Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 283 Post-War Transfer
On April 14, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the present-day Han and Eastern Shu, ending this large-scale hot war that lasted 70 days.

Some military strategists from both the East and the West began to discuss extensively the military characteristic of "quick victory" in this battle, as if they had grasped the current state of warfare in the Industrial Revolution era.

Xuan Chong: "Hey, this is only the first Industrial Revolution. You're already treating this as the norm."

At this time, industrialization was just beginning; the conflicts of industrial supremacy were still concentrated in peripheral areas.

Because the reach of the Industrial Revolution was not yet sufficient, transportation infrastructure in peripheral regions was underdeveloped. For example, in southern Africa, the resources stockpiled by either industrial power could not sustain a war for more than three months. Therefore, when two industrial powers clashed in such peripheral areas, the conflict was characterized by "quick and easy" battles.

This has given contemporary military strategists a misconception. They then conclude that modern warfare is short-term.

Little did they know how protracted the war would have been if it had occurred in a place with well-developed "railway lines" and "city warehouse systems".

The muddy terrain of colonies is unsuitable for modern warfare. In most Third World regions, infrastructure and social will are too weak, allowing industrialized nations to quickly resolve resistance with limited ammunition.

However, this does not mean that highly cohesive regions after industrialization can be "resolved in three months"!
This misconception about war wasn't limited to World War I; after witnessing the US's rapid advances in second-tier regions, the Europeans, including Xuan Chong, were accustomed to it, their parliaments were also filled with the misconception of "rapid advances with high-tech weapons." When a group of second-generation leaders in Europe and America, lacking industrial knowledge, came to power, they believed that high technology meant "faster, better, and cheaper," and as a result, European and American military strategies began to be misled by a bunch of attention-seeking laymen.

So much so that when Russia and Russia were fighting, Europe prepared its weapons and ammunition reserves for three months; completely unaware that given Europe's infrastructure, any conflict would inevitably be protracted.

…World War I was a war that neither side was prepared for…

After reviewing the commentaries of various military experts in Hanzhong, Xuan Chong decided to look at other perspectives on this world. His lips twitched when he saw a European newspaper claiming that "all wars will end in the short term!"
Xuan Chong translated a newspaper from Europe and found that: "Those European whites are gloating over the war between Eastern Shu and the present Han. This has also made the whites more convinced of the idea of ​​'short-term warfare'."

After putting down the Latin newspaper, Xuan Chong shook his head with pity: Europa was still Europa, naive, innocent, and optimistic.

Currently, the European states appear united in their external relations, particularly in matters concerning the Eastern Yin and the Abbasid Caliphate. But what about the powder kegs within their own borders?
The general public in the United States views the powder keg as a minor issue and the crisis as a normal occurrence.

But they all claimed that they "did not rule out the use of force," optimistically believing that the other side would make concessions when things got to the last step.

Xuan Chong: These idiots treat war like a "small firecracker" and think that the opponent is weak and will be the first to "fire" it all.

Why is this the case? The nations of Eurypôt used "external unity" to mask their deep-seated internal conflicts. Because they all shared the same faith in Jetsun, the people were influenced by a naive sentiment that "war is only for honor," ignoring the potential for life-or-death struggles within their own borders.

Before the terrible conflict erupted, the people of Europa said: We share the same faith, and we will be ruthless against the heretics. We will take action ourselves, and we will certainly abide by the spirit of gentlemanly conduct and fight a war of civilized people.

When the conflict erupted, the Europa nations glared at their opponents with bloodshot eyes: "Damn it, why aren't you surrendering yet (rat-a-tat-tat, machine gun fire)! If you don't surrender, I'll shoot you! Gentlemen? What gentlemen? The wind is blowing in the right direction! Everyone put on pig-nose masks! Throw poison gas! I'll make you die!"

Xuan Chong stared at the Balkans and the Baltic estuary, two regions with complex ethnic compositions where "land and sea meet."

Solving the problems in these two regions requires powerful nations to rationally and responsibly define the rights and obligations of each region.

However, Euryba failed to grasp the essence of "joy without excess, sorrow without despair." Under the instigation of monotheism, public sentiment swayed like a half-empty bottle, and "emotional" individuals failed to recognize the horror behind a series of problems.

Ultimately, they will irrationally get tangled up in a cycle of "I think," "You shouldn't," and "So what?"

A century ago, during a series of battles against the Orobanche, the Han dynasty discovered that these barbarians were "fond of ghosts and gods and disregard for reason and righteousness." Therefore, they distanced themselves from them, allowing the Orobanche forces to gather in their small dormitory and beautifully recount their sisterly affections.

…After paying for the newspaper, Xuan Chong began participating in the celebration…

The Han dynasty achieved victory in the war, and Eastern Shu ceded territory and paid reparations. Official celebrations were held in the streets of various coastal cities.

As for the celebrations after the victory, the common people would just join in, because on the day of the celebrations, there would be discounts on various kinds of rice, flour, oil, and sugar.

For example, in Saga, because they were relatively poor, they would only distribute rice coupons for 50,000 kilograms, and at most, children would line up to receive candy. After seeing the Japanese waving colorful flags on the street finish their "warm-up work," Xuan Chong went straight to the nearby police station to collect his coupons.

People's joy did not stem from the Han Dynasty narrative system, but from small favors like cheap rice and flour.

Xuan Chong: That's quite normal. The current Han Dynasty is too large. Unlike some small countries that achieve victory against overwhelming odds, where even the lowest levels feel the significant benefits of war, when a large country wins, it's easy to feel, "What does this have to do with my salary?" The current Han Dynasty hasn't experienced the kind of devastating defeats in foreign wars that we see in our own timeline. (Even strategy simulations like Hearts of Iron can't calculate how the Qing Dynasty, with its resources and population, could have lost.)
Xuan Chong, who was repeatedly spurred on by modern history, knew that defeat had a serious impact on the "monthly salary of 3000".

It is said that paying one tael of silver to each person was not much money in Xuan Chong's time, but it would be very unacceptable to have to pay foreigners because one's fist was not strong enough.

Xuan Chong thought to himself, "If a country this large can still be defeated in war, then it will need another revolution!"

Upon returning from the street, Xuan Chong encountered the reward order brought by his superior.

Upon hearing the words "promoted to the rank of Assistant General," Xuan Chong was momentarily stunned.

The rank of Assistant General is third grade, while my original rank of Martial Guard General was fourth grade. It seems like a promotion, but there is no actual position of "Assistant General" in the navy.

In the navy, the third-rank general An Yuan was the captain of a heavy cruiser; the general Ping Nan was the captain of an aviation cruiser; and the general Heng Hai, a general with a miscellaneous title, was the captain of a 10,000-ton replenishment ship. The only official rank in the navy was that of a general who was also a deputy general.

Xuan Chong pondered: He had been promoted in name only, but demoted in reality.

After receiving the imperial decree, Xuan Chong hesitated for a moment before asking his superior. The Vice Minister of War chuckled and said, "No rush, no rush. His Majesty has high hopes for you."

However, the Minister of War then changed the subject, saying, "Young Master, you've stayed in the south for too long. You should go home more often! While your parents are alive, you shouldn't travel far; if you must travel, do so with a purpose!"

Xuan Chong understood that there might really be arrangements for him from above. After the Vice Minister of War left, Xuan Chong immediately opened the Lin Group's contact list.

When in doubt, consult the Imperial Ancestral Temple...

Inside Jianye, Lin Zhu had just finished arguing with his old friend from Yandu and came to his office for tea when he "coincidentally" received a call from Xuan Chong.

The emperor knew the timeframe for the imperial decree appointing Xuan Chong.

Lin Zhu knew that Xuan Chong must be completely bewildered by such a big matter.

The ruler smiled and said, "The court has promoted you, and you're still not happy?"

Xuan Chong asked cautiously: I heard someone tell me "one should not travel far while one's parents are alive," so, is my father alright?

The ruler of Lin was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter: "You little thing, you're overthinking things?" (The current Han court would find excuses to send disobedient officials back to their hometowns, but it would never threaten them by taking their entire families with it; that's the work of barbarians.)
Xuan Chong breathed a sigh of relief: "What about the people on my ship?" (Considering his subordinates.)
Lin Zhu: "After your ship returns, it will be assigned to the Internal Guard Fleet (equivalent to an honor fleet, not participating in the main battle, but becoming a ceremonial guard, the best outcome for an old ship). Don't worry, the personnel on your ship will be taken care of. And the new recruits you brought will be promoted to other ships. (After being tested in actual combat, the old ship will undergo a full electromagnetic conversion.) As for you?"

Lin Zhu said in a playful tone, "Why do you still want to come back?"

Xuan Chong: "I came out here hoping to make a name for myself so that I can support my family when I go back home; I can give up my military post, but what about the imperial examinations in the south? I'd like to take one."

When Lin Zhu heard Xuan Chong's sincere statement, he was slightly taken aback. The reason for his surprise was that Xuan Chong's thoughts were so simple and pure, and all of them were about "doing legitimate work".

Lin Zhu: "Don't worry, go north. I'll take care of things. You should spend the next couple of days exploring the area. When you're away, remember to buy some things for the family." (He was reminding Xuan Chong that he was aware of everything happening outside.)

After hanging up the phone, Lin Zhu's smile slowly faded. After managing his expression, he dialed a number in Yandu.

The lord of the unicorn said to the north in a blunt tone, "If you bring the person over, you must actually use him. If you don't, I will bring him back in five years."

…There must be a plan for travel…

After Xuan Chong finished speaking with his "current manager," he relaxed and then went out to bring some things home.

The specialties of Japan are paper fans, canned fish and meat, and foldable wooden houses (luxury tents). When his colleagues invited Xuan Chong to ride in a rickshaw, he quickly declined when the short man, barely 1.6 meters tall, offered to pull him along. Xuan Chong instead spent twelve silver dollars on a bicycle and cycled around Edo on his own.

He investigated the industry of the Japanese vassal state. Three days later, Xuan Chong unleashed his superpower through a "measuring perspective" using a ruler, and saw vast areas of light industry in this place called Tokyo Bay. He felt a pang of envy and jealousy. This place was much more prosperous than his own Dongtu. Unable to get what he wanted, Xuan Chong said in a sour grapes tone, "There are more earthquakes here."

However, after looking around, I found that Japan only has light industry, no steel or chemical industry. All the fuel and machinery for light industry are transported from the other side of the land.

What's going on here? Xuan Chong asked his colleagues and learned from their snickering conversation that it was caused by the Japanese craftsmen taking the time to slack off! That is, in order to freeload off the staffing quota of the main business, the Japanese would break down the process of a certain person in the main business into more than a dozen people to complete multiple processes.

Just like forging a samurai sword, from smelting iron to carving, and then forging and tempering the blade, it takes seven or eight groups of people working in shifts to complete the task. But here in the Central Plains, swordsmiths and their apprentices can handle it in a workshop.

Because in Japanese culture, artisans had to earn a living under the daimyo. To ensure their job security, they broke down the process, turning each step into a "divine intervention." As a result, when industrial production was allocated in modern China, they did the same thing.

A hundred years ago, when the most basic version of modern iron smelting was introduced to Japan, the Japanese had prematurely solidified their job positions in this large ironworks! As a result, Japan's iron smelting industry could not keep up with technological advancements and was eventually left behind.

It's important to understand that the iron smelting industry during the First Industrial Revolution was equivalent to the new energy vehicle industry in the 21st century—a period of continuous technological innovation, and the sectors within China today are all driven by a spirit of enterprise. The "craftsmen" of Japan are simply not suited for new industries.

The last steel mill in Japan closed eighty years ago, and the last machinery manufacturing plant introduced there went bankrupt sixty years ago, relocating back to modern China. Just like the various new energy industries in Japan in Xuan Chong's previous life, they all ended up in a mess.

In present-day Wuhan, all five major economic zones have been developing since the First Industrial Revolution.

When some factories fall behind the times and profits decrease, and if the cost price is also high enough, the imperial court will not make purchases.

Imperial merchants would not lend money, and officials who affiliated themselves with the factory would immediately be deemed unqualified in their performance evaluations. Even if the factory had a large number of people working under the guise of official business, if the factory was closed down, these employees would be relocated to other areas.

If the scholar-official class of the Ming Dynasty was determined to defend their "land as a means of production" to the death...

After the modern scholar-official class embarked on industrialization, they fiercely defended their "orthodox industrial production."

Scholars and officials began to form factions based on this, and they also had targets for purging incompetent and mediocre members within their ranks.

Of course, the scholar-officials of the present Han Dynasty still resist taxes, oppose every round of tax increases on industry by the current Han court, and often threaten the emperor and imperial merchants to use private funds to save the market.

Xuan Chong: Although the scholar-officials did not pay taxes, these people were originally engaged in industry, and their investment of capital in production was a kind of "taxation" (the ingenious institutional design of the founder of the Han Dynasty).

In Japan, the feudal lord system, with its heavy vassalage culture, hinders the development of new industrial chains. More precisely, without strong external institutional intervention, technology cannot be integrated.

…Disadvantages of island nations…

Xuanchong, who wanted to develop his hometown, originally wanted to see how the Japanese advance server developed, but his understanding was destroyed.

The attitude of Han Chinese towards Japan today is, "These Japanese don't know how to develop heavy industry."

Xuan Chong recalled that the two industrial booms that Japan had been so proud of in his previous life seemed to have both stemmed from two rounds of external institutional input.

Once it returns to its own stable state, roughly forty years after the "reform," Japan will be unable to make any major institutional innovations that lead to "production progress."

The first wave occurred after the Black Ships incident, when the Meiji Restoration led to a complete Westernization, with Japan acquiring the entire industrial system from Britain. As a result, twenty years later, its products lost competitiveness in the Asian market. Frustrated and desperate, Japan began to act rashly, attempting to monopolize the market.

The second phase, a period of industrial development, occurred after Japan's defeat in World War II, coinciding with the Korean War in the west. Japan received comprehensive industrial support from the United States.

However, after the 1980s, when the United States stopped transferring cheap technology, Japan, relying on its own development, began to develop a crooked and distorted technology tree, focusing only on "novelty" and not on "application".

Japan's strong-willed atmosphere enabled it to fully accept foreign systems during its humble period, which in turn led to a substantial leap in productivity.

However, the benefits of such "technological progress" generated by the infusion of new external personnel systems are only this one wave. As it gains momentum, it becomes rampant and then declines.

During the period when Xuan Chong was born, Japan was able to uphold the banner of "building a nation on science and technology".

The rooster slept too soundly in front, while the "Bloody Fire Generation" stood up too straight and became "stubborn." They were then strictly guarded against in subsequent exchanges, which allowed the dwarfs who knelt down to beg for rewards to show off their skills for another ten years.

This allowed Japan to surpass its colonial master in industrial achievements for 150 years, relying on the advantages of exchanges with the early European and American powers. This led some proponents of Western ideas to mistakenly believe that "Japan is advanced in all aspects, and its personnel management can be learned from."

In fact, the truly advanced industrial systems belong to the "shining red stars" that stood tall and developed.

…Back to the present-day Chinese era…

In this timeline, the Han dynasty was the first to advance in the Industrial Revolution, hence the current Han scholar-officials' assessment of Japan: "Japanese craftsmen are fond of frivolous and ingenious crafts."

Japan's light industry is highly developed, and the small Japanese merchants who form corporations are humble and obedient enough. Modern-day large conglomerates, seeking easier access to capital, have established their light industry factories here.

As for the fact that there are too many "small parts factories" in Japan, will there eventually be a wise person in Japan who can integrate the entire industrial chain?
For example, in Xuan Chong's previous life, his side also started by doing OEM manufacturing, and then integrated the fragmented industrial chain. However, this was another beautiful illusion that if Zhong Guo could do it, others could too.

Some people still harbor illusions that Japan can integrate an "industrial chain," but they haven't witnessed the tedious rituals of giving way between two daimyo. Even something as trivial as "giving way" can easily escalate into a sword fight between samurai.

The same applies to courtesans parading through the streets; neither side gives way to the other. When the evil monk parades through the temple, he directly uses the phrase "Buddha is the greatest" to force the Japanese royal family to make way for him.

Once Japan forms its own small circle, it considers the rules of that circle to be paramount; when it encounters other circles, it directly confronts them. This system may be good for maintaining stable technological inheritance, but once the industrial system makes significant progress, it becomes stagnant.

If we were to connect the various component manufacturers in Japan, we would need a "powerful enough lord" to take the lead.

When the Han dynasty replaced the local kings with the Liu family kings in politics, it effectively locked down Japan's ability to integrate technology.

…a dark, sky-covering hand…

While the major maritime merchants of the Han Dynasty control "maritime profits," the real power behind the scenes is actually the fourteen prominent families headed by the emperor.

In terms of economics, the fourteen prominent families, including the emperor, were equivalent to the Democratic Party in the United States, earning "international money." Meanwhile, the current Han Chinese scholar-official group belonged to the Elephant Party, controlling domestic industrial capital.

However, the fourteen noble families, including the emperor, were not as shameless as the "wandering six-pointed star."

The wandering six-pointed star can simply flee the country after making his fortune. The ancestral graves of powerful factions like the emperor are located in their hometowns, and politically, their interests are firmly rooted in their homeland.

On Yoshiwara Street, Xuan Chong, as a naval officer from the present Han Dynasty, was given a lot of leeway when he walked down the street.

Along the way, Xuan Chong encountered all sorts of things about the Japanese. One old samurai begged him to buy his daughter, who was dressed as beautifully as a flower.

Xuan Chong tossed a silver dollar and left. This Japanese woman was too small, only 1.4 meters tall. Xuan Chong didn't have any perverted hobbies.

Moreover, these "flower servants" are everywhere on the street; once you buy one, you'll want to buy another.

Clearly, in this era, the old samurai class in Japan is going bankrupt on a large scale. And these bankrupt samurai have attempted to overthrow their superiors, but all their attempts have been suppressed.

Xuan Chong looked back on his hometown, Dongtu, and realized that compared to Japan, it was still at the starting line.

After witnessing the cruelty of the outside world, Xuan Chong suddenly felt that his hometown was treated like the "small countries of the North" in this world, relying on the industrial chain bestowed by the large system, where there are few people and enough to eat.

Xuan Chong sighed: Industrial development comes at a price. Without self-reliance, the "price" will be continuously amplified by external controllers, with no end in sight.

(End of this chapter)