Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 113 Being Extorted

He returned from the banquet. Twelve hours later, the imperial edict arrived again. This time, the edict praised Wu Fei for his loyalty and bravery in serving the country, and appointed him as the Commander of the Imperial Guards. After the eunuch finished reading the edict, he invited Wu Fei to live in a special residence, which was considered a formal allocation of housing for Wu Fei according to the established system.

Just like Fan Jin passing the imperial examination, a group of his colleagues from the court came to visit him. Xuan Chong disliked these social occasions, but he still remembered everyone's name.

Just as Xuan Chong was smiling on the outside but cursing inwardly, the system said: "Activate information listing?"

Xuan Chong was stunned for a moment, and then learned that the system could store videos of people he met, and label them with names and facial expressions.

Xuan Chong opened the operation interface: "Didn't you say you didn't have enough storage?" The petty Xuan Chong still harbored resentment that the system hadn't helped him memorize military books back then.

System: "Yes or no?"

Xuan Chong quickly pressed "OK" on the options: "Okay, okay."

Subsequently, the system immediately compiled the self-introductions and identity information of each colleague into a contact list with accompanying details, expanding on each person's family background. Furthermore, the conversations with Xuan Chong were also recorded. The recorded footage analyzed various details such as facial muscles and eye contact of each person, and a pop-up explanation appeared in real time.

For example, right now, there's that guy named Liu Xuanye standing in front of me, bowing and calling me "brother"; the system immediately pops up an analysis window on the screen showing his mouth and eyes. The conclusion is that his fake smile hides disdain, indifference, and a competitive spirit.

Xuan Chong found it very interesting: "What is this?"

System: "This is a 'social networking system' developed in the 22nd century. It was created to save users' time when they are unsure of their potential collaborations with others but still need to maintain necessary social connections. This system is not permitted for use during work hours or when meeting important friends and family."

Xuan Chong, like a curious child, pressed on: "Why?"

The system states: "When the work group you're anchored to shares common goals, this system helps you anticipate others' thoughts, which can lead to your work performance being unnecessarily affected by emotions."

Xuan Chong thought for a moment: "Yes, that's right."

System: "Therefore, narrow-minded people should especially avoid using this kind of social media tool; a broad mind is true happiness."

Xuan Chong's lips twitched, concealing his clenched back teeth. He could always sense the system's malice without realizing it, but he was used to it; that's what best friends are for, he thought.

Xuan Chong: "By the way, what were the side effects?"

The system paused for a moment: This system would cause devastating damage to traditional marriage in the 22nd century. A small line of information then popped up, but the tiny print was illegible to Xuan Chong.

"Anything that can't be clearly seen will not pass the review."

Xuan Chong fell into thought and roughly understood what was going on. Love is something that only arises when you are interested in every smile and frown of the other person. If an electronic system analyzes every minute detail of their expression, then you will feel nothing.

Tolerance of flaws is essential for a lasting relationship. Just as Wu Fei has become accustomed to the system's malice and now shows himself without reservation, this is about giving each other the feeling of "natural freedom."

This "social" intelligence system is not a good thing. It helps people become highly selfish and self-serving in social interactions, turning interpersonal relationships into an information battlefield. It constantly conceals its own information while probing others' information, waiting for an opportunity to act!

In any human social relationship, when both parties adopt this "tactical analysis" mindset and invest their energy with the intention of "seeking returns," it inevitably becomes a zero-sum game.

Now, Xuan Chong is all alone in Yao Du and his values ​​are highly opposed to those here. This place is the battlefield, and the "history teacher" has tacitly approved the use of this system to deal with it.

…History teacher's comment: Although this student is petty, peacetime has cultivated a kind and gentle nature…

After a day of networking, Wu Fei gleaned the following information: "The Commander of the Imperial Guard is a fourth-rank official whose main duties include patrolling the capital, preventing thieves, arresting criminals, and handling prison cases; garrisoning the capital, conducting temporary military campaigns, and managing weapons. It seems to have immense power, but the actual amount of authority depends on the emperor's trust. Because this position covers such a vast area, many functions are divided among the officers, and the real focus is on the tasks assigned by the emperor."

As for what kind of tasks the emperor would assign to the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Wu Fei learned from his colleagues, based on the background of those who could be officially appointed as "Commander of the Imperial Guards," that they could be roughly divided into three categories.

The first category consists of a group of exceptionally talented, ruthless officials who are unafraid of coercion, bribery, or powerful figures. These were primarily officials assigned to the Censorate.

The second category: those with outstanding military talent. Those who become captains in the Imperial Guards based on their military abilities—this was to enhance the combat effectiveness of the Imperial Guards.

The third category: relying on the special status of maternal relatives to guard key departments for the emperor—this was used to balance the situation in the court.

As the carriage carried him into the mansion, Xuan Chong began to analyze his situation.

The first type is something that is absolutely impossible for them to do themselves. Being a cruel official is a job that leads to the extinction of one's lineage. Relying on the emperor's favor, they exploit various factions. If they have descendants, they will inevitably face retribution. In fact, they might not even survive to the time of their descendants; once their usefulness to the emperor is over, they lose power. Actually, this kind of work is very suitable for eunuchs; without factions or descendants, they have no scruples. The Wu family has been marquises for generations; they have no need to do such dirty work.

The second type is those Wu Fei himself doesn't want to join. The Imperial Guard's combat effectiveness needs improvement, but right now it's not simply a matter of transferring talented people; rather, it's the group least suited for military service that's been infiltrated into this armed force. Families of imperial nobles have all mixed their sons into this organization; these people can commit crimes without execution, and break the law without punishment. If they can't be removed, even the Emperor himself couldn't clean up the Imperial Guard.

However, if the Commander of the Imperial Guards were to gain the "personnel power" to dismiss idle personnel, it would be tantamount to controlling the Imperial Guards. Unless the ruler had sufficient control over the person holding this position, it was impossible for them to relinquish this power. Therefore, historically, this position was often held by mid- to low-ranking officers, who were highly favored by the emperor and loyal only to him.

Wu Fei was clearly not of this type, and Xuan Chong began shamelessly: "I have reached this point entirely through my own talent, not because I was born into a noble family and was groomed from birth to become a 'general.' Of course, it is certainly not because the emperor appreciates me."

As for the third point, maternal relatives?

Just when Wu Fei thought this was impossible, he met a palace maid at the mansion. Wu Fei paused slightly, then received an imperial decree—it was time to marry Princess Xiasheng of the court.

The gold and silk sent to him earlier were a temporary loan from the palace, intended to cover initial expenses for the ceremony. Of course, Wu Fei knew that the gifts alone wouldn't be enough; he also needed to write home and ask for money.

After the person delivering the imperial decree left the inner court, Wu Fei stepped out of the "interpersonal communication" mode and noticed that Gongshu Wang, Wu Juwang, and others looked at him differently, as if they were wary.

Wu Fei asked curiously, "What's wrong with you guys?"

As Wu Fei smiled, Gongshu Wang took a deep breath and said, "General, you've been just like you're on the battlefield these past few days; you're unfathomable."

Wu Fei: "Really?"

Wu Fei quickly denied it, but he knew in his heart that Gongshu Wang was telling the truth.

I've been on high alert these past few days, reacting instinctively to any hostile advances in my interpersonal relationships. Plus, this malevolent energy is a physical phenomenon in this world. I feel like a cursed lone star!
Therefore, this "interpersonal relationship assistance" should indeed be used sparingly.

Wu Fei patted Wu Juwang and said, "I'll treat you all to dinner tonight." Wu Juwang smiled, not only because there was food, but also because his normal master had returned.

The large mansion was short of servants, so to prevent theft, Wu Fei and Gongshu Wang, along with their young men, hung bells on the walls, scattered barbed wire at the base, and covered and locked the well. They were busy for quite some time. That very night, the traps were triggered, and something the size of a wild boar fell with a thud and then crawled out the way it had come.

…the dividing line between the imperial family and the common people's families…

Five days later, Wu Fei learned from the mansion about the expenses of other princesses' weddings in this dynasty. His expression darkened, for these expenses amounted to tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Xuan Chong cursed, "So much gold, enough to train an army (two thousand men per army). This emperor is blatantly robbing us! Why doesn't he have more daughters and get rich from the dowries?"

Due to the long-standing system of tribute gold, the feudal lords and their regions were financially dependent on the imperial court. The imperial court possessed vast gold reserves, while the regions lacked gold. The imperial court could easily provide enough gold, but for the regions, gathering sufficient and high-purity gold over time was extremely difficult.

Gold and silk were essential items for prominent families in preparing rituals.

Based on the standard of four taels of tribute per thousand households per year, the Wu family has now been granted the titles of three marquises of ten thousand households, as well as more than thirty thousand households in total. The tribute they have to pay annually is two thousand four hundred taels.

In previous years, when the Great Yao was not in turmoil, if it weren't for the ability to capture heads while defending the border and being allowed to use tribute of ivory and rhinoceros horns instead of gold, the Wu family would have gone bankrupt long ago.

In recent years, Da Yao's control over the border generals has weakened. The generals in the north have stopped paying tribute, while the Wu family army in the south has also temporarily suspended its tribute payment under the pretext of road blockages.

In contrast, after the border generals stopped paying tribute, they massively expanded their military equipment and became increasingly powerful. The imperial court, on the other hand, spent large sums of money to support these regional military governors in defending against foreign enemies.

It's no wonder Xuan Chong is so sensitive about money, because he has absolutely no intention of marrying this princess. Is it worth exchanging the cost of training an army for this political status?

Xuan Chong's petty thoughts rose, and he muttered to himself, "This is the emperor's open scheme, using a daughter to weaken my development progress in the south."

…The sparrow didn't want to pluck a single feather…

Fifteen days later, the wild geese landed in Tianchi City, and Wu Fei's letter asking his family for money also arrived.

Wu Hanluan glanced at the letter, initially frowning, but upon seeing Wu Fei's inquiry about whether they should escape back directly, he snorted coldly: "This child, so petty!"

After reading the letter, Wu Hengyu clicked his tongue and said, "Twenty thousand gold coins! Ha, no wonder he wanted to escape back."

After taking over Wu Fei's account books, he saw that Wu Fei's total annual expenditure on the Southern Route Army was only 60,000 gold coins.

Note: In wartime, if there is no prior commercial preparation to transport goods to designated locations, the army may not be able to purchase supplies even if it has the money. In fact, if it does manage to buy supplies, the price may be two to three times, or even more than ten times, higher.

Wu Fei's operations were excellent. He planned the material expenditures in advance, designated merchants to procure them, and generally obtained the materials at no more than 1.5 times the market price. Therefore, the "60,000 gold" was the expenditure under Wu Fei's management.
It's important to understand that Wu Fei was planning to manipulate grain prices in the northern ports to encourage grain merchants to transport grain there, thus laying the groundwork for any potential future events.

In comparison, the Northern Route Army's military maintenance expenses last year were 150,000 taels of gold. Long-distance transportation and the purchase of emergency supplies resulted in a rapid outflow of funds. —Conversely, prices in the areas under the Northern Route Army's control are currently much higher than in the areas under the Southern Route Army's control.

Wu Hanluan was initially shocked by the enormous sum of 20,000 taels of gold demanded by Wu Fei, but not because he couldn't afford it. Rather, he was pondering the sincerity of the imperial court in this matter. What if, after taking the money, they suddenly refused to marry the princess, or perhaps they would find an excuse to falsely accuse Wu Fei of treason and suddenly kill him?

For Wu Hanluan, Wu Fei himself was far more important than tens of thousands of gold coins. Since Wu Hanluan returned to Tianchi City, he had been troubled by the many extra debts.

This includes seasonal salt and iron market surveys, with the government leading the buying low and selling high. These measures help stabilize the market supply and reduce unnecessary transshipment.

Wu Hanluan could also see how stable and ingenious the system left behind by Wu Fei was.

The entire treasury in southern Xinjiang maintained a stable surplus. Furthermore, multiple suppliers were added to the army's supplies, preventing unscrupulous merchants from hoarding goods and driving up prices, thus avoiding losses.

Of course, this stable system gradually developed loopholes as the designer suddenly left and supervision ceased.

Moreover, even without loopholes, Wu Hanluan is still not at ease with a logistics system "without the Wu family in charge".

Among the stewards trained by Wu Fei, none of the martial arts family members have yet emerged as capable of taking on a major role.

Wu Hanluan said to Hengyu, "Bring out our share of the treasury." Wu Hengyu accepted the order and left with his personal guards.

…The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward…

Six days later, Wu Hengyu arrived at the river. He first offered a cow, a pig, and a sheep to the River God, and then took a boat to search for fish in the river.

Because large sums of money often come unexpectedly during wartime, military strategists cannot immediately distribute them all to the soldiers. Otherwise, the soldiers, having amassed their wealth, would consider "disbanding and going home to live a simple life" (as seen in the Taiping Rebellion's dramatic decline in fighting power after entering Jiangnan). Instead, they often choose to hide the silver somewhere and retrieve it later. For example, Zhang Xianzhong stored silver in the Yangtze River at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

"In favorable times, soldiers expend less blood and effort, but generals receive more spoils; in unfavorable times, soldiers expend more blood and effort, but generals receive less spoils." It's impossible to always give the spoils to the court first, hoping the court will distribute them later when things are going badly for us.

Now all of Wu Fei's income goes through the public account. The extra war dividends are loaned to small merchants through financial institutions for the circulation of goods, which are then reinvested in production.

On the Northern Route Army's side, most of the government treasury property they seized was not deposited in any financial accounts.

Wu Hanluan, as a traditional military strategist, also had a set of methods to solve this problem.

A small number of personal guards would take the valuables and store them in a secluded place. After doing all this, these guards would leave the army, return to their hometowns to have children, and live in anonymity.

This is similar to how, when a large army is suddenly defeated, the secret treasure of "General XX" will appear in the martial arts world.

For Wu Hanluan, he now has a lot of wealth, but he lacks a reasonable channel to "convert" it. The royal family is willing to marry off their daughter and promote the Wu family to become maternal relatives, which is certainly worth the money.

This was completely different from Wu Fei's calculations. Wu Hanluan genuinely cherished the fact that the princess had married him.

Wu Hengyu arrived at the river. The river water slowly parted, and Wu Hengyu entered the cave, retrieving chests of wealth that had sunk into the river.

(End of this chapter)