Chapter 54: Advance To The South
Twenty-nine years into the Shu Tian Calendar, in the Lingnan area within the passes under Wu Fei’s rule, whether merchants or farmers tilling the fields, all showed unprecedented cohesion.
Marching south to maintain trade routes had become a consensus among all.
Even illiterate people could count on their fingers and list the benefits of exiting closed-door cultivation, namely that local cloth, straw rope, and pottery within the passes could be exchanged with the south for cattle, wood, minerals, slaves, medicinal materials, and other rare items. Even the street shit collectors knew that when the large army passed through, a large number of livestock gathered, providing plenty of manure to pick up.
In such an atmosphere, when some storytellers in the streets preached about the scenery of the southern pass, some countryside folk proactively raised questions: “Why didn’t we cross the Ling River south last time? If we had, commercial profit would be even higher.”
It can be seen how strong the aggressiveness of the local populace within Yongji Pass is nowadays. After all, up to now, exiting closed-door cultivation has always shown the attribute of “no loss, steady profit,” and the benefits of exiting have indeed been widely distributed to the middle and lower classes.
Oh, worth mentioning, these people telling Southern Border stories in the countryside were instructed by Wu Fei.
Wu Fei didn’t have the guts to directly have the army sing the “Marshal’s Training Song,” but by using these inherent Southern Border storytellers, he was quietly building a preaching system.
Wu Fei: Direct transgression is not allowed, but circumventing it is fine.
Wu Fei found his personal soldiers and recruited some of their family disciples to mix into these storyteller groups to form the Security Bureau for handling such matters.
When the Wu Family Army recruits people, they often have brothers in the family. This is because they fear both dying on the battlefield; even if the pension money is sufficient, there would be no one to see off the old man. The personal soldiers around Wu Fei also come from such family situations, and now Wu Fei is short on manpower! Perfectly, these tasks involve activities within the passes, no need to fight on the battlefield, so he had the personal soldiers call over their family disciples to help him, and these personal soldiers were quite willing—after all, it meant one more person in the family receiving military pay, and directly helping the general.
These “tailwind merchant caravan” preaching teams sent to various opera troupes not only preach but also collect folk feedback for Wu Fei.
At the first Security Bureau meeting, Wu Fei heard one captain voicing the folk’s question to him: “When will we sweep south of the Ling River in one wave, raid and sweep.”
Facing the expectant gazes at the meeting, Wu Fei was quite embarrassed and gave a vague answer: “Everything awaits the right timing; the current situation is developing favorably for us.”
Wu Fei shook his head inwardly: Li Mu took three years to solve Zhao State’s northern border problem; what virtue or ability do I have? Just endure slowly.
…The timing came soon…
In April, during a heavy rainstorm, a Horned People from a Southern Border tribe stumbled to the checkpoint and knocked on the door seeking to see the Marshal.
This person was Kam. In his narration, his village was honest and law-abiding, yet somehow plundered by surrounding bad tribes. It was heartrending, making listeners heartbroken. One couldn’t help but want to immediately lead armored soldiers there to uphold justice.
Of course, after reading through these statements, Wu Fei yawned. —In his previous life, as part of a generation that grew up reading Italy, Reader, and knew that writing emotional essays was key to scoring in exams, he fundamentally didn’t believe that some ethnic group was mild and kind-hearted only to suffer unprovoked disaster. Without knowing the detailed facts, Wu Fei was certain this was two tribes suddenly turning against each other, probably over interests, not one side suddenly turning bad.
Wu Fei looked from afar at this guy named Kam; there were polishing marks on the horns on his head, equivalent to doing manicures, a behavior Horned People used to show off wealth. Then seeing his constant recounting of his tragic situation with skilled expression, Wu Fei inexplicably imagined this person showing off to others in triumphant moments. —Thanks to his previous life’s internet, Wu Fei was well-informed.
Wu Fei went to Kam, gripped his hand tightly like a cadre consoling, and said: “I deeply sympathize with your ordeal. Rest assured, this matter is utterly outrageous. This general is the Town South General appointed by Da Yao (no such title, just Major General)! It is my responsibility to maintain regional peace and stability (voice gradually softer), um, protect the borders and secure the people; that is this general’s duty. Someone come, please settle this villager properly below and carefully sort out the complaint document.”
In the Lecture on Martial Hall, Wu Fei gathered his subordinate generals to discuss the matter.
On the silk cloth map, Wu Fei lit an oil lamp and brought it close; the map showed the situation near Kam’s tribe. Inferring that the raiders might be from other tribes involved, Wu Fei pointed at Zhao Tu, who responded: “General, give me three hundred men, and I’ll wipe out that tribe.”
Wu Fei knocked on his helmet with a smack: “Only you could!”
Wu Fei began drafting a plan: dispatch troops to arrive before these several tribes suspected of participating in robbing Kam’s tribe, conduct reconnaissance on the terrain, and at the same time spread word to these tribes, bluff them with force to make them release the Karu tribe people.
Another general asked: “What if they release the people?”
Wu Fei: “Um, then it’s settled, mission accomplished. If they don’t release, keep watch nearby, wait for the main army in June, and if some release and some don’t, keep eyes on those who don’t, and act once we gather evidence of them ‘robbing tribes submitting to us’.”
Clearly, Wu Fei had a “prefer to settle matters and spare people” attitude in this matter.
Looking at the puzzled gazes of the surrounding officers and soldiers, Wu Fei said exasperatedly: “If fighting for our core interests, of course fast knife cuts through chaos. But now we’re upholding justice. The verdict must be careful; only after all parties’ advocates fully speak under our lead can we bang the gavel and announce our judgment.”
Hearing this, the many officers and soldiers understood: this is just playing the “upright official.”
Zhao Tu, hearing it was so troublesome, shrank back to the side and said no more.
Wu Fei took a gulp of the “sobering soup” bubbling with carbonic acid gas, moistened his throat, and said: “Upholding justice requires someone needing ‘justice.’ Now only that kid (Kam) is beating the drum below; with just one ‘survivor of intertribal hatred’ coming to our camp, we mobilize the army? Do they think our army is ‘Didi Quick Fight,’ um, a ‘knife’?
Rest assured, this isn’t over. As long as those tribes release people under our pressure, these released people won’t just settle their grudge with their captors; more people will come demanding we uphold justice!”
Wu Fei gazed intently at these officers and soldiers: “Using troops requires considering timing, terrain, and harmony with people. Timing is the annual dry season, terrain is relying on the checkpoint behind for retreat, and ‘harmony with people’ is more and more people in the combat zone hoping for our victory! I need someone to make a trip.”
Zhao Tu stood up to volunteer.
Wu Fei waved him down: “Sit.”
Wu Fei pointed to a personal soldier, had him lead a troop to uphold justice, and gave him a box containing several bottom line guidelines.
In short, Kam’s personal desire for “demanding justice” is currently just his alone.
The Wu Family Army wants to intervene via this matter but has its own strategic considerations. This strategy draws the attention of all Southern Border tribes, making them realize that “the Wu Family Army has the ability to uphold justice” and the willingness to “accept invitations to uphold justice.”
Using Xuan Chong’s previous life example of great power games, when the East spoke for those insignificant small countries on the Silk Road, it seemed meaningless alone. At most, it just increased the difficulty for other great powers to interfere in small countries.
But if one small country resists with its own efforts, combined with Eastern external statements and support, successfully deterring other great power interference, such a case would prompt more countries needing “justice” to come forward.
And once more and more small countries fully appeal, then we can truly accept the invitation to strike the unrighteous.
…Yongji Pass opened again in the rainy season, several squads of soldiers advanced in the rain…
On the third day of the fifth month, a Wu Family Army force of three hundred armed men arrived at the scene. Led by Kam, they went to these villages demanding “people.”
Kam himself wanted to “lose reason in hatred” and escalate the matter, using the Wu Family Army he brought to settle it all at once.
But his “hatred” was persuaded by the rationality of the Wu Family Army squad leader: getting people back is more important than anything. Garlic bird, garlic bird.
Perhaps because the three hundred armored knife-wielders’ force deterred them, making the young men of these tribes feel no need for real fighting, or perhaps the elders in these tribes felt a bit guilty about robbing other tribes.
Of course, more because Kam lowered his head and was willing to exchange salt for tribesmen, which benefited these tribes.
Ultimately, under the Wu Family Army’s mediation plan, these tribes released the plundered children and women. Each got what they wanted, all happy.
After receiving the news, Wu Fei ordered the accompanying guides to dispatch vassal army members to proclaim around the surrounding tribal areas the results of the Southern Border General’s Mansion upholding justice this time.
A month later, when the Wu Family Army team left, to prevent accidents after departure, the Wu Family Army left some iron knives for self-defense in Kam’s tribe.
Kam’s fourteen-year-old brother, watching the departing Wu Family Army soldiers, asked his brother: “They’re just leaving?”
Kam, looking at the tribe’s remaining assets and calculating next year’s business to cover losses, absentmindedly replied: “Yeah, left now, but in a few months, these Da Yao people’s merchant caravans will come again.”
…As an examinee, get every scoring point…
Inside Yongji Pass, San Gu looked at the changes on the feng shui map and slowly said: “Within two hundred li south of Yongji Pass, the rules have changed.” Blue flashed in her eyes, but was quickly suppressed by gold; then in the frame, she received a brand-new task issued by this system named “Heaven’s Course is Constant.”
San Gu looked at this task with a awkward expression.
New task: Give birth to the next-generation heir for the Southern Border Military Master.
…Notebook paper is used up, prepare to add pages…
Wu Fei stood on the city wall receiving intelligence from the south. He knew he was playing a game of “Reforming Native Administration”; this wasn’t something one generation could complete. But starting it meant future descendants had a path to follow.
Xuan Chong slowly wrote in the system’s notes blank: Participating in judgments among native people is the cornerstone of Eastern civilization completing its civilizational expansion system in the southwest. Without civilization judging, tribes follow the jungle law of weak meat strong food and mutual annexation.
Currently in the Southern Border, there are many many cases of drawing knives over one dou of salt; in such dark jungle law, when the aggressor fails to thoroughly eradicate the other side, a series of contradictions will be endless.
Introducing civilized judgment creates the need for “trustworthiness” between people, which is the flourishing of humaneness.
Compared to the Western colonial system of killing and destruction, then grafting colonizer religion and pirate legal systems, the Eastern expansion system is actually more stable. It’s just that in the Age of Discovery, Great Ming, while promoting civilizational expansion, hadn’t found a cost-effective military intervention method.
Wu Fei: I am a Military Strategist; I want to forge the sword at optimal cost and use it in the best way.
Wu Fei (Xuan Chong) opened the system again: “This is the question I need to do, right.”
The system didn’t answer, and Wu Fei didn’t notice the change in the killing intent on him. Originally, this killing intent made surrounding creatures fearful. But now, hundreds of meters away where Wu Fei couldn’t see, flocks of birds collectively landed on trees and bowed their heads toward Yongji Pass. They seemed to have adapted to the killing intent.
…Perspective shifts to Da Yao’s north…
In Bo Prefecture, Pu E looked at the Guotai farm guards in the front row of her military formation; their armor was stuck with arrowheads, and the Guotai Dragon Crossbowmen in the back, due to the battle’s intensity, had to join with knives, causing incomplete ranks.
These soldiers need at least six months to replenish, but now Da Yao’s fifteen-route army attacks every month. With such rotation battles, Guotai’s military strength will soon be exhausted.
Arriving at the city wall base, Pu E didn’t go through the city gate with the soldiers but flew up to the city battlement with electricity under her feet.
Her greatcloak swung with her turn; looking at this realm’s mountains and rivers, she couldn’t help frowning.
At this time, she opened the system and looked at the divine general she summoned.
Pu E: “System, the first-tier divine general I summoned, why no movement yet?”
System: “Due to unknown reasons, the summoned general’s thinking is overly independent. When analyzing the situation, he also analyzes his own current position.”
Pu E: “What, did I draw a card that would rebel?”
System: “No, just loyalty not full yet. If you need him to assist in achieving great undertaking, more sincerity is required.”
Pu E: “What sincerity? Didn’t I appoint him a route general?”
System: “By that calculation, hold out three more months.”
Pu E paused: “Is that so? Then hold out three more months.”
System: “After three months, your city falls, he’ll act, then demand the Great General position based on his great merit.”
Pu E: “What——” Hearing this, she was so angry dragon features appeared, electric light leaping from the dragon horns on her forehead into the sky.
…Three shichen…
At another camp flying the Zhao banner, Pu E pierced into the camp in dragon form then transformed into human.
This was forcible entry into the military camp; the ballistae on the city battlement instantly targeted her, but Pu E flashed her waist token and escaped the encircling Jade Brave halberd ranks rushing over.
She walked into the camp; Zhao Cheng was looking at the map waiting for her. Pu E entered without asking but took out the current Guotai monarch’s imperial decree.
Guotai’s monarch is currently just a ten-year-old child, a rubber stamp. Pu E is the regent Grand Tutor holding real power. Unlike Haotian Realm’s habit of dragons as monarchs, Xi People’s realm populace is accustomed to humans as monarchs. Dragon Descendants taking over Da Yao’s Northern Border had to reform to win virtuous and talented submissions.
Pu E: “Zhao Cheng, hear the decree—”
Zhao Cheng paused but still cupped hands.
Pu E used the decree to announce his merit, then appointed him Guotai Great General, in command of all military power, and took out the flashing electric tiger tally.
Zhao Cheng paused slightly, seemingly unprepared, but then reacted and shouted loudly: “Zhao Cheng receives the decree!”
Pu E: “Now you can send troops!”
Zhao Cheng cupped hands frankly: “Please forgive me, National Preceptor. To win this battle, Cheng must not be constrained in any way. Otherwise, let Cheng preserve Guotai’s bloodline for the Grand Tutor.”
