Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 221 The Allure of the Land
Inside the Wu family compound, "One, two, one, two, one, halt!"

A group of boys aged twelve to eighteen, dressed in armor and carrying weapons, are marching in formation.

The elders of the Wu family were watching these energetic young men. However, when their gazes fell upon Xuan Chong's displeased expression, they dared not offer any loud praise.

Xuan Chong sighed inwardly: when he was just an ordinary citizen, he felt extremely uncomfortable looking at the leader's face that said "everyone owes him millions"; but now he had finally become the kind of person he hated.

After this large group of nobles completed their training, Xuan Chong asked Su Ming, who had been recalled from the north, "What do you think?"

Su Ming said in a conventional manner, "These children have the bearing of a large army."

Su Ming was a general who led three Zhan Kui troops to support the Battle of Yongzhou before Xuan Chong's southern expedition. After Xuan Chong's southern expedition, he spent three or four years in the north and was able to take charge on his own.

Xuan Chong glanced at his subordinate, gave the only smile he had shown in this situation, and replied, "Oh, well, you wouldn't dare tell the truth in this setting."

Su Ming was bewildered, unsure of what truth to tell. However, before he could continue to pledge his loyalty, Xuan Chong stood up and went straight to the center of the children's line.

Su Ming watched as Xuan Chong strode towards the leader (Wu Lu), stood directly in front of him, and said to all the boys, "Everyone, follow my command."

Under Xuan Chong's command, Wu Lu led the way and followed Xuan Chong outdoors. They stood at attention, waiting for the next set of orders, but—after a cup of tea's time, no orders were given, and after two cups of tea's time, still no orders were given.

Some children began to sway, but Xuan Chong saw this, waved his hand, and immediately his personal guards went over, stripped off their armor, and dragged them to a shady spot to stay. Of course, tables and chairs had already been set up in a room nearby, and writing materials were ready. Once they recovered, they would have to copy the general principles of military strategy a hundred times, which would take several days, so the kitchen was also prepared.

As for the armor, it was stripped off and left on the training ground.

The sun slowly rose in the east, and the armor became extremely hot under its rays.
Some of the female members of the Wu family couldn't bear to watch, but they didn't want to say anything, so they asked the elders of the family to persuade Xuan Chong.

The elders had already realized that Xuan Chong wasn't so happy about this "Youth Army" exercise, but he came anyway, even though he was reluctant.

Grandfather: "Yuanchang, the sun is too strong. How about we have some herbal tea?"

Xuan Chong, who was also standing under the sun, looked at the elder and said in a respectful but impolite tone, "Uncle, no matter how fierce the sun is, can it compare to the hail of bullets and arrows on the battlefield?"

The elder said, "These children are still practicing with swords and spears, not on the battlefield."

Xuan Chong raised his voice so everyone could hear: "This is wrong! We're not on a battlefield, there's no preparation to face a hail of bullets at any moment, so why wear armor! What gives you the right to wear armor! What right do you have to wear armor?!"

Xuan Chong seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. When he saw Wu Lu move his toes to change his posture, he immediately kicked him: "Stand still. Everyone else can step back, but you, the team leader, stand at the very back."

The other dolls were dragged aside after being shaken once; as for Wu Lu, as the leader of the children who were promoted this time, Xuan Chong's own son, and someone who would compete for the title of Chief of the Army in the future, Xuan Chong kicked his butt without any politeness.

The Boy Scouts' corps training was originally a military training exercise planned by Xuan Chong. Xuan Chong called Wu Lu over for the training, not expecting him to go to the battlefield, but to let him know the consumption of the army at each stage, so that he could know how to prepare supplies for the military in the future.

But gradually, things started to feel off. The Wu family clan and those old nobles had failed to install "Prince Zhen" before. So, following Xuan Chong's line of influence, they prepared to support Wu Lu, the heir apparent. That's why they were so enthusiastic about building up the young army, in order to stuff their own children into it and secure a position next to the next military leader in advance.

Xuan Chong sighed helplessly: The hereditary system of power is a fundamental problem that no power group can eradicate. Those who secured positions in the most prosperous places in their previous lives lowered entrance exam scores and created special admission classes to ensure their children's social standing didn't decline. Actually, there's nothing inherently wrong with that. Even with weaker abilities, one can still succeed; the key is mindset.

Xuan Chong: The second generation doesn't realize they're being "praised," and genuinely believes their "quality education" is on par with that of underprivileged children from other regions. That's where the real problem lies.

Wu Lu was feeling extremely wronged after being kicked by Xuan Chong. He had just returned from the four prefectures of Lingjiang when he was inexplicably assigned to military training, and then a group of "friends" appeared around him, only to be kicked by his father shortly afterward.

After everyone around him collapsed, Xuan Chong said to Wu Lu, “In the army, this situation is all about ‘virtue’; if you were a lowly soldier, your mission would be easy. But I don’t know how so many people have suddenly been praising you, and you’ve followed them without refusing and risen to a high position. So I have to see if your virtue matches your position. You have to stand the straightest, walk the most upright, and think the most rigorously now.”

Then Xuan Chong said leisurely to the elders who had come over, "In an army, standing is a virtue; even if the enemy outnumbers us, we must stand tall for the enemy to see and for our own people to see. If we retreat at the slightest sign of trouble, we will become as weak as strawberries and then be routed."

The old man opened his mouth, but had nothing to say. As a hereditary military family, they naturally had ancestral rules that aligned with military principles. When Xuan Chong brought up these "family rules," this "veteran" had no say.

In the end, all the children took off their armor one by one, leaving only the martial furnace.

He wanted to retreat, but Xuan Chong kept a close watch on him from dawn until afternoon, until his vision went black and he collapsed. In a daze, he felt himself being carried, his armor being removed, and his body being gently wiped with a cool towel.

…It’s not enough for the recipient to know they are being treated well; virtue must make up for it…

Like a hawk being trained, Xuan Chong, after training his own son, did not disband the Scouts. Instead, he promulgated a series of school rules and regulations. He also stipulated that there would be an assessment every year, and that 30% of the students would be eliminated each year.

In doing so, Xuan Chong objectively acknowledged the existence of the young army and responded to the demands of the powerful faction within the Wu family regarding the distribution of power in the "Zhen Kingdom." However, this also disrupted further coordination among the various factions within the family.

Xuan Chong's speech made all the Wu family members break out in a cold sweat. To some extent, their investment in the next successor of the Wu family had been tacitly approved by Wu Yuanchang.

But that doesn't mean Xuan Chong doesn't control them—he has to conduct assessments and weed people out.

Well, this isn't something that can be solved by forming cliques. Next, I need to urge my sons to work harder. Since it's a competition among children, every parent will be a rival; if another child does well, there will be envy.

Su Ming, the bystander, witnessed the "armor" being confiscated. It was quickly and secretly transported to a post station for packing, the mailing number indicating it was from the prefectural warehouse in northern Yongzhou. Yes, this was the warehouse where he had received equipment from the rear over the past few years. He had walked there dozens of times with a receipt.

As for why he didn't give it directly to Su Ming, Su Ming was also shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. He only left after confirming that the "postal number" was a secret! This was because the armor was taken from the faction of high-ranking officials.

Su Ming didn't consider the formation of the Wu family's child soldiers and the Wu family's clan members' desire to use this to seize power, because Xuan Chong, the powerful leader, was still around, and he didn't need to consider issues at that level.

Xuan Chong understood his true feelings perfectly before he even had a chance to express them.

The Wu family used their wealth to forge this batch of fine armor for their children, allowing their sons to walk in the honor guard, appearing indifferent. It's like how the wealthy spend billions on their children's weddings, seemingly unconcerned about the resentment of the poor towards the rich.

In the Yongzhou front-line warehouse, the armor was incomplete; armor was the most valuable part of the military equipment, and only the most elite veterans in the army were usually qualified to wear a full set of armor, which was a symbol of qualification for those who had survived countless battles; although Su Ming thought it was "reasonable" for these young masters to wear such a set of specially made armor, he was a little unhappy, but these unpleasant feelings were deeply hidden under Xuan Chong's authoritative suppression.

Xuan Chong was very sensitive to the emotions of his subordinates. When he discovered that Su Ming did not appreciate the scout training, he realized that there was something here that did not conform to his values.

Xuan Chong believed that the current power struggle among the imperial clan members would make officers like Su Ming, who were from outside the clan, feel uneasy. That's why he brought Su Ming here so that he could personally see how to resolve the internal problems of the imperial clan.

However, Xuan Chong was "the one who worries about the world before others." Su Ming felt no resentment towards the faction formed by the imperial family and those important officials in Lingnan; he only felt regret that so many good suits of armor were not used on the battlefield.

Once Xuan Chong confirmed this, he immediately issued strict orders to the elders: no one could exceed the prescribed limits for armor, not even in the inner quarters; henceforth, the sons of nobles in various regions could only wear armor on important occasions such as sacrifices, and during regular training they would only wear wooden armor, and if they felt it was not heavy enough, they could hang sandbags on it.

Su Ming couldn't understand Xuan Chong's actions, but he felt that the sky was clear, especially since Xuan Chong had secretly told him that war bonds would be issued in the future, and the armor raised through the funds would be prioritized for distribution to the front lines.

Su Ming was deeply moved: he had encountered a wise ruler.

After successfully appeasing Su Ming, a general from outside the main faction, Xuan Chong breathed a deep sigh of relief! He was currently facing significant internal conflicts.

In conclusion: Now that everyone is well-fed, they all want a title. Xuan Chong's forces are currently well-supplied with resources, food, and manpower, but most of the middle and upper ranks crave a higher "rank."

This is similar to when Xuan Chong was a teenager in his previous life, so many professors and businessmen were doing well in China, but they insisted on immigrating to the United States. Because back then, returning to China with a green card from the United States seemed to allow them to be categorized as "overseas Chinese," a class with a higher status than ordinary people.

Among forces of lower rank, those that consider themselves upper-middle class will continuously transfer wealth to forces they perceive as having "higher rank." This is precisely why the strategy of "not vying for supremacy" ultimately failed in the past; if you don't strive for supremacy, all your internal wealth and talent will flow to the old overlord.

Your excessive caution towards the "former hegemon" has led to the civil governance system giving those associated with the former hegemon an "extra-national" level of attention. This has inadvertently created a "high-status" class that is worth investing money in.

Only by confronting the old hegemon, proving with strength that "the old hegemon has no right to treat me as a superior," and appropriately demonstrating power to make the old hegemon teeter on the brink of collapse, can we stop the outflow of talent and wealth.

Xuan Chong: The royal cause cannot be confined to a corner!

In July of the fourth year of the Tongzheng era, Xuan Chong arrived in Yongzhou quietly, walking through the fields dressed in coarse cloth, followed by his local senior civil officials.

Xuan Chong's chosen location was obviously problematic, so he squatted down and looked at the clods of earth in the farmland, digging at the soil with his hands. The local officials behind him kept stopping him, saying, "Sir? I'll do it."

Xuan Chong ignored the polite words and dug three inches into the ground. Looking at the uncultivated soil, he sneered. The official argued, "My lord, the laborers need to do a major labor every month, and we don't have enough manpower. Sweet potatoes are easy to grow; there's no need to dig a foot deep."

Xuan Chong looked at the magistrate and sighed: "Are these matters documented in any official records?"

The constable looked up, glancing at his superior, but finally gritted his teeth and confirmed, "We reported a shortage of manpower, but the reply we received was to solve it ourselves. There are copies in the archives in the government office." (Clearly, he hadn't reported the switch to potato cultivation in the official documents.)

Xuan Chong waved for the security bureau personnel to wait a moment, then coldly reprimanded them: "When governing subordinates, it's important to 'adapt to local conditions,' but all 'contingency plans that differ from the official documents' must be reported. This is the law of the land; how will you be judged according to the law?"

The prefectural judge said, "Those who neglect farming and sericulture shall be dismissed from their posts, flogged fifty times, and exiled to the southern frontier." — This was because the prefectural judge heard that Xuan Chong's previous actions were "excusable," so he gave him a lighter sentence.

The magistrate turned pale and hurriedly said, "I reported it, but there was no approval."

Xuan Chong asked again, "Was there a trace left?"

The constable nodded quickly. Xuan Chong: "Everyone, don't move."

Xuan Chong realized that this official, who had switched to growing sweet potatoes, had actually been communicating privately with his superiors and had received their tacit approval. Therefore, further questioning would directly expose the corrupt practices within officialdom. The practice of lower-ranking officials submitting petitions for bribes still existed and couldn't be eradicated overnight. However, Xuan Chong, being petty, remembered this incident and planned to settle scores later.

Xuan Chong ruled out the possibility of anyone tipping him off and sent one of his personal guards to collect evidence.

Then Xuan Chong said, "We haven't seen any evidence of his guilt for neglecting agriculture yet. Since he said that sweet potatoes and grains are easy to grow, we'll wait until they're ripe before sentencing him. If the yield is less than 80% of the prescribed amount, then we'll sentence him for dereliction of duty. As for now! You haven't followed the regulations, so go to the square and get ten lashes. We'll call everyone over to watch later."

The official raised his head and said, "Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord!"—There was still some time before the potatoes were ripe, and he still had time to make amends.

Xuan Chong looked at him and said, "If the remaining grain isn't harvested, your head will be passed around for everyone to see."

The official in charge of protecting the people nodded hastily. Xuan Chong ignored him and directly asked the bureaucrat beside him, "Why wasn't his request approved?!" The senior bureaucrat was sweating profusely.

When Xuan Chong traveled incognito, he would rarely be angry and execute subordinates for making mistakes. He would even find reasons to give them lenient sentences for their mistakes. However, when it came to higher-ups, he would be very serious.

Xuan Chong's logic is this: his governing power is passed down from top to bottom. If problems arise in the execution at the lower levels, simply punishing those below without tracing the execution chain back to the upper levels won't solve the problem. (This is like trying to turn on a light without pressing the button; smashing the button won't work, you have to trace the circuit upwards.)
Senior civil affairs bureaucrat: "We believe that this land can meet the production targets, so we did not approve the application."

Xuan Chong: "Did you conduct an investigation? (An investigation should leave a record.)"

The senior civil affairs officer hesitantly pulled out his full travel schedule and realized that there were no staff available.

Xuan Chong's gaze was icy: "No manpower? Can't we draw manpower from other counties and districts to verify this?"

At this point, Xuan Chong was met with silence. Knowing that the other party might be afraid to contradict him, Xuan Chong chose to stop pressing the matter.

Xuan Chong: "Write a self-criticism for this matter." (Because the overall local grain production target has been met well, minor issues don't need to be blown out of proportion. However, these minor issues must be pointed out to draw everyone's attention.)
…Military strategists must recognize the crisis. …

Inside Yucheng, Xuan Chong reviewed the livelihood reports of the three prefectures south of Yongshui. All the prefectures had seen an increase in population, the refugees from the north had been resettled, and the total revenue had reached 23 million coins. In this time of great chaos, the southwest maintained a peaceful and prosperous situation.

However, the peaceful and prosperous era under Xuan Chong's rule happened to coincide with the unprecedented war in Da Yao's world, which was like a child carrying gold in a bustling market, extremely dangerous.

Xuan Chong looked at the increasingly positive data with a very serious expression. If they couldn't pass this next hurdle, the wealth here would become someone else's reward for military merit; as cities fell, the rich would be plundered, and the poor would become slaves.

In this chaotic world, "wealth" is not the only measure of national strength; "military power" is the foundation.

In the eyes of the external feudal lords, Xuan Chong's southern campaigns in recent years had actually been depleting his military strength. In feudal times, military strength mainly depended on the size of the "military force."

Feudal "military groups" were stable clusters that required year-round off-duty preparation for war, similar to European fighting organizations centered on the knightly class and Eastern regiments centered on generals.

During Xuan Chong's southern campaign, he did indeed cultivate a group of officers who had achieved the rank of captain through meritorious service, and these officers were then assigned to the southern regions. Therefore, the overall military strength appeared to have actually decreased.

Just as when the Qin Dynasty was destroyed, the Qin army that had swept through the Baiyue region did not return to save the Qin Dynasty, when the Qin Dynasty truly faced a crisis, the only force that could be mobilized was the convicts of Lishan who had only undergone preliminary military training.

However, what the world does not know is that Xuan Chong's military system was not the outdated model of "fixed soldiers and generals".

The outdated model of military officers bringing their retainers and servants, and the traditional Western knightly family training system of squires, apprentice knights, and quasi-knights, are now being relegated to the fringes.

Xuan Chong glanced at the "military academy faction" around him. Wu Leng was one of them, but his grades were only average. The three people next to him were the top students in Xuan Chong's class for the past three years at the new military academy.

Each one of them was the top performer among approximately five hundred to eight hundred sergeant trainees.

In terms of physical fitness, they are not as good as Wu Leng; but in terms of tactical level and training arrangements, they are all replicas of themselves from back then.

In the evening, Xuan Chong led his officers to a civil affairs conference. To the astonishment of the many civil officials, Xuan Chong allocated all the accumulated funds over the years to war expenses. Furthermore, of the twenty to thirty million taels of revenue from the three prefectures of Yongzhou this year, ten million taels was directly allocated to military use in the new plan. As for the three hundred million taels of accumulated wealth in the entire Zhenzhou, Xuan Chong directly allocated one hundred million taels to the military.

Next, the discussion focused on the largest expenditure items on "future fronts," followed by priority discussions on special funds for casting artillery, spaceships, and the purchase of wine and meat as rewards for soldiers during training.

As it turned out, everyone realized that the funds might not be enough according to Xuan Chong's targets! When only three million remained, everyone stopped, but Xuan Chong told them not to rush and to continue calculating boldly! He would make up the difference himself. —Xuan Chong already knew how to lend money.

Two days after the operational resources were determined, a general military strategy conference was held in the same conference room, with the same attendees as before. However, the civilian officials who had previously been sitting at the front doing accounting were now in the audience.

The second and third cohorts of sergeants from the military academy are now the main force in the meeting; Wu Rui, the young and promising officer who serves as the director of teaching at the sergeant academy, sits on the left. Wu Zaixing is on the right.

At the start of the meeting, there was no need for any empty "mobilization or oath-taking"; these officers had witnessed how, wherever their lord pointed, "gold flowed like a spring." They knew the time had come to make their mark.

Around the long table, these young officers, sitting upright, were eager to get started.

As the giant silk map unfolded, the simulated clouds on the silk dispersed.

Xuan Chong looked upon this landscape and said, "On a sunny day, one can see how the red-clad and white-clad figures are exceptionally enchanting."

(End of this chapter)