Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 229 Each Has Their Own Principles

The perspective shifts to Xingzhou, north of Yongzhou. In the nominal capital of Hao Kingdom, the royal flag flutters like a summoning banner atop an increasingly eerie palace.

In this great war, there were actually quite a few forces that served under Zhao Cheng and hoped that he would suffer a setback.

The original descendants of the Hao Kingdom, having suffered heavy losses in the Bo-Yan War, stopped their antics, but a harmonious coexistence was impossible. As the Hao army repeatedly encountered setbacks in Yongzhou, and in contrast to Zhao Cheng's renowned achievements in recent years, these opposition figures exiled to the Northwest also "reacted."

Inside the Hao Palace, Huang Tao, the guy who had been thoroughly beaten by Xuan Chong at Gu Shou Pass several years ago, began to bark: "You, Zhao Cheng, have been racking up military exploits in other parts of the world, yet you leave us, the loyal subjects of Hao Tian, ​​with a tough nut to crack. You are truly a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

As Zhao Cheng's campaign in the south intensified over the past few days, the Dragon Descendants in the northwest were secretly pleased.

If possible, they even considered using a rebellion to thwart Zhao Cheng's plans. Of course, this was just a thought.

Now Zhao Cheng's hegemonic government is located in Yuhua Prefecture, and all the officials in Hao Kingdom who hold real power also work in Yuhua Prefecture! The current Hao Kingdom is no longer the Hao Kingdom of the Dragon Descendants. No matter how large the land Zhao Cheng conquers, it does not belong to the Dragon Descendants and these officials who have been exiled to the north.

However, just as everyone was preparing to lay low and wait for Zhao Cheng's army to sweep across the land and seize the throne, news arrived in Haodu at the end of May that Grand Tutor Pu'e was returning. Immediately following, in a palace coup, the ten-year-old King Hao regained his power.

Behind the gauze curtain, King Hao looked triumphantly at the official in charge of the seal who had been stabbed to death. However, after obtaining the imperial seal, he did not see the sense of relief in the official's eyes as if he had "completed his mission."

Little did anyone know that the official in charge of the seal murmured before his death, "My lord (Zhao Cheng), I have done what I needed to do."

…After seizing power, he went mad in order to avoid losing it…

After regaining power, King Hao was not complacent; instead, he faced the attack of Su Ming's army from the southern state of Zhen. The southern army's battle chariots had shattered the last wall of the Hao army in northern Yongzhou, and their next step was to enter Xingzhou.

Although Xingzhou is a vast region, it is essentially a long, narrow passageway with no defensible locations other than a main city. Therefore, King Hao decided to activate some forbidden weapons.

In the palace where the former King Bo once lived, King Hao summoned his ministers. The young king, who had just ascended the throne, went straight to the point: "You have all heard that the Grand Tutor will be returning from the north soon; before she left, she said that her trip to the north was to open the gate to other realms. However, we have accomplished nothing in this world, have no merit or virtue, and are not worthy to ascend to other places."

Note: At the end of the Haotian Realm, not every Zhen Dan person was able to embark on the voyage; apart from the young children and the offspring of artisans and heroes of other races, the rest remained at the end.

The King Hao, in his childish voice, bewitched us, saying, "We cannot leave in human form; we must follow the dragon with our souls."

The ministers understood that this young emperor was about to make one last desperate attempt.

In June, in Haodu, a large pottery furnace that had been hidden away was brought out; this furnace was twenty meters high and could fire giant terracotta warriors.

But why should this thing be sealed away? Because the cost of opening the furnace was too great for the Hao Kingdom.

Within Xingzhou, King Hao completed a sacrifice, with tens of thousands of people being worshipped; the ceremony was presided over by nine officials of dragon lineage.

They were covered in mud like beggar's chickens, shaped into terracotta warriors, then embedded in huge terracotta figures, and finally slowly pushed into a large terracotta furnace; along with them were five hundred smaller terracotta figures, each about two people tall.

In the city, as a thief watched people covered in mud, sealed like terracotta figures, and sent to the furnace, he muttered, "They've all gone mad! They're all insane!"

…a carrier pigeon is flying south to deliver a message…

On the northern battlefield, the Chen army cavalry entered the Xingzhou region occupied by the Hao Kingdom. As the vanguard, they had been constantly harassing the northern routes of the Hao Kingdom since the start of the war, hindering the Hao army's movements.

However, on June 4, the 6th Company of the Chen Army Cavalry was attacked while scouting the latest Hao Kingdom reinforcements on the main road of Xingzhou.

While Chenjun's cavalry were still patrolling and observing the dust raised by Haojun on the main road to assess the number of enemy reinforcements, blazing glass arrows shot from afar, embedding glittering glass arrowheads into the first three warhorses.

The cavalry regiment of the Chen army was greatly alarmed and ordered its troops to disperse and not to gather together.

But were they really going to retreat so hastily? The captain of the Sixth Cavalry Company was unwilling to give up. As vanguard cavalry, the mere loss of men was a offense; but if they gathered sufficiently important intelligence, the casualties would be overlooked.

Furthermore, the military law department will calculate the risk based on casualties; and "risk" will be an important weight in judging the value of intelligence.

This regulation ensured that scouts could continue to actively gather intelligence on the enemy even after encountering a powerful foe.

The cavalry captain divided into three squads to raise dust by dragging tree branches with their horse tails, while he handed over command to his deputy and led five elite soldiers to try to get around to the side of the battlefield.

Finally, the company commander spotted the heavily armored army with stiff footsteps from a high vantage point. There were about eight hundred men, followed by about a hundred stone lions.

However, as he gazed upon these strange troops, he seemed to sense the sound of wings flapping in the sky. These were the Agate Raven People, a type of soldier brought from beyond the heavens by the descendants of the Haotian Dragon.

Sensing that the agate crowmen were circling and sending signals to the rear, he quickly drew his bow and shot an arrow into one of the crowmen's wings.

The crow-man immediately plummeted and glided into the distance, but then he heard a whooshing sound in the sky as a volley of glass arrows fell. He tried to dodge, but an arrow still pierced his shoulder blade.

Once the arrow entered the flesh, it shattered visibly, turning into numerous specks of dust, causing the wound to burn with pain.

The damage caused by these glass arrows is "fire damage"; the shards of glass that penetrate the skin and flesh will cause burns.

He quickly used a knife to cut away a piece of flesh to prevent the fragments from spreading, then applied the medicine made from the "Grass Rejuvenating Liquid," and the wound closed up rapidly. The sergeant led his squad back, gritting his teeth.

…reaction…

South of Yongzhou, Su Ming, the commander of the northern front, received a message from the northern "spies" via carrier pigeon, as well as two intelligence reports brought by the scouts. Without knowing the stats of the new unit that Hao Kingdom had brought out, he ordered all offensives to be temporarily halted.
Military commander Su Ming signed off on this strategic adjustment!

The reason he did this was because the news from "the intermediary" was too horrifying: Haodu had held a large-scale human sacrifice and created an "army of terracotta warriors," which was a clear case of being possessed by demons.

Su Ming's junior classmates, who were also sergeants who graduated from military academy, analyzed: Based on the situation the scouts encountered with this "terracotta army", the terracotta army's range was at least 300 paces away, and the rest of the data was unknown!
Due to a lack of more accurate intelligence, the staff was conducting a very serious tactical analysis, concluding that if they were to engage in a battle with such a "last guard of Hao Kingdom," and given that their troop strength and firepower were not absolutely superior, the casualties could be extremely heavy.

The staff suggested a temporary retreat to assess the situation before engaging in battle. However, Su Ming's expression remained serious.

He raised his head and looked at the many officers, saying, "The great battle has begun! The whole world is watching. Our lord has given us the order to attack, placing high hopes on us. If we hesitate and falter at the slightest setback, how can we explain ourselves to our lord? How can we tell the people?!"

Su Ming: "Order the First Cavalry Regiment to continue reconnaissance! Make sure to find out as much as possible about the enemy's range, numbers, and weaknesses! Don't be afraid of casualties; every death will guarantee two merit points, and intelligence merit points will be calculated separately based on their role in the war."

After receiving Su Ming's orders, the staff officers resumed strategic planning, and Su Ming was now in charge of the task on his own.

Under Xuan Chong's leadership, every battle in the army was reviewed; if the review of units that suffered excessive casualties revealed a good way to reduce casualties, then the mistakes would be investigated.

If the patrol commanders and staff officers have ample time for operational maneuvering but still choose to charge headlong into battle, then the military law department will hold senior officers accountable: "Why didn't you find the enemy's weaknesses in time?!"

In the modern military system developed by Xuan Chong, there were strict constraints on military generals.

In Yongzhou, in a military camp large enough to hold eight thousand men, Su Ming slept no more than two hours a night for three consecutive days. This was after the First Cavalry Regiment lost over a hundred men and he reported a series of more detailed details.

Su Ming: "Other infantry regiments cease their attack. Order Cai's armored units to advance quickly and wait for the artillery and tank units to arrive. We will now hold them off from here."

Su Ming pointed to the front line area, which was a newly captured northern city in Yongzhou. The Chen army only had seven hundred men here.

Su Mingde allocated 1,000 elite troops to provide immediate support, and at the same time conveyed the order: "The frontline general Cai Baijing needs to hold out for 15 days. The main combat force will arrive after 15 days."

...a tough nut to crack...

King Hao was currently in the army. Compared to his triumphant self a few days ago when he regained power, the young man now had white hair and wrinkles on his face, making him look like a dwarf. This was the price of using forbidden magic.

For the people of Hao Kingdom, obtaining extra assistance through "sacrifice" is commonplace.

Long before the end of the Haotian Realm, Zhen Dan began a large-scale sacrifice of the lifespans of its inhabitants to drive the Yin soldiers on the battlefield. The Yin soldiers who came out of the underworld were called the First Soul Army.

King Hao also focused his gaze on the spot where Su Ming was looking.

In mid-June of the fifth year of the Tongzheng calendar, in a small county town called Aoguang, the seven hundred soldiers of the Chen army and the newly integrated one thousand men encountered the final ripples of the Beihao's dying counterattack.

The soldiers of the Zhen Kingdom hiding in the trenches were actually soldiers of the Hao Kingdom who had been captured by the Zhen Kingdom; however, these soldiers who had surrendered to the Hao Kingdom were now looking on in astonishment. They saw five huge "energy-gathering terracotta warriors" pulling huge energy bowstrings a thousand paces away.

These bowstrings appear to be luminous physical objects, but they are actually electromagnetic energy lines; ordinary material bowstrings have a rebound speed limit of 100 meters per second, which limits the speed of the arrow.

The rebound speed of this electromagnetic energy line can reach five times the speed of sound, which is equivalent to the power of a tank armor-piercing projectile.

Therefore, no city wall could withstand such an attack, and there were no city walls here, only trenches and ravines. Although a large number of light arrows were planted in the ravines, the Qin army's matchlock musketeers were still able to counterattack by relying on the crenellations left in the earthen walls in front of the tunnels.

The terracotta warriors of Haojun did not engage in hand-to-hand combat on the front lines; instead, the vanguard consisted of conscripted farmers forcibly brought in by the Hao Kingdom.

The commander of Haojun was also making progress, instructing the laborers to use trenches to face each other.

While arrows and bullets clashed on the trenches, inside the trenches, as digging began, a battle of bullets and melee weapons erupted in the pits.

What appeared to be a bloodbath was actually a brutal struggle. Once the trenches were dug, the peasant laborers in Hao's army, driven by whips, often offered only token resistance before surrendering completely, showing no will to fight. The Chen army had no intention of capturing them; they provided them with steamed buns and allowed them to stab any die-hard Hao soldiers before letting them flee back. They also signaled with flags from the tunnels, instructing the men behind to fire a few shots into the air, not to fire at them.

Two days later, King Hao was in a very awkward position as the battle became increasingly deadlocked. Everyone told him good news as if they were comforting a child.

The generals at the front emphasized that they had repelled multiple attacks from the Wu family army (Cai Baijing's troops) on the east side. On the west side, they stressed that they had killed over a thousand Zhen soldiers. As for the "corpses"? They were, of course, buried in the tunnels.

Those currently in charge of the agricultural service in Haojun are not descendants of the dragon; they are people whom Zhao Cheng deemed not very useful after assessing the scholars he had gathered from across the land.

These people, for the sake of legitimacy, became Zhao Cheng's opponents and supported King Hao; however, they did not have much ability, nor did they need any ability in the past.

King Hao could no longer restrain himself. He took his iron mace and smashed a general's skull. The fact that this short King Hao could unleash such power was quite bizarre, and it sent shivers down the spines of the generals who had been comforting the child.

King Hao issued a death order: "This position must be captured within four hours!"

Five hours later, the stone lion, carrying a large amount of oil, pierced through the Chen army's defenses. Although the lion disintegrated in the flames after penetrating the defenses, the Hao army soldiers, armed with swords and jade, surged forward. The Chen army soldiers jumped out of their trenches and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

When the two sides clashed on the flat ground, as the Zhen army gained the upper hand, the terracotta archers behind them began to fire indiscriminately, regardless of whether it was enemy or not. They even sent stone lions to trample over the flesh and blood of the soldiers who were still alive to smash into the city walls.

Cai Baijing, the general of the Chen army, ordered that a low wall be rebuilt behind the collapsed city wall of the county town, and dispatched soldiers and civilians to defend the area.

The royal army of Haojun seemed to be "shocked by the scene of a large number of people being sent into the pottery furnace earlier." As a result, they also unleashed their fierce power. The dragon horses and crow people broke into the second line of defense that the Chen army was eager to repair.

The soldiers and civilians of the Zhen army in the trenches fought desperately against the Hao Kingdom's air force with spears and short knives. The corpses quickly filled the trenches, and Cai Baijing had to retreat again to strengthen the defenses behind this line.

Inside Aoguang City, a guide who had just surrendered and joined the Chen army advised, "Sir, the losses are too great. We can't hold on any longer. Let's withdraw from here first and then—"

Before the word "war" was even finished, Cai Baijing immediately killed the man with a single blow.

Cai Baijing addressed the other local recruits who had been conscripted into the war, saying, “Your families have already been settled. Now you share the glory of the nation. Anyone who dares to speak of surrendering again will be executed immediately.”

Cai Baijing is a member of the fifth batch of Xuanchong Military Academy. His father was a general who surrendered when Xiazhou surrendered five years ago. Tracing back to his earlier allegiance, Old Cai was originally a member of the Bowang faction (son of Emperor Shu).

As a member of the surrendered generals' faction, his family had been settled in Lelang City ten years prior, but they were not monitored. Instead, they were allowed to live in the officers' compound, indicating their powerful background. However, when Cai Baijing was a child playing with other children from the compound, he overheard a few words: his family hadn't actually made any significant contributions!
In other words, although the Cai family was given "military officer treatment," they were seen by many as merely local bullies in the north. The Chen army simply needed to coordinate with the local forces and required a role model; they themselves had no real merit.

This lack of recognition made Cai Baijing realize the discomfort of being within the circle yet not truly part of it. It was like Xianglin's wife being allowed to participate in work, but facing rejection at the ancestral hall.

Therefore, Cai Baijing must persevere. As long as he completes his military mission, he can become the core of the Zhen Kingdom. However, if he withdraws, he will never be able to access the center in his lifetime. Even if he cannot endure it and dies in battle, his younger brother and nephews will receive special training after entering the officer academy.

Even if this is now a city where the battle is fierce, he will still dig trenches one by one, burying his own and the enemy's corpses in this position.

As King Hao anxiously watched the carnage unfold in the county town, anticipating the moment his army would capture it, Cai Baijing watched from behind the battlements the enemy's position, observing the ceremonial guards protected by a cluster of terracotta warriors.

After their third defeat, the Hao army left over four hundred corpses on the battlefield. They also sent several letters urging surrender into the county town.

Inside the fortress, under the watchful eyes of the officers, Cai Baijing, his face covered in dust, suddenly burst into laughter. After laughing, he said, "The earthworms of Hao Kingdom are getting anxious."

…front and rear…

Behind them, Su Ming was mobilizing troops. Liu Zhankui hurriedly rushed forward, but halfway there, a bridge was suddenly destroyed, forcing him to build a temporary bridge.

Xuan Chong rode a peacock to the front lines and secretly met with Su Ming; Su Ming, covered in dust, was at that moment arranging for his men to repair the bridge. The following army was transporting supplies or inspecting vehicles and horses on the shore.

As for the other side of the river, the heavy weapons team was clearly impatient. They used "rubber-coated canvas" to make huge airbags, which were then attached to the Zhan Kui, allowing the Zhan Kui to cross the river first.

Su Ming watched Zhan Kui cross the river, his mouth dry. He hadn't slept for two days. Upon hearing that Xuan Chong had arrived, his expression faltered slightly, then his face turned ashen. His mistake in dispatching had caused Xuan Chong to personally come over; even if they fought well afterwards, it would still be a stain on his record.

Su Ming came to the tent with a sense of shame. Xuan Chong was not angry and listened carefully to the details of the bridge's destruction and the subsequent emergency plan.

On the sand table, Su Ming marked the bridges and passes where they would cross the river, indicating that he would personally send cavalry to guard each bridge to ensure that it would not be destroyed by any side.

Xuan Chong nodded, stood up, and opened a box.

Xuan Chong: "This is the official seal for the civil administration of the entire Yongzhou, as well as the documents for the current military control of Yongzhou."

Su Ming was stunned. Perhaps it was the stress of the past few days that made it hard for him to process what had happened: "He made such a huge mistake, yet he was still entrusted with an important responsibility!"

Su Ming: "Commander, it's me!"

Xuan Chong glared at him: "You want to back out now?"

Su Ming: "I didn't."

Xuan Chong: "I have other things to do. As for you, when I first used you, I thought that one day I would let you take charge on your own. Was I wrong? Your situation is a little messy now, but as the commander-in-chief, the most important thing is not to lose your composure because of small mistakes. How is the situation in Cai Baijing now?"

Su Ming: "Although the Zhan Kui support force is lagging behind, the assault force has already entered Ao Guang City. Arrows have been replenished, and when the chariot force stormed out and returned, they also brought back two hundred wounded brothers."

Xuan Chong nodded: "That's settled then."

Su Ming gritted his teeth. He didn't think this was a "passing the test." With all sides advancing, the first front to attack hadn't achieved a good start. Instead, the small Hao Kingdom court, which was already considered to be at its last gasp, had a wave of troops that made them look pathetic. He could already imagine how his colleagues on other fronts would laugh their heads off.

Xuan Chong: "What are your thoughts on the destruction of bridges in various places?"

Su Ming: "There are spies planted by the Hao Kingdom in the Yongzhou region, waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble for our army."

Xuan Chong: "What are you planning to do?"

Su Ming: "Strengthen the screening of personnel in newly occupied cities."

Xuan Chong stared at him: "At this time, we must not cause any unnecessary trouble in the cities we have already occupied. The priority is to finish the battle in the north. As for those spies, they won't dare to make any moves in the short term. You need to do something now: suppress the activities of these spies, instead of turning the occupied areas upside down in order to remove them. Also, let me tell you, your experience has served as a reminder to us. There are spies in other war zones as well. Summarize this situation carefully and submit a report. No one will laugh at you."

Su Ming was slightly taken aback: "Yes."

Xuan Chong gestured towards the box beside him with his lip, "Aren't you going to obey the order?"

Su Ming gritted his teeth: "My lord, I am willing to accept the order."

Xuan Chong: "Also, no matter what kind of nonsense comes up within Zhen, the principle is not to replace generals during the great battle! Don't be suspicious. Just focus on fighting your battle."

Xuan Chong knew that Zhao Cheng would definitely launch a propaganda offensive to put pressure on Su Ming.

Su Ming's family lived in Shui, and originally belonged to the Northern Route Army faction. Within that faction were a group of disgruntled people who had allied themselves with conservative families. They couldn't stand seeing Su Ming succeed and were bound to cause trouble.

Xuan Chong: "I came here specifically not to doubt you, but to help you rectify people's hearts. You need to make your subordinates firmly believe that you are one of my people."

Su Ming paused slightly, then nodded. —Xuan Chong wasn't just being polite; the Prefect of Yongzhou was currently under house arrest, and everyone below him, Su Ming, was on their side.

After handing over the seal of office, Xuan Chong revealed his bottom line: "The northern part of Yongzhou can be scorched earth. Boldly conscript men and don't worry about excessive damage to this area. After this battle, I can guarantee that Yongzhou will receive more than 50,000 slaves in this national war. The oxen and seeds will also be selected by Yongzhou first. As for the local areas that do not cooperate, you can just flatten them."

Su Ming understood. Apart from the stability of the city, all other regions could be turned upside down. He was now truly granted absolute power.

Su Ming calmed down at this moment: "My lord, there is no need for such a grand display; the enemy is already at their last gasp. We do not need to use so many trump cards. I guarantee that we can repel the enemy."

Xuan Chong looked at Su Ming, who had regained his confidence and refocused his attention on the main strategic objective, and nodded. Xuan Chong: "Go and get on with the business."

(End of this chapter)