Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 119 Feast

At the year's end in the 36th year of the Tianli reign, in the main camp of the East Market, all the soldiers sat on the ground. Before them, cattle, sheep, and pigs were roasting over a fire, while chickens, ducks, and fish were steaming in cauldrons. A feast was about to begin, but the silent drill ground lacked the relaxed atmosphere expected for a banquet.

The imperial court already has a clear plan for deploying troops. This force from the East Market is scheduled to set off in three to six months. Within the capital, the secrecy surrounding certain information is practically nonexistent, so this news has already spread throughout the city and beyond.

For a full year, this new army in the East Market had been too "arrogant" and could not be brought down no matter how many times it was impeached; therefore, neither the underworld nor the capital officials wanted the "hooligan gang" to stay here.

To the moral guardians of the capital who controlled the government and the country through Confucian classics, Wu Fei, this group of young lads corrupted by the southern barbarians, was the root of all evil. Then, hearing that Wu Fei was finally leaving with this gang of hooligans, firecrackers and drum troupes were being prepared, supposedly to cheer on the Eastern Market army's "victorious start."

Compared to other parts of Da Yao, the Eastern Market Army was relatively benign when they went out of the city for training; at least they paid for what they bought and didn't forcibly abduct women. However, in the capital city of Da Yao, where even throwing a brick could land you in the hands of an official, the sudden elevation of these lower-class boatmen to the status of the gentry caused widespread discomfort.

It's also fortunate that the current system is neither a democracy nor a "monarchical offline system" where the emperor is young, old, or senile.

Otherwise, if decisions are made solely based on the "public opinion" of the central government, the troops stationed in the capital region will never be properly trained. For these officials who are oblivious to the casualties on the frontier, the primary consideration for the army is its values; as for combat effectiveness, they believe that if they've invested money, the combat capability must be high.

Military equipment is the easiest subject to be "modeled." Presentations in PowerPoint presentations offer the greatest potential for this, much like a thug wielding a knife against civilians—as long as he doesn't go to war, he'll always project an image of strength.

Xuan Chong: At this time, the "public opinion" situation in Yaodu is in line with the "historical law" of the middle and late stages of a dynasty. The "public opinion" representatives who monopolize all the right to speak have completely become vested interests. These people under the emperor's feet are unwilling to pay "blood and effort" or give "blood and reward" to outsiders. They are used to using the system of rites and laws to make outsiders automatically enter the furnace as firewood.

The "defense" that a large number of moral guardians in the capital ultimately shout is actually just getting poor people outside to risk their lives without any cost. Little do they know that only what transcends class is a "blood reward," not a favor bestowed from a position of class standing on the "moral ladder."

The soldiers, who came from boatmen backgrounds, needed to stop the people of the capital from looking down on them as "outsiders."

The young generals from noble families were no longer willing to be despised by the court officials as spendthrift sons who "rely on the emperor's protection." They wanted to have a real "backbone" position, to be able to directly influence the emperor's decision-making and offer advice, rather than living a life of decadence and debauchery indirectly through the so-called favor of the emperor by their families.

When these young men wake up from their drunken dreams of dogfighting and chicken-walking, they sometimes wonder if they will be able to live peacefully when they lose power without any achievements.
Over the past year, Wu Fei has successfully led these spoiled brats into a "midlife crisis."

The纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) were initially smug after gaining power in the army, but as the various factions in the capital openly expressed their "dislike," they gradually realized that their current power was ultimately illusory. Therefore, under Wu Fei's guidance, they studied military strategy with utmost diligence.

Just like Sun Wukong in Journey to the West, who was happy for a time on Flower Fruit Mountain, he began to seek immortality and enlightenment after realizing he would die.

Under Wu Fei's guidance, this army realized that it could defend its current power by making meritorious contributions.

The privileged young masters who have gained power value status more than ever before! Now they are firmly united around Wu Fei, and they no longer need Wu Fei to draw their hand. Instead, they take the initiative to recruit people they can, bring in some servants from their clans, train them, and then enjoy themselves with them. After a few days, they start to teach them together.

Furthermore, these spoiled brats, having learned Wu Fei's methods and enjoyed themselves with their servants, began to "brainwash" them, explaining the meaning of struggle.

Xuan Chong: Just as in the 21st century, after a major downturn in the securities and financial markets, some people would stage dramatic escapes or even commit suicide by lying on train tracks. The fundamental reason is the inability to accept "loss of power." Previously, as members of the upper class, they could sit in upscale restaurants and clubs, looking down on the working class with disdain. The thought of being forced out of power makes them unable to accept that those who once looked down on them will now look back with the same gaze. Although ordinary people wouldn't even notice these "disgraced financiers," the sense of "self-satisfaction" these upper-class individuals once felt makes them extremely sensitive to all gazes directed at them after their fall from grace.

Humans are social animals, and there is power in society. After gaining power, they feel the discomfort of "losing power" and are willing to do anything to stop it, showing strong initiative.

…“To succeed, you must first go crazy, disregard everything, and charge forward.”…

On the drill ground, Wu Fei said, "As you all have heard, our army will be leaving Beijing in a few months. Well, I can now say definitively that the rumors circulating in the streets are true."

At this point, Wu Fei glanced at the soldiers. Most of them breathed a sigh of relief, a calm acceptance of facing certainty, rather than the panic of uncertainty about their future.

Nobody in this camp is a fool. Everyone has seen what happened to those who were kicked out of the camp or left the camp—they were immediately impeached by the censors, convicted, and then thrown at them like cabbages.

Wu Fei waved his hand and said through the tin megaphone, "Do you all know anything about the martial arts world? Tomb raiding and robbery both require a lookout; when we march and fight, we need to scout locations and guard strongholds, and we can't entrust these tasks to people we can't trust!"

The soldiers all looked at Wu Fei, their eyes clearly filled with unity and shared purpose.

Wu Fei's tone was grave: "If the battle goes against us, our retreat will be very difficult. I'm sure you all understand that there is no turning back; we must advance."

The soldiers shouted: "Advance, no retreat!"

Wu Fei: "I need some men to accompany me on the vanguard march. The first battle must be decisive; the mortality rate is extremely high. As for who to choose, let fate decide."

Then, the group lined up one by one, drew lots, and placed their slips aside for registration. Occasionally, some brothers exchanged slips, but as long as it wasn't a case of one person being bullied by another, and no arguments broke out, the supervising officials turned a blind eye. This was because some brothers trusted others more.

After the lottery was completed, everyone began to eat the banquet.

After checking the number of good, medium, and bad draws, Wu Fei nodded and confirmed the personnel for frontline combat, scouts, and the duties of overseeing the laborers in the army. This was how the first battle was arranged; everyone would have to participate in the future.

As a newly trained unit, the pressure of the first round of combat is immense, especially for the first platoon to engage in battle. They must stand firm like a rock. Wu Fei didn't have Zhao Cheng's method of selecting the vanguard, but he could prepare the soldiers assigned the most challenging tasks mentally! In the following days, those who drew the "dangerous" lots received the best food and treatment. The entire army would remind them not to back down.

…possessing exceptional martial arts skills, I will serve my royal family…

A banquet was also held in the palace. This family banquet invited most of the relatives and nobles of the imperial family, and even some relatives from very distant places. Of course, if you looked closely, you would find that all the families attending the banquet had members who went to the Eastern Market Camp.

King Zhou remained seated, his attention mostly focused on his father, trying to understand his father's intentions. Since this was a family banquet, King Zhou was not allowed to bring his advisors.

Of course, this is also because there is a power imbalance between the father and son in the imperial family, and some things cannot be said directly.

Emperor Xu wanted to tell King Zhou some things, but he was afraid that King Zhou would tell those around him. So he could only let King Zhou think about it himself, or let some of King Zhou's close ministers come up with the ideas for him, while keeping the news a secret.

For example, one implication of this banquet is to draw the attention of the Zhou king to the "East Market Army." If the "East Market Army" proves to be useful, then the Zhou king should win them over before anyone else does, and at that time, this banquet can be designated as an act of "winning them over."

If the "East Market Army" proves ineffective, then it should be discarded to quell public anger and serve as a deterrent to the court. Then, when the time comes to decide, today's banquet can be used as a "warning," implying that the monarch was "wise" in killing the soldiers and that he hadn't failed to give those "arrogant soldiers" a chance.

The royal family would have the final say. But how much of this meaning would the Zhou king grasp?

In the midst of the banquet, Emperor Xu announced that he would be going on a tour of the western frontier, and King Zhou would remain in the capital to oversee the country. Upon hearing this news, King Zhou knelt on the ground and accepted the decree in a daze.

…Looking at the passionate and energetic atmosphere of Wu Fei's camp, Emperor Xu also felt a surge of excitement, reminiscing about his youth…

In the main camp, after the banquet ended, all the soldiers settled down to sleep, while Wu Fei's tent was brightly lit, and the officers began to receive orders and wait in their tents.

Compared to a few years ago, when people would clamor if the betting was slow to start, everyone is now waiting patiently. A victory in this fight would be worlds apart from the small winnings from cockfighting betting.

The reason for the shouting during cockfighting is the uncertainty of the outcome; starting early means ending early.

Now, everything can be changed; the sergeant's manual clearly outlines every step to improve the chances of victory. Because they want to win, they're just waiting for Wu Fei's instructions.

Wu Fei worked like a machine in the camp, listing out the data on warehouses and granaries in various places along each marching route, as well as the required manpower, and then handing it over to the sergeants to handle!

Despite already having a team of nearly 150 non-commissioned officers, the sheer volume of work made everyone feel that it would be amazing if there were even more people.

After all the non-commissioned officers received their assignments, Wu Fei turned to his administrative officer, Gongshu Wang, and asked, "How's the train system?"

Gongshu Wang: "In your first planned campaign, the frontline transport capacity can reach three thousand shi (a unit of dry measure) per month. In the second campaign, it can reach two thousand shi."

Wu Fei: "Have you inspected the giant beast His Majesty gave us?"

What Wu Fei was referring to were the siege weapons, namely the Iron Lions that guard the way, a total of eight. These were the most powerful war beasts in the Great Dao, a level higher than the Golden Bull.

While the Taurus excels against infantry, the Iron Lion, being slower, is specifically designed to counter large units. Its massive jaws can easily bite and severely damage flying units like the Ghost Chariot. However, against the agile thrusts of infantry, the Iron Lion's killing efficiency is somewhat excessive. A sudden impact can crush soldiers into a pulp, but its soft iron belly, with only a thin layer of wrought iron as thin as an iron pot, can be easily pierced by soldiers, damaging the internal transmission components. After all, it's not a tank; its power system cannot support the heavy steel armor of a tank.

Of course, they did consider installing wooden planks on the abdomen to increase defense, but the abdomen is also a heat dissipation structure. If the wooden planks are heated to a scorching heat, even a tiny bit of oil can cause the abdomen to catch fire. Da Yao's current enemy, Hao Tian, ​​has no shortage of enemies who can shoot fire bows. Therefore, the Iron Lion will maintain its current appearance.

The Iron Lion possesses a special skill: a savage charge. In recent years, the giant terracotta warriors of the Hao Kingdom have suffered from this on the battlefield, their waists crushed by the sudden, violent impact—a true killer weapon against large weapons.

Gongshu Wang: "Iron Lion is currently in good condition, and the maintenance team in Yaodu is quite capable; it just needs a little adjustment."

Wu Fei: "Do these maintenance team members have any resistance to going to the battlefield?"

Gongshu Wang: My lord, you have given me a great deal.

…The craftsmen's hammers were sold for blood money…

Before Wu Fei arrived, the Iron Lions suffered heavy losses in battle, and the iron plates on their ribs and bellies were always missing. After investigation, it was found that all the Iron Lions damaged in battle were dragged back to the city for repair; the craftsmen who were brought over by the vassal states to perform unpaid labor did not use fine steel for repairs, nor did they use furnaces, but simply bound them with iron bars.

Most of the existing iron lions in Da Yao are prone to rusting and are not regularly oiled for maintenance.

As for why the artisans weren't brought to the battlefield? The able-bodied men would run away. Besides, other deserters might have no work to do back in their hometowns, while blacksmiths and carpenters could make a living with their skills and could easily find a place to stay wherever there was a market.

Now, Wu Fei's requirement is that the Iron Lion must maintain "high-intensity" ground support during combat. The drills conducted by the sergeant corps have determined that as long as the engineering team is brought directly to the battlefield and repairs are carried out after each battle, the Iron Lion's repair rate will increase.

For this reason, Wu Fei paid the craftsmen twice the wages of those in the rear, and also distributed profits to them based on their battlefield achievements.

This incentive system, coupled with Gongshu Wang's professionalism and responsibility, was successfully implemented.

…the mechanical gear chess piece was placed on the silk map…

Wu Fei looked at Gongshu Wang and instructed him, "During the battle, you will stay behind me and try not to be at the front."

Gongshu Wang: "Don't worry, my lord, I still hope to return to the Southern Frontier with you and establish a sect. We won't be killed so easily."

Wu Fei nodded, then turned his attention to international military affairs, especially the battle reports on the two fronts of Da Yao.

The Haotian Military School, which Wu Fei fears so much, is not currently located in Bo County.

With Zhao Cheng absent, the difficulty of large-scale battles within the Bohai region is clearly a level lower. The Hao army's current forces there lack large-scale troop movements and are mostly engaged in stagnant, disorganized warfare.

When Wu Fei stared intently at the silk map of Bo County, his gaze was fixed, like a tiger hiding in the jungle.

Wu Fei: Facing these opponents, I still have "some" confidence.

…The perspective shifts to the sandbar…

Zhao Cheng was observing the situation in the west. The Prince of Bo was conquering cities and seizing territory, while the southern part of Yongzhou remained peaceful.

Zhao Cheng turned his attention to the Shazhou defense line, which was currently the focus of Haotian's troop deployment. The task remained the same: to deal with the three large camps directly opposite it, while also closely monitoring the movements in Yongzhou.

Because of the massive mobilization of tens of thousands of troops across two hundred miles in southern Yongzhou two years ago, Zhao Cheng remained cautious and reserved a considerable number of troops for defense.

He glanced at the rear of his own camp on the sandbar and frowned. Hao Jun's interference in personnel matters within the army there forced him to maintain some leeway in case of unforeseen circumstances such as "difficulties in mobilization at crucial moments."

To strengthen the defense of the Shazhou line, Zhao Cheng specially transferred a group of generals from Bo County and placed them in his rear.

(End of this chapter)