Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 136 The Great Victory at Luozhen, Sighing at the Pass

On the morning of September 12th, 36th year of the Tianxu calendar, a 9-strong army was on its way to the Battle of Hucheng. Zhao Xianzhong rode his horse back and forth, inspecting the marching troops like a sheepdog watching its goats, ready to "bite"—no, to whip—they were ready to strike if they weren't careful.

These soldiers, who had just been transformed from bandits into soldiers, dared not be negligent in the face of Zhao Xianzhong's gaze. Their squad leader, sensing the murderous intent, shouted: "Keep up close, don't fall behind! You carry your guns with more spirit, or I'll drag you behind your horse again!"

As Zhao Xianzhong rushed over, one of the ranks didn't have time to straighten up before he lashed out with his whip. The sound of the whip cracking echoed as the soldiers hastily begged for mercy.

It's no wonder Zhao Xianzhong was furious; the troops that were pulled out were too unruly, only defeated soldiers would drag their guns and run away.

Even so, these bandit lackeys were still better than the peasant soldiers recruited by He Feiyu at this time. At least they still marched in formation, and they had no shortage of weapons and shields, because Zhao Xianzhong really enforced the military law that "those who lose their weapons shall be executed."

Oh, why didn't those who "lost their weapons" run away? The answer is they couldn't escape; they were all implicated as a squad.

The current marching ranks of this mountain stronghold were formed by Zhao Xianzhong by beheading more than a dozen people.

As for whether there was any resistance during the cutting process?
Zhao Xianzhong greatly admired any resistance, so he hung the flags of those who dared to fight him on the flagpole, giving these brave men a good vantage point!
The soldiers were all aware of Zhao Xianzhong's military law standards, which were simply "can be executed" and "cannot be executed."
He was very lax in enforcing military law against execution, only giving a few lashes and a few kicks. But he personally carried out the executions for those who were to be beheaded.

Therefore, this army oscillated between carelessness and tension. As a result, the lower-level commanders had to study "law" (thoroughly understand military law) to know where the red lines were.

Wu Fei took into account the characteristics of Zhao Xianzhong's army, so he required them to march as slowly as possible. This slowing down did not mean a chaotic and disorganized slow movement, but rather frequent stops, with a break every five kilometers. The manual specifies a distance of about twelve to eighteen kilometers.

Wu Fei's deliberate instruction to "go slow" bored Zhao Xianzhong greatly. He knew this was the warlord's punishment, a clear indication that he wasn't allowed to participate in the battle. However, just as he was idly strolling around, a communications soldier from the front arrived.

Zhao Xianzhong rushed over and began to inquire about the situation from this acquaintance.

The communications soldier gave Zhao Xianzhong a delightful order: He Yufei's troops had already headed north to the main battlefield, and Zhao Xianzhong was instructed to prepare to intercept the enemy's fleeing and breakout forces.
Zhao Xianzhong unfolded the map and looked at it, saying: "My troops set up an ambush on the battlefield 20 kilometers away, ensuring that the cooperating troops mainly use the strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open, in order to capture as many fleeing soldiers as possible."

After taking out the fruit leather to make a record, Wu Fei checked it with Zhao Xianzhong and then went to report back.

…The soldiers' pace quickened…

The perspective shifts to the main battlefield. As He Yufei advances into the fray and prepares to engage the northern front, he discovers that the Yao Army (Zhao Xianzhong's forces), which had been maintaining a distance of thirty kilometers from him to the west, is rapidly closing in. He realizes he is about to be caught in a pincer movement.

The main intercepting force of Da Yao (Wu Fei's unit), which arrived in the northern war zone ahead of time, was obviously well prepared. They had just finished feeding and cooking. Every day, when the smoke from the fires they lit came over, it annoyed Hao Jun, whose stomachs were empty again after running around and who had just had a bowl of thin porridge in the morning.

He Yufei's order for "the whole army to eat their fill" was just a single sentence, but the meals in Xuanchong were standardized.

As soon as He Yufei's troops started moving after the war began, Wu Fei sent cavalry to harass them from the flanks, raising dust, clearly intending to outflank and attack the supply area from the rear.

To prevent the rear guard from falling into disarray before the battle even began, He Yufei ordered his troops, who hadn't even had a sip of water, to launch an immediate attack.

At noon, Hao Jun's army, led by sixteen stone lions each weighing a hundred stones, charged into the main formation where Wu Fei's army was located. They galloped across the ground, kicking up large amounts of dust, easily dislodging tripwires deployed in front of the positions, and clearing away all the mines prepared for Hao Jun's cavalry.

These stone lions "easily" broke through Wu Fei's formation. He Yufei looked from afar and saw that Yao Jun's square formation was crushed and a large number of troops "retreat". He immediately laughed: I think that Wu Fei is nothing special.

But suddenly, the stone lion "sank" just twenty paces from Wu Fei's banner. Then, the previously "retreating" Yao army, like a pond quickly recovering from a stone thrown into its mouth, saw its large forces rush to the front lines and regroup.
He Yufei was shocked by this sudden turn of events. He couldn't understand why the first wave of the fierce lions had vanished so suddenly. After the crow guards in the sky reported that Wu Fei's central command was surrounded by a moat, and the stone lions had fallen directly into it.

He Yufei, who was staring intently at Wu Fei's central army banner, said: "Impossible. I saw that his retreating troops were withdrawing. If there was a chasm, why were those troops able to cross it smoothly?"

He Yufei never expected that Wu Fei would gather all the long benches in Luozhen and place them on the trench, then lay bamboo rafts on top of them. The benches supported the rafts, and the retreating soldiers used them to escape. However, after the stone lion passed through the trench, the soldiers on the other side collectively pulled on the ropes tied to the legs of the benches. After their own troops had crossed the pit, they pulled on the legs of the benches supporting the wooden planks, and the stone lion sank into them.

The key to this strategy lay in determining the direction He Yufei would send the stone lions to charge. To this end, Xuan Chong deliberately positioned the central army banner forward and arranged the soldiers directly in front of it in a relatively sparse formation, making it appear vulnerable to attack.

Furthermore, Wu Fei meticulously studied Hao Jun's fighting style. He preferred to use stone lions and terracotta warriors as the vanguard for central breakthroughs.

Zhao Cheng, however, was different. He was more adept at maneuvering troops on the battlefield. Groups like the Stone Lion would only send one of their own soldiers to hold off when the front line was teetering on the brink of collapse. These high-value targets would only be used after probing the enemy's weaknesses, while the enemy's high-value monsters would be destroyed with crossbows and piercing arrows.

In short, compared to Zhao Cheng, the military strategies of these Haotian Dragon descendant generals were far too rigid. Wu Fei, on the other hand, had a perfectly calculated plan.

Just like some shoddy artistic works, which use so-called "insider" formulas to fool people without thinking, they seem impressive at first glance, but anyone with a brain will eventually figure it out.

The scene in the pit at this time was like this: the stone lions would often slip and fall back to the edge of the pit, crashing into the other stone lions. The collision of stones produced a "billiard ball clashing" sound.

The trench was precisely positioned to trap the stone lions. If a modern person witnessed this tactic, they would recognize it as an anti-tank trench. The stone lions, attempting to climb out, were immediately impaled by halberdiers, and then the edge of the trench was filled with men wielding sledgehammers.

Just as the stone lion was being buried alive, Wu Fei waved his banner, and the two square formations on the left and right advanced together. Just like the two openings at the top of the Chinese character "器" (qì, vessel),
The flanks began to deliver crossfire, forcing the Hao army, who had initially intended to continue their charge along the path of the central stone lion formation, to confront the pressure from both sides. The central route was now a pincer movement.

When Hao Jun's most elite troops were trapped in the central army's lines, their morale plummeted. The Hao Jun soldiers, panting heavily, were pushed back by the East City Army's spear formations and shotgun squads. At this moment, dust rose from the western side of the land.

He Yufei launched an attack while clinging to life, but seeing that victory was impossible, his army collapsed and retreated, with a full six thousand soldiers perishing within an hour.

In less than half an hour, Hao Jun arrived like a snowball, charging fiercely, only to crash into the iron wall and shatter with a deafening roar.

Because the defeat was so decisive, the Dongshi sergeant recorded the entire battle in less than twenty words when making the battle report.

Yuwen Li's large number of routed soldiers, clinging to a sliver of hope, headed south. After attempting to escape back to Hucheng, they encountered Zhao Xianzhong.

Zhao Xianzhong rode a griffin and led the charge, beheading more than two hundred (actually five hundred), the river stained with blood.

News of He Yufei's crushing defeat reached Gu Shou Pass within a day, causing widespread panic among the Haotian soldiers.
Looking back, when Wu Fei led his troops to Bohai County three months ago, everyone thought that the "Pinhao Army" assembled by wealthy young men was just for show, and that they would at most shout a few words on the battlefield before returning to claim credit.

To date, they have won three battles in a row! This has shaken the entire Hao Kingdom.

The dragon descendants of Boyan were indifferent when Zhao Cheng was on their side, but when Wu Fei appeared on the other side, they finally realized how terrifying it was.

After Gu Shou Guanzhong Pu'e discovered through gazing at the sky that He Yufei's military strength had diminished.

She finally understood that true greatness is often revealed when different factions clash.

…Reputation is skyrocketing…

On September 24th, Wu Fei arrived in Hucheng, riding high on his victory. As the banner of the Great Yao appeared outside the city, various factions within Hucheng rushed to defect, and the army captured the city almost without bloodshed.

Because the restoration of order was swift enough, Wu Fei dispatched well-disciplined troops into the city to issue public notices to reassure the people.

Zhao Xianzhong's bandit-turned-troops were stopped by fast horses outside the city.

At the gates of Hucheng, Wu Fei clearly stated to Zhao Xianzhong: "Do you think I don't know what your men are thinking? I'm not letting your army into the city for your own good, to avoid me cutting them down."

Zhao Xianzhong: My lord, you need not worry. If these bastards cause trouble, I will take care of them.

Xuan Chong: Get lost.

While Wu Fei was guarding Hucheng, the garrison at Gushou Pass to the north launched a "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" strategy.

Pu E's men sent out two or three hundred men to make a show of force, attempting to create the illusion of a large-scale military attack.

In the past, Zhao Cheng used this method to create multiple "surprise troops" and achieve remarkable results.

However, Gu Shouguan's group was too inexperienced and completely unaware that Zhao Cheng's success lay in a combination of orthodox and unorthodox tactics. The result was a poor imitation. Wu Fei stared at this ragtag group that had suddenly appeared from Gu Shouguan: "Zhao Cheng deployed his main force to form a large scouting blockade zone, creating sufficient battlefield fog to conceal them, and then suddenly a surprise force emerged from somewhere within that fog—that would give me quite a fright. But you sent people out without even a fog of war? Do you think our army is some kind of 'StarCraft player' with no eyesight? I have a dedicated intelligence team specifically assigned to keep an eye on Gu Shouguan."

Of course, it's not entirely fair to blame the generals of Gu Shouguan for their "opportunistic mentality." They believed that Wu Fei, who was busy encircling and annihilating He Yufei in the northeast, couldn't be distracted by two things.

After all, most generals are at this level, but these rookies are unaware that under Wu Fei's "automatic management" system, the Dongshi Army can react "reflexively."

The sergeant organization of Huangyucheng Defense Zone, upon confirming that this group had suspiciously emerged from Gushou Pass, immediately reacted according to the division of responsibilities, dispatching troops to intercept them. As a result, this wave of Hao troops was blocked 150 li north of Huangyucheng. Dozens of them were lost and fled in panic.

Undeterred by their defeat, the Dragonborn returned to Gushou Pass to lament their plight.

Pu'e had just returned when she saw the defeated dragon descendants Zhao Qi. She frowned and thought about how to punish this trusted general.

Note: Given Wu Fei's unauthorized deployment of troops, even members of the Wu family would be executed. Of course, Wu Fei would never entrust military power to such a "weak but addicted" guy.

Within the military aviation system, all non-commissioned officers with military autonomy undergo rigorous assessments. Those with close ties are sent to remote, border regions—places with lower skill requirements but higher moral standards—to accumulate hard-earned experience. Even this hard work is something others desire but cannot obtain. After all, in this world, "reward for hard work" is a rare occurrence.

However, the problem with the Dragonborn system is that bloodline truly plays a significant role in the selection process. For example, Zhao Qi's bloodline is very high, and he was among the top candidates chosen by Pu E during her migration.
Pu'e looked at Zhao Qi's dejected face and her heart softened: I told you not to go, but you wouldn't listen.

Zhao Qi said: Huang Yucheng's forces are weak, and the general in the south is currently in Hucheng. I led too few troops this time, so we were defeated. If my army had two thousand more soldiers, we wouldn't have suffered such a defeat.

Pu'e frowned: If it really is two thousand soldiers, can you take them down?
Zhao Qi stubbornly insisted: "It's hard to say."

…A dividing line that leaves you scratching your head…

Meanwhile, in Hucheng, Wu Fei had already received the battle report following the small skirmish in the northern part of Huangyu City.
In this ambush that caused Zhao Qi to trip and fall flat on his face as soon as he stepped outside, Wu Fei gleaned key information from the prisoners' reports: the garrison inside Gushou Pass numbered approximately four thousand Hao soldiers. Meanwhile, General Zhao Cheng from the west had not yet returned.

It's worth mentioning that Wu Fei now not only knows Zhao Cheng's background, but has also traced his household registration back to Yinsi City, where he once appeared, but he hasn't been able to find any trace of his family.

Wu Fei, who was trying to "kill his whole family," was puzzled by this, just like when his cousin came for a "paternity test."

Wu Fei scratched his head: Zhao Cheng isn't from the Hao clan, he's a native of Dayao? How come I can't find out his identity?

Here's the problem: Wu Fei (Xuan Chong) believes that "Zhao Cheng" must be a person of status, and his military strategy could not have appeared out of thin air.

Just like how a top scorer in the college entrance examination can be found out about their school, it's impossible for someone to learn on their own. Exams are not just about students' talent; they also require teachers to summarize the experience of setting questions over the years and to figure out how to quickly align with the question setter based on the "characteristic information" of the questions during the precious time allotted for the exam, so that students can quickly enter the answering state and squeeze out time for their brains to calculate.

In his previous life, Xuan Chong had passed the exams, while Wu Fei had led troops in the past.

In this land of Da Yao, a military genius could not have suddenly appeared. Wu Fei joined the army at the age of fourteen, starting from the ranks in the southern border, where he gained practical experience while also mastering and applying his family's military books.

Wu Fei extrapolated from his own experience, believing that the development paths of "military strategists" were generally similar. His own path was perfect, but it also required several necessary conditions.

First, one needs a military family with generations of military service. Only in this way can one have access to a large number of military books and have connections to train soldiers. — Knowledge was very valuable in this era.

Paper exists, but its quality is the same as straw paper. Information preserved on paper, even if sealed on a shelf, will grow mold after four or five years, and if circulated, it will wear out after a month. Only bamboo slips can last for decades or even centuries.

Bamboo slips are characterized by their low information density, requiring a dedicated study for preservation and someone to move them around. In other words, learning a complete "disciplinary system" of written texts requires the same level of dedication as a 21st-century PhD supervising a master's student—a burden that even those from impoverished backgrounds cannot afford.

So Zhao Cheng has no identity? Wu Fei (Xuan Chong) suspects that the person in charge of investigating the merchant embezzled his money: Absolutely impossible.

However, the truth was that he couldn't uncover his identity. At that moment, Xuan Chong saw a line of small text flash by on the system screen. So, on a whim, he had a sudden inspiration.

Xuan Chong: System, I...I want to—

System: This operation is not provided.

Xuan Chong: I haven't said anything yet.
System: The history teaching services provided by this system will not help students develop the bad habit of "spying on others' privacy".

Xuan Chong: But I'm at war and I need intelligence.

The system responded flexibly: During the exam, all conditions are on the exam paper; discussion of the questions with the teacher is not permitted.
Xuan Chong: You're not going to help, huh?

System: Yes, we won't help. Also, please note that the City God has granted this request. (The system diagram shows that troops can be directly teleported into these three cities.)

Xuan Chong: What's up?

System: I just checked the outline and found that it involves feudal superstition, so it is not suitable for use. If you want to use it, you can spend 0.1 credits to unlock it. (The word "unlock" will be highlighted and replaced immediately.) Use it under security supervision.

Xuan Chong took a deep breath to calm himself down: You, you did it on purpose.

The system was quite serious: Let me check the outline again to see what else doesn't meet the requirements.

Xuan Chong immediately said sweetly, "Hello, teacher, Cai Cai, Lao Lao."

System: Do your homework properly.

…Let's get back to the classroom.

On October 1st, Wu Fei led 10 troops to Gu Shou Pass. This pass is named Gu Shou Pass because the mountains stretch all the way to the sea and then suddenly turn back.

Wu Fei glanced at the pass and remained silent. This was undoubtedly the number one pass in the world, belonging to an entire defensive system. Besides its frontal barrier blocking the sea passage, there was also a plateau called Liushangang three miles to the side.

This plateau was not used for defense against the north in the past, but now that Zhao Cheng is the general, he has built earthen ramparts on the plateau and deployed 1,500 elite soldiers. The plateau is well-watered by the three stone pools on the hill behind it that collect rainwater.

The slope of Liushan Hill is not significant, but it provides a good firing arc for muskets, and the earthen ramparts built with wood and soil on the hill help the energy of the shells to be absorbed quickly.

To attack Gu Shou Pass, the Hao army commander on this platform can launch cannons from the side and fire at their own troops attacking the city outside Gu Shou Pass.

To capture this plateau, Wu Fei conservatively estimates that it will require at least five thousand elite troops to launch successive attacks, while also ensuring that Gu Shou Pass is suppressed.

Wu Fei had no choice but to withdraw his troops. Regarding his subordinates' suggestion to deceive the city, Wu Fei replied: "Don't waste our lives. Every life is precious."

Wu Fei had already made up his mind to wage a protracted war of resources. However, he still went through the formalities and held discussions with the non-commissioned officers.

At a small wooden table in a field tent, Wu Fei explained his future defensive and counter-attacking strategy to the non-commissioned officers participating in the meeting.
Wu Fei: "While it is tempting to capture Gushou Pass and completely conquer the entire territory, the sandbar to the west of Dayao has already been conquered, and there is still Yan territory to the north. The Hao army has more than one route to attack Bohai. If our army suffers too many losses at Gushou Pass and our troops are exhausted, it is highly likely that the enemy will seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on us."
Wu Fei examined the defenses of a series of cities in Bozhou: Therefore, it's better to hold a large army now. We should wait and see how the Hao army whittles us down. As long as they can't defeat us, they'll have to be prepared at all times to figure out how to defend against being defeated by us.

Wu Fei also commented that Gu Shou Pass's supplies have always relied on Huang Yucheng's side. Now, although they have a formidable pass, they lack supplies. The supplies from Yan are currently being used to supply Shazhou, and cannot reach Gu Shou Pass. Compared to us, Hao's army must take the initiative to attack and enter the pass to solve the problem. We, on the other hand, can strike later to gain the upper hand.

…The fast-paced attack strategy has failed; now it's time to hold back…

Wu Fei led his troops to retreat thirty miles and built several fortified outposts. He maintained sufficient storage and packhorses at these outposts to ensure that the army could move north at any time and confront the Gu Shou Guan army.

Pu'e observes Wu Fei during the retreat of the Yao army from the checkpoint. From her perspective, Wu Fei is riding a large bird, circling the checkpoint and spying through binoculars.

Pu'e suppressed the urge to meet him, because she had heard from many sources that Wu Xiaoque in the south was not a martial artist. If she transformed into a dragon and went to talk to him, Wu Xiaoque might immediately use a "Binding Immortal Lock" (spider silk condensing in the air) as a starting move, and then call for everyone to gang up on her.

Pu'e looked at Wu Fei riding on the peacock and said, "I don't like this." (It has to be admitted that the peacock's attribute values ​​are not bad. It's just that she doesn't like its characteristics.)
(End of this chapter)