Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 86 Taking them by surprise
On October 3rd, 32nd year of the Tianxu calendar, on the Guotai side: In Xinwei City, Yantu, among the flying eaves of buildings, groups of crows landed among the crouching beasts on the roof ridges, blending in with the surroundings.

Having endured wind and rain, Zhao Cheng returned to his residence. Even while resting, he still carried scrolls of maps. The Hao Kingdom had built him a general's mansion and granted him the power to recruit a hundred retainers and advisors—a truly prestigious position. However, this general had no desire for banquets and currently refused to receive guests.

The ever-burning whale oil candles emitted a calming fragrance. Under the lamplight, Zhao Cheng carefully examined the map of the northern lands.

On the map, he divided the large area into blocks of color, much like a butcher dismembering pigs and dogs.

This year marked the gradual disintegration of the Great Yao. Generals from all directions, acting on the king's orders, defended against external enemies. However, the central government of the Great Yao could not allocate enough resources to support such a large army. Therefore, in Zhao Cheng's calculations, the emperor's actions must have involved delegating financial authority from various regions to the army, allowing the generals to manage their own finances.

As a master strategist, Zhao Cheng knew better than anyone else the limits of the military strength that Guotai and Dayao could maintain, and that once those limits were exceeded, military affairs would drag down a country.

Therefore, after gradually retreating from the first wave of the fifteen armies that attacked Da Yao in full force, he, who was powerful in the north, did not lead his troops south quickly, but instead went west to support the Prince of Bo who had fled to the northwest and established a false capital.

Although the pseudo-Guan is weak, it can hit the Emperor's sore spot and make him take the initiative to deal with it. In this way, the aggressive Da Yao has to be distracted.

Of course, his strategies were not without flaws. For example, when he supported the pseudo-Guan, the Jinshui side suddenly went crazy, so much so that he had to divert some troops from the main battlefield to protect the pseudo-Guan!
It can only be said that Zhao Cheng could predict the fate of 90% of the world's mediocre, ordinary, and genius people, but he couldn't predict the fate of the brainless idiot King Lelang.

This minor setback, however, became a flaw that many mediocre people within Cathay Pacific clung to! His excessive competence aroused jealousy among these mediocre individuals.

Some of the dragon-descended generals within the Kingdom of Thailand held themselves in high esteem and believed that now was the time to move south. They clung tightly to their seals of office, determined to leave their troops in the cities of Bo, and refused to obey unified command.

Now, General Zhao Cheng stubbornly believes: "For now, we should observe the situation and preserve our strength, carefully observe the situation in the northern provinces of Da Yao, look for points where we can intervene, and gradually erode their territory!"

The reason the strategy changed to this is because Pu'e had previously rejected Zhao Cheng's idea that the best time to go south was.

Six months ago, Pu'e argued with him: "When the evil moon hangs in the sky, a large army is raised. If the destruction is too great, the impact on the mountains and rivers will be uncontrollable."

Now that the evil moons have paired up and merged, the land and rivers are stable, and Pu'e feels that it is time to fight. However, in Zhao Cheng's opinion, the time has passed.

As the only one in the Guotai camp with true leadership talent, Zhao Cheng possesses unparalleled sensitivity to the overall situation. Over the past year, while Guotai may have seemingly broken through Da Yao's military blockade, it has also given Da Yao a much-needed respite. Having missed the optimal opportunity, the chance to sweep across the land will have to wait several more years.

Now, Guotai can only covet the fact that the internal cracks of the major hexagram are widening. By taking piecemeal actions and waiting for the major hexagram's internal conflicts to erupt, and for the military strategists and various warlords to collude and obey orders but not proclamations, Guotai can gradually erode its power.

Zhao Cheng's way of feeding Guotai meant that even if he ate it, he had to take small bites and eat carefully. The only parts he could eat were not the grass belly, but the golden corners and silver edges!
The grassy belly of Da Yao now looks prosperous, with a wide variety of goods on the river and the hoofprints of mules and horses overlapping.

This is also why Guotai's dragon-descended generals are so eager to head south to rebuild the Celestial Empire. The dragon-descended generals wish they could launch an attack overnight, but Zhao Cheng knows very well that if they attack the enemy's territory, they will continue to rely on the strength of one province to fight against the entire nation's army! Guotai's current strategy must be to seize the Golden Horn.

The reason why Guotai maintained the false regime was to entangle the big yao, consume more material and human resources, and lose control over the regional officials, warlords, and princes.

Zhao Cheng rubbed his eyes. Despite being exhausted, he forced himself to look westward at the five prefectures of the Zhenshui River and continued to peruse the relevant intelligence reports. There was no one else beside him.

"Lack of manpower" is also Zhao Cheng's current predicament. He has made too many enemies at Guotai and has few trustworthy people. He has also thought about going back to his hometown to search for folk talents under the guise of repaying a debt of gratitude. Although he has recruited some people, most of them are dog butchers. They are undoubtedly righteous, but they are powerless to serve him.

If we categorize him as a hero, he is actually a hero, not a hero. He has the ability, but he needs an angel investor; otherwise, his great talent cannot be fully realized.

After working tirelessly for two hours through the night, Zhao Cheng began reading military intelligence. Under the illumination of dozens of whale oil lamps, he picked up the bamboo slips that had been delivered three days prior. He glanced at them, about to put them down, but then sensed something was amiss and picked them up again. The bamboo slips contained a string of information: "Yao Ting is making a move at the Zhennan camp; an army is advancing rapidly, covering a hundred li in ten days." Zhao Cheng abruptly went to the map and looked at it, keenly sensing something amiss.

The front line on the other side of the pseudo-Kan was a dish he had been waiting for, ready to dig in as soon as it was served. However, it seemed as if a swift hand had reached out directly to it.

He had always relied on his chopstick skills to pick food from other people's bowls, but now that he had found a kindred spirit, he felt quite complicated.

After taking a deep breath, Zhao Cheng wrote two memorials. One he planned to submit to the palace today, and the other he planned to present in court tomorrow. Of course, Zhao Cheng knew that some of those arrogant dragon descendants would surely object.

After finishing the memorial, Zhao Cheng took a deep breath: Well, let them take credit for it, and everything will be fine.

…The dividing line for the rooster crowing at dawn…

As expected, the next day in the imperial court, Zhao Cheng's proposal was immediately refuted by the descendants of the dragon and the strategists from Bo County who had served Guotai.

These aristocratic families of Bo County began to serve Guotai one after another a year ago. Guotai needed these local partners, but these families who chose to cooperate with Guotai lacked integrity; and those who lack integrity spoke with a smug air about them.

Zhao Cheng knew that their family interests lay in their connections with the southern states, and these powerful families were now eagerly urging the Guotai Legion to advance southward, showing no intention of conquering the barren western regions. However, Zhao Cheng couldn't fathom what they would say to achieve their goals.

During the argument, a sixth-rank official stood up and pointed at Zhao Cheng, saying something that was sure to shock people: "General Zhao is arrogant because of his achievements. Now he wants to transfer the army to the west. Does he want to establish himself as an independent ruler?"

The court was silent. The ministers on either side looked at Zhao Cheng, who was smug and believed that the power of his "divine words" had shocked the entire audience.

However, he didn't notice that Zhao Cheng's murderous aura was overflowing like water. The bricks and tiles on the ground, like thin ice on a river in winter, developed spiderweb-like cracks centered on the person stepping on them.

…This scene depicts the moment before the perpetrator committed the crime…

Meanwhile, Pu'e, who was wandering south in search of Yu Li, suddenly received a system warning: "The general you recruited has become uncontrollable due to his obsession. Control measures have been implemented. Please note that each instance of loss of control will result in a decrease in loyalty."

Pu'e looked at the system and quickly spent points to open Zhao Cheng's screen.

After seeing the whole story, Pu'e's hand flashed like a dragon's claw, and she crushed the bricks and tiles with a snap.

…The bloody scene is about to unfold…

Zhao Cheng had encountered insults from petty people before, and he could usually endure most of them. But now, standing in this situation, the petty person's sudden malicious words struck a nerve with Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng stared at the despicable man with bloodshot eyes. Such baseless slander brought back countless memories. Before anyone could react, Zhao Cheng drew his sword and stabbed the man through the chest. —The court fell silent. After regaining his senses, the out-of-control Zhao Cheng realized what had happened and knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

Prince Hao, who was sitting on his throne in the imperial court, stood up. He did not look at Zhao Cheng kneeling on the ground, but stared at the pool of blood on the ground with great disgust.

King Hao seemed to realize that the filth inside the house was unbearable, and said to Zhao Cheng in a nonchalant tone, "General Zhao has been working hard on military affairs day and night, and is physically and mentally exhausted. He can hardly bear it. Please rest at home for a few days."

After saying that, he extended his hand.

In a daze, Zhao Cheng followed the king's gaze to his waist, then realized what was happening and handed over the tiger tally. King Hao took the tally, weighed it in his hand, and said perfunctorily to Zhao Cheng, "General, please return to your residence and rest."

King Hao casually tossed the tiger tally onto his golden throne. With just a word, he seized the military's tiger tally, clearly rendering the previous accusations of "treason" baseless.

The unfortunate man's body had already been dragged out, the blood on the ground had been wiped clean, and then squeezed into a bucket of dirty water by a rag. Because Zhao Cheng's murderous aura had frightened everyone, no one in the court dared to say that this was the blood of a loyal minister.

King Hao did not react at all. Instead, after Zhao Cheng walked out of the hall, he immediately picked up the tiger tally and played with it in his hand. He had already planned to rearrange the personnel in the army during the months between the departure of the Grand Preceptor (Pu E) and the defeat of Zhao Cheng by him.

…Heaven will not fail us…

Upon returning to his residence, Zhao Cheng removed his court robes. Although he was required to stay at home, many military decision-making documents were still delivered to his residence after the court assembly that day, meaning his position as Grand General continued.

However, after reading the military dispatch today, Zhao Cheng was taken aback. The movement of Da Yao's troops in the Zhenshui River showed that they were advancing from multiple directions, and the places they passed through were mostly commercial areas where they could plunder grain and fodder.

Without even opening a map, Zhao Cheng had already visualized the entire process of the "Wu Han Luan" army's rapid northward advance. Then, his gaze sharpened, and his hand landed on Woniu Pass, located between Zhenzhou and Yongzhou.

Zhao Cheng was all too familiar with this tactic of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass." He immediately wanted to raise his tent to issue orders, but sensing that his waist was empty, he sat down. Although he could still obtain military intelligence at this moment, he had lost the right to mobilize troops.

…The perspective shifts back to the Wu family army…

Wu Fei was unaware that his first battle after venturing north was incredibly fortunate, coinciding with a lull in the military strategist's ability to make a move. Thus, it was a matter of luck.

Once Wu Fei confirmed that Wu Hanluan would be arriving soon and that the new camp was safe and sound, he entrusted the affairs to a trusted officer and set off ahead of schedule.

Wu Fei led 6,000 troops in four separate groups, advancing towards the "Great Passage," a crucial passage bordering the northern puppet regime.

There is an important pass within the main passage called Woniu Pass. The pass itself is not large, but it sits in the very center of the passage like a guillotine. Although the pass is not big, the passage itself restricts the deployment of troops, allowing only 500 soldiers to attack at a time! (Similar to a fight in a narrow alley, as long as you can stand firmly in the center with your knife, you don't need to worry about being killed from the side.)
This is what the town is like. The reason Wu Fei attacked here was because intelligence confirmed that the defenses of this town were weak, so he came here.

On the night of October 5th, 32nd year of the Tianli calendar, Wu Fei dispatched two lightly armored cavalry units, gags in their mouths and their weapons wrapped in cotton. Under the cover of darkness, they bypassed the mountain streams and ridges on either side. One group formed ranks on the ridge, while the other group, cloaked in black, quietly approached the city gate.

These troops near the front gate, having confirmed they had not been detected, used owl-like communication to notify those in the back gate area.

Immediately, a show of force began at the back gate, accompanied by the banging of gongs and drums. A barrage of crossbow bolts, laden with flames, created a huge commotion at the city gate. The guards on the gate, who hadn't been strictly on duty, hastily sounded their horns. Meanwhile, the general's personal guards inside the pass rushed to the back gate in a chaotic frenzy. Unsure of the enemy's numbers, and with their officers yet to arrive, the back gate guards were extremely cautious, unwilling to be the first to climb the city wall and face the crossbow bolts.

As the back gate of the city was pierced with holes by burning crossbow bolts, the guards pushed and shoved each other, hoping that others would go upstairs first.

At this critical juncture, the Wu family army, which had been quietly approaching, scaled the wall through the front gate and began raising their banners. Outside the gate, billowing dust rose as a massive siege force, terrifying the defenders inside, poured in through the breach.
As a result, the guards were terrified and collapsed at the first touch by the lightly armored soldiers who broke into the pass.

The northern exit controlling the five locations along the Zhen River was thus captured. The surrendered generals inside the city, after confirming that the attacking force was from the southern imperial court, exclaimed in astonishment, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the south?"

Siege warfare in feudal times was difficult, but defending a city required constant vigilance and was equally challenging. Without a modern duty management system, cities were often in a state of laxity.

The earliest military theory Wu Fei learned in this world was: the easiest way to attack a city and break through a pass is to catch the enemy off guard.

They've put in a lot of effort practicing long-distance forced marches, all to catch the enemy off guard. And Wu Fei's aim for catching them off guard isn't limited to just this one city pass.

…The old flags on the city gate were lowered, and the large banners with the character "Yao" and the "Wu" character were hung up…

Inside the city gate, when the captured soldiers learned that it was Da Yao's soldiers who had arrived, they began to make a fuss and told the Wu family army that they had not betrayed the country, that they were loyal to Da Yao, and that they had only endured humiliation because of the suppression of the rebel king.

Wu Fei then conducted a thorough interrogation and determined that the troops at Woniu Pass were on the periphery of the Zhenshui system. He knew that the King of Lelang was currently very arrogant and demanded that everyone listen only to him and not to the imperial court. This caused the garrison at Woniu Pass to become disloyal.

Wu Fei: Oh my, in such a place, how are you planning to have second thoughts?
But Wu Fei later discovered a little surprise during the interrogation.

When the surrendered general of the city gate recounted his intention to restore order, Wu Fei seized upon a weakness in his actions.

At that time, the news that the surrendered general at Woniu Pass heard was that the King of Lelang in the south and the imperial army were about to clash.

This surrendered general had a more flexible option: to serve the false ruler in the north! After all, King Lelang was too cruel, and at the same time, he was afraid of being purged by the Great Yao.

Wu Fei patted the surrendered general, whose truth had been revealed by his subordinates, and said: "Da Yao Tianwei is discerning and can see through anything. They can rest assured."

As a result, this surrendered general from Woniu Pass betrayed another person.

Inside the city gate, a group of people were brought in to a makeshift interrogation room.

Wu Fei first said to one of the leaders, "Speak, who are you?"

The leader said, "I'm here to do business in the north."

Wu Fei nodded and said jokingly, "Business is pretty good."

However, before a second question could be asked, on another city defense passage, one of the Yongzhou merchants who had been separated and imprisoned started making a fuss. This man shouted, "Sir, I'll confess first."

Wu Fei, who had initially been prepared to use his brain, paused, realizing that these people from Yongzhou under the pseudo-King's rule weren't entirely loyal either. So he nodded, summoned the interrogators, and ordered them to interrogate them separately.

…no dividing line without torture…

Wu Fei quickly received news from the north that after confirming that Da Yao was going to suppress King Lelang, the false Guan sent envoys to persuade Woniu Pass to restore order.

Ironically, because the usurper was not a true ruler—essentially a small court that Guotai had propped up from the brink of collapse—his followers lacked loyalty. After Wu Fei's attack, these lobbyists all decided to atone for their past mistakes.

Wu Fei nodded as he looked at the intelligence report: Speed ​​is of the essence in war.

On the silk map, Wu Fei determined that the cities in southern Yongzhou were now also poorly defended. Wu Fei, who was already preparing to requisition grain, thought: "The garrison in Yongzhou doesn't even know I'm coming. Very good, very good."

(End of this chapter)