Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 137 Traveling with Dragons
After Wu Fei's troops returned empty-handed from the Gu Shou Guan Gate, on October 12th, Yao Du sent an imperial envoy to Bo County to deliver an imperial edict to the Dong Shi Army's headquarters.

Of course, the imperial envoy dared not actually deliver a "reprimand." In this heavily armed military camp, the envoy could sense an atmosphere of "keep away, no idlers allowed." This was completely different from the perfunctory imperial guards in the capital. His indiscretions were seen as those of an "idle person" and a "disliked individual."

After Wu Fei completed the court etiquette, the imperial envoy subtly mentioned that someone in the court said, "Wu Fei is raising an enemy to enhance his own power."

Upon hearing the imperial envoy's words, Wu Fei was first stunned, then, feeling wronged, he summoned nine officers from the capital city next door to testify on his behalf. He had been planning day and night to take down Gu Shou Pass. Plans like "how to cut off Gu Shou Pass's food supply" and "how to lure out the troops from Gu Shou Pass to attack" were being executed daily.

When these officers arrived and saw the commander being reprimanded by the court officials, they immediately became anxious.

Although Wu Fei often warned them "not to rush," he understood the ways of the world perfectly well, and calling them over at this moment meant he had to "rush."

Over here, Wu Fei said to the imperial envoy with a wronged expression: "All those I brought are the flesh and blood of Yao Du! His Majesty personally entrusted us with this, and we cannot let it be treated unfairly. Today, the imperial envoy is conveying the Emperor's will in a way that contradicts His Majesty's instructions from back then?"
Li Cunrong immediately took the lead: "Yes, it's not that we're afraid of death, but if the court really sends us up, we brothers will definitely repay His Majesty's grace. By the way, has His Majesty issued any imperial edict?"

Hong Qiang: It is only right that we die on the battlefield. The imperial court will surely prepare mourning clothes for us brothers.

Then the sergeants all started making sarcastic remarks.
This whole charade of raising a big banner and using a tiger's skin was too much for even the imperial envoy in Yaodu to handle. Faced with the aggressive tone of the Yaodu officer, he had no choice but to admit that "raising a bandit to enhance one's own prestige" was just a saying among some people.

This imperial envoy already felt that it was a rather difficult task, as the Zhou king was overseeing the country on one side, and he was to be the backbone of the future capital garrison on the other.

Those advisors from the Prince's mansion interfered, issuing orders to convey both favor and authority, without considering who they were dealing with.

Are these guys the kind of guys you can buy off with a slap and a treat?
When these old men from the Eastern Market returned to Yaodu, a large number of upper-class families in the capital held banquets to welcome them.

For the past six months, other local armies in Da Yao have been worried about being skimped on their military equipment and supplies, while the Dong Shi army has never lacked equipment. This is because they have too many connections and influence.

The imperial envoy cursed the Zhou king's staff as fools. Why didn't they think of secretly colluding with such an ironclad army of the emperor, instead of talking about subduing dragons and tigers?
Moreover, even if you want to take down Wu Fei, you need to find a different opportunity. Right now, Wu Fei is still commanding this large camp.

The imperial envoy reviewed the bleak landscape of the northern regions, the mutual protection among the various localities, and the menacing army. He thought to himself, "This Wu Fei is truly remarkable. His Majesty has made the right choice in employing him. It has been many years since Yao has seen such martial prowess. A thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a good general is hard to come by."

The imperial envoy sighed to King Zhou: "Emperor Zhou has managed to keep Wu Fei, a man of both virtue and talent, firmly under his control. How could he offend him for the sake of some woman's face?" A sudden thought flashed through his mind: "Incongruous with a ruler." However, he quickly shook his head, denying it. At this moment, he was also a staunch supporter of King Zhou, and it was absolutely forbidden for him to betray his lord.

After a long discussion in the camp, the imperial envoy promised the soldiers at the front that he would make sure to convey the morale of the troops to the Zhou king, who was overseeing the country in the rear.

At the same time, Wu Fei also assured the imperial envoy that the battle at Gushou Pass could be won within two years. The imperial envoy smiled bitterly: Two years? King Zhou only oversees the country for half a year. The credit for your achievements after two years won't go to King Zhou.

…On the chessboard, the pieces cannot be moved…

After analyzing the terrain of the narrow coastline north of Gu Shou Pass on the sand table, Wu Fei marked Hucheng, two hundred li to the south, as a key area. The Transportation Bureau opened up multiple routes to Hucheng, attracting timber, iron ingots, and craftsmen to this location.

At this time, a large-scale construction was underway in the Hucheng area, and Wu Fei gathered craftsmen to begin building a batch of sea raiding ships.

If the enemy forces cannot break through Liushangang, then send out a detachment to outflank them from the east and harass them from the rear. This will also put them in a difficult position.

Among the many sergeant's notes, Wu Fei assigned strategic priorities: the area from Gushouguan to the inner border of Yantu, a distance of 150 li, had to be traversed along the coastline. The inland area consisted of mountains, similar to the terrain of Chile, and within this area, less than 20 kilometers wide, it was easily traversable.

Calculations show that Gu Shou Pass is facing a grain shortage of at least 4,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) per month. Currently, all of the grain is being transported from outside the pass, and Wu Fei has decided to add a little extra cost for them.

Wu Fei carefully calculated: as long as he sends two hundred men every month to infiltrate the area behind Gushou Pass by waterway, he can force the Dahao Army to maintain a force of one thousand soldiers to transport supplies for a long time.

The cost of feeding and transporting grain for a thousand soldiers and horses within this hundred-mile stretch is eight thousand shi per month, which is twice that of Gushou Pass.

Wu Fei pointed to these terrain features and randomly selected at least four spots that were most suitable for ambushing the supply lines.

A raiding force wouldn't even need two hundred men; fifty elite cavalry would suffice. Setting fires and causing destruction is always far easier than defending. If this continues, the puppet regime will be chronically exhausted along the Gushou Pass line.

Inside the tent, Wu Fei asked the assembled officers: "Regarding the naval operations, who among you is willing to take this order?"

The officers exchanged bewildered glances. They had experienced similar ordeals on boats in recent days, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea after two days of drifting on them.

Wu Fei: Then I'll decide on the candidate.

…The bamboo token bearing his name had long been placed in Wu Fei's sleeve…

Zhao Xianzhong sat on the boat, which was rocking violently. His murderous aura emanated from him, as if he were about to kill someone to relieve his boredom. Behind him stood the soldiers he had trained for two months.
Wu Fei handed him two hundred men, including fifty cavalry, two crossbow carts, and a full set of cotton-iron composite armor. He then began harassing enemy lines from behind enemy lines.

Hao Jun's supply depot was easy to find. Zhao Xianzhong rode a griffin to the shore and landed on the road, examining the horse manure left in the ruts. The dryness of the manure indicated how many hours the enemy convoy had traveled, and by making a rough deduction, he could roughly determine their location.
On October 23, Zhao Xianzhong quickly blocked Hao Jun's 10-man grain transport convoy.

The leader of the Hao army's grain transport convoy initially tried to fool them by putting on airs, but the Hao man who called himself "the number one swordsman of the East Sea," Liu Zheng, had barely finished saying "give me some face" when he was killed within three moves, his head flying off.

Zhao Xianzhong flicked the blood from his blade; "Damn it, what kind of Liu family sword technique is this? Bullshit! Who else can do this?"

The enormous head lay dead with its eyes wide open, clearly indicating that the person who gave his name was merely hoping the robbers would back down, unaware that Zhao Xianzhong intended to kill him.

The soldiers escorting the grain supplies already regarded Liu Zheng as their pillar of strength. Along the way, Liu Zheng had often shown off his swordsmanship, slicing down small trees as thick as bowls with a single stroke and then elegantly sheathing them. He could also kill wild boars with a single blow.

These second-line Hao soldiers regarded the Liu family's sword technique as a divine skill, but now they couldn't even last three rounds on the battlefield.

The Hao soldiers who had initially praised Liu's swordsmanship, faced with Zhao Xianzhong's fierce glare, naturally wished they had two more legs and fled.
Zhao Xianzhong did not pursue the fleeing enemy. Instead, he loaded all the grain, fodder, and oxcarts onto a boat and took them back to the Hucheng Wharf in the south.
…Wu Fei admonished him: As a person to atone for a crime, you must perform meritorious service…

Pu'e, who had just learned that her troops had been ambushed and killed by Wu Fei's pirate group at the rear, remained silent.

Wu Fei's decision to endure the situation in the south without engaging in battle was extremely difficult for her. The Hao army at Guanshang could not retreat, nor did they dare to engage in open battle.

Now she also had the same impulse as Zhao Qi, which was to replace the elite troops at Liushangang with a thousand able-bodied farmers from Yan territory. At the same time, she would take stock of the troops stationed at Gushou Pass, assemble a force of three thousand soldiers, and then head south to launch a surprise attack and raid.

However, after Pu'e inquired with Zhao Cheng about the situation through the dragon's message, Zhao Cheng replied that it was impossible and gave a prophecy: on her way out of the pass, she would have a smooth journey in the beginning, seizing food and supplies along the way, and would hear that there were more food supplies in the rear. However, she would be annihilated after going deeper into the pass.

Zhao Cheng, dressed in military uniform in the mirror: Maintaining three thousand elite troops at Gushou Pass is a must, even if people starve to death in Yanzhou.

Pu'e finally couldn't hold back anymore; I'm starving here, but where are you?

Zhao Cheng remained silent and said: "The situation in the North is about to be broken, please persevere."

Pu'e couldn't help but say with a hint of anger: So you're planning to give up the east.

Zhao Cheng gave a definite answer: once Bo County was recaptured, the situation was irreversible; every day they could hold on was a day in the future.

For Zhao Cheng, all he needed to do was to confirm that the opponent capable of "large-scale mobile warfare" was pinned down in a certain direction.

After ending the communication, Pu'e glanced at the system and remained silent, knowing that if she rejected it again, its loyalty would drop to a dangerous level. So, Pu'e ordered the entire army to reduce their rations while simultaneously conjuring clouds and rain in the mountains. She then scattered some high-yield seeds from another world into the mountains, including some special crops that were entirely golden with long, club-like spikes.

This crop comes from a "knightly culture" kingdom in the Haotian Realm, a kingdom known for its "nine-tenths tax, who dares not be happy?" However, the reason Pu'e didn't bring it out earlier was that this crop was too domineering and demanded too much from the land. In the knightly kingdom, heavy taxes were used to ensure that most farmers did not live past thirty, so that the land could be given back. But if these crops were sown in the Xiren Realm, would the "recognition of heaven and earth" among the already few dragon descendants be greatly reduced?

Pu'e couldn't care less about anything else.

…War will bring hardship to everyone…

After capturing the main cities of Bo County, Wu Fei was busy with internal reorganization, rewarding and punishing officials to stabilize morale, winning over those who needed to be won over, and controlling those who needed to be controlled. But now, looking back at the warehouses, he was starting to worry about food supplies.
I currently have a total force of 20,000 troops in Bo County. As for the recruited farmers, I have sent them back to their hometowns because I simply cannot afford to support them anymore.

In September, Wu Fei overdrafted the grain donations from local wealthy households. Although taking over Huangyucheng's grain supply provided some relief, he had to borrow even more grain from the wealthy households.

It is worth mentioning that people are now starving to death in Bo County, but most of the people who starved to death were those who were enslaved during this war. After being captured, they were emaciated and starving.

It was also thanks to the fact that those who starved to death were demoted to the slave class and had been tacitly accepted by the elders of the maintenance committee as a group that could be sacrificed during the disaster year that the people in Bo were able to endure it and barely convinced themselves to continue supporting the war by saying that "those who deserved to die have died".

To put it another way, if Wu Fei hadn't done the work of "turning prisoners into slaves" but instead "benevolently" released these people back to their hometowns, the people starving to death now would be ordinary local farmers.

When "those who shouldn't have died die," the people in the countryside feel grief and may rise up in rebellion.

As for why the slaves didn't revolt, it's because the prisoners were now scattered and became local minorities. When a region lacked that 10% of its food rations, these people designated as "minorities" became sacrifices, a situation described as "sorry, please go to your death."

Even so, for the people of Bo, watching others starve to death was still a source of shared sorrow.

This is the source of the morale that Wu Fei is currently undermining in the war.

Wu Fei knew in his heart that if a "military defeat" occurred next, the Dongshi Army, which had already exhausted the local people's expectations, would fall flat and suffer a very miserable death. Therefore, it was necessary to stabilize the current winning situation.

Bloodshed and death in war are not fatal; we must ensure that the enemy dies more than we do.

Only if the enemy collapses faster than we can our side hold on.

The battle Wu Fei led in Bohai was different from the "military exercise" type of troop deployment in the southern border. At present, the soldiers in Dongshi lacked strategic margin. Although they seemed to be winning one victory after another, they were actually walking on a tightrope towards the other side of victory.

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand." When Wu Fei realized this, he found that he had already reached this point.

At the end of October, the graves in the mass burial ground outside Huangyu City had a lot more fresh soil. The procession burying people was playing the suona horns, making Wu Fei feel depressed.

However, just as Wu Fei was feeling sentimental, he received a message from a messenger from Gu Shou Pass who had come to visit him.

Wu Fei looked at the messenger and asked in return: "Isn't it too late for your Grand Tutor to say that the two sides should cease hostilities now?"

Haotian's messenger hurriedly said: "General, you have already conquered the entire Bo region, but our army occupies the city gates with thick walls and abundant food reserves. It will not be easy for your army to conquer our gates. Continuing to be hostile will only cause the people to suffer."

Wu Fei nodded and then told the messenger to go back and wait for news.

So, a ceasefire? Wu Fei: What a joke! When we could fight you, why would we sign a treaty with you?

After the messenger left, Wu Fei immediately instructed his officers to prepare, because the other side would definitely create conflict if negotiations went poorly. (Note: Xuan Chong: That's how women are, and the US is too.)
…Plot loading screen…

On October 24th, the Dongshi army ambushed the troops that had come to cause trouble from Gushou Pass. This force of approximately 10 men was preparing to set fire to the fields of Sutian in Bo County to the south when they indeed encountered waves of Dongshi musketeers wearing breastplates along the way.

Haojun, who was the one causing trouble, is now caught red-handed and is a bit flustered.
Hao Jun's iron cavalry sought an opportunity to break through the Dongshi army's blocking force. They selected a weak point in their formation, made up of conscripted farmers, and attempted to inflict a rout.

When they rushed in, they discovered that these ragged, unarmored peasant laborers were wearing iron armor under their linen clothes. Hao Jun cursed the laborers for their treachery once again.

Zhao Qi, who was in charge of command, specially equipped the charging cavalry with "Harmony Gathering" to enhance their courage. The Hao army's horses' hooves pounded on the ground, forming a light and lively cavalry march rhythm.

The scenario that the Hao army cavalry commanders had imagined—where a dozen or so Yao army soldiers would be swept away by the impact of a lancer charge—did not occur. The Yao army soldiers, faced with the impact, merely staggered back a few steps.

This situation is very strange. All the soldiers are like one, and the impact is not in the first row, but is shared by the following rows. This results in the first row not being broken apart, but the rows being like one, and when they encounter an impact, they move forward in unison like a tug-of-war.

As for this? All the soldiers are wearing red scarves, which were taken from a battle flag. The battle flag's effect is "advance and retreat together," increasing resistance to charges and large-scale attacks. It can withstand not only cavalry, but also the charges of giant beasts and chariots.

This item was offered by the people of Hucheng. It is said to be imbued with the blood of two loyal civil and military officials who died for their country after the fall of Bo County, hence its miraculous effects.

After the Hao army's cavalry charge failed to break through the enemy lines, the Yao soldiers moved forward with the red scarves on their chests. When someone was knocked down by the cavalry, someone else would immediately take their place. Moreover, everyone in the formation was more closely connected. Every thrust of the spear was not from one person's hand, but rather everyone held the handle together and pushed forward.

The horses were overturned like fences pushed by a flood, and Hao's cavalry suffered heavy losses. At this moment, the remaining square formations moved forward to encircle them, and small cannons with one-inch caliber were pushed out and loaded with grapeshot. The artillerymen of the Eastern Market Army began to attack the cavalry.

The grape-shaped bullets shattered upon leaving the barrel, transforming into a swarm of tiny black dots that swept across the ranks of Hao's cavalry. Their casualties were heavy, and the cavalry retreated in disarray.

After escaping this time, Zhao Qi, who had come to ambush him, changed from an opportunistic and quick-winist to a steadfast defender; he refused to go out anymore.

After the war ended, Wu Fei looked at the dead warhorses scattered all over the ground, shook his head and said: Didn't I help them solve part of their food problem?

However, Wu Fei quickly turned his attention to how to process the horse meat. The farmers took knives and cut the meat on the spot on the battlefield. Steaming white vapor came out of the horse carcass. The horse meat had to be pickled and preserved. The easily spoiled internal organs were eaten first. The horse liver was poisonous (due to excessive vitamin A) and had to be chopped up and mixed into the porridge.

Meanwhile, at Gushou Pass, after learning that her raiding force had been ambushed, Pu'e didn't reflect on her "ignoring Zhao Cheng's advice," but rather realized her defenses had been breached.
Pu'e, having been a time traveler for a long time, hadn't felt this "being schemed against" in a very long time, which broke her defenses.

Pu E's face changed from anger. She opened the system and said: "System, check the lifespan of the characters."

The system blinked briefly: The character's lifespan is 120 years, and there are 94 years left.

Pu'e: Oh, and a long-lived person. The system adds attributes to the target, indicating an early death.

System: Currently calculating, the required information enthalpy is unknown.

Pu'e: Let's try adding it.

…The system hourglass began to spin…

Xuan Chong was interrogating prisoners when the system popped up.
Xuan Chong temporarily handed the prisoners over to others.
Xuan Chong: What's wrong?
The system announced: New mission: Destroy the Kingdom. Before you turn fifty, please erase the kingdom established on this planet by the dragon descendants of the Haotian Realm. No academic credits will be awarded; you can obtain "novels" from the library after class.

(End of this chapter)