Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 300: A Long Time!
In January of 2109 in the Han calendar, civilian telegraph communication between the Yuezhi and Han territory had been restored. Of course, civilian rail transport was not yet open; new soldiers and supplies arrived in the west on green-skinned trains. Heavy machine guns were blocking off the station from higher ground.

Because there are not yet enough railway administrators to check passengers' passes, railway traffic has been placed under strict military control. The decision on whether to lift the restrictions will be made by the new commander.

The newly arrived general was dismissive of Xuan Chong at first, but after taking over the defense line, seeing the battle briefings, and even visiting the devastated front lines, his expression turned horrified.

Xuan Chong looked at the commander's expression with great understanding. Anyone would have a headache dealing with an alien race that could see through human military organization and imitate it.

The Orks are a race that grows stronger when faced with a stronger opponent. Their internal culture is more like a gang, a fighting gang; if their opponents are well-organized, they will use unorthodox methods to achieve a similar level of military organization.

Although poorly equipped and easily defeated at first, the Orks have a very strong ability to reproduce asexually; if a warband is not completely destroyed, it can quickly reach the tactical level of the organization it previously imitated.

The good news is that this imitation learning only applies if the war boss within a tribe is not destroyed. Once the war boss is destroyed, the organization of its team will drop significantly.

During the battles on the grasslands, the orcs, large and small, would pack up their animal skin tents and drive away the fat, toothy monsters (Sigug) when they fled, adopting the standard nomadic style.

These orcs even learned to dig earthen huts in the grasslands to survive the winter. If it weren't for the futuristic infrared scanning technology used by the modern Han people, these orcs might have actually escaped.

According to the latest intelligence from the Han Dynasty, after the destruction of the Kaudike Group, one of the spores drifted northward to the cold Caucasus, where they joined forces with Ork stragglers and formed some Ork tribes, but they did not have the level of the previously assembled machinery.

This relieved the Han forces. If they had been able to maintain their previous tactical level even after being scattered, it would have been a real problem.

Xuan Chong speculates that this alien race designed their planet this way to adapt to changing circumstances. When a planet's productivity is high enough, they quickly adopt a highly organized mode to seize it; when the productivity of the planet they land on is insufficient, they automatically revert to a less organized, low-consumption mode. This may also be a coping mechanism in the Ork's evolution.

In other words, the Orcs automatically match the level of the victim planet.

However, the Orks who came to Earth are somewhat unlucky; the current situation on Earth is that a group of Earthlings, relying on special abilities, have transcended the normal level of production organization and directly mastered "future technology" and "black technology." This means that when they try to imitate the normal social organization and technology of this planet, they will be brutally defeated by the "advanced" technology.

…Can technology rely on archaeology? No, it's not impossible for technology to rely on cheat codes…

In Yandu, a batch of new transport planes took off from a secret airport, carrying some Dragon Power users towards the front lines. Inside the cabin was a woman dressed in purple, with her hair styled in a high bun with nine loops. This was originally hers in Yandu and had not yet been converted.

Previously, Xuan Chong was in charge of various wartime affairs, and the things he managed were too numerous and complex, and all of these things were very important.

When Xuan Chong stepped down, he had to hand over his work one by one. Among them, the project on the study of Och's ecology was to be handed over to the female PhD from Yandu (PhD was an official title, not an academic degree in present-day Hanzhong; academic degrees were Xiucai, Juren, and Jinshi).

On the plane, Liu Yingshou observed newly discovered species samples from the forefront of research. She took a glass bottle from a sealed mechanical case and used her fingers to penetrate the spores inside. The spores swirled and changed color rapidly within the bottle, like ignited gunpowder.

Her dragon power is similar to Liu Mei's, but compared to Liu Mei's direct breeding and modification, her superpower is more inclined towards beast control.

Here in Yibohai, Xuan Chong checked the visitor's dragon power attribute; it leaned towards controlling hormones within living beings. Why send her here?

Based on the fact that Xuan Chong could hear "waaagh!", Xian Han needs to find someone to take over this work.

Just as Xuan Chong was waiting for someone at the base, Ma Feiyan appeared beside him.

Xuan Chong also noticed that she had put her hair up in a bun. To be honest, her white hair was not suitable for a bun; it would look better if it were left loose like a waterfall.

Upon seeing Xuan Chong, she activated her "past vision".

In the "past timeline," Ma Feiyan led Xuan Chong to his seat and advised him, "Sit down and tidy your hair. Don't look like a wild man."

And so, in this past time and space, Xuan Chong sat while Ma Feiyan stood and combed his hair, emphasizing the importance of "etiquette".

In human civilization, music and clothing are important threads in cultural development, and of course, there is another one: hairstyle.

In Western maritime tribunals, judges always wear wigs during trials to show solemnity.

In his previous life, Xuan Chong experienced the sinking of the Central Plains, where the complex hair bun system dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties had been lost.

However, in modern Chinese, it is preserved very well. Especially in sacrificial rites and the handover of high-level affairs, there are strict requirements for clothing and attire.

Through Ma Feiyan's narration, Xuan Chong learned that the seemingly dashing, disheveled heroes he had seen were actually practicing a "non-mainstream" style of flamboyant fashion.

Wearing loose hair in modern times is like having tattoos in the past, challenging tradition. Is tattooing cool? Yes! But you're not allowed to hold a public office. Is wearing loose hair dashing? Yes, but you can't sit at the table; you're relegated to the sidelines for important ceremonial occasions.

Although long hair was unsuitable for operating machinery due to the needs of industrial civilization, it also made surgery difficult after a severe head injury on the battlefield.

A hundred years ago, when lice were rampant, the most common sight in some neighborhoods wasn't barbershops, but rather lice-repelling shops. Yet, despite the hardships, the coming-of-age ceremony tradition persisted. Xuan Chong touched his head, wondering how to style his short hair into a bun.

Under Ma Feiyan's skillful hands, Xuan Chong's hair was wrapped in layers of gold-threaded wigs. Then, she picked up the wig's hair bun and used a needle to fix it onto the wig. Afterward, she put on the young master's crown.

Xuan Chong: "Oh, so you're wearing a wig. Hmm, is yours fake too?"

Ma Feiyan shook off Xuan Chong's hands that were groping her (as he tried to touch her head): "It's true." Then she placed a strand of white hair in Xuan Chong's hand.

Men who engaged in military campaigns, farming, or craftsmanship constantly compromised their hairstyles, which could include wigs.

For women here who have never fully undertaken heavy physical labor, the rules for their hairstyles have remained unchanged from ancient times to the present.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang issued an edict ordering the Empress to wear the "Lingyun Bun," the three imperial concubines to wear the "Wangxian Nine-Ring Bun," and the nine concubines to wear the "Canluan Bun." These elaborate hairstyles required for high-level Han Dynasty etiquette were not for ordinary women. Especially for entertainers, even for performance purposes, they wore wigs.

As for the maids, no matter how powerful their family was or how close they were to their mistresses, they all wore double buns. To dare to wear a loose, sloping bun was to defy the heavens.

Therefore, in modern Han society, it may be difficult to determine a man's rank, as he might be wearing white dragon robes, but it is definitely possible to tell a woman's rank at a glance.

After tidying Xuan Chong's hair, Ma Feiyan made a grand request: "Help me draw my eyebrows."

Xuan Chong glanced at her and realized that while light hair color was indeed attractive, her features would appear very plain if her eyebrows weren't thick. However, drawing eyebrows required focusing on her face, and Xuan Chong couldn't concentrate on doing so.

Xuan Chong paused for a moment, then moved the mirror over: "I don't know how, you draw it yourself."

After emerging from the "past vision," Ma Feiyan stood to one side, while Xuan Chong's crown appeared directly, like a "game refresh."

…ears and ears rub together and temples…

Xuan Chong and Liu Yingshou met. When Liu Yingshou saw Xuan Chong and the Tiger Group's Heavenly Rank, he paused slightly.

Liu Yingshou greeted the two with elaborate court etiquette. This was clearly court etiquette. She was extremely careful in managing her expression, afraid of making a mistake and being caught being impolite, which would then be spread throughout her circle.

Xuan Chong, being a northern barbarian, obviously did not understand the conflict behind it; he only sensed that Ma Feiyan had helped him control this woman from Yandu.

Xuan Chong sized up Liu Yingshou. Her real age was impossible to tell; she seemed to be frozen in time, like a celestial fairy, with the most radiant skin, the tallest bone structure, and the most graceful demeanor.

Most female dragon users tend to exchange a portion of their "biological dragon power" to ensure they remain young forever.

The handover process on Xuan Chong's side went very smoothly, without any unnecessary complications.

Although he hadn't been able to measure Ma Feiyan's ability usage, the other side must have seen some complex information. Finally, Xuan Chong handed over the seal and left.

Ma Feiyan held an extremely high rank in the imperial examinations.

…the suppression of grade…

After accepting the assignment, Liu Yingshou completed the testing of the orc captive's brain's "organic rapid regulation" function and activated communication. When he met the Emperor, he stated, "Their bloodline material (genetic material) has been determined." The Emperor asked, "Can it be 'budded' (cloned)?"

Ying Shou: "I will try the relevant experiments once the relevant facilities arrive."

The Emperor: "Hmm, 'assist' General Lin Kewu well. Contact me if there are any updates." — Lin Kewu was sent by Sima, and the "assist" the Emperor spoke of was quite complex.

Liu Yingshou: "Your Majesty, he (Xuan Chong) has already left this place by train."

The Emperor paused slightly: "You brought the imperial edict, didn't you? (The edict was to forcibly keep Xuan Chong behind to complete the mission.)"

Liu Yingshou: "That person was beside him, and the two seemed to have a very close relationship." — Ma Feiyan styled Xuan Chong's hair into a bun with a small lock of hair hidden inside, which in terms of style is "childhood friends".

The connotations of a hairstyle are complex, especially when a man's and a woman's hairstyles match, signifying their relationship. When Liu Yingshou arrived, her high hairstyle was originally intended for internal office use; she was supposed to change it to a more traditional, feminine style for the front lines. However, she was summoned by the emperor and didn't have time to change it.

Wait, is it really too late? The meaning she conveyed with her hair was that she could enter and leave the palace and was very close to the legitimate lineage. She was trying to remind Xuan Chong that this barbarian was a "branch".

Even if Xuan Chong didn't know, those around him would teach him to be "sensible." But after Ma Feiyan, that unreasonable fellow, came here, no one would "reason" with Xuan Chong anymore.

If even the emperor gave up on teaching Ma Feiyan the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject, how much less would Liu Yingshou himself?

Throughout history, dynasties have generally adopted a policy of appeasement towards the Northwest…

From the time of Li Han onwards, the Ma surname was a prominent one in Liangzhou, partly due to its own population growth and partly due to its association with powerful figures.

Just as later dynasties only recognized emperors with the surname Liu, many changed their surnames to Liu after the fall of the Han dynasty and the ensuing struggle for power. It's said that the current Han imperial family has "DNA testing technology" to determine who is a true descendant of Liu Bang. However, the current Han emperor's lineage evades this question, tacitly accepting the murky situation.

In the Northwest, the area has always been a mix of Han and non-Han peoples, and many who have made a name for themselves have returned to their ancestral home to acknowledge their roots.

Directly claiming the Liu family name? With that unrecognizable, bearded appearance (curly hair, brown hair, light-colored eyes), no family would accept him. But claiming the Ma family name would be much easier. With sufficient military achievements, after submitting a pledge of allegiance, he could claim that his mother was a foreigner and that he had returned to acknowledge his ancestors.

This is similar to Xuan Chong's previous life; those who wanted Western citizenship were easily kicked out if they went straight to the United States, but it was very easy to switch to small Eastern European countries. Because of their numerous connections, the Ma family grew powerful in the Northwest.

It is worth mentioning that the Han people are now a standard "mono-ethnic group," and the "Han-Hu conflict" was resolved as early as the founding of the People's Republic of China.

According to the official definition, all 100 surnames in the "Hundred Family Surnames" belong to the descendants of the Han Dynasty. However, it is difficult to say how much foreign blood has mixed into each surname.

Anyway, at this time, if you mention whether the Lin family in the Minyue region came from Southeast Asia, they would probably get anxious.

As for Ma Feiyan? When Xuan Chong said that Ma Feiyan looked like a "Mao girl" and explained that she looked like a Rakshasa woman, it made everyone around him gasp.

Ma Feiyan's identity and lineage are complete, which is actually due to speculation about her albino fate, but no one dares to bring up this sensitive topic.

However, to everyone's surprise, Ma Feiyan was not angry. This was because Xuan Chong did not use the term "Mao Mei" in a derogatory way.

Ma Feiyan was even more aware that Xuan Chong was naive and did not yet understand the concept of "barbarians".

In the Western Regions, the boundary between the Han and the barbarians was like the separation of Yin and Yang. The barbarians' stench and blood were not to be touched.

During her observation, Ma Feiyan did not see any "unapproachable" attitude from Xuan Chong. On the contrary, they were quite affectionate.

It should be noted that modern Han Chinese do not have complex "ethnic conflicts," but the resolution of "Han-Hu conflict" was not achieved by the imperial court, but by the spontaneous mobilization of powerful local clans and families. A purification strategy was implemented for ethnic groups on the western front for hundreds of years. The clan genealogy records Han descendants for more than ten generations. This is far more accurate than "De San's bloodline investigation."

Well, this is an old problem of the Han Dynasty. In order to contain external threats, local powerful families have become too powerful!

…The Han dynasty had its own set of social norms and principles…

The Ma family was one of the most powerful and influential clans in Northwest China. Their ancestry can be traced back to Lord Ma Fu during the Warring States period, and they subsequently served the Han dynasty.

This history is longer than that of European and Arab peoples. Relying on ancestral narratives and the recognition of various branches of the Western Regions, the incense burning at the main ceremony in Kunlun every year fills half of the Gobi Desert with the scent of incense.

Given the sacrificial rites performed by the various clans of Kansai, it is entirely reasonable that a Heavenly Rank ability user could awaken in such a vast region as the Western Regions.

The powerful clans of Kansai wielded considerable influence in the region, and all of the imperial court's strategies for the Western Regions inevitably involved these prominent families. Furthermore, the attitude towards these powerful Kansai clans was simply to avoid any trouble.

The surname Ma is a Han surname. All people belong to the lineage of the Xia people. Han people intermarry. They are connected at their roots.

The Han Chinese people of Guanzhong were extremely xenophobic towards non-Han people. Before Xuan Chong's time travel, his supposed Han supremacy was child's play compared to the current Han Chinese Guanzhong group.

The Han people regarded barbarians as straw dogs. Why? Because the Han people knew etiquette when their granaries were full, and knew honor and shame when they were well-fed and clothed.

In other words, the Han people's lack of food led to the collapse of ritual and music, while in the last hundred years, the barbarians of Europe and the Eastern Shang have shown signs of "abundant food and clothing, but the collapse of ritual and music."

A modern-day observer in North Africa witnessed this scene: when the Bai people captured Kunlun slaves, they regarded them as beasts, and some even had sexual relations with them.

Modern Han Chinese are greatly shocked by this, because it involves a moral and ethical point: humans have ethics and morality, while animals do not.

Animals have no moral compass; they can be interbred and backcrossed to breed superior species.

Many of the pig and horse breeds in modern China were developed in this way.

After capturing the Kunlun slaves, Bai Man went to them to exchange them himself. The resulting offspring should have been blood relatives, but they were still treated like "beasts," forced to "exchange flesh" and "exchange blood."

Even now, Han Chinese women also take in slaves and maids from other ethnic groups. However, once they feel like it and have children, although the "maid" will remain a maid and not be given a formal title, she will definitely be given a house and provided for. The children will then treat their birth mother according to ethical norms.

What the Han people found most intolerable about the European barbarians was that they practiced slavery and even included their own blood relatives in it.

…portal relative…

Ma Feiyan watched Xuan Chong's departing train and whispered, "I don't need you to marry me formally 'now,' but you can't forget me from the past, and we must be together in the future."

On the other side, Xuan Chong was sitting on a train. This gas turbine high-speed train was speeding along the tracks at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. Compared to the steam locomotives that were common in Hanzhong at that time, this was a high-speed train.

Of course, this is incomparable to the transport airships they were on before.

Gas turbine trains are a futuristic technology, and their availability in Wuhan is extremely limited. They are not used for transportation unless there are special emergencies. Now that Xuanchong has completed its combat mission and handed over its responsibilities, it is naturally impossible for it to continue to enjoy the special express service of the war zone.

Sitting on the bed, Xuan Chong opened his novel "The Fierce Soldier" and took out his pen. He ran his finger along the tip of the pen and looked at the mark on his fingertip to confirm that there was ink again.

Xuan Chong opened the book, hesitated for a moment, and began to search. When he reached Chapter Fifteen of "The Fierce Soldier," he picked up his pen and crossed out the name "Xiao Qing." Then, the pen ran out of ink.

Xuan Chong, on the other hand, felt a progress bar after he put pen to paper.

Just as Xuan Chong was wondering how the person he had summoned had descended, he simultaneously acquired a visual environment.

Xuan Chong was very familiar with this environment; it was the same place within the Yibohai base where he had previously preserved the remains of the "Kaodi Ke" in formalin. Now, many more biological research instruments had been installed there. In his synchronized perspective, it seemed that an expert was busy at work.

Xuan Chong then heard a female voice: "Is the culture medium ready?"

Following the tired female voice, I carefully sensed the room, um, the laboratory, and heard the beeping sounds of various electronic medical devices.

(End of this chapter)