Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 121 Arrival
In March of the 36th year of the Heavenly Calendar, in the palace, King Zhou looked at his father's throne in the main hall, restrained the urge to sit down, and led the civil and military officials in bowing. Then he sat on the desk below his father's special seat, where the emperor oversaw the state.

He had barely sat down when he noticed the chair wasn't comfortable; it tilted slightly forward, causing him to slide forward after sitting on it. He paused, realizing this chair was a suggestion from his father, who had already left the capital. So, suppressing his obvious delight, he began leading the court officials in handling the affairs of the capital.

Within those two months, two detachments were dispatched from Yaodu: one was the imperial garrison for a long journey, and the other was the Eastern Market Army sent directly to the northern border. This indicated the emergence of a power vacuum within the city.

King Zhou began reading state affairs reports; although he had already assisted Emperor Xu in governing for four years, the feeling of handling matters alone was different. He began to dedicate himself to everything he did.

First, there was the transportation of grain via the waterways of the capital, and second, the relocation of displaced people from various provinces.

The court has a strategy for most of these matters, and the officials are currently keeping quiet and not engaging in factional struggles in the main hall in order to make a good impression on the next emperor.

However, the orderly arrangement of the various departments made King Zhou feel that he had no role to play. — Currently, these officials were acting according to the practices of Emperor Shu, that is, to minimize the burden on Emperor Shu.

However, this kind of inertia was too boring for Zhou Wang, a player in the "limited test".

As the various strategies were being implemented step by step, King Zhou couldn't help but wonder if he could devise some strategies himself. A flash of inspiration jumped into King Zhou's mind, but it was just a fleeting, bluish light.

King Zhou: Why are the refugees from Luzhou transferring in the northern part of Yaodu?
The minister in charge of the transfer knew nothing when asked, but Sima replied, "Your Highness, these refugees need to be screened. Only after weeding out the violent ones can they be settled in various prefectures."

King Zhou then nodded: "Where have those fierce and aggressive people gone?"

Sima: "The Eastern Market Army has already marched north, so the fierce and ruthless individuals selected are actually the 'vanguard' of the main army (vanguard selection: selecting the elite from among many young and strong men to form assault teams).
King Zhou's interest was piqued: "Oh, so it's that Eastern Market Army? — This new army, trained by my father's favorite minister, is quite unlike the image of the emperor's army that the court officials speak of. If I could reform this army, wouldn't that be exactly what I'd do?"
Of course, as a crown prince with considerable political experience, he is not currently following the whims of his ministers. No matter how infamous the Eastern Market Army may have been in the past, it is now the "royal army" dispatched by the court, and represents the authority of the court in the outside world.

At this time, the Zhou king, who was in power, had no intention of giving the Eastern Market Army any leeway. However, he did take note of the officers in the "selection post".

King Zhou remembered one of the officers in the "selection post" named Cai Luyun, who was, after all, his grandmother's grand-nephew. Of course, not a direct descendant. But now he was in a useful position, so he was a useful relative.

Since he was in power, he should have taken advantage of the time his father entrusted him with state affairs to plant some of his own people in certain places. Little did he know that his father had already anticipated these thoughts, and this "Cai Luyun" was actually a member of the secret guard.

…The perspective shifts from the Heavenly Palace to the East Market…

For the residents of the capital, it was a great relief that the army from the East Market, which mobilized every month like rats and cockroaches, had finally rolled out of the emperor's sight.

The "merchants" who ran brothels and gambling dens in the markets hoped that this army of rats would freeze to death in the north, so that the capital would remain peaceful forever. —Of course, there was also a hidden thought in the capital: "It would be best if the Emperor's western hunt could be delayed along the way," since not all the纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families) in the capital were with the Eastern Market Army.

Meanwhile, in the city's workshops, groups of artisans are completing orders according to standards.

A firecracker workshop has now become a bullet workshop; rolls of straw paper are soaked in tung oil, hammered and compressed into paper shells, filled with gunpowder, and coated with a layer of tree wax to ensure lubrication, and a batch of paper bullets is completed.

Regarding the firearms used by the Dongshi Army, there's no need to worry. As long as enough iron is provided, the Da Yao Armory can always supply a sufficient quantity of the revolver-type firearms Wu Fei requested. Wu Fei has already had the armory prepare five thousand firearms.

The firearms are not a problem, but the able-bodied men have not yet arrived at the front line to complete their deployment, so these firearms cannot be given to Wu Fei directly at the moment!
The situation with the Great Yao Armory is definitely cutting-edge technology for Wu Fei.

The Dui Palace, which is the armory guarded by the two white tigers, is a place that the Zhou King still does not have the authority to enter. As the dragon-horse chariots transported the iron materials to the Dui Palace, streams of Geng metal white energy, like steel cutters on a lathe, processed the iron materials into fixed parts, and then, under the influence of the power of divination, assembled them into weapon structures.

In other words, no matter how hard the local lords painstakingly gathered their artisans, they could never match Yaodu in terms of weapon production and production speed. Theoretically, as long as there were enough materials, Yaodu could produce weapons without limit, and even war behemoths like iron lions and golden bulls could be produced in large quantities. Of course, this is also why the artisans of Yaodu did not have a high status, since they could not play a decisive role.

For Wu Fei, military supplies were not just weapons; ceramic water bottles, marching sandals, reed mats, tent cloths, and even straw ropes for tying goods together for vehicle transport were all lacking at the front.

Based on the consumption of various supplies and materials during his several expeditions outside the pass, Wu Fei placed orders for goods with various workshops in the eastern part of Yaodu City according to the proportion.

As for the money used to purchase these goods? The money needed to buy jewelry and brocade for marrying the princess was all used by Wu Fei to buy straw sandals, a kettle, cloth clothes, liquor, and other medicines.

The money that Wu Hanluan sent for "serious business" is now being urgently used by Wu Fei for "serious business".

Wu Fei: As the saying goes, "If the Xiongnu are not destroyed, where can we find a home?"

Wu Fei felt he was right: the lowest-ranking soldiers valued the imperial family's favor highly, believing that if he (Wu Fei) married the princess, he would have an extra way out even if the war was lost.

Of course, the nobles in the city knew the important matters, but the纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families) and the common soldiers were separated by a hierarchical system. They had far too little understanding of the soldiers' psychology and would not explain things to Wu Fei.

Now that the entire army has launched its assault, Wu Fei is too busy trying to connect with the lower-ranking soldiers, so how could he allow the identity of "son-in-law" to create such a misunderstanding that is detrimental to the understanding between superiors and subordinates?
…The straw sandals rubbed against the ground, and the grass fell…

After setting out, the Dongshi Army quickly marched north, traveling day and night for five days and four nights, covering a distance of 500 li (approximately 250 kilometers) by foot and then by boat, and arrived directly at the southern side of the northern frontier garrison.

Such a march was so efficient that Zhu Liqiang, the military commander of the vassal state, became instinctively vigilant upon learning the news, fearing that the imperial court might be plotting against him. He immediately ordered his troops to be on high alert. Of course, he soon received a request from Wu Fei, namely, an "explanation" regarding stationing troops within the territory.

Everyone was weary from the journey.

In the main camp, Wu Fei was sternly reprimanding three squad leaders for making the mistake of "losing personnel" during the march, even though these "deserters" had all lost track of the others by accident.

Wu Fei, holding a riding whip, addressed the sergeants: "I've ordered you to take attendance three times a day, morning, noon, and night, as a personal warning. You've ignored me! We're currently within our borders. If we were abroad, losing personnel would mean being captured by enemy scouts! We might be ambushed by the enemy while we're marching!"

One of the officers said, "Commander Wu, we know we were wrong. But we think that at our speed, even if the enemy wanted to ambush us, they couldn't catch up!"

Wu Fei didn't speak, but opened the map: "This speed was previously within our borders. I sent scouts, set up porridge stations ahead, and had the inns prepare sleeper berths in advance, saving you the trouble of starting fires, cooking, and setting up camp. Now that we're fighting outside the northern border, do you think things will still be this smooth?"

After the team leader was unable to refute it.

Wu Fei: "If you have no chance to defend yourself, then go and receive thirty lashes."

…The iron plates on the soles of his boots left scratches on the ground as he turned… Wu Fei’s efforts to ensure a smooth march along the route were all planned before Yaodu set out. This included informing various docks and trading posts along the way a month in advance that there was big business to be done.

The army had already sent people ahead of time to prepare money in the name of escort agencies and merchants, and the locals who were preparing to do business with escort agencies were waiting for Wu Fei's army to arrive.

During military campaigns, it is necessary to concentrate supplies at designated points along the route. Most of the time, requisitioning supplies locally is far less effective than accumulating supplies by contacting local merchants and powerful figures for profit.

However, after these local bullies gathered the supplies, Wu Fei didn't spend much money and issued a large number of military notes.

Amidst the mournful gazes of many merchants, this large army from the capital only paid 30% of the money, followed by an IOU.

The IOUs owed to Wu Fei's camp can be repaid with women, cattle, sheep, gold, and silver captured in future battles. —Yes, transporting the spoils directly back to Yaodu would be too unprofitable. It's best to consume them locally in the Northern Frontier.

Xuan Chong: It's common for wars to be fought over loans. Don't worry about not being able to repay in the future; just prepare for victory.

…Four days later…

One thousand men from the vanguard of the Eastern City Army, along with two thousand conscripts captured at the nearest station, totaling three thousand men, arrived at the southern camp of Bohai.

After completing the distribution of rewards and punishments to the troops in the Dongshi Army, Wu Fei went to visit Zhu Dashuai, the local military commander.

The powerful Dongshi Army is indeed coming to clash with the local warlords.

However, Wu Fei did not use the imperial sword to execute Commander Zhu and seize local military power. — Sometimes, conquest doesn't require the use of knives.

During this banquet, Wu Fei brought along two officers from the Eastern City Army, Li Xiaorong and Mu Xingyu, as well as a key figure, Gong Qian.

Marshal Zhu's banquet was undoubtedly lavish. Amidst the clinking of glasses, Wu Fei was very flattering, referring to himself as "youngster" and respectfully addressing the other party as "elder brother."

It wasn't wrong to acknowledge him as an older brother, as Zhu Liqiang was seventeen years older than Wu Fei.

Taking advantage of his drunken state, Wu Fei said, "Brother, you are still the pillar of the Northern Territory; I am just here to gain experience and earn some military merit. Please make things convenient for me in the garrison area."

Although Zhu Liqiang was superior to Wu Fei before the banquet, he dared not be arrogant in the slightest. After all, that "flying" marching speed was something only an "expert" from a military family could achieve.

To be honest, his cousins ​​were initially quite unconvinced, because they could also lead two thousand elite cavalry to march hundreds of miles in five days and four nights. However! A forced march with a mixed force of infantry, cavalry, and chariots is far more difficult than a high-speed march by a single cavalry unit.

Because the commands for cavalry, infantry, and chariots are different. For example, on a jolting horse, sharp whistling arrows are needed to indicate direction, while in the dust, drumbeats are needed to guide the march. For several different types of troops to move along the same road without interfering with each other requires an extremely high level of command.

Zhu Shuai knew that the maximum number of "fierce and brave" clan generals in his family could lead was "three thousand elite cavalry";
Wu Fei's command capacity is far greater than that. Although only a thousand vanguard soldiers have arrived so far, the eighty large carts accompanying them have brought all the necessary supplies. They have also left out stations along the way, allowing a large influx of laborers to follow. This is the skill of a commander.

At the banquet, Commander Zhu scrutinized the situation closely, but he lowered his guard as Wu Fei repeatedly toasted him with terms like "handsome guy," "big brother," and "pillar of the nation."

No one saw that the wine in Wu Fei's glass was consumed by a red flame before it even entered his mouth. Therefore, he could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.

At the banquet, Wu Fei demanded that Deer Horn City be designated as a defense zone. This city is located in the east, with a sea route serving as a supply line. Within this defense zone are four dilapidated towns, originally the territory of local bullies in Bo, the largest of which belonged to the Han family. This Han family was the hometown of Prefect Han, appointed by Da Yao before Bo was conquered. But now, they are all impoverished.

…After the meeting, Xuan Chong shut down his interpersonal networking system…

After returning to the camp, Wu Fei did not let the three people who had attended the banquet off the hook. He made them drink a hangover soup and then continued the meeting.

Inside the vanguard battalion, all forty-three sergeants were present.

Wu Fei: We are setting up camp today, and there are scouts around us. These scouts may be local soldiers, or they may be enemy soldiers.

A general from the Yaodu Army asked, "General, do you mean that the Zhu family army is colluding with the enemy?"

Wu Fei: "What 'colluding with the enemy'? Think before you speak. Study the manual more. It says that when the enemy's two armies are in disarray, sending spies dressed in enemy clothes maximizes the success rate of the exchange. For example, right now, our troops can't recognize the features of our friendly forces, so the enemy might come to investigate. Keep the troops under control these next few days. Except for necessary procurement personnel, no one else should leave the camp. And you should also make sure that the procurement personnel don't discuss anything with unrelated people."

The generals nodded.

Wu Fei produced a list: "These are some of the most prominent families in Bohai. They're hiding deep in the mountains now. Go and kidnap a few of them. Remember, if you can't get them to come, then kidnap them! Be rough during the process, but once you're sure they've 'changed their minds' and are willing to come as guests, be very polite."

Wu Fei then drew the locations of these local noble families who were now hiding to avoid trouble on a map, and showed them to the generals. He then assigned the task to a quick-witted member of the Wu family and a well-bred and distinguished officer from the capital.

After giving several instructions, Wu Fei checked on the marching progress of the remaining conscripts and prepared for the next phase of camp construction. However, Wu Fei still wasn't complacent with the officers.

Wu Fei: "Do you have any objections? You can speak up."

Sergeants: "No!"

Wu Fei shook his head: "No, you definitely will. You'll think: I'm here to fight! Those strong men are here to serve me! How come now I'm the one doing their work ahead of time!"

Under Wu Fei's gaze, the sergeants were stunned for a moment, realizing that if they were tired from working, they would really think that way.

Wu Fei: "You're absolutely right to think this way; let me tell you, if you want to be a general, you have to be a good caretaker first. Let me give you a heads-up: I'll find a way to keep all these able-bodied men here in the future; each of you will have a share."

(End of this chapter)