Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 144 Standoff Between Professional Players

In Huangyu City, Gongshu Wang led the carpenters to deliver a batch of feng shui-driven trains to the army with high quality and quantity; Wu Fei, overjoyed, began chatting with Gongshu Wang, trying to get closer to him.

Looking at the boiler in front of him, Wu Fei asked with deep emotion, "Wood, how long have we been away from home?"

After debugging the piston machine, Gongshu Wang, who was standing aside waiting for it to start running, said: "Reporting to the general, I have been away from home for two whole years."

As Wu Fei reviewed the record of Gongshu Wang's technical breakthroughs, he exclaimed, "Bringing you north for so long, you've suffered so much!"

Gongshu Wang felt somewhat uncomfortable with Wu Fei's attempt to ingratiate himself: "My lord, what are you saying? It is my honor to follow my lord's lead."

Wu Fei chuckled, expressing his delight at Gongshu Wang's realization. The two then began chatting, eventually reminiscing about their meeting years ago.

Wu Fei was very curious about how Gongshu Wang had found him back then.

Gongshu Wang: "Oh, back when I had just come down the mountain, a fellow Daoist with three eyes called me to stay."

Wu Fei's expression shifted slightly. He recognized the three-eyed man. However, judging from Gongshu Wang's appearance, he seemed unaware of the relationship between Xian Daoren and San Niang. Otherwise, he would have relied on San Niang's influence when he was causing trouble in the Southern Frontier.

Wu Fei: "He told you to stop, so you stopped?"

Gongshu Wang: "That fellow Daoist called me through the wooden puppet, and I turned around because my hands were itching to do it."

Wu Fei chuckled: "He told you to stop, why did you listen to him? And why did you listen to his advice? Did you already know about my wisdom and prowess from the beginning and intend to come and join me?"

Gongshu Wang: "Of course not. He said he wanted to have a contest with me. If I won, he would summon me (he immediately stopped talking and avoided the topic). Well, if I lost, I would go south to the southern border to find my master."

Gongshu Wang quickly replied, "My lord is a guiding light; talented people would not blindly side with him, so I did not lose that round."

Wu Fei: "Not at all, not at all."

Wu Fei ended the conversation, but he was puzzled as to why Xian Daoren would do such a thing.
If Wu Fei could understand Yao Dusukang's situation at this moment, he would have a general idea of ​​Xian Daoren's plans.

Xian Daoren wanted to use Gongshu Wang as leverage to add some variation between Wu Fei and Wu Hanluan.

As a descendant of the Mohist school, Gongshu Wang has learned many forbidden arts and techniques, including the art of "Gu" (a type of poison used to seduce people). He would inevitably use it if pushed to the limit. However, his plans with Wu Fei have basically all come to nothing.

As a result, Wu Fei was baffled to see that only half of the "world-shaking wisdom" was being implemented by Xian Daoren.

…System: Clever tricks are not acceptable…

In October of the 36th year, Huangyu City was captured, and the most difficult time for Bo County was over. Subsequently, the autumn grain was harvested in various places, and Wu Fei breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure of facing Zhao Cheng at any time was greatly reduced.

Now, in May of the Tianli calendar, the spring wheat harvest is about to begin. It is estimated that, after deducting the rations reserved for each household, 150,000 shi of grain have been accumulated in the warehouses of Huangyu City alone, while the other two large cities have 70,000 and 50,000 shi respectively.

Those spoiled officials in Yaodu who were previously unaware of the hardships of life now all understand what this means.

This means that if the Dongshi Army were to engage in open battle with the Hao Army, it could ensure a mobile force several times greater than that of the Hao Army.

The entire Bo County experienced a period of prosperity unseen for several years. Both soldiers and local people supported Wu Fei; the "stability crisis" that Wu Fei had previously worried about had now vanished.

"Prosperity?!" Wu Fei found it quite ironic. In that year, he had literally starved 30,000 slaves to death. In his previous life, that would have made him the most inhumane tyrant in the eyes of some scholars. If there were bulletin boards in this world, his image in the cartoons on his opponent's bulletin board would be that of a monster with "fangs in its mouth and horns on its head."

Wu Fei, disguised as a white dragon, arrived in the countryside and, upon inquiring about local opinions, confirmed that the people of Bo were convinced of "prosperity." This wasn't the local government flattering him; in the eyes of everyone in the region, whose lives were precarious, Wu Fei had broken a vicious cycle.

War disrupts production, leading to insufficient production and population decline, which in turn leads to further insufficient production and famine. For the local people who have been fighting for several years, they are willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of people at once just to end this vicious cycle.

The people of Bo County originally thought they were about to fall into hell in this downward spiral, but as the Dongshi Army fought their way in, the Hao people fled, and the farmland was replanted; Wu Fei was the great savior of the people of Bo County!
Under Wu Xiaoque's radiant light, the arduous march to Bohai only cost them a year of tightening their belts. A number of slaves starved to death! It truly was the arrival of a saint!

…After a long period of rain, the sun came out…

After Zhao Cheng arrived, Wu Fei's core work was "military and political" coordination, which meant that while fighting, he also had to determine the operation of the means of production in his territory.

After the maintenance committees were established in various places, all the farmland that had been conquered was distributed as "permanent property." When coordinating the grain supply, rations that could sustain life were reserved for each person on the list reported by the maintenance committee. As a result, the people of Bohai tightened their belts, gritted their teeth, and reclaimed the land without leaving it fallow.

Wu Fei's approach involves both combat and land reclamation, with a balance of resources between them (simultaneous operational and management management in real-time strategy). This is the standard approach in Southern Xinjiang.

However, this ability was absent among Da Yao's other generals. The reason is simple: where in the interior would military strategists be given the right to cultivate land? The land belonged to local clans and aristocratic families. If all the aristocratic families in the north hadn't been wiped out, Wu Fei wouldn't have been able to cultivate land either.

Therefore, the generals and troops in each region are fixed, just like in chess, where each piece is captured and one less is captured.

Even though Da Yao and his generals are now beginning to act like local warlords and cooperate with local clans, they still lack the ability to independently "allocate production and stabilize local order."

Wu Fei hasn't completely wiped out the clans yet, but he's divided each clan into several branches according to different areas of "city" and "township," and they're all obedient. If he tells them to go east, they wouldn't dare go west.

As for the issue of hidden households and underreporting taxes? Ha! These days, no clan can afford to secretly build grain storage points. Everyone keeps an eye on each other, and if someone is reported and verified, all the grain will be confiscated.

…That year, Pu'e finally met Zhao Cheng, and Wu Fei also completed the cooldown of his strategic ultimate move.

Just as Wu Fei was meticulously repairing his armor and organizing his supplies, preparing to stab the north in the back, Zhao Cheng, after inspecting Gu Shou Pass, secretly traveled south in plain clothes to observe the situation in Bo County.

As he saw beacon towers, vast ditches, roads, and supply depots along the way, he became preoccupied. When he finally saw a fortified outpost blocking the main transportation route, he held his breath.

Upon seeing this, Pu'e, who was accompanying the general, asked, "Why is the general's breathing suddenly weakened?"

The fortress Zhao Cheng was eyeing was fifty kilometers from Gushou Pass, a crucial location controlling the river crossing and surrounded by a moat. The small city itself was less than a hundred paces wide and long; even a hundred chickens would feel cramped inside. The arriving Hao Kingdom generals didn't take the city seriously. However, this fortress was actually a bastion; the thick outer walls allowed for crossfire, while the thin inner walls formed a maze-like structure. With several large gates, the inner walls functioned like a barbican.

Zhao Cheng said solemnly, "The generals in the south are skilled in the art of defensive tactics. It is no wonder that you were defeated by them."

Zhao Cheng's military tactics were always ingenious and skillful. He was extremely adept at seizing upon a momentary lapse in the enemy general's judgment, turning the seemingly hopeless into the miraculous.

However, during his private visit to Bozhou, he discovered that Wu Fei's scheme had virtually no flaws. Everything concerning agriculture and military affairs was interconnected, with each link tightly linked to the next, leaving no room for error.

Zhao Cheng: "When you're facing someone like this, you can't afford to be complacent in any way."

Clearly, Pu'e has been in dire straits by Wu Fei these days. She is struggling to maintain her food supplies, and what's worse, the facilities inside the pass are now severely damaged.

Pu'e: "Although that guy hasn't been attacking the pass for the past few months, he set fire to the mountain outside Gushou Pass." Pu'e's use of the word "that guy" and her reluctance to even mention General Yuan Chang shows that she was disgusted by Wu Fei.

Wu Fei proactively helped Gu Shouguan implement a scorched-earth policy, which resulted in landslides on the surrounding mountains during rains, flooding some water sources. Firewood was also scarce inside the pass. In short, Wu Fei didn't miss any opportunity to make Gu Shouguan uncomfortable.

Pu'e hoped that Zhao Cheng could break the deadlock. However, this time, Zhao Cheng said to Pu'e, who had just arrived, "This needs to be discussed in detail."

Pu'e paused, then couldn't help but provoke him, "Lord Zhao, how do you compare this man's military tactics to yours?"

Zhao Cheng: "If it were earlier, when he had not yet established a firm foothold in Bohai, I could have defeated him; but now he has the upper hand."

Previously, Huangyu City had not been lost, or rather, after October of the 36th year of the Tianli era, Hucheng still maintained the vitality of the Hao Army, and the Dragon Descendants were willing to obey military orders and not hold back. Therefore, Zhao Cheng still had room to make a difference.

But now? Zhao Cheng can't find any weakness in Wu Fei's defenses.

When evaluating Wu Fei's military strategy, Zhao Cheng described his character as "cautious and meticulous," which, to those unfamiliar with the subject, seemed incredibly bold. However, in Zhao Cheng's view, if he were to accept Wu Fei's terms, the Yan region would already have changed hands.

Wu Fei's personality was formed during his student days. Students, in order to prepare for exams, need to be familiar with all types of questions. Speaking of which, this above-average personality from his previous life is very rare in this era. Even though Zhao Cheng has many brilliant strategies now, they are all based on the fact that other generals are not cautious and do not reflect on their own weaknesses. But now, along the way, he has seen Wu Fei's clear overall vision, and in this small, conservative city, he has seen details that far exceed those of ordinary people.

Huang Tao, a descendant of the dragon, retorted, "If General Zhao lacks the courage, let us give it a try. With our superior artillery and strong army, we can take this small city in three days!" (Zhao Qi had already been transferred back.)
Zhao Cheng: "You have no idea how many traps and mechanisms surround these fortresses. It would take you four or five days to test them all. And if you were held up by the garrison inside the fortresses for four or five days—"

Then, Zhao Cheng pointed to the flags that were beginning to change on the city wall. He indicated that the flags on the city wall were linked with the beacon tower thirty kilometers away.

For the first time, Wu Fei's military expertise received feedback from knowledgeable individuals.

Pu E stopped Huang Tao, who was about to retort: ​​"Does this mean there are no flaws at all?"

Zhao Cheng frowned: "In such a stalemate, the battle is not on the battlefield, but in the court; the generals and ministers are at odds, and the emperor and his ministers are suspicious of each other, so it is difficult to maintain the stability of the city." However, Zhao Cheng sighed silently as he said this.

The Dragonborn have historically been able to defeat overwhelming odds in ordinary battles, winning more often than losing. This has led to a degree of pride. However, the deployment of troops in large-scale battles involving tens of thousands requires careful planning.

Having lost the resources south of Gushou Pass, the Hao Kingdom will face shortages of various food and supplies in the northern Yan territory this year.

Zhao Cheng revealed the truth to Pu E: the only solution now was to move the capital. Pu E shook her head.

The Dragonborn, having escaped from the Haotian Realm, have tragic memories and find it difficult to accept such a humiliating defeat.

Pu'e persisted: "Really, we can't fight?"

Zhao Cheng said, "If we march south from Yan, we can only support 10,000 to 20,000 men; if we suffer a setback in a city for a few days, our army's supplies will run out, and the margin for error is too low." Zhao Cheng then argued in reverse that if they abandon Gushou Pass, they will not launch a large-scale attack on us, and their supplies will not be able to support a large-scale march out of the pass.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Cheng immediately added, "It will be impossible to leave the pass on a large scale within two to three years."

As Zhao Cheng crouched down, he discovered something even more horrifying: the soil around the irrigation ditch was relatively new, clearly freshly dug. Zhao Cheng silently thought to himself, "Integrated farming and warfare!"

Zhao Cheng felt that he was revealing the truth, but Pu E could no longer listen and did not continue speaking, but kept it in mind.

Zhao Cheng: "If I had known this boy had come to Bohai a year ago, I would have spared no effort to capture him and put him to use."

…Zhao Cheng: “I need a capable advisor, someone who is of one mind with me…”

After the start of spring, Wu Fei realized that his two naval raids had been thwarted, so he temporarily ceased his naval harassment. He then discovered that the defenses inside Gu Shou Pass were no longer a stalemate, but rather patrolling in shifts according to signals, and that troop concentrations had appeared in Yan territory. This made it more difficult for his scouts to cause trouble. He then realized that the great general from Hao Kingdom had arrived.

Just as Wu Fei was feeling nervous, someone from Gu Shouguan took the initiative to contact him, expressing the Hao Kingdom's general's "mutual appreciation" for Wu Fei, which made Wu Xiaoque feel comfortable.

Wu Fei: "In the past, I was the only one flattering Wu Hengyu at home. Today, I actually have such a confidant! It's rare indeed."

Although there were no loopholes in their mutual vigilance in scouting and blockade, the envoys from both sides communicated back and forth. One day Wu Fei would send some local specialties, and the next day Zhao Cheng would return a small gift, and Wu Fei would return double the amount.

But just after the late spring cold snap, Zhao Cheng suddenly sent over four white wolves. He said he found them in the west of Da Yao and gave them to Wu Fei as auspicious omens.

Then Wu Fei went back to Zhao Cheng's original hometown and "dug up" a jade cauldron, which he also sent back as an auspicious omen.

So at this point, what was originally a friendly exchange of gifts suddenly turned sour, with both sides beginning to hide their true intentions behind smiles. And for the next ten years or so, both sides continued to engage in this kind of underhanded and treacherous dealing.

What is the White Wolf? Before the establishment of the Great Yao, this dynasty was called the Great Cheng, and before the Great Cheng was the Great Bu. At the end of the Bu Dynasty, there was a bamboo book that said: "A god led a white wolf with a hook into the divination." This is the meaning of rise and fall.

Wu Fei didn't understand at first, but fortunately, the strategist next to him explained the story.

Xuan Chong (Wu Fei) pointed north and cursed, "We're all well-versed in military strategy, is it really that interesting for you to play like this?" My Great Yao's Emperor is indeed both incompetent and playful, on par with Chiang Kai-shek; how much better is your Hao Kingdom's king? Small clans are bullying large states, constantly looking for dragon-descended generals to command troops, trying to balance your power within the country.

Through these rounds of exchanges, Fei realized that Zhao Cheng was on a completely different level from the dragon-descended generals of Hao Kingdom. How could such a person remain subservient to others for long!

Wu Fei thought fiercely: If he comes again, he will dig up the "Nine Bestowments" at his house and send them over.

Wu Xiaoque is shameless. If she finds out where Zhao Cheng's hometown is, she will immediately create some kind of aura of dominance on his ancestral graves and then try to spread the news to Hao Kingdom.

…matches between players of the same level…

Zhao Cheng had learned about Wu Fei's military situation through spies. The troops in the three forward towns were always on high alert, with sentries guarding the camp gates day and night. Even when buying vegetables and meat, the merchants would leave the goods outside the camp, and then soldiers would be sent from inside the camp to carry them. Outsiders were not allowed to have any contact with them.

This was clearly to guard against outsiders spying on them, something Zhao Cheng rarely saw in other generals.

Keeping soldiers on high alert cannot be achieved simply by a general issuing an order. Even the most meticulous person will become complacent over time.

While a general's example can keep soldiers disciplined, over time, the soldiers may become restless, and a riot may break out at night.

Therefore, the most technically effective method is to rotate stationed troops to maintain a balance between tension and rest.

When Wu Fei first entered the field of military strategy, he started out in logistics. He had specialized knowledge of maintaining morale and how to get soldiers back to rest in the shortest possible time and most efficient way.

Wu Fei even paid attention to the details of the soldiers' entertainment. Regarding the rotation of troops, Wu Fei would issue orders to move troops to the rear for rest and recuperation, ensuring that the brothels in the city provided professional service, especially in terms of hygiene.

(End of this chapter)