Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 148 The Rift Between the Imperial Court and the Regional Governors

The news of Emperor Shu's death officially reached Bo County. In response to the high expectations placed upon him by all parties, Wu Fei also put on a show and performed a piece of performance art.

Surrounded by elders and soldiers before the earthen platform, Wu Fei offered incense while wailing incoherently.

"The late emperor, you were wise and mighty, and you showed me such kindness! How could you suddenly be gone! You even managed to escape when the army of 100,000 collapsed, and with the support of various lords, you made it all the way back to Yaodu. How could you suddenly disappear in Yaodu?!" Wu Fei disregarded all decorum, pounding his chest and stamping his feet. A large amount of paper money fluttered in the wind.

Wu Fei lacks literary talent; even if his staff wrote an article, it wouldn't be popular enough to attract readers. Performance art, after all, is all about being "outstanding."

Of course, the scholars around would never record Wu Fei's crude words truthfully; they would only say that Wu Xiaoque was heartbroken over the death of Emperor Xu and that her words were incoherent.

As for what each side is thinking? Wu Xiaoque knows perfectly well. It's nothing more than that he was promoted by the Emperor, and now that the late Emperor has died unexpectedly, he should show some respect as someone who holds significant military power.

Of course, a little crying is all it takes. It's impossible to actually fulfill the wishes of some ambitious individuals, to recklessly attack the new emperor in Yaodu like a fool. This crying scene, when it reaches Yaodu, is meant to remind the new emperor to quickly come and comfort him.

Wu Fei: "As long as I abide by the Basic Law, can you really demote me?"

King Zhou, oh, Emperor Ling is currently overwhelmed with problems in court and doesn't want to ask me to lead a group.

As for the losses of the Dongshi Army in this incident—Xuan Chong: "Tsk tsk, those officers in the Dongshi Army who originally wanted to become the emperor's right-hand men, now their share of the blood money has been withheld by Suwang's party, what does it have to do with me. Anyway, I've already trained the army organization."

Now, Wu Fei is reviewing the actions of Emperor Xu and has determined that Jupiter's language was the key to Emperor Xu replacing him.

Wu Fei led many officers of the Dongshi Army to achieve merit in the field, but when it came time to return to the court to receive rewards, Emperor Xu clearly did not want Wu Fei to do it. He wanted to replace him with Jupiter Yu in order to regain control of the military.

However, Jupiter died directly in the incident and was labeled a rebel by the Zhou King's faction, which has forced the Dongshi Army to remain entrenched in Bohai with itself as the core.

Wu Fei was carried off the road by the soldiers, staggering as he did so, but he managed to avoid horse manure on the road.

Two days later, all the major lords learned about Wu Fei's performance art in Bo, and thus they waited with considerable strategic composure.

…The pigeons flapped their wings and flew back and forth…

On a saline-alkali land, Wu Fei was looking at a field. A batch of potato-like things had been harvested in this field, and a small workshop next to it was pressing, boiling and processing them.

Wu Fei valued this thing highly. It was a special crop brought from the Haotian Realm, and its product wasn't edible, but rubber. This rubber was the core material for the various airbags of the Haotian forces, and also the sealing rings for steam engines.

This plant is as productive as potatoes, with a 10% chance of producing gum from its underground tubers.

On the Bohai side, after the artisans from the Hao Kingdom fled over and brought back the technology of "firing in a kiln with sulfur and refined carbon powder", Wu Fei gave a positive evaluation of this "East-West exchange"... oops, "interplanetary exchange".

Gongshu Wang has already made many key applications of this material, such as fitting the corresponding material to the mechanical feet and joints of all wooden oxen and horses to reduce wear.

When Gongshu Wang learned about this, he shook his head and sighed, lamenting that his disciples and followers had once again resorted to opportunism.

In puppetry, the combination of yin and yang attributes in wood is crucial. If the joints of the wood are not treated strictly, even a slight expansion will render the puppet structure unusable. However, by inserting these treated plastic parts, the stability of the entire wooden mechanism is improved, and the buffering effect allows for less stringent wood-related calculations between the pieces.

As a traditionalist, Gongshu Wang could not bear to see his apprentices and grand-apprentices become complacent and unambitious in their craft.

Wu Fei didn't care about these craftsmanship principles; he only understood the phrase "technically, it's assumed that the processing error value can be increased," and asked, "So, it's ready for mass production?"

After receiving Gongshu Wang's reluctant confirmation, Wu Fei began planting in Bohai and sent the seedlings back to his hometown.

Meanwhile, on the official road of Bo County, caravans were heading south towards Pengze. Ever since Wu Hengyu appeared to the south, Wu Fei had been making use of the Great Cave Heaven route.

Xuan Chong's perception of heaven and earth was stronger than that of ordinary people. As wave after wave of evil moon swirled smoothly onto the earth, the world began to recover its spiritual energy, and the power of ghosts and gods increased. Many cave heavens that could span thousands of miles appeared in the world, and those in the mortal realm with vigorous blood and qi could also generate martial qi.

…faction dividing line…

On Gu Shou Pass, Zhao Cheng was relieved to see Da Yao collapse. The standoff across Gu Shou Pass was the most challenging test of his patience since he left the mountain.

Wu Fei possessed a composure beyond his years. This impressed Zhao Cheng, who also felt a sense of kinship with him.

But this time he did not take the opportunity to persuade Wu Fei to surrender, because after exchanging letters for so long, Zhao Cheng knew Wu Fei's character. In their previous correspondence, he knew that Wu Fei understood his intention to flatter him to his death.

In terms of "meticulousness," Wu Fei surpassed most military generals of his age. And after seeing through their intentions, instead of resorting to insults to prove his innocence, he responded with reason and evidence, demonstrating a certain heroic quality.

Of course, more importantly, Zhao Cheng's "tricks" made things even more difficult for Wu Fei.

When Wu Fei delivered the great cauldron, Zhao Cheng sensed that the dragon descendants of Hao Kingdom had become even more wary of him. Of course, this wariness also prompted the generals he had promoted to comply with the court's suspicions and withdraw from Yan.

Zhao Cheng had a premonition that if he sent Wu Fei a letter of surrender while Dayao was suffering internal problems, he might receive an even worse response.

Zhao Cheng guessed correctly. If he came to persuade Wu Fei to surrender at this time, Wu Fei already had a contingency plan in mind: he would instead try to persuade Wu Fei to surrender.

Wu Fei's prepared letter would emphasize: "We are all from Da Yao, you are a hero, we admire you, we are willing to surrender to you, but we are unwilling to become vassals of Hao Kingdom. Shall we work together?"

In this respect, Wu Fei's comical performance would make Da Yao's side laugh, since no one would believe that Wu Fei would surrender to Zhao Cheng.

This is akin to a bureaucrat from a superpower giving up a perfectly good position to work for a bureaucrat in a second-rate country. But the descendants of the Hao Kingdom's dragons are anything but happy.

Both sides, being military commanders, dispatched "spies" to the opposite territory, and were aware of each other's sensitive spots.

Wu Fei may not play the same game as Zhao Cheng as well, but he can understand Zhao Cheng's game records.

Unlike before, when Zhao Cheng made his move, none of the military officers knew where the underhanded tactics had been used.

…Wu Fei also has quite a few shady dealings…

On the other side, King Hao of Shazhou looked at Zhao Cheng's memorial and snorted coldly. The memorial said to wait another six months, or at most two years, until a discord arose between the generals and ministers in Da Yao. At that time, the morale of the garrison in Bo County would be low, and then they could be defeated in one battle.

Clearly, he felt uncomfortable with Zhao Cheng's confident report that he was about to achieve great merit. He also felt an inexplicable "jealousy" towards Pu E's high regard for Zhao Cheng.

At this moment, a minister who had clearly seen all this advised him in a less "jealous" manner: "Your Majesty, if the General is truly allowed to train his troops well, victory is assured. Such a great achievement deserves to be granted the title of Duke of Zhao."

These words sparked a great deal of discussion in the court. In fact, the person in the Hao Kingdom's court who was least at ease with Zhao Cheng was not the Hao King; because the Hao King knew that Pu E was able to control this great general.

No matter how strong the general is, he will not cripple himself for the time being.

Those who were most wary of Zhao Cheng were his fellow veterans. Zhao Cheng's expanding power directly created competition for them.

Just like Li Guang's faction, when they saw the rise of generals like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing who were more capable than themselves, they were filled with apprehension.

These Haotian generals, who had previously been "accidentally" ambushed by Wu Fei, have now formed a "loser" alliance, constantly reminding King Hao of Zhao Cheng's growing prestige in the army.

Therefore, King Hao issued an edict ordering Pu'e to leave through Gushou Pass, and at the same time dispatched several dragon descendant generals to the east to be under Zhao Cheng's command.

…historical assignments…

Xuan Chong: Based on historical experience, it is difficult for small countries to appoint generals.

Because military merit is the greatest achievement, the greater the general's ability, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile the "blood and blood reward" after a major victory.

The power core within a small country, long adapted to the interests of its internal "local area network," is unable to handle the division of the wide area network (the world). When a general conquers the world, the distribution of rewards based on merit may not align with the balance of factions within the "local area network," leading to discord between the general and the ruler.

This formula applies to almost all cases. The few exceptions are all classic examples that have been passed down through history, such as Prime Minister Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu. These were unprecedented favors bestowed upon these generals by Liu Bei. After all, such a personal bond—willing to give up the empire to avenge a brother—is unique in two thousand years of imperial rule.

More often, the situations are like those between Zhao She and the State of Zhao, Lian Po and the State of Zhao, Li Mu and the State of Zhao, or Jiang Wei and the State of Shu. In fact, the same applies in modern times. In the Middle East, once a strongman with an anti-American stance emerges, he can be precisely targeted and eliminated by the US and Jews. This is because smaller powers are wary of such "generals."

Therefore, to achieve great merit in founding a nation, the founder must be a general himself, like Liu Bang and Li Shimin. Even Liu Xiu dared not give Geng Yan too much responsibility.

Xuan Chong tried to "pull" Zhao Cheng for a year without any results, so he gave up on this "tactic".

They then began to summarize the principles of "Tao".

Xuan Chong, summarizing history, believes that Zhao Cheng's current situation is one of "a small country offering up a general."

Zhao Cheng has made tremendous contributions to the Hao Kingdom on several occasions, but the power within the Hao Kingdom cannot be distributed to Zhao Cheng in proportion to his achievements.

Xuan Chong: "Even if Zhao Cheng is loyal enough, like someone blinded by love, unwavering to the death; what about his subordinates, who are also blinded by love, not caring about their future, but just wanting to be dogs?"

In contrast, Wu Fei still had an advantage in this regard, despite the wariness he experienced after Emperor Ling ascended the throne. No matter how incompetent Da Yao was, and how much power was monopolized at the top, Emperor Ling, under pressure from all sides, still had to relinquish some prestigious artifacts to various parties.

All he needed to do was calm his subordinates' restlessness, keep his mind steady, and wait patiently.

Oh, although the new Emperor Da Yao is harsh on the Eastern Market Army, he's not just harsh on them. Everyone's watching the new Emperor Da Yao's "Ten Attendants," amusing themselves up there. In the end, who's really worried?

…The feudal lords, unable to share the credit, were all hoping a fool would step forward and cause trouble, but Wu Fei was no fool…

In the capital city, in the Li Palace to the south, Emperor Ling was enjoying the services of beautiful women on his bed. At this moment, Su Wang entered with small, quick steps and knelt outside the tent to wait.

Within the curtained walls lay a haven of gentle comfort, while outside, on the jade steps, Suwang obsequiously presented them with the court affairs they had been handling. Among them, at the very top, was a memorial concerning a secret report that "Wu Fei is colluding with various factions in Bohai, intending to rebel."

Upon seeing this scene, Emperor Ling's joyful revelry inside abruptly ceased, as if he had been burned. He immediately dismissed the beauties, lifted the curtain, and asked, "Has Wu Fei rebelled?"

His tone seemed calm, but he was actually a little flustered. Not only were Wu Fei's troops well-trained, but many powerful families in Dongshi and Yaodu had inside agents. Of course, more importantly, he himself was unsure of himself. The Mandate of Heaven had only been partially integrated into his body, constantly reminding him that his ascension to the throne was illegitimate.

Emperor Ling summoned his secret guards and learned that several of his younger brothers were now plotting something.

Emperor Ling was unusually serious, and Su Wang, who had thought it would be an easy persuasion, felt the suppression of the emperor's might this time.

Suwang: "Not yet, but according to secret reports, I am absolutely certain that Wu Fei and his group are plotting a rebellion. I suggest that their family members should be detained."

"No!" Emperor Ling waved his hand, denying the claim. He closed his eyes, rubbed his brain, which had been clouded by excessive drinking and womanizing, and racked his brains for a moment. Then, regaining some of his kingly demeanor, he glanced at his close advisor: "Are you trying to suppress dissent?"

Suwang: "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no such intention. Everything I do is for the sake of the great empire and its people."

The pressure of being a king on Emperor Ling grew heavier and heavier, and the flames in the palace were dimmed.

However, after some thought, Emperor Ling suppressed his anger and slowly said, "The soldiers of Bohai have fought for the country for many years, and their merits are great. They deserve to be rewarded. However, due to the national mourning, I was overwhelmed with grief and neglected their duties."

Emperor Ling issued his first decree, affirming the correctness of Wu Fei's loyalty to the late emperor and the Great Yao while fighting on the frontier, and then initiating the process of bestowing titles upon him.

Clearly, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Emperor Ling doesn't want any rebellion under his command at this time.

As for Su Wang purging the Dongshi Army's influence in Yaodu? Heh, the Dongshi Army does indeed possess considerable wealth and shops in Yaodu. The families of the military officers are also in Yaodu, but Wu Fei himself is... incorruptible.

As for Princess Xiasheng's engagement to Wu Fei? "What engagement?" Xiasheng: "The late emperor did not issue such an edict."

Now that Emperor Ling's mind had snapped out of its wine and women-induced stupor, he suddenly realized that the dynasty had absolutely no real control over such a powerful general. And this mess was entirely of his own making!
After pacing back and forth in the palace, he added a few details to his decree.

…The imperial decree was sent northwards by fast horse…

Six days later, Emperor Ling sent word of a grand enfeoffment, to be granted fiefdoms to generals and soldiers in various regions. The generals in each region were overjoyed.

Xuan Chong understood: "The group of eunuchs around the new emperor can no longer control the pressure of opposition from various regions."

However, before this enfeoffment, what attracted more attention from all over the world was that Emperor Ling first implemented the enfeoffment of the Wu brothers in Bo.

The two titles were Marquis of Laoguang County and Marquis of Fuling County, respectively. The imperial envoys departed after delivering the decrees at the two camps, while Wu Fei and Wu Hengyu both accepted the decrees, expressed their gratitude, and received Emperor Ling's reassurance.

This made it clear to the world that it was impossible to rely on Wu Fei's initial counterattack, which would then implicate Wu Hengyu.

In the mansion of the Minister of Works in Yaodu, the Minister of Works stared at the landscape painting (imitation) on the Bohai Sea and sighed with regret: Wu Yuanchang is not a loyal and righteous man!
However, in the Situ Mansion, a young civil official named Ji Yan discovered a detail. The fiefdoms of the two Wu brothers seemed to be separate. One was in Bo, while the other was in Zhen. And Wu Fei's fiefdom was in Zhen.

He immediately concealed the tunnel: Suwang's party is not at ease with the Dongshi army, we still have a chance.

…Wu Hengyu's camp and Wu Fei's camp are now separated…

After receiving his title, Wu Fei went south to Wu Hengyu's camp.

In the camp, Wu Hengyu was already waiting. When he saw Wu Fei enter the tent, he smiled and said, "Lord Lao Guang has arrived."

Wu Fei paused, knowing he was being sarcastic, and retorted, "Lord Fuling, you're in high spirits!" He then moved a table to join Wu Hengyu's, and sat down using a stool. The soldiers and staff around him left, making room for the two Wu brothers.

Yu Li, who was standing nearby, was about to pour some wine when Wu Fei said, "No need, I can't handle one cup."

He then said to Wu Hengyu, "Our two armies are about to join forces."

Wu Hengyu nodded.

Wu Fei: "The non-commissioned officers on both sides need to take turns to coordinate command."

After glancing at the wine glass, Wu Hengyu nodded.

Wu Fei: "You need to do your homework and prepare to take over the Dongshi Army."

Wu Hengyu paused, his hand holding the wine glass still, then put it down: "You're handing the troops over to me?" (This was the key to his earlier silence, because after the merger of the forces, who would be in charge?)
Wu Fei placed the steamed buns from the bronze vessel into a bowl, then cut them open with a knife and stuffed them with meat.

"The new emperor granted me the fiefdom of Zhen, and your fiefdom is of Bo, so this place is under your jurisdiction."

Wu Hengyu snatched the roujiamo (Chinese meat sandwich) that Wu Fei had stuffed into his mouth, took a bite, and said to Wu Fei, whose hand was now empty, "So you just went back like that?"

Wu Fei wasn't angry. He took another piece of steamed bun, but instead of stuffing it with meat, he took a bite of the bun and then a bite of meat.

Wu Fei forced a smile: "I've been missing home for a long time."

Wu Hengyu looked at Wu Fei and said with emotion, "The Dongshi Army is your life's work."

Wu Fei waved his hand dismissively: "The meat is all in our own pot. Isn't it the same whether I give it to you or not? Besides, I've given it to you more than once."

Wu Hengyu slammed the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) back into Wu Fei's bowl: "Did I steal yours?"

Wu Fei paused for a moment, then picked up the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger): "Even if you don't want to eat it, don't waste food."

Wu Fei then paused for a moment: "After we've settled things for each other, let's go back to the south and see Uncle. After all, Uncle has always been in charge of our affairs, so we need to let him know."

Wu Hengyu watched Wu Fei wolf down his food without being picky, and sighed deeply. His soldiers had initially been resentful because Wu Hengyu's fiefdom was in the Bo region. And in a military context, there could only be one leader.

Wu Fei's reaction made Wu Hengyu feel somewhat conflicted. Wu Fei had always been the one to back down and resolve any potential problems between the two brothers.

(End of this chapter)