Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 88 On merit
Without any prior encouragement, announcement of rewards and punishments, or preparation of defenses, the main city of Changjun was captured in a single battle by the Wu family army.

As Wu Fei's soldiers, carrying shields and under the cover of crossbowmen, approached the city wall, the dilapidated city gate was forced open from the inside by the defenders. A young man, leading the way, emerged with his chest and belly exposed, an official seal hanging around his neck. This was the standard gesture of surrender.

After looking through the binoculars, Wu Fei asked curiously to the supervisor who was gathering information nearby, "The prefect of this city should not be a young man, right?"

Wu Fei had some doubts. The subordinate immediately rode over, grabbed the surrendered man, and cursed, "Who are you, brat? Where is the city's garrison commander?"

The chief's scarred face and foul breath terrified the surrendering man, who stammered in response.

After questioning and intimidating several people, Wu Fei learned the truth. The prefect and other officials—oh, they had already died from the earlier catapult fire. At the time, this city official was hiding in a tunnel inside the city wall, serving the generals a farewell drink. Just as he finished drinking, a bullet pierced through the tunnel, causing the brick wall above where the generals were hiding to collapse, burying the officials.

When the surrendered youth, who was also the prefect's son, was brought before him, Wu Fei asked, "Since the garrison commander was long gone, why did you wait until I sent out a large army before surrendering?"

The squad leader next to him chimed in, scolding, "Why didn't you surrender earlier? You dare to resist my army? You've got some nerve, kid."

As a result, the surrendered men said pitifully, "Sir, your cannons are too powerful. None of us dare to go up to the city walls to surrender."

While the questioning was taking place, the soldiers had already poured into the city. Wu Fei had no time to pay attention to the surrenderers, because he needed to control the situation inside the city at the moment.

Wu Fei then issued an order: "No resident in the city is allowed to remain on the streets. You are all to be given an incense stick. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception! Troops that have already entered the city, line up and be searched one by one."

Wu Fei rode Jiu Feng over the city wall, looking at the various brigades clearing out the remaining enemies in the city, as well as a few guys looking for fun, and took a deep breath.

Wu Fei summarized his experience of easily capturing the city as follows: Siege warfare is like opening a blind box; even the best general doesn't know which city will be easy to conquer. However, theoretically, the farther and deeper the infiltration, the greater the probability of encountering an easy city! Therefore, for long-distance marches, flanking maneuvers are indeed a divine skill!

At this moment, Wu Fei, like an air commander in the 21st century who had realized the benefits of the stealth fighter system's penetration effect, suddenly felt that enhancing organizational capabilities and forcing a military campaign to conquer territory were also a generational tactical advantage.

At this moment, howls and screams echoed throughout the city. Wu Fei frowned. Meanwhile, the soldiers who had entered the city first were celebrating.

As for officers at all levels, Wu Fei promptly issued various orders, keeping the supervisors of each unit busy as a conditioned reflex, unlike the officers below who were enjoying themselves.

…The military inspector brought an end to the chaos in the city…

Before nightfall, Wu Fei conducted a round of military law enforcement in the square! Thirty soldiers were punished for losing their weapons and armor! Three of them lost their weapons and were found by the military judge in a civilian house, where they were beheaded on the spot. The others were either stripped of their merits or punished by having their names tattooed on their backs.

Wu Fei displayed his murderous intent for the first time, and the soldiers saw for the first time the consequences of disobeying orders under Wu Fei's command, so the entire army was put under strict control! In the subsequent search for the remaining enemy, all soldiers reminded each other when entering each alley.

Wu Fei issued an order upon entering the city: "No weapons or armor may be lost; violators will be executed." The purpose was to alert the soldiers.

Wu Fei roared at the sergeants, "Don't think you're invincible after entering the city and treat it like your own backyard, coming and going as you please!" Then the sergeants roared even louder at the squad leader, who in turn roared back down at the others.

Ordinary soldiers are short-sighted and unaware of the risk of losing their lives due to a drop in vigilance. As a general, Wu Fei had to create extra caution in some orders, making all soldiers feel anxious and fearful after entering the city, so they couldn't "play" properly.

In truth, Wu Fei's original intention behind the order was to prohibit soldiers from looting on their own, as looting would inevitably corrupt military discipline and disrupt the army's organization in the city.

However, after Wu Fei's initial failure in advocating against alcohol upon entering the military, he learned a valuable lesson: he couldn't issue orders that were "too strong-smelling." In those days, arrogant and fierce soldiers rushed to attack cities, and it was common knowledge in the army that once a city was breached, "nothing was forbidden." Those who entered the city first were entitled to lawless freedom.

(Xuan Chong could feel this kind of joy, which was similar to the lawless freedom in the city in the post-apocalyptic world of his previous life novels, where vaults, supermarkets, and each household in the neighborhood could be explored.)
If the general directly orders a ban on looting, it would severely discourage the soldiers who have stormed into the city, and would create a sense of resistance.

(Xuan Chong puts himself in their shoes: If, in the apocalypse, the saintly leader of a certain doomsday camp still uses peacetime laws to bind everyone, requiring everyone in the camp to use crosswalks when crossing the road, not to trespass into the mansions of the rich to search for supplies, and to record and book what they take when entering a supermarket, they would be called crazy.)
Over the years, Wu Fei has come to understand very well that "reasoning" is only appropriate with stakeholders at the same level. When dealing with those far below him in the execution chain, it's crucial to avoid directly clashing with their primary emotions. (In simpler terms, he won't emphasize the law in front of uneducated groups, but rather try to reason with them.)
This is because, in hierarchical societies, the lower classes consistently lack access to information. (The ruling class deliberately maintains its informational advantage, ensuring that laws and institutions serve its own purposes.)
Therefore, those in positions of authority should not impose their well-informed "rules and common sense" on those below, assuming it's something they absolutely must know. (They cannot expect those below to fear the law when they should be understanding it.)

Unless the ruling class is willing to give up its "information advantage" that benefits it and accept full and transparent supervision, it will not be qualified to let the grassroots listen to its reasoning.

Returning to the present, Wu Fei bypassed the most contentious area (where looting was prohibited) and instead issued the order that anyone who lost their armor or weapons should be executed.

Under the pressure of military law, the army initially focused on protecting their armor and weapons. However, after several hours, the soldiers in the city would figure out the underlying reasons during the final execution.

This problem only occurs when someone leaves the group and acts independently without being warned by their teammates. But how can one secretly keep loot without leaving the group?

As for the lost armor? That's even more mysterious. Armor can't be lost while worn; the only possibility of losing armor and weapons is to remove it. —What would one do upon entering a city and removing their armor? To seduce someone, of course.

In response to this, Wu Xiaoque, the "administrator," said: "I didn't say we couldn't indulge them, but if you indulge them, they're more likely to lose things, and then it's easier to enforce discipline. I'm doing this for your own good." (Similar to a parent: "I'm not saying you can't play, but if you play, you won't be able to finish your homework.")
Just like in the past, as long as the base number is large enough, every year there will be people who lose their admission tickets or forget to fill out their answer sheets before the college entrance examination. — Wu Fei's act of beheading a few people serves as a reminder to these soldiers how high-risk it is to "disarm" on the battlefield.

…It's a roundabout way of blocking the problem, but ultimately, it still needs to be channeled. Simply blocking without channeling is just being clever…

Ten hours after entering the city, the soldiers who had been frightened by the few heads were cautious all day. They were filled with resentment because they were afraid of losing their armor and weapons. They couldn't do this or that, so they were busy all day without any relaxation.

The soldiers escorting prisoners in the city gate streets had the following conversation.

Soldier A kicked a broken basket on the side of the street: "Damn it, I thought that newcomers to the city could have women on both sides. Turns out I can't touch anything, and I'm even worried about getting my head chopped off."

Soldier B: "Didn't the general say that we'd be given merit after the remaining enemy forces were wiped out?"

Soldier A: "The remaining enemy forces have been wiped out, and the other troops have all entered the city. What's our gain?"

Soldiers kicked and shoved broken baskets around the city.

…the bamboo basket would shatter with every kick…

Just as the soldiers were grumbling, a subordinate official rode a dragon horse and flew over the street, banging a gong and shouting, "The troops that enter the city first, assemble in the square. The commander-in-chief is distributing the credits to you, so don't dawdle."

The soldiers obeyed, quickly straightened their clothes and armor, and left with a glimmer of hope.

…A gust of wind swept through the streets, and the true feast of the victors began…

Ten hours after entering the city, Wu Fei led a group of squad leaders into the treasury and obtained all the population and household registration data.

Wu Fei said to the surrendered prefect's son, "Is everyone here? If I find anyone not on the register, they're in for a rough time." The prefect's son quickly nodded to indicate that everyone was there.

Wu Fei nodded and waved to his personal guards, who then went out and shouted loudly, "All the people in the city, gather together! Anyone who doesn't arrive within a day and is hiding in their room will be enslaved!" Wu Fei forbade his soldiers from looting in private because disorganized and undisciplined activities were too inefficient and wasteful.

Just like the city's inhabitants, many were directly killed, while others died from unbearable humiliation. For Wu Fei, who desperately needed cattle and horses for his slave system, this was unacceptable.

After all the people in the city were gathered together, they were classified one by one according to the population register. The women were also classified according to their status and position, because young ladies were more expensive than maids, and those who were valuable needed to be properly categorized in the reward system.

Some of the maids who wanted to impersonate their mistresses ultimately gave up in this particular situation.

The men listed in the register were required to pay a ransom. Of course, the ransom was not the property that could be looted in the city. All the assets in the city already belonged to the Wu family army, and even the houses were valued and sealed. When Wu Fei sent people to manage the city in the future, they would be sold directly to merchants.

These aristocratic families in the city had to exchange their estates and other assets outside the city for their freedom.

As for those not listed in the register, such as many hidden servants, they were all classified as slaves belonging to the army.

During the distribution, the soldiers who entered the city first excitedly came forward to receive their women, silks collected from the city, and money from the treasury, as they looked at their names on the merit list. They chose the best women, the young ladies of various families, while those who entered the city later could only choose maids.

However, this scene caused a huge uproar throughout Yongzhou.

Xuan Chong's moral logic differs between modern and ancient people.

For the ancients, as long as it wasn't recorded in history, it wouldn't be discussed as good or evil.

Therefore, even the greatest acts of unorganized evil can be glossed over with a few words using the subtle style of historical writing. For example, the phrase "severe drought, famine, and cannibalism" appears repeatedly in historical records but is not described in detail. However, "organized evil" is repeatedly embellished. For instance, after Huang Chao's uprising and the lack of food, historical records meticulously describe how he used a magical stone mortar to grind human bones for military rations. The Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government) describes it in great detail, just like the description of Lion Camel Ridge in Journey to the West.

Therefore, officials in ancient times felt that the historical pen was like a knife. When it came to things that "no matter how well one did, it would still violate some of the moral principles," they would directly step aside and stand on the moral high ground, leaving the choice to the people below to decide for themselves.

The scholar-officials were not unaware of the "indiscriminate killing" after a city fell and the "cannibalism" during famines, but they could not find a perfect solution to gain fame. No matter what they did, they might be criticized by future generations, so they pretended that they "had not encountered it."

Xuan Chong's logic as a modern person is: set a bottom line, and as long as I don't cross it, you have no right to criticize me.

Therefore, Xuan Chong emphasized that he was a right-wing π. Why? Because being a right-wing π meant having a low bottom line, and back then, those pretentious leaders in the public sphere emphasized: we must be inclusive and acknowledge that there are left and right sides.

Wu Fei's bottom line was "no slaughter," so after the city fell, he erected a monument to record the number of people remaining in the city after the battle! (Xuan Chong: This is called leaving a record of one's actions.)
However, some scions of noble families who survived the calamity secretly began to record unofficial histories: the army breached the city, plundered the people and enslaved them. They traded people for goods! If anyone resisted, they were threatened with swords, the people wept blood, and their shackles jingled like bells.

Scholars gathered to discuss the state of the nation, lamenting their predicament. —This resulted in a number of poems written with sharp, incisive verses, attempting to condemn Wu Fei.

The Confucian scholars launched into a rousing discourse, stirring the very spirit of the land, but ultimately proving futile. —This is the nature of chaotic times; scholars are utterly useless.

After Wu Fei took Changjun, he was choosing his next target when he suddenly felt a repulsive force. He raised an eyebrow, his body condensed with murderous aura, and the repulsive force quickly disappeared.

…System: Student performance evaluation will not be affected by external factors…

Ten days later, Wu Fei led his army to continue towards the next target. A Confucian scholar blocked the marching column and began to curse them—a scene reminiscent of the performance art of environmentalists blocking the road in later generations.

The army marched around the man one by one until Wu Fei noticed something was wrong with the front ranks. He paused for a moment, listened for a while, and then said to his subordinates, "Why did you let this man cause trouble in the middle of our army's march?"

A clerk standing nearby said, "This man is a wild and unruly fellow; he cannot be killed." He then explained the reason. Wu Fei immediately understood that the intellectual imprint of the scholars was still too strong.

In the major hexagrams, Confucianism is able to counterbalance military strategists by "rebuking" them, causing them to lose their "benevolence," that is, to be unacceptable to morality; similarly, Legalism's methods cause military strategists to lose their discipline.

Wu Fei had heard of both of these points in the military system, but seeing is believing. He finally remembered a story he had heard as a child: Confucian scholars could use their "shouting" to make military generals lose their minds and become irrational. —That's why the vanguard troops avoided him rather than pushing him away.

Wu Fei nodded, and as he was considering how to circumvent the problem, the Confucian scholar happened to confront him, launching into a barrage of classical Chinese phrases.

Lacking cultural knowledge, Wu Fei didn't understand it, but he found the rhymes interesting and listened for three minutes, finding it quite pleasant to the ear. Of course—the expected result, such as a disturbance of the soul, did not occur; the system didn't even pop up any pop-ups this time.

The soldiers passing by, seeing their general listening to music, were no longer intimidated by the scholar's thunderous and imposing aura. It was as if the rolling thunder had been blocked by their own general, a towering mountain.

A general is the courage of his soldiers.

To some extent, in situations such as the battlefield, soldiers will be able to deal with the opponent's insults and will not feel morally guilty.

After listening for a while, Wu Fei understood the phrase "not a human being," so he nodded and ordered the guy to be tied up.

Wu Fei personally wrote a sign that read "Stinking Intellectual" and hung it on the back of the man. Then he tied a tall hat on the man's hat and hung it on the military vehicle, asking others to come and claim it.

Wu Fei considered nine ways to get revenge! Wu Fei: "Feed him once an hour. We won't bully a madman."

The army continued its march. Following Wu Fei's orders, scouts, after an hour, found the dwelling of the old madman who had cursed them—a secluded bamboo grove. The grove's owner recognized the old madman, bowing respectfully, but remained unmoved by the army.

Wu Fei then ordered the old man to be thrown into the vegetable garden. He then left behind twenty taels of silver and forcibly requisitioned the bamboo grove near the mansion.

Wu Fei's troop of soldiers stormed in and cut down all the bamboo. The scholars who had been meeting in the bamboo grove paled and began to berate the army. "You worthless scoundrels!" "How dare you!"

They all looked furious, as if they were about to devour someone, forcing the soldiers to stop. Wu Fei paused, then suddenly thought they should be sent to his uncle for "re-education." So, he stripped them all naked, dressed them in prostitute clothes, applied makeup, and hung them aside! At the same time, he tied up several monkeys from the mountain and made them wear their clothes.

Wu Fei's keyboard strategy: This kind of verbal sparring, clinging to rigid rules and regulations, is inferior. My superior keyboard strategy is to seize your sore spots and subtly humiliate you. You criticize me for being "unoriginal," but I humiliate you for being original, so in terms of journalism and communication, I win.

The elegant residence in the bamboo grove has lost its lush greenery, and a sign has been put up here: Toilet Area.

As the soldiers took turns urinating, the place instantly resembled a roadside outhouse.

Wu Fei was unaware that his action had earned him the infamous title of "Bamboo Destroyer General" among the scholars of Zhenshui, and from then on, the scholars of Yongzhou declared that they were irreconcilable enemies with the Southern Barbarian General.

(End of this chapter)