fei looked at this overly honest brother-in-law, feeling Wu Qing had exploited him too much. He sent him back to rest well.
Wu Fei returned to main camp to strategize: this exit closed-door cultivation military operation, if staying north of Ling River guaranteeing commerce, was net profit. But crossing Ling River made costs unpredictable.
Though Wu Family Army didn’t cross, Ling River south couldn’t relax.
In dark southern border jungle, Li Huo Sect demons raised lamps, using incense and fire to remotely burn southern barbarians—such “lashes” forced tribes to throw people into scorpion pits, then hand up jars of poisonous insects.
…Ling River confrontation line…
At this time south side, a cloaked freak from Li Huo Sect stared at the north bank army. Especially seeing flying Crow People by the river, expression furious.
This southern border lord had seen through: Wu Fei came to Ling River bank this time just to burn time.
But he and tribe leaders dared not withdraw the eerie green-glowing jungle ambushes; what if after withdrawal, Wu Family Army really crossed?
This was post-Yongji Pass campaign: no one in southern border dared underestimate Wu Fei’s command ability.
…Three months later, Ling River line still no warfare…
Wu Fei’s army corps, from August to year-end, perfectly executed armed protection of merchant sojourners.
Besides Wu Fei’s main fourteen hundred-man troop, other militia troops escorted caravans in and out, total person-times reaching over one hundred thousand. This period, north of Ling River, Da Yao armed forces were the only road presence.
This trade activity exported six hundred thousand pi of cloth, imported ten thousand large and small livestock, four hundred eighty spirit wood logs usable for “palaces” and mechanical puppets, and various other goods.
After Yongji Pass classified the trade, export goods were called “annual cloth,” imports “local tribute.” In southern merchants’ calculations, whether selling “annual cloth” high or buying “local tribute” low, their side profited.
This season, outside the pass Ling River north barbarian tribes were “not a needle dropped unclaimed” yet piously sent guides to lead merchants door-to-door, leaving exiting merchants sighing this was an unprecedented good era.
