Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 197 Merchants Accumulate Wealth, Farmers and Warriors Generate Blood
"Completely conquering Thorn Ridge will be a long process. We must remain vigilant at all times regarding the ruins of those human cities from previous generations!"

In the dim light of the tung oil lamp, Xuan Chong drew diagrams on the blackboard, while the sergeants attending the operational meeting took notes below.

In January of the first year of the Tongzheng era, Xuanchong adopted a rotation system, continuously calling in new officers from the rear to participate in actual combat.

For example, the Chief of Staff of the General Staff has now changed from Wu Zaixing to Wu Rui. After Xuan Chong's opening remarks, Wu Rui replaced Xuan Chong and explained the current situation in detail to the two hundred newly arrived non-commissioned officers.

After the class, Xuan Chong would check everyone's notes.

In the months following August of the fifth year of the Tianyou calendar, although Xuan Chong had already identified the enemy's strongholds, he did not follow Huo Qubing's example and embark on a long journey to destroy the kingdom. Instead, he instructed everyone to oil and maintain their armor and weapons, and then pick up shovels, axes, and hoes.

In the past few months, Xuan Chong only swept through four tree spirit gathering places that were relatively close to his side; after obtaining a wave of spoils, he sent a large number of elite troops back to the four counties of Lingjiang to rest and recuperate.

While the legend of Wang Xuance is very exciting, it cannot be ignored that before Wang Xuance visited India, he had good diplomatic relations with the surrounding forces. Various factions tended to help the Tang Dynasty diplomatically, or rather, to rob India as a group.

In Xuan Chong's previous life, there were too many tragedies of "driving straight in" only to end up in a mess.

The Russians had a scene on the banks of the Kyiv River where they were "too eager to eat hot tofu, and ended up getting burned by the tofu."

After excavating more ruins, Xuan Chong estimated the strength of the people who lived there; he found that despite the density of these settlements, their population at their peak did not exceed two thousand.

Xuan Chong concluded that the previous generation's fleeing army failed to establish a foothold because their resources were too weak. Perhaps after discovering the effects of the "Grass Rejuvenation Pill," they arrogantly believed their village would produce a large number of martial saints. However, they ultimately overestimated their resource utilization and underestimated the resistance strength here.

The sediments reveal that these independently built fortified factions, after reaching a certain level of development, would suddenly experience a power gap; subsequently, they would collapse during a final invasion. In other words, after several consecutive battles, their personnel were depleted to the limit, leading to their complete collapse.

Learn from the failures of predecessors. Xuan Chong's strategic adjustment was to leverage his own manpower advantage.

In the midst of this great upheaval, human resources are virtually inexhaustible. These people who are transferred here do not necessarily have to participate in the war; even their daily development activities can disrupt the stability of the region.

In late January of the first year of the Tongzheng calendar, when the rotated soldiers sent back the news that this place was rich in the essence of plants and trees, which could be consumed to increase their power and advance in rank; even though the other side of this news was that there were demons and monsters in the southern border, it could not stop the various merchants and gangs in Da Yao from making their move.

Xuan Chong's calculations: Even if the Yao people suffer one-tenth casualties in the small-scale probing battles during the friction with the local demons of Thorn Ridge, driven by the promise of high profits, twenty more people will still come to try their luck on the land of Da Yao.

Xuan Chong: Don't tell me this is Thorn Ridge. Even if you were a fully healed Lion Camel Ridge, I would still charge up and take it down!

Although the Wu family army is no longer advancing, they are investing heavily in agricultural machinery, felling trees, and cultivating fertile fields in the villages and towns they have pioneered along the way. What were originally villages with only a hundred or so people are now being transformed into towns capable of accommodating thousands of visitors. Sometimes, they cannot grow all the land they have cleared, so they simply sow pasture for horses.

The purpose of Xuan Chong was to enhance the economic diversity of this southward-bound territory, thereby increasing its resilience against future risks. Moreover, this could only be done in the initial stages of development.

Along this border, strength lies in numbers. And the goal is to attract people to settle here.

…Agriculture and warfare are the foundation of a nation; the Tang Dynasty serves as a negative example…

Historical summary: The demise of the Guiyi Army at the end of the Tang Dynasty was not due to a lack of "money"; they were stuck on trade routes collecting tolls, and gold, silver and spices were their specialties, but they lacked the population to sustain themselves.

In the early Tang Dynasty, the military system in the Western Regions operated by continuously attracting young Tang men westward through the promise of profit. These men, having accumulated wealth, returned to the interior and became soldiers capable of providing their own armor and horses. Neither the Ming nor the Song dynasties possessed such a low-cost military system, thus hindering their control over the Western Regions.

In theory, Tang warriors from the Central Plains would continue westward in pursuit of wealth. After the Battle of Talas, the Tang suffered a minor setback.

However, every twenty years, the Tang Dynasty would accumulate a new elite force, wave after wave, continuously challenging the Abbasid Caliphate. The population growth advantage of the Central Plains was enough to eventually wear down the arid inland Abbasid Caliphate to the point of collapse.

However, history did not allow the Tang Dynasty to continue its prosperity under this model. The great warming that began at the end of the Western Wei Dynasty not only created the once-glorious Tang Dynasty, but also made it possible to cultivate the plateau. Tibet quickly entered the stage of a feudal empire.

When the Tibetans, who were able to cultivate the land and generate their own wealth, clashed with the Tang Dynasty's merchant forces in the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty's elite troops in the Western Regions were quickly exhausted. The severing of trade routes caused a sharp drop in profits. Without money, the central government of the Tang Dynasty had no power to send people westward, which in turn meant that the local military could not be replenished, and thus could not protect the trade routes. With less wealth, there was a lack of attraction for the Central Plains army, creating a vicious cycle.

Trade routes can generate wealth, but farming is what forms a feudal military organization. Without a military organization built upon agriculture, no amount of money is more than a castle in the air.

However, Emperor Qianlong of later generations took a different approach. He worked hard but gained little benefit by becoming a military household there. He could not see any immediate benefits, but he was able to continuously generate income for the local population.

Therefore, Xuan Chong shifted his focus away from the strongholds along the trade routes and invested in areas slightly further away from the trade routes but suitable for large-scale farming. He dispatched legions to these areas to reclaim land on a large scale, and then left behind a troop of soldiers, providing them with enough villagers and cattle to establish fortified villages.

Furthermore, a governor-general's district was established. Within this district, the status of the Tunpu (garrison fortresses) was equal to that of the post towns (traditional post towns) located along trade routes. Moreover, the governor-general's district could not be located within a post town, but rather within a reclaimed area; this was to ensure that the funds from the post towns were used to purchase iron tools and oxen for the Tunpu.

In that year, Xuan Chong brought about a major liberation of the slaves in the southern border region.

Once their enslavement marks were removed, they settled directly on these newly cultivated farmlands.

…an unparalleled achievement…

In April of the first year of the Tongzheng calendar, Xuan Chong's army heading south began to do farm work and build city fortresses, as if they were settling down permanently.

This caused a slight wavering in morale. However, Xuan Chong immediately wiped out the merits of any battalion commander who wavered, sending them back to their original ranks and replacing them with displaced people from the lost territories.

When these refugees first arrived in the scorching southern border region, they had some complaints; but when they saw Xuan Chong's showmanship and his promise that they could keep 70% of the land they cultivated here, they all calmed down.

Stimulated by the farmland, Xuanchong completed a five-meter-high rammed earth wall at his camp along the "Tingzhutan" line and installed crossbows.

Furthermore, during the off-season, the farmers were arranged to practice using firearms.

Carved guardian beasts have been placed in several rivers, a testament to Da Yao's cutting-edge technology; as these guardian beasts sit guard over the mountains and rivers, the entire land begins to appear "weathered"; the riverbeds are no longer the lines squeezed out by young people's playful laughter, but rather as deep as the wrinkles of an old man.

These waterways are now navigable by 50-ton inland transport ships, which can collect military supplies from various trading posts via docks. Note: Currently, nutrient blocks made from wood fiber can still supply the army, but the army needs straw sandals, canteens, dried lime powder, pottery, and iron repair services, all of which require support from the logistics area.
After spending several months perfectly strengthening his outposts in May of the first year of the Tongzheng calendar, Xuan Chong began to further compress the sphere of influence of Thorn Ridge.

In September of the first year of the Tongzheng calendar, the dry season began. After Xuan Chong calculated the location of the high-pressure zone from high altitude, he began to send his army to continue advancing south, establishing a new encampment seventy kilometers further south.

What, why include the "high-pressure belt" above the atmosphere? The skies above high-pressure belts are clear and dry. The crisp autumn air is perfect for ignition, creating an environment conducive to "fire-based" flammability.

Xuan Chong's ability to apply this knowledge didn't suddenly appear. Rather, it was the information from certain still-usable modules within the Chi You ship that helped him suddenly recall a great deal of high school common sense.

For example, one of the functions of the Chiyou ship during its shutdown was "launching an artificial satellite to detect the atmosphere".

Xuan Chong, realizing he couldn't repair the artificial satellite system, paid homage to the thing called "Hailstorm Technique," which was actually a weather weapon.

The database on the Chiyou ship recorded the operation of this weather weapon: "Tianqi Calendar ***, August 15th, 27:00 AM, magnetic energy satellite launched, deployment completed at 5:80 PM, force field locked onto atmospheric clouds." (Xuan Chong didn't know what the Tianqi Calendar was either; the database was destroyed after the Chiyou ship crashed.)
Xuan Chong analyzed a large amount of images and text and learned that it pressed hundreds of square kilometers of hot air down to prevent it from rising, while accumulating a large amount of cold air above.

When the atmospheric potential energy reaches a terrifying level, the atmospheric force field is removed. Strong convection occurs when cold and warm air currents meet, and at the same time, "frost swarms" are introduced (Xuan Chong doesn't understand what this thing is, but roughly knows that it acts as condensation nuclei), making the condensation process extremely exaggerated, and rapidly forming large hailstones with a diameter of more than 20 centimeters.

"So, you launched this natural disaster to suppress and destroy the southern border regions, right?" Xuan Chong asked Chi You's intelligent assistant, expressing his confusion. But a second later, "Goodness, the spirit of Chi You's ship admitted it."

Of course, this item is currently unusable unless Xuan Chong exchanges it for credits.

Xuan Chong casually asked his history teacher system about this "exchange," and the damn system said it really could repair the Chi You ship, consuming 2.1 credits; however, the class would have to run overtime. Xuan Chong just laughed it off.

Although the weather weapons on the fleet are currently out of service, the reason is the lack of the module capability to "adjust above the high-pressure zone".

However, Xuan Chong discovered that the reserved meteorological observation equipment module was still in good condition, so he used a hydrogen balloon to conduct a series of observations over southern Xinjiang.

The "Tree Transformation Chart" provided by the Chiyou ship was copied into a silk book by Xuan Chong.

…The timing is perfect now…

This round of troop deployment was still mainly for harassment. Wu Zhantie was sent to lead an exploration team of two thousand men, seventy percent of whom were auxiliary troops from the southern border. The team was equipped with enough firearms and cannons and launched a surprise attack on four predetermined locations in the jungle.

In Xuanchong's observations, all four points had neat hedges, while the center had a very prominent and distinctive large tree.

The Wu Zhan Tie team is full of talented individuals, including Wen Siting, a disciple. Wen Siting has already achieved Qi Induction, making him luckier than most cultivators. He is at the sixth level of the Acquired Martial Qi realm, and most importantly, the tiger mount he chose has awakened wings.

That's right, this tiger is a descendant of the Winged Tiger under Wu Hanluan's command. Wen Siting is currently leading two squads of Fire Rhinoceros Heavy Cavalry, totaling forty-eight men each. This is currently the strongest force under Wu Zhantie's command, and they are all from the Yaoren Kingdom, making them the most reliable.

On the other side, Shen Wanqing looked at the three groups of musketeers he led and lamented that he had been promoted too quickly. And what about the sect?
With Xuan Chong entering the Chi You ship these past few days, Shen Wanqing has been receiving constant messages from the sect over the past few months, urging him to keep an eye on Wu Yuanchang.

The sect urged him once again to destroy this "murderous weapon" before Xuan Chong could wreak havoc on the world, after gaining Xuan Chong's trust.

The problem is that the sect thought Xuan Chong would use the ferocious weapons to gather evil energy in the bloodbath in the southern border, but in reality, Xuan Chong just went to Chi You's soldiers and got a wave of weather balloons.

Shen Wanqing couldn't help but lament that the sect had completely misjudged the new leader of the Wu family. The sect viewed Wu Fei as a member of the demonic path, and the demonic path is characterized by short-sightedness and a tendency to resort to brute force when faced with obstacles in battle. In such a case, the "murderous weapon" would be used to stain blood.

But the result was that Xuan Chong was the right way; he suppressed the "restlessness and killing intent" of the army and calmed the impatient restlessness within the ranks. He seemed indifferent to the "conquest" of the southern border, but was very concerned about agriculture and sericulture.

Shen Wanqing, being in the army, was closely connected with these two hundred soldiers. Whenever they formed a battle formation, their spirits were in sync. (Their mental coordination was far more harmonious than their past relationships as fellow disciples.)

At least his fellow disciples, who had studied under the same master, would not sacrifice themselves to conform to others during this great calamity, but would instead seek their own freedom. However, the soldiers of the military would risk their lives to protect themselves. Naturally, the morale of the soldiers was also affected, stirring his own Daoist resolve.

He touched the spiritual contract on his chest, a talisman placed by the sect on disciples who went down the mountain to perform missions. It granted them the right to receive orders from the sect and also bound them to prevent them from violating sect rules.

Under Shen Wanqing's extraordinary perception, every breath and every step of his soldiers was now like waves, fluctuating with his mindset and aura, stirring his blood and qi. Like a file, it was grinding the spiritual contract that the sect had instilled in his body before he descended the mountain, leaving it riddled with holes.

Shen Wanqing's vital energy has now been transformed into a large amount of blood energy, filling his bone marrow and organs, and mixed with killing intent. The spiritual contract is already teetering on the brink of collapse and has finally shattered.

The changes of the Heavenly Way, cultivation of immortality, and cultivation of martial arts are all forms of cultivation. For cultivators, if they have sufficient nourishment and follow an army that is always victorious, nourishing their soul through battle, then entering the Dao through martial arts is not impossible.

Shen Wanqing finally decided to switch to martial arts.

…The world is vast…

Just as Shen Wanqing led his troops forward, the scout dogs barked softly.

Shen Wanqing immediately ordered his soldiers to form a battle formation, then gazed ahead. He saw a sudden gust of wind sweep through the jungle, causing the leaves of many trees to sway, but the swaying was not normal.

If it were the wind blowing the trees, they would sway uniformly in one piece; but now they are swaying randomly in different spots, which clearly means there is something hidden in the bushes.

Shen Wanqing took a deep breath and stepped to the front of the formation, simultaneously mobilizing his entire body's energy. Like Zhang Fei on the Dangyang Bridge, he let out a loud shout, causing the sand and soil in front of him to tremble.

But if you could see the sound waves, they wouldn't spread out; instead, they would strike in beams. The focus of the sound beams would be where the trees were swaying.

The previously swaying areas immediately revealed, through a blur, layers upon layers of tree spirits, interspersed with some strange humanoid races. Clearly, they had used magic to conceal their presence.

Shen Wanqing happened to know this technique, which was called "Blinding the Eyes with a Leaf".

The most orthodox way to break this spell is through sound-based magic, which can be the sound of a zither or the beating of a drum. Of course, Shen Wanqing used the simplest method: a direct shout.

When these enemies appeared, the sixty soldiers behind Shen Wanqing began firing armor-piercing crossbow bolts.

These crossbow bolts flew into the air and burst into flames. This was because the arrowheads contained cotton soaked in oil.

This flame weapon has proven in numerous battles to be more effective than ordinary arrows or even firearms.

Rows of tree spirits fell, releasing a fragrant aroma of plant sap. However, this aroma was mixed with the burnt smell of oil, making it very unpleasant (similar to the smell of a diesel engine after harvesting grass).

The musketeers arrived later and fired volleys of gunfire continuously, shattering the branches of the tree spirits like sickles, but the screams of the humanoid race could also be heard from within.

Under sustained fire suppression, the treants who had originally planned a sneak attack, along with the allied forces composed of special humanoid races mixed in among them, began to retreat. However, they had already been targeted by the army's hunting dogs.

Fireworks fired by the communications soldier exploded in the sky.

Wen Siting and his tiger cavalry charged forward first. The fire rhinoceros cavalry followed, galloping at a speed of twenty kilometers per hour. The impact of the heavy cavalry was terrifying; the weapons of the tree spirits and those humanoids could not leave a mark on the outer ceramic armor. Instead, they were crushed into the dead branches and leaves.

One of them, a lame humanoid covered in leaves, brandished a knife in self-defense. But he was caught by a lasso thrown by Wen Siting.

After the beast was captured alive, it was surrounded by soldiers who were astonished. Some even touched it roughly, stroking its wings that were covered in leaves, pinching them to see if the leaves were real or fake.

(End of this chapter)