Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 115 Additional Historical Elements

In August of the 34th year of the Tianli calendar, the war in the north took another turn. Although the forces of the Wei Guan were weak, their tens of thousands of soldiers were all conscripted laborers, and they could not even support a thousand properly armored soldiers. They also had no guardian beasts at all. The immortal sects such as Wang Hengzong withdrew their investments and stopped giving mounts to the disciples of the Bo King's army in Yongzhou and Xingzhou.

Even so, the false King Guanbo, under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," began to raise troops to invade the territory of Da Yao Suzhou.

The actions of the treacherous Guan coordinated with the offensive of the Hao Kingdom in the Shazhou region. The treacherous Guan began attacking the western border of the empire, capturing several cities and abducting tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians to the Western Regions. Spirit birds carrying jade slips came and went.

Before the western border was breached, the Da Yao border army repeatedly sent letters to the court requesting reinforcements. However, the Hao Kingdom was located in the north, preventing Da Yao from diverting its attention. The court's experienced and prudent ministers, after much debate, ultimately decided not to send reinforcements to the west.

Upon witnessing this scene, Xuan Chong, a member of the Wu Fei faction, couldn't help but recall numerous instances recorded in history books. When the Eastern Dynasty was bogged down in frontline battles, it had no time to deal with other unforeseen circumstances.

Wu Fei recalled the refugees along the way and the cover-ups at various post stations. He could already imagine the cruel officials in these areas, breaking down doors and levying taxes on every household.
The territory is too large. Sending troops to any front would drain the stability of that direction due to the cost of supplies and resupply along the way.

For example, if the Prince of Bo is in rebellion now, it will be more difficult to scavenge for supplies if a force capable of winning is dispatched; and if too much is scavenged, the probability of unrest in other northern regions will increase.

The uprising in the north has now been suppressed. For the Great Yao Dynasty, the price to pay is that many of the rebellious prefectures have been placed under military control by the army that quelled the rebellion. However, the military commanders of the Great Yao Dynasty have no idea how to govern, and when it comes to food, they still go around borrowing grain like bandits.

The central government effectively lost its ability to manage war-torn and conflict-ridden areas through the prefecture-county system, thus regressing to a feudal system. Military generals were granted significant power to control local military and financial affairs, becoming the direct responsible persons for those regions.

Throughout Eastern history, the superstructure has repeatedly oscillated between "unified rule" and "feudalism," crushing those who couldn't see where the "train was going" time and time again, until technological advancements led to the railway era, at which point local feudalism, detached from the central government, was finally suppressed.

…the records in the workbook…

Xuan Chong: One of the most fundamental conditions for maintaining the prefecture-county system is that the central government can provide enough resources to maintain the power to make military decisions on local conflicts "within the scope of the king's rule".

Xuan Chong: We should not rashly wage war on the border, but once we decide to attack, we must rush over and eliminate the root cause.

This highlights the importance of my personal involvement in "border reconnaissance" work several years ago during the conclusion of the Southern Xinjiang campaign. The cost of "military adjudication" needs to be controlled.

I will strengthen economic, political, and cultural control within the borders; as for the areas outside the borders, I have no obligation to conquer them, regardless of whether they disobey after my conquered army leaves.

As for those vassal states blocked from our territory by treacherous mountain passes, if our country is strong enough, we can beat them up; if our country is weak enough, they can declare themselves kings, and I don't care.

But when I have time, I will ask you why you didn't come to pay tribute!
Wu Fei, through precise calculations, limited the cost of maintaining "royal rule" to within the limits that the Yongji Pass General's Mansion could bear. All the battles suffered by the various tribes of Southern Xinjiang were inflicted by Wu Fei.

If the maintenance of the "royal rule" in the southern border were to be carried out thousands of miles away in the capital, separated by several layers of bureaucracy, the cost would increase tenfold.

Xuan Chong actively participated in the system of "promoting the king's rule" through such cost calculations, playing an indispensable role. He made a deal with the emperor by demonstrating good "work performance," allowing the emperor to feudalize him within the power structure.

Xuan Chong chose this path primarily because Emperor Xu was a reasonable person, unlike the foolish emperor born and raised in the palace by women who only recognized orders and disregarded costs.

So, what would a foolish emperor do? He would immediately dismiss the regional manager (the high-ranking official) who conquered the land after stabilizing the borders, replacing him with a family member (his son being granted the title of prince) to manage the region's resources. (Many companies in the 21st century have replicated this practice. Some people born with a silver spoon in their mouths adhere to this logic and believe it's perfectly reasonable.)
Xuan Chong (Wu Fei)'s rank of Lieutenant General remains unchanged. Wu Hanluan's rank of General Who Guards the South also remains unchanged.

When Emperor Xu recalled Wu Fei, he did not "promote him in name only"; the general's title remained in the southwest direction, and there were no other actions to increase his appointment.

All of Emperor Xu's tests of "loyalty" were within Xuan Chong's tolerance range.

In contrast, the emperor in the north did not do this. Instead, he issued orders instigating local powerful families and armies to fight each other.

Wu Fei: This may be because those military strategists haven't learned to be "feudal lords" yet, and they can't reconcile the conflicts between themselves and the local area. If they could perfectly reconcile local military and political affairs like a paperhanger, even the old witch wouldn't dare to instigate them.

The emperor and these generals fought each other, but it only made the common people suffer; no one was held accountable, and soldiers, bandits, and cruel officials took turns oppressing them, leading to a mass exodus of refugees.

…decaying yet standing…

"Hmm, something's not right?" Xuan Chong suddenly wondered as he took notes. "Da Yao has been a nation for five thousand years, with so many potential trigger points in its political system. It's impossible for every generation to be ruled by wise rulers. How has it managed to maintain this? Similar crises have occurred before. Could there be some additional force at play?"

System: This question is currently beyond the syllabus. In this history class, you don't need to analyze "elements outside the grand historical system"; you only need to apply your historical experience and summaries.

Xuan Chong immediately became alert: "Hmm, it seems there really is an extra force interfering with the history here, right?"

The system did not respond.

Xuan Chong immediately thought of the "Zhu'er Prefecture" where he first practiced his military strategy. Decades ago, a "rebellion" had occurred there. When it developed to the point of mobilizing 100,000 people to rebel, it did not spread like wildfire but was quickly extinguished.

According to relevant information from the "Security Bureau," the "Republican" side at the time vigorously promoted hydraulic workshop machinery and was able to drill "fire wells," which are natural gas wells, on the mountain for forging.

Wu Fei had analyzed the reasons at the time: the Great Yao Dynasty was able to mobilize "giant beasts," "golden men," and "magical" technologies like enchanted bows to annihilate the transmigrator's immature technological budding. —And he was smugly pleased with himself for being so cunning. He slowly stockpiled weapons, ensuring he wouldn't provoke unknown forces before his technology was fully developed.

But now that I think about it, was the time traveler really "too arrogant" and that led to his failure?
Xuan Chong worried that "as he works in this world and gets closer to his perceived goal, he might encounter unknown factors that could render all his calculations futile." This caused him to hesitate.

A pop-up window appeared encouragingly: "Your current credits are sufficient to handle the problems. Please study diligently and don't go off-topic in class." —Then the system paused: "At least don't go off-topic in this lesson."

Xuan Chong: "Hmm, other classes, are you able to?"

The system says: "Subjects such as math, physics, chemistry, natural sciences, language arts, and physical education will provide you with related homework problems to solve. Learn step by step; don't aim too high."

Xuan Chong: "Um, when does this class end?"

When asked this question, Wu Fei sensed the system's extreme displeasure. However, the system still provided an answer.

The system pop-up window shows forty-five small hourglasses, and eighteen of them have already been emptied.

Xuan Chong wanted to ask some more questions, but the system replied, "During class, don't ask when get out of class will end."

The conversation ended, and although the confusion remained, the unease disappeared. The system subtly revealed a "guarantee" that could prevent "historical accidents," so all that was needed was to focus on attending classes.

…The crescent moon in the sky is being pulled apart, preparing for a new round of merging…

"One, two, one, two, one, halt!"

In the capital city of Da Yao, Wu Fei, who held the official rank of Commander of the Imperial Guard, still accepted the task assigned by the emperor to train a new army. After all, as someone who was to become the emperor's son-in-law, he belonged to the imperial family's faction and should do one or two things for the emperor.

Regarding military training, Emperor Shu adopted Wu Fei's suggestion to recruit soldiers from the boat trackers' corps. However, in terms of personnel, Emperor Shu gave Wu Fei a list of about twenty nobles. Wu Fei responded that the list should have at least "two hundred people," as he would need to weed out seventy percent. He also said he would write to his family to request twenty more men.

The emperor granted his request.

After the previous failed attempt to quell the rebellion in Bo County, the Emperor, though unspoken, was well aware that the Zhanlu Army and other forces in the capital were in disarray. He knew that if the sons of nobles sent there were not screened and given fresh blood from outside the capital to spur them on, the army would remain a bunch of incompetent fools. Therefore, he tacitly approved Wu Fei's conditions.

On Wu Fei's side: it was impossible to completely prevent the court's nobles from entering the new army; the new army that Emperor Shu wanted was first and foremost "trustworthy," and only secondly "combat-capable." Wu Fei understood this bottom line and compromised accordingly. He stayed within Emperor Shu's boundaries, demanding as much power as possible.

However, Wu Fei had another request: he demanded the East Market of Da Yao Capital as the defense zone for the new army! He also requested a piece of land in the northeastern region, near several rivers and waterways, to be designated for the construction of barracks, which Wu Fei named Xiaozhan.

The reason was simple: the canal in the East Market had a large enough flow of water, making it a lucrative area. It could support an army. This was why Xuan Chong sent Wu Juwang and his adopted sons to investigate the shipment volume there. At the time, the gangs in the East Market didn't take the newly appointed Jinwu Guard seriously, so the local merchants unsuspectingly revealed all the basic information to Wu Juwang and his group.

The gangs in Yaodu are very well-informed. Once they learned that Wu Fei had been appointed, they would put his information on the black market and sell it to people who didn't lack money. And all the well-informed people in the entire East Market would be wary of Wu Fei, this outsider.

At that time, it will be difficult for Wu Fei to obtain any more information about Dongshi.

Especially when Wu Fei's training infringes on the interests of some people, all their connections will come into play, and even street laborers will be threatened in advance that no one in the East City should have any in-depth communication with Wu Fei's side.

…Now the despicable outsider has entered the scene…

At the small station's sentry post, officers in bright uniforms led soldiers dressed in black animal uniforms, former boat trackers, who stood guard.

Those dressed in bright clothes were relatives of the emperor and nobles. Just a few days ago they were all nonchalant, but since Wu Fei kicked out a third of them, those who remained were all obedient to orders.

Wu Fei had spoken with each of those willing to obey orders and learned that they were all illegitimate sons from their families. After all, the higher-ups in the Great Dao had also guessed Emperor Xu's intentions: this newly formed force was to be deployed. In short, it was to go to the battlefield, which carried a certain degree of risk. Therefore, the legitimate sons were not brought in.

After figuring out the backgrounds of those who were willing to stay, Wu Fei did not require them to eat and live with the boatmen who were originally soldiers.

Wu Fei: After all, their only remaining ambition is to one day rise through the ranks within the family. You can't let them experience the feeling of falling in social class right from the start.

Therefore, a strict hierarchical system must be implemented in the military, with officers having their own separate food system and separate tent arrangements.

Of course, Wu Fei himself must be the highest in the ranking system. After personally beating down fifteen troublemakers on the training ground, Wu Fei established his position as the leader. Compared to Wu Hengyu's freakishness, Xuan Chong was no match for him. However, after being distracted by Wu Fei's murderous aura, these greenhorns who had never been on the battlefield were knocked down and suffocated unconscious by being strangled by a horsewhip.

After finally knocking out a big guy named Li Xiaorong, Wu Fei looked at the remaining men and mocked, "How many heads do you guys owe me?" — These noblemen, from then on, abandoned their irritable ways with Wu Fei.

After suppressing these guys, Wu Fei actually remembered the challengers, paying close attention to their performance. Once they showed some compliance, he immediately praised them and delegated military administration authority to them. He quickly pulled them off a quick victory. It was nothing more than empty promises: "Work hard, His Majesty is watching you. With me, I guarantee you'll carve out your own path."

Wo Fei: Although the old saying is "It is not scarcity that is to be feared, but inequality," its extended application within the ruling class is "It's not that I'm disobedient, but you can't treat me like a commoner."

Therefore, when Wu Fei trained this group of noble officers sent from the imperial court, his training and punishment systems were completely different from those of ordinary soldiers. And it was precisely because of this that the training continued.

On the parade ground, after Wu Fei punished a sergeant by making him do twenty push-ups, he immediately punished his soldiers by making them do one hundred push-ups.

This is the authority that Wu Fei granted to these nobles; he himself would not punish ordinary soldiers beyond his rank, but the authority to punish ordinary soldiers belonged to them.

Wu Fei: Forget about equality and harmony. The way to quickly build up combat capability now is for non-commissioned officers to master the manuals as soon as possible. As long as they can master them quickly, this special selection rank is appropriate.

…Xuan Chong: There are imperialist methods for training imperialist troops…

As the marching exercises proceeded on the playground.

Wu Fei casually asked Huang Men, who had come to see the results of the training, for something: "An army must have ambition to maintain its combat effectiveness. And to inspire ambition, you must prepare corresponding rewards."

The palace eunuch was initially quite satisfied with the marching drill, but upon hearing Wu Fei ask for it again, he paused slightly and reminded Wu Fei, "General, His Majesty has shown you great favor. You still need to strive harder."

It was clear that they felt Wu Fei's repeated requests to Emperor Shu might be wearing down the emperor's patience.

However, Wu Fei pretended not to understand. In fact, there was no need to argue, because the two were not the same kind of people and could not think the same way.

The eunuchs have developed a servant mentality; servants resign themselves to their fate, believing that everything they have is given by the emperor, and therefore feel they have no right to ask for anything more. The more they ask for, the further they distance themselves from His Majesty.
Wu Fei's thinking is that of a "scholar-official." He is not asking the emperor for things himself, but doing things for the emperor. He cannot do things without resources, and the more resources he asks for, the more things he can do.

Wu Fei: "The saying goes that a great reward will surely bring forth brave men, but for Your Majesty's sake, the rewards must be carefully calculated in order to support the size of the new army; therefore, the rewards and punishments for officers and ordinary soldiers should be separated. The captains have been rewarded with enough kindness and severity, but for the soldiers, I still need Your Majesty to give them more favor."

Xuan Chong found evidence in military strategy to persuade him: "The officers from noble families are now striving for advancement based on their ability to win the emperor's favor. But how can we make the soldiers recruited from the boatmen feel that their service is worthwhile?" (Xuan Chong: There are reasons why Li Jing did not pass on some things to Hou Junji.)
The eunuch paused for a moment and asked, "General, please feel free to say what you want."

Wu Fei opened his mouth and asked on behalf of the sons of the Eastern Market soldiers: "The position of Eastern Market Commandant, and some special powers of punishment."

…The perspective shifts to the Sky Palace…

Emperor Xu looked at the approaching eunuch and pondered deeply.

Seeing this, the eunuch probed, "Your Majesty, this southern barbarian is ignorant of etiquette. I will go and reprimand him."

Emperor Xu: "I didn't ask you to speak."

Then the emperor waved his hand, and the eunuch stood quietly to the side, though he felt he already understood the emperor's will.

Emperor Xu began his divination. During the divination, the blazing red light he held tightly in his palm remained there without ever leaving. However, as the divination intensified, a sudden burst of malevolent energy caused burns to Emperor Xu's palm.

Emperor Xu frowned, clenched his fist slightly, and after confirming that "Blazing Rainbow" was still stable and had not broken free, it was still a little hot to the touch.

To control the country is like holding thorns; to control talented people is like holding burning coals.

When a country is well-off, it is possible to choose not to use certain assets; however, now that the country is in dire straits, we cannot discard usable assets just because we are afraid of the pain.

Emperor Xu ordered someone to draft the decree, and then the imperial seal floated up and was stamped on.

(End of this chapter)