Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 117: Death
Perhaps it was because they shouted too loudly, or more importantly because this was under the emperor's nose and their actions were far from proper; in any case, the military camp in the East Market was impeached by the imperial censor the very next day. For the next ten days to half a month, such absurd events continued to occur in an orderly manner.

Emperor Xu knew the whole story. This emperor, who had enjoyed a life of ease and comfort for many years, had not encountered anyone who dared to speak loudly or shout in his presence for a long time.

Wu Fei is very bold now, showing him a kind of "barbarian style from the southern frontier", and for a moment he felt a little wronged for his daughter who was going to marry him.

However, aside from doing "absurd" things very loudly, this new army was generally quite loyal and disciplined.

That night, after visiting the brothels in the East Market, they quickly returned home. After that, not a single soldier like them could be seen in the red-light districts. They all returned to the military depot outside the East Market. —In other words, they would definitely come when they were supposed to, and absolutely would not come when they weren't supposed to.

Emperor Shu knew very well that Wu Fei was not deceiving him; he was training a fierce and powerful army, not a pack of dogs that wag their tails at the powerful and bare their teeth at the weak. As for reputation? Even when he was still a prince, Emperor Shu knew that a "virtuous reputation" was far less useful than the tiger tally he had obtained.

After demobilization, there were 124 young officers left in this unit. They were all relatives of the emperor, collateral descendants of noble families.

A month ago, Wu Fei said he would lay off 70% of the staff, but in reality, most of them were subjected to corporal punishment. In the end, the staff were still retained.

Even Emperor Xu couldn't understand what kind of charm Wu Fei possessed that made these young men, some even younger than him, so obedient and united under his control.

Those纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) used to run rampant in the city, breaking the law and causing the capital's residents to avoid them like the plague. But now—although they obey military law, they've become even more arrogant. They're no longer just indulging in drinking, gambling, and whoring; they dare to gang up and act like bullies.

While these spoiled brats took turns on vacation, three gambling dens in the capital were vandalized, and these three dens were all backed by high-ranking officials in the imperial court. So, in the past, these young masters would hold a grudge after losing money. Now, after Wu Fei created an identity that allowed him to "do things he wouldn't dare to do before," they went to cause trouble. After confirming that the gambling dens were cheating, they deliberately made a scene, provoking the gambling dens' thugs to act, a so-called "counter-attack," causing a gang from the next street to immediately arrive and engage in a brawl.

The gentlemen in the capital suddenly realized that this was nothing short of "forming cliques"! Compared to the scholars in the court who would readily launch verbal attacks and collective assaults, these young masters in the capital could now collectively wield sticks in the streets and bully "good" merchants.

…Collectivism, even if its core is based on arrogance, is more effective than individualism…

Regarding this matter, the emperor sent a eunuch to question Wu Fei. However, Wu Fei's answer was utterly scathing: "They eat hotpot and sing songs at home, and can kick their servants when they're unhappy. Why come here to suffer? Your Majesty makes them obedient and risk their lives. What a waste."

Huangmen feigned ignorance and retorted, "Under the emperor's nose, what danger is there to worry about?" The shrill voice seemed particularly cunning when he was playing dumb.

Wu Fei took a look and, through the "system-provided intelligent facial expression analysis system," learned that Huang Men was certain that he wouldn't dare to back down.

Huangmen saw Wu Fei as a frustrated "Party B," someone who, having accepted the Emperor's (Party A's) military training plan, couldn't shrug it off and now had to face the difficulties from a second Party A (criticism in the court). As the messenger, Huangmen only needed to maintain a proper balance during the relay, not giving Party B a chance to complain or object. Party B would then have to endure the humiliation, continue with the project plan, and adjust it until all parties were satisfied.

Wu Fei decided to openly resign and show this eunuch what was going on: "Oh, if that's the case, then please demote me back to the frontier, Your Majesty. Troops are meant to be used. And elite troops must be tested in bloody battles."

Therefore, Huangmen had no choice but to summon Wu Fei to the Heavenly Palace.

The dragon-horse chariot carrying the "disgraced official" Wu Fei soared hundreds of feet into the clouds and stopped in front of the palace to the due north.

The emperor did not appear; instead, a eunuch asked Wu Fei from behind a screen, "How many more days until the army is assembled?"

Wu Fei: "It will take anywhere from a year to half a year before we have to go to the frontier to be put to use."

Eunuch: "His Majesty said he doesn't want to see you; get out of here within six months."

Wu Fei: "Your subject obeys. My military training methods, while applicable, are currently perilous on the borders, with a high probability of 40% casualties. Once an army is formed, its strength lies not only in its initial imposing presence but also in its ability to replenish its ranks after significant losses. If we cannot treat them as pillars of the state now, there will be no one to serve as our backbone."

When Wu Fei answered this question, he knew that the parents of those nobles and officers were outside the screens on both sides.

A sudden, rapid breathing sound arose. The eunuch said, "Only twenty percent are allowed to be injured or killed. If forty percent die, you will bring me your head."

Wu Fei: "I lead an army that is ready to fight to the death; even if 60% are killed, we can still fight! I beg Your Majesty to prepare graves and eulogies for me and the loyal and righteous men." This time, the eunuch remained silent. Clearly, this was a bargaining tactic.

At this moment, the emperor's voice came from behind the screen: Get down and train your troops properly.

…The palace gates opened, awaiting the neighing of the dragon-horse…

Emperor Xu watched Wu Fei's retreating figure and shook his head helplessly. Having already prepared himself mentally through divination, he was able to accept everything.

He glanced at his son, King Zhou, who was standing to the side.

When King Zhou learned a month ago that Emperor Xu had personally bestowed a title upon Wu Fei, he intended to host a banquet for him. However, after what happened a few days ago, King Zhou dared not host the banquet. Emperor Xu had witnessed all of this and couldn't help but feel a sense of paternal pride at his son's current "helplessness."

Emperor Xu silently told King Zhou: This army is left to you by your father in the future. As his son, you cannot touch your father's things in advance.

In Emperor Xu's eyes, Wu Fei's behavior is a form of "self-defilement"; this "self-defilement" prevented his son from getting his hands dirty, which is quite good.

As for Wu Fei's self-defamation, as long as Wu Fei proves that this army is effective, then Emperor Xu will have the means to help King Zhou clear Wu Fei's name and hand him over.

Before his death, he first demoted Wu Fei, then promoted and gave important positions to a large number of Wu Fei's junior officers, thus dispersing power. Finally, after the King of Zhou ascended the throne, he would have the power to promote Wu Fei, thereby suppressing the troops that had been promoted and controlling the troops that all came from the capital.

At this point, Emperor Xu thought of the Prince of Bo, and suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart.

In fact, the most talented military strategist in the royal family was Prince Bo. Wu Fei was actually in charge of Prince Bo's position, but his status as Prince Bo made him unable to be content with that position, and he went from being arrogant to being ambitious.

The reason why Emperor Xu is now at ease with Wu Fei is that there is absolutely no possibility of him seizing the throne.

At this moment, in the main hall, Emperor Xu began to feign concern by questioning his trusted ministers. He smiled and asked, "Is there anyone who cares about their own sons? If you want to leave now, it's not too late. But if you go to the battlefield and then change your mind, your head will be hanging on the flag."

After the screen was removed, none of the ministers had any objections.

As emperor, Emperor Xu quickly reverted to his "cold-blooded imperial nature." In the past, when he was on the throne, for the sake of imperial power, he could execute entire families of rebellious officials with a single stroke of his imperial edict. Now, facing the potential deaths of these relatives and powerful figures, he still considered it a matter of course under the "grace of Heaven."

However, after reviewing the memorials from the civil officials regarding the so-called "factionalism" within the East Market Camp, he snorted coldly and tossed them aside.

…Outside the palace gates, after the meeting ended, the crowds thinned out…

After King Zhou left the palace, he summoned the messenger who had delivered the message from Emperor Xu and asked, "How true is his claim that the army will be formed within a year?"

The eunuch said, "The general has given me a training schedule, including weapons drills and marching exercises, all scheduled for six months from now." King Zhou asked, "Should be?"

The eunuch knelt down: "I deserve to die! Or should I go to General Wu's place again?"

King Zhou quickly stopped the eunuch: "Your Excellency, you have misunderstood. May I have a look at the training schedule?"

Huang paused for a moment, then took out a scroll from his sleeve.

King Zhou pulled it out and scanned it from top to bottom, confirming all the training plans. Seeing that before the "graduation" section at the end of the subjects was an "internship," and that the internship was specifically in the northern frontier, he couldn't help but sigh deeply: "Forty percent will die on the battlefield!" The earlier disgust the civil officials had expressed towards these young men from the Eastern Market had turned into guilt.

At the same time, he thought that these officers who followed Wu Fei were all "his own children," so he trusted them quite a bit. —Even though he couldn't remember the names of his dozens of illegitimate cousins.

…Jian was favored by the emperor…

In the East Market camp, as the command was given, the bullet casings were torn open, gunpowder was poured in, and then the bullets were inserted. A side cleaning rod was taken out to guide the bullets in, and then the gun was lifted up. A small brass cap (about the size of the plastic cap that plugs the end of a ballpoint pen) was taken out of the pocket and pressed onto the metal protrusion at one-third of a centimeter from the breech of the gun.

After the trigger was pulled, the hammer struck the small bronze cap, and the collision between the cap and the metal object it was attached to immediately produced sparks. This was the masterpiece of the alchemists of the capital.

Although the inside of the copper cap is explosive at the slightest touch, the substances smeared in the "recess" are extremely difficult to touch, just like the cap on the back of a pen. If you put a drop of ink inside with the pen refill, you can't lick the alchemical medicine inside clean with your tongue.

Although the upper limit of musketeers in this era is not as high as that of crossbowmen, even those with rudimentary internal energy, who can be trained in one or two years, can shoot crossbow bolts with a longer range than bullets.

Furthermore, the cost of training with projectiles is higher than that of reusable training bows and arrows, leading to higher maintenance costs for the army. However, the advantage is the speed of training. The physical fitness required to wield a gun is a form of grueling training, and a person in their twenties or thirties can master it in three months with sufficient food and proper training methods. Moreover, thanks to the supplies provided by the alchemists, this "new army" in the capital can fire rapidly.

When Wu Fei took on the task of training the troops, he knew it was a job that put him in a difficult position, one that he couldn't refuse to do. If he wanted to quit, he would be stuck in the capital for life. But if he wanted to do it, he would definitely encounter resistance.

Xuan Chong: After all, it involves military power right under the emperor's nose. Even if I'm not arrogant, the court's unpredictable factional struggles will still try to create pressure, win people over, and slander me. There are already many charges that could be listed, so it's better to just go for it. If we can't quickly generate combat power and "produce returns," we'll face backlash from all sides.

As for the money spent on equipping firearms and training, it's not like it's his own money anyway.

…Within the capital, there is no shortage of any kind of technology…

Wu Fei still used a little trick and opened up the technology line of fire caps in the firearms institute.

Compared to Wu Fei's current use of fire cap technology, in the eastern prefectures of Da Yao, local troops are generally equipped with flintlock rifles, which use "Flame Jade" as a trigger. The fire cap of "Outer Dao Mechanism" is a new invention.

Flame Jade is a precious gem that can ignite instantly upon contact with vegetation. Wu Fei imported a batch of this material when he was in the Southern Frontier, hoping to find suitable mines under his command. In his previous life, during the Age of Exploration, flint was monopolized by Europe, which was why Dongfang Mingshi was unable to make further progress in the musket technology tree.

After obtaining the Flame Jade for research, Wu Fei concluded that it was initially thought to be a "catalyst." Further investigation revealed that its effect only occurred after exposure to sunlight, leading him to speculate that it was a miraculous photoelectric material. It stores electrical energy through light exposure and releases it upon impact.

Large pieces of Flame Jade can only be produced in certain counties in the eastern part of Da Yao; it is not found in the southern border regions.

Wu Fei used a "ingenious technique" to circumvent this natural product. Although the technique of the fire cap was nothing special—it was simply an alchemical method of adding explosives to a copper cap—he was limited by the technology in the southern border region and could not mass-produce it on a large scale. However, there were many talented people in the capital city.

When customizing weapons, Wu Fei, taking advantage of the emperor's authority, ordered the master alchemists to research and develop the necessary techniques. This swiftly propelled technological advancement.
Wu Fei has now completed the production assignment, and the firing efficiency of the fire cap is above 99.9%.

Unlike other musketeers whose "fire gems" require wiping and sunbathing, the maintenance of the percussion cap rifle is a separate process. The new army in the Eastern City has already developed a habit of using these weapons.

After checking the hit rate, Wu Fei quickly decided on the rewards and punishments: those who hit the target while practicing firearms shooting would be allowed to go on a "Yoshiwara trip".

With Wu Fei personally confirming today's rewards, the eyes of the soldiers who were taking it one day at a time and rapidly training under various forms of spiritual infusion lit up!
These soldiers, who were originally boatmen, were used to being whipped while pulling the boats. They were already accustomed to being whipped, so whipping was not enough to make them learn quickly and proactively within three months. Only rewards and punishments would work.

Moreover, Wu Fei did not compromise on quality.

The brothel owners in the entire East Market initially looked down on Wu Fei's group-buying business and would hide the girls away. However! Wu Fei dispatched spies to keep a close eye on the best girls and issued licenses to all the shops in the red-light district. Anyone caught operating without a license was immediately taken away. As for the courtesans who had been booked by nobles and wealthy men, they were no longer sought after after being used.

…The market has shifted to lower-tier cities…

One evening, Wu Fei waited for the soldiers at the street corner.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew. Wu Fei, who was sitting with his legs crossed in front of the checkpoint, paused, stood up, and looked at the female ghost hanging upside down in front of him!
The soldiers standing nearby looked a little guilty, while Wu Fei stepped forward, looked at it, and said disdainfully, "Is there really a ghost?"

The female ghost's black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her half-exposed face exquisitely beautiful, and she sang a mournful song. The lyrics were so soft and gentle that they were almost inaudible. The gist of the song was the resentment of someone who was originally a talented person, yet was trampled upon by scumbags.

The female ghost approached, revealing her true appearance from her previous life: bright white teeth, gold and silver ornaments on her head, and jeweled pendants adorning her ears, all gleaming brilliantly. (Originally a plaything for princes and nobles, now that she had touched it, a soldier she considered lowly, it was no longer worth its price.)
The female ghost suddenly contorted her expression and screamed shrilly, "You ruined me!"

However, when the female ghost rushed up, she did not encounter the regret and panic she expected. Instead, the face of the person she was seeking souls showed disdain, arrogance, and brutality. Just as the female ghost sensed the danger, a monstrous aura swept across the entire street like a torrent of blood. The female ghost tried to escape, but the aura enveloped her and she was burned to ashes.

Wu Fei had just drawn his knife and was looking at the vanished object when he exclaimed in surprise, "So there really is a ghost?" Wu Fei had assumed it was just an actor in disguise.

The soldiers standing nearby were stunned for a moment, realizing that even ghosts were afraid of their general.

Wu Fei turned his head: "What are you afraid of! When you were alive, you were adorned with gold and silver and sneered at starving ghosts! What, you feel wronged after you die? This kind of thing owes debts in life, and you still have the nerve to crawl out after death? If she doesn't die, I'll have people line up."

At this point, the malevolent energy did not recede; instead, it spread like a flood, reaching the East Market.

…It's inherently unfair, so why ask for justice? Swordsmanship is also a form of art…

Inside the East Market, in a secret chamber, several unorthodox cultivators, already suffering from the backlash of their failed exorcism and bleeding from their seven orifices, clutched their chests and cried out in pain as a surge of malevolent energy rushed in.

When the gang elders rushed in, they were horrified to see the monks they had invited to perform the rituals burning with flames coming from their chests, and then slowly burning away completely!

One of the evil cultivators, who hadn't yet been burned, looked at the culprits who had invited them to perform the ritual, pointed at them, and then the aura of smoke and fire emanating from his body surged towards these gang elders. As the smoke and fire flowed out, the evil cultivator breathed a sigh of relief and finally breathed his last.

The gang elders, guided by the power of the fireworks spell, felt a heat in their chests, tore open their clothes, and saw a burning red mark on their chests. They all realized that something terrible had happened.

(End of this chapter)