Taiheiki

Chapter 327 The Wind Rises
"Do we really need such a grand show to deal with those barbarians? You went to conquer Linyi back then, and apart from the war elephants being somewhat formidable, you were utterly useless. Now Jiaozhou also has war elephants, and we have many more good horses. The southern campaign can be said to be a piece of cake!"

"That's not quite right! The climate there is hot, and there's miasma. It could easily turn into a messy war!"

"We'll set out during the dry season in autumn and winter, and rest during the rainy season in spring and summer. Besides, I heard from home that new-style seagoing vessels have been built in Panyu, which can sail swiftly regardless of whether the wind is favorable or unfavorable. It only takes fifteen days to travel by sea from Panyu to Hepu, and then to Longbian in Jiaozhi. The soldiers won't have to walk at all; they can arrive by ship in half a month with the wind. It'll be very easy to land and attack the bandits!"

While eating, Wang Kuang of Fanyang listened intently to the conversations around him. His classmates began to recount the spoils of war they had received after the victory—land, women, and other valuables. Wang Kuang, his heart pounding, lowered his voice and said, "Brother Fan, our classmates are really rich! Compared to them, we're practically penniless!"

"A gentleman remains steadfast in poverty!" Fan Yang said, unconcerned. "Besides, it's just casual conversation; whether it's true or not is uncertain!"

"That's not necessarily true. They spoke so vividly, it's probably true!" Wang Kuang wiped his mouth, stood up and walked to the person with the loudest voice next to him, cupped his hands in greeting: "Excuse me, I am Wang Kuang from Zhuojun. I used to work at the Sili Commandant's Office. I just heard you talk about the Southern Barbarians, and it's quite different from the rumors! I wonder if it's true or not!"

"Is it real or fake?" The man looked Wang Kuang up and down, rolled up his right sleeve, and took out a golden arm guard: "Take a look for yourself. This thing is what I took from the corpse of a Lin Yi general. Do you think it's real or fake?"

Wang Kuang took it and saw that the arm guard had a relief of a lion, with two emeralds inlaid as the lion's eyes. The lines were smooth and lifelike. Although it was completely different from the artistic style of the Han Dynasty, the craftsman's superb skills were evident. He returned the arm guard to the other party, thanked him, and returned to his table: "Brother Fan, it seems to be genuine!"

"Have you forgotten what Military Advisor Qin said?" Fan Yang sneered, "This training course is going to be tough. Whether you're rich or poor, that's all after you've passed the test. We're still students right now!"

"That's right, that's right!" Wang Kuang nodded repeatedly, but anyone who wasn't blind could see that his mind was elsewhere.

Just as Fan Yang had predicted, the second training session at noon gave everyone a rude awakening. After all, the first session was taught by Wei Cong, a general whose main purpose was to broaden everyone's horizons and expand their knowledge, not to pose difficult problems. The afternoon session was taught by a military officer, and his lesson was very simple: writing military orders.

"As you all know, when a general gives an order, it is often very simple, such as the army setting off at 1:15 AM tomorrow to go to Wancheng!"

If there are only two or three hundred men, it's simple; just issue the order as is. But if the army is large enough, it can't be done that way! For example, if there are ten thousand men, the marching column will be several miles long. Which detachment will set off first? Which detachment will set off last? Which detachment will act as the rearguard? What distance should be maintained between detachments? How many scouts? How wide should the scouts be spread? Should we split up and march separately? How will we cross rivers and mountain passes? How will we protect each other? The commander can't possibly give all these orders. Some rely on military custom, some on the judgment of officers in each detachment, and some on us turning the commander's orders into more detailed instructions. For example, if the march will pass through a place that is vulnerable to attack, then we must specify in the order that when passing through that place, the left flank detachment A should stop, deploy in the direction of the vulnerable area, and leave after the main army has passed. To do this, we must think ahead of the commander, know more, and think more meticulously than the commander..."

The officer spoke and wrote incessantly on the blackboard, leaving the students dumbfounded. As dusk approached, he finally stopped, seemingly reluctant to finish: "There's not enough time. That's all for today. Did you understand? If not, don't worry, this is a common military topic, and you'll have plenty of time to practice it later!" He packed up his things as he spoke, and just when everyone thought it was over, he slapped his forehead: "Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you. Every course in this training course has an assessment. I still have two more classes, so I'll tell you the assessment questions in advance so you can prepare. The question is about the marching plan of 10,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry from Luoyang to Jixian. Five people per group, and submit them before the end of the training course!" With that, he walked towards the door.

"Brother Fan, is this question difficult?" Wang Kuang asked cautiously, as he had been listening to gibberish for most of the lesson.

"Difficult, extremely difficult!" Fan Yang's face was extremely grim. "Think about it, tens of thousands of people with horses and men are not traveling with just a few people. There are simply too many things to consider. This is definitely not something that five people can do. You can ask the others if you don't believe me!"

Just as Fan Yang had predicted, everyone in the training class was plunged into despair. According to them, they were at most low-ranking officers, commanding no more than three to five hundred men. They basically charged when ordered to charge and held their ground when ordered to hold their positions, but they had no idea why they were ordered to do so or how the orders were given. As a result, the canteen at dinner was filled with sighs and lamentations, a far cry from the cheerful atmosphere of lunchtime.

"Sigh, from Luoyang to Jinyang. I've never even crossed the Yellow River in my life, I don't even know where Jixian is, and you want me to write a marching plan? You might as well kill me!"

"Yes, I do know that Ji County is in Youzhou, but who knows how to get there, how many rivers and mountains we have to cross!"

"They won't even make it to the second class. Looks like this training course is doomed!"

Has anyone here ever been to Youzhou?

"The general's men are either from Jingzhou, Yuzhang, or Jiaozhou. There aren't many from Qingzhou and Xuzhou, so how could they have been to Youzhou!"

"Yes! We'll have to go to the General's Mansion library to check out the map first!"

"Maps can't replace guides; there are too many errors on them!"

"That's better than knowing nothing at all!"

"Oh, right!" The man who had shown Wang Kuang his golden arm guards slapped his thigh and asked Wang Kuang, "You said you were from Zhuojun, right?"

“That’s right!” As soon as Wang Kuang finished speaking, the man grabbed Wang Kuang’s arm: “I am Zhang Cheng from Nanjun. Since you are from Zhuojun, you must know how to get from Luoyang to Jixian, and how many rivers and mountains there are along the way!”

“I know, but—” Before Wang Kuang could finish answering, the man unfastened the golden arm guard from his hand, stuffed it into Wang Kuang’s arms, and laughed, “No wonder you look so familiar, brother. Take this, and we can be a team for the marching plan!” “How can I!” Wang Kuang was startled and quickly declined, “Such a valuable item, I absolutely dare not accept it!”

"Haha, a gentleman should share his wealth!" Zhang Cheng's face darkened. "If you don't accept it, then you're looking down on me!"

Zhang Cheng, a man who had crawled out of piles of corpses, was usually easygoing, but when his face darkened, he exuded an imposing and menacing aura. Wang Kuang's words of refusal immediately became stuck in his throat. He could only manage a wry smile and say, "Such a valuable item, how can I accept it!"

"It's nothing but material possessions. When you go to Jiaozhou in the future, I'll take you to see my family's manor and salt fields in Hepu. Then you'll know what this is all about!"

"What about my fellow villager?"

"Fellow townsman?" Zhang Cheng's gaze shifted to Fan Yang beside him. "He's also from Youzhou? He can join our group too. Besides the three of us, there are two empty spots. Hehehe, I want to see how these guys get through this!" He sneered twice, stood up, and raised his voice: "Gentlemen, gentlemen, quiet down! Aren't you worried about this marching plan? I have two brothers here, both from Zhuojun in Youzhou. Naturally, they know the route from Luoyang to Youzhou like the back of their hand. The three of us are already a group, and there are two spots left. Each spot costs ten thousand coins. First come, first served!"

"Ten thousand coins? Zhang Cheng, have you lost your mind!"

"Why don't you just rob it!"

"Zhang Cheng, you scoundrel, don't get too cocky. There are no Youzhou people here, but I don't believe there aren't any in Luoyang. I'll go outside and find a merchant who runs the Youzhou-Luoyang trade route, and I can get a clear answer from him for a few hundred coins!"

"Go ahead and ask if you're not afraid of violating military law!" Zhang Cheng laughed. "Do you think what's discussed here can be leaked? Have you forgotten what the military law said before you came in? Why did the question ask about the route from Luoyang to Jixian instead of somewhere else? Use your brain! If you can't figure this out, you're only fit to be a lowly official for the rest of your life!"

After Zhang Cheng finished speaking, the room fell silent. These men, chosen from the army, were naturally the most intelligent and quick-witted. A clear message needs no further explanation; with Zhang Cheng's prompting, they all immediately understood. Two men immediately approached: "Ten thousand coins it is, but I don't have any right now. We'll give it to you after we get out!"

"Alright, just say the word!" Zhang Cheng nodded and smiled at Fan Yang and Wang Kuang, "I'll have to trouble you two from now on!"

The next two months in the training program might not have been the most arduous of Fan Yang and Wang Kuang's lives, but they were definitely the most intense. They attended classes in the mornings and afternoons, and spent their evenings frantically studying and completing various assignments by candlelight, covering subjects such as drawing, surveying, secret language, shorthand, calculation, horsemanship, and boat handling. In Wei Cong's own words, the goal was to cultivate a group of well-rounded talents with six skills: reading, memorizing, calculating, writing, drawing, and transmitting, as well as general abilities such as information acquisition and organizational coordination.

The two were too preoccupied to care about what others thought or said. The reason was simple: everyone else was just as busy as they were. This training course even included an emergency assembly in the middle of the night, ostensibly to simulate wartime emergencies and hone response capabilities.

After two months of this, everyone in the training class became dark and thin, their cheeks and eyes sunken, looking as if they had just recovered from a serious illness. When they received their graduation certificates—silk scrolls with Wei Cong's signature—whether they were imperial students like Wang Kuang and Fan Yang or veteran revolutionaries like Zhang Cheng, they were all in tears. These days were finally over.

"Gentlemen!" Zhang Cheng cupped his hands in greeting to Wang Kuang and Fan Yang. "No matter what, it's fate that we've met. I've already booked a banquet for tonight in Fuyangfang outside the city. Everyone coming is a classmate, so please come!"

"No problem!" Fan Yang readily agreed, "I'll definitely be there!"

Fan Yang returned to his lodgings and washed up, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. Seeing that he had plenty of time before the appointed time, he casually picked up a copy of the *Ouyang Shangshu* (a classic text on state affairs) he had copied, intending to review it. However, with the book in his hands, his mind was filled with thoughts of terrain, river currents, and the hardness of the soil. The *Shangshu* was there, but he couldn't absorb its meaning. He had no choice but to put the silk scroll aside, thinking to himself, "Have I become too old and incapable of reading this classic text anymore?"

"Brother Fan!" At this moment, Wang Kuang also came over. He was wearing a wide robe, and his wet hair was draped over his shoulders. His hair was not combed and he had obviously just taken a bath. When he saw the book "Ouyang Shangshu" next to Fan Yang, he couldn't help but shake his head and say, "I really admire you. You can still read this stuff after being locked up for two months. I get a headache just looking at books now. All I can think about is tonight's debauchery and having a good time!"

"I just took it out myself, and I can't concentrate on it at all!" Fan Yang laughed. "But you mentioned indulging in sensual pleasures, Zhang Cheng is very extravagant, he'll definitely give you what you want tonight!"

“That’s perfect! This guy is very rich. Wouldn’t it be a waste to be classmates with him if we didn’t take advantage of his wealth?” Wang Kuang spread his arms and legs and sat down next to Fan Yang so that the sun would shine on him. “But I heard that he used to be an ordinary poor man. He only became rich after he followed the general.”

Fan Yang smiled. He knew his friend was probably already thinking about making money again, a routine he'd been doing before bed for the past two months. Just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark, hurried footsteps came from outside. A minor official appeared at the courtyard gate, and seeing the two of them, he breathed a sigh of relief: "You're both here! That's great! There are orders from above: everyone must be on duty immediately and not allowed to leave!"

"Huh? What happened?" Wang Kuang was taken aback.

The clerk hesitated for a moment: "Never mind, you'll all know by tonight anyway. Something terrible has happened. The Southern Xiongnu tribe has risen up and fled beyond the Great Wall, seeking refuge with Tanshihuai, the leader of the Xianbei tribe. Ren Xiao, the Southern Xiongnu general, went beyond the Great Wall to pursue them, but was defeated and killed. The Xianbei have already gathered their troops, and seven or eight border counties in the north are all in dire need of help!"

Wang Kuang and Fan Yang both stood up. After the minor official finished speaking, he left, leaving only the empty courtyard gate. Both of them were from the border region and knew very well what those words meant.

(End of this chapter)