Chapter 82: Inspecting The Troops
The Imperial Court’s order was for Wu Fei to lead an army to Longyou Commandery. The given time was three months. An army is two thousand men. If leading two thousand men directly from Lingnan, the time given by the Imperial Court was not generous.
But Wu Fei had his own solution. On the Lingnan side, the three hundred and twenty-two non-commissioned officer troops went into battle lightly equipped, then split into two routes. One route went directly to Uncle’s main camp in Longyou Commandery to report, while Wu Fei’s route was to make a trip to Donghua Commandery.
When Wu Fei returned to the Wu Family, he had already reviewed the reserve armed forces situation in Donghua Commandery, Zhu Prefecture, and other places, and selected a batch of people’s names, to assemble there and await his orders.
Donghua Commandery already had a main camp as a military garrison area. With the water bandits exterminated, these former main camp laborers began seeking new livelihoods. They were reserve combat power, and Wu Fei remembered them all.
After Wu Fei brought fifty non-commissioned officers and arrived here under cover of night, he showed the token to make the local garrison Wu Family Army officer report to him, then began selecting soldiers.
…The sun was high in the sky…
At this time, the Wu Family Army’s main camp, originally separated from Changcheng by the river, had turned into a marketplace cluster that spanned the river and encompassed the entire Changcheng.
The army had opened up large tracts of farmland along this riverbank, and built blacksmith shops and carpenter workshops. Of course, amid the prosperity, there were also some filthy flies—just as meat stalls always had flies, the marketplace also had tooth men dressed meticulously and strolling leisurely with teapots.
These “labor intermediaries” strutted around in the marketplace, pointing at laborers marked with straw tags on their heads with fans. These laborers were some local down-and-outs, others refugees who fled disaster from the north.
Wu Fei bypassed the bustle and went straight to the northern shore mountain ridge.
After arriving at the mine, he threw out an arrow command as a token, then immediately ordered all miners to assemble.
After five hundred men appeared from the first mine pit, their dark faces made their eyes particularly striking.
Facing the dark crowds from each mine tunnel, Wu Fei gave a whip to the mine owner who tried to “inform him of their connections,” then had his men issue orders: Everyone from each mine tunnel, line up in formation!
As the order was given, the miners quickly began to form ranks. Then, Wu Fei selected suitable formations, and inquired about the situation of wives, children, and elders in these formations.
Wu Fei ran through fifteen mine pits, selecting the best! One thousand five hundred men were selected.
What is “best”? Mining teams that were relatively united were the best.
All registered, paid, recorded names, then invited to eat, and announced that they were now his own soldiers. Without further ado, they were given clothes, water canteens and rice bowls, bedding and other personal items, packed up, and began training in formation.
Formation training did not require overly “complex” drills like stepping out with left or right leg. Instead, first appoint the head of each mining team as flag officer. The flag officer shouts “go go go,” and they follow the rhythm to march; one shout of “stop,” and everyone in the row stops together.
As for “turn left, turn right” such fatal problems for university recruits, they were not thrown out to test these mine tunnel new soldiers. With the total captain shouting “look at the flag,” each team’s flag officer had to watch the flag. When his flag pointed left, the whole team turned left; right, then right.
In short, every mining team leader had a code word that his team members could understand, and naturally could quickly discuss internally and figure out turning and marching orders.
As for the non-commissioned officers Wu Fei brought, living and eating with these mining teams, as long as they trained each team’s mine head well, they could pass down basic orders.
Wu Fei used twenty days to train this troop pulled from the mining industry and reorganized, then ordered them to march to Longyou. He stayed behind to handle some follow-up work.
This newly recruited troop, though without military killing intent yet, already possessed the basic characteristics of ranks.
Wu Fei was confident he could bring most of them back. And as long as battle losses were kept within three percent, the troop returning could attract local poor men to join and expand. Because in these times, poor men couldn’t even guarantee themselves living another ten years.
In the main camp, there were no small number of orphans and widows remarrying once, even three times. Some even had reputations for “husband-cursing.”
In fact, if not for this world constantly levying corvée every few days, with village men constantly assigned hard and tiring labor, worn out by overwork, sick and untreatable, where would all these tales of women cursing husbands come from?
…Recruiting soldiers is not hard, the hard part is cleaning up…
While Wu Fei was training troops north of the river, it was not just simply pulling away one thousand five hundred men, but also conveniently resolving quite a few people. Everyone had social ties, pulling people to enlist meant helping solve their social problems. For example, some mines north of the river somehow fell into the hands of powerful nobles from southern shore Changcheng, and drawing soldiers affected these mining areas’ output.
Thus, various things came to make trouble. The worst was tooth men bringing a gang of ruffians who robbed the settling allowance Wu Fei had just given a soldier for his woman and child at home.
So a group of women ran to the front of the military camp to hold back, claiming homes couldn’t be without men, not wanting them taken away. The women cried: Even if a bit harder or more tiring, it was acceptable.
Regarding this situation, though Wu Fei had anticipated it, he was still shocked that Changcheng’s old forces dared to be so arrogant inside the old main camp.
How long had Wu Hanluan been gone, and the local returning groups smoothly came to bully people. Today Wu Fei announced that “Grasping Sparrow” was back.
Wu Fei soothed these women, reissued the money, then had the Security Bureau close the net, burning down all northern shore casinos and tooth men’s dens on the spot.
The anti-black action hosted by Wu Fei, in three days tied up over eight hundred related personnel, tattooed words on their faces one by one, chained them, stuffed them into carts, and sent south. —Regarding black evil forces, Wu Fei had a complete slavery system to handle them.
Wu Fei’s characteristic compared to Wu Hanluan and Wu Hengyu was not caring about “public opinion”!
Even if southern Changcheng noble families cursed however much, Wu Fei could always view these “obstructors” with an attitude of “objective historical development.”
Thus in Changcheng, when slave overseers came to threaten “you lowly soldiers dare make trouble,” Wu Fei immediately cut off their ears, sent them back to tell their masters: Best not to leave the city gates, all industries outside the city needed to watch out.
And that very night planned a “bandit raid” on their manor.
…Wu Fei: I am a barbarian too…
August 8th, the troops Wu Fei trained were already led by non-commissioned officers away from Donghua Commandery. Wu Fei himself stayed in Donghua Commandery’s north main camp, striking back at the local noble families who dared provoke him.
Ransacking the City this phrase had already become the term Changcheng noble families constantly reported upwards these past few days.
However these past days, “ransacking the city” became taboo like elders can’t hear “death,” because whichever family used this term, Wu Xiao Que really dared to act.
Sure enough, while Wu Fei sent people to villages to purchase supplies, he liked doing interviews. First sentence: “Are you happy?” Second: Have you heard of “ransacking the city”? If in the second sentence the commoners swore they heard so-and-so say: Northern shore ransacking the city, Wu Fei directly sent people disguised as the water bandits not fully eliminated last year, to find big households’ manors locally, throw bombs to collapse walls, then extort wealth.
Wu Fei’s logic: You all say I’m ransacking the city, if I don’t, wouldn’t that be a loss?
After the “water bandits” emerged, Wu Fei synchronously submitted a memorial, immediately writing to Emperor Shu to confess guilt, saying thief bandits rose again in Donghua Commandery, Wu Family Army unable to pacify the area, deeply ashamed. Requested to stay here to atone by merit through bandit suppression. (Translation: Whatever happens. Of course while throwing a tantrum, emphasize not rebelling against you, it’s noble families tearing at military leaders, you stand high above, don’t get dirty.)
Meanwhile, the Imperial Court did not pull favoritism like last time. Didn’t even mention the local thief bandits.
What, admit thief bandits, reprimand Wu Xiao Que, then what? Let Wu Xiao Que stay to suppress bandits, or directly eliminate Wu Xiao Que? Emperor Shu’s original intent was to mobilize Wu Xiao Que west. If really escalated, would troop mobilization still happen?
On Divine Capital’s Emperor Shu’s desk were placed various pieces of information. He suddenly slapped the table and said: All making a fuss!
Right, in this monarch’s eyes “all making a fuss.” Changcheng noble families impeaching Wu Family Army for ransacking the city was fuss, Wu Fei saying water bandits rose again was also fuss.
Emperor Shu wouldn’t acknowledge any of it.
Secret Guards closely followed Wu Xiao Que, fully confirming the whole picture of this conflict was Wu Fei encountering enemy noble families picking fights after drawing troops.
Secret Guards fully sided with Wu Fei, detailedly recording the number of troops Wu Fei brought from the Wu Family, and intelligence on stops at each location.
Wu Fei’s operations had multiple lines, like first sending non-commissioned officers to the frontline, then raising flags in Donghua Commandery to recruit, Secret Guards also split into two routes to record.
Now Wu Fei completed recruiting, and had the non-commissioned officers by his side send two thousand soldiers to Longyou, then he alone stayed to tear into the noble families. Secret Guards couldn’t help worrying Wu Fei would be assassinated by local noble families. Because if something happened to Wu Fei, that batch of troops en route to Longyou losing control and suddenly rebelling midway would be a big disaster.
Wu Fei did things while tearing, things done could stop anytime, tearing could escalate anytime, bringing out his own united front value.
Emperor Shu paced in the palace, beginning to rethink in his heart. Compared to the past, other military generals after conflicting with noble families would endure for the greater good. Was Wu Fei really clueless? At the same time, the emperor’s heart finally felt disgust toward those things in Changcheng!
…Mediation is necessary…
On Changcheng’s city wall, a young noble looked at the northern shore main camp. This was the Prince of Langya sent by the Imperial Court. While integrating several commanderies’ local strongmen, he prided himself on favoring the Wu Family Army. Because in mediation, he tacitly allowed Wu Family Army to retain the north main camp!
Note: North main camp now all locals, Imperial Court had no money to provide oxen and field allocations for disbandment. Without money could only maintain status quo. Wu Fei: So it wasn’t him soothing, but Wu Family Army helping soothe local contradictions.
This commandery prince had immersed himself in the persona of wise prince preserving one side’s peace. For him, coordinating so no northern ransacking and abducting commoners was his merit.
But now, suddenly escalated like this? What to do?
Though these years southern merchants paid tribute with rare items like nanmu and jade, for the Prince of Langya, the scholars inside Changcheng provided more precious emotional value.
This soft-eared “wise prince” could talk endlessly with famous scholars in pure conversation; but making him talk matters with coarse military men, he couldn’t bear that vulgar scene. Yet now the Imperial Court suddenly sent a heavenly decree, requiring him to meet Wu Fei.
Thus the Prince of Langya reluctantly issued an invitation to Wu Fei.
…Pulling favoritism is impossible…
On the dragon boat in the river, Wu Fei rode his dragon horse landing on the deck. But entering the boat, seeing the twittering beauties, he sighed.
Da Yao’s decadence far exceeded his imagination. Among the lined-up maidservants were fox girls, water tribe women full of water spirit, and fairies with slender necks and hair like crane feathers.
In the eyes of those without extravagant lives, impossible to imagine how extravagant. 21st century people mock farmers’ shallow knowledge with “emperor’s golden hoe,” but actually for noble life, most netizens were the clueless farmers.
Under Cao Xueqin’s pen, Jia Mu claimed a medium household, most saw it as jaw-dropping, and this was still medium? Yet a Qing real-power prince saw it and sighed this life was still too simple.
Wu Fei knew this world had things like Qi Ling Dan, and Yun Qie Valley ruins currently producing similar items with the ash he left behind. Even now with ample output on his side, usage followed the old generation Wu Hanluan’s way: giving southern border foreign race submitters a path to conversion.
Wu Hanluan was for “espionage,” so used Qi Ling Dan.
Now Wu Fei also knew, without the ash on himself, the native method to refine Qi Ling Dan.
Need to use needles to extract essence blood from fetuses in eighteen pregnant women’s wombs, nurture with spirit grass liquid. This essence blood develops crystal clear, in infant state—like ginseng fruit.
Then take the fruit mixed with Hun Yuan Stone for fire refining. The heat must be controlled stable, waiting for the infant liquid in Hun Yuan Stone to turn from infant to pill. If firepower weak, infant develops freak shape during pill turn, that’s ruined. If alchemy furnace firepower too strong, it turns to ash annihilation.
During pill formation, through microscopic instruments can observe, seems like a kind of gene remodeling high technology. Of course the cost is high, harms others benefits self.
And now, such expensively valuable pills, this Prince of Langya used to cultivate beautiful maidservants with unique flavors. Just like in previous life, some liked cat girls, fox girls, but “conservative” Xuan Chong didn’t understand.
Wu Fei confirmed in his heart: Values different, no need to debate scriptures.
Previous life as a netizen gentleman, Wu Fei decided on the gentleman key “starting move.”
Inside the river Chinese flower boat, on the lacquered couch, Prince of Langya prepared courtesy before force, letting beautiful maidservants offer respectful toasts, but he was suddenly staggered by a wave of killing intent. Nearby martial world experts hurriedly guarded, yet facing military strategist’s killing intent wave, all involuntarily held swords defensively.
The four martial world experts guarding Prince of Langya were horrified, shocked in their hearts. This soldier nicknamed Wu Xiao Que, how many people did he kill in the south to accumulate such military killing intent.
The entire boat, vibrant flower lanterns instantly turned deathly pale, as if phosphorus fire after corpse mountain blood sea.
Wu Fei faced the terrified Prince of Langya, coldly said: “I know His Majesty sent you. I accept the order, will leave Donghua Commandery tomorrow, but take a message to those hypocrites in Donghua Commandery: Don’t think you’re safe, blood disaster still coming.”
Wu Fei then glanced at the beautiful maidservants on this boat: “Your losing ambition through indulgence, I’ll take them for you.”
Then waved his hand, a Guiche descended from the sky. Then a group of iron mask-wearing knights descended, beginning to grab people.
Guiche landed on the boat, an evil wind instantly paralyzed everyone. The four experts dared not clash with this evil beast, could only let dragon horse cavalry board and take all maidservants away.
These beautiful maidservants, Wu Fei would give “pills” to remove demon spirit, then—bring to Longyou, reward to his non-commissioned officers before expedition.
…Wu Fei even wanted to pack the fruit plate to take away, not wasting a grain…
After Wu Fei left, the boat was a mess of cups and plates. Prince of Langya in white clothes, his noble bun disheveled, as if raped.
He took a good while to get up immediately, shouting loudly “back to city, back to city!” Clearly terrified, if possible, he never wanted to deal with such vulgar warriors again.
Half a shichen later, back at his prince’s mansion, he declined visits from local noble families.
In the side hall, the prince’s mansion old servant scolded these noble family representatives not to make more trouble. The young master suffered for your matter.
As for the noble families immediately saying: We’ll seek justice for the prince, jointly memorialize, but were directly kicked out.
And in the prince’s mansion, Prince of Langya, fed flower nectar mouth-to-mouth by flower fairy maidservants, recovered his spirit, then calmed down.
On how to report this matter, he wasn’t emotional! Directly threw away the grievance.
Indeed, he was a bit indulgent in luxury and lust, but not stupid! Prince of Langya analyzed: Wu Fei though very rough, promised to leave tomorrow, meaning Emperor Shu’s task for him was completed.
Compared to Wu Fei’s threat, he considered first securing the merit of “mission completed.”
Thus this “wise prince” wrote: After meeting Wu Fei on the river surface, how he stated pros and cons, persuaded this north camp general to drop grudges and leave.
As for Changcheng’s noble families, he needed to warn them well. Because~
Prince of Langya recalled the meeting scene with Wu Fei, shivered. That Guiche extremely fierce, nine heads’ eyes staring with terrifying malice. As if next second he’d be eaten. Yet this nine-headed Guiche didn’t dare advance behind Wu Fei.
…Riding wind north, mountains and rivers pass underfoot…
Wu Fei rode Guiche hurrying to Longyou Commandery, and behind Wu Fei were three more Guiche.
These four Guiche were newly recruited by Wu Fei after arriving at northern shore.
Ever since that trip through the Vermilion Bird Fire holy land, Wu Fei felt he had extremely strong affinity with fierce birds.
After entering Donghua Prefecture, he sensed these four flying birds wandering the mountain ridges. Then slightly sensed, felt their active aura. Over the next twenty days Wu Fei learned about Guiche’s appetite and living habits, carefully calculated he could afford the consumption, so brought some cattle and sheep as gifts, took them away (recruited).
At this moment, the Guiche Wu Fei sat on, due to being stained by dust falling from Wu Fei’s body, its indigo blue fur began transforming, chest turning a touch of fiery red.
Among the nine heads, originally spewing toxic smoke, now the toxic smoke disappeared, changed to flames. As if before incomplete combustion so smoky, now vigorous firepower, spraying pure fire.
Wu Fei patted his under-seat Guiche: Oh, name you. Call you Nine Phoenix.
The nine heads cried together, approving this name.
