Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 123 The Emperor personally leads the expedition, Pu'e gazes from afar.

In early April of the 36th year of the Tianli era, while Wu Fei and a group of officers in the Bojun direction were planning various cross-border robberies, Zhao Cheng, leading the 15,000 troops promised by Emperor Hao, quietly stationed himself in the Hetao region west of Shazhou on the Yingshan front, 500 kilometers away.

Inside the tent, he stared at the map showing the location of the emperor's western hunt. Further west, in the direction of Yongzhou, lay the position of Pu'e's army.

Pu'e was pinpointing the location of the important general from Yongzhou. Zhao Cheng, lacking more information, also made corresponding arrangements. Zhao Cheng ordered Pu'e to lead troops to control several key routes. Even if that general launched a "multi-military-group rapid advance," Pu'e could intercept and block the Wu general's forces.

Zhao Cheng, who is focused on the positive side, is now proceeding in an orderly manner. Although King Hao has not granted too many permissions, 15,000 is 15,000.

Inside the main tent, as he issued decrees, the city defense forces in various areas began to expand their numbers of laborers.

…The perspective shifts to the magnificent, grand hexagram…

After leaving the capital, Emperor Xu immediately summoned troops from the three prefectures to march north using the tiger tally, and then headed west. He also issued a proclamation questioning his rebellious son about his unethical and immoral actions.

The 140,000-strong army thus formed a five-pronged advance centered on the royal banner. In reality, each prong's core force consisted of only one or two thousand men, clearing the way ahead while laborers maintained order behind; there were even four or five thousand men remaining in the original camp, responsible for the transshipment of supplies. —To muster one or two thousand capable soldiers for a long journey, nearly ten thousand were needed to serve them.

The emperor was escorted by elite cavalry along the way, and one could see that the vast army of tens of thousands of peasant soldiers stretched as far as the eye could see.

In contrast to Wu Fei, who needed merchants to precisely collect grain at the stations, Emperor Xu, as an emperor, had a large group of people around him preparing for his journeys. Therefore, he would send the army's requirements to the prefectures along the way at fixed times, and the prefectures would then mobilize laborers to collect grain to supply the army.

Such troop deployment does not indicate the strength of the emperor's military system, but rather reflects the emperor's direct authority over the prefectures.

The monarch is the only supreme authority in the dynasty who can legally span both military and civil affairs. His decrees can disregard any conflicts between military and local authorities and squeeze the people's resources as much as possible.

For example, Wu Fei would lure the able-bodied men from various ferry crossings before conscripting them; with a decree from the emperor, powerful officials could directly seize laborers from below.

Of course, the emperor's actions would cause great harm to the country. Ninety-nine percent of the able-bodied men that Wu Fei tricked into coming here were people who had lost their land, or even some proletarians who were doing odd jobs in the local area. After arresting them, it would not affect local production. But when powerful officials went down to arrest people, they might leave women and the elderly to work in the fields. When they could no longer work, the fields would be abandoned and eventually seized by powerful families.

Shift the focus to the marching ranks. Most of the army that marched north with the emperor consisted of unarmored farmers, except for the captains and their guards at the head of the first rank.

In the eyes of orthodox military strategists, such soldiers were considered "cannon fodder." They were good at holding onto well-prepared camps with spears and antler towers, or at fighting a favorable battle after their own cavalry broke through the enemy lines. But if they were to form ranks and charge into the enemy's armored phalanx? They would be a burden.

Undeterred by being outnumbered, this force fought tooth and nail even after the weapons were drawn; they were true warriors. None of the various military strategists, in their cooperation to defend the emperor, surrendered their most prized possessions.

In the formula for rewarding Wu Fei with blood: He needs to be generously rewarded and supported on a daily basis, and given a nominal title. A prefecture is considered good if it can support an army (two thousand men). This is because it's not just about supporting the army, but also about elevating the families of these two thousand men to a position of power.

From all perspectives, Emperor Xu's expedition was a display of his late-life ambition and desire for glory. He used ten imperial carriages during his campaign, a force sufficient to support the long journey of hundreds of armored soldiers.

In a poor prefecture in the north, the total population ranged from 110,000 to 120,000, and at most 400,000 to 500,000. The number of able-bodied men available was only tens of thousands. During the off-season for farming, a third of the able-bodied men were drawn from the army for the expedition, forming an army of 10,000 to 20,000.

However, the wages earned by these 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers were equivalent to those of "community security guards" in the 21st century. No matter how intimidating their uniforms were, you couldn't expect them to do any hard work.

Xuan Chong, a troublemaker from the 21st century, brings these conscripted farmers into the story: "One or two thousand yuan a month? Why should I risk my life digging in the dirt? I don't believe it. If I run home, will the emperor's men be able to catch me again?"

Xuan Chong's method of conscripting men was quite ingenious. After releasing the messenger, they deposited everyone's money at the station, then partially exchanged it for food and supplies. Furthermore, each conscript's family received 100 coins per month. Don't underestimate this 100 coins; the living conditions around the conscripts were harsh, and most people only saw the benefit of the 100 coins per month, not the hardships at the front. If a conscript escaped and returned, there would definitely be someone who couldn't bear to see this "100 coins taken for nothing" and would directly inform the local officials to report them.

However, we must also consider the possibility that the able-bodied men might refuse the hundred coins and flee back home with their entire families.

However, in this world, where can one live a peaceful life? Therefore, the able-bodied men that Wu Fei captured have now mostly settled down and stayed.

The able-bodied men conscripted by the emperor, though seemingly as numerous as the sea, could not withstand any setbacks. Once "our army is defeated," they would scatter and flee in all directions.

Although such a crisis always existed, the area around the emperor's carriage was filled with the words of a group of hypocritical loyalists who spoke the truth and were willing to die for him, and the civil officials who gathered there were full of talk about "loyalty and righteousness".
This makes it easy for emperors to mistake the “devoted loyalty” of their men for the true morale of these laborers.

…The army of the Great Yao, with its numerical advantage and high morale…

In June, the army under the command of Emperor Xu encountered the Western rebels at Bicheng and won its first victory.

The dust raised by the more than a thousand cavalrymen terrified the city's defenders; the Yellow Turban warriors, each ten feet tall and carrying the emperor's banner on their backs, easily kicked away the less than three-foot-high ramparts. Soldiers attempting to draw their bows and fire arrows from the ramparts were unable to dodge in time and fell to their deaths on the spot as the city wall collapsed.

As the city walls breached, armored soldiers, more terrifying than zombies to the defenders, swarmed in.

Although there were many zombies, they could still be cut down. However, these armored soldiers wearing iron helmets and masks could not be cut by knives, nor would they foolishly let spears pierce their abdomens. Instead, they would use their swords and shields to block, and the spear tips would strike the beast heads on their shoulders, making a clanging metallic sound.

So there was no street fighting in the city; instead, it was like a wildcat entering a swarm of mice, and it began a frenzied chase.

The sounds of chickens and dogs that once filled the city faded into silence with the arrival of the battle, leaving only the last echoes. Amidst the howling of the invading troops, doors were kicked open, barking ceased abruptly, pots and pans shattered, and behind the scattered debris came pleas for mercy and cries of despair.

The crazed soldiers of the Yao Army plundered and killed indiscriminately throughout the city.

The garrison troops, disguised as civilians, removed their armor and began searching for cellars to hide in, just like the laborers. Hidden in their shelters, they listened to the dying screams and piercing cries of women echoing from the streets outside.

Outside the city walls, several miles away, under the imperial canopy, the accompanying ministers were offering their congratulations to Rende, as if the menacing aura emanating from the city had vanished. No, it wasn't that it had vanished; it was merely like firecrackers exploding inside a dog bowl—the dog bowl didn't need to feel the dog bowl's emotions.

…The victors can celebrate and revel, while the vanquished may not necessarily utter a sound of lamentation…

The perspective once again penetrates the dilapidated city walls, arriving in the city where "order" is currently being maintained. The carnage of the breached city will continue until the afternoon.

Yes, even if the general didn't issue the reward of "not sheathing his sword for three days," he still tacitly allowed the vanguard troops who stormed the city to enjoy lawlessness. And all of this would eventually come to an abrupt end after the scholar-officials, chanting "benevolence and morality," entered the city.

No historical records detail the chaotic situation during the half-day of the "city's fall."

Even if historical records do mention it, they are only brief, such as "soldiers entered the city and looted the people's clothes, and the people covered themselves with soil and died." Although the historical records don't explicitly state it, there is always this detail: after the city was breached and proclamations were posted to reassure the people, the citizens knelt on the ground awaiting the conquerors' arrival, rather than suddenly rising up in rebellion! Such subjugation seems illogical; even in the 21st century, superpowers, with their democratic ideals, liberated the people of Mesopotamia from the rule of "tyrants," yet they still had to add bulletproof glass to their Humvees to prevent local troublemakers from using slingshots to launch sneak attacks!
Nowadays, after each siege, the conqueror simply proclaims his benevolence. The edict, like a radiant blessing, illuminates the entire city's inhabitants. The city is imprinted with a mental seal; suddenly, no one is willing to kneel and proclaim his divine virtue, or even cower in a corner and shoot arrows at him.

It should be noted that in the recent siege of "Mi City," the city's inhabitants were strong and healthy, and initially obeyed the defending general in their defense of the city. They had killed many people from the imperial court, and later had many of their relatives killed by the imperial army, so they were not lacking in hatred.

Why? When the crucial "process" is erased from the record, seeing only the "result" feels so awkward.

This "process" is happening right now. The soldiers, whose armor is already covered in blood, give the people in the city no chance to hate them. The soldiers who fought their way into the city cut down the inhabitants from house to house, and thick red blood light bursts from their bodies.

Everyone in the city was waiting, waiting until the general entered the city and issued a "proclamation to pacify the people".

The surviving civilians, the victors of hide-and-seek under the oppression of the crazed, besieging city army, perhaps all had fear etched into their genes. So much so that hide-and-seek became a game that stimulated the blood and guts of children.

"Morality" is the highest-level tool of governance, and thus it only exists under the brilliance of the "literary talents of the court officials," while in places where the light disdains to shine, there is only unbridled darkness.

…The time spent inside the city was long, but the short time spent outside the city passed quickly…

The entry ceremony was underway. The eunuchs dispatched by the emperor accompanied the general into Bi City. The people on both sides of the street knelt, as if worshipping the Buddha, bowing to the imperial envoy. It was like kneeling before a radiant Buddhist temple, except that the blood on the vajras on both sides was deliberately ignored. The streets were filled with a strong smell of blood, and flies buzzed around.

After the army captured Bicheng, the emperor began to reward those who had contributed to the victory, which greatly boosted the morale of the entire army.

The emperor's widespread announcement was intended to send two signals to the entire army: first, the enemy did not seem so strong; and second, the emperor was not a harsh ruler but genuinely willing to reward his troops.

The generals were greatly encouraged and decided to take advantage of the emperor's presence to perform well and strive for the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households.

…The perspective shifts to Yongzhou…

At Woniu Pass, Wu Hanluan was overseeing the logistics of his army.

When Wu Hanshan saw the battle report from the garrison commander, he frowned. It wasn't the kind of displeasure that comes from "missing out on military merit and being forcibly sidelined." Rather, it was the kind of unease that comes from seeing one's leader fall into a pit while enjoying the drama of the past.

Wu Hanshan said, "The army's morale was originally low. After a small victory, they became arrogant and boastful, which could lead to the danger of an overconfident army."

Wu Long, a Taoist priest standing nearby, said: "At present, Mars is guarding the stars, and the general needs to make plans as soon as possible."

Wu Hanluan glanced at the Taoist priest, remaining noncommittal. This Taoist priest was a disciple recommended by Xian Daoren, and his supernatural power was known as the Hundred Eyes. It was said that he was an outsider disciple of the orthodox Xuanmen sect in the north, who had become detached from the sect due to the collapse of the sect's gate.

Seeing that Wu Hanluan did not react, Wu Long asked to go to the Da Yao Dan Ding Pavilion to refine medicine.

Wu Hanluan tried to persuade him to stay, but still gave him a letter of introduction.

…Off-field…

While the world was embroiled in war, sects in the cultivation world were also fighting. The two largest sects in the north, the Jade Cauldron Sect and the Zhanlu Sword Sect, had begun to turn against each other.

The Golden Core cultivators from both sects have begun a large-scale battle for spiritual veins in remote, sparsely populated mountains and rivers.

The reason the battle was held in a remote place was that, although a Golden Core cultivator's magical power could move mountains when suppressed, it was extremely easy for such supernatural power to go out of control and be possessed by celestial creatures once a troop of soldiers arrived.

Wu Hanluan knew about the affairs of the cultivation world, but as a military strategist, he had no interest in sending troops to mediate the conflict; because the places where immortals fought were all deep in the mountains, the roads were difficult to travel, and even food was hard to come by.

Wu Hanluan is not indifferent to the Taoist sect. The fact that more and more junior Taoists are emerging from seclusion is precisely a sign that the world is in chaos.

Wu Hanluan invited the Taoist priest back to his tent.

He then summoned his subordinate, Du Wangxi, and asked him to deliver a letter to Wu Hengyu, who was confronting the pseudo-Hao in the north.

…south of the Yong River…

At Lucheng, Wu Hengyu's banner was flying atop the city wall, where the four thousand sons of military families he had brought were stationed. On the north bank was a large camp of the pseudo-Hao.

In that large camp stood a unique terracotta giant. This terracotta figure had a more ornate appearance, its terracotta layer plated with gold, and flames constantly burning inside. It had a pair of enormous ceramic wings on its back for heat dissipation, and it held a giant bow that was five zhang tall in its hands.

With a slight pull of the bowstring, the cavalry of the Wu family's northern army, a thousand paces south of the Yong River, were unable to dodge in time and were pierced by the massive arrow, which resembled a spear. The horse's belly was pierced through, and the rider's lower leg was severed.
These special war creations are called "Shuwang" Chongtang. This is a special weapon forged by Pu'e from her own base camp. The core of this special terracotta figure is a wisp of dragon energy from mountains and rivers. This energy was condensed by the Hao clan after they successfully merged with the heavens and earth of the Xiren Realm. Therefore, there is only one "Shuwang" Chongtang.

Pu'e was also gazing at the floating dragon boat on the south bank. At this moment, the forty-foot-long floating dragon boat was wandering at the edge of the "Shuwang" Chongtang's shooting range, clearly quite familiar with "Shuwang" Chongtang.

Below the "Shuwang" Chongtang, Pu'e, standing on clouds, stared intently at the "Yu" banner and the Yu Li banner.

Although she was carefree and playful, she couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal at this moment.

Compared to the disobedient "Zhao Cheng," Pu E was quite familiar with the obsession system of "Wu Hengyu." Yu Li was actually a matching obsession entity created for Wu Hengyu based on the save file she left behind. She never imagined that one day "her own save file" and the "characters" she had conquered would stand on the opposite side of her.

On this side, Wu Hengyu, riding his black steed, looked at Pu'e on the opposite bank, with armored soldiers behind him. At this moment, Wu Hengyu felt that this standoff across the river was very familiar to him.

The thing wielding the giant bow and shooting arrows really annoyed him. Wu Hengyu spurred his warhorse and charged towards Yongshui. Facing the beams of golden light rushing towards him, Wu Hengyu skillfully dodged them, then closed in to within two hundred paces before suddenly drawing his bow.

As the arrow was fired, the bowstring of Chong Tang's Zhenfeng Bow was snapped, its energy stored up was destroyed, and an explosion was heard in the air. Pu E, who was standing to the side, was swept away by the energy.

After a while, with blood on her face and her hair disheveled, she stood up and met Wu Hengyu's gaze from two hundred paces away.
The Yong River flows mightily, and the Pu'e River sighs like a goddess: "Yu, it seems we must have a showdown."

(End of this chapter)