Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 187: Problem-Solving Methods for "Addition" and "Subtraction"
Looking at the young man who had volunteered himself, Xuan Chong thought to himself, "Those who understand the times are the heroes."

After Su Ming finished his honest and straightforward narration, Xuan Chong, based on his words and actions, already knew that this young man in front of him obviously couldn't have made such a big turn in the camp on his own; there must be an elder behind him helping him.

Xuan Chong had a good habit of checking the address and class of the person before engaging in a dialogue involving power struggles.

Xuan Chong knew, of course, that the family named Su Ming came from Shui. The factions in Shui and Zhuzhou had been locked in a stalemate for so many years, which had been a major headache for Xuan Chong.

Xuan Chong desperately wanted to find a role model, so that this role model would voluntarily pledge allegiance to him and establish a proper relationship between ruler and subject.

On the other side of the water, the Wu family army's northern faction was quite "awkward," as they did not really want to break away from Xuanchong and go it alone.

In chaotic times, local officials often couldn't send troops to pay their respects to the emperor, as other armies might come to their hometowns to levy taxes one day. They would claim it was for the sake of the nation's crisis, but wouldn't even issue an IOU.

Now that war is raging everywhere, any place untouched by the flames of war is a fertile field where "wheat will ripen".

The reason why no one else harvests such a "field" is that it already has an owner.

Although the Wu family army's northern faction in Zhu and Liang regions is somewhat resentful of Xuan Chong's leadership, they still pay annual commercial taxes, and the military procurement system remains in place. If they were to truly rebel, they would be devoured by the wolves and tigers outside.

Xuan Chong has not yet joined his "Northern Route Army" faction, treating them as an easy target.

Xuan Chong: Although I think the bones in here might get stuck in my throat, these bones are from my bowl. Not just any cat or dog can come into my bowl and dig for food.

The crux of the problem is that these people are clinging to the record of the Northern Route Army's achievements.

After Xuan Chong took over, the merit records of the Southern Route Army became the main source of information, and some of the old merits they had recorded with Wu Hengyu became dead accounts.

In order not to let this debt die down, these people kept making a fuss about "Wu Hengyu coming back" and so on, even though they themselves knew it was impossible; if they were really asked to go north to join Wu Hengyu, no one would stop them, but the Northern Route Army faction that remained under Xuan Chong's command was determined to create this topic.

Clearly, this topic makes Wu Xiaoque uncomfortable, so he hopes to make her admit her mistake by "making a scene".

As for Xuan Chong, he's stubborn, holds grudges, and the more trouble he causes, the less he'll give in.

Admittedly, there was a group of people in the Northern Route Army who were merged into the Southern Route Army with almost no demotion, carrying their old merit records; but those were all Wu family members assigned to Xuan Chong's command during Wu Hanluan's time. Later, in Bohai, when they took over the Eastern Market Army, Xuan Chong exchanged the core members of the Eastern Market Army for Wu Hengyu.

The merit records of Wu Hong and other members of the Wu family in the Northern Route Army had been compiled several times with Xuan Chong. Now that they had loyally followed Xuan Chong back from Bozhou, Xuan Chong could naturally claim all of Wu Hong's merits.

The veterans of the Southern Route Army had nothing to say. After all, Wu Hong and the others were not only relatives, but had also fought alongside "Wu Fei" for many years, making great contributions.

The credit of Zhu and his group had absolutely nothing to do with "Wu Fei," and all the factions in the southern region did not acknowledge it.

Similar to how Li Shimin failed to become crown prince, many of the merits of the former Tang dynasty's heroes surrounding him became irrelevant. Li Jiancheng, lacking a record of achievements to appoint these people who had helped him conquer the empire, inevitably created obstacles in his power structure.

That's how leadership transitions happen within a family. Each new leader is the most capable faction leader from the previous leadership, but only within his own faction.

If Xuan Chong had made fewer personal contributions in battle before taking office; or if Wu Hengyu had been more capable when Wu Hanluan left Lingnan, had taken on all the battle achievements along the way, had been more open-minded, and promoted a large number of his subordinates.

Now that Xuan Chong has taken the throne, the "bone stuck in his mouth" in the bowl has become even bigger.

How to digest these "bones" after taking the throne? Li Shimin provided the standard answer by "re-employing Wei Zheng," which was to give these members of the Crown Prince's faction a chance to earn merit and enter the Lingyan Pavilion. By promoting Wei Zheng, he completely disillusioned those who relied on the old merit list and allowed the capable ones to quickly settle into the new merit list and earn merit.

…Zhao Cheng had all the “questions” that Xuan Chong was pondering, and Zhao Cheng even had more questions piled up…

The young Su family members awaited Xuan Chong's verdict. In terms of age, Su Ming was only four years younger than Xuan Chong.

Xuan Chong said to the young general of the Su family with great interest, "I am very pleased that you are willing to guard the North Gate of Yongzhou; however, I am not at ease with your long-term plan for this garrison."

Su Ming gritted his teeth and continued to assure him, "Lord, I will do my utmost to defend the northern garrison."

Xuan Chong feigned reluctance, saying with concern, "It's not that I believe you can't endure hardship, but I'm worried you won't find any benefits in the north."

Xuan Chong unfolded the map and gave the young general a hint: "Since you are willing to go to the north, compared to those two families, you are one of our own."

Xuan Chong had become much more shrewd in recent years, learning some tactics similar to Liu Bang's for building relationships. Xuan Chong pulled Su Ming aside, making him stand within his own circle. Su Ming was subtly moved; it was the first time he had heard Xuan Chong refer to him as "one of their own." Previously, as a member of the Bamboo Faction, he had been clearly excluded. — Now, suddenly he had become a direct descendant, clearly indicating that his father's choice for him was correct.

Xuan Chong: "Do you know why I didn't send anyone else to garrison the north before?"

Su Ming: "It's because General Cai and General Heng have lived in the north for a long time and are well-versed in the local customs and culture."

Xuan Chong nodded: "Yes, you are well-versed in local customs and traditions; that's why I'm a little worried about sending you."

Provoked, Su Ming immediately replied, "I can learn from Generals Cai and Heng." (His desire to prove himself as a young man was perfectly understood and controlled by Xuan Chong.)

Xuan Chong countered, "Just because you're willing to learn doesn't mean others are willing to teach you?"

Su Ming was stunned. Xuan Chong pointed out the horse trails on the map, indicating the trade routes, and said, "These are the foundation of their businesses and the key to their expertise in this area; if you want to learn, why should they teach you?"

Seeing that Su Ming opened his mouth, Xuan Chong gently and patiently said, "But I can teach you."

Su Ming immediately realized who he should cling to.

Xuan Chong, adopting the demeanor of an older brother, patted his newly recruited subordinate on the shoulder, indicating that he should be careful on the one hand, but not be afraid on the other. He would keep an eye on his work and make sure he didn't mess things up right away.

Xuan Chong gave Su Ming very clear instructions: "Communicate more with these two generals about military defense matters. You are one of our own, and since you went there, you represent me. Generals Cai and Heng will certainly be close to you, but you must understand that they will use you as their eyes to monitor them. Therefore, as their eyes, you are susceptible to being misled."

"If the Hao Kingdom's army attacks, you must have your own judgment. Cai and Heng's families are in my hands, and they may not necessarily change their minds. However, if the situation becomes dire and they decide to betray me, they will surely try to take your head."

Su Ming's heart skipped a beat; his father hadn't told him about these risks.

Xuan Chong immediately comforted him patiently, saying, "Don't be afraid, be careful. The probability of these things happening is extremely small. If you can withstand the trials within these five years, you will be able to stand on your own."

Su Ming was overjoyed to receive the promised pie in the sky.

Xuan Chong said, "Going to the north to guard the frontier, besides being diligent in military affairs, you also need to pay attention to civilian matters. The north is short of tea, so I've specially allocated a trade route for you, exclusively for you. You'll have complete control over the money and goods; if you need money, I'll reimburse you. Remember, don't be afraid to spend money to win over the local people, but don't give them money directly. Instead, spend money to get things done, so that they'll work for you."

After leaving the General's Mansion, Su Ming had gone from being a slightly resistant member of the Bamboo Faction to someone who had received Xuan Chong's patronage.

While he may not yet be considered a die-hard loyalist, if Xuan Chong continues to receive promotions at every stage over the next five years, it's only a matter of time before he becomes one. This is what Zhuge Liang meant when he said in his "Memorial on the Expedition": "It is because of the extraordinary favor bestowed upon me by the late emperor."

After hearing his son's account, Su Dahe sighed, "Our family's fortunes have not declined." He then severed ties with the other members of the Bamboo Clan, relieved that he had switched sides early; those in the other factions who couldn't adapt would eventually be ruined.

…Xuan Chong solved the problem using the method of addition… In April of the fourth year of the Tianyou calendar, Xuan Chong assigned Su Ming a force of six hundred men. This force was of extremely high quality, all clad in full armor. They also included two Ghost Chariots and four upgraded Golden Oxen.

The old Golden Bull had an internal fire pit used only to heat the "golden juice," powered by the natural energy of the spirit wood. Now, after the Industrial Revolution, the Golden Bull's internal mechanism has been replaced with a piston machine, and the transmission structure is made of high-quality steel, similar to a train's transmission rod.

As for the chassis, Xuanchong replaced the wooden brackets with large tracks that lie close to the ground in the middle, and installed three sets of steel landing gear with rubber wheels to maintain balance.

In terms of weaponry, the Xuanchong replaced its flashy double horns with a single "horn." This single horn is a short, thick cannon barrel.

As for the "golden juice," it has been replaced by incendiary shot.

Inside the steam engine combustion chamber, an exhaust port was reserved, and a large amount of flame was drawn into the cow's throat. The high-temperature combustion gases heated some iron balls held by the tungsten wire mesh to 1,000 degrees Celsius.

When the bull raises its head, the gate closes, sealing the connection between the bull's throat and the combustion chamber. Then, the steam valve opens, allowing steam to flow in, and the explosion ejects these high-heat iron pellets. Its destructive power surpasses that of molten gold.

There are three reasons for this improvement!
1. The gold juice is too heavy. It affects the acceleration of the Taurus, resulting in a low weapon cost-effectiveness ratio.

2: After the city's excrement could be transported to the countryside, the golden juice became scarce.

3: As the newly appointed military commander, Xuan Chong now behaves differently from Wu Hanluan in some ways, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to reflect that a new emperor brings a new court, and the past is the past, and the present is the present.

This upgraded weaponry was named "Zhan Kui".

The Classic of Mountains and Seas states: "The Kui resembles an ox, with a blue body and no horns; it has one foot, and when it enters or leaves the water, there will be wind and rain. Its light is like the sun and moon, and its sound is like thunder. Its name is Kui." The record of the Yellow Emperor's conquest of Chiyou states that the Mysterious Woman made eighty Kui-ox drums for the Emperor, each resounding for 500 li (approximately 250 kilometers), and a continuous resounding for 3,800 li (approximately 1,500 kilometers)!

The Zhan Kui is currently the highest-level ground war beast in the Wu Family Army system. It is on the same level as the Great Yao Iron Lion and the giant terracotta warriors of the Hao Kingdom.

If the Jade Lion of Haotian is a Tier 3 unit and the Golden Bull is a Tier 4 unit, then the War Kui is a Tier 5 unit, representing the limit that the Mortal Empire can achieve with the most durable materials and the best mechanical designs.

Currently, within the territory controlled by Xuan Chong, only the thousand-person-level iron forging workshop in Fenxing City can produce it.

After accepting this unit, Su Ming's mind was buzzing. When the sergeant who came to report for duty prompted Su Ming to set off together, Su Ming reacted and used his seal to connect with the unit.

During the march, Su Ming felt the steam boiler behind him "beep beep beep" as it depressurized, and the awe-inspiring sensation of the huge rubber wheel grinding and rubbing against the ground.

As a general, he should have boosted the morale of his troops. But when he turned to look at these iron-clad soldiers, he felt that even if he shouted a few times, it would probably be too loud to drown out the roar of the steam engines.

When Su Ming was leading a team for the first time in his life, he suddenly felt "confused" - what should I do?
Compared to Xuan Chong's initial experience with a rudimentary unit like a peasant army, his system was incredibly user-friendly.

So he followed the "manual" system he had learned at the sergeant academy and operated in a very proper and orderly manner. He organized logistics such as coal supply and encampment along the way.

Su Ming's best course at the military academy was logistics, which was related to his family background as a merchant. He had been familiar with trade and freight work since childhood. He knew that even if he wasn't highly regarded in the military, mastering logistics and transportation would still benefit his family business, as he would have connections with classmates in the Ministry of Transportation.

When Xuan Chong entrusted this unit to Su Ming, it wasn't so much about letting him lead troops, but rather about telling him, "Don't worry about military tasks yet; he's primarily a troop transport officer." He added, "Just focus on maintaining order in the army. As for specific combat strategies, consult Generals Cai and Heng." (The subtext: the responsibility lies with these two veterans.)

Of course, if he were merely a "troop transport officer," then Su Ming's power would be unbelievably vast. He was almost a replica of the "Zhanlu Battalion" that defended the emperor on the northern front. However, Su Ming himself was "exhausted in his efforts," unlike the arrogant commander of the Zhanlu Battalion who undermined unity with allied forces on the front lines.

Xuan Chong placed him there to take advantage of his "shrewd businessman" nature, to give him such a strong army as a foundation, to enhance his voice, to carry out business work, and to be able to grasp the interests of various factions on the south bank of the Yong River.

After Su Ming arrived in Yongzhou, Xuan Chong immediately wrote him a follow-up letter.

Xuan Chong: "Given the current situation in Yongzhou, there are bound to be some wavering voices; your task is to try your best to win over the neutral faction economically."

Before Su Ming received his mission, Xuan Chong made it very clear to him: "Stabilizing the situation is the greatest achievement. Even if we lose territory or a behemoth like Zhan Kui, it's not a problem. As long as Generals Cai and Heng can lead their local forces back to the Wo Niu Guan line, you (Su Ming) will still be blameless, and I will still use you in the future. If Generals Cai and Heng betray us, even if you manage to hold the territory on the south bank of the Yong River, my son, I will be very disappointed in you."

…Added together…

After Su Ming's troops arrived in Yucheng, Generals Cai and Heng, who were in charge of the city's defense, rushed over. Upon seeing the troops Su Ming had brought, they were both taken aback.

Upon meeting the two generals, Su Ming immediately expressed "Wu Fei's" high level of trust in them, stating that all the troops he brought were under their command. The two generals were clearly moved to tears, and of course, they wouldn't be so foolish as to simply divide the war beasts and armored troops they had brought in two.

After thinking for a while, Cai proposed that he would defend Changjun, while General Heng and Su Ming would provide support in Lucheng.

This allows for mobile rescue operations. At this point, General Cai looked at Su Ming, clearly wanting to know if he was willing to undertake such a slightly risky mission.

Cai, as a local faction member, said: If Su Ming's troops are willing to take on some risky missions and complete them successfully, they can be assigned to more important tasks; if they are not willing, then they should rest and become mascots on the rear!

The Zhanlu army under Emperor Xu was well-equipped, but its generals were unwilling to take responsibility. They preferred to stay in the rear rather than occupy supply lines at the front.

As frontline commanders, they were delighted to learn that reinforcements had arrived from the rear, but they were dumbfounded when they saw such a terrifyingly high-quality force. For a moment, they had no idea what the relationship was between Su Ming and Wu Yuanchang, or whether they were there to gain experience or what.

…In comparison, the problem Zhao Cheng solved was "subtraction"…

The military mobilization of 600 Wu family soldiers had no impact on the local livelihood of Yongshui.

But on the north bank, blood and tears flowed. The officials of Shihao were frantically conscripting men from the countryside. Ten years ago, there were still chickens and pigs left, but now even broken pottery jars were being smashed and clanged.

After being "admonished" by Zhao Cheng, Hao Jun's two generals became more motivated to prove themselves.

The way these two Haojun generals issued orders in the camp was just like that of a rich second-generation returning to China to start a business.

On the north bank of the Yong River, they still carried out traditional war mobilization, driving the bureaucratic system to collect large amounts of grain and fodder from the local area. After the two groups of 2,000 men each went to the countryside to plunder able-bodied men, they began to expand to 20,000 men each, with ten local laborers following the elite soldiers transferred from elsewhere.

This practice of conscripting laborers, much like labor service, caused widespread resentment on the north bank of the Yong River. As a result, many households fled to the south bank of the Yong River overnight.

In recent years, the people on the north bank have all known that there is smoke rising from chimneys on the south bank every day, and chickens are raised there, because even sparrows fly over there.

Therefore, before the Hao Kingdom was about to launch another military campaign, they all fled south.

The pre-war declaration assumed there were wavering factions on the south bank of the Yong River. But in reality, there weren't many actual "return-to-the-north" factions on the south bank of the Yong River.

Xuan Chong's governance was far superior to that of the north. Under the Hao Kingdom, they were starving nine times out of three. But under the rule of Marquis Lao Guang (Xuan Chong), even those conscripted for labor had their food and lodging provided by the government. They were also paid, and often returned with a new set of clothes.

As a result, in recent years, the north bank of the Yong River has seen a situation where some local ruffians, posing as constables, conscript laborers and then run off to the construction sites in the south to "freeload." This has led to local civil officials in Yongzhou questioning whether the number of laborers sent was excessive, wondering if the local officials were exploiting the people to the point of exhaustion, fearing it would disrupt agricultural work.

On the military sand table, the Wu family army, through the elders and villagers who had fled from the north, already knew the exact date and location of the military operations in the north. This war was essentially one-way transparent.

A revolutionary non-commissioned officer system is now in full swing. Five years later, the Third Battle of Yongshui begins.

(End of this chapter)