Chapter 90: Tug-of-war
In the main camp, Wu Hanluan had one arm slung up with a cold compress, while using the other arm to read the battle report, his face showing joy.
He then opened the feng shui map in the prefecture, and seeing that the rebels’ morale in the mountains and rivers was beginning to fade, he repeatedly said three times, “Good, good, good.”
Under his command were two battle reports. One was Wu Hengyu pursuing the remnants of Prince Lelang’s forces, with Prince Lelang fleeing in panic to his own main base. Meanwhile, in the Five Prefectures of Chong Shui, the two northern prefectures, upon confirming Prince Lelang’s crushing defeat, immediately offered their cities and surrendered to the Wu Family Army.
The other battle report was that after Wu Fei captured Chang County, he turned his blade edge toward Lu City. As soon as the army arrived, the Lu City garrison submitted to Da Yao, restored order, and rose up to surrender.
On the left side of the command tent, Deputy General Chu Nan, from the water noble family faction, seeing this, said: “Congratulations, Marshal. This battle is a complete victory. Now that the situation is greatly favorable, could we let General Wu Yuanchang stabilize first and eliminate the rebels in Chong Land?”
At this time, Wu Hanluan glanced at Chu Nan and said: “I know your worry. You are concerned that the military affairs in Yongzhou will expand. Our army currently has no food and grass supplies from the south, relying only on enemy warehouses for food. If the warfare drags on, changes may arise. Rest assured, Yuan Chang has it under control.”
Chu Nan retreated. There was actually another intention: the Wu Family Northern Army faction felt that in this battle, Wu Fei’s route had taken merits far too quickly and easily, seizing cities without fighting any hard battles.
Like all poor family factions, Chu Nan felt an awkwardness in his heart toward Wu Xiao Que, who had talent but no virtue.
Where there are people, there are factions. Where there are factions, there is contention for “merit.” In the past few years, during the Northern Army’s expansion, in every battle, it was mainly the disciples centered around Wu Hengyu from “water and Zhu Prefecture” who took the lead. Previously, they had sneered at the few merits of the Wu Family disciples, but now! Wu Xiao Que had arrived.
This Grasping Sparrow could not only find food in various places but also reap merits in the “easiest” places. This suddenly made these Wu Family Army poor family forces tense.
“Wu Xiao Que’s merits come from easy places!” This was the new view emerging among these poor family disciples.
Because compared to Wu Hengyu’s direct fierce charge and decisive battle with Prince Lelang’s main force, Wu Fei’s method indeed seemed to avoid the difficult and take the easy, quickly taking shortcuts, sneaking through cities when they were lax. Behind his butt, the main camp in Chong Land was still under Prince Lelang’s threat, yet he handed the rear strategy to Wu Hanluan and Wu Hengyu, preparing to go north and poke others’ butts!
So Chu Nan and the other poor family generals under Wu Hengyu felt: Wu Fei should be directly transferred back. In a fair situation, under Wu Hengyu’s restraint, he wouldn’t steal such big merits.
Regarding this, Wu Hanluan was very amused. This time he mobilized Wu Fei here precisely to suppress the arrogance of these two prefecture disciples. The Northern Army still bore the Wu surname.
Wu Fei was the merit balancer. If talking about stealing merits, which family did Wu Fei belong to? Which family’s squad leaders did he bring mostly? His own people could steal merits through means under the rules’ tacit approval—that was ability! Wu Hanluan and Wu Hengyu both knew Wu Fei had no interest in the Northern Army’s final command authority; his mind was full of returning to mess with the Southern Border, and after gaining merits, he took care of the Wu Family disciples left in the Northern Army.
Moreover, Chong Shui was fought so slowly for a reason: Wu Hanluan was raising bandits to strengthen himself.
…Defeated army here…
Five days after the Chong Shui battle, in Kan County, the wilderness was now nine out of ten homes empty. The population had largely fled. This was because troops had passed through several rounds.
In the feudal era, lacking transportation and national grain mobilization systems, even the most prosperous places could not withstand several rounds of troops passing.
In the first round of troops passing, the local generals could still buy sufficient food and grass supplies locally. But in the second round, the local residents had no grain to sell, so soldiers had to rob for rations. In the third round, they would plunder anything they saw.
Thus, Sunzi’s military strategy says: When using troops, it is best to conscript only once.
When Wu Fei planned the long-distance march, he had considered this point: each place had a limited capacity to bear army corps passing through. So each large team advanced on its own exclusive route, strictly forbidden from going onto others’ routes. After passing troops once, they tried not to use that road again.
It could be said that in the Five Prefectures of Chong Shui, Wu Fei’s route of passing troops was the least harmful. But subsequently, Prince Lelang’s batch and Wu Hengyu’s batch of troops, to accumulate food and grass, all caused destruction to the locals. And the destruction grew stronger each time. For example now, there was no smoke from cooking fires for a hundred li. Half a year ago, there were still crowing chickens and barking dogs here.
After Prince Lelang’s defeated army passed through once more, the villages along the way saw this group of defeated soldiers and felt no danger, even with some ignorant ones boldly offending them.
In Ling Village, Prince Lelang’s group fled to this place, parched and ragged like homeless dogs. A routed soldier rushed to the tree, instructing the soldiers already resting there: “Thirsty” “Prince wants water.”
At this moment, a stream of water floated down from above. The routed soldiers were surprised to feel liquid dripping on their faces, licked it, and it was indeed water. While they were puzzled, naughty laughter came from the treetop. A child sat in the tree, pulling up his pants. —
Several hours later, in the massacred Ling Village, Prince Lelang leaned against a dirt mound, breathing slowly. Red patterns on his body once again covered his skin like tattoos, and behind him, a group of soldiers were also panting. The weather was extremely hot, fearless mosquitoes buzzed on their bodies. Despite Prince Lelang’s soldiers erupting killing intent, making the mosquitoes burst and die one by one, swarms of flies then rushed forward relentlessly to bite.
These were not ordinary flies; they were green-headed ones.
After Prince Lelang rested, he stood on the dirt slope and looked at his own troops, nodding. He did not count the numbers, just had a rough sense of more or less.
When he had just retreated in defeat, there were fewer than three hundred around him. Now, after killing villages along the way and sweeping up the living people, he had over a thousand. — He felt that this army under his command was very angry. This “anger” came from the war depriving them of their happiness. These soldiers hated everything, including Wu Fei’s self-perceived harmless passage, which they also hated. Because they thought that if Wu Fei’s troops hadn’t massively purchased grain along the way, they wouldn’t have had no grain to levy when it was time.
Of course, that red “fighting power” was not for the blessed ones to calculate accounts and take precise revenge, but for disorderly release (taking anger out on everything). That is, people deprived and angered needed to deprive others to fill their anger.
Prince Lelang could kill these newly recruited ones’ families to deter them from retaliating, but he had to satisfy their anger. Only if the anger was continuously satisfied would their bodies be dyed with layers of blood color, thereby gaining endless fighting power!
Since age fourteen, Prince Lelang had discovered this power of his, rising from fighting power third stage to his current fighting king realm. In large and small blood fights, the blood killing intent wrapped around his body like giant pythons.
Until half a year ago, he saw signs of his killing pythons transforming into dragons, so he decided to go all out, flipping out from Da Yao to fight for a breakthrough. But this time, when clashing with the Wu Family Army sent by Da Yao, he hadn’t fought over them.
Prince Lelang targeted some fortresses gathered with fertile land, thinking of the Zhenzhou noble families who had stood by idly in this battle, so his anger flared up. Overnight, Prince Lelang’s mad army had several hundred more heads.
A hundred kilometers away, the local noble families suffered the mad army’s revenge. After these angry people smashed open the noble clan’s high gates, except for a few disciples who escaped, everything in the clan—down to chickens and dogs—was left none. After one round of killing, Prince Lelang’s troops gained another batch of mad army.
…Seven days passed in time…
Wu Fei hurried from Yongzhou to Zhenzhou. No other reason—the battles in the south seemed too drawn out. The food and grass scraped from southern Yongzhou was increasingly insufficient, so Wu Fei had to come back for a trip to gauge the winds.
Of course, as a polite person, Wu Fei did not come empty-handed. He also delivered the last batch of siege weapons to the south. Currently, he was not planning to attack and seize more cities and camps; leaving them in Yongzhou was useless.
He happened to encounter Wu Hengyu on the halfway road. Wu Fei rode Nine Phoenix, while Wu Hengyu rode the transformed spirit beast Wuzhui.
Wu Hengyu stared at Wu Fei: What are you delivering so many siege weapons for?
Wu Fei paused, very blunt: “You advance rapidly, so heavy equipment and food and grass will lag behind. Thus, preparing in advance for your convenience.”
Wu Hengyu: This time the one charging ahead like pigs was you! I was clearing the rear for you. (Referring to Wu Fei speeding off to Yongzhou)
Wu Fei paused without arguing, but sincerely: “Thanks.”
Wu Hengyu paused slightly, then nodded: “Good that you know.”
He then showed the main camp’s token and received these siege supplies.
(Regarding Wu Fei leading part of the Northern Army out of restraint, though he didn’t believe it, the repeated instillment still affected him)
Wu Fei chuckled: “Yeah, I was really afraid you’d refuse them. Showing off~ your invincible divine might, scaling the walls with your bare body!” (Showing off, said half and pulled back)
Wu Hengyu glanced at Wu Fei: “Say one more word, and I’ll carry you back to Yongzhou. Believe it or not, I alone can sweep flat Zhenzhou without you.”
Wu Fei: “I believe.”
Wu Hengyu was satisfied with his younger clan’s brother’s straightforward concession, nodding: “I know what you’re worried about. Rest assured, everything is under control. In another ten days, we can open the road from Lao City (opening the channel for southern grain to supply north).”
Wu Fei: “Mm, that way food and grass can still hold. But why drag it out.”
Wu Hengyu looked at Wu Fei: “Father Marshal didn’t tell you?”
Wu Fei shook his head. But he could roughly guess: Wu Hanluan was using military disaster on a large scale to suppress Chong Land noble family forces, so that the still-outsider Wu Family Army could gain a foothold in Zhenzhou. Previously Wu Fei didn’t dare believe it, but since learning Wu Hanluan released the plague, he gradually figured it out.
Wu Hengyu nodded with a smile: “He didn’t tell me either.”
Wu Fei was stunned, but seeing Wu Hengyu’s expression, he knew, though Wu Fei didn’t ask further.
Wu Fei: “Wei Guan side has already started moving. I’m here to tell you this is the last batch of military supplies. Next, I can only take care of my side.”
Wu Hengyu looked up: “Heavy pressure on your side?”
Wu Fei: “Rest assured, if they attack, I can drag them for half a year. In half a year, you all can surely flatten Chong Shui, right?”
Wu Hengyu nodded, while his mount Wuzhui bared its teeth at Wu Fei.
Wu Fei took the chance to say to Wu Hengyu: “Your mount bragged that you’d take it in three months.” Wu Hengyu was slightly stunned, patted Wuzhui, and asked: “Did you say that!” Wuzhui paused then nodded.
Wu Hengyu curiously asked Wu Fei: “How can you understand my horse’s sounds.”
Wu Fei smiled: “What kind of master has what kind of mount.”
Actually, Wu Fei didn’t understand; he just assumed Wuzhui was also bragging, brain-supplementing and grafting the personality to give Wuzhui lines, so this “spiritual technique” bluffed Wu Hengyu. Of course, it was also a metaphor for the situation of those under his command.
Amid Wu Hengyu’s half-believing gaze, he leisurely left.
…Wu Fei: Heh, my brain is still the smartest!…
In Zhenzhou main camp, after Wu Hengyu returned, Wu Hanluan asked: “He went back?”
Wu Hengyu recounted the conversation in full detail, then asked: “Father, he’s confronting Wei Guan’s entire country with a detached force in southern Yongzhou, under too much pressure. Since we’re holding still here, why not let me lead the cavalry north to help him.”
Wu Hanluan asked meaningfully: “If you go to him, you won’t clash with him?”
Wu Hengyu said: “Clan brothers, naturally not. Besides, he provides intellect, I provide valor—how could there be conflict.”
Wu Hanluan nodded: “Good if you think that way, but you can’t go help him.”
Wu Hanluan took out a box; inside the box was an imperial decree from the Imperial Court.
Wu Hengyu looked at it, then raised his head: “The Imperial Court wants to summon him?”
Wu Hanluan: “Yes, I declined on grounds of busy military affairs. The Imperial Court confirmed he’s guarding the north, so they temporarily halted this decree.”
Wu Hengyu frowned: “Why?”
Wu Hanluan said: “Because our family has now substantively pacified the Southern Border, having the reality of enfeoffing lands. But these past few years, in this tumultuous autumn, a series of great merits in the Southern Border weren’t reported. Now our army is ordered to suppress the rebellion in Zhenzhou, and the Imperial Court thinks to weaken us through this battle. But! Yuan Chang’s brilliant move was well played! Our Wu Family now possesses Yongzhou land, and you defeated the pretender Prince Lelang in one battle. With Wu Family power grown great, the Imperial Court naturally has become wary.”
Wu Hengyu clenched his fist, as if crushing the air: “Does the Imperial Court really want to harm the loyal and good?”
Wu Hanluan: “Not to that extent, but the Imperial Court may hope for the Wu Family to split.”
Wu Hengyu said nothing, but his expression clearly was “The Imperial Court is really bad.”
Wu Hanluan: “That’s why I let pretender Prince Lelang return to his main base—to have this tyrannical pretender kill off the Zhenzhou noble families and clans once. That way, the Imperial Court can’t constrain our Wu Family taking root here. As for Yongzhou side, the longer the standoff, the more noble families dependent on our Wu Family solidify, and we can relocate them to Zhenzhou as aid to our Wu Family.”
Wu Hengyu: “This is truly troublesome.”
Wu Hanluan: “What matter in the world isn’t troublesome. Alright, reorganize the troops. We’ve stopped long enough; time to continue facing Prince Lelang.”
Thus, he stood up and ordered his personal soldiers to beat the drums at sunrise tomorrow morning. Now it was time to rest.
…After one victory, subsequently holding the initiative…
In November, the Wu Family Northern Army’s Chong Shui northern camp and southern camp moved simultaneously, arriving at Lao City, with Wu Hanluan personally leading troops to besiege it tightly.
Eighty li away, upon learning Lao City was besieged, Prince Lelang flew into great rage—oh, after the red fighting power’s blessing, his emotions were only rage. And there were no advisors left beside him long ago.
Lao City was where the two north-south tributaries of Chong Shui converged into the main Chong Shui river course, a key pass of Chong Shui, a transshipment point controlling north-south river goods transport. Similarly, there was another key pass on Chong Shui at the city where Prince Lelang was.
Now with Prince Lelang acting tyrannically, causing massive artisan exodus, lacking hands to build ships, once Lao City fell, Prince Lelang’s location would become an isolated city.
Thus, on November eleventh, as the Wu Family Army besieged Lao City, Prince Lelang could only lead troops out to relieve the siege.
En route past a mountain peak, Prince Lelang encountered an ambush. Wu Hengyu led over a thousand to block the main road, welcoming Prince Lelang’s troops.
Facing that neat formation, Prince Lelang had no suspicion of a trap, leading three thousand newly recruited mad army charging up. But five hundred Wu Family Army from ambushes on both road sides appeared, over two thousand Wu Family Army forming an opening toward the east in a “U” formation, and the mad army had just entered this 800-pace “U” battlefield opening.
For the ambushed Prince Lelang army corps, Wu Family Army arrows rained down on these howling eight-ring cleaver troops. The Lelang mad army, being newly recruited, many had been villagers and servants months ago, with red marks only a line painted on the forehead—not like Prince Lelang with all hair red. These new mad army still harbored other emotions, hence cursing the Wu Family Army for actually setting up bed crossbows on the mountain tops on both sides: “Truly heartless.”
As these mad army cleaver troops approached the crossbow array, the Wu Family Army formation’s crossbowmen withdrew, a column of cavalry appearing on the slope. The cavalry waved sabres and charged down, hooves trampling with shock, sending masses of pebbles rolling down the slope. The mad army’s faces instantly lost blood color, turning deathly pale from terror. But turning back, they were trampled under the hooves below.
As for Prince Lelang himself, riding a blood ox as mount into battle, he clashed with Wu Hengyu again. After three exchanges of golden mace and Star River Spear, Prince Lelang’s palms burst open at the tiger’s mouth. Wanting to evade, as his killing intent weakened, he was hit in the chest by a leg-thick arrow, breaking two ribs, then fled in panic.
Wu Hengyu did not pursue him, but let him go again. Because that bed crossbow bolt that hit Prince Lelang was specially made, soaked in golden juice.
Local Zhenzhou spies reported that Prince Lelang could recover heavy wounds by killing people, so let this tyrannical guy go back to vent on his subordinates.
After poking Prince Lelang once with the Star River Spear, Wu Hengyu no longer took him seriously at all—able to poke once meant able to poke a second time. In this battle, the ambushed valley had corpses strewn over more than twenty li.
